This is one of my all time favorites!! I got into the gaming craze at an early age and quickly tired of singing burds and happy elves. This game takes a long hard look at where were headed as a society and allows you the player to take part. It has one of the more versitile character creation systems and is not hard to follow the logical progression to modify equipment! Oh, and not to forget it supports two of my favorite philosophies: 1)Knowledge is power! 2)Attitude is everything! So don't lose any cool points chumbada, buy the book!

I was stationed in Vilseck Germany with the 2nd of the 63rd Armor when I friend told me about Cyber Punk. It was almost a year before we found someone with the books, and immediatly set up a game. It was a game that I have never forgoten. It sits in my mind like the begining of Secret of Mana, forever a defining factor in my oppinions.

This game does tend to drag with its role to hit/role to dodge rules, but it is more believable then any other game I have seen or played. The setting for Cyber Punk is OURT world, with OUR history. It is science fiction. We can look at our own lives, make few changes to the timeline, and see that it IS possible. In reality, these things would never happen, but in the game, it is easier for us to adapt to this new world because it is so close to our own. Realy, what has changed? The world has met a sort of anarchy, like in Mad Max. The government is now run by Corporations. Bionics are common enough that you see people with mettle limbs on a regular basis. This world is more real then any other I have seen, and this makes more believable. Since it is more believable it becomes easier to enter your charactor and enjoy the game.

If I had to rate all the games I have played, I would put this on tope, even with its long combat and ineffectiveness with machine guns.

I am 22 year old girl from northern Europe. I have played many games. I am GM of cyberpunk and i have found it's game system exciting, flexible and open. Cyberpunk it's self is facinated me many years. In early days in my life i read only science fiction books. I definetly want courage girls play roleplays, their insight is so different than mans.

Some time ago, I read QUARTERED SAFE OUT HERE, the wartime memoirs of George MacDonald Fraser concerning the time he spent in the Other Ranks of the British imperial army that recaptured Burma from the Japanese in World War II. In his book, Fraser mentions the high regard the troops had for the army commander, William Slim. I subsequently read DEFEAT INTO VICTORY by Field-Marshal Viscount Slim, a personal account by the man who commanded the Fourteenth Indian Army during its bitter retreat from, and its glorious return march through, Burma. In his volume, Slim mentions the unorthodox British general Orde Wingate's contributions to the Japanese defeat in Southeast Asia. Thus, FIRE IN THE NIGHT, Wingate's biography.

Co-authored by John Bierman and Colin Smith, FIRE IN THE NIGHT is the immensely readable life story of an incredibly complex man. In a nutshell, after several brief chapters on Wingate's early life, the narrative sequentially covers his postings in Palestine, Ethiopia and, finally, India/Burma, during which time (1936-1944) he rose in rank from Lieutenant to Major General. In the British Mandate of Palestine, Orde became an ardent Zionist while fighting Arab "gangs" with Special Night Squads, the armed detachments of British regulars and Jews which he himself brought into being. In Ethiopia, his was a key role in the British victorious military effort to drive the Italians from the country and return Haile Selassie to the thrown. In India, Wingate's ultimate triumph before an untimely death was to conceive, form, train and deploy the Third Indian Division, the "Chindits", as a Special Force to insert behind Japanese lines in Northern Burma to destroy the enemy's means of communication and supply.

To my mind, the strength of this book is that it gives the reader an excellent overview of Wingate the man and soldier without getting bogged down in an overabundance of detail. Certainly, the subject of Wingate's character, obsessions and eccentricities could fill volumes. He was admired and loved by the men he literally led into battle. (He drove them hard, but he drove himself even harder.) Conversely, he was loathed by many of his officer peers and superiors for his arrogance, outspokenness, rudeness and personal slovenliness. (He was on record as calling some of his more Blimpish superiors "military apes".) But, he also had his admirers in high places, most notably Winston Churchill and Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Commander of all allied forces in Southeast Asia.

Perhaps the most endearing of Wingate's traits were his eccentricities. For example, he carried a wind-up alarm clock on his person because he considered watches unreliable. And then there was his attitude to personal nudity best illustrated by an incident during the wide press acclaim following his first Chindit campaign. An Australian correspondent invited to the general's hotel room in Delhi wrote:

"I found him sitting naked on his bed, eyes buried deep in a book. He hardly glanced up as I entered and rather gruffly asked what I wanted. ... He wasn't interested in me or my requirements, but seemed most excited about the book he was reading ... a critical commentary of Emily Bronte and her work."

Can you imagine those media hogs of the Second World War - Patton, Montgomery and MacArthur - doing that?

This is a lucid, penetrating, balanced and entertaining analysis of one of the 2nd World War's underestimated and controversial personality---a latter day T.E. Lawrence without the romantic riddle and enigma. The authors skillfully grabs the reader's attention from the start, eliminating extraneous details.(e.g., initial statement: "Orde Charles Wingate entered the world as he left it, amid a flurry of urgent telegrams.")

The book makes one wonder what the outcome would have been if he was given far more timely attention for his, at that time, unconventional theories of long range penetration and supply. On the other hand, it makes one wonder if he would have amounted much in today's athmosphere of the 'politically correct society' with his "amazing success in his getting himself disliked by people who are only too ready to be on his side", with his abrasive way of getting things done. It may well be a classic example of the adage that 'genius is never appreciated in one's time.' But many exalted figures in history considered him a military genius--the authors made it plain and clear there were many detractors too, from the ordinary soldier to Field Marshall Slim's unjust inferences in his post war memoirs.

My only complaint: the maps in the book--one gets the impression they were done in a hurry; the places mentioned which are crucial to the events described cannot be found, and I found myself having to use different atlases.

In retelling this story, the authors proved once more the truth in the saying that two heads working together are better than one.

Bierman and Smith have done a fine job of portraying Wingate. And, what a great read!

Wingate has finally been given his due in this book. His true worth as an Army officer is finally exposed: As great as Lawrence but lacking the literary gifts.

A must-read for the professional Army or Marine Corps officer!

Drafted by a committee of 19 (but sufficiently well edited to read as if it were written by a single author) this book provides a well-argued, detailed and wide-ranging analysis of the consequences of economic globalization (the term corporate globalization is also extensively used in the book) and an examination of alternatives and the action required to move towards those alternatives. It has succeeded brilliantly, and deserves very close study, whether or not you agree with the drafting committee's views.

This is no extremist anti-corporate, anti-capitalist text, although it does clearly come to the conclusion that the vector of economic globalisation that we are on is neither inevitable, desirable nor sustainable. It is notable for arguing at the level of underlying principles and their practical consequences - it makes explicit the assumptions underlying corporate globalisation and questions them. This, in itself, is a valuable service as so much of the 'debate' in the media proceeds on the basis of bald assertion of essentially fallacious economic dogma.

The report starts with a critique of 'corporate globalization'. The term itself is useful, because the term 'globalization' has become something of a 'Humpty-Dumpty' word ('when I use a word, it means exactly what I want it to mean, neither more nor less'). 'Corporate globalization' describes a process driven and promoted by the large global corporations which, whatever its other consequences, gives primacy to the benefits that will flow to global business.

The critique identifies eight key features of corporate globalization:

1. 'Promotion of hypergrowth and unrestricted exploitation of environmental resources to fuel that growth
2. Privatization and commodification of public services and of remaining aspects of the global and community commons
3. Global cultural and economic homogenization and the intense promotion of consumerism
4. Integration and conversion of national economies, including some that were largely self-reliant, to environmentally and socially harmful export oriented production
5. Corporate deregulation and unrestricted movement of capital across borders
6. Dramatically increased corporate concentration
7. Dismantling of public health, social, and environmental programs already in place
8. Replacement of traditional powers of democratic nation-states and local communities by global corporate bureaucracies.'

It demonstrates each of these propositions and explores who are the beneficiaries of application of these policies. One of the complexities of trying to follow the arguments of the pro- and anti- globalisers is that both use statistics, both from apparently authoritative sources, that directly contradict each other. It is almost as if the two sides inhabit parallel universes that operate in different ways. Suffice it to say that the report puts forward convincing arguments in support of its case.

The critique proceeds to a devastating analysis of the impact of the World Bank, The IMF and the WTO, the three pillars of corporate globalisation, over the last four or five decades.

The report then argues ten principles for sustainable societies, as a basis for identifying ways of realising these principles in the subsequent chapters of the report. It argues that these principles 'seem to be the mirror opposites of the principles that drive the institutions of the corporate global economy.'.

One of the minor problems in the debate is that, whereas 'globalization' rolls easily off the tongue, 'the principle of subsidiarity' is neither easy to say nor obvious in its meaning. The report contains a chapter on the case for subsidiarity, and it is a strong one. The counter argument is almost entirely concerned with power. While there are many elements of conflict between corporate globalisation and the principle of subsidiarity - local control - they are not entirely antithetical. But the reach of the large corporates would unquestionably be reduced.

You may or may not agree with the arguments in this report, but they deserve serious attention. They are well and carefully argued, they represent (in fairly sophisticated terms) the views of a growing number of people around the world who believe that current beliefs and institutions serve them poorly, and they show those who wish to promote change a path for doing so.

This book is excellent for all those who think we can do better-that small farmers needn't be driven from the land, our water needn't be polluted, people need not go hungry while others are overfed genetically engineered chemically altered junk food, etc. It has great thinkers presenting clear, well thought out ideas about what's wrong and what we can do about it. It helps when getting in that classic argument of keynesianism/communism v. neoliberalism because it outlines the thrid alternative very well. I am a grad student and I used it for a paper i wrote recently refuting neoliberalism and it was very helpful. I highly recommend it! Also, look into Maria Mies. She is the anti-capitalist-patriarchy bomb, yo.

A friend of mine who is involved with Rabbi Michael Lerner's Tikkun Community movement recently gave me a copy of Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World is Possible. I'm not an expert in this field at all, but I found the book worthwhile and very accessible. (So accessible that I read the entire thing in a week!) The writers include Jerry Mander, David Korten, Lori Wallach, and many people working around the world in the anti-globalization movement.

What makes the book really important is the positive solutions and alternatives offered. The authors offer real ways to put into practice the Tikkun Community's first and second core principles (interdependence and ecological sanity, and a new bottom line in economic and social institutions).

I think other Tikkun readers, progressive-Democrats, Green party members, and thoughtful people everywhere---who want to see the world change from how it is now to how it could be---would want to read a book outlining specifics of how to create sustainable energy, transportation and food systems. And Alternatives to Economic Globalization does just that. I can't recommend this book enough (in fact I've already bought several copies to give to some of my friends).

I was spellbound by the biography of John McAfee on TV and simply had to find out more about him. I borrowed his book from a friend at work and finished it in one sitting. All I can say is WOW! I feel like my brain has been sucked out, rearranged, and siphoned back inside my head. I sat, still, after putting the book down, and felt like I was in a dream. I was awe struck. This book has given me glimpses of the reality behind our computers that I never dreamed of. My problem now is (since it's out of print and I can't find it anywhere for sale) how do I tell my friend that I lost his copy:)

This book is a mind blower. McAfee's genius shines through every page. It brings computer technology to life in a way that's indescribable. You have to read it to understand. Beg, borrow, steal or buy this book. You won't regret it.

I dug this book up at the library after the recent PBS television special highlighting John McAfee and his early shareware successes. I was amazed at the insights McAfee had at the dawn of the virus age. Over ten years ago he acurately predicted almost everything that has occured in the area of computer security and hacker intrusions, including viruses like the "Love Bug", and the confusion surrounding the millenium bug. Once I started the book I was unable to put it down. It's written in an easy to read style and unfolds the world of virus writers and virus technology in a compelling stream of revelations. While this book is one of the older books on viruses, it is a fresh and current today as any book on the subject. If you have even the remotest interest in the subject you've gotta get this one.

This book helps tie together all the parts of developing a business plan. Before I read this book, I was struggling with writing a business plan for a new business. The hardest thing for me was putting all the pieces together in a coherant structure. This book provides the missing piece that every business needs to have in order to produce results that are lasting and memoriable. GREAT FOCUSING TOOL!

A must read for all Customer Service Managers and any one involved with "Customers"
I found this book to be full of useful ideas and look forward to using them on a daily basis. The authors have managed to put ideas down in a clear and concise manner which make it easy to read and understand.
Highly Recommended.

I've started to see lots of commentators, conference speakers and consultants talking about the Customer Experience. But none of them come anywhere near these guys for a holistic and in-depth treatment of the subject. Their book provides the intellectual rigour, as well as advice which is clearly based on practical experience, that is missing from so many Customer Service and Customer Experience books.

Gerard Schaefer hated women. No two ways about it. He was a serial killer housed in Florida State Prison (until being murdered by a fellow criminal some years back)with plenty of time on his hands and plenty of ink in his hate-filled pen. The stories in this book aren't for those easily offended. He revels in tales of death,torture,necrophilia and unrelenting sadism. These stories are unlike anything you'll find anywhere else on the market especailly considering that Schaefer was convicted of crimes along the lines of those he writes about. So, despite his claims to the contrary, the reader is left wondering whether he was speaking from experience or merely making it all up. Somehow I doubt the latter is the case. Highly recommended.

J'ai lu la version française de ce livre et je dois dire quand le lisant on entre tous simplement dans la tête d'un tueur en série. Fantastique!

The Lonely Planet guides are excellent for any locale..but this edition (covering Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Portugal and even Morocco) is a must-read for the quintessential backpacker jumping on a plane for Europa. These guides excel at recommending lodging of many price ranges (from youth hostels to 5-star hotels) and meal choices of the same range (excellent recommendation for outdoor markets.."buy a loaf of bread, a block of cheese and a bottle of wine here"..which is a plus as many guides catering to this area focus on only older travels with large budgets..or persons seeking to spend only a dollar a day or some insanity..it's always good to have the most information possible..and it's included here. Entertainments ideas from free plaza and park visiting to museums, discotechqes, architecture, boat rides etc. etc. are included..good for young and old. It even lists culture-sensitve information such as appropriate dress for visiting churches and monasteries as well as travel-safe tips for women. Book your Eurorail pass and get going.

Lonely Planet has great books and this one certainly was. It's very thorough and tells alot about things that interest travellers. They are up to date and tell you the pros and cons of the different countries. I liked it alot and I know that other people will too.

No single volume could truly be "fighteningly complete," but this is a badly needed up-to-date resource on musical theatre and film. The Stanley Green 2 volume work dates back more than a decade -- this one fills in the gaps.

The Virgin Encyclopedia of Stage & Film Musicals is, of course, an excellent work. The merging of the earlier two (Guinness) Who's Who:s of Stage/Film Musicals is a good decision, since for example we don't have to look in vain, as we did in the Guinness Who's Who in Film Musicals for entries on Hair and Grease. The added discographical and bibliographical data more than doubles the value of some entries. The book is destined to give help and happiness to many. The backside review quote, however, from The Times, promises "A work of almost frighteningly completeness". If it is so, I do need to complain: I very much lack biographical entries on Shirley MacLaine and Ann-Margret. The fact that the two ladies abandoned musicals for dramatic roles doesn't disqualify, does it? And what about these not so successful or well made musicals, that still are purchased on CD and may be discussed in many a "Lost Musicals" forum - Happy Hunting, Prettybelle, Bajour, Tovarich, Walking Happy, Fade Out Fade In, Darling Lili (movie) - with wonderful singularities in them, don't they deserve at least a small entry? Two more remarks: Why this concentration on things Anglo-American? Mightn't an "encyclopedia" at least mention Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or the German film musical business in the thirties or the Indian Bollywood musicals? And, while discussing additions, I strongly suggest the cutting of Isham, Jarre, Korngold and other composers of music to dramatic films. What do those have to do with musicals? Apart from that, a perfect book. Johan Franzon, Finland

Quiet Light is a large format book (12x13 inches) containing 51 duotone plates of John Sexton's photographs taken 1974-1988. The title refers to the naturally "quiet light" of dawn and sunset which provided the illumination for the photographs within. The photographs are mostly of the natural world and range in perspective from close-ups of plants to sweeping landscapes. Some of the photographs are excellent, some mediocre, but the collection really conveys a specific mood and gives the viewer a strong sense of the style and themes of John Sexton's work during this period of time.

The quality of the paper is very good. It is difficult for me to comment on the quality of the reproductions because I haven't seen the original prints of any of them. In looking at the plates closely, it seems to me that some shadow detail has probably been lost. That always seems to be the case in fine arts photography books.

I particularly appreciate the technical information that Mr. Sexton thoughtfully provides toward the back of the book. The type of camera, lens, filters, film, exposure, and development information are given for every photograph. This will answer all of those "how did he get that shot" questions that every photographer, casual or pro, will inevitably ask himself/herself.

A worthy addition to any collection of nature photography or fine arts black-and-white books. A great introduction to John Sexton's work. A nice synopsis of his work from this period.... And a fine choice of adornment for your coffee table as well.

what is unique about his work...beyond the technical expertise...is the newness of the work....most of the images avoid the cliches and thus fill a void in large format photograhpy...which has a tendency to become repetitive...many of the images are totally new to me, i think he did some work in finding unique material

John Sexton is a master--but you already knew that. His photographs show both a deep technical understanding of the medium and an eye for visualization that I envy even more. Every time I open Quiet Light I want to rush out with my 4x5. That is; after I've turned the last page of this magnificent book. If you practice the Zone System, this volume is a must. If you do not, this book will make you want to. If you enjoy looking at photographs that make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end, this book is for you too.