In case [URL} is not sufficient, you can now get an additional dose in convenient paperback! The premise is enticing enough: secret, surprising and salacious documents - a veritable treasure chest of dirt, sleaze, and slime! Who could resist the temptation? But, if the reviews of other readers are the basis, I may be alone in finding "The Smoking Gun" boring and tedious. About as compelling, I guess, as reading unedited police reports and law suits - which is exactly what it is. I guess when it comes right down to it, I really don't find a letter from Sean "Puffy" Combs' doctor - as an excuse for a canceled tour - all that interesting. The contract Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman require their household help sign? Wow - how have I managed to live without knowing the extent of liabilities associated with release of Cruise/Kidman personal information, in detail by the type of media deployed! And the details of loser Parker Stevenson's alimony from estranged wife Kirstie Alley, insuring Stevenson continuance of their lavish life style? ("FAO Schwartz would keep a staff and the store open for two hours exclusively for Kirstie and me. We spared no expense, as we enjoyed our "private" shopping spree. Our FAO Schwartz jaunts would cost us approximately $15,000.") Um, fascinating, I guess?

I'll concede - the book has it moments. The last chapter, "Patently Absurd" includes some gems like the "human gas filter pad for wearing in the underwear" and a method for bar coding humans. And the "strap secured condom". Glad to see the US patent attorneys hard at work.

On balance, I should have realized that we're already overexposed to the excesses and absurdities of life in America - especially where celebrities are involved. The additional manifestation in raw legal documents, police reports, and court transcripts is simply more than I care about knowing, and frankly is not all that revealing, anyway.

Very fun to read, but many of the legal details in the documents aren't worth getting into, so each page only occupies your thoughts for a few seconds as you glace over it and notice a detail or two about it. Although this is a perfect coffee table flip-through-when-you're-killing-time book, it's all over a bit too soon.

If there's that one person on your Christmas list for whom it's impossible to buy a gift - say, your conspiracy-theorist, rubber-necking, fascinated-by-the-strange kind of friend - the search for the perfect present may be over. The Smoking Gun, a website dedicated to bringing people actual copies of government documents about celebrities and normal people involved in a variety of strange situations, released a "best-of" book, The Smoking Gun: A Dossier of Secret, Surprising, and Salacious Documents from the Files of the Smoking Gun. Chock-full of all kinds of dirt, human stupidity, and general hilariousness, this is exactly the book for the person who has "everything."

Want to know the details of Marilyn Monroe's autopsy? What about Martha Stewart's attempt to run down a gardener who refused to take her advice? The police report of the first officer on the scene of Kurt Cobain's suicide? President Nixon's background check from when he was thinking of joining the FBI? Tim Allen's sobriety test from 1997? The details of every attempt Dennis Rodman made to force himself on a woman? It's all here, in its original black-and-white glory, ready for your perusal.

Like a train wreck, you just can't tear your eyes away from The Smoking Gun's insane offering of all that makes our species better than the monkeys - or so we think, anyway. It's amazing, sick, and fascinating all at the same time. And, you've got the stocking stuffer for the person who has it all - because, chances are, they don't have Mike Tyson's arrest report. Just don't stay up all night reading it yourself.

One of his lesser known works, Shakespeare's Trojan play is also one of his most intriguing. Not quite a burlesque, 'Troilus and Cressida''s lurches in tone, from farce to historical drama to romance to tragedy, and its blurring of these modes, explains why generations of critics and audiences have found it so unsatisfying, and why today it can seem so modern. Its disenchanted tone, its interest in the baser human instincts underlying (classical) heroism look forward to such 20th century works as Giraudoux's 'The Trojan War Will Not Take Place' or Terry Jones' 'Chaucer's Knight'; the aristocratic ideals of Love and War, inextricably linked in this play, are debased by the merchant-class language of exchange, trade, food, possesion - the passionate affair at its centre is organised by the man who gave his name to pimps, Pandarus, and is more concerned with immediate sexual gratification than anything transcendental. The Siege of Troy sequences are full of the elaborately formal rhetoric we expect from Shakespeare's history plays, but well-wrought diplomacy masks ignoble trickery; the great heroes Ajax and Achilles are petulant egotists, the latter preferring the company of his catamite to combat; the actual war sequences, when they finally come, are a breathless farce of exits and entrances. There are a lot of words in this play, but very few deeds.

Paris, Prince of Troy, has abducted Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Led by the latter's brother Agamemnon, and his Machiavellian advisors Ulysses and Nestor, the Greeks besiege Troy, demanding the return of Helen. However, Achilles' dissatisfaction at the generals' endless politicking has spread discontent in the ranks. Within Troy, war takes a distinct second place to matters of the heart. While Paris wallows in luxury with his prize, his youngest brother Troilus uses Pandarus as a go-between to arrange a night of love with his niece, Cressida. When one of the Trojan leaders is taken prisoner by the Greeks, the ransom price is Cressida.

There is only one character in 'Troilus' who can be said to be at all noble and not self-interested, the eldest Trojan prince Hector, who, despite his odd interpreation of the quality 'honour', detests a meaningless war, and tries to spare as many of his enemies' lives as he can. He is clearly an anachronism, however, and his ignoble slaughter at the hands of a brutal gang suggests what price chivalry. Perhaps the most recognisable character is Thirsitis, the most savagely cynical of his great Fools. Imagine Falstaff without the redeeming lovability - he divests heroes and events of their false values, satirises motivations, abuses his dim-witted 'betters' and tries to preserve his life at any cost. Written in between 'Hamlet' and 'All's Well That Ends Well', 'Troilus' bears all the marks of Shakespeare's mid-period: the contrapuntal structure, the dense figures, the audacious neologisms, and the intitially deferred, accelerated action. If some of the diplomacy scenes are too efective in their parodic pastiche of classical rhetoric, and slow things down, Act 5 is an amazing dramatic rush, crowning the play's disenchantment with love (with an extraordinarily creepy three-way spaying of an infidelity) and war.

The New Penguin Shakespeare is the most accessible and user-friendly edition for students and the general reader (although it does need updating). Unlike the Oxford or Arden series, which offer unwieldy introductions (yawning with irrelevant conjecture about dates and sources) and unusable notes (clotted with tedious pedantry more concerned with fighting previous commentators than elucidating Shakespeare), the Penguin's format offers a clear Introduction dealing with the play and its contexts, an appendix 'An Account of the Text', and functional endnotes that gloss unfamiliar words and difficult passages. The Introduction is untainted by fashions in Critical Theory, but is particularly good at explaining the role of Time ('When time is old and hath forgot itself...And blind oblivion swallowed cities up'), the shifting structure, the multiple viewpoints in presenting characters, and Shakespeare's use of different literary and linguistic registers.

Troilus and Cressida is one of Shakespear`s many romances, and, like most of his romances, is a tragedy. Since time immemorial, Shakespears` works have been used as plays, literature and (least often) just casual reading. While Troilus and Cressida is one of the less known plays, it is no less a good one. It is based in Troy(as the name might imply)during the much renowned Trojan War. The valiant Troilus, son of the Trojan king is enamoured of Cressida, also of Troy. Meanwhile, the Greek hosts have laid siege to the city, and the warrior Achilles refuses to fight, encouraging further interaction between the two sides. Cressida, however, is the daughter of a Greek sympathizer(if that is the correct word)and may not be able to honour her commitment to the Trojan prince...

I think this is one os Shakespeare's most underrated plays, probably because of all the uncouth characters. Based on Chaucer's rendition of the story, T and C are Trojan lovers, and she is then traded to the Greeks in exchange for captive soldiers. Aside from this, the women of Troy are wanton and lustful, and the men are prowess driven. If you can deal with this, you will really enjoy Shakespeare's ability to wrap this into all kinds of twists and turns. It delivers a mixture of satire, comedy, romance, tragedy, and a semi-historical (in that people at the time probably believed the Trojan War really happened). Interestingly, this mixture of laughs and tragedy is reminiscent of war novels I have read about Vietnam. The romantic dimensions give this play its edge, and somehow WS manages to make it plausible in spite of all the killing and deceit going on at the same time.

This book does not live up to its title and subtitle. Very general material. For example, Denial of Service Attacks are in the news these days. Looking through the index, I find four references to DOS attacks. The first on page 45 tells me that DOS attacks can be costly. The second on page 85 describes some previous DOS attacks, including one that took place 12 years ago. The next reference is on page 304 and is a historical description of DOS attacks over the past three years. The last reference on page 452 tells me that I should conduct DOS testing for my web server. Most of the book's content is similar. If this is useful to you, please buy this book. For specific help in hardening your network, please look elsewhere.

I am a relative newcomer to the security field. I have been adding books to my library to help me in my job. I picked up Defending your Digital Assets and was pleasantly surprised. The sections on Security Verification of Systems and Networks and Cryptography were a rare read, and very enjoyable.

I also found the chapter on Biometric Countermeasures one of the clearest presentations on the subject, that I have found in print.

The authors clearly understand the INFOSEC field and their writing shows it. They make difficult concepts interesting. Too many books on this subject read like swiss cheese or with too much useless detail. Defending is the exception. I liked it. I recommend it.

As a neophyte I am tangentially aware of the importance of computer security, but reading "Defending Your Digital Assets" really brought the message home. As our world becomes more "wired", and our reliance on the information we receive through computers increases exponentially, the importance of computer security cannot be overstated.

This book is very approachable for the layperson and is an excellent primer for computer/information security overall. It was the only book I could find that that covered the topic so completely.

In addition, the book is very readable. The authors did a very commendable job in writing the book, i.e., it doesn't read like a text book.

Also, the book offers a large number of references/resources the reader can refer to for further study...as well as a glossary and a thorough appendix.

In sum, if you have a scintilla of interest in computer security, pick up this book. If you're a manager and concerned with computer security in your organization, pick up this book. If you are a student, pick up this book. In fact, if you use a computer at all, you should get this book.

The better informed we are, the harder it will be for hackers and crackers to wreak havoc on our computer systems and the information we rely on.

Thank you --Sean

I had to read this book for my American History Since 1877 course. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. I thought I knew about the 1920's, and after reading this book I knew that I knew nothing at all.

This book covers ever aspect of the decade and gives it more than just a name. The book covers political, economic, and social issues of the day. It explains the state of the nation in the previous decade as well to give us better understanding of what was to come at the decades end.

The book was also easy to understand and did not try to overcompensate with formal language. Anyone could understand the messages conveyed.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would read it again just to enjoy it.

William Leuchtenberg wrote a very good and informative history about the 1920's. He explains life before 1914, World War 1, Prohibition, The Scopes Trial, The Teapot Dome Scandal, The Presidental Administrations of Harding, Coolidge and Hoover, The Great Depression, and The 1932 Election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He also covers the role of Women, African-Americans, race relations, and The Ku-Klux-Klan. A book worth reading.

This is an outstanding history of pre-Crash America. Leuchtenburg is one of the country's best historians of the New Deal, but in this text he does a wonderful job of providing the backstory to that era. Very lively stories, wonderfully written.

When I first saw this book it was on the bargain/clearance rack at the local bookstore. Having seen Montel's wonderful TV show, I decided that I'd buy the book and take it home for immediate reading. I made a big mistake. Instead of finding glimmering little gems of wisdom and insight throughout the pages of the book, I found nothing but a lot of self-congratulatory references to Montel's supposed superior public speaking abilities and his assumptions that he has all of the answers for society's various ills. When I was through reading this book I experienced a feeling that I have never had before -- I wanted to slowly roast his book in my barbecue grill! No other author has ever managed to raise such a truly unpleasant feeling inside of me like this guy has. Before I read the book, I respected and even admired Montel, but after I read it I began to dislike him immensely. Maybe this would have been a better book if Montel had the common courtesy to check his ego at the door and focused on something other than how great he thinks that he is.

I purchased this book several years ago and found it to be very down to earth. I appreciate the fact that while Montel shared his not always so bright life with the public he was able to share lessons learned that could bless someone else who may have been going down the same path. I commend him as a man to be able to receive correction but to also admit fault and openly correct his behavior to make his future better. I also enjoyed the example of him standing up for his show and doing what he thought was a proper format not matter what the cost or what the network execs thought. Being an example for our youth is important and Montel showed that he could influence our children on their level and not preach at them. This book gives us all a reality check in things we can do to improve ourselves, our relationships, our children and our society. Continued success!

In Montel William's book, he brings much light onto the never-ending battle people have with frustration and "hard times." I was given this book as a gift from my mom. She said she heard from people at work that it was very eye-opening and motivational. I would be lying if I said I didn't agree. From the opening chapter, until the very end, you'll get a feeling of warmth and bursts of motivation as you read about the trials and tribulations of Montel as you begin to relate to your own life experiences. His recollection of a motivational lecture at a high school where he calls on a young boy to discuss issues of morals (chapter 2?) will put an ear-to-ear smile on your face. While this book is not a "billion-dollar" winner, it sure is worth a read. I find myself thinking about this book in particular when I come across situations in my life that require personal integrity and determination. I am now 18 and I still think about the words and wisdom that Montel had to offer. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance, it might be as influential on you as it was me.

I loved this book, which is unusual for one that is an adaptation of a screenplay. Perhaps it's because it hasn't made it to the movie screen yet. It has the scale that normally requires at least 3 volumes, but it is all in one book. The best of scifi. Comparable to A Plague of Angels by Sheri S Tepper

It has been a while, but this novel is still seared into my memory. It brings to mind so many genres from modern screen epics, to comic books, to the "Ring" opera it honors, and the even earlier myths. The characters, storytelling and action are broad yet detailed and beautifully drawn. It's one of those books that you make you so sorry you've reached the last page. If you like space opera - snap it up. Steve Berman, UCLA

since no one else will say what this is about... this is the story of earth after a hugely destructive war, there is only the valley left that is not covered with water, and this valley is controlled by the Rulers, genetic perfections who can teleport themselves, and who dominate the lower class human Workers because of this ability, which the humans lack. into this place is born Cain, a clairvoyant, a telepath of unusual ability , he is a wonderfully portrayed character, a man too hard and too focused on his leadership of the rebellion of the humans against the rulers to see anything else, until a small orphaned boy is left in Cain's care--a boy whose unknown heritage will decide the outcome of this war over freedom and revenge. (by the way the ring doesnt really have much to do with the story, its just a good setting for the introduction) this book is sweeping and honest, Cain isn't nice or kind , but neither is he evil , you must decide who is right in this book , it isn't handed to you. like so much of real life, none of this is black and white, just shades of gray

This is really a good book for Java Developers who wish to develop XML based applications. Couple of chapters have good examples and explains concepts in a very clear format. Also the book is upto date with all the latest concepts in XML world.

I have been working with XML for a while now, and this book offered a great coverage of most aspects of what XML application developers need to know. I am not able to keep up with everything happening in this very broad part of the industry - and this book provided enough coverage of the areas I'm not able to focus on on a regular basis to help me stay current. I'd recommend it for anyone who's working with specific areas within XML and want to stay current with the broader scope of what is going on. I'd also recommend it for anyone who is new to XML and wants to know the various Java APIs out there.

This is surely one of the Best Books availale in Market for Java Developers. I have been waiting to read a Book which covers all the latest XML API and how use them using latest Java Tools. Thanks to Wrox Publications for bringing this book to us. It covers how to do XML programming using all the latest Java API line I/O Sockets, Developing Presentation Logic, Developing Configuration and Deployment logic, Using XML in B2B applications. In short no other book in Market provides such a clear understanding of how to develop Java Based XML Applications.

Also it clearly explains how to use the latest Java Based XML Parsers like Xerces, Xalan and more. Friends if you need to get upto date with all the latest Java Based Parsers and different XML API, then this Book is really the Best one.

The Wild Bull of Blue River is a delightful telling of Indiana in the 1890s during the gas boom. The story focuses on Lamb, a young girl whose love costs her a family, and the Wild Bull, her protector. Interwoven with poetic language and excellent descriptions, The Wild Bull of Blue River gives the reader characters to care about and a romantic and historic storyline. Great for adults and students!

Unexpected turns of events written in a primitive style make this book fun and emotional. You will think about the story long after you have closed the book. Lots of room for ideological comparisons and discussions.

The book The Wild Bull of Blue River gives a picture of what it might have been like to live in the Indiana of the 1890's. The writing style is a little different and old-fashioned but charming. Unmarried Lamb Hackleman, the daughter of a German farm family, refuses to name the father of her unborn child, and so her stern and stubbornly proud mother banishes her from their home. The child is born, and Lamb must work at a nearby paper mill to provide for him. Will she ever be reunited with her kindly father and with the harsh mother who prepares for the grandchild yet refuses to seek Lamb out? Will she ever again see the young man who fathered the child, the one she loves but refused to name because she feared the punishment her mother would inflict on him? In the background of this story is the Wild Bull itself. Feared as a killer by the neighbors, the bull was Lamb's secret pet. She had rescued it from certain death after its mother had fallen and given birth prematurely out in the bitter cold. Once the bull saved Lamb's life, another time the life of the child. Can the Wild Bull save the future for the two young lovers? Read the book The Wild Bull of Blue River to find out.

This book is well written, easy to read and very informative. I highly reccommend this book for evryone interested in all types of welding. All phase and types of welding are explained in detail with excellent pictures.

As advertised, this book is comprehensive in scope - even the most esoteric forms of industrial welding are covered. It is a good reference text, but probably not a good beginner's how-to book. As a welding amateur, this book expanded my knowledge of the subject tremendously. The text is oriented more towards commercial and industrial welding that amateur welding.

One subject that is not covered that would have been most helpful is the electrical needs of welding equipment and how they are or can be met.

Get started SAFELY in any type of welding: Gas, Mig, Tig, or Stick. Use this book to fill in any gaps in basic formal training (such as from a local Community College, which is highly recommended for learning proper techniques) or knowledge. The book is filled with outstandingly detailed illustrations, tables and pictures that cover the different machine particulars, proper set ups and hand movement techniques that will allow anyone to produce consistantly strong welds on just about any material. Check it out: this book has so much information, and is layed out in such a way that it is easily worth twice the asking price!

I would like to say this book has a pretty good overview of tourist attractions, accommadations and travellers tips. It is however at times just rude to India and Hinduism in particular. It always mentions Buddhism first such as "Buddhist and Hindu temples" and the like. It also has the nerve to say of Varanasi, "before it was the most sacred place in the world for Hindu, the Buddha preached his first sermon near here". Besides this and incorporating the bogus Aryan Invasion Theory in the history section, I would recommend this book to readers but beware of some of its facts

I took this book on my first trip to India and once there didn't even use it. We didn't go to the tourist-y places so didn't need the book, and the places we went weren't in the book. The history and culture sections were useful in pre-trip preparation. We found clean and inexpensive hotels and restaurants on our own; it wasn't difficult. While in India I did find a book called Culture Shock: India. This is the book I wish I would have found and purchased before my trip and it's the one I've been recommending to everyone (even if they don't ask me!). Go to India without a guidebook!

I have a different perspective on this book than a "regular tourist". I was looking for the following -
a) a reasonably clear overview of each city or historical site, when it was built, and by whom, and why it is of importance to tourists and to India
b) reasonable detail for cities, outside of the usual tourist attractions
c) some attractions/ towns not listed in most tourist books.

I was checking the sections on West Bengal and Orissa in particular (having lived and travelled in both states). I used those sections to compare between this guide (the 1999 edition) and Lonely Planet etc. For my purposes, Rough Guide was the most helpful - in describing places, in offering different ways to get around (with notes on how safe it is for women etc), in evaluating the historical and/or tourist appeal of places, and so forth. I think I fell for this guide when I noticed the level of detail it had on eating places and places of worship in a residential area in South Calcutta (not to mention a critique of the Pipli handicraft industry).

The little vignettes on getting around in a Hindu holy site (and in temples, where allowed in) were also quite interesting. I have never been one to make pilgrimages, but if I wanted to do so, this would be useful to have along. The history section was surprisingly thorough and balanced - and I learned new things not covered in Indian history textbooks in school.

Is this book perfect? Of course not. But a guidebook generally cannot cater to all tastes equally. For me (a non-tourist but an NRI returning home), it did quite well (even though Jammu & Kashmir were omitted but Ladakh was included). It sparked in me the determination to visit Madhya Pradesh (one of the few states I have never visited) and parts of the Northeast. I would love to see a Rough Guide or the equivalent that focuses more on Eastern and North-eastern India, but until this, this works fine.