There are a multitude of us out there who obsess about the Grateful Dead (and you know who you are). The larger, full-size versions of DeadBase have been invaluable to us for many years, helping us to make certain the concert dates of our favorite tapes, letting us know every time "Sugaree" or "The Music Never Stopped" was played and whether it opened the show or closed the first set, how long a particular show ran and gave Deadheads an opportunity to write and reminisce about our best Grateful Dead experiences. The larger editions of Deadbase make handsome additions to any Deadhead's library but this compact version is the one you keep with you (even to this day, 5 years after the last Dead performance)in your backpack, at your desk, near your computer, whatever. Deadbase Jr gives reliable information that a Dead fan, tape collector, novice or expert craves in portable fashion. If you know a Deadhead who has never heard of Deadbase (unlikely but possible), introduce them to this fun paperback, it is guaranteed to please and don't be surprised if they look for the larger, more comprehensive versions shortly thereafter. Like all Deadheads, when we find something we like, we always want more! ENJOY! :)

Deutsche Sprache und Landeskunde is a well-developed text for a first-year German course. In the preface, the authors specifically state that the book was designed after extensive research to avoid the shortcomings of other texts; in particular, they highlight features such as simple grammar explanations, thematically-controlled vocabulary introduction, balanced skill development, cultural relevance in readings and dialogues, and ample activities and "engaging exercises." The book consistently lives up to those promises. Although the book was clearly written for the undergraduate level, it might also be appropriate for mature or advanced high-school level students.

One of the first features of the book that appears particularly attractive is its well-planned layout. Each chapter is organized around a theme, and the themes are ordered in a natural sequence, presenting the experiences of an American exchange student in Germany (Rick) and a German exchange student in America (Renate). For example, the first chapter, Gruß und Abschied, presents greetings and introductory phrases; following chapters include Ankunft in Europa, Erste Eindrücke von Deutschland, and Eine Reise durch Deutschland. These are followed by chapters about national customs, shopping, home life, free-time activities and sport, University studies, and so on. The themes seem quite natural, not artificial, and they would likely be appealing to many students, who would naturally consider learning a language as a means to using it in the land(s) where it is spoken.

Each chapter is divided into six units, each of which has a consistent style across the book: 1) Vorschau ("Preview") - a "cognitive overview" of the chapter's theme and core vocabulary. Most have drawings with vocabulary labeled, or occasionally photographs. These are followed by exercises to practice the vocabulary: fill-in-the-blank, word matching, sentence creation, free-style question answering.

2) Phonologie ("Phonology") - a short one or two page unit on a particular sound in German. (The book itself is prefaced by a two-page introduction to the letters and sounds of the language). While this section is an obvious attempt to make sure that phonological topics are spread throughout the text and not just lumped (and overlooked) at the start, the effect is that material that would be useful near the start of the course - the critical German ch sounds [ç] and [X], for example, - are found nearly at the end of the book. This is definitely material beginners would need early-on.

3) Sequenzen ("Sequences") - These form the heart of each chapter, presenting concise grammatical lessons in well-organized units. Each starts with a short dialog that demonstrates the structure or concept for that particular sequence. The dialogues are quite natural - they follow the 'theme' of the chapter, usually having to do with one of the two exchange students - and they employ short but meaningful sentences that students could quite easily learn and also put to use. They are followed by content-based questions in German, both objective and subjective, designed to check students' understanding of the passage and to provide practice in using its forms. An English translation of the dialog, using every-day colloquial forms, appears at the bottom of the page. Next come the grammatical units - first, a brief description, never more than a few paragraphs, followed by a series of examples, often in table format and almost always using real German sentences. Here, the book lives up to its promise of making grammatical explanations simple - even topics late in the text are never given the appearance of being ponderous. Exceptions or finer points are often noted at the bottom of the page. A generous number of exercises in German follow each grammatical topic, enough to provide even those students feeling challenged by the material with plenty of practice. The exercises usually start with pattern-practice drills, followed by simple substitution and transformation drills, then sentence completion drills and open-ended exercises for freer student expression.

Taken together, this combination of an inductive introduction to material, followed by a deductive explanation with examples in natural, useable German, capped with a variety of exercises, provides an excellent and highly useable coverage of the grammar of the language.

4) Sammeltext ("Collected Text") - Following the grammar units is a one- or two-page text in German designed to review and reinforce the grammar structures and the vocabulary encountered in the chapter. Designed as reading practice, they usually take the form of a letter, dialogue, or short monologue. Incidental vocabulary is glossed in the side margins of the page. No exercises follow.

5) Kulturecke ("Culture Corner") - Next in each chapter is a short cultural unit related to the current topic: forms for writing letters, the media, public transport, the Kaffee und Kuche tradition (German "tea time"), the school and university systems, etc. This cultural information is the gem of the book -- avoiding glib stereotypes, it introduces students to the commonalities and differences between American and German life. (Unfortunately, the inclusion of Switzerland and Austria as the final two chapters makes them seem almost like an afterthought).

6) Wortschatz ("Vocabulary") - At the end of each chapter, new vocabulary is summarized by part of speech, with lists in German and English side-by-side.

Every chapter also starts with a page describing the language and cultural objectives for the unit, along with a brief outline of material. The objectives are well written - not only describing what will be discussed, but also why a student might use such material in real-world situations.

Following each chapter is a mini-unit on blue pages called a Zwischenspiel ("in-between game") presenting excellent additional material for communication practice - oral situations and dialogues to be acted out, short readings, and writing exercises. An Endspiel unit at the end of the book presents a brief excerpt from the Dürrenmatt play, "Das Unternehmen der Wega." Unlike the exercises within the chapters, which stay quite close to the ongoing themes of the two exchange students, these exercises are based around situations in average German life, and provide excellent material to create opportunities for individual and group student practice in using all four language skills from the start.

The book includes an Appendix that summarizes the key information about German verbs - both regular and irregular ("weak" and "strong") verbs - in a tabular format in under eight pages. This can serve as a handy reference for students and as a learning aid for those whose learning style makes them inclined to prefer a more structured, rather than descriptive, approach. The addition of tables summarizing pronoun cases and adjective declensions would have been useful.

One criticism with the layout of the text is that, in trying to present such a wealth of material for a year's course in German language and culture in 600 pages, the text itself appears simply too dense. The book could benefit from more white space, and perhaps differing type styles to differentiate types of material - explanations, exercises, dialogues. It could be daunting for some students to approach, and certainly could not be covered in its entirety by any typical class.

Flik's Perfect Gift is a cute story. It's Atta's birthday and Flik wants to get her something great. He uses his brain to think of some ideas with a daisy.Yet though he can't make a good present out of it, Atta thinks it's wonderful. This story really shows it's not the gift, but the thought that counts.

The author has a profound knowledge and experience that he brings to this book. I highly recommend it.

We have been trying to decide on some of the best wireless initiatives for our company for quite some time. This book was incredibly useful in understanding where some of the industry leaders see the future going. I especially liked the chapter written by the CEO of AT&T Wireless. This book is a must have for anyone interest in wireless opportunities or in the wireless industry.

If you want to get to know John Brown, his family, his life, his problems and his ways, you have to read this book, from his childhood to his death in Virginia after the raid of Harper's Ferry each station of his life is shown in detail (which makes it sometimes difficult to read with pure pleasure). Before I read this book I knew about Brown as a criminal, a fanatic, a murderer may be. Yes, he was... but you have to know what shaped him to be a fanatic and a murderer. His life was a struggle for freedom, and he was beat hard by life. He came on the wrong way or better: He went too far on the right one. This is a very exciting and helpful book! Just read it!

In December 1944, some 270,000 American, British, and Commonwealth prisoners were sent on the road so they wouldn't be liberated by the advancing Allied armies. Nichol (himself a PW during the first Gulf War) and Rennell have dug out the stories of these men, who were marched for hundreds of miles through one of the worst winters Germany has ever experienced--half frozen, generally unfed, racked with dysentery, and apt at any moment to be shot by a German guard or strafed by Allied aircraft who had no idea who they were. Afterward, their ordeal was forgotten by all but themselves. An excellent account of an unknown atrocity, which left thousands dead and other thousands crippled for life. -- Dan Ford

What an incredible personal story! This book is a must for anyone interested in Outsider Art. Judith Scott's history and artistic development are both moving and challenging; her work is fascinating, gorgeous, and incredibly complex, the photographs are fantastic; and the production values exquisite. It's one of those books you would love to give as a gift, but would rather keep for yourself.

determination of cellulos

Sierra's MissionForce: CyberStorm is an early turn-based RTS game set in the EarthSiege Universe. The plot is: You are the head of the Battle Department for the UniTech Consortium, a giant, inter-galactic corporation. The Earth's government pays UniTech to protect Earth from the Cybrids, evil techno-aliens like the Borg from 'Star Trek'. Not only do you have to drive them from Human space, but you must set up bases and mines, in order to fund your corporation. In your campaign, you will use HERCs, giant fighting robots piloted by genetically-engineered clones called 'BioDerms'. In the game, you have to repair, update, and protect your base, while keeping your fleet of HERCs and BioDerms ready for the next campaign. I liked the Strategy Guide, not only because it gave out hints and strategies (some of the missions were nearly impossible), but also because it gave out statistics for BioDerms, HERCs, weapons, shields, scanners, Cybrid units, etc. It was a great help on the battlefield-let me optimize my defense. I recommend it-it could be the difference between continuing Earth's legacy of galactic expansion and human genocide at the hands of the Cybrids!