I really enjoyed this book. He goes through some pretty basic things and then goes from there to being able to use these techniques to complete a painting. I like how he introduced color and explained each one on transparency etc. The demos are explained very well, then he goes on to show other ways to use similar techniques. Lots of good photos for reference. It is a fun and very worthwhile book for the beginner and intermediate watercolor painter. I would buy it again!

"Freddy goes to Florida" was an instant classic, so I can see why a sequel followed. Unfortunately, Brooks and Wiese have some trouble figuring out exactly how to handle it.

The opening scenes at the Bean farm are excellent, but the trip to the North Pole is overlong and a mixed bag. The tone is uncertain, with the plot (a visit to Saint Nicholas) more juvenile than usual, but with more horrific humor than usual.

The writing is unclear and awkward in places, and, as always, Brooks attempts to win the pennant for overuse of the adverbial "pretty." A strong editor could have been such a help.

Brooks apparently felt the series needed some children to befriend the animals, hence the introduction of Ella and Everett. However, as finely as the author characterizes animals, he doesn't seem to know what to do with kids; the pair are completely devoid of personality, stay off stage as much as possible, and are ultimately dumped unceremoniously from the series. What happened to them?

I'm a little baffled by Kurt Wiese's change of style in this one, as well. For instance, Jinx was drawn as his usual svelte black self in the first book. In this one, he suddenly becomes a white, bloated monster. Why? In "Freddy the Detective," he's back to his old self and we finally have a formula that will keep the series going (after a few more false starts).

One more pressing question: How did the phaeton get home again?

This is the second of the Freddy the Pig books written by Walter R. Brooks. The earlier books, while terrific for children, are not as entertaining for adults as the later books. The Freddy books are great moral instruction without ever being preachy, always entertaining. In this book, the Bean farm animals decide to visit the North Pole. They have adventures galore on the way and, at the Pole, help save Santa from some well-meaning pirates who are trying to bring efficiency to Santa's workshop. I didn't rate this book higher only because later Freddy books have an even greater appeal. For children, this should be at least a four-star

I thaught that freddy goes to the north pole was a great book enjoyable for all ages. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes adventure stories. It is one of those books that you never wan't to end.

Goebbels - Mastermind of the Third Reich David Irving ISBN 1 872197 13 2 An Irving Biography of Joseph Goebbels is of interest for the light it sheds on each of them. Irving is well known for his ability to locate sources missed by others. His interpretations of the documents cause less admiration. Here, he has obtained much material from Goebbel's diaries that lay hidden in Moscow for nearly half a century. The book at times reads like a rather uninspired diarist too busy to sort out important events. For a historical work it is also surprisingly disordered. Irving possibly assumes that the reader is as immersed in the material as he is. It is frequently possible to wonder which year is being recorded. It is important for example that the events on page 388 belong in 1942. Page 390 is all about events in 1941, according to the references, but there is no indication in the text of such a step back in time. The page (390) is interesting for a contrast. Irving rarely tries anywhere to conceal a deep loathing for Churchill. Goebbels here, and in several other places, displays a reluctant admiration.

Irving is also out of step even with some of his subjects in the matter of visual cues. In two fat volumes about the war leaders Churchill and Hitler, both of whom lived surrounded by maps, Irving includes none. In this volume there are collections of photos clumped rather haphazardly. They seem always isolated from any relevant text, and are not listed in the contents or apparently included in the index.

The "Little Doctor" has a reputation as one of the worst in the nasty bunch who ran the Nazi regime in Germany. Irving underlines almost all of that reputation. The first half of Goebbel's life pointed nowhere and had little impact. It appears that he was a real socialist who became snared by the name National Socialist and remained attached by the magnetism of Hitler. From then on he came to resemble Shakespeare's Richard III to an extent that the original probably never did. As Gauleiter of Berlin he ran an operation where only the label distinguished the Nazis from the Communists and both had a strong resemblance to the ethics of Al Capone in Chicago at that same time. He retained his power in Berlin to the end, but when the Party came to government he became more highly visible abroad as well, with work on propaganda, including a film industry. His reputation as a liar rests on his being a very good liar. He knew when to tell the truth. If a lie was convenient and hard to detect he had no scruples. He could hold an audience spellbound for hours at a time. Would he have been able to hold an English speaking audience? Could he now hold any audience accustomed to TV attention spans? It seems unlikely. In a regime that was sometimes publicly prudish, his ill concealed sexual exploits and use of the 'casting couch' slowed but did not stop his ascent.

Having hitched himself to Hitler he became a spokesman for anti-semitism, which was not apparently innate. Curiously, Irving's Goebbels while growing fanatically anti-semite, was more pragmatic than most about trying to use internal unrest of oppressed nationalities against Stalin. Later he was the advocate of abandoning the usages of war against the West as well. Ruthless himself, he expected that of others. His children were killed rather than let them fall into the hands of the conquerors.

He unleashed the barbarians on Kristallnacht and poured venom over Jews everywhere thereafter. Other Nazis occasionally deplored the economic effects. Irving has maintained that Hitler was somehow cocooned from these policies. There is no doubt that Hitler was well aware of, and supportive of, plenty of other ethnic barbarities. Irving keeps himself in a similar cocoon. He never uses the word 'holocaust'. By repute he even denies the fact of the holocaust. One of his weaknesses as a historian is apparently an unwillingness even to explore the implications of facts he clearly knows. He is however well aware of the large scale slaughter of Jews that did occur. It is referred to in several volumes about WWII, without elaboration. In this work the knowledge of the scale is available to the reader as it was to the Nazi leadership. On page 388 it is mentioned that early in March 1942 Goebbels noted the content of a paper probably to do with the notorious Wannsee Conference. There were "still eleven million Jews in Europe" and 'for the time being' they were being sent East. On the same page, a [Goebbels] diary entry states that sixty per cent would be liquidated while "only forty per cent can be put to work." Goebbels may have done the arithmetic as he was dictating his diary. He would appear to have had no illusions either about the brutality of the entire process. Irving is obviously not inclined to pursue the mathematics or any other inconvenient detail. Over six million callously planned deaths meets most definitions of a holocaust. It is a book to plough through. Where Gray could ponder about some 'mute inglorious Milton' at rest in a country churchyard, this century has a nightmare of Eichmanns who had their opportunity. The contagion of horror is visible on pages 370 and 371 where Irving casually slips into Nazi usage and refers to "cleansing of Vienna" [of Jews], without any quotation marks. It is a book worth borrowing, but when the same material becomes generally available there is a better book to come. The holocaust denial industry is the major casualty of the book, and that demolition its most important content, but the author seems not to have noticed.

The Kirkus Review of David Irving's "Goebbels" could not have been more one sided if it had been written by Doctor Goebbels himself as a review of a Jewish author's book. This well researched book, and it's author, have been the subject of a smear campaign because the author has had the audacity to blasphem a religion.

If a person were an ordinary atheist, he would probably be allowed to freely enter Germany and Canada. However, if he were to examine and attempt to publicly debate the religiously significant number of six million, which is now called "Shoah" and a cornerstone of the Jewish religion, he will probably be imprisoned if he does so in Germany or half a dozen other countries. David Irving is probably lucky just to have been banned from these countries.

Yes, this is a look at Goebbels that gives him more depth of personality than is usually politically correct. But to have such an out pouring of hate focused at the author after he has provided us with the new perspective is indicative of the same mentality that had persecuted unpopular beliefs all through out the ages.

In his biography of Joseph Goebbels David Irving has provided some masterful and provocative insights into the inner workings of the Nazi hierarchy. However, the book is sometimes confusingly organized and Irving's use of the present tense when describing past events can be irritating and seem a bit amaturish in so seasoned a writer.

With these caveats in mind, this is still an important book and necessary reading for any student of World War II. Mr. Irving is neither a Holocaust denier nor a proponent of the Nazis or their ideology; he simply has a different point of view. It's amazing how vociferous and censorious the academic history establishment can become when their 'established' truths are challenged; and in this book, Mr. Irving has done just that.

I have just finished this third art of the Elric Saga, given to me for free by a friend that loves fantasy as much as I do. I've reviewed each as I finished them. You can read the other reviews if you'd like, by clicking on my name. I must warn you they are not pretty, and I am loosing patience with the series.

I caution those of you that are not fans of the other books, this read may not be worth your while. This is the worst of the lot so far, and that's saying a bit. The first tale was weighted down with many, many, literary albatrosses, and the second, while lightening a little on the cheesy fantasy rhetoric, and actually taking some interesting twists, continued the insulting trend of revealing too much of future plots, and then taking to long to get to the fufilment of these dropped hints of prophecy. This third book totally trashes any progress made by the second, and gives birth to a few defects in the main character that are unforgivably preposterous given his earlier actions.

First we are given the unattached (yet relevant, Moorcock hastens to inform us,) tale of Aubic carving lands from chaos, then we are given the ridiculous conclusion of Elric's tale involving his cousin yrkroon (or some such ridiculous name.) For those not in the know, Elric is almost murdered by his cousin for his throne, and returned from near death to topple his foe in the first tale, only to willingly relinquish his throne at the end to this same traitor, saying essentially that the playing field was level once more. Now he's returning for "revenge" (Revenge? For What? Gee, I gave you my throne, and now I don't wnat it back, but I will kill you for accepting my offer. By making elric not care about his throne at the end of the first book, the author diffuses the need for any "revenge" here in the third, and this makes any motivation for vengance, and actions that follow from it, non-sequitors.) Anyhow, we must put that aside, for Elric , rightfully or no, does desire revenge, so in a singularly bold move, Elric decides to destroy his own homeland in a thirst for blood and vengance. In the process he kills his only love, which he really didn't care about anyway. But in any case, he acts shocked, although her death could hardly have been a suprise, he should have known it was coming, because he himself (in the guise of his future self, Erikose,) told him (Elric) he would kill the woman he loved. Or are we to believe that Elric is as silly as Moorcock thinks his readers are? In any case, perhaps you should put that aside as well. In the flight from his city, as his troops are routed, he betrays his companions in a feat of totally uncharacteristic, and therefore unbelievable, cowardice. (Elric earlier alligned himself with three or four guys he met on a boat and had no real allegiance to, and fought a pair of otherworldly sorcerers for no real reason at all, in that case many of his companions died, and Elric had as much chance to fear for his life then as he does during the rout of his forces, yet now he flees where before he stood fast? I don't think so. Get some constancy in your character, he's a man who will stand, or one who will flee.)

Anyhow, put all of that aside too. After this fiasco, Elric goes out in search of his never outlined Destiny, (That's what "Weird" means in the title, you know. It's not just alliterative, or maybe it is...,) which seams to simply be Elric wandering around becoming not-involved with various women he can never love, and adventures he doesn't care to resolve or has no motivation to begin, yet he does anyhow, and attempting to kill various conjured things and failing and then calling on his gaurdian for help, and sometimes getting it, sometimes not, but always Elric gets hints and etc dropped his way from his pet god, about his greater bolder destiny. Well get to it I say! We're what, three books in an no word of it? How long must we suffer this tripelike filler to reach the meat of the tale?

Ah well, suffice it to say that this third book is simply awful, and only true Elric fans could find anything redeeming about it. With some great reluctance, I will start on the fourth book.

I must say that Elric of Melnibone is one of the most tiresome heroes or even antiheroes I have ever come across...his self-pity, fatalism and incessant whining and angst are easy to identify with, but can also be quite heavy-going...this is not to say that this book is bad, it is exceedingly well written, and Elric is an interesting character, i like the emphasis on his demon origins and natural ancestral cruelty especially...I liked this book better than the Sailor on the Seas of Fate, though both that one and Weird of the White Wolf are a bit disjointed since it was originally a number of stories written by Michael Moorcock for fantasy magazines. I think i liked the first book the best, because I loved the vivid portrait he painted of the ancient, decadent Island of Melnibone, with their pre-human inhabitants and elaborate, cruel pleasures...they were evil all right, and you knew they were doomed as a race, but they certainly had style. I was very disappointed that Imrhyrr fell in the Weird of the White Wolf...I felt a great civilisation and era were gone forever. The humans just dont seem as interesting...too clumsy. As for Elric, I believe the tragedy of him is that he is the main source of his misery and undoing...Watching him go down is almost painfully annoying...you want to shout at him or something to stop being such a fool. Its also is a bit boring and monotonous hearing his constant whining, but it somehow makes it even more tragic. He knows he's doomed and yet he doesnt quite have the courage to commit suicide and end it all. His indecision defeats him. He's sort of like Hamlet that way. All in all its a great read...Michael Moorcock is a fantastic writer. I sometimes read him just for the great descriptions

Michael Moorcock, The Weird of the White Wolf (DAW, 1977)

The third book in the Elric series introduces the reader to Moonglum, Elric's longtime companion (and, thanks to AD&D's Deities and Demigods book, the companion most readers can't imagine him without). Much of the second novel moved away from the events of the first, and concentrated Elric's character on other adventures. The Weird of the White Wolf brings Elric back to Melnibonë along with Moonglum, their friend Smiorgan Baldhead, and an army of raiders bent on overthrowing Yyrkoon, who stole the throne when Elric left Melnibonë for a year to travel the world. For those wondering, whether you've read the book or not: the "weird" of the title is an archaic definition of the term, given by Merriam Webster as "One's assigned lot or fortune, especially when evil." And when he finds it, he's not all that happy about it. But that's to be expected when one's antihero has a crisis of conscience, I guess.

Certainly not a slow book by any means, nor a weak one in the context of the series. And it's definitely a necessity as a prelude to what comes after it. But I still felt there was something missing here; some pieces of description left out, a few places where things could have been filled in better. All of the Elric novels are short, to say the least (Stormbringer, the last and longest of them, clocks in a 217pp.), and feel as if they could use some fleshing out; this one, however, gives that feeling the most. One wonders if the brevity of them was not the insistence of the publisher, and what Moorcock would do with them, given the opportunity (a la King's unexpurgated edition of The Stand). Loads of fun, and highly recommended for fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike, as is the whole series. ****

I purchased this book about two years ago thru a catalog. It took 3 months to receive it and was very dissapointed in its contents. The descriptions and instructions are barely there. All this information could have been put in a leaflet. Though the photos are well done they are not enough, neither is the text. Buy Carole Maggio's book and video "Facercise". Book is well written and the video is even better. The exercises truly work when done correctly.

year. One thing that impressed me about this book is that it actually addresses the issue of line formation from doing facial exercises. Thus, it tells you where to place your fingers to prevent the formation of artificial lines. None of the other facercise books or tapes do that. However, you have to picture some of the exercises since the book doesn't explain how to do some of them.

I recommend THIS book along with some type of facercise tape.

I love this book because the photographs are so clear. Each exercise shows great pictures: one shows a drawing of the entire head with all the muscles and the targeted ones highlighted, and one photo of the woman's face with lines drawn on the skin showing the targeted muscles, and then the photo(s) of the exercise with a very clear written description. I love it!

This book was used as the text for my junior year AP history class, and it is absolutely awful. The book is extremely difficult to read because there is so much unnecessary information crammed into each section and the authors seemed more interested in simply recording facts than making a coherent assessment of history. My teachers agreed that this book is difficult, uninteresting, and poorly edited and are looking for a new text.

I love history and was excited to take the AP History course but I could not focus on this book for more than five minutes without becoming sleepy and losing focus. The book does present accurate and extensive facts covering the history of the US from pre-colonization to the mid-1990's, but there has got to be a better way to learn them.

I am now a junior in high school and this is the book I use as the main textual reference for my AP US History Class. I agree with Amanda, this book is boring (but there are times when the author of a particular section shows a sense of humor). It is crammed with names of people, places and pieces of legislation that are never explained and, at times, appear to be irrelevant. I read a lot of supplementary material, but still do not have the time to familiarize myself with everything mentioned in the book. It is my opinion that some of the space in this book could have been used for better explanations of specific events rather than a place where the author could list everything (s)he knew about the time period in that BAM, BAM, BAM way (sorry, I have no other way of explaining how that book reads, sometimes it's like an index of events, except not alphabetized).

This text provides the necessary background and factual information to successfully instruct the 11th grade Advanced Placement United States History course throughout the world. Included in the text are appreciated charts, maps, and illustrations.

The text includes all that is necessary for the student and teacher dedicting themselves in combination to fulfill what is needed to score well enough on the national Advanced Placement examination to earn college credit.

The 8th edition includes American History well into the last decade of the 20th Century.

Interesting. The first article, though, on Polk's New England tour, was dull and pointless. Wayne Cutler makes his point long before he ends the article. The best article was Miguel Soto's on the Monarchist's conspiracy in Mexico. Soto's work is probably an essential piece to a study on the politics of Mexico during the conflict. John Eisenhower also gives a interesting look into the relationships of Polk, Scott, and Taylor. However, even this article is lacking. Soto's article is the only purely essential piece. The others are just food for thought.

This paperback is designed to be a reference, focusing on both policy and strategic challenges for senior managers working with Boards and Board members. Some of the chapters are articles; others are transcripts of interviews with key business leaders.

Like any edited series, there is a range of quality here.

Some of the pieces are far-out prescriptions from academics that will never see the light of day.

And some of the pieces are practical, thought-provoking ideas written by academics, consultants, and Board members themselves.

For example, Walter Solomon serves on the Board of Neiman Marcus Group, Hannaford Brothers Company, Tufts Health Plan, and Circuit City Stores. He has an excellent article that provides a framework for Board size and composition.

Philip Caldwell is former CEO of Ford Motor Company and former member of the Boards of the following companies: Chase Manhattan, Federated Department, and the Kellogg Company. He notes that the selection of the CEO is one of the most important roles of a Board. It is in the interests of the company that there be viable internal candidates and that the Board have options. It is sometimes in the interests of the incumbent CEO that the CEO be the one to nominate the one and only internal candidate.

For this reason, the Board needs to annually monitor CEO Succession development. The Board also must make sure the program is focused on the competencies of chief executive officers. For example, being a better team player may or may not be a critical issue in the role of CEO. Great team players don't necessarily make great CEOs.

I read this book because it won a Pulitzer Prize, and because I so greatly enjoyed the biographies of Keats by Aileen Ward and by Robert Gittings. But I found much of this book tough going. The study of some of the longer poems simply did not interest me. But the account of Keats' last year is very well-done and absorbing.

Walter's book on the Kalashnikov rifle started with a good premise-to catalog the many different variations of the AK family among it's 70 million produced weapons. The book falls far short of Masami Tokoi's masterpiece and classic reference work"AK-47 & KALASHNIKOV VARIATIONS." and is still inferior to Kalashnikov arms own catalog on the subject. Many of the entries were incomplete or glossed over, and there were glaring omissions of numerous variations. Additionally many of the photos were improperly captioned,giving one the impression that the author really doesn't know his subject matter very well. for the low price an o.k. book, for serious reference work very poor.