Greenspun's book taught me that photographs on a web site *can* look better than they do in print--and that they don't have to take forever to download. He also taught me that simplicity works best when constructing a web site. Thanks god there's someone out there who doesn't believe viewers should have to slog through those insufferably cryptic "entry" and "exit" tunnels!

And when was the last time you read a computer book that actually made you snicker with glee? What a wonderful book.

It's a good book; it may even be a great book.

It's an introductory book about a a single subject (hooking a database into a web server) that frequently wanders outside the alloted subject into related matters (what makes a web site good, how to administer a web site).

It is a practical manual (any programmer who reads this book will have a solid grasp of the subject and will be ready to go out and hook databases to web servers with elan) without having much in the way of code or boilerplate recipes and without being product specific.

It's written from experience-- there are lots of warnings, lots of examples drawn from real projects, lots of information about avoiding pitfalls. And yet, it's short, pithy, and an easy read.

It's by far the best book I've ever seen on developing a dynamic web site.

I might also add that the facts contained in this book are much more frightening than any 'theory' can make them. The biographies on the victims seem rather long and arduous but, eventually, help you to realize that the victims were real people with real problems. And the brutal and fantastic way that the REAL Ripper operated is the stuff of nightmares. Thank you Mr. Sugden for presenting the facts.

And not only is the book very accurate, it is entertaining. A lot of Ripper books seem to be kind of dry, but not this one. I could see everything that was going on. Sugden made me feel for the victims, especially Annie Chapman and Liz Stride, and he did a good job portraying the terrible conditions and poverty of the East End.

Best of all in my opinion, the book does not advance Sugden's pet theory. He does talk about a few suspects, and remarks that one is more likely than the others, but he does say that there is no evidence against the man. It's a nice change from other Ripper books who go through comical contortions to pin the case on one particular individual.

It's a terrific book -- I've read it several times. If you must only read one book on Jack the Ripper, pick this one!

Then came 'No Mercy', John Walsh's book about some of the most notable cases that the Fox show 'America's Most Wanted' has helped along. Being a regular viewer of the show, as well as having read Walsh's first novel about his son's murder case, I decided to check out his second go-round. I read about the Polly Klaas kidnapping and murder, the John Emil List family murders, the horrible acts of child-killer Eddie James, the spree killings of Andrew Cunanan, and many more sub-human deeds of evil. As I read each case, I was exposed to the burdens of the crime victims. I felt, to a small degree, the very things that they did. Anger that the persons responsible had performed such heinous and senseless acts. The desperation and uncertainty when they were on the lam. The elation when they were finally captured. It was a real gut-wrenching ride, and at times I got misty over what I was perusing. But in the end, I was glad to have experienced it. Even though my own emotional responses could never come close to what the victims experienced, I had a better understanding of what it's like to be a victim. This was what John Walsh had set out to do when he co-authored 'No Mercy', and it worked beyond belief with me.

Another unique quality about 'No Mercy': it was the first true-crime novel that I've read from cover to cover more than once. The most amazing thing is that the impact of each case has not diminished with repeat viewings. I find each one to be as powerful as it was when I first read it.

Also told in the novel is a brief history of 'America's Most Wanted'. I read about Walsh's uncertainty toward his hosting the show. Then there was AMW's cancellation and resurrection in 1996, thanks to the letter-writing campaign of state & federal legislators, law enforcement officials, and citizens. As of the book's release, 'America's Most Wanted' has been credited with over 500 captures thanks to tips from viewers.

Finally, there's also the story of how two AMW cases coincidentally came together at a place called The Green Parrot Café. I wouldn't have believed it if I'd not read it myself. And you'll have to read it for yourself, 'cause I don't want to spoil it for you.

'Late

I am a child advocate and can only admire Mr. Walsh for taking his rage and having the courage to use his unfortunate and traumatic experience to catch scum-bags. His book is easy to read (I can't put the book down once I pick it up). He makes me understand from the beginning to the end how much hard work goes in to finding these rotten-evil-dirt bags.

Thank you John Walsh for your endurance in helping us find our children and putting many of these animals where they belong (out of society). My emotions, tears, and heart goes out to these people who have suffered.

Buy this book you will not regret it!!!!!!!!

When one says, "The sky is the limit," the pages of this book showcase the adage perfectly.

The text doesn't require prior knowledge or a scientific background. Plait educates as well as debunks. Even if you normally resist science, you will find this book entertaining and educational.

Highly recommended!

Finally we have a text that not only puts the Coriolis Effect where it belongs but explains basic astronomy principles in lay terms. It is better than reading an astronomy textbook. Where else could you read about why skies are blue and why the earth has seasons than in this humorous tome.

Plait gets a little more serious as he talks about the more delicate subjects of the Apollo "hoax", Velikovsky, UFOs, and Astrology. This was appropriate since many people believe in these unscientific hypotheses. He approaches these subjects in a nonoffensive, objective and scientific manner.

Being a movie fan, I particularly enjoyed the chapter entitled: "Bad Astronomy Goes Hollywood." Here Plait unveils all of the Bad Astronomy we see every day in science fiction movies. In his list of Top 10 offenses, the Star Wars series is guilty of no less than 8 of them. That does not make Star Wars any less enjoyable, but it is fun to know the difference between science and Hollywood.

I give this book 5 stars. I think it would be entertaining for anyone with any interest in astronomy regardless of how much or how little they know about the subject matter.

For the past several years, astronomer Phil Plait has been battling these misconceptions, as well as the flood of just plain bad astronomy (hence the name). Plait's web site has built a loyal following, and I have been a frequent visitor there almost since its inception. For people like me, the book "Bad Astronomy" is a logical extension of the web site. For newcomers, it will be a welcome addition to your libraries.

In addition to chapters on lunar phases and the cause of the seasons, Plait adds a detailed (and fairly technical) account of tides, the coriolis effect (as applied to toilet bowl water rotation), why the sky is blue, the moon size illusion, and many, many others.

Digging a little deeper into the "current issues" genre, Plait also tackles Velikovsky, UFOs, creationism and astrology. His writing is very clear and should be accessible to anybody interested in science and the battle against pseudoscientific nonsense.

Regular visitors to the web site will be familiar with Plait's crusade against those who persist in believing that the Apollo moon landings were faked. Plait's site led the charge against this nonsense, and he includes a treatment of the topic in his book as well.

Bad Astronomy is lightly illustrated with a mix of schematic drawings (to illustrate for example, tides or the moon size illusion) and black and white photographs. Some of the chapters could certainly have benefitted from more lavish illustrations, and perhaps even some color plates (the chapter on the Apollo "hoax," for example, needed some additional photos to help dispel the most common objections). However, the format of the book (paperback) and the expense (between $11 and $14) dictated the conservative approach, I'm sure.

The chapters are well balanced in size. With a topic per chapter, and 24 chapters totalling 257 pages, you won't find an indepth treatment of any of these topics, but enough to surely whet your appetite. He also provides recommendations for additional reading, both book and WWW, in an appendix.

In the larger context of "defense of science" writings, Plait joins other such notables as Carl Sagan, Martin Gardner, Robert Park, Stephen Jay Gould, and Michael Shermer. Plait's contribution is a welcome one, and he is poised to take his place as a defender against bad science.

This book is about the Vietnam danger, the boredom, the casualties, the weather and the mood of the American soldier. Throughout the book one can feel the soldiers enormous desire to "go home" and abandon the macho madness of the Vietnam tragedy. Caputo's protagonist, the element that moved the plot is the Marine's desire to survive. The author brilliantly uses the constant threat of "death" to act as a powerful antagonist that lurks from page to page.

Best of all, this book documents the brutality of war using the language of the Marine "grunt." Hence, it provides a front row seat to the thoughts and emotions of those who were condemned to risk their lives each day while in Vietnam. This is a great book that deserves attention..especially from the leaders of the nation who audaciously talk of war while never having the courage to set foot on a battlefield.

Very realistic book that cannot leave you indifferent, definitely up there with Remarque's "All quiet on the Western front." If you want to know what fighting the Vietnam War was really like, I can't imagine how any book can possibly be better than Rumor of War.

The story is engaging enough that I was content to suspend my disbelief at the implausibility of the disaster and especially of the opportunity for survival. Much of the entertainment value of the book is in its being old: news of the impending disaster is spread by newspaper; atomic power is being hastily developed; the sexual attraction between two main characters is expressed only in passionate kisses.

There's plenty of apocalyptic fiction I'd recommend over this (e.g., "Earth Abides," "The Stand," "Alas, Babylon"), but "When Worlds Collide" is entertaining enough for a rainy Saturday. It has a sequel, "After Worlds Collide," which I haven't read.

The sequel ("After Worlds Collide") on the other hand, is =far= more dated, thoroughly permeated with '30s notions of nationalism. By today's standards it's more than just politically incorrect, it's borderline racist. But that aside--and it doesn't serve to try to read old novels with modern prejudices--it doesn't have the same sense of urgency (the impending doom of all mankind) found in the first book.

Against the backdrop of universal disaster, Wylie and Balmer manage to tell a story that has real human dimensions. Love, hate, ingenuity, and compassion all play out here in characters that will truly engage the reader. Furthermore, the scope of adventure the book gives will compel the reader to keep turning the pages, eager to see what happens next. In this way the book is a true success. However, for the discerning reader, the story also raises some perplexing and even disturbing questions, giving it a depth that mere adventure can't.

My career as a geographer and mathematician can trace its genesis to one book, and that book is WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE. So I personally owe its authors a great deal, and so does all science-fiction because this book epitomizes the genre's greatest strengths.

Hunter does a great job of telling just enough of the story to let you think you know where he is going. Then he turns the story on you leaving you surprised. He does this throughout the book. Only once was I able to guess where he was going. All the times that I thought I had him, Hunter was laughing at me from in front of his typewriter. He does it from the very beginning as we open up on Swagger in a deer blind waiting for Ole Tim, the largest buck in the forest. Swagger's character grows on you, even though he appears tough and rough around the edges.

Hunter is a master of the false-direction. He sets everything up so perfectly that once he changes the tables on you, you can see how he set you up. It all makes sense. It's the literary version of magic. Some authors are good at it, for others you can see the wires. Hunter is very good at it. If you like action/adventure, good writing, and an author that's good a deception, check this one out. I'll definitely read more of Hunter.

Stephen Hunter showed me that you could write an exciting thriller, filled with action, that has good characterization, and doesn't resort to threatening the destruction of the world (or at least the US) in order to build tension.

Hunter's prose is uncluttered and direct, but his details are lavish. I understand from some shooter friends of mine that some of the technical details in the book are a bit of a stretch (like welding a firing pin...), but they were for the most part impressed with the technical accuracy of the book.

I liked this book so much, that I have become a hard core Hunter fan. If you like action thrillers, you probably will too.

This book WAS slated to become the movie "Shooter" in 2001, with Tommy Lee Jones as Bob Lee. However, talks on the project broke down and I do not know the status of it at this time. I will be there opening weekend when it does.

The third edition is longer by at least 60 pages, and the pages devoted to each body region are now color-coded for quick access.

Each section devoted to a body region now begins with a surface anatomy plate. In addition, a significant number of normal radiographic images are included.

In the foreword, Consulting Editor John T. Hansen states the following:

"We balanced the addition of new surface and radiographic plates largely by eliminating several plates that contributed little to the quality of the [Second Edition]. Several plates from The Netter (formerly CIBA) Collection of Medical Illustrations were added and several plates were altered slightly to correct anatomical errors consistent with our current knowledge.... Finally, the References and the Index have been updated.

"The anatomical terminology is consistent throughout the Atlas and conforms to the International Anatomical Terminology (Terminologia Anatomica) approved in 1998 by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists. Common eponyms are retained parenthetically, and the leader lines and labels have been checked, and where necessary, corrected to ensure their accuracy."

I plan to get the third edition for my reference library because my 2nd edition got gooked and dripped on in the lab as I'm sure yours will.

Netter is excellent in book form. However, whatever you do don't get the cd. It is poor in terms of clarity...

Nobody comes close to Francis!!!
Just beautiful art, you'll appreciate him once you start dissecting.