I like to give books like this (ie, "Getting Old Sucks"; Dave Barry Turns 50) to all my friends when they hit the "Big 5-oh"! It makes getting older a little less painful when you laugh...`

With an epidemic of people turning 50 ahead of us, what should we do but laugh!

Seriously, every week I am regaled with at least 12 stories of what 50th birthday parties were like. I'm not sure I can take 20 more years of this. I am always trying to find humor to help me get through these stories, as well as humor I can give as gifts to people.

This Special Large Print Edition is perfect for my purposes.

Here are some of my favorite jokes from the book:

You know you're 50 when --

on your second honeymoon, you tip the bellhop to carry her across the threshold.

you wonder how Mick Jagger stays so thin.

you drop off your dry cleaning at the post office.

'performance anxiety' refers to golf.

your children earn salaries, not allowances.

you're still able to recall where you left your keys, but not what they unlock.

you now read Playboy for the fashion tips.

at last it's okay to sleep late, but you can't.

you carefully trip the fat from cookies.

staying power refers to remaining awake through Cats.

Florida starts looking good.

Be sure to read this book and find your own favorite jokes to keep you amused by your 50+ old friends. Use it to overcome the misconception stall that humor ends with 50.

The Golden Age is another "Elseworlds" examination of comics history. By using such rarely seen characters as Captain Triumph and Mr.America along with the "big guns" of the era (Green Lantern, The Atom,etc.)James Robinson visits a Post WWII America where superheroes are considered suspect, and only those who conform are to be trusted. Using superheroes to comment on McCarthyism may seem to be a stretch, but Robinson makes the story challenging with many twists. The "alternate history" concept gives the author the freedom to take chances, but also eliminates the element of "this can't be happening" suspense. Too many sub plots (Hourman's addiction, Starman's breakdown) get in the way of the more compelling central tale.

Paul Smith's art is a wonder throughout. Shifting from the well-lit scenes of Dyna-man to Paul Kirk's despair, Smith constantly creates visuals that hold your attention and never let you forget the true wonder of this medium; the ability for two dimensional, brightly colored figures to fascinate and entertain.

This was the four-part Eleseworlds tale that put James Robinson on the map and set the stage for his history-spanning Starman series. It furthermore is regarded as the best thing anyone ever did with the original DC heroes since the actual Golden Age.

It's also a lot of fun. Great character play, sharp historic details - with a couple of odd exceptions - and top-notch art by Smith make this a must-read for super-hero comics readers. In addition, it's fairly accessible for newer readers since most of the stars of this comic are not that well-known and thus made accessible for once.

Much has been said about "Marvels" and "Kingdom Come" as being the best comics of the 1990s. But I'd gladly pit this against those, and with its grounding in the real world, it holds its own very nicely.

I'm a huge mark for Golden Age heroes. The major problem with the comic books of yesteryear is that the heroes were two dimensional, completely lacking in personality. They were all upstanding, usually rich, and basically boring, when not in costume. If it wasn't for the creative gimmicks and colorful costumes, the men and women behind the masks were interchangeable. James Robinson's updating of these classic Golden Agers is insightful and refreshing. He takes these legends and creates distinctive, and relatively believable, personal backgrounds for each of them. Yet he does this without diminishing the fun and nostalgia of those earlier tales. While congratulating Robinson, I feel inclined to point out the influence of Alan Moore's Watchmen. While Watchmen may have set the standard for alternate takes on the traditional DC/Marvel universes, Robinson and Smith's work here easily lives up to that lofty standard.

Paul Smith does a great job on the art, subtly employing updated pencilling techniques along with a very distinctive golden age era style. The colors in this book are also great, obviously far superior to the comic books of decades past. My only problem with the art lies with the lack of differentiation between some of the alter egos of these costumes heroes. Since most of these guys basically had the same blonde hair, chiseled features, erect postures, and well tailored suits back in the day, sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart, at least in the early chapters. As you read on, Robinson adds humanistic touches of doubts, addictions, regrets and redemption to enrich the characters well beyond their original incarnations.

This collection covers a complete story arc, which is great, but I must admit that I would love to read more tales of the Golden Age from James Robinson and Paul Smith. James Robinson is easily one of the top 5 to 10 comic book writers out there. Check out his popular, and critically acclaimed, Starman (another update of a Golden Ager) series if you don't believe me.

This book falls into some strange no-mans-land where definitions, proofs, and the underlying statistical theory are skipped, but formulae are stated in a symbolic language complex enough that it is hard to imagine any readers that could understand the book yet not desire more mathematical rigor. The authors do give extensive references to material they don't explain--on the other hand, for $90 most readers probably want the explanations. The authors also present many of their own opinions about the relative merits of certain statistical quantities. While their opinions, based on their years of experience as researchers, may have some merit, all too often they are forced to admit that other researchers, with comparable credentials, have opposing opinions! In that case, why include the opinions _in a textbook_? Debate in scientific journals. Explain in textbooks.

The organization at a chapter level is clear enough, but within chapters the exposition is ad-hoc. This is probably a side effect of the authors' commitment to eliminating explanations and proofs--there's no need to organize since they are just enumerating formulae and opinions.

I used this book for an undergraduate class in college. It was on the bookshelves of most of my Statistics professors (older editions of course). I found it to be a very intuitive and strait forward introduction in Regression Analysis. It contains all the basics needed to understand the bread and butter of Regression.

Draper and Smith have long had a reputation for an outstanding book on regression analysis written at an elementary to intermediate level. I have long had a copy on my bookshelf and continue to purchase the revisions. They are careful to keep the book current by always incorporating new advances. This edition includes many of the recent advances in regression diagnostics as well as a description of the bootstrap approach to regression problems. Those interested in regression graphics should consult the book by R. Dennis Cook. More on the bootstrap can be found in my book "Bootstrap Methods: A Practitioner's Guide" or the other fine books by Efron and Tibshirani, Davison and Hinkley, and Lunneborg.

The Last enemy is a contemporary account written by an RAF fighter pilot who flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. Prior to the war, the author led a comfortable upper class lifestyle; he was attending Oxford, had numerous friends, rowed and fancied becoming a writer. Moreover, he had an interest in flying and was a member of the University Air Squadron. When the Germans invaded Poland, he and his friends in the Air Squadron were, after a short delay, sent to training units, and after Dunkirk, were hurriedly sent to operational squadrons. Hillary, given the choice, chose No. 603, a Spitfire squadron in Scotland. During the Battle of Britian, the squadron was sent south into the thick of battle; shortly afterwards, Hillary was shot down and severely burned. Divided into two sections, the second half of the book details his ordeals as he recovers and undergoes reconstructive surgery. The Last Enemy is by no means propagandistic tripe; it is a sincere and timeless account of life disrupted by war, and therefore a very rewarding read.

This Battle of Britain pilot has left us with a real gem; a classically engaging description of his experience of training, being shot down, and his amazing recovery.

One thing that makes this work great, and enables it to stand above other similar books, is Hillary's ability to describe his emotions; to explain his thoughts at the time, and those of his colleagues.

This book puts things into perspective - it is the memoir of a true hero.

This is a beautifully written account of one pilot's participation in a crucial WW2 battle. The book does not fall flat because the author spent only a relatively brief period in action; his description of his privileged period at Oxford, and of fighter training at the beginning of the time, are worth reading in their own right.

However, the real subject of this book is the recovery (sadly incomplete) he made from the horrific burns suffered after being shot down on the War's first anniversary. Burns treatment was crude before the outbreak of WW2, and shot-down pilots were the guinea pigs who enabled huge advances in this field to be made. (Hillary's plastic surgeon was the great Sir Archibald McIndoe.) Hillary's courage in fighting his way to this recovery, and the candour with which he describes it, make this book the best memoir I have read of the War.

...What would you do if someone left a baby boy on your doorstep? Would you keep them? Send them up for adoption? Try to find their parents? Well, a family from England kept him, and named him Spider for the way he walks. They found some interesting facts about him. He can mimic animal's calls perfectly; one of his only phrases is "Good un!", he walks weirdly, and can't learn any thing.
His friends make fun of him for the way he walks, how he can't learn, and how he does not go to school. His parents also worry about how he acts. The people on the farm make fun of him behind his back, but none of this matters to him because he does not understand any of it. His parents try to make him act normally but they notice that he is happy, so it does not matter.
This great fiction book is set in World War II! This book is terrific for anyone, especially because it teaches you about a boy who is different then most kids. This book is interesting because you can learn a lot about kids who have disabilities like Spider does. This book is a page turner. I highly recommend it to anyone.

This book is so subtle but somehow kept me gripped. The imagery is superb and I felt I really knew Spider as I neared the end. The ending was beautiful- everytime I read it I am left in tears of sadness. I'd reccomend it to anyone as you can read it over and over again.

A simple, beautiful story, Spider Sparrow will definitely leaveyou in tears (the good kind). I highly recommend this book - all ofthe characters are real and likable, and Outoverdown Farm is somewhere I would love to live, as Spider did. And "simple" Spider has many things to teach us...wonderful book!

This book has some good examples, but lacks any detail.
It skims over all the complicated topics.
Does not do a very good job at demonstrating how to build applications that integrate a web browser and an ip phone.
Very introductory.

Developing Cisco IP Phone Services takes the reader through all of the steps necessary to create usable service applications. A lot of the info covered here just isn't mentioned anywhere else, including Cisco's web site. Even though services are constructed from standard protocols, creating ones that work well can be surprisingly challenging. I keep a copy of this book on my desk at all times as a reference. The user interface sections are quite useful. Spending time on how to design a service is at least as important as how one is written. On the down-side, however, I found the included code to be Windows-centric, and also wished they had included source code for the tools. But, the included information enabled me to write my own tools. I think that speaks for the quality of what you'll find here.

I needed to get an in depth understanding of the way services for the IP Phone were developed so as to develop security policies to help protect network assets. This book gave me exactly what I needed to know. It will be very useful to anyone who wants to develop XML based services for the Cisco phones.

Smith has written a good book that rightly focuses on Washington's building of our national government through careful consideration of precedent and the ability to balance factions through the force of his dignity and integrity.

Our new American government need not have stuck by its Constitutional structure. Indeed, that document was a plan on paper that could arguably have been observed more in the breech had Washington had anything like Napolean's thirst for personal power.

Yet that marvelous document was strengthened by Washington's desire to observe its structure and strictures. Smith details how our first president was keenly aware that his organization of the government and almost every action were setting the precedents that would determine whether his successors would be preside in his spirit or in a vein more threatening to the liberties he had helped purchase during the Revolution.

He also had the help of very intelligent men in his cabinet -- principally Hamilton and Jefferson -- who had opposing views as to the nature of the federal government and its goals and desired relationship to the individual, states and the economy. That Washington was able to keep them both in his employ during the critical period of his first term reveals him to be a very good politician who was adept at balancing interests, using his prestige, and satisfying the egos of men who thought they were destined to design the nation in this first presidency.

I would have liked a little more detail on the actual organization of the government and it's establishment. Smith focuses more on the personal and relationships of Washington and his key subordinates -- somewhat of a style over substance analysis of his two terms. Yet at this period, style and nuance were critical to setting a positive tone for the presidency and Smith's focus is certainly a good lense through which to shed more light on this important historical era.

Smith's book does a great service to those of us interested in a remarkable figure who is often overlooked in today's historical studies. This is a study of Washington's role as our first chief executive in our fledgling republic. From the beginning we learn of the rock solid character Washington possessed and how it shaped his life in everthing he did.

Washington always accepted the call to service, not for fortune and fame, but because he felt it was his duty. A trait that astonished such world leaders like King George III and Napoleon. After we learn more about Washington in this wonderfully detailed account of Washington and his presidency, we or at least I come away feeling sympathetic to Washington and his desire for a peaceful retirement. But alas, it wasn't meant to be for the father of our country.

Washington's disdain for political factions and his ability to be apolitical is amazing considering his diverse cabinet which included two very ideological polar opposites in Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Perhaps only Washington could have kept these two talented men in his cabinet for any reasonable length of time.

But Washington was always the Federalist who believed in a strong central government that could hold the Union together. And this was necessary for a republic in its infant stage. This view on government's role was not that popular in his own native Virginia and other states south. Jefferson, on trying to persuade Washington to accept a second term, aptly put it when he said North and South would hang together so long as they had Washington to hang on to. An ominous portent of sectional conflicts to come.

Washington enjoyed successes and failures during his presidency. He was perhaps the only man in his administration that lived by his neutrality doctrine, especially when men like Jefferson were inclined to support the French and men like Hamilton were greater supporters of England. But even Washington was not immune to criticism, which we clearly see in this book.

He was, after all, a human being. He was a proud man who was always conscious of his actions and wanted to make sure he lived by the virtues he espoused. In the end, we can appreciate the rock solid character of George Washington and how by his very presence, he seemed to hold our country together.

What I'd like you to do now is to go to the James Thomas Flexner's "Indispensable Man" review I wrote, read the first paragraph and come back here.

Now that I've established the importance of learning about GW, I must recommend to you R.N. Smith's book. He focuses on Washington's presidency and helps us to understand why he is consistantly ranked by historians as one of the top three U.S. presidents. Smith focuses on his precedents and the respect he commanded from all, including Jefferson and Hamilton who, without Washingtons' leadership might have destroyed each other and the country in their political intrigues. Highly recommended.

This book reads like a video game. Don't waste your time with IT!

I loved it. The art work was fantastic, and Lara isn't a helpless female victim in the movies. She's tough! The second book gets better, so try it, she's a lot better than the video game, in my opinion.

The Tomb Raider series has now been turned into a monthly comic book from Top Cow and this special edition combines the first thee part story that intros the series. You meet Lara Croft, world reknown explorer, her butler and an old ex boyfriend in the form of Chaser Carver who always manages to get to Lara and makes for some great banter between the two.

In this special edition you will learn a bit more about Lara Croft and some info on her mother.

The artwork is simply great and proves that Top Cow has once again managed to give us another strong well written female action hero. Lara is drawn just the way you imagine her to be.

Like other readers, I used this book when training my first Chessie 12 years ago. It was simple and quick and I have rarely had a problem with my dog (it is a Chessie after all and Wolters even warns about them). Now a new puppy is on the way and hopefully my children can benefit from the guides in the book. In the first edition Wolters had his 10 year old son photograph it and his 5 year old daughter train the lab, so I hope this edition keeps some of that 'famliness'. Incidentally, Wolters has a lot to do with the methods used for training Seeing-eye dogs.

I am sorry that folks see this book as outdated, or feel that if Wolters says 'swat' then you must. But if you want a well behaved dog, that doesn't pull and comes when called and lets go of the retrieved item, then this book will simply aid you to getting your dog to do just that.

I used the author's "Water Dog" to train my lab 12 years ago and will use the same techniques now with my new puppy. The focus of this book is most certainly NOT to "whip the dog into shape" but rather to produce a civilized member of the family. Wolters was not Dr. Spock, but to suggest that he was a bad trainer, "lazy and undisciplined" is to do him a gross injustice. I saw the man and his dogs in action: he clearly loved them, and they loved him. Wolters urges his readers to praise their puppy at every opportunity. Only when they deliberately misbehave, and then only when they are of an age (2)to know they are misbehaving, does he suggest a swat on the bottom. In today's politically correct society, that surely amounts to beastiality, but dogs don't read The New York Times or enroll in PETA, so you're safe. As an aside, using Wolters' books as training guides I ended up with a wonderful, obedient dog whom I never had to hit, not once, in 12 years. I (and my dog) owe Wolters a debt of gratitude.

I have been extremely pleased with the results with my 20 week old Black Lab "Anna Kate" a grand daughter of Galileo (Ducks Unlimited Model T-Shirt Chocolate Lab). I purchased this book in the nick of time when Anna was 9 wks old. I began immediately in following the training principles of Mr. Wolters. I would have not have had the confidence to start disciplining my pup at 12-16wks if I hadn't read the book. Now Anna responds excellently to Sit, Down, Come, Stay, and others such as Shake, High 5, Belly Up and Get Busy. I have never had a dog Stay while I ran away. Anna will even drop down from a dead sprint at the Stay command. Now, the only negative thing I have to do is just say "NO" in a deep voice and she responds immediately.
I have impressed several of my friends and I always talk about this book!!!! Before you buy your next puppy, I strongly recommend purchasing this book!!! You will be glad you did!!!

The one of the authers of this text teaches at UC Davis. The worked examples and questions in the book were basically taken from the work of his graduate students. This may explain the large amounts of errors found in both the examples and the problem sets. My professor has found so many errors that he no longer assigns problems that he himself has not personally checked. My professor realizes that there is nothing more frustrating than learning the methods taught in a text and not being able to reprduce the given answers. This text could also use more worked ( and corrrect ) examples of some of the more complicated problems. On the other hand it has nice pictures. (I hear the author was tranfered out of teaching electronics... I wonder if this is true)

My porfessor always give us difficult problem to solve. Everytime I encountered difficulty on basic concepts and theorems, I can find clear explaination and representative examples from the book. I think it is better to have detail solution to the problems.

One of the best books. It is clear, easy to understand, and treats subjects in depth. They changed numbers in the problems in the 5th edition but did not change "answers to selected problems". For example problem P4-7 should be R2 = 5 ohms(not 6) and L = 5 H (not 8). I got the correct numbers from the 4th edition. P4-13, P4-15, P4-24 have similar errors in chapter 4 for example.