This book is absolutely brilliant for Ghanaians who have never lived in Ghana or who no longer live at home and want all mum's recipes and more in one easy to follow guide!!

I am married to a man who happens to be from ghana. We live here in the U.S. It is very hard to cook at times because i usually end up cooking the same things over and over again. Although I can cook some dishes from Ghana, there was so much more that I knew of, but never knew the recipe for. I wanted to be able to cook more than just a couple of dishes from Ghana, so I searched for a book like this. I could have asked family memebers, but there is a great language barrier, which made that attempt useless. Now that I have this book, it has helped me to make my husband feel like he's "back home" in his mom's kitchen. Had I done it on my own, it would have took me years to get these authentic recipes, but thanks to Mr. Oto and his wife, I could probably teach my husband a thing or two!

Mrs. Fenuku

As the title implies, this book is a great reference for someone who is looking for a guide to the syntax and usage of MPI. The book does not teach "parallel programming" and doesn't discuss other parallel programming tools which means that the nuts and bolts of MPI are all the more clearly presented and accessible. Furthermore, there are still plenty of examples which demonstrate the usage of the many MPI functions.

Another very valuable (and appreciated) aspect of the book is that *both* the C and FORTRAN prototypes are given when new MPI functions are presented (the C and FORTRAN implementations have slightly different forms).

Set up more as a reference than a tutorial, this book allows users with a very basic understanding of MPI to really take off up the learning curve

This book is great for wargamers and others interested in two of the key German forces in WW II's Battle of the Bulge. Kampfgruppe Peiper is shown with great detail as to what types and quantities of tanks and troops were at specific places at specific times. The battles at Stoumont and La Gleize are well documented and the writing style will put you in the heat of battle. You will want to supplement this fine book with another Osprey title, The Ardennes Offensive,VI Panzer Armee.

Unlike just a few years ago, today there are many books about Netherlandish and Flemish art of all periods. "From Rogier van Der Weyden to Gerard David" is a beautiful book filled with excellent color and b/w illustrations of the works being discussed. The authors are experts who give adequate details about the artist and his immediate circle, as well as the wider European influence on him and even the artist's effect upon the art world at that time and afterward. While the style is sedate and professional, it's never stodgy or overly academic, the authors being quite good at balancing the two. There are few gaps or unincluded details or individuals, so I can heartily recommend this for anyone who already loves Flemish art or those who want to learn more and to see clear, sharp reproductions of these incredible artists' work.

I can`t read this book beacause I`m a chinse student.I wonder if someone woudle help me .

Otto Friedrich's biography of legendary pianist Glenn Gould is a dense, finely researched, extensive look at the man George Szell once described with the phrase, "That nut is a genius." I couldn't agree more. As a product of my culture, I was utterly ignorant of classical music growing up, seeing it as that boring music old people listened to when they didn't care anymore about dancing. Glenn Gould changed all that for me. One night at a dinner party, the host heard me say something disdainful about classical music, and he wordlessly turned around and put on Gould's 1955 rendition of the Goldberg Variations. I haven't been the same since. I now own every single recording he ever made; I still find it hard to keep from laughing at people who suggest Gould didn't know Bach better than anyone this side of God. While I can recognize that other renditions have merit, to this day I cannot hear a Bach keyboard piece without comparing it to Gould's version. This book was a wonderful companion to those recordings, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to understand how genius and lunacy go so often hand in hand.

Otto Friedrich has combined spotless research, objectivity, and real empathy in what will probaly go down in history as the definitive book on this complex artist. His real understanding both of music and of a human being making music conspire to shape together a very readable and rereadable work. Gould has been covered in many ways by many authors, but never so comprehensively under one roof as he is here. Truly a must-read for anybody with even the slightest interest in the piano as it pertains to this century of music.

I found this book to be the best overall general biography on Glenn Gould. Mr Friedrich did not personally know Gould, so we have what is a good look, objectively, of Gould. He had some very good interviews with some of Glenn's closest friends and those whom he worked with. I've read it more than 4 times. We are not overwhelmed from a Musician's biographical data here, but more of what is percieved through others here. Of Course, Friedrich has some personal views but really helps to move the book along. The biggest surprise is finding out how some individuals coped with having discussions (pre-written by Gould), and their responses prewritten for them....Interesting.
Great Book....

The book is expensive and in places cartoon copies seem to have been made from old unclear originals. But for those of us comic-book buffs who remember the old Felix with fondness, this book is a must. It plays its part in preserving the older comic art that surely one day must be rediscovered to give pleasure to new generations of children and adults. I can testify that it gave such pleasure to my own children, who are in their early twenties.

I think David is brilliant. A work of the late 20th century's great minds. David is a G-D-send! I love this work. I love David.

Skorzeny lays down the way proffesional soldiers felt after the defeat of their country in WW II. This book follows his rise from artillery officer to top leader of the Commando service, and tells many of the secrets to their success. He talks about the intelligence war and the failures of German strategic intelligence, as well as many of the successes of the allied effort. While the translation is less than perfect, it gives the feel of sitting down and talking with Skorzeny as he reviews the dark years of the war and the atrocities commited by both sides. A story of undaunted courage and limitless valor, a must read for any serious student of WW II or military intelligence.

Otto Skorzeny's memoir is full of realities. It brings a new view at the WWII German soldier. Some of them were not killer Nazis at all. Skorzeny was a professional soldier, dedicated to his country and people. The book is quite estonishing and so real. Every one can get a lesson out of it. Lessons from the thin line between death and life by someone who has been in the no mans land and survived with the brains. The book is very good and a must read for young people to get an idea of being real professional.

Skorzeny lay's it out the way it happened with no excuses. He examines in detail how his personality and character shaped the conception and formation of German special forces. Furthermore, Skorzeny, again with no apology, discusses the German/Nazi mindset during that period. This book is a valuable asset to any serious-minded military officer's library, and likewise to the more realistic (and less idealistic) student of history.

I have not seen the book, which I gather is loaded with color reproductions of art. However, I was asked by a friend to evaluate the CD-ROM that (apparently) comes with the book. I am not entirely clear on the exact relationship of the CD or how it is supposed to complement the book, but I will confine my comments to the CD 'as if' it were a stand-alone product.

The CD is deeply flawed in two key aspects: presentation and content. First, I am a professional multimedia designer who has designed an educational CD, as well as a fine artist who has worked in several media (ceramics, photography, painting), and taught digital design at the university level.

My initial impression of the content, including the text and silly little exercises, is that this product could be aimed at elementary school level instruction, and for that matter would be an extremely poor substitute for a scribbler pad and box of crayons coupled with some common-sense discussion of various, basic design elements. However as I read through the "Self-evaluation" section I realized that at least some of the vocabulary employed is really addressed to university-level literacy. If you are going to have students engage in digital manipulations, don't waste their time with these superficially clever exercises (rotating and scaling little lozenges, and filling them with colors and patterns in a tiny window). Give them the real thing! Even a basic freeware paint program has much more to offer.

The presentation itself is cold, clinical and utterly lacking in interesting visual dimension or texture -- a catastrophic failing in a publication purporting to teach "Art Fundamentals". Gimmicky rollover effects and slide transitions recall the worst of Flash eye-candy, and corporate Power Point sales pitches.

But there's more -- the excessive text is so badly presented that it is functionally illegible, considering the quantities the poor viewer is being asked to read. Pray that it merely duplicates the copy in the hard copy book, and there it is at least conventionally legible. A section of stitlted and programmatic exercises recall those matchbook covers for correspondance art instruction. Blech.

Finally I will comment on a series of video clips that explain various fine art media and techniques. The video quality is reasonably good, however the visuals are utterly boring, and the voice-over narration an excruciating, amateur, flat, monotone. Most of the artwork selected as examples during arbitrary, 'slide show' sequences is at best mediocre. What a crime to convey boredom and indifference about visual creativity in a textbook for foundation art students!

I'm very sorry to say that I find nothing to recommend about the CD that comes with this "best seller", because that is a reflection of the very sad state of visual literacy in North America. I am not tempted in the least to look at the textbook it comes with.

Popular with the Art Classes on college campuses nationwide, this book meets all expectations for an introductory art class. Covering Black and White design and history, the book covers styles and jargon used to describe the popular works. The Colour section does equally well, with vivid pictures of art work. Each era is discussed and the fundamentals of colour are provided. This is the book to get to get your feet wet in the world of Art.

I had to get this book for my Design class in college. Great book. We didn't go through the whole book, but I kept the book after the class was over because there is some practical information for the art student. There is a bunch of information that i can use to apply to my own artwork, as well as a history of some past art works used as examples. The photos are all in color and there is many of them.

This book is a great introduction, but it is a wealth of information. The reading is easy and doesn't bore me. I don't know about some people, but reading a text can be cumbersome, but not this book. I really do learn alot just from this book alone without a class.

A nice little read of the diplomacy of Bismarck and Napoleon III prior to the Franco Prussian War. What is so apparrent by this book is how the French and the French government were so arrogant about their power. Most people subscribe to the fact of Bismarck causing the war. However this book shows how the inflamed opinion of the French and their government led to the war. Popular opinion blames the Prussians but it was the French who caused the war.
Wetzel shows the French interfering in the affairs of the Spain to place their candidate on the throne. The Spanish provisional government was not especially interested in their candidates, and ultimately decided on a Prussian prince. This was even more unacceptable to the French government. They then demanded the Prussian prince to renounce the throne. This the Prussians did. Then they demanded the Prussians apologize for their actions and completely renounce any interest. When this did not happen, they went to war against a German nation angered by the French actions. Subsequent actions paint the French as the victims when the opposite was the case. The French played into the hands of Bismarck.
A great read for those interested in the diplomacy prior to the war. Michael Howard's Franco-Prussian War is also a great read of the war itself.

Does a fine job explaining how the war happened. Recommend it to anyone curious about the issue.

The title of this detailed account of the origin of the FrancoPrussian war in 1870 refers to Louis Napoleon 3, nephew of Napoleon, and Otto Bismarck. The FrancoPrussian War ended the government of Emperor Louis Napoleon 3 and gave Bismarck the opportunity to unify Germany.

Wetzel begins his book by describing the characters. There is the French Emperor Louis Napoleon and his diplomats Ollivier, Gramont. Their Prussian opponents are chancellor Bismarck, and Kaiser William and their subordinates. Then Wetzel explains the background, the decline of French power and the rising strength of Prussia. We see how Ollivier, Gramont and Empress Eugenie let their passions and nationalist chauvinism blind them to the new weakness of the French army and the growing strength of Prussia

Wetzel explains the complicated succession struggle in Spain. No candidate could hope to win without total permission of France. Wetzel analyzes Bismarck's complex policy toward the succession and France and comes to some non traditional conclusions.
Wetzel follows the actions of Bismarck and Napoleon 3, as well as the actions and mistakes of their individual subordinates. We see the expertise of French diplomats such as Visconti-Venesto and Benedetti. Most of all we see the belligerence of Gramont, who left no mistake untried.

This book is not always easy to read, since Wetzel goes into great detail about the actions of all the diplomats involved. Wetzel bases his book on both primary and secondary sources and includes an informative bibliography with notes. This book ends right before the outbreak of the FrancoPrussian war, so there are no discussions of military strategy or tactics.