I was very pleased by the large number of high-quality reproductions. Still, as far as I'm concerned there should have been *more*. The book contains (a rough count) about 280 pages containing text or mostly text, out of about 630 total pages. However, I'm very happy with the book.

Best book, I have ever bought

The problem with art books is that they go out of print too quickly. This is a beautifully presented book on Rauschenberg that was released with the big retrospective at the Guggenheim in 97/98. Barnes and Noble still had copies avaiable as of Sept. 99, so check there -- they were even discounted!

Kingdoms 3 continues a truly wonderful fantasy series! The adventures of Adrina, Vilmos and the others are exciting and packed with action. I've read these books over and over. I think you will too. I strongly recommend this book and any other books by this author.

I give this book 5 stars straight up. In my opinion the best one of the first three books. It has a really crazy twist in the end and if your thinking about getting this book and not sure trust me get it and if you don't like it then u must have no imagination. The whole Kingdoms & Elves series certainly hooks you from book one. I have read each book 4 times and I can never get enough! I love how we are introduced to new characters, very interesting! I love how Adrina remembers her past and gets over it. Kudos Robert Stanek!

I've read Mr. Stanek's Keeper Martin's Tale and Elf Queen's Quest. I happened upon this book (which I know is YA) and bought it because it looked to continue where Keeper Martin's Tale left off. The good news is that it does, meaning fans of Kingdoms and Elves of the Reaches and Keeper Martin's Tale can enjoy this book. (Note of caution the adult edition of this book will be out in March 2003 as Kingdom Alliance but I just couldn't wait).

WHAT'S SO GREAT?

Mr. Stanek's world which we just started to see in the early books is truly blossoming in this book. Visits to under earth are breath taking. The dark elves are fascinating. Edward the troant is hillarious. I loved King's Mate. I loved learning about the gates and orbs. I loved meeting myrial. She's the newest and greatest character.

RECOMMENDED?

Yes, this is the best, most fun series I've ever read and that says a lot.

SCRUM is a "light weight wrapper" of techniques to manage and guide your software projects. Actually, you could use it on a lot of other types of projects, but software is its best use.

What's unique is that it wraps around the "Design it first" school that I follow, as well as the Extreme Programming (XP) school that follows a proto-typing approach.

SCRUM provides the mechanisms for organizing and controlling the development of your software project. You develop a short list of deliverables for the next 30 days and have a series of daily meetings. Oh, there's more to it than this.

In software projects I have followed a process where the design is fully thought out in advance. I say it is 85 % accurate as I know that mid-course corrections will be made as the software is developed and delivered to the client.

On large projects we typically work in 2 week deliverables, the author suggests 30 day "sprints". We break all the projects up into many packages of deliverables. One advantage to this was the client could see progress, give on course corrections, and you'd be sure to get paid. On small projects we have not followed any formal procedures.

What SCRUM does is give me a better, more thought out process for what the author calls these 30 day "sprints." I wish I had read this book earlier.

I picked up the book at a computer store and bought it reluctantly. I had heard good things about SCRUM, but the book looked too small and a quick read at the store didn't really turn me on that much.

But after I sat down to read it at home, I was very pleased. It is a very well-underlined book now.

I agree with the XP folks on the productivity of 2 person programming teams and have found their "test first" approach to be very interesting. However, I do find that their design-on-the-fly approach to be flawed. When XP works, I think it is because it attracts good programmers... it's not the XP proto-typing approach itself. In fact, I think any methodology that relies on proto-typing wears out the goodwill of the client. The clients time is limited and they value it highly.

I will say that I found many interesting ideas in XP. And, I recommend that anyone interested in the subjec of this book, go to the XP websites and read their books (about 6 or so at this time).

SCRUM fits around XP just as well as the design-it-first approach. What I disagree with in SCRUM (and XP) is the use of open office areas for programming. I believe studies have actually been done on this and closed offices, no windows, white walls, lots of marker boards... wins out. Anything beyond trivial programming requires concentration. Noise and movement kills concentration.

The graphics in the book really suck, as they look like they were printed out in some kind of old 320x200 screen resolution. But there is great depth to this book. It's a smaller sized book with small type (but still easy-to-read). So you actually get a lot of meat.

In the future, I will refer to this great book often and recommend all software people read it.

John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX

This book packed an amazing amount of information into few pages. Most importantly, Ken Schwaber provided real-life examples of what worked for him and what didn't--and explained why.

Schwaber, the primary proponent of SCRUM, and Beedle have much experience with SCRUM and share it freely. Over the years, I've worked with numerous "newfangled" approaches to programming, including XP. Without SCRUM, however, we could not realize XP's potential. SCRUM is so deceptively simple, so logical, and so effective that one wonders why it hasn't been adopted more widely. In fact, I believe that as Schwaber continues to spread his message, SCRUM will be the wave of the future.

Schwaber's and Beedle's blueprint is a must read for every software developer. Once you try it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!

Scrum is the lever that can people-wise scale the development methods of XP and some of the other agile processes...

I used Scrum with a cross-functional team of 40+ people split into four smaller teams. It worked exceedingly well. We used some of the XP engineering disciplines as well, but what I love about Scrum is that it really doesn't have anything at all to do with software. You can use it for any task-oriented project that has ambiguity associated with the way the work should be done.

Scrum is IMHO the relatively undiscovered gem of the Agile Methods family. Corporate IT professionals in particular ought to learn and apply Scrum...

Director 8.5 is a monster application with huge range of functionality. Nyquist's "Bible" uses CD-ROM-based tutorials to carry you through the concepts with relative ease. The tutorials are part of one continuous complex project, taking the reader from the basics through media management, interactivity, project management and some pretty sophisticated Lingo programming. It is also organized to allow easy reference for specific issues. Having recently completed an 'Emedia & Design' programme I would have to say that Nyquist's book is probably the most valuable text in my library.

Este libro es realmente extraordinario para aprender a usar director, pues se ve desde el uso basico de cada herramienta aplicando los ejemplos que incluye el cd-rom.

Recomiendo este libro a quien nunca haya usado director antes, y para aquellos que habiendo usado, solo han aprendido por su cuenta sin referencias técnicas.

There is no better book with which to get involved in Director. I've read nearly all of them; nothing else comes CLOSE! Get IT! ENJOY IT! LOVE IT!

This book was positively spellbounding this and all the rest in the Keeper Martin's Tales series. This is the best book I have ever read. Nobody but nobody could be dissapointed with this book. It is wonderful! Did I mention probably the best book you could ever read. I love it! The greatest thing about Robert Stanek's writing is that its never what it seems. If you don't believe me read yourself! The first thing I thought when I finished was WOW! Robert Stanek makes you feel as if you are there. If only a world like this existed it would be so great. Everything in this book is wonderful. Some of my favorite characters are Adrina, Vilmos, Galan. This book is wonderful if you don't read it your missing out on great adventure!

I think that it is outstanding fantasy novel that everyone should atleast try and read. It keeps you on your toes. You always want to know what happens next. You sometimes get wowed! It can be so dramatic, fun and moving. I don't ready many books more than once. This book, however, and the entire series I not only read over once, I read it three! Stanek's characters are so real. The characters drive the story and makeup for some quirks. The setting is full of wonder and as the devil is in the details, so it is here. The descriptions are just long enough as to be perfect.

The Kingdoms and the Elves #2 made me want to read it again and again! I first read it from the library but then I got it for Christmas and Im so glad I have books of my own! I've read all three so far, and can't wait for my dad to get me #4. I've read all the books twice except for #4 which I don't have yet. My absolute favorite so far! I highly encourage you to buy it!

What an incredible account of these lost people. The book does have an academic sound to it, but the events more than keep you interested. Its almost like real-life science fiction. They have an idea that something's out there. They look for it and find more than they bargained for. Those that like history or lost and found will like this one.

I purchased this book on a visit to Williamsburg and it sat on my shelf for quite a while before I seriously dove in. This book combines a clear explaination of archaeological methods with the building suspense of a good detective novel. As The author and his team uncover the existence of an early Virginia colony and utilize an astounding range of techniques and research to slowly piece together the lives of the inhabitants you will be drawn into the past. More than that you will be excited to read on and discover with these archaeologists what really happened. I.N. Hume writes eloquently on all aspects of organizing and proceeding with a project of this scale and mixes those details regarding administration and method with the fascinating story of the settlement of Martin's Hundred flawlessly. I could not imagine a better introduction to the discipline of archaeology for the layperson.

While you might think that a book about historic archaeology would be dry and boring (and many are!), Ivor Noel Hume's story of the archaeological dig, the background research, and the people of the 17th century who lived at Martin's Hundred is fascinating. This is probably the only archaeology book that you won't be able to put down because you will want to find out what happened next. If only I could write as well!

All I have to say is if you are thinking of buying this book, do it. If you have not read Gorky Park or Polar Star first, then I strongly suggest you do so. The excellent aspect, I believe, of this book is its connection with the past two. While I enjoyed Gorky Park, Polar Star is where I fell in love with reading about Renko. By the time I read through Red Square, I came immediately online to see if there is another Renko novel to read. There is, Havana Bay, thank goodness, I don't know what I would have done if there wasn't. This is the perfect series of books to read, for anyone who does not mind a little challenge. Enjoy!

If you're reading this review it's probably because you haven't read Martin Cruz Smith's Red Square yet. And that's too bad, because you're missing a vivid glimpse into both the mafia-riddled new Russia and the loyalties of the human heart. Arkady Renko, the homicide detective hero of Smith's earlier books Gorky Park and Polar Star, returns to Moscow and finds himself battling an international crime ring in a story that crosses the German border and brings him face-to-face with his longed-for lost love. The gripping plot and Smith's masterful ability to capture the nuances of these complex geographical and psychological landscapes make this a book you will remember every time you pick up a copy of your favorite news magazine.

I can't speak for the latest Arkady Renko novel, "Havana Bay," having not read it yet, but for me, the finest of the first three is the magnificent "Red Square," one of the most gripping and memorable thrillers I've read in a long time.

For those that have never read any of Martin Cruz Smith's novels featuring modern fiction most's unique detective (the others being "Gorky Park" and "Polar Star"), you might be surprised by what you find. Smith is no Mickey Spillane--he is a literate, cerebral writer and a first-rate novelist with an unusual gift for both probing, insightful characterizations and heart- pounding, edge-of-your-seat storytelling. His Renko novels can best be described as Saul Bellow meets Robert Ludlum, and Smith's voice is distinctive and unmistakable.

"Red Square" finds Arkady in post-Cold War Russia, investigating murder and intrigue in a society rife with corruption and desperation. He also reunites with his great love from "Gorky Park," and Smith's description of the reunion is among his very best writing. "Red Square" also features Smith's characteristically convoluted plotting, which can at times get confusing, but eventually resolves itself with the most satisfying ending he has yet written for a Renko novel.

All in all, "Red Square," despite a rather slow first 40 pages or so, was one of the most fascinating and unforgettable thrillers of the decade. Outstanding.

The title of this book belies much of its content. While agile development practices are espoused, much of the content is concerned with the application of design patterns in accordance with Robert's OO design principles.

Robert does a wonderful job of explaining each design pattern, demonstrating their use through code, and placing them within the context of his design principles. The examples are numerous and, with a few exceptions, well written.

Robert's OO design principles are real gems. His pragmatic approach combined with codifying the principles he's derived over the years makes for a very enlightening read. He articulates those things that most experienced developers have a gut feel for but have difficulty putting in to words.

My only criticism is the need for a proofing scrub. There are inconsistencies between some of the class and method names used in the narrative versus those used in the accompanying diagrams and examples. In some cases, this is a bit confusing.

Agile Software Development is a great Object-Oriented Design book that presents it's subject in the context of Agile Development. The book delivers solid design and programming advice in a very "light" style. Not light in that it avoids technical detail! No, Bob seems to have taken the principles of agile development and applied them to the art of technical book writing.

The book is divided into six sections and has four appendices. There are numerous UML diagrams and many code examples in C++ and Java. If you don't know UML two of the appendices will introduce you to it.

The book takes a top down approach to presenting the material. You are first given a quick overview of agile development practices. I particularly liked the Testing and A Programming Episode chapters from this section. The second section presents five high-level design priciples that every developer should learn and apply.

Case studies dealing with a payroll system, weather station software, and testing software are then presented. Each case study section starts by discussing the design patterns that will be seen in the case study. Section Four discusses subdividing the payroll system into packages. Six principles and a set of package Dependency Management metrics (I've known them as the "Martin Metrics" for years) are covered. The book wraps up with the two UML appendices mentioned above, a comparison of two imaginary developments, and an interesting article by Jack Reeves.

In my opinion Agile Software Development Principles, Patterns, and Practices is the best OOD book out there.

This book has had a profound effect on my coding. Uncle Bob does a masterful job putting together the fundamental principles, patterns, and practices that make him and his cohorts gurus. This book introduced me to a number of very important ideas in a very real context and helped me solidify some of the things that I only kind of understood. If you don't have your own personal guru to learn from, this book is the next best thing.

This book is an excellent installment to what is a true masterpiece of a series - though slightly predictable at times the odd unexpected twist keeps the reader on their toes! It is one of the best books I have ever read. I cried, laughed, rejoiced. I felt scared, mad, happy. Its like you are really there and the book is very realistic and well written!

Adventure...Excitement...Fun...Surprises. If you like any or all of these things then you should read this book. I think it is the best of the whole entir series. Robert Stanek is very talented. You'll wonder what is happening to poor Vilmos. How Adrina will survived the the plots of enemies. You'll come to love Myrial for her bravey and friendship. I reccomend this book because if you don't read it you'll be missing a lot.

Like the others in the series, I loved the book! I could not put it down! Wonderful novel that plays on the imagination and draws you into the characters. Reminds us what true friendship and loyalty are and what it is to follow your heart. I cant wait to see what else Robert Stanek can bring to us. Definitly worth your time!