What does the average Ethiopian home look like? What is the average Cuban family's hope for the future? How much does a carrot cost on the black Market in Bosnia? Which country has the highest fish consumption per capita? What does the average Japanese father have for breakfast?

It may seem trivial, but these are the questions that Peter Menzel and the creators of "Material World" have tried to answer. And the answers they found are more profound than you might think. 30 very different countries, and 16 excellent photographers, trying to show through images, statistics and interviews how the world's average families live. The differences are astonishing: the financially average Abdullah family in Kuwait is both literally and figuratively a world removed from the Cakonis in Albania.

In this book, created to celebrate the United Nations International Year Of The Family, sumptuous photographs, show each family with their material possessions spread around them outside their homes: while one family's material wealth seems to consist almost entirely of carpets, another's is made up of animals and cooking pots. One family has four cars, another a single and ragged looking donkey. More photographs show each family in the course of the average day, and coupled with data based on interviews, they answer questions such as: do the children go to school? Where does their food come from? What does their house look like? And most tellingly, what is their most treasured possession? More light hearted sections, which explore average televisions, toilets and meals across the world, show at once how alike and different we are.

The creators of "Material World" have sought, and achieved a fine balance. They contrast not only those countries which we know to be rich or poor, but also look at how other factors, such as war and technology, affect families. The information is implicit rather than explicit, conveyed only through the images and words of each family; while the photographers' impressions are expressed in small "photographer's notes" sections, their main function is simply to show us the real lives of their subjects. No judgements are passed, nor opinions given. The reader is left to examine the evidence for themselves.

"Material World" works on many levels. The quality of photography and the compilation of each section make it beautiful to look at - a smart and very PC coffee table book. The statistical information and photographs together provide a wealth of material for use in schools. Flipping backwards and forwards to explore the differences yourself is as much fun as "Where's Waldo", and the writing is so good that "Material World" is a great book to snuggle up with and read. I can only pick one fault with this book: the more trivial statistical data is not always consistent. For example, data on percentages of income spent on food is only available for some families, making comparison impossible. However, this is a small fault. "Material World" is a fantastic book, original, interesting and well put together. Highly recommended to anyone with even a slight interest in the subject.

"Material World" is one of those books that EVERYONE should read. It really is beyond description...deceptively simply yet incredibly moving in its stark simplicity. In these pages about families across the globe, we see scenes from their everyday life. When we glance at the pictures of each family on their lawn surrounded by all of their material goods, the difference between the average American family and the average Ethiopian family couldn't be plainer. We look at the faces on these pages, hear their thoughts on the future, and compare their lives to our own...and suddenly the people in other countries seem real to us, and the faceless people of the news suddenly have faces and thoughts and homes and families. Peter Menzel and all of the others who have worked on this book have done a brilliant and wonderful thing when they created "Material World". They have done what no "You should be grateful..." or "Think of those people in other countries..." could have done...they have made the world real to us.

This book was a required "textbook" in a high school "Science and Sustainability" pilot class my school did in junior year. I remember we generally used the books in class but could check them out to take home if we wanted. I checked one out and din't want to give it back. I think I skipped two classes that day just sitting in the student lounge poring over it, and I think the people reading over my shoulder probably had other things to do as well, but I couldn't put it down, it was so fascinating. So of course I bought my own and I can still pick it up and pore over it for another three hours with the same fascination. It's real life, and the families are real people that you feel somehow close to after reading this. I love this book and show it to everyone. This book will change the way you look at things. Also, for those who think that this book is primarily about material goods around the world, you couldn't be more wrong. Each chapter shows an incredibly detailed portrait of life in another country, and is as wonderful for introducing kids to other cultures as it is for opening their eyes to economic realities. Enjoy.

Years ago watching Phil Dohahue, my husband and I viewed Paul Prudhomme promoting his book the Louisianna Kitchen. we were intrigued and had to have his book. Thus began our journey. We loved the illustrations and poured over them trying to decide which recipes we would do. We tried many and they have since become standards in our household.

I remember our first attempt at Crawfish enchiladas con Queso. we went over to a bait shop on the sacramento river to get the real thing. After the ordeal of immersing them in boiling water and the tedium of peeling them. we decided bay shrimp may make a good substitute and have used them ever since. It is a wonderful meal that starts me drooling just thinking about it.

Other tasty treats are Chicken big mamou (watch out for the scovil units), Cajun shepherd's pie, paneed veal and fettucini, cajun meatloaf and shrimp creole.

Over the years we have learned to cut down on the butter, without hurting the recipe and adjust heat to our taste. These recipes are not for the timid or diet conscious - but they are Deeeelicious!!

Later on in his career, Chef Paul Prudhomme took up low fat cooking to save his life. However, this book was written before he got "religion" and is not for the fat-conscious.

Having said that, can there be anything in this book for people who do not wish to eat a lot of fat? The answer is "yes" and here is why: Chef Prudhomme gives a very useful set of techniques to maximize the flavors that make the complex spice bouquet of real Louisiana cuisine.

As an example, I have used the Jambalaya recipe in this book many times. It is different from most recipes for this rice-sausage-and-meat cassarole. Prudhomme's version is served with a wonderful spicy tomato sauce surrounding a molded cupful of the rice mix. This is a very elegant presentation, adds moisture and flavor to the dish...and allows you to substitute ingredients and still get the sense of the genuine thing. (I use turkey Kielbasa, cut way down on the oil and use lean chicken breast for the meat.) The sauce is what makes this work so well.

Chef Prudhomme recommends "building" flavors by adding spices and herbs in stages. Some at the beginning, sauted at first, some later on near the end, to freshen the taste. He also makes a very important instruction about the miripoix mix--the onion, green bell pepper and celery base of many Cajun and Creole dishes. He says it's best to cut the vegetables, especially the bell pepper, very fine as that preserves the taste. It's true. Larger pieces of pepper taste bitter and flabby.

This kind of advice makes Prudhomme's book extremely useful. If you follow the flavor building advice, you can cut out a lot of the fat and substitute lean meats and still get good results from this book. Of course, you can't make a roux (flour and oil, cooked dark for a thickener) with no fat. So that can limit you. Or you make the recipes as written every once in a while for party occasions when the brakes are off. Either way, the techniques in this book are very useful.

If you have ever wanted to cook the same fine foods you ate when you visited South Louisiana (or even if you never have visited the bayou) then this is the cookbook for you. I grew up in Louisiana and now live many cotton fields, rivers, praries and mountains away. Not once have I ever had an unsatisfied craving for cajun food simply because Louisana Kitchen is a bookshelf away. If you ever have the privilege to taste a bowl of Gumbo better than the recipe in this book, I promise I would give you your money back if that was legally possible. The only drawback to this book is now every time I order cajun food anywhere in the world it's a letdown because I can make it so much better thanks to Chef Paul! I will say you must enjoy cooking if you purchase this book. If you don't have a love for chopping vegetables, making roux or boiling shrimp shells I would suggest a lower maintenance cookbook because Paul don't cut no corners and there's a reason for that!

I walked into my university bookstore years ago during a book sale and I spotted this book... "Some Beatle garbage" I said to myself. Then I found myself buying the book...!

Then I found myself buying all the Beatles CD so I could listen to the music that was described in the book...

I think the Beatles ARE BRILLIANT and I despair what to think my life would have been without the Beatles!! I just spent the whole day of New Year's Eve listening to various Beatle cds and other sources!! This is a great book! and it's not being published...! :(

Almost ten years ago I bought this book --hardcover-- in Mexico City, noy quite knowing its content. As a growing Beatles fan myself, I found it as a perfect guide to the group's development into studio techniques. If one wants to know how the Beatles turned the recording studio into an instrument in itself, one just has to read in detail: the 1962-1966 period (when the simplest, most straightforward music was composed) has only 60 pages, whereas the complex 1966-1970 period accumulates 120. One can know the origin of the backwards tapes, the tape edition (ie, at the end of "...Mr Kite!"), the outside musicians, the psdychedelic "sonic textures", the fundamental roles of producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick. One can even know the names of the orchestra performers. One can know the problematic "Get Back" sessions held in January 1969. This book opens a window to the landscape of the big experiments going on in Abbey Road studio two where the history of popular music changed. It's no surprise Paul McCartney calls this book "the bible".

I have been a dedicated Beatles fan for many years. The Beatles have been with me for years and have inspired many of my own works. Listening to the albums and watching the Beatles' movies has been a very important part in my life, and owning this book is the ultimate experience. I'm twenty-two and unlike my mother and father who were actually around to experience The Beatles, I have grown up only listening and watching everything about them. If you have ever wondered about the background of a certain song or the reasons behind certain lyrics, you need only turn this book. I bought this at a flea market when I was about twelve and I continue to pick it up and read or find about a certain song or recording day in the life of the amazing group that we call The Beatles. This book is a must have for the Beatles collector, and will be more valuable beyond its price.

I was a big player of the old AD&D system in highschool and only recently returned to Dungeons and Dragons. Have been learning the D20 system and have been quite impressed with the changes. One of the problems I always encountered with AD&D was finding many of the hirelings and townsfolk completely two dimensional with no clear definition of their abilities and skills other than a name, hit points and an armor class to await slaughter by the next attack of bandits/orcs/or chaotic PCs.

'Experts' is awesome. Everything I always wanted to have back in my AD&D days, providing detailed skills, career development paths and background information on a host of professions that will often interact with players as hirelings and NPCs. Actually the book has a tremendous potential for Dungeon Masters who want to develop a thinking man's dungeon in which the use of NPC or even PC experts is the initial plot hook or required for the successful completion of the adventure.

The book is a great resource and I HIGHLY recommend it. The perfect cure for the cardboard NPC... and even offering a unique challenge for PC's who want to try their hand as an expert character on a special adventure.

Very rarely in the role playing universe do I believe that there are more than one "core" book for any roleplaying game. Really, if one has the main rulebook, than all the rest are secondary as your own imagination can fill in the gaps. This belief was shattered when reading the "Experts" book. In it is so much information, so well thought out, and so, well, full of information that a good DM NEEDS for games that I wouldn't mind listing it under "Core books" for this genre. I could list for you the multitude of different feats/classes/items/NPCs/etc, but this can only be 1,000 words, and that's not nearly enough to do this book justice. Support the little guy and find small press books like this, these are the people that don't put money before their love of gaming. And besides, if Gary Gygax says it's a good book, I'm one to agree.

Experts is a key asset for DMs interested in extracting the _roleplaying_ from 3rd Ed.

Once key NPCs are 'fleshed out' as bonafide skilled individuals, it only follows that they have personality, unique goals, and complex motivations. This book is a wonderful tool towards the goal of creating 'three dimensional' NPCs by covering that first step (clearly defined skill sets).

From the players' perspective this book is also valuable, as multi-classing a core adventuring class with one of the Expert classes in this book ought to provide players with noteworthy roleplaying opportunities. What fighter wouldn't appreciate some knowledge of battle dressing? What spy can't use a cover identity? Why shouldn't wizards also be scholars of a less arcane sort?

Experts, as presented here, also make ideal henchmen a la the Leadership feat. Designing a patently non-combatant henchman around a skill set that distinctly contrasts the skills of a typical adventuring party will vastly expand the types of adventures that are viable for typical parties.

When you think of tennis, you hardly think of a perfect backhand or a great shot. What you really have in mind are the milestones of this sport. If it is the "Battle of the Sexes", or the Borg, McEnroe and Becker Eras - there are times in history, in which tennis played its role, even off the
court.

These times, great matches and controversies may have been in the past - but the famous tennis author Paul Fein gave them a place in our bookshelves. Whether it is the remarkable story of a Grand Slam final, the inside story of great subjects or a personal interviews with outstanding players who gave the
game its character - Paul Fein has it in his book. It is a truly fine collection of his best articles, written in a special manner to give tennis history back its life and the importance it deserves. It also covers today's stars with really interesting stories about their tennis careers and private
lives.

I definitely recommend Tennis Confidential. If you're a serious tennis fan, you'll love it. And if you're a casual tennis fan, your interest in tennis will grow for sure.

Paul Fein has truly captured the sport of tennis as it is, as it was, and as it will (hopefully) become with this wonderful collection of essays and interviews.

Tennis Confidential is much more than a "behind the scenes" look at the world of tennis. Fein gets "under the covers" with his interviews of the stars, his insights into the game and his ideas for the sport's future.

Fein explores the burining issues of today's game as well as the key moments in the sports evolution and, along the way, provides his readers with hundreds of "fascinatng facts" that make the book a "must read" for not only tennis fans, but for all sports enthusiasts.

If you like Tennis, its stars and the whole package, you will definitely enjoy this book. The book starts off with a series of portraits of great players, followed up by unique interviews, which are both fun and enlightening to read. We get close to the Williams sisters, Sampras, Arthur Ashe, Jimbo, Guga, etc. After this, we move into some more serious issues with entries concerning burning issues, such as "Bad Dads" in Tennis. Lastly, the book hits the sweet spot with stunning accounts of some of the greatest matches in Tennis history. This writing is short and concise and makes the matches come alive. I was 13 years old when Borg beat MacEnroe in 1980 and I felt the special vibes again just reading the two page description in Fein's book.
- If there ever was a Book on Tennis which manages to bring the sport alive, and make you a little bit smarter at the same time, this is it.

Kavik the Wolf-dog was the first book about wolf-dogs I have ever read. Because of this book, it inspired me to respect and raise my own wolf-dogs and wolves to teach people how noble these animals are. I was in second grade when I read it.Now I'm almost thirty and this book stills vividly sticks in my mind. This is a classic novel.

I read Kavik The Wolf Dog and loved every bit of it. I like how it told a story about a dog trying to find his way home, and the challenges that he had to overcome to get back to the place is loves. I think that this is a book that lots of people would love to read. If you like adventure, this is the book for you!

I loved this book! It may be dull at first, but soon you'll be hooked. I liked it so much, I didn't want it to end.

Kavik is a wolf dog who is a champion sled dog who belongs to Charlie One-Eye. He gets sold, but the plane flying him to his new "owner" Mr. Hunter it crashes, and Kavik is left to die. His only hope is a boy named Andy Evans who is out hunting. He is shocked when he finds Kavik, and wonders if he should take his gun and put him out of misery. But Kavik's golden eyes say "I'm not ready to die." Andy takes him home, and after a while, with the help of a nearby doctor, Kavik heals, But his courage is damaged from the crash. His owner returns to take him. Kavik is miserable in the puny dog run Mr. Hunter looked him in, and hates Mr. Hunter as well. One day when Mr. hunter is showing off Kavik, he runs away, on his quest to get home to Andy. Kavik gets a ride back up north on a boat with an elderly couple. He runs away from them, and meets a young female wolf and falls in love. Like in the real world, Kavik must fight another wolf for her, and he gets his courage back. But a hunter kills her, and Kavik continues to travel until he finally makes it home to Andy, and Andy gets to keep him. It is a wonderful book that has everything. Love, compassion, loyalty, adventure, action, and all that other stuff. You gotta read it!

In a perfect world, I could sit down with Sir James M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahame or T.H. White and ask them to tell me where the stories that they wrote came from. As a young man, these books stirred my soul, changed my life and left me, at the last page, a better person for having read them but with a thousand questions in my soul. I would ask them the source of the images, the inspiration, the words, and the magic on their pages. And I would thank them for telling me the wonderful story behind the wonderful story.

Foe everyone who has read and been touched by The Christmas Box, Richard Paul Evans has heard us and has invited us into his house and his heart to be present at the genesis and journey of his mystical tale and has allowed us to share the stories of those who felt, and were transformed by, the miracle of the book.

The Christmas Box Miracle is as much a miracle as The Christmas Box but it is a true, genuine and moving story. It is told with tender affection, a sense of humor and a moving respect for a Higher Power who uses The Christmas Box to heal broken hearts and touch even the most cynical souls.

It is a spiritual journey and a life journey and lets us know that, behind the numbers who have read the original book, are real people who were hurting from an unbelievable loss and found the will, through the power of God and a small book, to regain and restart the lives that they thought they had lost within themselves.

A must read for those who read The Christmas Box and a perfect reason to read it for those who haven't. Thank you, Richard, for giving me what the other writers who changed my life couldn't give me.

It says something about Richard Paul Evans that he is one of the few authors whom I will buy new and in hardcover. After the disastrous events of 9/11, I felt severely in the need for some kind of inspirational comfort, so I picked up "The Christmas Box Miracle." Unlike his prior books, this is a an autobiography of Evans, and simultaneously a very unique success story -- not just because the book became popular, but how it affected the people who read it.

Evans was born into a middle-class Mormon family with several kids, who moved to Utah when he was still quite young. We get both visions of his family: the lighter side, with his rambunctious siblings and childhood antics, and the darker side, how his mother miscarried when he was a toddler, and suffered from severe depression that resulted in a failed suicide attempt.

A great influence on Evans was his grandfather, an immensely faith-filled man who predicted once that Evans would "walk with the royalty of this earth and be known as one who loves God." A prediction which has since come true. The book then follows Evans in his careers as a missionary, a member of a newspaper staff, working for a tux rental agency, and so forth. It also follows him into his marriage with Keri, his wife (an interesting detail is who her crotchety father inspired *wink*). But after two of their children were born, it turned out that he was "trading diamonds for stones," working too hard and missing out on his children.

Then, after the folding of his agency, Evans wrote a short novel that has now become famous, reaching across political, religious, age and financial barriers. "The Christmas Box" strongly affected everyone who read it, to the point where people were sending orders into bookstores for a novel that had, technically, never been published. His trip into publication was more than a success story, when it became a helping point for those who had lost a child.

It may be viewed as a mere coincidence that this book came out around the time of the WTC attack, but I doubt Evans' grandfather would see it so. This book is truly inspiring, especially given the short letters from people whom it has deeply affected, from across the world. (I, personally, have never lost a child but I was deeply traumatized by the loss of a baby brother, and "Christmas Box" helped me through that rough time) We are also given a look inside Evans' head, and the power of God that he's felt in his life.

As in his fiction, Evans is very spare and evocative in his descriptions, and very poetic in his speculations. There's an undercurrent of wry wit to this book, such as the passage where he relates how his brother got him to read classic authors by saying, "Chicks dig Shakespeare." He also displays that success has not swelled his head, as he seems to have no problem relating that So-and-so and Such-and-Such did not like him, his problems and insecurities.

The book also gives background into the many people who were deeply touched by the Christmas Box (including the person who said that he was too young to have written such a book), and to the Angel Statues. I hadn't previously understood the meaning of these statues, and it's very moving when I did learn what they were for.

Maybe this story is even more inspiring than the Christmas Box, because it is REAL. I strongly advise everyone -- especially people who have read his other books -- to read this book.

As I sat down and read Richard Paul Evans' The Christmas Box Miracle from cover to cover, it gave me hope, a sense of healing and reminded me of the miracles that truly do happen in our lives!
At a time that our nation feels so unsecure, this book gave me the confidence and hope that I was searching for. I cannot thank you Mr. Evans for being so humble and willing to share your experiences and miracles. What a divine destiny we all have and a reminder that when tragedy strikes, we can pull together and know that we are not alone! I treasured the stories about The Christmas Box Angel Monuments, that you have created a place for those who have lost loved ones can go to grieve and heal from our losses. TRULY A BOOK TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE! Thank you Mr. Evans for giving us hope!

Another outstanding Sam's title. The progression of concepts in Java Thread Programming is very clear and the example code is great. I found Hyde's progressive build up of small example applications particularly useful. That's how it happens in real life!

I think this is a better book for beginners than the O'Reilly Java Thread's book. The O'Reilly book tends to quickly pile through each concept while the Sam's book takes a more leisurely approach. The O'Reilly book also occasionally goes off on tangents. Hyde's book, however, points out potential sources of trouble while taking an easy to follow, serial thread to understanding asynchronous programming in Java.

Java Thread Programming is by far the best treatment of this subject in the marketplace. I have found that the structure, code samples, and reference very handy. Paul Hyde is a very easy to understand writing artist. His approach is informational and practical. This book is for the experienced Java developers who would like to learn, and revisit threads from a more thorough standpoint. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to all serious Java developers.

Thread programming is not easy but this book contains knowledge and techniques that will help any real-world Java programmer gain skill in this area. The examples work well and helps one to "learn by doing".

This is a brilliantly clear book. There are far too many 'brilliant' books out there that are as abstruse as mud.

This book was a pleasure to read. I am incorporating the threading techniques in my projects at work.

However I am troubled by the fact that the book was published in 1999. Since then much has changed in the Java world. Is it not time for an updated book? Also there does not seem to be any errata or companion website for the book.

Dr. Sagan was an extraordinary teacher. He could explain things in such an easy way that anyone can understand. This book tells how most of the time scientist do not have the time to educate people and by failing to do so let people in the hands of the pseudoscientist. Since science developes so fast, there is no way to buy an up to date book. Anyway all Dr. Sagan's books are fun to read and a good tool to inspire us to keep looking for more information. I will recomend any of his books.

Carl Sagan established his reputation as a writer with three works: Cosmos, Broca's Brain, and Contact. Cosmos is renowned as one of the century's best non-fiction works and Contact became a top-grossing, award-winning film. Broca's Brain meets the standard of Sagan's more famous pieces. Even were you to only read one chapter, the book would still be worth purchase. I especially recommend this book to those who have read John F. Haught (theologian) or Stephen Hawking (physicist) and assume that science and religion are locked in a death match.

In Broca's Brain, Dr. Sagan debunks many of the myths that bind us together. He describes various hoaxes throughout the ages; how easily those myths have been perpertrated. And does so without making the reader feel foolish. From THE HORSE THAT CAN ADD, to IDENTICAL TWIN CHILD CON-ARTISTS, to PHONY RUSSIAN SCIENCE, Sagan shows us not to believe what we see, but rather to depend on scientific experimentation to learn the truth. "Theres a sucker born every minute". pt Barnum

This is the BEST book I have read on raising boys. Biddulph writes in a clear, crisp voice making it easy for anyone to understand the fine art of being a male. He has made me realize how and why my husband and son are the same in some ways and very different in others. Girls are not ignored here, either. He compares and contrasts the two, so subtle differences are made just as obvious as the not-so-subtle ones. He takes time show why the two can act and/or react differently in the same situations. Everyone, especially teachers, should read this great book!

As a first time expecting parent of a boy I have many concerns. My biggest one being that I am single and will be raisig my new son without a father. This book stresses the importance of male role models but also helped give me many alternatives to a father. Now I feel better knowing ways I can do things to help make up for him not having a father and that things can work out just as well. Plus the book also covers areas such as gender differences, sexuality, and how to help him in everyday life and what he needs in a parent(s)as well as from other people in his life. This book has given me confidence that I can raise him well. I recommend this book highly to single mothers who are concerned about male role models for their son and also to first time parents of boys.

I LOVED this book so much that I found myself quoting from it to my friends and family. Raising Boys is packed with information that is easy and fun to read. Through the entire book, I could identify traits that not only opened my eyes to behavior from my own two sons and other males in my life (their friends, my brothers, etc.), but has shown me ways to handle or respond to both their positive and negative behavior! Steven Biddulph also explains the biological differences between boys and girls without being sexist!

I recommend this information packed and yet humorous book to anyone who has a boy or knows a boy of any age. This should be required reading for all teachers!

This is a book that I find myself picking up over and over again to reinforce the information I have learned. It's really made a difference in my understanding of the male species, and how I interact with them.