The book is a collection of disjointed but interesting essays on the general topic of equity derivatives. There is a heavy US bias in the material and none of the topics are covered in much depth. Nor does there seem to have been much in the way of editorial control over the way that essays are linked to form a theme (the treatment of covered warrants is a clear case here).

One to get if the company are paying since, in a book this big on a sparsely covered topic, there is some interesting stuff here.

This is an excellent Anthology of an often maligned and misunderstood subject. The forward is written by Fischer Black who is a pioneer in the derivatives industry. These are clearly written essays on the multiple and intelligent methods of using derivatives in varying investment environments. This is a book about financial choices and the opportunities that abound for end users of these products to hedge, diversify, insure against disaster and customize investment positions. This book should be on the desk of every Treasurer or Money Manager who is entrusted with fiduciary responsibilities.

This book is, or rather was , the first modern book on classical mechanics. I think the first edition was published in 1904 and at the time it represented just about all that was known about the subject. A serious student today could rightly ask why he/she should read such a old book ? Well the answer to that question is a not an esay one : however whilst I would never say it is an simple book it repays careful study. Anyone taking more modern courses based on Arnold or Abraham and Marsden would do well to have a copy of this book by their side.The problems are taken mainly from Cambridge Maths Tripos examinations and they form a useful adjunct to the main body of the text.All the major topics are coverd including the 2 and 3 body problem, small oscillations, stability,etc. Well worth a read.

To put it mildly, this book is a frightening exercise to read. The biggest challenge faced by modern readers is that we seem to have lost certain mathematical skills and intuition compared with people in the very early 1900's. It takes enormous amounts of patience and effort to try and work through any of the proofs or derivations presented in this book.

However, Whittaker has presented just about every concept in classical dynamics that you could possibly want to know in an extremely elegant fashion. Concepts that you simply do not expect to see in a book written first in 1904 make an appearence here. This book is worth reading just to find out how the original mathematicicals that invented concepts view them. For exmaple, Whittakers use of Christoffel Symbols is the classical view that the early geometers like Levi-Civita probably had, without the modern terminology and viewpoint in temrs of connections on a manifold.

All in all this book is well worth the time and effort spent to read it, but be prepared to use up lots of paper in your attempts to convince yourself that a single proof is true.(Brush up your geometry before you even try to read this book)

At first W. Chambers claimed that Alger Hiss and others were secret Communists whose purpose was to influence policy (from 1939 to November 1948). After being sued for slander Chambers produced 69 documents to support his claim of spying. Chambers earlier stated he was a Communist until "1935", or "early 1937", or "the end of 1937", or "the spring of 1937". The documents were dated between January 5 and April 1 of 1938. Chambers then changed his story to leaving on April 15, 1938. You can judge his veracity by this. Note his memory of wallpaper patterns!

The original State Department files were rated "classified" to "secret". Most consisted of trade agreements, which were of commercial, not political, importance. When Chambers learned that Alger Hiss could not type, he then claimed Priscilla did it! (Did writer and translator Chambers ASSUME that other men had this skill?) The most telling fact about these documents is that most had never been routed through sections where either Alger or Donald Hiss had worked! This discrepancy has never been explained. When the contents of the three rolls of microfilm were released in 1975, they were found to be Navy Dept instructions on how to use life rafts, fire extinguishers, and chest parachutes. Where did they come from?

The biggest lie of all is Chamber's claim that the stored documents were a "life preserver". Because they had no value without his testimony to corroborate them! He should have seen a lawyer, made a notarized statement, and left immortal testimony. But then it couldn't be changed to explain new facts.

One of the great things about the Hiss case is the transparent dishonesty of those who defend Hiss. If you knew nothing else about the case, the fact that Hiss's defenders lied so often would tell you he was guilty. (For that matter, anyone reading Hiss's testimony, with it's carefully worded replies that sounded like answers, but, on examination, turned out to be legally meaningless, should have known that Hiss was desperate to hide the facts).
"A Reader" says:

'At first W. Chambers claimed that Alger Hiss and others were secret Communists whose purpose was to influence policy.' Actually, the first time Chambers ever told anyone in the govt. about his actions (Sept. 3rd, 1939; to Adolf Berle of the State Dept.), Chambers said he was a spy, a fact Berle recorded in his diary and notes of the conversation. When Chambers didn't get immunity from prosecution, as promised, he stopped confessing to felonies.

Yes, Chambers was vague on when he left the Party. He had a lousy memory for dates. And Hiss got the year he "gave" his car away wrong by a year, and the season he "sublet" his apartment to Chambers wrong by months. Imperfect memory happens.

As for the documents Hiss passed, they were of great importance to the former Soviet Union (OOH! I just LOVE to type "former Soviet Union!"), which already knew it was likely to end up in wars with Nazy Germany and Imperial Japan. Contrary to the claim, almost all the documents had been routed to Alger's department (some had his initials on them to show he'd seen them, some were handwritten by him). Much of the information passed to the Soviet Union concerned Japan's war in China. The trade agreements concerned U.S. trade with Nazi Germany, a subject of considerable interest to the USSR.

As for the other microfilm, it was never claimed that Hiss had anything to do with passing it. And while much of it was worthless, some was excellent technical intelligence (for example, inertia starters for aircraft engines). It was passed by a contact of Chambers in the Navy Dept.

And the "life preserver" was not intended to be a legal document. It was a threat to use against the GRU if they found Chambers and tried to kill him, a 'leave me alone or I'll expose some of your spies posthumously.'

All the above, btw, has been part of the public record for decades. It was mostly covered in the earliest books about the case, and it was ALL dealt with in Allen Weinstein's PERJURY: THE HISS-CHAMBERS CASE, which I give my highest recommendation.

Oh, about THIS book: these are classic essays by people involved with varying aspects of the case, looking at it from many different personal and political views. They're hard to come by, and I'd read less than half in my years of studying this case. By all means, read this to see why the Hiss perjury case was important, then and now.

This book is a collection of essays about the Hiss/Chambers case. All points of view are taken into account, including supporters of Hiss, supporters of Chambers, and various agnostics.

What is great about this book is that it doesn't just tell the story of the case, but it shows how these events influenced political thinking in America over the subsequent 50 years.

To criticize this book by taking shots at Whittaker Chambers, as if it were uniformly supporting him, is foolish, reactionary, and illiterate.

If knowledge of the Hiss Case is indispensable to your life I guess that you have to read the Tanenhaus version. The author claims that some of the transcrips from the various hearings and the trial are published here for the first time.

The book falls down, however, on two major fronts. First the author does practically nothing to relate Chambers' life to American life. You would hardly know, for instance, that World War II was occurring during Chambers' career at TIME, when Chambers was attempting (single handedly, you would think) to turn back the tide of Communism.

Furthermore, the author tells a story poorly, particularly in the early stages of the book when Tanenhaus is narrating Chambers' life in the Party. Many gaps: Tanenhaus mentions people, assuming that he has already told us who they are. The editors must share the fault here.

This disjointed narrative, which should have set the stage for greater appreciation of the hearings and the trial, therefore, falls short.

"Whittaker Chambers: A Biography" by Sam Tanenhaus is an important, though by no means perfect, work. This book is especially important for those familiar with Chambers' "Witness," Allen Weinstein's "Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case," and "Odyssey of a Friend" edited by William F. Buckley, Jr. and was looking for something that tied the various myths and legends of Chambers into a coherent whole.

Whittaker Chambers was an extremely important figure in the post-World War II American Right. In many respects his "Witness" was the anti-communist manifesto and his views on the crisis in Western, Christian culture has greatly influenced two generations of conservative thinkers. Furthermore, Chambers was a master of prose writing, as his essays in Time magazine and his autobiography attest.

Why, then, is Tanenhaus the first biographer to seriously tackle the subject? The reason is that Whittaker Chambers was an extremely complex and secretive man who consciously assumed many identities in his journey from Soviet spy to idol of the Right. Furthermore, Chambers was never entirely candid about his own life, making his own writings at times difficult to use as a source. The simple fact is that Chambers had many dark spots in his past and worked hard to cloud or erase as many as possible. Therefore, any attempt to write a biography must necessarily be tainted by the author's own political leanings. To the Left he was a monster and to the Right he was a saint.

To Tanenhaus's credit, his work is simultaneously sympathetic towards his subject while remaining critical enough to avoid accusations of whitewashing the man. Tanenhaus highlights Chambers' numerous accomplishments while addressing his blemishes, many of them of an embarrassing sexual nature. Of particular interest are details of his life in the communist underground and his stormy tenure as an editor at Time under the supervision of Henry Luce.

Regarding the Hiss case, Tanenhaus gives Chambers the benefit of the doubt throughout the narrative. This is the correct approach since there is no longer any real debate regarding Alger Hiss's guilt. Weinstein's "Perjury" pretty much wrapped up the case and Tanenhaus helpfully reviews the unsuccessful attempts to rehabilitate the unrepentant traitor over the last several decades. The only thing that's certain is that the continuing trickle of Cold War-era documents from Soviet and American archives will further establish Hiss's guilt beyond any doubt whatsoever.

As stated earlier, however, this is not a perfect biography. Many readers would have liked a more thorough discussion of what he wrote at Time to help understand both the bitter battles he fought there with his peers and the overall evolution of his thinking. Furthermore, since the main audience for the book is Chambers' legions (still) of conservative admirers, a more thorough discussion of his writings at "National Review" would have been expected. For instance, his extremely controversial denunciation of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" receives a mere two paragraphs.

In short, this is an important book skillfully put together given the difficult nature of the subject. The influence of Whittaker Chambers is still being felt in American politics and the need for a major biography was long overdue. Tanenhaus' work will be the standard reference on the life of Whittaker Chambers for the foreseeable future.

This was quite a compelling saga. I knew very little of either Chambers or the Hiss case prior to reading this book. The author makes the details and players come to life. Quite enlightening to read how Richard Nixon got his career kicked into overdrive via the Hiss Case. As the 1900's come to a close, this book provides a unique way to review some of the key political events of the 20th Century - the rise of the Soviet Union, Communism in America, the New Deal, the McCarthy Hearings. I would recommend this to readers from either side of the political aisle.

As the title says, this is the Memoir of a Mountain Guide. Actually it is the memoir of one of America's first and greatest mountain guides. It is truly a fascinating, well-written story but it is not adventure writing. Do not expect the detail or suspense of John Krakauer, Art Davidson, Heinrich Harrer, or Maurice Herzog. It reads more like sitting down across the table with Lou and having him tell you his story over a couple of beers. This is probably because it is the result of Lou telling his story to Andrea Gabbard who in turn wrote the book.

Lou's story is much different than many of the great mountaineers. While he obviously pushed himself to the top of some of the world's tallest and most difficult peaks, since his hear fall on Mount Index in Washington he remained a more conservative climber not willing to trade his life for any mountain summit. In fact, he makes the point of saying the last place he wants to die is on a mountain; he wants to die old sitting in his chair watching TV. Also, as expedition leader, he viewed success as putting team members on the summit and this often did not include himself.

In addition to his story, his climbs, and his life as a mountain climber and guide, he gives a detailed description of Mount Rainier and a historical view of how mountain climbing progressed over the years. Probably the best thing of all though, is the look at a person's life who dedicated themselves to following a passion rather than relegating it to a weekend hobby; it was a long career in the making for him, but it shows that we can make our lives what we want if only we have the courage, persistence, and dedication to try.

Reading Lou Whittaker's life story was the best type of introuction to mountain climbing that I could have had. It combined the personal and technical sides of climbing in a way that wasn't overwhelming. I am now eager to read Andrea Gabbard's book, Mountaineering: A Woman's Guide. Because if Lou can climb all those mountains, I can climb a few too.

I purchased the paperback version of this fine book in the Fall of 1998, and packed it along with me for several nights on a solo backpacking trip through the California Redwoods. The autumn nights in November were long and dark, and Lou Whittaker's book made for some marvelous reading out there, alone in my tent along the trail...read the entire book cover-to-cover by flashlite, and it was a thriller...accompanied by real and imagined sounds that went "thump" in the night! Must admit though, I'm a bit prejudiced, as I had the good fortune of meeting Lou Whittaker in person near the summit of Mount Rainier in 1970, and came to greatly admire the fellow. Reading his new book for the first time was like reuniting with an old friend after a long absence. Definitely a MUST READ for anyone looking for a good book to take with them, along the trail.

This book was filled with discussion of spirituality and God, but had very little to do with how to stop thinking negative thoughts. I found it hard to follow, and what little non-rambling there was seemed to be punctuated every 10 words with "God!"

This book helped me get out of the negative thinking patterns that have ruled my life for 32 years. I took what applied to me from the book, and I left what didn't. I think it forces you to take a look at your own spirituality, and it has made me think of who or what God is in my life. I found it extremely helpful to do the exercises at the end of the chapters as well as the affirmations. I would recommend this for anyone with an open mind looking to make a change in his/her thinking!

Why do you care about what other people think? What matters is what you think. Terry Cole Whittaker explains this in basic terms, to help people get their ego out of the way. We are in control of ourself, other people can think what they want and always do. We can only control what we think of ourselves.
People who lack confidence, care about what others think. Great read!

The seven steps are listed on the dust jacket in seven lines. It takes 348 pages to explain those seven lines.

The first two chapters give background on Cole-Whittaker's life from age 6 to 17 (with a pretty big chunk missing in the middle) and explain how she came to the spiritual path of the seven steps. The next seven chapters are devoted to the seven steps, one per chapter. The last chapter covers the ending of her television ministry and her continuing search for truth (after she had perfected the seven steps?).

Nothing in these steps is new or unique, but Cole-Whittaker organizes them into a cohesive plan, and supports them with extensive examples. The ideas she presents are inspiring and well illustrated.

Cole-Whittaker uses numerous examples in her book, many from her own life. The examples from her own life seem to be roughly chronological through the book, but huge chunks of her life are seemingly ignored, and I wondered why they were left out. On page 27, purportedly talking about things she learned at age 17, she says, "A person who desires to have a happy marriage must have the consciousness, skills, and knowledge of someone who is happily married. Because we can learn, anyone can learn to develop the right consciousness to obtain anything he desires buy building the mental equivalent in consciousness..." That might indicate that she is able to be happily married--she learned the secret at 17. Later in the book we learn she is going through a divorce. No mention is made of the marriage, though, just the divorce. No mention is made of other husbands. In the last chapter she says, "Three things were missing from my life: the topmost unknown treasure, a mission and a husband." Then she explains how she met and married her (unnamed in the book) husband, presumably the husband, Sergy, to whom she dedicates the book.

The implication seems to be that she was single from the time she divorced her first unnamed husband and the time God sent her the riches of her current(?) husband. The Wall Street Journal says differently. An article dated August 23, 1984 said she married after college, divorced in the late 60's with two daughters (who are NEVER mentioned in the book), then married and divorced four times. My internet searching didn't uncover any information about any marriages and divorces that may have occurred between 1984 and Sergy.

While there are many examples from her own life, there are also many other examples. She frequently gives first names and then describes a problem and solution in the life of that person. She rarely tells us how she knows of these situations. Occasionally she says she was the person's minister, but most of the time no source is given. There is no disclaimer anywhere in the book that names have been changed to protect privacy, no indication that the examples have been used by permission, and there is no reference list in the back of the book. Maybe these people exist, but the reader has no way to verify that they aren't just made up.

Cole-Whittaker talks about books she has found that have helped her on her journey, but she never gives enough information that the reader could also find the books. On page 42 she says, "...I found an old book in the school library....The author of this particular book told the story of a certain person who was seeking wealth. The man...sold his land in South Africa and...moved to the city, which he thought to be a place of great riches. One day...the new owner...saw something shining from what looked like a rock. Further investigation revealed the rock to be a diamond in the rough. Under his feet was an immense diamond mine." This book sounds a lot like ACRES OF DIAMONDS by Russell H. Conwell, but it has a copyright of 1979, and Cole-Whittaker started college in 1957.

Cole-Whittaker also has a tendency to change persons needlessly and to no purpose. This is illustrated by an excerpt from page 4l. "Every time we give in to our fears and quit, or refuse to enter the game, we have failed the test. The test is not whether or not you win the race, for there are many variables that are not under your control, but whether or not you were in the race and gave your all. There is no way to escape oneself or the lessons and challenges that each of us must face and conquer." She starts out in 1st person plural with "we." Then she shifts to 2nd person "you/your." Then, in one sentence, she changes to 3rd person, "oneself" and back to 1st person, "us." The entire passage could have been done in any of the three persons.

While this book is worth reading, it seems to be poorly written and poorly documented.

Extremely helpful book - clearly written and easy to read. The exercises offered are simple and take only commitment, desire and some degree of determination. This book reminds us of the many ways in which we can enhance our worldand live richer fuller lives. These are not new principles - many other writers address them - some more compelling than others. This just happens to be among the more compelling presentations of the principles.
Great read.

Early heart disease runs in my family, and last year I got a calcium score done and scored rather high for my age. I instantly became one of the "worried well" as Dr. Whitaker puts it. In any case, it became my mission not to end up dying of heart disease at a young age, so I started to buy and read every book I could find on the subject. The most compelling and accessable program to date was that created by Dr. Dean Ornish. With his help I lost 65 pounds and got my lipid profile and blood pressure under control; however, I was still hungry for more information about how this disease progresses and how I can prevent it, along with how I can reverse what has already started. Dr. Whitaker's book was ideal in that regard. I found Dr. Whitaker's book to be easy to read, easy to understand, and filled with data and advice I could implement into my life. I really enjoyed the section wherein he discussed the various diagnostic tests and their respective predictibility. This information was somewhat different than that which had been communicated to me by the various Cardiologists I have seen; however, Dr. Whitaker's information just "sounded right." Rather than using scare tactics like some of the other books I have read, Dr. Whitaker takes an objective approach. When comparing Whitaker's book to Ornish's, the major difference I see is that Ornish has you limit fat intake to 10% a day, whereas Whitaker recommends 20%. Unfortunately, and this is only one of a few issues I have with the book, Dr. Whitaker does not back up his case for fat intake to the extent that Ornish does. So, I came away somewhat torn about how much fat I should be consuming. Overall, this is a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone who already has heart disease or to those who are at risk for heart disease. I have already bought copies for my three brothers.

Dr. Whitaker has done an excellent job of explaining how and why we can live longer and healthier lives by taking care of our circulatory system. His frank and sincere approach comes across wonderfully and he includes many and delicious, healthy recipes that will assist you in reversing many of the symptoms of old age. Everyone who wants to live to have their grandchildren (and maybe great-grandchildren) on their laps someday should read this.

I finished reading this book last week and came away totally convinced that Alger Hiss was a spy for the former Soviet Union. Chambers is depicted in this book as a very unlikely hero for the Anti-Communist cause in the late 1940's. The book is very detailed and it leads you through the entire investigation process that took place immediately after Whittaker Chambers publicly accused Alger Hiss of being a Communist spy in the 1930's. There was much corroborating evidence through eye-witness testimony before the Congressional committee(HUAC) and in the 2 trials detailed in this book. It was at times quite tedious and extremely detailed, which I found to be rather boring. But history does not work in the fast pace people are accustomed to in the movies and on television. Espionage is a dangerous game to play and any sudden moves can get you killed. Most spies always try to hide in plain sight, which Alger Hiss was able to do quite well for many years. The end of the Cold War and the opening of the secret files in the KGB and VENONA transcripts allowed the author unprecedented access to evidence which proved devastating to Hiss's claims that he was not a spy after getting out of prison many years ago. Thank God for the end of the Cold War! Otherwise, we may never have known the whole story of Hiss's espionage activities. A great book if you have patience with all the details.

By the time I reached the end of this fascinating work, I was convinced of Hiss's guilt. However, the book is tedious in spots, and the reader occasionally finds himself drowning in the overwhelming documentation that the author plows through in such detail. Weinstein deserves praise for never succumbing to bias as he explores every possible detail of this case which became a political fault line. Having never read a book on this trial, I was struck by the free ride which the mainstream media appears to have given Alger Hiss over the years. Having neither the law nor the facts on his side, Hiss decided to destroy his opponent, Whittaker Chambers. Hiss never offered even a ghost of an explanation for the evidence that accumulated against him. While there were many undeserving victims of the witch hunt for communists during the 1950's, Weinstein proves that Alger Hiss was not among them.

In 1948, lawyer Alger Hiss made what was arguably the biggest mistake of his life: he sued Whittaker Chambers. Chambers had publicly accused Hiss of having been a Communist Party member, Soviet spy, and agent of influence. Unfortunately for Hiss, Chambers had saved some of the material Hiss passed him for transmission to Soviet Military Intelligence. Alger Hiss ended up in prison, was disbarred, and spent the rest of his life trying to convince people a fantastic conspiracy had framed him.

In 1971, Hiss made a mistake almost as large: he let an honest man look at his defense files. Historian Allen Weinstein had previously believed that Hiss was innocent. But when he read what Hiss's lawyers said in private, and what FBI agents had written J. Edgar Hoover, he found there was no reasonable doubt possible anymore. Hiss had spied for the Soviets, and Chambers had usually told the truth to the best of his ability. Chambers had sometimes lied, but only when he attempted to minimize Hiss's guilt -- and his own, for Chambers had secrets about himself to protect, and a well founded fear of being the messenger killed for bearing bad news.

PERJURY is a fascinating account of two complex men, best friends who became mortal enemies when one split with Stalinism, and the other remained faithful. The lives of Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers would have been interesting even if they had never met or publicly clashed. Their long duel caught them in "A tradegdy of History," as Chambers put it. PERJURY tells that story better than anyone before or since. It's a masterpiece of historical detective work.

When it was published originally, all but the die hard apologists for Stalinism conceded Hiss's guilt. The new edition has recently released material from the National Security Agency's Venona decryptions, and the KGB's Moscow files that destroy even the unreasonable doubts. Highest recommendation.