While the book does present an accurate and unbiased view of world religions, the text itself is less than gripping (the writing is dry), and the book's organization is a little confusing. This may not be the best text to use if you are interested in getting a clear, overall picutre of a particular religion. It includes studies of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

this book opens with blackwood's great story: the wendigo. B is the master of the setting, noone can create the background and atmosphere like him. a very well written story from Brennan here. and Meloff's story is also an interesting read. derleth is at his best here. i don''t care that much for the guy, have never considered him to be HPL's great successor or anything, but he knows how to write, and i have always considered his story about Ithaqua to be his best contribution. the rest of the stories are well written. i don't think any of chaosium's anthologies contains of so much good writing than this. but good is not great. and the rest of the stories never turns out to be really good. the suspence killed by irrelevant writing going on for too long, mostly. sad. but the book is still wort reading

Hutchison's "Vesco", written while the Watergate scandal was just coming to a head, attempts to track the history of one of the greatest, though now largely forgotten, financial debacles in modern history: the collapse of financier Bernie Cornfeld's Investor Overseas Services (IOS, a huge offshore mutual fund and financial services entity of the 1960s and early 1970s)and its subsequent almost certain plundering by Robert L. Vesco and his shadowy associates.

Although approached by the author as a history of the affair through the printing in 1974, the author's thinly disquised bias against Vesco taints the presentation as an objective accounting. Nonetheless, the work is well written (if very poorly proof-read in the reviewed edition), well researched in the main, and serves at least as a starting point in the unravelling of an extremely complex international financial fraud that cost fund investors and stockholders worldwide hundreds of millions of dollars. It is largely the story of black money, how Cornfeld's legitimate IOS funds attracted it, and how opportunistic Vesco grabbed it to the dismay of powerless international financial and police agencies. To this day, international authorities have yet to apprehend Vesco, now believed to be held up in Cuba, despite one of the greatest manhunts in law enforcement history.

The parallel narrative tracks the lives and careers of Cornfeld, mutual fund salesman cum financial services magnate /playboy extraordinaire, and Vesco, high-flying industrialist cum con man / international fugitive. The work centers around a crisis of confidence that rocked IOS in 1970 and led the corporate vulture Vesco, then desperate for a cash-rich acquisition to save his mini-conglomerate International Controls, to wrest control of unregulated offshore IOS from the flustered Cornfeld, and then, presumably, to loot IOS and the mutual funds, insurance outfits, and real estate investments it owned or managed, to the tune of no less than a quarter of a billion dollars.

Hutchison does a fine job of coloring in the story with unattributed quotes and doubtful supposed nicknames for the supporting cast and the sham corporations involved in the chicanery: this detracts from the professional, supported research throughout most of the book. At the time of the writing the author was an investigative journalist, and the book is written in such a style, which helps to captivate the reader and draw him into the web of big money, big promises, and big lies.

The foremost problem with the work is its presumption of Vesco's intentions and guilt, which, while clear in retrospect, were not at the time as documentable as Hutchison would have the reader believe.

While the book is lacking in some respects, and has some of the whitewash feel of it's Watergate-era contemporary "All The President's Men", it is certainly a worthwhile, if necessarily cumbersome read on a very tangled, intensely interesting subject for those intrigued by great true-crime stories. It tells yet another tale wherein, as the cliche' states, truth is far stranger than fiction. An edition including photos is a must. PJS 7/99.

Harrington and Burger waste a lot of time, and my money, in this book without an end. When detailing the crimes, they become rather coy and worried about being overly sensational. I appreciate that many books become lurid in their description of crimes, but Harrington and Burger are almost shy in their description.

The real mass of the book is an endless litany about how long it takes to get Ng to trial, and in fact, the trial hasn't even begun when this book ends. The authors endlessly quote sources, to the point that the reader just wants to cry.

I am still trying to figure-out the reason for this book. It basically tells the reader nothing, and doesn't inform in any way.

Don't waste your money.

The trial was only half over when the book ends. Yes, Ng was found guilty but the penalty phase of the trial remained. After 14 years, couldn't the authors (and publishers) waited a few more months? I found the account and analysis of the legal wrangling simplistic and shallow.

Among true life crime stories, this one gets high ratings for effort and its choice of the most sensational subject matter. The perpetrators of the hideous crimes described in these pages make Ted Bundy look like a boy scout. The two villains of the case stalk and capture their victims, force some of them into sexual slavery, torture them in a variety of ways. These miscreants have no moral limits, taunting a mother with the threat of killing her baby (which turns out to be no idle threat) while they force her to perform sexual acts on film. Men, women, and children (even whole families) disappear from various California locales and end up savaged by the brutal world of Leonard Lake and Charlie Ng. Aside from sexual perversion, robbery and theft of identity are the other motives of these crazed killers. The gruesome stuff occupies the first half of the book and includes descriptions and narratives of the various law enforcement agencies involved in the case.

A key ingredient of this book is the very size of the case, which presents giant hurdles for the police and prosecutors who must bring the case against Charlie Ng. Fortunately for law enforcement and victims, one of these murderers commits suicide when first apprehended. But the remaining killer, Charlie Ng, flees to Canada to escape the possible death penalty in the U.S. Charlie Ng is a master of gaming with the legal system, firing his lawyers, stalling, engaging in other delaying tactics at the expense of the victims and the legal system. The legal manipulations get so bad that an appeal goes beyond the Canadian high courts to the United Nations committee on Human Rights. Although the murders were committed in 1984, it's not until 1998 that Ng actually goes to trial. The sheer size of the case is staggering, and the legal system is in danger of collapse from its crushing weight and the tremendous financial burdens imposed upon the authorities.

The last section of the book is devoted to ideas and commentary on reform of the judicial system. On the whole, this is an ambitious book, but it chokes on the same bones that the legal system uncovers during its investigations. There's too much of everything to consider: too many murders, too many people, too many clues and crime scenes. Another reason for what occasionally seems a disjointed approach may be that it was written by two authors. Though some readers might need to bypass the nauseating details of the crimes, this is worthwhile news reporting of a case that occupied the public attention for more than a decade and resulted in several network television documentaries. The book's commentary and critcism of the legal system have an appeal and relevance to crime victims and their families, as well as to officers of the courts.

Not too long ago the Mormon Church changed its logo in order to emphasis the name 'Jesus Christ' whilst the remainder of its title - "The Church of ....... ...... of Latter-day Saints" is less prominent.

Since 1981 the Book of Mormon has been sub-titled with the words:

"Another Testament of Jesus Christ."

Since they say the Book of Mormon is ANOTHER Testament of Jesus Christ it seems reasonable for us to assume they mean another testament, besides the Bible. So the Jesus of whom they are speaking must be the Biblical Jesus. The first paragraph of the "Introduction" to the Book of Mormon reads:

"The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel."

Here we see the Book of Mormon being 'linked' to the Bible, therefore, our assumption that they mean another testament - besides the Bible, is obviously correct. [As an aside: notice the above introduction says the Bible also contains 'the fulness of the everlasting gospel'. The Mormon Church teaches that parts of the Bible are missing, and that which remains is largely corrupted. Since that is what they believe, why does the Book of Mormon introduction say otherwise?]

Imagine you wrote a biography of Elvis Presley and it became world famous; a standard reference work for anyone wanting to study the life of "The King." Then, years later, I wrote another biography of Elvis Presley - However! The Elvis Presley of whom I wrote was not the famous singer but somebody quite different who just happened to have the same name. Now, if I put on the front cover of my book:

"Another biography of Elvis Presley."

I would be giving a false impression. Because those words would suggest I was speaking about the same Elvis Presley as you, since I claim it is 'another' (a second) biography.

A different Jesus?

For many years Christians have claimed that the Jesus of the Mormon Church is a different Jesus than He of whom the Bible speaks. This claim has been denied by LDS Church leaders who have insisted they worship the same Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible.

Hinckley's admission:

On June 4, 1998 whilst on a visit to Paris, France. President Hinckley bore his testimony of Jesus Christ. While doing so Hinckley spoke of those outside the church who claim Mormons do not believe in the traditional Christ, he continued:

"No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. He, together with his Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more about the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages." Church News. Week ending June 20, 1998

Throughout the centuries Christians have believed in the Jesus Christ who is presented to us in the Bible. He who was, and is: "...God ... manifest in the flesh, ... preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16)

The "traditional Christ" who is rejected by Mormonism.

Hinckley is not the first to reveal Mormonism's rejection of the real Lord Jesus Christ.

At the 147th General Conference Barnard P. Brockbank stated:

"...the Christ followed by the Mormons is not the Christ followed by traditional Christianity."

"It is true that many of the Christian churches worship a different Jesus Christ than is worshipped by the Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

If the Christ of the Book of Mormon is the Christ in whom Mormons believe then, clearly, he is a different Christ from the Jesus Christ of the Bible, in whom Mormons don't believe.

Therefore, the Book of Mormon cannot be:

"Another testament of Jesus Christ."

but rather, it is:

"A Testament of another Jesus Christ."

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:4-5)

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9)

This book is a great one-volume introduction to Joseph Smith as a prophet. It has ample selections from Joseph Smith's writings such as the Lectures on Faith, some of his revelations such as the Vision of the Three Degrees of Glory, which is published in the Doctrine and Covenants. It gives you a great introduction into the unique aspects of Joseph Smith as an American Prophet.

This book does the job it was intended to do--give you a quick peek at a complex man and his theology.

I recommend this for the student of the Church of Jesus Christ if Latter-day Saints, or anyone curious about what Joseph Smith actually said and actually did. He speaks for him self in this book. It is also useful for anyone who is curious about Joseph Smith, and would like to understand him in his own terms.

This review is actually a review of the book, and not a review of Joseph Smith or of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This book is a big waste of time and money. It is lacking the substance and detail needed to understand this important topic. All the book goes into is high level topics and dancing around the substantial issues without handling them.

If you want to really learn about MS OLAP, DTS, MDX, OLE DB for OLAP, ADOMD, etc., then DO NOT buy this book. It will not serve these purposes.

A reader totally unfamiliar with data warehousing could read this book and come away with a good understanding of the datawarehousing world. The portion that covers the actual Microsoft tools and dialogues is not very detailed, but I guess one could look at a more detailed book for the specifics.

This textbook is the required text for a graduate level business course in which I am currently enrolled. My opinion, as well as nearly all of my classmates, is that this book offers very little for those in business wanting to learn about strategic management.

An example of what I mean is the following sentence taken from the book: "Firms that have built substantial sources of competitive advantage often enjoy high levels of profitability." Really? The text continues to state obvious points such as this.

This book contains about 10 % of material and 90 % filler. It could probably have been condensed to about 20 pages of bullet points without losing any of the content. Many textbooks have a problem with lack of brevity, however this book is the worst that I can remember since my days in high school.

As a business professional who values his time, I do not have time to waste reading filler. This book is so poor that if it wasn't being used to teach the final course in my program I would have dropped the course.

Pitts & Lei's (revised) 2nd edition is a solid, well-written strategic management textbook. Topical coverage is both traditional and well informed. The only exception to the foregoing is Chapter 11 that seems to be slightly "muddy" and confusing. From my perspective, as an instructor who has taught strategic management for the last fifteen years and actually practiced strategic management for fifteen years in industry, the only "missing element" is a chapter on "network" or virtual organizations. Chapter 12 (Managing Strategic Change) and Chapter 13 (Redefining Advantage) are excellent, both in terms of content and exposition.

The book includes cases (suitable for classroom discussion) and review questions in each chapter. Each chapter also has an excellent set of references. The ancillaries are complete with the exception that no test bank is provided for an instructor's use. I recommend this text to anyone teaching undergraduate strategic management and also to any reader interested in learning what strategic management is all about.

This book compares quite favorably to several of the much more expensive strategy texts like David, Thompson and Strickland and Pearce and Robinson. The book is good value for the money.

My husband had a personal interest in this case and has looked

for this book for years. He was thrilled to find it on Amazon.

This book gives you a good reason to bolt the door at night. The aurther may have spent to much time developing a few charters but all in all, I'd say the wait pays off.

The new strain of "history from below" is on us, and it is truly postmodern in its attempts to fight retreating battles against the clear lineage of destruction in the Soviet State.

This book is horrible. I was hoping to find some good Left Revisionist histry to give students, but I will not find it here.

And that's the problem. I can't seem to find good left revisionist history. Anywhwere. It took two pages to see it in this book.

Left Revisionism is seen here in its pure and pathetic form. Looking hard to find some kind of scholarship to work some kind of sophisticated view of the disgusting events that took place in Stalin's Russia, I will have to go back to general Volkogonov to find anything worth reading on Stalin.

I always suspect I should give two chances to anyone who disagreees with me ideologically. And I am always leery of events which reinforce my political views, as I suspect that they are leading me down the same type of path that Believers hold everywhere.

But here I shouldn't worry. This is leftist tripe. You might want to read this book if only to confirm how bad the revisionist school has fared up against the Conquestian and Pipean view of the Soviet world. It is instructive to note how good the Anti-Soviet crowd was and how much of a vomiting rercord the crowd of Revisionists has accumulated.

Want some lively and plausibe history? Read "Stalin, Tragedies and Triumphs" by Volkogonov. This book is only good as a high seat for Junoir.

Robert Thurston has written an interesting --if flawed--history of the Stalinist terror. Correctly criticizing previous histories of the period, Thurston falls into the trap that awaits most revisionist historians: he spends more time looking for information to disprove their arguments than building his own case. A major problem is the author's use of Soviet archival material. Dr. Thurston uses Soviet statistics to build his case often neglecting their obvious bias. For example, he notes that only 63,889 people were arrested for counterrevolutionary crimes in 1939 (119), while later noting that in the same year more than a million Poles from the eastern Ukraine were deported to Siberia (218). Nevertheless, the book is important for students and academic interested in the impact of the terror on Soviet society.

What generally has dominated the conversation about Stalin's regime has been recognized as a "Totalitarian Paradigm" by Philip Marsh, outstanding non-Marxist scientist in his essay "Stalin And Yezhov- An Extra-Paradigmatic View". His definition of this paradigm is that when researching this historical period, Western historician always proceeds from the assumption that Stalin was a dictator and his rule was monolithic and tyrannic, thus always negating new evidence that would suggest otherwise. A good example of this is Robert Conquest and the case of Kovalev. Conquest's standard accusations against Stalinist regime have traditionally been that it was elitist, bureucratic and priviledged, suppressed workers and peasants with ruthless force, was only interested with fabricated harvest records etc. When Conquest then found that these people who practiced this were the main targets of the purges and were considered as unbearable burdons for Leninist party (demonstrated in the case Kovalev who was purged for exploiting toilers) he simply whitewashed these people as "victims of lynching mood" while not grasping that he was himself protecting tyrannical strata which was the remnant of Czarist rule. He was later espoused for this- but still remains among the most respected scholars on Stalin, while more responsible research- based on archival data rather than rumors and gossip, basic sources for information respected in mainstream - has been simply downplayed as an attempt to "absolve Stalin from his crimes" while these critics themselves suffer from all-too-typical paradigm blindness. They don't understand that this new research questions whether we can even talk about "crimes", which is useless term and out of historical context. This work contains good deal of original material and is thus very respectable and reliable- but still, those who simply consider "Stalin The Tyrant" as absolute dogma won't accept new evidence that conradicts their beliefs- not because this evidence would be invalid- but because it CONTRADICTS this almost religious belief.

I, personally, have a story to tell: One of my friends- Russian emigre whose parents had to flee so that Khrusthev would not execute them- as he did to all those who he considered "Stalinists"- had a relative who is actually here in (United States of America) right now, who was unemployeed in the Soviet Union in the 40's. He found that there was a building work going on in Vorkutta, Siberia, examined and found it was GULAG. The only way to get there was to get arrested by NKVD. So, he went to NKVD and ASKED them to sent him there. They asked, "did you do a crime?", he replied "no, I'm looking for a work". In the camp, there were hundreds like him. You wouldn't even know who was a prisoner and who was a guard, and ordinary workers would form relations with prisoners and have children with them. They even had strike -guards, prisoners and everyone- when Khrustchev pulled coup de'tat and murdered Beria!

Thurston's work is as good and responsible than bourgeois one can be- and he deserves full recognition for it. The so-called "Getty-Ritterspon-phenomenon" throws new light to this period, during which Russians achieved more than probably any other nation in history.

Purporting itself to be an introduction to Canada for Americans, it fails miserably for other reasons besides the trite issue of Canadian spellings, as pointed out by another reviewer. Rather than being a broad-based overview of Canadian history, politics, and life as it appears it should be (and the reason why I purchased it), it is merely an master's thesis level analysis of Canadian economic history and development through the eyes of an unabashed neo-Marxist whose distaste for the American system is quite palpable, and unfortunately, somewhat pedestrian in his criticisms.

Describing next to nothing about the Canadian people, basic attitudes towards government, health and welfare, i.e., the "whats" and "whys" of current Canadian identity (or lack thereof) it instead gets bogged down in economic and political minutae that is tiresome to read and, in the end, completely unrelated to clearing up American misperceptions of Canadian society.

It is by far the worst book on Canadian-American relations I have ever read. Reading more like a a policy paper, instead of the title "Canada for Americans", it should have been entitled: "The Canadian Working Class and the Struggle for Authentic Economic Empowerment, 1791-1997: A Neo-Marxist Perspective"

Intended to help diminish American ignorance of Canada, this book fails at its most basic level by the use of American spelling throughout the text. Although rich in facts and figures for its size, the book nonetheless perpetuates the American condescension it justifiably deplores. It is most unfortunate for American and Canadian readers alike that the author's disrespect of standard Canadian English reduces the book to a pitiful self-mockery.