Obviously, I haven't read this latest edition of the price guide since it won't be available until April. I have purchased two previous editions and they were worth the money. I look forward to the release of the latest edition. Every camera collector should have this price guide. Unlike Lind's List Camera Price Guide and Master Data Catalog, this book gives good information and pictures to help you identify cameras and grow in knowledge. I haven't utilized my Lind's book, but I take my McKeown's book on every collecting expedition.

McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras is the Bible for camera collectors. It is a must, since it contains almost all of the information needed to identify a camera, including, when it was made, any variations and a value of the camera. It will pay for it's self the within a very short time, maybe even the first time you use it to puchase and/or sell a camera.

Like previous editions, this exceptionally well organized, indexed and illustrated book is the leader in its field. It is a must for serious collectors of classic cameras and related items.

Like most of the books in this series, Armageddon Axis is a terrific action story. I particularly liked this one since it featured the return of Sindri, the evil dwarf from the first Outlanders I read, Parallax Red. It looks like Sindri is being set up as a recurring adversary for Kane, like Dr. Loveless is with Jim West. The plot in this one is compelling with new insights into the characters. Not only that, but the book ties in with one of the best Deathlands novels of the last few years, Stoneface. So much happens in this book it's best if everybody reads it for themselves. You won't be sorry.

Armageddon Axis is a prime example of why Outlanders is the best adventure series available. This one not only features the return of the nasty dwarf genius, Sindri from an earlier book, but it showcases a severe blow struck by the heros against the barons. As always, Outlanders is fast-moving with sharply detailed characters and lots of interesting plot devices, such as the Aurora spy-plane.

I would just like to say that for about the last 2 years,i have been reading both death lands and also outlanders.when it comes down to it,the last outlanders was the best.if you read the book you know what i am talking about!and as far as deathlands,i would have to say that shadow world really shook me up.because we as a people are on the same path as those who want to invade our world.

I enjoyed this book and found it well worth the read. I especially enjoyed learning how the theory of human evolution in itself has evolved. I can recall reading books as a kid on this topic which showed the state of human evolution in the 1960s. Much has changed.

The DNA and fossil record point to multiple branches in our "family tree". This has lead to the the author speculating on the existence of multiple human species at various times.

The book seems to focus on the homo hablis and homo erectus part of the family tree. The cement is the Neandertal. If I got it correct, Neandertal's evolved out of homo erectus. But later, another species evolved and slowly replaced the Neandertal's.

Despite being a well writen story about the current state of human evolution, the story of the Neandertal is both interesting and tragic. It ends with them disappearing about 28K years ago, attempting to emulate our direct ancestors.

The DNA sections of this book are interesting and well written. Additionally, the interactions and ego collisions of leading scientists in the field is an interesting side bar. Our knowledge of human evolution hinges on their hard work and skeptical nature.

I started this book with no interest in human origins whatsoever, and finished it with a keen interest in the field. This is due to the skill with which Shreeve presents the vast and confusing field of paleoanthropology.

What sets this book apart from others in the field is that Shreeve focuses on modern-day humans--the scientists involved in these debates--and lets us discover the ancient world through their eyes. It's easier to relate to the confusion, jealousy and occasional triumphs felt by these scientists than to a bunch of dusty, silent skeletons. The book doubles as both a great overview of paleoanthropology as well as a primer on how scientists really act. These are not cold, detached people in white coats--they really care about what they're doing, and really take it personally.

This is the best science writing I've read in many years.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a meteorologist with an interest in evolution in general. The sections on DNA and how to trace our roots was fascinating. The book is written from a story telling perspective as the author attempted to put together a picture of how "we" evolved. The author showed how different scientific disciplines have converged on some key concepts about our evolution. What better way to improve and build upon a theory. Like all science, it pays to be skeptical at times. The author presented the case for our evolution from several perspectives. The center piece was the Neanderthal man, how like us, share a common ancestor in homo erectus, as I understood the book. As a kid I read about human evolution and was surprised how the theories of what species are in our lineage have changed. The fact that different species of "homo" co-existed is fascinating. The fact that our early ancestors co-existed for thousands of years was also interesting. I found it tragic to see how the Neanderthal's attempted to emulate us before flickering out of existence about 28K years ago. The DNA evidence suggesting an out of Africa evolution was probably a key underlying theme to the book.

A first rule of thumb when approaching Cabell's 18-volume opus, the Biography of Manuel; every book will be about Cabell's relationship with his wife. Cabell is obsessed with marriage, and objectifies all of his female characters to fit one of his imagined female roles; nag, whore, or unapproachable beauty. Cabell's characters always return to their nagging wives, for familiarity's sake if nothing else, with never a suggestion that it might be possible to have a long-term relationship between a man and a woman in which both are creators and in which both learn from each other.

The book Jurgen is from the same mold. Jurgen the pawnbroker moves from one of Cabell's stereotypical women to another. The book became well-known because of the godawful sex sequences, in which Cabell archly refers to Jurgen's sword, staff, or stick -- the resulting call for censorship made the book famous, but that doesn't mean it was Cabell's best. I thought The Silver Stallion and, in some respects, even The Cream of the Jest or The High Place to be better examples of Cabell's writing.

I would recommend that anyone who likes fantasy read at least one of Cabell's books, because he writes like no one else. This book had the usual Cabell wittiness and sardonic feel, so if it's the only one you can find, certainly try it.

Early in his journey, Cabell's Jurgen comes to a place known as 'The Garden Between Dawn and Sunrise.' In the garden live all the imaginary creatures that humankind has ever created: centaurs and sphinxes, fairies, valkyries, and baba-yagas. Jurgen is surprised when he sees his first-love wandering around the garden, but his guide replies "Why, all the women that man has ever loved live here...for very obvious reasons."

Moments like this, simultaneously jaded and genuine, sentimental and cynical, are the most delightful parts of 'Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice.' Nominally the story of a medieval pawnbroker's quest to find his lost wife, 'Jurgen' becomes a bildungsroman in reverse as, on the way, its hero regains his youth and visits the lands of European myth, from Camelot to Cocaigne (the land of pleasure) -- each land shows Jurgen a way of life, and he rejects each in favor of his own sardonic stoicism, for he is, after all, a "monstrously clever fellow."

That phrase describes Cabell as much as it does Jurgen: the author is remarkably erudite, and, like a doting parent hiding easter eggs, drops in-jokes through the book on subjects as far-ranging as troubadour poetry and tantric sex. Cabell corresponded with Aleister Crowley in his day, and, in ours, is an influence on Neil Gaiman ('The Sandman,' 'Neverwhere,' etc.). The book itself caused quite a splash when it became the centerpiece of one of the biggest censorship trials of the early 20th century: something to do with Jurgen's very large *ahem* sword.

Social satire and an idiosyncratic cynicism in the guise of a scholarly romance-fantasy, 'Jurgen' is what would have happened if J.R.R. Tolkien and Dorothy Parker had gotten together to write a book.

In the 1920s, James Branch Cabell (rhymes with "rabble") was considered by many to be one of the greatest American writers, based on this novel. Tastes changed with the coming of the Great Depression; worse, Cabell never again came close to writing a book of this quality, despite his many attempts. Whether or not Cabell is a great writer (and I incline to the view that writers should be judged by their best rather than their mediocre works), Jurgen is a great book, full of insight and a joy to read. The eponymous protagonist is a middle-aged pawnbroker who is given an opportunity to relive his youth. In his travels he encounters, among others, Guenevere, the Master Philologist, the Philistines, his father's Hell, and his grandmother's Heaven. In the end he has an opportunity to question Koshchei who made all things as they are. I heartily recommend this novel. Although it is in an older fantasy tradition, it is at least as readable and enjoyable as the best contemporary fantasy, and its literary quality is far greater. I have re-read it many times.

This book was recommended to me by a DEA agent. When I opened the cover, I stepped into another world, and when I emerged, I could no longer take seriously such presidential pronouncements to "Just Say No" or "read my lips." Later, I encountered a "friend" who had been in jail with one of the major individuals featured in the book. He told me that the convicted drug dealer had discussed the book and proclaimed that his part of the story had been reported accurately, except for the amount of money he'd been caught with. Evidently, DEA agents turned in $1M of drug money found in his trunk. He said there was at least $3M. Such corruption, I discovered upon reading the book, was more the rule rather than the exception. The book moved me to write my congressman, who admitted he had never even heard of the secret drug enforcement organization detailed in the book. And when Reagan and Ollie North were getting roasted about "guns for hostages," I laughed. If the American people knew about the drug deals our government oversaw (and I'm sure continues to oversee) to prop up "U.S. causes" in other countries, as well as our own, they also would have found the affair amusing. This book opened my eyes and blasted my naivete regarding our government's involvement in the dark underworld of illegal drugs. It will do the same for you. James Mills has written a remarkable book, and he had sense enough not to overwrite and allow this astounding story to speak for itself.

I found this book to be very informative. It opened my eyes as to why the US cannot seem to win this war. I liked the style that Mr. Mills used and really appreciate the amount of research he must have done. After reading this book I don't have any trouble understanding the "doublespeak" used by the politicians in this country. It brought to light that the American people are kept in the dark. What our government really does for us. My only hope is that enough people read this book, ask enough questions of the people who can and will do something to correct the wrongs brought to light.

Despite this books daunting 1000 pages plus, I could not put this well researched tome down. It covers DEA investigations of an Asian Triad/informant, an American pot smuggler, and a Mexican ganster/sadist. It blows the lid off the DEA's sad war on drugs and how nothing is ever really done and how one hand can never trust the other. Those who still believe in the value of the DEA are either naive and deluded or cognizant of how it profits American's in power both financially and by keeping the races of color emasculated by a system that is designed to enslave. His next book should be about illegal drugs and their link to the ghetto, money laundering, and the privatization of the American prison system. There has been a 5% growth each year for the last ten in the American prison population and now Mayor (sic) Giuliani wants close the methadone programs down in New York City. We should socialize medicine before we even consider a bonehead move like this. Shame on you.

Thom fleshes out American history with real characters, and an inside look at one of early America's most influential families. Although some of the Revolutionary War and Indian War sequences drag on a bit long, it was well worth the trip as a launching pad for the famed Lewis & Clark exploration. In fact, I hated to leave them as they reached the Pacific, and would like to see how they faced those same challenges on the journey home. It paints a less than flattering picture of our nation's early history, while at the same time celebrating the bravery of those who made it happen. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy even more this piece of history that Thom embraces like a story.

Although I'm not much of a history buff, I read this book at the advice of a friend. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. Thom brings the adventures of the Clark family to life. The book is accurate from a historical perspective and leaves the reader with a new appreciation of the courage and sacrifice behind our country's westward expansion. A must read.

This is the best novel of Revolutionary American history I have ever read. The story of the Clark family is incredible, especially that of two particular sons, George and William. Perhaps the main theme of this book is leadership. George Rogers Clark was a phenomenal leader. He almost single-handedly won the western frontier during the Revolution. In the end, he was ruined rather than rewarded, for his efforts. As his inner fire dies, it is momentarily rekindled by his young brother, who departs to co-lead the greatest adventure in American History. Thom's depiction of George's brutal marches on Kaskaskia and Vincennes, and the Journey of the Corps of Discovery, is a masterwork.

Jim Masciarelli's book is great for those who are looking to improve the quality of their professional relationships. Not surprisingly, his advice spills over into personal relationships as well. I particularly like his ideas on cultivating and sustaining a "Nifty 50" - the fifty most important professional relationships in your life.

Jim has captured the spirit of networking to its fullest. I had to read it with a pen in hand so that I could immediately start making lists of potential renewed acquaintances or simply an acknowledgement of key professional and personal relationships and why they are important.

The most underutilized assets in business today are existing relationships. Masciarelli has created a simple framework to help you turn this asset into more business for your organization and more professional growth for you. Best of all, the book is fun to read.

Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite authors, and in some recent Amazon-surfing, I was delighted to discover this Card novel that I'd never heard of. I got a used copy, and I really enjoyed it. The book is based on the 1989 movie "Abyss" by James Cameron, who did "Aliens," "Titanic," and the "Terminator" movies. It's about a deep-sea mission, some cool aliens, and a bunch of interesting people, their relationships, and their deepest personal struggles. I'll probably rent the movie eventually, though I'm guessing I won't like it nearly as much as the book, since a movie can't explore the characters in the same depth.

(A similar undersea sci fi adventure is Michael Crichton's "Sphere," which I didn't like, but the average customer review is 4.5 stars, so if you're into thrillers, you might like it. And I highly recommend most anything by Orson Scott Card, especially "Ender's Game," one of the best science fiction novels ever, and, if you're into religion, "Stone Tables," which is a novelization of the life of Moses.)

The dusk jacket of this novel takes great pains to explain that this is "A Novel by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Author Orson Scott Card based on an original screenplay by James Cameron." That lengthy description is important because it is trying to make it crystal clear that this is NOT a "novelization" of a screenplay, and to give you some idea what a unique and exquisite book you are reading. Card provides an entirely new dimension to Cameron's screenplay.

I still think the Abyss is James Cameron's best movie, Oscar winning block busters aside, although that other film certainly proves water is his natural element. Displeased with the "cursory, mediocre, often inaccurate, and sometimes downright reprehensible" novelizations he had already read of his films, Cameron determined there would be a NOVEL. In a totally unique process, Card worked from videotapes of the film as the editing progressed, updating his manuscript as scenes were changed, added or cut. In addition to covering everything you see in the film version of "The Abyss," Card made two significant contributions to the story in his novel.

First, he wrote chapters focusing on the three main characters of Buddy, Linsey and Coffee. Each chapter goes back to when they were kids and relates the seminal events that made them the people they grew up to be and brought them to the setting of this story. Cameron was so impressed with these chapters that before filming began he gave them to Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (and you have to wonder what Michael Biehn would have done with the background on Coffey). Second, Card works in the entire story from the side of the alien beings, explaining what they are doing and thinking even when they are not around the humans on Deepcore. Things that you wondered about in the film (How could Coffey survive that great depth and cut the right wire?) will be made clear and the additional scenes add great depth to the film (intentional pun).

It is because of this added dimension that I think you will best enjoy this book after you have seen the film and more specifically the Special Edition or Director's Cut of the film. Of course, I can certainly appreciate that fans of Orson Scott Card might pick up "The Abyss" without any care about the movie. This is not a bad thing either because Card is a first rate imaginative writer, as he has proven from "Ender's Game" to "Enchantment." If you loved the movie, you will love the book. You do not want to miss out on this one.

And that's a pretty strange recommendation to make for a movie novelization, it's supposed to be the other way around. Following writer/director James Cameron's recommendation to write a real novel based on his story rather than just write it in narrative form (which so many writer-for-hire types do) Orson Scott Card crafted a well thought out expansion of the film's story. In addition to having the pre-special edition cut sequences (which go a long way in explaining the abyss's residents motivations and such) Card also contributes some welcome background material for the main characters. In an interesting note about the novel's origins (it was written during filming) Card shares that Cameron actually had the principle actors read their individual character's background material from Card's early drafts to better understand the inner workings he wanted communicated in their performances. Highly recommended.

June 8 1967 is a day of great shame for the Us Goverment. Shame on them for not sending rescue aircraft to the ships aid.Shame on them for covering up the facts of the attack for 31 plus years.Shame on them for ordering the crew to remain silent. 34 Americans were slatured 171 others wounded and a twenty million dollar ship destroyed.All this was done by a so called friend of the United States (ISRAEL)They say the attack was a mistake.As Ennes points out in his book there was no mistake they new exactly who they were attacting and did it any way.In effect ISRAEL got by with cold blooded murder and are Goverment help them cover it up.Ennes book was gone over with a fine tooth comb by a team of lawyers to make sure it was factual long befor RANDOM HOUSE put it on the presses.This book is a must rread for all Americans.WHY DO I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS BOOK ? Because I was there I lived threw that nightmare and ciuntinue to live that nightmare. Please read this true peace of history.

I have read my copy of the book (original printing) and
am eagerly awaiting the updated version. Having known 3
of the sailors killed during the unwarranted Israeli
attack in 1967 and having met and become friends with
many of the survivors, LCDR Ennes' book (he was a Lt. on
the bridge at the time of the attack) tells the TRUE
story of what happened to this unarmed US Naval vessel.
The fact that both the governments of Israel AND the U.S.
have tried to cover up this incident and that there has
been no formal Congressional investigation for more than
35 years is a gross miscarriage of justice for the brave
men who died as well as those who survived. Read this
book, and you'll cryout for justice to be served. Call
your Congressman or Senator and demand these folks get
justice.

I was on the deck when the attack started and in the engine room when the torpedo hit. This is a true and accurate account of the attack. Through the accounts in this book I relived a time that should never have happened. Thanks to Mr. Ennes for telling a story that needed to be told and a story that still needs a proper ending.

This book is worthwhile reading. It's fairly brief and recounts the interesting experience of the author as a platoon leader operating near an important contested village in Vietnam, Truong Lam. He details his own struggles and triumphs as he takes control of his platoon and his responsibilities. Since his service was fairly late, starting in August, 1970, he had his share of problems due to the general war weariness of everyone involved. He spared the true identities of the other characters, which I'm sure was appreciated by his company commander and several others.

I didn't rate this a 5 star book because I didn't find the quality of writing to be in the same league as I'd expect from a professional writer. McDonough did a respectable job of writing and used a simple, straightforward style. Still, I thought his experiences would have been more gripping and interesting if he'd had some help from a professional writer. As such, I didn't find it hard to put the book down and was glad it wasn't longer. Basically, I found the writing to diminish the story rather than equal or enhance it. No disrespect to the author, who seems like a fine Army officer and a decent writer. It's just that I think the book could have been better if there had been some writing help.

I'd recommend this book to be read along with On Point by Roger Hayes (spelling?). Platoon Leader is a low level officer's experience and On Point an enlisted man's experience. The two books are similar in strengths and weaknesses and the two authors seem to share a lot of the same attributes.

It is not easy to be a leader if you are young and inexperienced. The book describes how a young officer established his leadership among a group of veterans. He faced a lot of difficulties at the beginning as the veterans perceived him just a "college boy" but they had to put the whole platoon fate to this "boy's" hand. Eventually, Lt. McDonough became a successful leader after he had devoted himself entirely to his platoon and his job.

The inside world of Lt. McDonough had a lot of similarities to mine when I was a probationary police inspector - similar capacity of a Lt. who normally leads a platoon or similar team size of policemen in the Hong Kong Police Force. We both experienced similar things for gaining the trust from our subordinates, we both needed to participate and devote ourselves in order to set good examples to others. We both needed to show firm and strong leadership in order to convince our men of our competence. I will recommend this book to my friends in the Force and I think they will like this book too.

Well I found a book that ranks with Macdonalds' Company Commander, the best military memoir ever. Platoon leader is an unbelievable glimpse into the life of a typical platoon leader sent into the bush of Vietnam. After reading this book it is obvious why the Army chose it as required reading for officer candidate school. Macdonough describes clearly and with brutal honesty his tour as a young LT sent in the fight with no idea what to do. His platoon was on an isolated outpost and has to not only spend the days patrolling but endures the nights of fierce enemy attacks. Here it is described in such a flowing exciting manner that I finished it in one sitting. This is no 'glory of war' type memoir, but a plain portrayal of the senselessness and viciousness of war. Truly one of the classic military memoirs ever written!