This book is required reading for any serious scholar of piracy; much of what is known of piracy is derived from it. So, you should definitely read it if you care about the topic.
But the real reason I wrote this review was to let you all know that Daniel Defoe did not write this book. It was written by one Captain Charles Johnson, of whom little is known. The theory that is was actually written by Defoe has been soundly disproven by Defoe scholars. This edition is therefore attributed to the wrong man; be aware of this if you intend to cite this text.

Daniel Defoe (of "Robinson Crusoe" fame) offers a unique perspective on the entire history of piracy. A prolific writter, Defoe actually interviewed condemned and suspected pirates as they awaited their final fate at the gallows of Wapping along the Thames. His "History" is thorough to say the least tracing the act of piracy almost to the dawn of civilized sea travel. His depictions of the pirates, their methods and madnesses are written with the flare of a novelist and the restraint of a reporter giving the work an air of credibility and honesty. The outdated and long-winded style of Defoe's English is at times distracting, but should in no way deter the reader in delving deep into the lives of those most scurilous of sea robbers. A must for any pirate buff.

Pyrates, when we think of them we think of good for nothing brutes who plagued the seas and made they're prisoners walk the plank, in fact it's far from the truth. First of all let me point out that the plank walking is a myth and that most pyrates were not blood thirsty murderers. Daniel DeFoe wrote an excellent book, he gives you enough background on the person or place, before you read about him or it. Pirates for the most part were saillors who had lost they're jobs after the big wars, and turned to robbing the great ships like the Great Monghol's vessels of silver, gold, fabrics, spices and goods. All the captains especially Blackbeard(yes there really was a blackbeard) have great and colorful personalities and backgrounds. My favorite story in here would have to be the sad story of Cpt. Thomas Tew, one of the bravest pyrates ever, why should I tell you his story, read it for yourself, it's tragic and inspiring a great read. For an interesting piece of work, filled with alot of information and short stories look no further than Daniel Defoe's: A Genereal history of pyrates.

I just wish to add the name of another brilliant writer who is covering similar territory re: biopower; war; links between liberal-humanism, democracy & fascism; mass death, and other such cheerful topics. His writings are difficult, with many references to Lacan. But in reality, his arguments -- his interventions -- can often stand without the support of Lacanian analyses. I know this because I was a student of his at Binghamton University (SUNY).

As his student, I read Negri a full 10 years before the publication of 'Empire', and I've recently noticed that his teaching has generated at least one successful American academic specialist on Negri, as well as specialists in other very original areas of study.

The name of this exceptional teacher, thinker and scholar is William Haver. He publishes in Japan as well as the U.S. Most of his publications consist of articles and essays in journals and anthologies. But he does have a book available here at Amazon and other major stores -- 'The Body of This Death: Historicity and Sociality in the Time of AIDS' Stanford University Press. December 1996. (Paperback & hardcover available; it has a cover you will not forget.)

Find his articles, read his book, and find his contributions to other books. He ranks with the great social critics and theorists of our times. Really.

When all politics is about life, the shadow of death disappears. At this point life itself, despite its glory, is in terrible danger of burning up in this high-noon of the political world. Putting this point less obliquely one might say, with Giorgio Agamben in his Homo Sacer, that a world which is increasingly concerned with ridding itself of any political value except that of serving the exigencies which are thrown up by the brute fact of maintaining biological human life is a world which is dangerously unstable. The danger may lie in either of two directions. The first is that the emergence of a strong political value which co-opts a vision of the importance of biological human life but redefines the borders of 'human' gains an immediate political legitimacy in 'cleansing' the political populace of what become cast as simply vermin. The second danger is that the lack of political value apart from life itself leaves a space wherin 'life itself' increasingly begs definition, and with this definition arrive categories of life regarded as less valuable and, ultimately, as 'life not worth living'. Both of these features can be recognised as elements of the political program of National Socialist Germany. Agamben, untypically, sees Nazi Germany not as a historical abberation, but rather as an extreme case of what characterises all Western political systems and which springs from 'politics' itself, rather than any particular playing out of a political scheme. This is the condition of 'biopolitics', the condition of life as valuable or not within an overall scheme of governance. This condition reaches its paradigm expression in 'the camp', where life is usable or expendable outside the restraints of any legal structure. The argumentation in this book is very complex and opaque. The reader is not helped by the fact that such central concepts as 'sacred' and 'biopolitics' are extensively reworked from the way in which they are generally used in social science literature at this time, without this fact being signposted or even acknowledged. Furthermore, the overall argument relies on a heady admixture of classical philosophy, politics, linguistics and ethology. The ground which is covered is galloped over, rather than taken at walking pace, and the whole trip is not for the faint-hearted. The novelty of the argument, however, which links liberal democracy to totalitarian government merits detailed examination in that it reanimates basic political theoretical discussion in a field which is in danger of stagnation around the notion of the victory of liberal democracy. The only other writer who is engaged in a similar task from a similar perspective of what might be termed 'Grand Political Theory', and with comparable intellectual resources, is Antonio Negri - another Italian left-wing scholar. These two writers mark an attempt to re-invent theoretical politics, and for anyone with a serious interest in this field Homo Sacer is necessary, if not easy, reading.

This book is almost perfect. Agamben discusses facts that no one else does. And puts it all in a sober Lacanian package that any self-respecting theorist will have to admire. He is literally the new Foucault.

I have one reservation. That's on his conclusion that the world has become a death camp. When it comes to the political sacred, this is mostly right on. But the world is going to look a lot more like the kind of camp through which the subhumans of World War II were processed when the religious sacred catches up....

I could only get through a couple of the stories in this book. Each sentance was so long and convoluted that it became a turnoff to me. I've read a lot of short story fiction of this type, but this one wasn't that great.

It becomes easy to float through books of contemporary short stories, but every once in a while you'll come across a book like this one that will jar you out of any notions of complacency. Mueller's collection is multifarious, beautiful, frightening, distrubing and gives more hope for the state of fiction than any collection since Ken Kalfus' "Thirst" or George Saunder's "Civilwarland in Bad Decline". This is a brilliant collection, worthy of accolades and most certainly the attention of readers.

These stories span a range of human experience that is staggering. Mueller is compassionate in his scrutiny. He deftly, vividly conjures worlds and inner lives with language that is sharp and sparkling, smart and fully engaging. I've never read a story collection that didn't have one or two (or more) pieces fall flat--until now. This is a solid, stunning book.

Yes, the doctor does write rather 'high-falutin'. I haven't met the guy, but if he is like many other of the doctors I met in med school...some of them come by their language honestly. Maybe he was raised in a home where language was spoken that pretentiously. If so, then there is more to admire about him. Doctors do not have to choose to work with members of society who are less fortunate. Especially one of Baxter's caliber. That he did raises him in my esteem, and impresses me all the more. He writes with compassion and with a sense of humor, which is necessary to deal with such a hard field. AIDS does not suffer fools lightly, and Baxter is no fool in spite of his language. He does an excellent job of making others aware of the real life of most with HIV. Very few are actually lucky enough to have insurance which will pay for the pharmaceutical "cocktail" which is necessary to maintain life, and even some who do have access...their bodies reject the drugs and they become worse. The AIDS crisis is far from over. We Americans have merely closed our eyes to that fact. Baxter tries to alert us to the needs of those who are dealing with day-to-day tragedies. This is a wonderful book, and a great addition to my shelves. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

This book touched me deeper than anything else I've read in a very long time. It was a privilege to have a glimpse into the lives of Dr. Baxter's AIDS patients, to both laugh and cry, to both shake your head and marvel at humanity. I honestly felt for these characters and the author presents them with a grim reality that spares no detail. From this novel I have a much better understanding of what an AIDS patient must face on emotional, spiritual and physical levels.

The only drawback is the doc's narration style. His personality is strong and the doctor's point of view makes it that more interesting. But his writing style is painful to read at times. His writing is extremely superflous, with a lot of 50 cent words. Many times he reminded me of TV psych, Frazier Crane, his vocabulary is that pretentious.

If you look past the author's agonizing writing style - there is no limit to the feelings this book can evoke on human suffering, the human will and spirit and fears of our own mortality.

Dr. Daniel Baxter's chronicle of his daily routine as a physician in an AIDS ward at Saint Clare's Hospital in New York City, one of the poorest broken down and inadequate facilities truly serving the "dregs of humanity" is one of the richest, most spiritual and compelling books I have read in recent years. I finished this book and have kept it in my mind in many weeks going over the truly profound truths and challenges Baxter presents in his own story. The Least of My Brethren is a multifaceted, complex chronicle that teaches far more than the most readers expect as they begin any new non-fiction book. I was captivated by The Least of My Brethren from the very start; awed by Baxter's ability to present an entire range of issues, at times separately and yet, all at once in other instances -- from the seemingly simple and unimportant issue of how to get a room cleaned up or a light bulb changed in a hospital with only the leanest of support services, and in the next breath, to be speaking quite articulately on issues such as AIDS, poverty, the tragedy and loneliness of human beings who have no one left in life who have not abandoned them, to the entire spectrum of human sexuality, to questions of philosophy of life and the meaning of death and back again to the more mundane insignificance of individuals, almost all terminally ill, breaking rules on smoking in hospitals and in public places. Baxter presents a story that is as much philosophy as it is medical science; as much sociology as it is gender studies, as much psychology as it is political science. As one individual reader, above everything else, Daniel Baxter's story was a moving, yet at times, an inadvertently hysterically funny portrait of how little the latest buildings and equipment really mean to medicine in comparison to the need for a much rarer and seemingly more easily attainable achievement, the enlistment of truly caring human beings. When Baxter speaks of caring people, he is not referring to those who show their care by donations to charity or participation in clothing drives for the poor -- but "down and dirty" caring in the midst of stink, the odor of death and the scarcity of hope! This, one can conclude in reading Baxter's chronicle, is a truly rare and precious giver of life -- not easily found. In some ways I was shocked that truly caring human beings are a preciously rare commodity, yet the more I thought about the issue, I was able to acknowledge how few people there are who are willing to transcend themselves and give to others unconditionally -- while at the same time having the courage to face the demon of hopeless straight in the eye and prevail with hope. What Baxter brought squarely home to me were many personal questions and issues I have need to address in my own life. Whether it was Baxter indirectly asking me how much I appreciate the life I have, for whatever time it is given to me, to his ability to bring me to the realization that I have only marginally and clinically considered my own mortality. Baxter keeps going with questions and challenges on the importance of doing meaningful work in our lives to challenging me to examine my own willingness to place myself in the midst of dirt and filth and to be unaffected by it because the other person, far more needy than I, needs my help in the midst of that personally discomforting squalor. Finally, Daniel Baxter offers -- not by preaching -- but by his own personal example, the very real and comprehensible answer as to why our human behavior is so often paradoxical: that in order to conquer our fear, in order to gain anything worthwhile, in order to truly transcend ourselves for the good of others, we must become fearless, courageous, spirit-filled and hopeful persons ourselves. And, how do we get to such a place? The answer so obvious that we all actually know it, kept very close to our human consciousness, but often within far enough a safety zone that we do not have to necessarily respond: that is, in order to become stronger and better persons, we must face down, touch and truly look, often for the very first time, at what we find ourselves most afraid. In so doing, we become stronger, more courageous and grace-filled persons. Indeed there seems to be truth to the adage that ³what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger;² for it is proven out in the daily lives of many committed persons like Daniel Baxter, Sister Pascal or the drag queens in ...Brethren, who come to minister their sick friend up by decorating his room and applying his make-up and dressing him in all his finery, in order to help him feel more hopeful and comfortable. I finished Baxter¹s book more fully understanding myself, my own strengths, fears and weaknesses and biases. In addition, I came away with new role models to help me to at least try to make some changes for myself and to better understand the meaning of truly caring for all with whom my path crosses in the course of this mysterious journey we call life.A singular and outstanding read which should deserves much attention!

It's a tad bit technical for the lay-person, but it will definitley give one a solid grasp of what nanotech is all about.

What a nice, easy introduction for the lay reader to an important new field of science that will be a part of our lives for years to come! I am a professional, non-scientist, and I found this intro to nanotech to be an easy-read that provided a perfect survey of the breadth and potential impact of this field. I have listened to a couple of lectures on nano-applications in medical science, but in comparison, this book was a more lucid and entertaining preview of this field.

The book is tailored for the non-specialist who has been yearning for an insight into a field that seems to mostly exist in rumor. The breadth of topics is astonishing, discussing the physics, the engineering techniques, the economics and even the philospophical implications of this new technology. The prose is also excellent - its casual and often humerous style helps make a conceptually difficult and technically demanding field approachable.

I felt I wasted my money buying it. Wasn't that exciting and they barely paid much attention to Miller who was the gymnast that really won them the gold since she was the highest scorer on the team. Don't buy it.

The book tells you all the facts you need to know about the Magnificent 7 and also others like Olga Korbut,Nadia Comaneci,Mary Lou Retton,&Bela Karolyi.It tells you how hard it was to train every day.It definatley inspires you!

This book was very informative and told me everything I wanted to know about the Mag 7. The dedication of these gymnasts is amazing. As a gymnast myself, I understood the hardships of this great sport, such as missing many social events and being in pain alot. Even if you are not a gymnast, this book will make a sure fan out of you. A great book.

I enjoyed the way this book brought historical figures to life as well as its theme of the futility of war, which is particularily relevant in this day and age. Zak feels caught in the middle because he is able to identify with both sides of the "conflict", and doesn't understand why his people can't find a way to let each other live peacefully. Everyone he encounters is a good person who is just doing their best, and this is where the character development becomes somewhat two-dimensional. Everyone is just so good, so very very good, except for the people who are bad. The people who are bad are very very bad. Darth Vader bad, although no explanation is given for their badness, and this is not typical of real life.
The U.S./Dakota Conflict, as is usually the case with all war, was not a case of good people versus bad people, but realistically a case of people who failed to listen to and therefore understand each other. Zak doesn't seem to grow throughout his experiences, but instead becomes whining and wishy-washy as he pontificates more and more along on the subject of "Why can't we all just all get along?". But to his credit, he is young and open-minded, and not a bad hero for a novel such as this, which is written with intense attention toward historical detail and "the legacy that is America". Horse Dreamer is definitely an interesting read.

In Horse Dreamer, Homstad effectively weaves a compelling story of torn identities into one of the darkest chapters of Minnesota history. If you're a histoy buff who also likes a good novel, this book is definitely for you.

This story of a young man, forced to grow up way too fast due to circumstances beyond his control, is an excellent read. Set with the backdrop of one of the most troubling times in Minnesota history, Zac matures on a variety of topics ranging from race, family, and honor, to name a few. Mr. Homstad's depiction of Zac's boyhood exploits is reminescent of Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. At the same time, he skillfully weaves well-researched history into the heart of his story. Particularly relevant today, is Homstad's exposure of the dangers military tribunals. Every student of American history should read this book.

With all the hype over this book, I was a bit disappointed. It was my understanding that all of the recipes had Jack Daniels in the recipes, but I didn't find that many recipes with Jack Daniels. Also, there were very few pictures of the food. Other than giving me a lot of recipes for sauces, it gave me a lot of barbequing ideas.

Having read many books on the subject of Barbequing, this is the most informational book for simple rubs, amazing sauces, building your fire and smoking anything from whole hogs to a chicken leg. Take your time reading this book just as you would cooking great Barbeque.

Fantastic doesn't begin to describe this "cookbook ".Getting an actual recipe from this book is an added bonus- we found the book just plain fun to pick-up and browse through the exquisite photo's of Americana and witty text !

Galileo is probably one of the most significant NASA missions since the Voyager pair. Here, Fischer covers both the background and the latest findings (as of presstime, anyway) of the mission.

The background is copious but appropriate, covering prior missions such as Pioneers 10 and 11 and the aforementioned Voyagers, as well as a brief history of Jupiter astronomy, going clear back to Galileo himself and his discovery of the moons of Jupiter.

The history of the mission is covered in detail, from conception through to execution with all its trials and tribulations. Bumps in the road such as the mission rescoping following the Challenger disaster and the failure of the primary antenna are covered thoroughly with no punches pulled.

Findings are covered, fortunately, in topical order rather than in chronological, with sections devoted to each of the major moons as well as Jupiter itself.

The book is translated from the German, though despite this it's consistently clear and easy to follow. There are at least two occasions when a wrong word is clearly used, however, once where "degrees" is used instead of "astronomical units," and another I simply didn't understand. But this is just one of my necessary quibbles, and overall the book is impressively readable. I strongly recommend it for those interested in the subject

Fischer tells the story of the Galileo spacecraft in an updated English version of a book published in Germany in 1998. Many books have been written about the solar system, but few have been directed at Jupiter. David Morrison and Jane Samz's Voyage to Jupiter (CH, May'81), for example, is now more than 20 years old. There is, indeed, a need for a detailed account of the Galileo flight, and Fischer has done an excellent job in tracking its history. There are a large number of black-and-white photographs throughout the book and a center section of 32 pages of beautiful color photographs. As might be expected, a large section of the book deals with the moons of Jupiter, because the planet has some of the most exciting moons in the solar system. Io, with its sulfur volcanoes, is discussed in detail, and there is an excellent discussion of the marking on Europa's surface. One of the most important questions in relation to Europa is, of course, Does it have an ocean beneath its outer surface? The consensus in this book is that it does. Strongly recommended. General readers; undergraduates through faculty.

A must-read for any Jupiterphile. Fischer presents an in-depth look at the science behind the Galileo mission to Jupiter. From the history behind the probe, going all the way back to the 1970's, to the budget cutting, to the eventual launch and failure of the high-gain antenna. It's all covered in this volume, with exquisite detail and enough science content to take you well beyond the press releases. Highly recommended!

A great explanation of how the current state of programming came to be. However, the depth of this book is very simplistic, and won't hold the interest of anyone whose done more than a level 100 programming course.

I liked some of the history in the book, but overall, I think it's ONLY a good read for those not already familiar with the "art" of computer programming. I think if you're already a programmer and have been coding for years, you can pretty much skip this book. I learned some history reading the book, but I didn't think it was a worthwhile use of time (for me). The book mainly talks about aesthetics, the fact that a computer is ONLY a machine, and has no "brain",.. etc. I think pretty much any intelligent being (in the computer field) already knows this.

The parts of the book that covered code might be of some use to someone who wants to experiment with "becoming a programmer," and I guess if you like this book, you will like being a programmer, or perhaps not.

Overall, good book for a non-techie who thinks he/she might be interested in the field.... and probably not the best use of time for someone who's already proficient in the "art".

As a programmer, I found this book's discussions on the aesthetics of programming to be unique and very helpful. The code samples given were not as interesting, but they were not aimed at experienced programmers. It is a perfect introduction for people who have experience in analyzing data (engineers, actuaries, etc.) but have never programmed. Don't read this book to learn new code tricks, or any specific language; but I've never read anything better about the art of programming, for either the professional or the beginner.