The DRAW and PHOTO-PAINT parts of this book are good. However, the book must have been written on a beta version of the program. They missed several functions, such as the program will save the image file to the root directory so all URL's are correct. They spend far too much time on the WEB.DRAW module and not enough on WEB.DESIGNER and the WEB.WORLD. If you have never used DRAW this will help. If you are experienced in DRAW, it will be frustrating. When you are working with a beta version, you should warn the reader. PKGibson

This report represents a classic example of limited inquiry in academic pursuits by relentlessly ignoring category error (insufficient definitions) as challenged since the early '90s by Mandel (Businessweek 5/18/94) and others (Edupage 2/21/95). It is now finally contradicted by the NAICS data (USA Today 3/20/99).

Before I talk about this book, I think everyone here should understand that the collective essays in Contested Landscape were written as part of a college class at the University of Utah by graduate and undergraduate students over a two quarter period in 1997. This book showcases a wonderful opportunity for students and for creating a piece of work which the wilderness and multiple use movement could utilize.

However, Contested Landscape does not quite capture the passion behind the debate of wilderness in the west, and it does not exactly examine wilderness issues from all ventures: there are three sides to the issue: those that are 'pro' wilderness, those that are against wilderness, and the writers. (which seek a unified, balanced, and compromised approach) Within the wilderness movement in Washington state, there are so many multi-factions of each side that the result is that the movement and the debate is not a polarized black and white, but a collision of two shades of grey in the quest to tackle public lands issues. Subsequent research by others associated with the movement will show that this is true for many states dealing with public lands issues. In Contested Landscape however, the sides are painted to be such unified opposites, it hardly seems real.

Utah is the only other state in the West (besides Hawaii) that has less then 1.5 million acres of wilderness in the state. (it has only 750,000) It is because of the horrendous politics (both national and local) that the state has such a low acreage of wilderness compared with Utah's 'western' neighbors: but this notion is not explored anywhere in the book. Contested Landscape paints a picture that the wilderness the state has is a reflection of the politics, of which every western state has. While there is growing difference between rural and urban cultures in western states, the politics of each western state are so uniquely different, Contested Landscape is not an appropriate reference to regional or local wilderness politics by any means: I could not hold Contested Landscape as a means of evidence in an argument if I wished to espouse on the issues of low lying old growth in roadless areas in Washington State.

The book also lacks a sense of place. Angry ranchers and wilderness advocates with no backdrop to put them against. Despite the beautiful picture on the cover, there is nothing else to describe in words or pictures the beauty and landscape of Utah. Thus, you would have no idea what these people are fighting over if you were to pick up the book knowing nothing about Utah. No mention of the shrub-steppe ecosystem, the Great Salt lake, The Rockies, or anything else distinctive. This is a critical failure of the book: to not showcase passion with a sense of place.

Also, because the majority of the federal land is BLM land, there is constant discussion about this agency and anything else regarding wilderness. This can make the book read like a BLM ranger's handbook, with so much technical and bureaucratic lingo regarding range management and what not, it can become dizzying (hat's off to the kid's that had to work on this stuff)

I must give credit to the students, though, they initiated and carried out a very difficult project, and the writing, while too rigid to be engaging and empowering, was of course required of them to I suppose, "make the grade." Out of this I hope some good experience came to each of them. As I understand it, the book did not go over well in Utah, as "both sides" (as the author's constantly refer to a loose confederation of people) opposed the compromise solutions advocated in the book. If you would like a truly interesting read with a good dose of wilderness politics, read Return of the Wild by Ted Kerasote.

Sherbok has written many books on Judaism. The Crucified Jew is written with emotion and bias, but not scholarship. It surpises me that it was published in its present form. The author cites references and quotes throughout the book but uses no footnotes or endnotes so nothing can be verified or reviewed. He exhibits a poor understanding of Christianity and the Bible. For example he says that according to the Church Fathers the Jews have been an apostate people. Yet, it is not the Church Fathers who determined that, the entire Old Testament (God himself) testifies to their apostasy. Sherbok views the New Testament as anti-Judaism and never considers the fact that criticism of the Jewish leaders may have been valid. He accuses the Christians of calling Jews demons when it was the Jewish leaders who first called Jesus himself a demon (something never mentioned in the book). He says elements of the New Testament were added later for "polemic" purposes, implying they are not true. However, he offers no support for this charge.

Sherbok advocates "Open Judaism" (See the book "Future of Judaism") in which Jews do not have to believe in God, or anything, to be Jewish. This explains his distrust of Scripture because the Word of God does not have to believed, either. This book has some good information, facts, etc. But it is very opinionated and devoid of scholarly support. Accusations are made as if they are truth when in fact they are his interpretation and opinion. Unfortunately the author does not convey this to the reader.

Aside from Oscar Lewis, I have a hard time finding a social anthropologist I like. This one I don't care for. This author is heavily influenced by Freud, and we get lots of psychobabble. You'll like this book if you like lines like this: "On that Friday he engaged in an orgy of schismogenesis. He had been drinking since early morning. The alcoholic's drinking, argues Bateson, is often a symetrically schismogenic act...."

I bought this because I thought it was a book about the jazz artist but to my disappointment it was just a blank note book.

David and Goliath, the classic Biblical story from 1 Samuel 17, is a classic. The theme of a shepard boy going against the odds and relying on something bigger to give him the courage to help him win is inspiring to atheists, agonostics, and devout Christians alike.

Although some may find this book to thier taste. It offers very little more than a rehash of the ITU specifications for ATM, speech encoding etc... The good parts of the book cover basic telephony, ATM and frame relay. The bad parts are almost copies of the ITU specifications. When these specifications ( i.e. series G, H, I ) get difficult the auther fails to explain any of complex issues in less complicated terms. The good thing is, if you do not know which ITU spec covers which subject you can find out from this book. Constant reference is made to the authors other book on voice over IP. I think that both books cover almost the same topics. In fact alot of the sections are almost the same. So beware! This may not be for you. The voice over IP book by the same author covers more ground and is a little better. As a telecomms engineer in an international company I have to design and implement a number of access and back haul systems. A good background is necessary in each subject/design area. As an engineer I found this book's useful content to be about 50%.

Let me start by saying that I believe that psychedelics can aid in the expansion of consciousness when used correctly. Let me also admit that I did not, could not finish this book. It was written in as dry a language as I have encountered (and considering I am an engineer who has to read extremely dry technical manuals, this is not an observation to be taken lightly).

I dont know if Mr. Merkur is unable to write well or, as I suspect, he feels that by assuming this dry removed tone his work will seem more scienitic and objective. In either case, his presentation falls short. He makes some good points, if only one can stay awake long enough to read them. It seems ironic that anything written like this should feature the words "ecstatic" and "imagination" on the cover.

-Thomas Seay

This covers some of the ground in the Hastings Center Report special issue on enhancement printed in 1997, with very little additional material of value. Difficult to say whether it would be useful for teaching, and not especially coherent reading for a broad audience. Also not very well typeset or illustrated, unfortunately.