Kavik is a sled dog who is sold and flown over on plane. Only, he never arrives where he's supposed to be. The plane crashes and he's stranded in a cage for days. Then a boy named Andy Evans rescues him. Soon Kavik is well again and the champion sled dog's rightfull owner finds out that his dog survived and claims him back, but Kavik wants to stay with Andy. When Kavik arrives with his rightful owner, he is then 2,000 miles away from what he calls home. He's determined to arrive home again but it's a tough journey for a single dog.

Kavik the Wolf-dog was the first book about wolf-dogs I have ever read. Because of this book, it inspired me to respect and raise my own wolf-dogs and wolves to teach people how noble these animals are. I was in second grade when I read it.Now I'm almost thirty and this book stills vividly sticks in my mind. This is a classic novel.

I read Kavik The Wolf Dog and loved every bit of it. I like how it told a story about a dog trying to find his way home, and the challenges that he had to overcome to get back to the place is loves. I think that this is a book that lots of people would love to read. If you like adventure, this is the book for you!

This book has some powerful messages for the modern executive. The difference between being busy and being effective is an important distinction that Drucker highlights. He also highlights some important rules of thumb that are very true but often taken for granted. For example, the fact that any significant innovation requires large chunks of consecutive time spent focused on the issue. Any manager that wants to create a breakthrough change in their organization needs to think through the issues in large chunks. All we can do in small chunks of time is what we did yesterday. He also points out that the critical scarce resource for any executive is time and that some of the most important decisions an executive makes is any honest assessment of what is not going to get done. Too many projects keep moving forward burning up critical time and never reaching critical mass. Drucker provides insight into how to either make something happen or how to be decisive about what you are not going to do which is often even harder

The content of this book is very timely and applicable to anyone who is considered to be a 'knowledge worker'. Regardless of title, the knowledge worker really is an executive. Several pages in the first chapter are dedicated to setting up this argument and scoping out the audience.

Drucker is very methodical in laying out his 5 principles of effectiveness. These are the basis for his two arguments in the book - executives must be effective and effectiveness must be learned. In each chapter that supports his principles, he lays the foundation for the principle, builds walls around it with countless real-life examples, and then drives them home with even more real-life examples.

Perhaps the greatest asset within this book is the rich examples that Drucker has provided. He is the oracle of management that has real experience as a strategist and theorist. He has no qualms with hitting common textbook theory head on in his books and has countless examples to back him up.

One drawback is that it can become tiresome to read some parts. Drucker really drives home some points and if you've already got it, you lose appreciation for the extra examples.

Ok, so it's not like reading a Grisham novel, but I promise you will take some valuable nuggets away from this book that can help you in building your career.

One of his classics, and among the few that focuses on the practicioner (the manager) instead of the practice itself (management). Drucker delivers in his classic lucid style, insightful but never pedantic. There are lots of truisms in this book, but the one that stands out is the power of focus -- do one thing at a time. In practice, this is among the hardest things to do for a manager. As owner of a growing consulting firm, I am strecthced in all directions at all times. Applying this simple principle -- focusing on a "rock", as opposed to the "pebbles", not only increased my productivity -- and thus revenues -- but level of personal satisfaction as well. We all know what needs to be done. It's how to get it done (being effective) that's often the problem. Read this book and learn.

If all you know about the Hulk is what you saw on TV - on any of the cartoons or on the old Bill Bixby show - forget everything and start over here. Peter David, who reinvented the Hulk for Marvel Comics prior to writing this book, crafts a heartwrenching story about a man cursed to see his own worst angel in the mirror every day, the owman who loves him, and the evil that may lurk within both his mind and his DNA.

If you've read PAD's Trek novels, try this. It's even better than those, as he takes a character he has made his own and makes him incredible. And after this, you'll never thing of the Hulk and Lou Ferrigno in the same sentence again.

This is the only book I have ever bought, then read, then only minutes after putting the book down, picked it up and read it - AGAIN! I've read it three times now, and have to say that it is the best Hulk story out there. And this from a guy who has almost 300 issues of the comic series, including the entire Peter David run. Thank you Mr. David.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Finally a novel worthy of its main character. You can tell that Peter David knows his stuff, and *GASP!!!* actually CARES about his characters instead of just writing about them. I was actually shocked by how much turmoil that the main characters (Bruce Bnner/Hulk, Betty Banner, Doc Samson)went through in this book, OUTSIDE of normal comic continuity. This is quite literally a "page turner" as the sotry is just, literally, all over the place. My only complaint is that the end conclusion feels abrupt and rushed. Maybe Mr. David was on a deadline, or maybe he just couldn't come up with a worthy enough conclusion to his fantastic story. Who knows, but it won't diminish the impact of what happened before. It's a shame that Mr. David didn't write another Hulk novel, as the Hulk novels are actually some of the better ones. Oh well, definately check this out!

This is by far the finest computer book I have ever read. I recommend this book to people wanting to install and use Samba because no other book, HOWTO, or online forum explains SAMBA so well. I also recommend this book to people just getting their feet wet with networking because it comprehensively examines both Linux and Windows networking issues in an extremely easy to read, step-by-step way.

This book has screen shots -- a lot of them. This book has examples -- a lot of them. This book has very easily followed writing that tells you how to set up your Linux and Windows machines and how to get Samba going. The book sits down with you, rolls up your sleeves, and shows you how to progress in a way that yeilds desired results -- Samba installs and works on your network! It blends instruction with just the right amount of background explanation without forcing you to read page after page of useless, smothering detail. A lot of authors would be well advised to achieve this kind of balance in computer books and darn few succeed. I had my Windows box talking to my Linux box via Samba in just a day. I spent about 2 weeks going over the book and studying my existing Windows network before making any software changes whatsoever.

This book offers a comprehensive networking fault tree people new to networking will find extremely useful. Follow this fault tree and you will be able to correct general networking problems as well as specific Samba problems. When I had networking problems back when I first got into Linux with Red Hat 6.0, I could have fixed them with this book's fault tree. It would have saved me hours of frustration to have worked through this book's fault tree.

I think everyone wanting to connect Linux boxes to Windows boxes should rush to order this book and then spend 2 weeks reading it cover to cover before messing with ANY network settings. You will be rewarded for your money and patience with results and a feeling of genuine accomplishment.

I've noticed a trend in Linux books where the authors like to waste space and reader's time with useless banner "warnings" and sometimes repetitive moralizing. Some writers print warnings every 2 pages and sound as bad as hoax emails. Well you won't find many warnings in Using Samba. They are worth reading when found.

As far as I can see, there are only 2 bad points about this book and you can't blame the authors for them: unless it is lovingly revised in a new edition, increasing rollouts of Windows 2000 will rapidly obsolete the excellent Samba advice you can get here. As of this writing (August 2000), Windows Millenium Edition will be available to consumers September 14, and depending on sales this may help obsolete the book also. The second bad point is that Samba has not gone into a new version which can deal with Windows 2000 and Millenium Edition yet. It is still stuck at 2.0.7. Hopefully the Samba team will release a new version in the near future covering Windows 2000. And I sure hope The Samba Book, as it is called, is revised to cover the new Windows products!

I've beed using Samba for the last 2 years and this book helped me finally understand how to properly configure it in 1 night. Very well written and easy to understand. Topics like oplocks and network printer configuration are explained in an easy to read manner. If your using or plan to use Samba, you need this book. Well worth the money.

Samba is one of the wonders of the Open source movement. A small bunch of guys in out of the way Canberra, Australia develop a product that emulates a Windows Server Message Block (SMB) server. They do such a good job that within a couple of years they have sponsors assisting programmers around the world in bringing out a product that does a better job than anything Microsoft offers.

I've installed Samba in a number of different environments and used it both as a server and client. I wish I'd had this book. It does a good job of explaining how to set it all up, get it running and maintain it. Nothing else does as good a job. While you can (probably) install and run Samba using just the online manuals you will find it a lot easier if you buy this book. It certainly saves me a lot of time.

It is well written, easy to read, thorough and well paced. It contains a large number of examples and goes through the almost monolithic smb.conf file till it feels like an old friend.

While it does cover some of the underlying network protocols it does not unnecessarily dwell on them, it is a good mix of explanation and getting your hands dirty examples.

The book is well structured, starting with simple configurations and proceeding through to complex ones involving printers, domain controllers and the like. A marvelous way to learn, at the same time it is easy to find particular snippets of information when you require them. I find Appendices C (a configuration option quick reference) and D (a summary of the command line options for the daemons) and the fault tree in Chapter 9 particularly useful.

I would recommend this book to everyone who wishes to integrate Samba into a Windows environment, regardless if it is a small home network or an entire office building. And yes, you can download the entire text for free - the Samba team have now adopted it as part of the official documentation thanks to the authors and O'Reilly, but call me old fashioned, I like having the paper.

I actually purchased this book prior to purchasing the program. It's intuitive writing and excellent tutorials helped me learn some of the intricacies of the program before I actually bought it. However, the ts2 demo on the CD did not function. Simply contact IDG books, the number is in the copyright area, and they will send you a new CD with a functioning program or download the demo right from Caligari at www.caligari.com.

Peter Plantec did a fantastic job writing the intuitive text and points out many features in the program that are not listed in the reference manuals from Calagari. There are a few areas of confusion, very few, of incorrect tool paths and vague instructions, but if you are persistant you will catch on to what he is instructing you to do.

I recommend this text to any...beginner or professional...Within it's confines are the answers you have not been able to find on your own. From basic 3D modelling all the way to putting your animations on video tape and selling your work.

Look no further for trueSpace resources. Right here it is

The Caligari TrueSpace 2 Bible is an excellent and VERY thourough 3D animation information source. It's scope truly does compare to the bible, as its name implies, because it covers not only the essentials of mastering the TrueSpace 2 program, but a comprehensive introduction of how to use this tool to create art. Included is the psychology behind character developement and many in depth tips describing techniques that Hollywood cinematographers use, such as camera angles and pans, to engage your audience. The only thing I did not like about this book was the fact that the CD, which includes a 30 day trial demo of the program did not work due to its having been made in 1995 and I suppose only good for thirty days after its creation. Changing your system clock won't help. The guys that wrote publish the book will send you another for free or you can download the same demo from Caligari's site. This is actually a good idea since you can download the newer demo version, TrueSpace 3, and many others as well.

Of all the computer books I've bought over the years, this is the first that not only has taught me some new techniques, and clarified some rough spots I'd had, but also inspired me as an artist to improve my ideas as well. Even the new user could learn the program from scratch with this book! It's certainly for all skill levels, with everything from building models to adding special effects. Details like textures and lighting are covered in great detail, with input from other industry experts. You also go step-by-step through creating an animation: from getting your ideas out of that thick skull to writing a storyboard and creating your masterpiece. All written in a tone of encouragement by the author.

The examples included are wonderful, showing how such a reasonably priced program can create some stunning and beautiful art and animation. All it takes is some know-how and a heaping dose of creativity and a splash of inspiration, and Mr. Plantec shows you how to pull it together.

This book has a permanent spot next to my computer since the day it arrived! A definate read for anyone interested in 3-d computer art and/or animation!

When catasthrophe hit the grain harvest of the Soviet Union, the Politburo must decide whether to negotiate with the West for grains, or go to war, or suffer mass uprising. No one in the Kremlin wants the last possibility to happen, so two factions emerged, with the bare majority, including the Secretary-General, advocating negotiation. Through a Kremlin informant for British agent Adam Munro, the British PM and the US President learned just how desperate the situation in the USSR was.

Meanwhile, the survivor of a shipwreck in the Mediterranean aroused the interest of a British Andrew Drake. Drake descended from a Ukrainian nationlist, whose mission in life was to strike a humiliating blow against the USSR, and the shipwreck survivor provided him with an opportunity to do just that.

Somehow, the different threads spun by the author in the book came together, climaxing with the world being held hostage to an all-out war between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, or the greatest environmental catasthrophy yet.

The author did not stint on fleshing out his characters, providing them with ample description, motivations and attributes that the reader can just imagine the kind of actors and actresses that would be cast if this was a movie.

Plot development were fast and furious sometimes, yet deliberately slow and detailed at others, paced out well like the different variations of a symphony, but never a dull moment.

In the end, it will be up to our hero Adam Munro to save the world from the various catasthrophies, and the numerous twists in the end came round a blind corner, hitting the readers where they least expect (unless of course, they've been reading way too much thrillers like me who managed to guess a couple of them).

The Devil's Alternative is one of the finest thrillers ever written. In my opinion it ranks with The Negotiator as the best novels by Forsyth. What makes this book great is the realism. Forsyth knows his stuff, and has done a perfect job of researching the Halls of Power on both sides of the ocean. His depiction of the Soviet Politburo in action is one of the best representations in all of fiction. His use of technology (the tanker, etc.) is well done, with no inaccuracies. [Although it should be noted that the largest oil tanker in the world is the Jahre Viking, which is half the size of the Freya in the book] The characters, unlike most other thrillers, are not your everyday stock characters. Forsyth gives them a personality. The ending of this multi-layered thriller is also a gem, and no other author could have written such a perfect book.

It's the early eighties and group of radical Ukranian nationalists have a debt to settle as The Soviet Union is facing a possible famine. After a Ukranian nationalist is found barely alive floating in the black sea, the stage is set for a plot which involves numerous european countries as well as the US and Israel.

The character development in this novel is excellent. Frederick Forsyth has a way of bringing out the personalities of the main characters very well. His knowledge of geography really shows that he does his research before he writes. I like the way the book goes from one country to another carefully discribing what is going on but not always telling the reader how it's related to the plot until later. There are quite a few surprising moments which keep your attention. There are points were you may think the story is going nowhere and then there is an abrupt change of pace with no warning.

It is books like this that can turn one into an avid reader of espionage novels.

It's a comparatively long time for me to get a great affection for another mystery series. Agatha, though reminding me and many readers of Agatha Christie and making us assume Agatha must be like Miss. Marple, has a really interesting character. Considering getting a taxi pushing a guy, she's tough, but from her past history, she is pathetic. Aside from her strong character and career, she needs an affection and concerns from the others. I laughed when her attitude reversed when getting a hope on James Lacey after hearing Bill Wong's tip on his sister. Anyway..the thing I like to comment is that the crown jewel of this series is Agatha Raisin. I ordered the sequal series already, and I am looking forward to getting a free time to absorb myself in Agatha's adventures.
I read the other series of Hamish, and it seems to be really interesting. M.C. Beaton's writing is really smooth and easy to read. Reading this, I thought I watched another TV series of Jessica Fletcher hearing some rhythmical and bright music.

This is the first book in M.C. Beaton's series of cozies featuring Agatha Raisin. Agatha is a laugh-out-loud mix of vulnerability and tough-as-nails self-made business woman, who sells her London public relations business and fulfills a life-long dream by buying a cottage in the Cotswolds village of Carsely and taking early retirement. Eager to make an impact on her fellow villagers, she enters the village quiche competition, after wining and dining the judge. Agatha's detective adventures begin when she loses the competition and the judge dies the next day of cowbane poisoning from eating her quiche. Of course, it wasn't really Agatha's quiche. She can't cook at all, and bought the quiche from a famous London quiche maker, and entered it in the competition as her own. Naturally, our Agatha's cheating is exposed almost immediately, and she is no longer a suspect. She is, however, bored to tears by retirement, and sets out to find the murderer. Readers are introduced to series regulars detective Bill Wong, former employee Roy Silver, the vicar's wife Mrs. Bloxby. We are also introduced to handsome retired colonel James Lacey, who moves next door to Agatha towards the end of this story. James's early impressions of Agatha walking by mumbling to herself and her reaction to this good-looking new neighbor are terrifically funny. This fifty-something heroine is a hoot! The mystery is well-written, with a solid, traditional resolution. If you love Agatha Christie, you'll love Beaton's Agatha Raisin! I suggest you collect the entire series all at once and read them in order....because you won't be able to wait to get to the next book!

This book is the first in the series and the first one I have read. I really enjoyed it. I had read several of the Hamish Macbeth series, like them and thought I would try this. I am so glad I did. Agatha Raisin sells her business and moves to a small village. She is determined to become a part of the town so she enters the quiche contest, but she can't cook so she buys a quiche and enters it. She does not win but supposedly her quiche ends up at the home of Mr. Cummings-Brown. He dies from being poisoned and all fingers point to Agatha's quiche. Thery was a plant it it that caused his death. The police say it was a accident, after their investigation but Agatha thinks it was murder. She sets out ot prove it. Along the way are many, many interesting characters. Her good friend Roy, the people at the Red Lion Inn, so many good examples of everyday people. I could just see them and the houses they lived in and the country side. An excellent book. I could just feel like I was there and I think it would be great to live in a place like this.

The book begins with some self-assessment tests to determine whether one is prepared for algebra or should do further preparation in math. The authors suggest another book for those not yet ready for algebra. I like the self-assessments because they will either bolster confidence or prevent wasting time on algebra when math has not been mastered. I would suggest this book for a student who is considering taking algebra and has the discipline to spend part of her summer with this book.

This book is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am getting ready to start college, and I wanted to major in theoretical physics but all I had ever taken was basic math through school. This book helped me learn more in one week than a high school teacher could in a month. If you want to learn algebra, and are good in arithmitic buy this book and see for yourself.

I bought and started using this book because I needed to refresh myself in Algebra (actually, I needed to totally re-learn it). Well, in addition to refreshing what I remember, I have learned so much that I amaze myself. This is a very straight forward approach to learning. It is step-by-step instruction and at your own pace. The authors are more interested in your learning than in your finishing the book in a few months (unlike in school--where you are often rushed through concepts and if you lose track, it's all on you). I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning or re-learning algebra.

This book details and chronicals Garfield's comic life. As first a clever idea in Jim Davis' head to the mega-empire that has been built by Garfield. You learn about Jim Davis' experiences before Garfield. His work on other comics and his past comic creation that didn't do too well. It is interesting to read how the ideas are come up for each Garfield strip.

Jim Davis puts a lot of himself in the book and it comes out. You can get a feel for his personality and how much of that he puts into Garfield. You learn about the cast of characters in the comic along with those that create the comic. You see the influence that Garfield has had over the years. The many birthdays, the many kickings of Odie, the over-indulgence, all in this book. I found it a great book with one flaw being that it doesn't have enough about Jim Davis' thoughts on comics in general. It's a very minor and personal flaw. Overall it is a great book for any Garfield fan. There is much to love and enjoy.

Garfield's been around for twenty years now. That's right, he originally debuted in comics all the way back in 1978, squishing Gnorm Gnat... well... flat. And this occaison calls for the appropriate acknowledgement: FEED HIM! Full of laughs, that is. This book is 200 pages of classic (yet still hilarious) comic strips. Everything from the weeks Garfield, Jon and Odie were stuck in the blinds, the the first Monday and diet strips, to the strips that prove Davis is hopelessly obsessed with bugs. Also, Davis reviews a lot of the jokes. That's right. He shows you his favourite 20 gags, tells you what he REALLY thinks about Garfield's love for lasagna, and tells us the tale of how he made Garfield a super star. It's a very inspirational story, yet leaves us laughing. And if that wasn't enough, he also gives us a Gnorm Gnat joke, explanations of Lyman's mysterious dissappearance (I've always wondered what happened to that guy), and a huge section complete with a birthday gallery, weird letters they've recieved over the years, hilarious logo boxes, and the secrets behind how each jokes are thought up of, drawn, published, and put in those great compilation books. It's even got a year-to-year history of Garfield's growing success. So with all this, Is TWENTY YEARS worth buying? Absolutely. It's got all the Garfield magic, laughs, and secrets that've made fans around the world love him for years. It's great for looking back, laughing your head off, and remembering the good old days, when bears were Pookies, kittens were Nermals, and the world revolved around the almighty Garfield. Not that it isn't like that today.

This book is a real treat. It starts with a short biography of Jim Davis before he started drawing Garfield and details his struggles getting the strip started. It then gives some background to all the characters, even the MIA Lyman. Then it gets into the heart of the book, strips from all 20 years, showing the evolution of the characters and drawing style. There are occasional comments from Jim that help give more insight. Other highlights include drawings from Mr. Davis's sketchpad that were inspirations for strips, his top 20 strips of all time, all 20 of Garfield's birthday strips, and appearance or references to Garfield in other strips.

I've been a Garfield fan for a number of years now. I greatly enjoyed getting a look into the creative process that gives us such a wonderful daily treat. Any fan of the fat cat will love the book.

You will laugh, cry and be confused when you read this book. This book can teach you that what you think is good is not always good.

There is a boy named Peter Pan. He sprinkles fairy dust in Wendy and her two brothers. Then he shows them how to fly. He takes them to Neverland and shows them to the Lost Boys who live there. Wendy becomes their mother. She makes up rules, like any other mother would do. The boys have to follow these rules. Everything was fine until Captain Hook came with his crew to where the boys and Wendy were. While Wendy and the boys were at the lagoon, where they go every day after dinner, they see a girl named Tiger Lily, princess of her tribe. She was captured by Smee, one of Captain Hook's men. Then Peter saved her. A few days later Wendy and the boys were on their way to Wendy's house when they too were all captured by Captain Hook. Then Peter saves them. Then the lost boys, Wendy and her brothers go home. All except for Peter.

It is mostly about what the people in the book think is right with childhood. The kids in the book think that if you grow up it is bad, but in our case it is actually good.

Peter Pan is a violent book not really made for children under the age of 10 but people 10 and up can read it. It is violent because of the language that is spoken and the idea that killing could be fun. Also, the vocabulary is very difficult for children under 10 to understand. Even if you're older it is difficult to understand.

Overall, it is a good book but watch out for the violent ideas if you are reading it to little children.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen

When talking of literature, people tend to look solely at books they read today but forget what they used to read, namely the ones we read as children. It is a common misunderstanding that children's literature is to be read by children and children only, but when we come to think of it, which one of us are not children, at least in our hearts?

One of the best books any child, young or old, can read is Barrie's Peter Pan. Although written in the past century, it has something for any generation at any time. Its humorous views at the world from a child's mind left me rolling over the floor, laughing; the exciting storyline kept me busy with reading until the end; and the serious undertone made me think of whether the world wouldn't be a better place if we realised that deep down, however deep, we are in fact all children. So if YOU are a child, which you most certainly are, get yourself a copy and enjoy your ongoing childhood.