The widespread availability of computers and access to telephone and Internet technologies has contributed to the sharp rise in the number of people going online over the years. Unfortunately, many of these people found their way online through less-than-honest means, and once online, they would set out to perform a great deal of mischief and damage to various computers and computer information systems.

Hack Attacks Encyclopedia edited by John Chirillo serves as the ultimate source for collected information on the history of hacking, cracking, and phreaking. The book features nearly 2,000 text and HTML document extracts that includes news articles, online postings, and other snippets of insightful information. Some of the accounts are startling. Readers will quickly pick up just how clever some hackers, crackers, and phreakers really are. The following snippet exemplifies available talent in Northern America:

"Silver Spy has everything going for him - comfortable surroundings, a father who is an engineer. He ranks in the top 3 percent of his high-school class. His SAT scores for college admission totaled 1,400 of a possible 1,600. He wants to attend Stanford or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But in the eyes of the phone companies he is a thief, and in the eyes of the law he's a criminal. Such is the portrait of this 17-year-old computer "hacker" and "phone phreaker" who lives about 20 miles outside Boston. He spoke with U.S. News & World report on the condition that neither his real name nor home town be revealed."

The Hack Attack Encyclopedia is broken up into major sections by decade - the 70's, the 80's, the 90's, the Millennium, and a special historical synopsis. From beginning to end, readers will be able to follow the history of mischievous behavior. It will be an eye-opening experience for anyone to follow the advancements made in communications technologies and how they can be easily circumvented and otherwise compromised to carryout further activities. Although some of the technologies disclosed in the book are outdated and have been replaced, readers will still gain helpful insight of the mindset of hackers, crackers, and phreakers operating today. They are a force to be taken very seriously.

An extensive 217-page glossary of terms will enlighten readers about the slang talk used in the hacking, cracking, and phreaking communities. As a special bonus, the CD accompanying the book features full-length editions of the article and snippet extracts included in the book, hundreds of computing and Internet exploits, and a sampling of useful utility programs.

Hacking, cracking, phreaking, and virus infection still poses problems for many people today. This book will open the eyes of many people - including business people, IT managers, and law enforcement officials. It will serve as an excellent starting point for taking necessary corrective action to prevent further mischief and harm caused to personal and company computer systems. I can't wait to see an updated edition. Highly recommended reading.

this book is culled from sources across the internet, almost all of the information is freely available somewhere. in most cases the author has not even bothered to change the filenames or unique file extensions. the book itself is barely an index of the cd-rom, with the first paragraph of a file serving as a description. there is some (un)original writing done by the author himself, comprising a miniscule amount of the actual text. if you would like to learn what these files are actually about, you would be much better served by going to the sites they were taken from

What a great book, with tons of info...recommend it to anyone who knows anything about hacking.

Immigration. What do we really know about immigrants as people - especially the obstacles they face and the hazards they must endure to reach the United States? No one wants to examine this terrible situation, and the press tries to ignore it. John Annerino is a brave photojournalist who wants to open the eyes of this country and the eyes of Mexico. In Annerino's book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, he writes of crossing the Arizona desert along the historic route called the Camino del Diablo, (Road of the Devil), during the summer. Annerino accompanied 4 Mexican farm workers on a grueling struggle across the desert to get into this country. Annerino risked his own life to experience the killing heat migrants endure to cross the desert, and at one point writes of his and his companion's slim chances of surviving their journey, "We would all die like dogs in a killing ground that has claimed hundreds - perhaps thousands of their countrymen." Annerino not only witnesses and endures the hazards and rigors of his companions, but he also photographed many of the people who died in the middle of the desert. He writes graphically of one dead man: "His mouth was still open from the horror, because no one heard him gasping or saw him dying at the finish line to America's Killing Ground." How long will we permit this tragic situation to continue? One brave man cared enough for people to risk his own life to open our eyes with his camera and pen - John Annerino. And you need to read his book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, to understand the human toll and suffering on our borders, and the lives that are lost among those who flee the poverty of Mexico lured by the same American Dream that brought me here. Why? To quote Annerino, "Because they're out there dying right now."

August 11. I sat down this evening to read DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, and just finished it. All in one sitting. I really couldn't put it down. I think it's a tremendously important book. It should be required reading for those planning to cross the border, and track and control the border through immigration policies. The author did a huge amount of research, and legwork. I commend Annerino's efforts and results. His photographs, along with the maps, work well together to give the reader a first hand encounter with the land and people who cross it. I like the pacing of the chapters, the inclusion of both the men who cross the border and the Border Patrol agents, and Annerino's very thoughtful reflections on the value of Mexicans killed in the killing fields in search of a paycheck to send home to their families. It makes me feel real bad. It is hard to read at times only because it's so sad. Boy, am I glad I wasn't the photographer on those trips! Thank you for the remarkable book.

A story like this demands a great deal from an author. Although Annerino has obviously spent many hours researching the borderlands of the Southwest, the key to this monumental work is the extent to which he is willing to live the story he writes. He has taken immense risks, walking side by side through the desert with Mexican immigrants, and coming face to face with the coyotes and narcotraficantes and Border Patrol agents and ranchers of this volatile area. With Annerino's books, you always learn tons of local history, but never at the expense of that vivid sensation of dust and sweat and heat and imminent danger that keep it an interesting read. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the little-known wilderness along the Mexican border and the human cost it extracts due to current immigration policies.

John Adams' life is thoroughly examined in this rich, well researched and ably written biography by John Ferling.

Adams, known at the 'Atlas of Independence,' is less well known than Washington, Jefferson and Franklin, his Revolutionary contemporaries. He is also less revered. Ferling spends several hundred pages laying out the life and achievements of a man who was also crucial to our fight for independence and the survival of our Republic.

Adams was a prodigious diary keeper, and also a mostly honest one, if we are to judge honesty by self criticism and the ability to write about one's own perceived short-comings. This first-person material is a tremendous asset to compiling the President's life story, and one that Ferling puts to good use. The book uses ample quotes to reveal Adam's feelings about personalities and events of his day. Ferling has studied the diaries thoroughly, as shown by his ability to draw on portions from different times in Adam's life to illustrate points or show how Adams changed his views over time. The danger with such a diary based biography is that the diaries can become the book. Ferling does not make this mistake. His ample writing skills utilizes the diaries to illustrate his story and argue his interpretations of his subject's life and actions.

Also useful to the author is that Adams enjoyed a fascinating life. He touched all the great (and not so great) Revolutionary personalities, served for years as a foreign diplomat, was present at the birth of our Government and served as president. Also remarkable, was his relationship with Abigail, an unusual colonial wife who was educated, opinionated and enjoyed a marriage as very nearly an equal partner (highly unusual in those days). Their correspondence and relationship sustained Adams and show how she helped ground this great man of American nationhood.

How does Ferling judge Adams? His assessment is that Adams belongs among the greats of the American founding. This book's thorough telling of Adams's public life to make a pretty good case for Ferlings argument.

There are many fascinating aspects I found in the story. Adams tremendous dislike of Franklin is telling as to their different styles as well as Adams's thirst for approbation. His long and difficult relationship with Jefferson, culminating in their famous correspondence is another gem. Also interesting, is Adams's actions during his presidency when he stood alone against his party and long term political interests in keeping us out of war with France. It was a crucial decision that perhaps saved our Republic, given the potential for the European powers to divvy up a weak America should they have decided to play their rivalries here.

Adams lived a fascinating life and was a thoroughly interesting personality. Kudos to Ferling for bringing the story to a new generation.

This book captured my attention from the first chapter. JOhn Adams was a fascinating person and left behind an extensive amount of his own words in journals and letters. The problem for a biographer is to make it interesting and Mr. Ferling does a wonderful job of showing the good and bad of John Adams.

I think the best part of this in-depth one volume biography is how the events taking place around John Adams as well as many of his important historical contemporaries are also explored, giving the reader a true vision as to how John Adams fit into the world of the 18th and early 19th century. Franklin, Sam Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton are all discussed and examined.

Although John Adams is not typically thought of as a notable president, after reading this book, you will understand why two recent polls of historians showed that he was rated as a "great" president who was as instrumental as any in the formation of the United States. By going directly against his own party while president, he was humiliated and initially ignored, but his actions were later realized to have likely saved the US from ruin soon after it's formation. If you are interested in John Adams, or colonial history...Buy This Book.

Before reading this magnificent book, the only Adams biography I had read was Page Smith's two volume book and that is now quite dated. This book must now stand as the definitive Adams biography. Ferling paints a riveting portrait of this complex and misunderstood American hero. Adams is unfairly tossed off by the uninformed as a peripheral figure in the American Revolution, but this book shows clearly that Adams was an integral force throughout.

Ferling also takes great pains in illuminating Adams' amazing breadth of intellect and this a trait sometimes not associated with him. When one thinks about the intellectual titans among the Founding Fathers, Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton generally come to mind. Add Adams to that list and the Father of the Constitution should remain on this lofty list for all time.

Many American Revolution buffs eschew Adams and toss him off as not as interesting, flamboyant or "essential" as the other leading players. I challenge them to read this biography, which shows Adams was not only extremely intelligent, but likable and thoroughly human. This is biography at its finest.

I will not repeat what other reviewers have said about this classic learner's dictionary. It has been a valuable reference for ESL students for many decades. I own several learner's dictionaries published recently (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 4th Edition, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and Collins Cobuild 3rd edition) and some of them have features this one does not have. But I still use this dictionary a lot and will continue to use it. I hope a new edition of it will come out soon.

No other book on my bookshelf is more worn out. I use it all the time. When I started to study English I used to use an English / Portuguese (my first language) dictionary but I could only actually improve my English when I started using the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

The dictionary has lots of pictures (over 1700) for words that can be explained but for which a picture is much more effective like "hinge". The words have a pronunciation guide with a mark (') showing the main stress. There are many useful appendixes like irregular verbs conjugation, usage of numbers, punctuation, family relationships and a few colorful maps.

Over 220 usage notes clarify the subtle differences among words such as dealer trader and merchant. Although it's mainly a British English dictionary the differences in spelling, use or pronunciation between American English and British English are stressed.

By far the most interesting feature is the extremely reduced defining vocabulary constituted of 3500 words. The great majority of definitions are written using that reduced defining vocabulary. This simplifies the definitions and it's a great starting vocabulary for the beginners. The use of such a small defining vocabulary rules out the use of this dictionary as a thesaurus but the advantages compensate this drawback.

My copy is a paper back that has been reinforced with adhesive tape. This makes the dictionary lighter and handy. I used to put it on my back pack and take it to all my classes when I started college in USA.

The drawbacks are the need of an additional thesaurus and the fact that the entries are not syllabified. Nevertheless I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Leonardo Alves - December 2000

I have recently bought the millenium edition (hardbound) of this book. In my scientific studies (I study Scientology which uses a precise study technology that demands a good dictionary to look up misunderstood words) a good dictionary is vital.
This one has been very helpful to me as it gives precise yet comprehensible definitions. This is maybe the most important point of all.
I found it very easy to look up a word i did not understand and gain a conceptual understanding of that word after a short period of time. The definitions just make sense and are not too complicated and confusing.
It also includes example sentences and idioms and information for the further usage of a particular word.
It also has a section with colored pictures (maps, categories such as clothing, food, animals etc.) that provide a picture of the real thing that the word represents - a quite useful tool for foreigners and non native speakers like me.

If you are currently studying english, reading english texts (but have a limited vocabulary) or just don't want to run into too many complexities when using a dictionary and don't want to be too confused but you just want to know the meaning of a word and understand it, then this is the right dictionary for you.

As it is a dictionary for "learners" it does not include things like etymology and syllables (the only negative points), technical definitions (although it includes some where their appearance is reasonable) etc.

But it includes phonetic symbols at the bottom of each page and has, as all dictionaries, a section wich explains each symbol and abbreviation that can appear in an entry.
If there would appear some symbol or abbreviation in the entry that you wouldn't understand, you would find it easy to find its meaning as everything in this dictionary is exactly where you would consider it to be.
So you don't fool around loosing time and getting frustrated. I think the editors of some dictionaries assume that you already know all these symbols but include their definitions anyway in a very complicated way.

Not with this one.
I highly recommend this dictionary. You can buy it without reservations.
But...you should have a second one with etymologies at hand.

When a player is "cutting their teeth" as a beginner, they learn the classical principles of chess, as espoused by Nimzovitch and others; virtually ALL Grandmasters began this way. However, somewhere along the way, a transformation takes place ... and these gifted players (GMs and strong Masters) have learned that many of Nimzovitch's principles often can and should be ignored or changed in modern play. Where does one learn how modern play diverges from classical play and when to do it? What are some examples? Watson answers these questions and more, in great detail and with marvelous examples ... all without having to spend MANY years learning by yourself (if you EVER do). This book is not for beginners, but if you are an experienced player ... BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT EVERY YEAR (which I would also recommend with Silman's "Reassess Your Chess"). If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. It is the ONLY book that I have found that does what Mr. Watson so capably set out to do (and I have several hundred good chess books). This book is marvelous! Buy it and you will be happy you did.

I'm going to give away the main thesis of this book. It is obvious if you have played chess for any amount of time, but it has never been put into writing, at least as far as I know.

Chess is taught to beginners with general principles (i.e. control the center in the opening; put rooks behind passed pawns). But more advanced players know when to throw out the principles. Concrete analysis of the position at hand takes precedence over some vague principle!

One such principle is "Knights on the rim [of the board] are grim [or "are dim" or "deserve a trim."]"It's true, knights don't control as many squares on the side of the board as in the center. But if analysis of the position before you shows that the such a knight move is best, you play it!

Such "orthodoxy" forms the basis of the "modern" chess that Watson discusses in his book.

This book should be read after reading Nimzowitsch's, as it serves as an "update" to his book by examining how Nimzowitsch's theories have fared over the 6 decades since Nimzowitsch's books. Then, in the second part of the book, Watson examines how "rule independence" (the concept I discussed above) plays a role in modern chess, and he examines numerous topics with that as his prism.

Highly recommended, but it's not an easy book by any means. However, it could very well change how you think about (and thus, how you play) chess.

I bought that book mainly because it was awarded best book of 1999 by the British Chess Association. After reading first first few chapters I was amazed: there is many great chess books on strategy, but how many have examples from the very recent matches? As John Watson himself says, chess has evolved in last 70 years, so I am not finding books using 20 or 30 years old examples half as useful. Understand Nimzovitsch's My System as "Old Testament", and convert to new one . This is a book I am in love with, now I can sell all my others. Buy it and share beauty of Mr.Watsons brilliant work. I wish I could congratulate him personally.

Owl Moon is a wonderful story of a young girl's first hunt for the Great Horned Owl with her father. As they trek through the snowy forest, Jane Yolen's text and John Schoenherr's illustrations work together to create a realistic adventure and to express good parenting. The picture book comes to life through a peaceful countryside and a still forest. The child's continual silence and concentration add to the hunt. Within the text the child says, "I put my mittens over my mouth and listened hard." This displays her constant effort to remain quiet and to take the adventure seriously. Each illustration depicts a calm forest dominated by snow and nature. I feel that this book contains ideas that are "simple but not necessarily simplistic" much like Perry Nodelman's analysis of children's literature (221). For instance, in many scenes animals can be found hiding without the knowledge of the characters. The animals all sit calmly. This shows that the intent of the father and child is not to disturb nature but to quietly observe and to be apart of it just while they pass. This idea can not be found written within the text yet, it is understood when they see an owl and do not shoot it. This peaceful respect for nature that the father is instilling in his child is shown when they came to the clearing in the dark woods. She speaks of how the fit it exactly "and the snow below it was whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl." This emphasizes her grasp of the beauty and enjoyment natural world in a child-like way. It brings to mind games equal to finding shapes in clouds. The illustrator has also gone through the trouble of presenting the field in the shape of a large bowl. I feel that the most important aspect of the work is the example of good parenting it delivers. He spends quality time with his children, while he instills important morals. Pa has also taken all of her brothers owling and they have told her "sometimes there's an owl and sometimes there isn't." This reveals a sense of close family unity in which can be seen as the positive message of the story. However, the tone is not didactic. Pa even uses onomatopoeia to make the adventure more intense. He calls the owl with a long "Whoo-whoo-who-who-who-whooooooo." All of this helps emphasis the joy of the communion with nature. Her father has been instilling a respect for the owl and natural world, while strengthening the father child relationship.

I like this book and so do my children. Although it will have more appeal to fathers and sons, any parent and child can enjoy this story of the magical bond that takes place when a parent introduces their child to one of life's moments of wonder.

Who among us doesn't remember wonderful moments when you and you alone were the focus of your father's (or mother's) attention in a special setting that created a life-long memory pleasently returned to again and again. That's the magic of Owl Moon where a little boy takes a long walk in the woods over new fallen snow with his father. They are journeying to, as his older brothers had done before him, find a great owl, if he can be coaxed from his high above throne where he rules the night.

The story is simply told but carries all of the magic foretold by the setting. The water color illustrations are beautiful in their simplicity and convey the wonder of nature and the togetherness of father and son.

"Owl Moon" tells the story of when a little girl is finally able to stay up way past her bedtime and go owling with her father one cold winter night. Author Jane Yolen knows about owling from her husband, David Stemple, who would take their three children owling on winter nights. Artist John Schoenherr used his own farm and the surrounded woodland as the models for his pen and watercolor illustrations. The story is a prose poem and it captures both the spirit of the experience and its importance to the young girl who knows she is sharing something special with her father. There is a love and respect for nature that is infused to both the words and pictures of "Owl Moon." The only problem is how to read this book to a child at bedtime and have them not drag you out the front door to go owling.

I have read Incidents in the Life of a Slave by Harriet Jacobs, twice! I enjoyed reading her book. Her book is full of rich vocabulary. Her writing skills and the description of events she used was impressive, i.e. the separation of mother and child being sold to slaveholders, I felt the pain. In her writings, she constantly humbled herself because of her circumstances of being a slave and how she felt incompetent to write her life story. I must say that Jacobs did a magnificent job, considering her life of chattel slavery. Besides being courageous, strong and enduring, she was a very wise person. I think Jacob's does not give herself credit for being wise. She was very wise because she had to plan various strategies to outwit her devil master's attempts to capture her. She was wise in not trusting Harriet Beecher Stowe. What was Stowe's purpose of forwarding Jacob's writings to Mrs. Willis, which included her sexual history? Jacobs was no fool. Finally, the most indelible impression on my mind was when she hid in her grandmother's house, above the storage room, for seven years! I was right there with her. Great job Harriet Jacobs!!

Intended to convince northerners -- particularly women -- of the rankness of Slavery, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl presents a powerful autobiography and convincing writing that reads like a gripping novel but is organized and argued like an essay.

Incidents follows the "true story" (its authenticity is doubted in some places) of Linda [Jacobs uses a pseudonym] who is born into the shackles of slavery and yearns for freedom. She lives with a depraved slave master who dehumanizes her, and a mistress who mistreats her. As the novel progresses, Linda becomes increasingly starved of freedom and resolves to escape, but Linda finds that even escaping presents its problems.

But Incidents is more than just a gripping narration of one woman's crusade for freedom, and is rather an organized attack on Slavery, intended to convince even the most apathetic of northerners. And in this too, Incidents succeeds. The writing is clear, and Jacobs' use of rhetorical strategy to preserve integrity is astonishing.

Well written, convincing, entertaining, Incidents is an amazing book.

This is without doubt one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. On a very touchy but ever pertinent subject, Harriet Ann Thomas' story of her life as a slave is a remarkable document of antebellum life in the US, both south and north. Unlike the patent attempt to play with the readers' emotions of fictional works like Uncle Tom's Cabin, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself, is almost a graceful understatement. At the time it was apparently believed to be a work of fiction, but it lacks the florid style of the Nineteenth Century narrative.
I had expected to have problems reading the book. For one thing, I expected either a convoluted prose style or an offensive parody of slave dialect. I also anticipated a graphic description of the violence perpetrated on individuals considered chattel by their owners. Instead I found the work to have been clearly written. It is remarkable for the literacy of its author-Ms Thomas was taught to read and write by the first owner of her family-and the care with which it's editor, L. Maria Child, took to preserve the author's intentions. Dialect was introduced only where it furthered the narrative and where the individual was likely to have spoken in the manner described. Violence is described but not so graphically as to entirely put off the reader.
Instead of the sensationalism that might have been used to promote her cause, the author provides insight into the emotional losses, personal deprivations, and incredible uncertainty in the lives of the individuals enduring slavery. She emphasizes her point by demonstrating her willingness to undergo a seemingly unending imprisonment in an attic with only a tiny peep hole out onto the world rather than continue as a slave. The great sacrifices and risks that others assumed in order for her and others like her to escape to freedom in the north underscores the extent to which the vicissitudes of the institution created a network among those opposed to it and those oppressed by it. Most poignant is her description of New Years as being a time of great tribulation for the slave. Unlike the white members of southern society who looked forward to the new year with festivity and expectation, the slave family looked upon it as a tragedy waiting to happen. Rentals and sales of individuals on that day tore families apart, husbands from wives, children from parents, often never to be reunited or even heard of again, and no slave or slave family could ever feel they were entirely safe. Sadder still were those cases of slaves who had been promised their freedom by kinder owners, only to have these promises abrogated by the heirs or to discover that no actual paperwork had been put into motion prior to the death of the individual.
Ms Thomas also makes a strong case for the damage that slavery caused to white society as well. Just by relating her own experiences and those of people around her, she recreates the anger felt by white wives who discovered that their husbands had had children by slave women, the blunted feelings of white men who, no matter what their feelings for those children, were caught up in a society that punished them for "recognizing" any children by black mistresses, the poverty and anger of the average white wage earner caught in an economy where he had to compete with poorly maintained, unpaid labor in order to make a living, and so on. In short Ms Thomas makes it abundantly apparent that the institution of slavery dehumanized both the enslaver and the enslaved.
One thing especially of note is the author's observation that the north was hardly better. She was free, perhaps, but only free to be second class. While recognizing that slavery was incompatible with the institution of democracy, northerners were still, with rare exception, prejudiced against individuals of non-white background. I think a case could easily be made that it is the more silent prejudice of the north that has perpetuated the inequities that still plague the lives of non-white Americans today.

While I enjoyed this book and it's characters, I was left with the feeling that there was something missing. Maybe it's because I had just finished reading Gaelen Foley's terrific Asencion trilogy - a tough act to follow - and maybe it suffered by comparison.

While I liked both Gunnar and Raina's characters and the story was well put together, it lacked some spark. The romance seemed to develop too slowly (they don't share a real kiss until more than halfway through the book!) and then it seemed suddenly they were in love. And though I loved the scenes where Gunnar and Raina flirt and move the romance forward, I found myself wanting to skim past scenes without them. And for a guy who has worked so hard to feel no emotion whatsoever for the past 13 years, he seems to feel them for Raina immediately. But I guess I quibble. Overall it was an enjoyable read. I reserve 5 stars for books that I adore and will read and re-read over again. It's too soon to tell, but I'm not sure I'd read this one again, though I will read other books by this author.

When I first started the story, I couldn't believe that Gunnar would ever "fall for" Raina. I could sympathize with him and his need for revenge. Her viewpoint was understandable as well.

Nevertheless, Ms. St. John pulled it off! A I read further, it seemed entirely plausible that the initial lust both characters felt would turn to trust and eventually to love. I was impressed! Love does indeed conquer all.

If you like historical romance, you really should try this one! A fantastic first novel! I look forward to future works from Ms. St. John.

I simply cannot say enough about how wonderful this book made me fee. It's a beautiful medieval tale in every sense in that the hero, Gunnar Rutledge, so brimming with hatred and vengeance and angst, especially in the beginning of LOV, changes his destructive path because of the gentle, sweet as well as fiery love of his heroine, Raina, his enemy's daughter. The writing is excellent and so is the story. I don't want to give away the plot, but if you're looking for a fun, exciting historical romance told with a fresh voice, LORD OF VENGEANCE will sweep you right off your feet, your toes, your whatever! Ten stars for Tina St. John! I can't wait for her next book!

It is not very often that you find a good book with excellent photos and captions along with how-to instructions that are second to none. Once you're done with this book, read it again and then go find his other superb books that he has authored. I don't know John Shaw personally, but I can tell you after reading all of his books several times, I have not found another photography book author who comes close to what he conveys in his books. If your interest is in nature photography, the small price of his books are well worth it.

This is an excellant work of John Shaw. I have bought 2 of his other books Closeup in Nature and field techniques. All these books are very well written. This specific book covers almost every aspects of nature photography including various lenses(zoom, tilting etc..) as well as discussion on various films. I will recommend this book as second volume to Profesional Field Techniques. Although this book does not contain the exposure information for each slide, the accompanying text provides solid information about how the exposure was made. This book is real good reference for anyone and everyone.

This is one of the best books on landscape photography techniques. An excellent combination of practical technical information and inspirational creative ideas. The technical information is oriented towards 35 mm SLR's, so those with point-and-shoot cameras will find some of the content irrelevant, but the remainder of the book is so good that it's still well worth the price.

Alex Rider has been living with his uncle Ian Rider ever since the death of his parents. When his uncle dies in a car wreck Alex suddenly finds out that his quiet uncle didn't work in a bank after all ' Ian Rider was a spy! Blackmailed into joining the M16, Alex is put through a crash course of SAS training before being sent off on his first mission - a mission that could very well be his last. Alex has been sent in to complete his uncles mission, except he doesn't have Ian's experience or weaponry. Can Alex survive this adventure?

This is one of the best action/adventure books that I have read in a long timeAlex is a great character and he has to deal with the bad guys AND the good guys because the good guys think he is too young to have a gun!!!! I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. This is an adventure full of danger and narrow escapes as Alex figures out who the bad guy is and how to stop him.

This is a must read book - as is the sequel Point Blanc. If you enjoyed this book you should also try Malcolm Rose. If youo want to read a book that you will not forget in a hurry then this is it.

This was a very good book. It had lots of adventure. It is about a boy named Alex Rider living with his uncle, Ian Rider. His uncle dies supposedly in a car accident. But Alex finds out that his uncle was murdered. He also finds out that his uncle was a spy for the MI6. Alex is hired to take his uncle's place and complete his last mission. His training will only be two weeks. Will he complete the mission or will he be left behind in the graveyard with his uncle. This is a great book and you should read it.

I thought the book Stormbreaker was great. It was so good I read it twice. Anthony Horwitz is a great author, he writes the best action books. The main characters were Herod Sayle, Alex Rider, and Mr. Grin. The story took place somewhere in England. Alex Rider was my favorite character. My favorite part was when two men were chasing Alex on quads. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes action that keeps you at the edge of your seat till the last page, just make sure you don't fall off.