The widespread availability of computers and access to telephone and Internet technologies has contributed to the sharp rise in the number of people going online over the years. Unfortunately, many of these people found their way online through less-than-honest means, and once online, they would set out to perform a great deal of mischief and damage to various computers and computer information systems.

Hack Attacks Encyclopedia edited by John Chirillo serves as the ultimate source for collected information on the history of hacking, cracking, and phreaking. The book features nearly 2,000 text and HTML document extracts that includes news articles, online postings, and other snippets of insightful information. Some of the accounts are startling. Readers will quickly pick up just how clever some hackers, crackers, and phreakers really are. The following snippet exemplifies available talent in Northern America:

"Silver Spy has everything going for him - comfortable surroundings, a father who is an engineer. He ranks in the top 3 percent of his high-school class. His SAT scores for college admission totaled 1,400 of a possible 1,600. He wants to attend Stanford or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But in the eyes of the phone companies he is a thief, and in the eyes of the law he's a criminal. Such is the portrait of this 17-year-old computer "hacker" and "phone phreaker" who lives about 20 miles outside Boston. He spoke with U.S. News & World report on the condition that neither his real name nor home town be revealed."

The Hack Attack Encyclopedia is broken up into major sections by decade - the 70's, the 80's, the 90's, the Millennium, and a special historical synopsis. From beginning to end, readers will be able to follow the history of mischievous behavior. It will be an eye-opening experience for anyone to follow the advancements made in communications technologies and how they can be easily circumvented and otherwise compromised to carryout further activities. Although some of the technologies disclosed in the book are outdated and have been replaced, readers will still gain helpful insight of the mindset of hackers, crackers, and phreakers operating today. They are a force to be taken very seriously.

An extensive 217-page glossary of terms will enlighten readers about the slang talk used in the hacking, cracking, and phreaking communities. As a special bonus, the CD accompanying the book features full-length editions of the article and snippet extracts included in the book, hundreds of computing and Internet exploits, and a sampling of useful utility programs.

Hacking, cracking, phreaking, and virus infection still poses problems for many people today. This book will open the eyes of many people - including business people, IT managers, and law enforcement officials. It will serve as an excellent starting point for taking necessary corrective action to prevent further mischief and harm caused to personal and company computer systems. I can't wait to see an updated edition. Highly recommended reading.

this book is culled from sources across the internet, almost all of the information is freely available somewhere. in most cases the author has not even bothered to change the filenames or unique file extensions. the book itself is barely an index of the cd-rom, with the first paragraph of a file serving as a description. there is some (un)original writing done by the author himself, comprising a miniscule amount of the actual text. if you would like to learn what these files are actually about, you would be much better served by going to the sites they were taken from

What a great book, with tons of info...recommend it to anyone who knows anything about hacking.

Immigration. What do we really know about immigrants as people - especially the obstacles they face and the hazards they must endure to reach the United States? No one wants to examine this terrible situation, and the press tries to ignore it. John Annerino is a brave photojournalist who wants to open the eyes of this country and the eyes of Mexico. In Annerino's book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, he writes of crossing the Arizona desert along the historic route called the Camino del Diablo, (Road of the Devil), during the summer. Annerino accompanied 4 Mexican farm workers on a grueling struggle across the desert to get into this country. Annerino risked his own life to experience the killing heat migrants endure to cross the desert, and at one point writes of his and his companion's slim chances of surviving their journey, "We would all die like dogs in a killing ground that has claimed hundreds - perhaps thousands of their countrymen." Annerino not only witnesses and endures the hazards and rigors of his companions, but he also photographed many of the people who died in the middle of the desert. He writes graphically of one dead man: "His mouth was still open from the horror, because no one heard him gasping or saw him dying at the finish line to America's Killing Ground." How long will we permit this tragic situation to continue? One brave man cared enough for people to risk his own life to open our eyes with his camera and pen - John Annerino. And you need to read his book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, to understand the human toll and suffering on our borders, and the lives that are lost among those who flee the poverty of Mexico lured by the same American Dream that brought me here. Why? To quote Annerino, "Because they're out there dying right now."

August 11. I sat down this evening to read DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, and just finished it. All in one sitting. I really couldn't put it down. I think it's a tremendously important book. It should be required reading for those planning to cross the border, and track and control the border through immigration policies. The author did a huge amount of research, and legwork. I commend Annerino's efforts and results. His photographs, along with the maps, work well together to give the reader a first hand encounter with the land and people who cross it. I like the pacing of the chapters, the inclusion of both the men who cross the border and the Border Patrol agents, and Annerino's very thoughtful reflections on the value of Mexicans killed in the killing fields in search of a paycheck to send home to their families. It makes me feel real bad. It is hard to read at times only because it's so sad. Boy, am I glad I wasn't the photographer on those trips! Thank you for the remarkable book.

A story like this demands a great deal from an author. Although Annerino has obviously spent many hours researching the borderlands of the Southwest, the key to this monumental work is the extent to which he is willing to live the story he writes. He has taken immense risks, walking side by side through the desert with Mexican immigrants, and coming face to face with the coyotes and narcotraficantes and Border Patrol agents and ranchers of this volatile area. With Annerino's books, you always learn tons of local history, but never at the expense of that vivid sensation of dust and sweat and heat and imminent danger that keep it an interesting read. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the little-known wilderness along the Mexican border and the human cost it extracts due to current immigration policies.

Comprehensive in his scope and compelling in his interpretation of this most complex figure among the Founding Fathers, John Ferling has delivered a first rate biography that will stand as definitive for a very long time. As I finished the book, I found myself liking John Adams less but understanding the man and his times much better. Adams comes across as brilliant but irascible and aloof. He suffered long periods of loneliness brought on by his driving ambition and his exaggerated work ethic. When called upon to make strategic decisions, however, Adams consistently chose well. Ferling gives us a balanced view that never loses sight of the full scope of Adams's life. I appreciated Ferling's care to avoid stating his own judgments on matters where he personally disagrees with Adams's view -- a discipline which broke down only on the question of whether humans are fallen creatures redeemed by good institutions or exalted creatures debased by evil institutions. Adams would have chosen the first alternative, but Ferling is at times adamant in his defense of the second.

This book is a biography of John Adam's life from his birth in 1735 until his death on July 4th 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The date of John Adams death coincided almost to the hour with the death of Thomas Jefferson, a coincidence that is itself remarkable. This and numerous other events in his life are depicted in a clear, and interesting manner. The book is organized chronologically from Mr. Adam's early childhood thru the day of his death and is organized into the following five parts: Love of Fame, An Epocha in History, Safe and Glorious in the Harbour of Peace, One Man of Inflexible Integrity and I Still Live and Enjoy Life. The book contains a Preface, an Introduction, an Afterword, an Abbreviations Section, Notes, a Selected Biography Reference and an Index.

I found this book very interesting not only for the story of John Adam's life but also the historical period that is discussed in the telling of that story. The five-page introduction paints a concise picture of Early America and what life was like for men and women of that time. John Adams was the son of Puritan farmers and as the first son of the family was chosen as the only child to be provided an education due to the family's meager resources. Rather than being kept on the farm he was sent to local schools and then to college to become a Lawyer after his graduation from Harvard College. This opportunity gave him the ability to escape the more common lifelong rigor and manual labor of farming although he did own a farm with slaves and maintained a working farm for most of his life. He became quite successful as a Boston lawyer and this opportunity and his education provided us with one of the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution. The book chronicles his life and relationship to numerous famous early Americans and other Founding Fathers including Samuel Adams, John Hancock, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and others.

The story of these men and how they came together in a common cause to break the chains of tyranny from the British Monarchy is told in an interesting and readable style. Mr. Ferling also notes perspectives on the Founding Fathers actions that are often lost on the reader. For instance the fact that these men, including John Adams, were either very successful or soon to be or like George Washington were very wealthy with large land holdings. And yet, they were willing to risk all that they had in a revolutionary war against the "Parent State" for the sake of liberty and freedom from British rule. These men were well aware that by forming the Continental Congress and acting as they did they would spark a Revolution and that their fate for such treasonous acts would be death at the hands of the British Monarchy should the revolution fail or falter. The book recounts the early days of the revolutionary period and how events were intertwined to become the American Revolution. John Adams played a pivotal role in the saga and sacrificed much of his person life and early marital and family time to his duties as one of the Founding Fathers. John Adams spent numerous stretches of months and even years away from his wife and family during the early years of the forming of the United States Union and the ensuing Revolutionary Years. He traveled to Europe and worked with Benjamin Franklin (whom he loathed) and later with Thomas Jefferson as ambassadors to France and peace negotiators with the British. Mr. Ferling details the daily habits and events, letters and correspondence between the various players in these grand events and helps us understand how individual personal desires and goals drove these men to their achievements and describes the sacrifices made by them during this time.

John Adams became the second President of the United States after serving for two terms as George Washington's vice-president. Thomas Jefferson was vice-president under John Adams and later succeeding him in the Presidency by defeating him in the election of 1800. John Adam's son, John Quincy Adams, was later elected President and served from 1825 to 1829. These events and numerous others are covered in the book and told in a compelling manner. I particularly enjoyed the last section of the book, which focuses more directly on John Adams, the man, and how he lived out his life after the Presidential years. John Adams throughout his life was torn by mood swings and periods of self-doubt about his abilities and later in life complained that even for all he had done, that he would be forgotten and that he was not a great man. Mr. Adams, I respectfully differ with you. You were indeed a great man and all Americans and millions of other people of the plant owe you a great debt of gratitude for what you did in your lifetime.

I find Mr. Ferling's writing style clear and very readable with the subject covered in an interesting manner and at an appropriate level of detail. The Index of the book is a nice feature and helps to easily locate people and events discussed in the book.

This book is great reading and I would recommend it for anyone interested in Presidential History, early American History and the Revolution or the Founding Fathers. It was well worth the price and my time to read it.

This book captured my attention from the first chapter. JOhn Adams was a fascinating person and left behind an extensive amount of his own words in journals and letters. The problem for a biographer is to make it interesting and Mr. Ferling does a wonderful job of showing the good and bad of John Adams.

I think the best part of this in-depth one volume biography is how the events taking place around John Adams as well as many of his important historical contemporaries are also explored, giving the reader a true vision as to how John Adams fit into the world of the 18th and early 19th century. Franklin, Sam Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton are all discussed and examined.

Although John Adams is not typically thought of as a notable president, after reading this book, you will understand why two recent polls of historians showed that he was rated as a "great" president who was as instrumental as any in the formation of the United States. By going directly against his own party while president, he was humiliated and initially ignored, but his actions were later realized to have likely saved the US from ruin soon after it's formation. If you are interested in John Adams, or colonial history...Buy This Book.

I will not repeat what other reviewers have said about this classic learner's dictionary. It has been a valuable reference for ESL students for many decades. I own several learner's dictionaries published recently (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 4th Edition, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and Collins Cobuild 3rd edition) and some of them have features this one does not have. But I still use this dictionary a lot and will continue to use it. I hope a new edition of it will come out soon.

I have recently bought the millenium edition (hardbound) of this book. In my scientific studies (I study Scientology which uses a precise study technology that demands a good dictionary to look up misunderstood words) a good dictionary is vital.
This one has been very helpful to me as it gives precise yet comprehensible definitions. This is maybe the most important point of all.
I found it very easy to look up a word i did not understand and gain a conceptual understanding of that word after a short period of time. The definitions just make sense and are not too complicated and confusing.
It also includes example sentences and idioms and information for the further usage of a particular word.
It also has a section with colored pictures (maps, categories such as clothing, food, animals etc.) that provide a picture of the real thing that the word represents - a quite useful tool for foreigners and non native speakers like me.

If you are currently studying english, reading english texts (but have a limited vocabulary) or just don't want to run into too many complexities when using a dictionary and don't want to be too confused but you just want to know the meaning of a word and understand it, then this is the right dictionary for you.

As it is a dictionary for "learners" it does not include things like etymology and syllables (the only negative points), technical definitions (although it includes some where their appearance is reasonable) etc.

But it includes phonetic symbols at the bottom of each page and has, as all dictionaries, a section wich explains each symbol and abbreviation that can appear in an entry.
If there would appear some symbol or abbreviation in the entry that you wouldn't understand, you would find it easy to find its meaning as everything in this dictionary is exactly where you would consider it to be.
So you don't fool around loosing time and getting frustrated. I think the editors of some dictionaries assume that you already know all these symbols but include their definitions anyway in a very complicated way.

Not with this one.
I highly recommend this dictionary. You can buy it without reservations.
But...you should have a second one with etymologies at hand.

No other book on my bookshelf is more worn out. I use it all the time. When I started to study English I used to use an English / Portuguese (my first language) dictionary but I could only actually improve my English when I started using the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

The dictionary has lots of pictures (over 1700) for words that can be explained but for which a picture is much more effective like "hinge". The words have a pronunciation guide with a mark (') showing the main stress. There are many useful appendixes like irregular verbs conjugation, usage of numbers, punctuation, family relationships and a few colorful maps.

Over 220 usage notes clarify the subtle differences among words such as dealer trader and merchant. Although it's mainly a British English dictionary the differences in spelling, use or pronunciation between American English and British English are stressed.

By far the most interesting feature is the extremely reduced defining vocabulary constituted of 3500 words. The great majority of definitions are written using that reduced defining vocabulary. This simplifies the definitions and it's a great starting vocabulary for the beginners. The use of such a small defining vocabulary rules out the use of this dictionary as a thesaurus but the advantages compensate this drawback.

My copy is a paper back that has been reinforced with adhesive tape. This makes the dictionary lighter and handy. I used to put it on my back pack and take it to all my classes when I started college in USA.

The drawbacks are the need of an additional thesaurus and the fact that the entries are not syllabified. Nevertheless I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Leonardo Alves - December 2000

Watson's book is the masterpiece everyone says it is, and the few things I disagree with don't detract from the 5-star rating. His main thesis is rule independence. The book is really for strong club players and beyond, who have a good knowledge of the strategies in the Euwe/Kramer and Pachman books. It's important to understand the rules, which apply to about 80% of the cases (according to GM Gufeld), before learning about the exceptions.

Alex Yermolinsky in "Road to Chess Improvement" also acknowledges that the old instructional classics found it easier to instruct with clear strategical plans, while strong players know what to avoid and try to cross the plans, so necessitating flexibility.

In general, Watson makes an excellent case, e.g. with the Ivanchuk-Anand game, I think Watson's right and Anand wrong that normal pawn structure and bad bishop rules would not have helped at all, because one active rook outweighed everything else. Watson also shows some shortcomings of Nimzovich's tempo counting, and refutes Nimzo's quaint advance French lines with the move ...f6, attacking the HEAD of the pawn chain.

The sections on the minor pieces are superb. He astutely points out that opposition to "dogmatic" love of the bishop pair has itself become a dogma. E.g. Flesch claims that the bishop and knight have precisely equal value, but this is a dogmatic claim about two pieces with completely different moves (p. 148). It's also clear that the B-pair does constitute an advantage in very many cases, including one dismissed by Nimzo (p. 67).

A definite advance on the conventional strategy books is the advice on BvN in the opening. Most players learn that Bs like open games and Ns like closed ones. But in the opening, the side with a Ns often has a development advantage, so the best strategy is for THAT side to open the game, make use of the tactical abilities of the N, and force pawn moves that create permanent outposts. So the side with the Bs should seek to stabilize the position, catch up in development, then open up the game when ready, so the bishops can display their strength (pp. 178-9).

There is also good material on good v bad bishops. Beginners often prefer bad bishops because they can protect their pawns. More advanced players learn to reject them because of the weakness of the opposite colored squares. But as Watson shows, still more advanced players will sometimes revert to the beginner's attitude, where "bad bishops protect bad pawns for good reasons". One example I can think of is neutralising enemy rooks while one's own rooks attack undefended pawns and reduce the enemy rooks to passivity.

Watson does overstate his case a bit though. For example, Tal relates a post mortem after Game 9 of their first match. Tal rattled off some variations, while Botvinnik said he didn't dispute what Tal said, but just said he assessed the merits of exchanging queens. Tal first thought it was "too abstract", then came to appreciate this wisdom. Another example comes from Andy Soltis' fine book "Soviet Chess". Petrosyan thought Gufeld had violated so many rules that there just HAD to be a way to punish him, which he found. In fact, Chernev's elementary book "Logical Chess Move by Move" pointed out decades ago that a rule violation should often be punished by a rule violation.

I also disagree Watson's treatment of the old masters. For example, he will excuse modern greats for annotating in ways that LOOK like they are applying rules, because otherwise too many trees would have to be killed to explain the caveats. But then the same allowance should be made for the older annotators too, which Watson fails to do, unlike Yermolinsky.

I also wonder whether Watson actually read Tarrasch's "Dreihundert Schachpartien", which to be fair may have been translated into English ("300 Chess Games") after Watson wrote. For example, Watson claims (p. 41) about the Nimzo-Salwe 1911 game with 7. dxc5, "After this game, 6...cxd4 was considered better [than Bxd7]". But almost 20 years before, Tarrasch in 300 Chess Games had played 6...cxd4 and given it an exclamation mark because, as Tarrasch *explicitly* stated, Bd7 would allow 7.dxc5 with a good game. Watson makes other less blatant errors, e.g. the usual "dogmatism" accusation (p. 95), and indeed there are a number of genuine examples. But there are many times when Tarrasch appeals to the specifics of the position, e.g. where he explains that the N goes to the edge because in that position it was important to drive the B off that diagonal.

Another reviewer noted the disrespect for Capablanca. For instance, on p. 94, Watson notes an example of Capa's alleged dogmatism, while Euwe and Kramer had noted Capa's NON-dogmatism. It's important to note that Capa never lived to see "Last Lectures" in print, and what he probably intended was Bogolyubov's line with O-O AND exd4. The book also has him recommending a line that falls into a trap, although his "My Chess Career" has the correct line. But I can see why Watson went just by what was written, and he does come down on Capa's side in his annotations of the famous loss to Lasker at St. Petersburg 1914.

I mention these shortcomings, as I see them, because most reviewers on various websites have expended many keystrokes on praise. And I repeat, the praise is NOT overstated in the case of this high-quality book

When a player is "cutting their teeth" as a beginner, they learn the classical principles of chess, as espoused by Nimzovitch and others; virtually ALL Grandmasters began this way. However, somewhere along the way, a transformation takes place ... and these gifted players (GMs and strong Masters) have learned that many of Nimzovitch's principles often can and should be ignored or changed in modern play. Where does one learn how modern play diverges from classical play and when to do it? What are some examples? Watson answers these questions and more, in great detail and with marvelous examples ... all without having to spend MANY years learning by yourself (if you EVER do). This book is not for beginners, but if you are an experienced player ... BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT EVERY YEAR (which I would also recommend with Silman's "Reassess Your Chess"). If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. It is the ONLY book that I have found that does what Mr. Watson so capably set out to do (and I have several hundred good chess books). This book is marvelous! Buy it and you will be happy you did.

This book is one of the best book I've ever read.This book is about how modern chess have changed since Nimzowitsch.Nowdays most dynamic modern GM like Kasparov, Shirov, Anand, etc. accepts double pawn, backward pawn, conceading the two bishop, etc. to get dynamic counterplay.Watson touch on new concepts like Exchange sacrifice, Prophalaxis, and Dynamism.If anyone had not read Nimzowitsch work, I recommend to just buy this book alone because you will develop your intuition according to dynamic and modern play easier.I think I have improve my play since reading this book and sure you will too.I can't think of anyone who didn't enjoy this book.

I like this book and so do my children. Although it will have more appeal to fathers and sons, any parent and child can enjoy this story of the magical bond that takes place when a parent introduces their child to one of life's moments of wonder.

Who among us doesn't remember wonderful moments when you and you alone were the focus of your father's (or mother's) attention in a special setting that created a life-long memory pleasently returned to again and again. That's the magic of Owl Moon where a little boy takes a long walk in the woods over new fallen snow with his father. They are journeying to, as his older brothers had done before him, find a great owl, if he can be coaxed from his high above throne where he rules the night.

The story is simply told but carries all of the magic foretold by the setting. The water color illustrations are beautiful in their simplicity and convey the wonder of nature and the togetherness of father and son.

Owl Moon is a wonderful story of a young girl's first hunt for the Great Horned Owl with her father. As they trek through the snowy forest, Jane Yolen's text and John Schoenherr's illustrations work together to create a realistic adventure and to express good parenting. The picture book comes to life through a peaceful countryside and a still forest. The child's continual silence and concentration add to the hunt. Within the text the child says, "I put my mittens over my mouth and listened hard." This displays her constant effort to remain quiet and to take the adventure seriously. Each illustration depicts a calm forest dominated by snow and nature. I feel that this book contains ideas that are "simple but not necessarily simplistic" much like Perry Nodelman's analysis of children's literature (221). For instance, in many scenes animals can be found hiding without the knowledge of the characters. The animals all sit calmly. This shows that the intent of the father and child is not to disturb nature but to quietly observe and to be apart of it just while they pass. This idea can not be found written within the text yet, it is understood when they see an owl and do not shoot it. This peaceful respect for nature that the father is instilling in his child is shown when they came to the clearing in the dark woods. She speaks of how the fit it exactly "and the snow below it was whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." This emphasizes her grasp of the beauty and enjoyment natural world in a child-like way. It brings to mind games equal to finding shapes in clouds. The illustrator has also gone through the trouble of presenting the field in the shape of a large bowl. I feel that the most important aspect of the work is the example of good parenting it delivers. He spends quality time with his children, while he instills important morals. Pa has also taken all of her brothers owling and they have told her "sometimes there's an owl and sometimes there isn't." This reveals a sense of close family unity in which can be seen as the positive message of the story. However, the tone is not didactic. Pa even uses onomatopoeia to make the adventure more intense. He calls the owl with a long "Whoo-whoo-who-who-who-whooooooo." All of this helps emphasis the joy of the communion with nature. Her father has been instilling a respect for the owl and natural world, while strengthening the father child relationship.

"Owl Moon" tells the story of when a little girl is finally able to stay up way past her bedtime and go owling with her father one cold winter night. Author Jane Yolen knows about owling from her husband, David Stemple, who would take their three children owling on winter nights. Artist John Schoenherr used his own farm and the surrounded woodland as the models for his pen and watercolor illustrations. The story is a prose poem and it captures both the spirit of the experience and its importance to the young girl who knows she is sharing something special with her father. There is a love and respect for nature that is infused to both the words and pictures of "Owl Moon." The only problem is how to read this book to a child at bedtime and have them not drag you out the front door to go owling.

This autobiographical condemnation of the south's Peculiar Institution puts a face on the suffering of the enslaved. American history is full of accounts of slavery which tend to broad overviews of the institution, whereas this book is written by an escaped slave who does not flinch at sharing every detail of her miserable life. Unlike other narratives which distorted the slave's voice through the perspective of the interviewers/authors who were notorious for exaggerating the uneducated slaves' broken english, this book is largely Ms. Jacobs' own words. She was taught to read and write as a child by a kind mistress, so she was able to put her thoughts on paper with clarity that surprised many. Ms. Jacobs had an editor, but this book seems to be her unfiltered view of the world.

It is one thing to hear about how slaveholders took liberties with female slaves, it is quite another to read in stark detail about women being commanded to lay down in fields, young girls being seduced and impregnated and their offspring sold to rid the slaveholder of the evidence of his licentiousness. The author talks about jealous white women, enraged by their husbands' behavior, taking it out on the hapless slaves. The white women were seen as ladies, delicate creatures prone to fainting spells and hissy fits whereas the Black women were beasts of burden, objects of lust and contempt simultaneously. Some slave women resisted these lustful swine and were beaten badly because of it. It was quite a conundrum. To be sure, white women suffered under this disgusting system too, though not to the same degree as the female slaves who had no one to protect them and their virtue. Even the notion of a slave having virtue is mocked. The author rejected the slaveholder's advances and dared to hope that she would be allowed to marry a free black man who loved and respected her. Not only was she not allowed to marry him, she was forbidden to see him or speak to him again.

The author shows us the depth of a mother's love as she suffers mightily to see that her children are not also brought under the yoke of slavery. Though she was able to elude her odious master, she does take up with some other white man in hopes that he would be able to buy her freedom. Her "owner" refuses to sell her and tells her that she and her children are the property of his minor daughter. Her lover seems kind enough as he claims his children and offers to give them his name, and he did eventually buy them, though he failed to emancipate them to spare them from a life of forced servitude. Ms. Jacobs noted that slavery taught her not to trust the promises of white men. Having lived in town most of her life, Ms. Jacobs is sent to the plantation of her master's cruel son to broken in after she continues to refuses his sexual advances. She is resigned to this fate until she learns that her children -- who were never treated like slaves -- were to be brought to the plantation also. It is then that she takes flight.

After enduring 7-years of confinement in cramped quarters under the roof of her grandmother's house, the author escapes to the North which is not quite the haven she imagined. Still, it is better than the south, and she makes friends who buy her freedom leaving her both relieved and bitter that she is still seen as property to be bought and sold like livestock. In New York Ms. Jacobs is reunited with her children and a beloved brother who'd escaped a few years ago while accompanying his master -- her former lover -- to the free states.

There is no fairytale ending to this story because the author endures plenty of abuse and uncertainty even after she makes it to the North. She is hunted down by the relentless slaveowners who were aided by the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and "The bloodhounds of the North." This is a wrenching account of this shameful period of American history, and should be required reading for all.

Intended to convince northerners -- particularly women -- of the rankness of Slavery, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl presents a powerful autobiography and convincing writing that reads like a gripping novel but is organized and argued like an essay.

Incidents follows the "true story" (its authenticity is doubted in some places) of Linda [Jacobs uses a pseudonym] who is born into the shackles of slavery and yearns for freedom. She lives with a depraved slave master who dehumanizes her, and a mistress who mistreats her. As the novel progresses, Linda becomes increasingly starved of freedom and resolves to escape, but Linda finds that even escaping presents its problems.

But Incidents is more than just a gripping narration of one woman's crusade for freedom, and is rather an organized attack on Slavery, intended to convince even the most apathetic of northerners. And in this too, Incidents succeeds. The writing is clear, and Jacobs' use of rhetorical strategy to preserve integrity is astonishing.

Well written, convincing, entertaining, Incidents is an amazing book.

Harriet Jacobs' (1813-1897) "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" is one of the few accounts of Southern slavery written by a woman. The book was published in 1861 through the efforts of Maria Child, an abolitionist who edited the book and wrote an introduction to it. The book had its origin in a series of letters Jacobs wrote between 1853 and 1861 to her friends in the abolitionist movement, notably a woman named Amy Post. Historically, there was some doubt about the authorship of the book and about the authenticity of the incidents it records. These doubts have largely been put to rest by the discovery of the letters.

The book indeed has elements of a disguise and of a novel. Jacobs never uses her real name but calls herself instead "Linda Brent." The other characters in the book are also given pseudonyms. Jacobs tells us in the Preface to the book (signed "Linda Brent") that she changed names in order to protect the privacy of indiduals but that the incidents recounted in the narrative are "no fiction".

Jacobs was born in slave rural North Carolina. As a young girl, she learned to read and write, which was highly rare among slaves. At about the age of 11 she was sent to live as a slave to a doctor who also owned a plantation, called "Dr. Flint" in the book.

Jacobs book describes well the cruelties of the "Peculiar Institution -- in terms of its beatings, floggings, and burnings, overwork, starvation, and dehumanization. It focuses as well upon the selling and wrenching apart of families that resulted from the commodification of people in the slave system. But Jacobs' book is unique in that it describes first-hand the sexual indignities to which women were subjected in slavery. (Other accounts, such as those of Frederick Douglass, were written by men.) The book is also unusual in that Jacobs does not portray herself entirely as a hero but describes the nature of the steps she took to avoid becoming the sexual slave of Flint. Thus, when Flint subjected her to repeated sexual advances from the time Jacobs reached the age of 16, she tried to avoid him by beginning an affair with a white, single attorney with whom she had two children. When Flint's advances persisted, Jacobs formed the determination to try to secure her freedom.

The bulk of the book describes how Jacobs hid precariously in a cramped attic for seven years waiting for the opporunity to secure her freedom. There are also accounts of her prior attempts to leave slavery, including a particularly harrowing account of several days in a place aptly named "Snaky Swamp."

Jacobs describes her relationship with her grandmother, a free black woman who was probably the major inspiration of her life. She also describes well her love and concern for her children, conceived through the liasion with the white attorney.

This book offers a rare perspective on American slavery as it affected women. It is also a testament, I think, to the value of literacy and knowledge as an instrument for winning and preserving free human life. Although this story is not pretty, it is a testament to human persistence in the face of adversity and to the precious character of human freedom.

...Do you have a sweet tooth for action packed adventure books? Do you have a craving for that one good book you've been waiting for? Stormbreaker is the book for you.

One rainy night in Chelsea, England, at the residence of Ian Rider and his nephew Alex, two Bobbies, British policeman, rapped sharply at the door. It was three a.m. Ian was away on a supposed business trip for the bank that he supposedly worked for. Alex was the only one home. The Bobbies told Alex that his uncle had gotten into a car accident and had died because he wasn't wearing his seat belt. Alex automatically knew that they were lying, so he started to investigate his death. Along the way, the bank that Ian had allegedly worked for called Alex and said they wanted to meet him. They wanted to send him into Port Tallon and take out a top-secret terrorist act taking place at a world-renowned computer company. Alex took it, went to Port Tallon, and went through with the mission.

As Alex went along in his mission, he encounters countless dangers and has almost died. Will Alex complete the mission and save all of England? You'll have to read the book to find out.

We give Stormbreaker five stars out of five. It was one of the best books that we've ever read. The action of Tom Clancy is mixed with the suspense and mystery of Dean Koontz, to form a brilliant masterpiece that hooks you right away. This is a great book and we recommend it to anybody and everybody. Anybody who likes action is sure to love this book.

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Two thumbs up for Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. This is an exciting,action-packed book. I recently read Stormbreaker and could not put it down. Stormbreaker is the story of a boy named Alex who finds out that his uncle is killed by a contract killer because he knows too much. M16, the spy network, sends Alex to spy camp where he learns to be a spy. As he tries to find his uncle's killer and stop an evil plan, the fate of England rests in his hands. I recommend this book to people who like mysteries and plenty of action. If you haven't already read this book, make it your next! You won't regret it.

The book Stormbreaker was written by Anthony Horowitz. This book was one of the best books I've ever read! Its about a boy named Alex Rider who lived with his Uncle Ian Rider because his parents died. Alex and his Uncle used to have fun together since they were all each other had. One day Alex's Uncle died from what they said was a car crash. Alex knew this was not true when he found bullet holes in his Uncle's car. To find out what really killed Ian Rider read Stormbreaker.

As I said previously for St. John,'s Lady of Valour, I am in awe of this author. But mostly i'm peeved for not discovering her sooner, but at least I did. :) This is a more tempestutous book that Lady, but just as fine, just as poignant. Lord of Vengeance is a book you do not want to miss, whether you read romance or not! I am sure this book will change your mind or at least give you hours of reading pleasure. Gunnar and Raina were absolutely delightful and the way he grew and changed in the face of true love after losing so much in his life, was a joy to read and live. I wish the book were longer!! Fantastic job. I cannot wait to meet Ms. St. John in person! Thank you.

How did I miss this book when it came out last summer! What an awesome story! I blazed thru LORD OF VENGEANCE in a couple of days and was very sorry when I came to the end. Tina St. John has written an emotional, fast paced story packed with action and romance and so many wonderful characters. I felt like I was right there with Gunnar and Raina the whole time, and I just adored Alaric (Gunnar's squire) and even crotchety old Agnes!

If you like the medievals of Lynn Kurland or Elizabeth Elliot, you're going to love Tina St. John! And I'm so glad to see she has a new one out next month! Keep them coming, Ms. St. John!

I simply cannot say enough about how wonderful this book made me fee. It's a beautiful medieval tale in every sense in that the hero, Gunnar Rutledge, so brimming with hatred and vengeance and angst, especially in the beginning of LOV, changes his destructive path because of the gentle, sweet as well as fiery love of his heroine, Raina, his enemy's daughter. The writing is excellent and so is the story. I don't want to give away the plot, but if you're looking for a fun, exciting historical romance told with a fresh voice, LORD OF VENGEANCE will sweep you right off your feet, your toes, your whatever! Ten stars for Tina St. John! I can't wait for her next book!

As many admirers of Shaw's work will attest, his books are not only a visual treat, but they are also packed with practical advice and are inspirational for us lesser mortals. Landscape Photography is another fine example of Shaw's approach to a photographic genre and of course, it contains a lot of great hands-on information. Too many landscape photo books focus purely on aesthetics, with little practical information for the amateur photographer. As always, Shaw delivers the how-to and the why in this book. Buy it!

This book gets a conditional five stars for reasons I will soon explain.

If you are a novice or intermediate photographer, you want to shoot landscapes, and you want to get only one book, this is the one.

Shaw starts out with the basics of exposure theory and then discusses equipment, film and lenses. The emphasis throughout the discussion here and later is strictly in terms of landscape photography. He moves on to the effects of light, composition and a pot pourri of special problems and solutions.

Shaw is clear, direct and succinct. There is no room for confusion about the points he is making, and he makes all the essential points. No writer gives better instruction. His photographs have been selected not so much to dazzle you with their brilliance as to support his teaching points, although his pictures are beautiful.

So what makes my recommendation conditional?

Well, this book was published in 1994 and there have been several technological changes in photography since then. However, most of what Shaw says here still holds true for landscape photography. What's changed even more is that in 2000 Shaw's book "Nature Photography Field Guide" was published. This later book goes over much of the same material as the landscape book, while taking into account the latest technology. It even uses some of the exact same anecdotes to illustrate points.

The difference between the two books is that one looks at just landscape photography while the other looks at the more encompassing class of nature photography. The Field Guide contains a long chapter on close up photography which may not interest the landscape photographer, while the landscape book aims each chapter exclusively at landscape with slightly more detail.

Most of us aren't exclusively committed to landscape so the Field Guide seems like a better choice if you insist on only one book. But if you're like me, you'll get both books. If you're serious about landscapes the slant of the earlier book might just give you that slight edge to make a better landscape photograph.

This is an excellant work of John Shaw. I have bought 2 of his other books Closeup in Nature and field techniques. All these books are very well written. This specific book covers almost every aspects of nature photography including various lenses(zoom, tilting etc..) as well as discussion on various films. I will recommend this book as second volume to Profesional Field Techniques. Although this book does not contain the exposure information for each slide, the accompanying text provides solid information about how the exposure was made. This book is real good reference for anyone and everyone.