The essential Conan is a collection of the first 25 issues of the Conan the Barbarian comics released by Marvel back in the early seventies. Although this book is in black and white, a format which seems to have gone out of style, this book often manages to capture the spirit of the original Conan stories. The plots aren't usually too dumb, and as the book advances the comics go from a bunch of individual stories to big story-arcs, making it more readable and giving it more of a sense of continuity.

While this book doesn't always stick to the Conan stories continuity-wise, for the most part it fits in, filling little gaps in between those stories. Also, several of howard's better stories are adapted to comic format here; Tower of the Elephant, Frost Giant's Daughter, and Rogues in the House to name a few. We get the first comics' appearance of Red Sonja as well.

Overall, this is a fun, quick read, and although it's only in B&W, for the sheer amount of materiel included herein it's definitely worth the cover price.

I remember when Barry Smith drew his first comic for Marvel Comics. It was an issue of the X-Men that we all thought was THE WORST DRAWN COMIC BOOK IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. It turned out that Smith, newly arrived from England, drew the issue on park benches in NYC. When the first issue of Conan the Barbarian arrived it was clear he was not that bad. By the time his run as artist on "Conan" ended it was even more clear he was something special and the fact that the illustrative style that had evolved in those two-year span was not feasible within the demands of producing monthly issues of a comic book was a depressing irony.

Barry Windsor-Smith has long been my favorite "comic book artist," and this collection traces his evolution as such quite admirably. Indeed, not other collection could better serve that purpose. A simple comparison of the covers from Conan #1 and Smith's swansong issue #24 ("The Song of Red Sonja") evidences the transformation from artist to illustrator. For that matter you can also consider Smith intermediary style (e.g., #13 "Web of the Spider-God"). This transformation is as impressive because of how quickly in took place while he was drawing Conan as it is for the artistic growth. But even in his work today you can see how it is grounded in the style he developed while working on this comic.

These reprinted stories are presented in black and white, which is certainly better than nothing, but I look forward to Smith's work being presented in color as it originally appeared. I notice this most particularly in the Epilogue to Conan #20, "The Black Hound of Vengeance," which was originally presented in muted tones of gray, blue and brown. Smith abandoned panels in an interesting change of pace that underscored the emotional impact of the sequence. Without color that impact is most decidedly lost. One of the things that is still discernable is the increase in the number of panels per page from issue to issue through Smith's tenure as he became more comfortable with using art rather than dialogue to advance parts of the story. The best example of this is the hanging sequence on page 14 of Conan #10.

From a writing stand point it should be noted that there is a nice balance between stories adapted from Robert E. Howard's Conan work and original stories by Roy Thomas. For the former "The Tower of the Elephant" (#4) is usually considered the high point. The appearance of Michael Moorcock's Elric in issues #14-15 seems a bit forced, while the Fafnir character (original a quick tribute to Fritz Leiber's famous pair of thieves) becomes a wonderfully integrated character into an ongoing story line.

Of the 25 issues included in this collection not all are drawn by Smith. Several issues are drawn by Gil Kane because Smith had missed a deadline or took a hiatus from working on Conan. Thomas' ability as a storyteller capable of crafting bigger and longer storylines would continue to grow, and while John Buscema's artwork on Conan was quite excellent (especially when inked by Ernie Chan), Barry Smith's work will always stand on a plateau. Jim Steranko cracked open the door on stylized illustration in color comics, but Barry Smith was the one who gets credit for busting all the way through.

This is a book of photographs about Robert E. Lee, and features photos not only of Lee but of the people, places, and events that were important in his life. The book has some commentary on the photos, but the focus is the photographs, not the text. The book is designed to complement Thomas' biography of Lee. As a stand-alone book, it provides a brief overview of Lee's life.

Without a doubt I have been a diehard fan of Emory Thomas since I attended one of his guest lectures promoting the highly acclaimed biography on the man and soldier Robert E. Lee. His words on the death of LEE were most memorable.

His recent pictorial essay embodied in this new publication chroniclizes Lee throughout his lifetime in vintage photographs. When I met Lee's great grand daughter Anne Carter Zimmer, I realized that some rather poignant pictures existed, but this book supports the fact.

This book should be purchased as a bedtime companion to Thomas's brilliant biography of the icon we know as Lee. The layout and selection of photographs in this publication truly satisfy one's soul in meditative reflection. Don't miss.

The book is a good technical reference for TCP/IP but NOT for windows 2000 TCP/IP. By it's title I think one would expect that the book explains about the implementation of TCP/IP in win2k i.e the data staructures used, the way buffers managed etc. BUT this book is nothing but almost RFCs rewritten! , one can as well read RFCs which are available for free or there are 1000 other well written books for protocols. To summerize, the "microsoft windows 2000" on the top of the books title is irrelevent and misleading the buyer.

This is no study guide. If you are looking for a book to *teach* you TCP/IP, this isn't it. This is a solid, no-holds-barred reference work for the person who needs the depth of information that the study guides will never supply.

If you are a professional who works with Windows 2000, you will need this work on your shelf next to Comer, Stevens, Liu, and Albitz.

Hats-off to Thomas lee, Joseph Davies, and Laura Robinson for putting together a fine work.

As a junior windows 2000 network administrator when I first purchased this book I needed a reference with easy to understand information but technical enough to help me with my everyday task. After reading this book I went from barely knowing how TCP/IP worked in a Windows 2000 environment to knowing how each type of ethernet frame was made thanks to the extremely well explained (and detailed) schemas. The IP routing chapter is also very well written and explained. The book also comes with a CD which contains all the network monitor traces for the examples in this volume. I personally can't wait for the .net version of this book comming later this year...Congradulations on a well written book to Thomas Lee and Joe Davies!

This is a very well done piece. Despite what some might think this book is NOT trying to Christianize traditional Chinese teachings. I found it to be just the OPPOSITE! The authors use the teachings of their childhood (mostly Toaist and Zen teachings) to explain eastern christianity. The Christianity of the Chinese and other eastern people is very different than that of the west.

For western Christians who find their church's teachings no longer speak to them this is a wonderful book. I find myself very influenced by eastern teachings, they speak to beliefs I have always held and had no name for.

If you are easilly offended or feel that no religious teachings should ever be meshed this book is not for you. As the authors would say, "teachings and dogma are only useful if we are not attached to them. As soon as we become afraid to change them, examine them, or modify them they become a stumbling block." So for those who are more interested in finding a universal truth than blinding clinging to teachings this book will truely be a "taste of water".

As more and more Christians are interested in Eastern practices and vice-versa, this little book provides some valuable insight into the key issues of a potential dual practice. I am very glad it is back in print and would highly recommend it.

One wonders if the confused lone critic who is ranting against this beautiful book has read more than its title ... sad how some individuals feel the need to vent their own spiritual anger in the most inappropriate places. "A Taste of Water" is refreshing inspiration for anyone who is serious about exploring the possibility of a spiritual path that encompasses Eastern as well as Western religion/philosophy. I would highly recommend this book, and yes, it can be found by those who know where to seek ...

Thougt the introduced phase-noise model is interesting the underlying s.c. "sensitivity functions" cannot generally be calculated analytically in practice. Thies means, and the authors suggest it, that this function is to be tetermined by computer-simulation, which of course drastically reduces the theorys usefullness for practical design purpose. To keep it short: This book is for pure theorists.

I am truly impressed with this book. I had heard about this work from some colleagues at work but did not have the time to buy and read it till now. I work on oscillators but I have not learned so much about them in one sitting before reading this book. This is certainly for people who are tired of the same old stuff being said over and over. The approach is truly novel and the delivery is excellent. I give it my unequivocal five star. Once you read it, you say to your self: why didn't I think of this.

I am so glad I finally found this book. For an RF IC designer it is a blessing to find a book that answers all his questions about oscillator design and noise issues. It is sometimes so hard to fingure out how to choose the optimum topology and design parameters. A lot of the work done on oscillator noise is either too theoretical that no insight can be obtained, or too empirical and case specific. This books helps a great deal. It has the right balance between the theory and experiments. The approach is completely new, intuitive and at the same time accurate. This is an excellent book if you are interested in oscillator design.

The Sept 1, 1963 X-Men #1 starts this book off and goes through issue #24. Featuring Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, and a very human looking Beast.

I bought all of these to back track and read the previous things that had happened within the comic. This serves the purpose but was disapointed that they were not in color.

I bought all of these to back track and read the previous things that had happened within the comic. This serves the purpose but was disapointed that they were not in color.

For anyone truly interested in exploring alternative methods of prevention and healing this book is a must. Not only does it give a concise and clear explanation of the main thesis -- that of the efficacy of botanical inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme -- but it gives an easily understandable explanation of the qualities and uses of several common and extremely useful herbs. The book is written in such a way that the information can be understood by those of us not necessarily schooled in alternative methods of healing, and it is convincing enough in its arguments to cause even the most sceptical to consider the awesomeness of the possibilities proposed. All of us know someone whose life has been effected by arthritis, cancer, or Alzheimer's disease. Thomas M. Newmark and Paul Schulick have done a great service in explaining the workings of the COX-2 enzyme as it relates to those diseases. Anyone who wants to be informed in approaching their own or a loved one's health should read this book.

Beyond Aspirin is a wonderful story of how our bodies are influenced by specific herbs. We can work to better our health by using herbs to treat arthritis, cancer, and alzheimers disease (maybe more! ). It is written by master herbalist Paul Schulick and the educator Tomas Newmark. I have found that for my own purposes, I get amazing relief form constant back pain, and insomnia using their recommendations. I have found products at health food stores that have many of the herbs in the book all in one product! Buy it, It can change your life!

Newmark and Schulick don't patronize their readers, don't make glib cure-all claims for the herbal COX-2 inhibitors, don't disparage normal medical practice, and do make good sense that anyone suffering from osteo arthritis (as I do) should pay close attention to.

Inflammation is, as the authors make clear, a critical component in many other disease processes, a fact prominent in recent medical news. The core of their book, though, is the well-argued claim that the remarkable improvement over the likes of aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAID's achieved in the last year or two by new COX-2 inhibiting drugs (such as Celebrex and Vioxx) is also attainable via a number of herbs that have been used for centuries and whose "biochemistry ... is infinitely more complex, balanced, effective and safe than the silver bullet approach of using one synthetic molecule."

I found their general explanation of the paradoxically helpful/harmful nature of the body's natural inflammatory response to injury very clear and most interesting for understanding my own particular case. I also enjoyed the rather bold analogies frequently employed in their explanations as well as the literary quotes and herbal drawings. In general, this is a book that anticipates and pleases a skeptical reader.

For the record, I took their advice and found a highly concentrated source of several of the herbs they mention. The very substantial and rapid reduction in swelling and pain in my ankle impressed and delighted me. The product I used (Zyflamend) is actually produced by Newmark and Schulick, but is not even mentioned in their book!

This book is a good intro to Aconcagua (history, geography, etc), it helps plan a trip with good tips on preparation and local arrangements. However, it does not spend enough time describing the trails and the difficulties of each route. Even the normal route, the most popular one, is not described in depth.

Anyone thinking about this climb should get this book. It, along with the video that's also available from amazon.com, make a good combination to get you mentally prepared for Aconcagua.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Secor's guide. I read it before climbing Aconcagua and when I was on the mountain I felt as if I had already been there because of the accurate description in the book. The book has also good general advice on equipment, guides, weather, and acclimatization. Definitely a good companion for a wonderful adventure.

Professor Thomas has written a compelling and highly readable biography of an increasingly controversial figure. We are now told that to esteem the memory of General Lee is somehow to honor slavery and man's inhumanity to man. Professor Thomas provides us with a welcome antidote to this deconstructionist thinking. The author gives us a portrait of a man who was thoroughly human. Possessing great faults but also possessing real character. I would lay only two faults to the book; First, the author's rather tiresome attempts at psychoanalysis, attempting to explain Lee's entire life in terms of difficult personal relationships. Secondly , it is obvious that Professor Thomas is not a military historian and he gives only a general analysis of Lee's strategic vision and his military career generally. Also I found his criticism of James Longstreet to be just a little over the line. Nonetheless this is an excellent biography and I highly reccomend it.

Thomas has given us a post-revisionist portrait of Lee that addresses the general as a human being much better than it presents him as a brilliant military strategist. His complicated relationship with his rakish father, his sainted mother, his demanding wife, and his children are all central foci of the book; his relationships with those outside his family get relatively short shrift. It is amazing how little of this book deals with the actual history of Lee's Civil War battles; more attention seems to be given to his involvement in the Mexican War. Indeed, the book seems to give disproportionate attention to his life prior to the Civil War, with relatively lesser attention to what happened after he became commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia. Since the latter period is that in which he made his mark on history, this focus is rather disappointing. But Thomas does a relatively able job of dispelling the image of Lee as "the marble man," and for that, Civil War afficionados owe him a debt of gratitude.

Emory Thomas is ambitious but ultimately correct in proclaiming his compelling Lee biography a post-revisionist portrait. He attempts (with admirable success) to balance his respect for Lee's character and ability (without Douglas Freeman's blatant worship and apocryphal stories) with honest accounts of his faults and contradictions (minus the carping of Connelly's 'The Marble Man' and Nolan's 'Lee Considered'). In the process, Thomas has captured as much as any writer is able the humanness of Lee. I was struck throughout the book by events and words that mirror my own aspirations and failures. I think the highest praise I can offer Thomas's book is that this avid Lee fan and Civil War buff felt like he had met Robert E. Lee for the first time

This book should probably only get one star but I gave it two because it does give the reader a good look at Lee the man instead of the saint. The problem is that it goes too far. It is hard but possible to make a much loved figure human without going to the extreme Connelly goes to. A happy medium would have been much more likely to bring us the real Lee. Sadly instead of going after the real General Lee Connelly goes on the attack and gives us a picture of a sad person who does not reflect the real man. Was Robert E. Lee the pure figure he is often pictured as? Not likely. On the other hand he also was not the pathetic figure given us by Connelly. In an attempt to destroy the myths of the past Connelly creates a set of his own half truths and myths. Shame on him!

This book might be approached as an examination of how a well-known personality is transformed for a human being into a cultural icon. Sequentially and chronologically Connelly takes his readers through that process using Robert E. Lee as the item of investigation. Along the way, Connelly makes commentary on the differences between the cultures of the north and south and how Lee's legion spread because of those cultural differences. That context has been well-established by numerous writers. Connelly simply uses it for a closer examination of Lee. For example, on page 102 he quotes another historian, Bradley T. Johnson in writing "Environmental factors had forced North and South to develop contrasting socieites. The North, 'invigorated' by constant struggle with nature, became materialistic, grasping for wealth and power. The South's 'more generous climate' had wrought a life-style based upon non-materialism and adherence to a finer code of 'veracity and honor in man, chastity and fidelity in women'"
This book helps a person to understand how history evolves in the process of retelling over a period of several generations.

This book is not just a revisionist look at Robet E. Lee but also an objective evaluation of the Southern Lost Cause Syndrome that utilzed Lee as their flagship for a just cause. Thomas Connelly is a great writer of the western theater notably the history of the Army of the Tennessee and of the western Confederate cabal that had conflicts with Jefferson Davis. Connelly offers what southerners and partiucularly Virginians may find as a harsh evaluation of Lee during the war. This book also includes some psycho-analysis that offers some reasoning for Lee's very formal demeanor which is in far contrast's to Joe Johnston whose troops would pat him on the head on occasion but not dare approach Lee in such an informal manner. In my opinion the book demonstrates that Lee was simply not infallible like amy man who has overall responsibility, he must accept some of the blame for failure. There is also the question of whether Lee was too aggressive with limited manpower (Gary Gallagher has referred to this as crucial, that the Confederacy was in serious need of military victories for morale). The Lost Cause contingent made up of Jubal Early and company always gave Lee total credit for victory but not in defeat, Early & company always made someone other than Lee a scapegoat in their version of history. Gettysburg serves as the grand indictment of this philosophy where Longstreet becomes the total goat at Gettysburg in the 1870's while one of his accusers, Early, covers his own lackluster performance by publicly hanging Longstreet. Early raps himself with the cloak of Robert E. Lee to deflect criticism of his own actions and post war exile. To my mind, Connaly expolores better than anyone else the self serving relationship of Jubal Early to the Lost Cause syndrome in Early's attempt to rewite history. Connelly brings out that Jackson was the south's great hero until Lee's death and the emergence of Lee's rise among southern writers. He also argues that Lee lacked a national picture of how to best serve the Confederacy by his opposing transferring troops west to bolster those failing armies with limited resources. He argues that Virginia was Lee's first and main focus. Highly reccommend this book, whether you agree or not, Connelly makes you look at the facts presented and while not meaning to destroy Lee's image of a competent and charismatic general, it tends to show him as human and mortal who like everyone made some mistakes. We all have to look at historians presentations carefully, even Douglas Freeman in Lee's Lieutanents slightly diminishes Jackson's role and he makes Longstreet shorter, fatter and a plotter of self grandization. This is an intellectually challenging book best appreciated by those that have an open mind. This book most likely helped foster Alan Nolan's "Lee Considered."