I have been researching moving SGML documents to the Web, and this book provided a comprehensive coverage of this topic. The authors lay out the various approaches to converting SGML to HTML and give the positive and negative aspects of each. Although the book is geared towards SGML/HTML implementations, it also gives a good description of SGML (in particular DTDs). I recommend Using SGML to anyone who needs to understand SGML and porting SGML documents to the Web.

We were really disappointed in the book overall. It was difficult to access information and we often found ourselves thumbing through a section for 15 minutes trying to remember what sub-heading the information was in. We ended up earmarking the pages with sticky notes like "Accomodation/Bangkok" just so we could easily reference several different pages. The maps were also difficult to read and we had problems utilizing them as a resource. You are better off buying a good map of the area rather than relying on the book. Additionally, the section concerning the Thai language was completely useless. It was impossible to decipher the pronunciations due to the lack of any phonetic spelling. We also purchased the Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook which was equally awful. It took us over an hour to figure out how to pronounce "hello" in Thai, and even then we weren't sure if we were saying it correctly. We learned more about the Thai language within fifteen minutes of our arrival, than anything we grasped after hours of studying the book. Also, it appeared that every other tourist in Thailand had a copy of this book, so don't expect to find any "secrets" here. Don't waste your time and money.

Couldn't have been better. I use Lonely Planet books as a loose guide to give me background information as a base for myself to build upon. I don't follow it like a bible, because then one is not being as spontaneous, curious, or as individualistic as they perhaps should be when traveling abroad. This Lonely Planet edition for Thailand had accurate information on accomadation, pricing, culture, food, language, religion, and historical background. Great "atmosphere" descriptions. The maps of the cities and towns were very helpful. I think the author Joe Cummings, did an excellent job as well as those who assisted. (Avoid tourist-trap, phony areas that are fake, and want your Baht.) It took me six years to return to Thailand, my favorite country in the world. How could I have taken so long? I will not make this mistake again. Best people, food, and culture in the world in my opinion.

This is in response to readers who complained about only 12 pages being devoted to Pattaya, and wanted more. We don't need more information on Pattaya. I've been to Pattaya several times and love the place. It is a small, yet significant part of Thailand. Pattaya is a tourist area that has plenty of info. on the Web, and in its many "cheezy tourist brochures." Many establishments change management and names frequently there as well. Pattaya is a no-brainer. It is typically for the shallow, culturally repugnant people who need "luxury" hotels and horrible western food. Most of the Thai food there was fake and overpriced, like everything else in the tourist vicinity. LP is for those who want to learn, yes learn, something about the culture, people, and nation in which they are traveling. Don't get me wrong I love Pattaya, but we didn't need more info. on in it in this edition of Lonely Planet. Great Book.

This book is a complete waste of money. The book doesn't contain ANY relevant information. The authors just goes on and on about NOTHING. They have got to be payed by the number of words, why else put irrelevant quotes on every second or third page?
Do NOT buy this book!

This is absolutely the worst reference manual I have ever used (tried to use). The description of the item is totally not what the item is and the book is absolutely worthless, do not buy this book.

This is really good book. There is no chapter like "Your first Visual Foxpro application". Instead there are thousands of tips and tricks, all in systematic order. The main part of this book (about 800 pages) is in electronic file, so 372 pages are just a wrapper.If you really need to code in VFP, buy this book as reference. No doubt. To learn VFP from scratch try to find something else.

Steven Millhauser's "Martin Dressler" may not be worthy of the hype surrounding its Pulitzer Prize winning status but it's gotten more flak than it deserves. As a novel, it's strangely one dimensional and therefore disappointing, dull even. There isn't much of a storyline to speak of - Martin simply takes on successively bigger projects until he finally overeaches himself - and the characters (including Martin) are all bloodless, cardboard-like stick characters, sleepwalking (ironically, like Caroline) through their parts. Sure, the attention paid to periodic detail is meticulous and impressive but unless you're an afficionado of late 20th century artifacts, chances are that you'll find most of it rather tedious. That's not to say Millhauser's scene setting techniques isn't beautifully executed. It is - his descriptive prose is vivid and flawless but...indulgent. There were moments when I thought the plot was about to take off for some place leftfield but sadly, such promises were never fulfilled. Even the one heart stopping episode near the end of the novel wasn't exploited for its full dramatic potential. Martin's relationship with the Vernon women could have been fascinating had it been allowed to fuel the plot, but it remained underwritten and undeveloped. There's also an eerie feeling about the nature and relationship between the two Vernon sisters that was left unexplored. However, the weaknesses we perceive in "Martin Dressler" as a novel quickly dissolve when cast in the fable genre. Fables aren't after all about real life people but about morality and ideas. Stylistically, there are tell tale signs that suggest this treatment. For instance, Millhauser's distant and omniscient perspective of his characters - Martin's self centredness, his casual lusting over the hotel maid Maria, and his weekly visits to the whores is narrated in a tone that's entirely devoid of moral judgement. The perfectly still, never changing and repetitive image of the langourous Caroline "with her hair pulled tightly back" too has a fairy tale like and slightly spooky quality about it. Readers of "Martin Dressler" are advised to approach it as a fable to avoid disappointment. Despite its weaknesses, there were moments in there which I truly enjoyed. My verdict ? Not the masterpiece to write home about. Neither is it the dud it is made out to be.

I kept wondering why I continued to read this book, then I realized I was hooked on it. Slow moving, no real surprises, but overall an easy read. It's too bad Dressler did not apply his skills in his private life as he did in his business life. I could never figure out why he married the wrong sister!

I was very diappointed in reading the other readers' reviews of this book. I think many of the readers simply read for pleasure, with no desire to come away from a book enriched by an author's ideas and commentaries. I happen to believe that Martin Dressler has a wonderful storyline, but even if one does not like the plot, he should try to appreciate the book for what it is: a work of literature, not a popular romance novel or thriller. One aspect of the book that other readers have continually faulted is the fact that Martin's dreams become more and more outrageous as the novel continues. If one considers Martin's fantastic dreams to be a fault, he has obviously missed the point of this fantastic novel. Martin Dressler shows its readers how dreams can be misplaced, and how dreams can be totally inappropriate, although they seem to be fabulous to the dreamer. Martin had a need to build the perfect world, and from Martin we can learn that the idiosyncracies of life are the very essence of life itself; without imperfections, life becomes dull no matter what the scale.

A nice coverage of the proud history of a local area. Written in a lively and altruistic prose, Martin carefully regards the many aspects of her hometown. However, she has a peculiar habit of occasionally trailing off in ellipsises. A must read if one is a resident of Dothan, AL.

Unlike lawyers Grisham, Turow, and Scottoline, turned writers, Steve Martini is a journalism graduate and writer who went on to become a lawyer! (Seems there ought to be a good joke in there somehow!) He must be doing fine, as his booklist now numbers eight (five of which comprise the defense attorney Paul Madriani series), with a ninth hardback due out late this year. Let's get real here folks -- this is his first book, and we thought, not bad at all.

In a very complex plot, almost shades of Clancy, we're quickly engrossed into the hunt for possible survivors of a 1942 blimp crash; a search for 16th century documents, possibly the journal of the explorer/pirate Francis Drake; the murder of the partner (and former {?} love interest) of the leading man, lawyer Sam Bogardus; and some other crimes and problems too numerous to recount. There's really not much lawyering happening, and sure, some of this winds up a little silly and improbable, but hey, it's mystery fiction. We thought the goings-on, climaxed by a very neat wrapping up of all the puzzles and murders, plus one totally unexpected revelation in the epilogue, were indeed quite entertaining. And the huge surprise ending left us aghast -- we cannot imagine many at all will be the slightest bit prepared for this icing on the cake!

In sum, a fine plot with quite a neat ending, with good story telling hurt somewhat by a few weak characters and/or some improbable action, gives Martini's first effort a passing grade, leaving us anxious to try his second outing and first of the Madriani set. Why not!

Some of the other reviews considered this to be a pretty poorly written book, but I found it to be very entertaining and the ending was a real surprise. The Simeon Chamber is not on the level of a Grisham or Turow novel, but I'd put it right there with a writer like William Bernhardt. It's a quick read and it is a page-turner. You may also learn a little about Sir Francis Drake that you didn't learn in high school or college. Give it a try.

Uh - what was that? One of the weirdest stories I've ever read, that's what. If you want a farcical story stringing together Sir Francis Drake, German Nazis, Chinatown, William Randolph Hearst, and a bunch of adventurous lawyers, then this book is for you. The ending was unexpected, and caused me to exclaim, "oh come on" out loud as I discovered who killed our hero's partner. For Martini fans, this one has none of the courtroom drama, but does weave in a lot of adventure. The story was well paced, but too incredible.

I just returned from a trip to Thailand. I was in Bangkok, Phuket and some of the outlying islands. There is nothing in this book that is not covered in the other general Thailand Guides. I would even go so far to say the Rough Guides Thailand has more comprehensive information about places to stay and things to do near the beaches. Also, something I didn't know, Thailand has a great tourism service provided in the Airport in Bangkok that can book most anything you need for stay on the beaches (if you are going to Phuket). It was a great trip even if I did have to lug this junky book around with me the whole time!

This edition has plenty of information that is helpful. One can get enough information before going, upon arrival, or after arriving on where to explore without this book, however. The Lonely Planet Thailand guidebook (for the entire country and not just the islands and beaches) also has plenty of information on Thailand's islands and beaches.

With the inclusion of "luxury" accommodation and over-priced "tourist" restaurants and trinket shops, it appears this book is marketed towards a particular group: North Americans who only have two-weeks, and therefore need to "plan" ahead for their trip. This is a particular market and that is understandable, but it appears that LP is trying to get a piece of this market, and gear this guide-book towards these type of folks.

One thing to note: Ko Chang is not off the beaten track by any means. It's going to be the next place completely destroyed by the Tourist Authority of Thailand. They are working on it right now, evicting local Thais who've lived there for generations to build hotels.

There is no where in S.E. Asia that is "off the beaten" track, except perhaps, parts of Laos. The trail is crowded, and continues to get bigger. If you're a long-term visitor or a "two-week hoteller" then this book will due.

I got a lot of use out of the book and made 2 trips to Thailand on it. I went to Koh Chang, and the information was a great help in helping me plan when to go, what to do, how to get there and everything. It especially helped in Bangkok, which is needed as this is a place where you don't want to seem lost, it is overwhelming. One thing that I would add to this book, When you come out of the last gate at the airport, there will be very many people standing there, waiting for the tourists. Don't look at them!!!! As soon as you make eye contact, they will be on you like white on rice ready to find anything that you might need, just to get some kind of commission. I did a lot of research about a month or two both with this book as well as the internet (check out lonely planet's site, as well as other web queries), so it helps to not get there and open the book for the first time. If you want to go to Phuket or Koh Samui or some other tourist trap, you don't really need a book, but this book might tell you some insider's tips that you might not find just by showing up and waiting to be ripped off. One other thing, about flights, join a courier orgnaization. It will save you A LOT of money and you will only have to sacrifice some baggage space. Another thing, if you decide to go to the tropical spots, best time is the 1st of October. This is the beginning of tourist season, although it doesn't pick up for another month, so you can still do everything without the crowds present yet. One last thing: GO TO KOH CHANG!! It is the best!! This book is to me considered to be a necessary item for travel (Lonely Planet always is!).

Terrible. Mulhall manages to spend 200 pages on Being and Time without saying much of anything. Does he dare to strike out on his own interpretations? No. Does he adhere to a close word by word analysis? No.

Why then should we read this book? (We shouldn't.)

Once again, this book is a perfect example that the British have no business reading the Germans, and vice versa.

One would be best advised to check out Michael Gelven's "A Commentary on Heidegger's Being and Time."

I bought the book in order to make sense of Heidegger's excrutiatingly difficult, BEING AND TIME. After having read the first 40 pages twice, the book wasn't making matters any clearer. I don't know why UCLA's Simon Evnine said "It will prove most helpful to students struggling to understand Heidegger's difficult work". The problem I think is that he using H's terms without comprehensively defining H's unique vocabulary (in a way that those who aren't professional philosophers can understand). And furthermore, he doesn't inform the student of the relevent background philosophical ideas that, I think, are necessary to understand H's text. I checked out Gelvan's A COMMENTARY ON H'S BEING AND TIME (quite coincidentally, without having read the previous review!), and found it much, much more illuminating. I have a paper due in a week on H's B & T, and I'm sticking with Gelvan!

I found Mulhall's work to be a helpful illustration of the main efforts of Heidegger's "Being and Time". I wouldn't, however, suggest this work to someone who is completely unfamiliar with Heidegger. Although I believe Mulhall has done a fine job of slowly articulating the path of Heidegger's great book, it is not an easy read. If you are looking for cliffnotes....look elsewhere. This book is for those looking to better understand Heidegger's thought; it is not for those looking to write a quick paper. If you are genuinely interested in getting a firm handle on the main points of Being and Time, I would suggest this book. Routledge has produced some great guidebooks...and this is one of them.

This book gives you 130 pages of USB overview (which you probably already know) and 200 pages of useless tables of for instance the Pinout for the VGA-cable. As the "Editorial Revies" notes this book is "written in laymans terms" which I interpret as containing-to-little-specific-info and is much to general to be used for anything but a brief overview.

This book provides a good overview of USB but I was disappointed to find that the appendices began when I was half way through the book. The entire 2nd half of the book is tables of information which has no connection to USB. Tables like Sony's CD ROM header pinout and the NuBus 90. I think the authors ran out of time or material and the publisher made the book look bigger by including all this extra doo-dah. There is nothing in the book's description on-line or on its covers that would let you know that it is 50% USB and 50% filler. I felt a bit ripped off.

This book did exactly what the title implied. I now have enough info on USB to continue more indepth study of it. I only hope I can find a more advanced book written in such a manner as this book was, making studing easy and fun.

The author is one of those fellows who writes a lot and researches very little. In the case of this book, since he was serving in the reserve forces in the period covered and had access to good photos this book is of some use. The illustrator does excellent work but as far as I know, being a Brit, has no first hand knowledge of the subjects he does. In other words, good sources, good illustrations. Or to use the computer terms--GIGO. This book is fine if you want a bunch of pictures to trace for a school project and the teacher is as ignorant as the pupil is of what should be.