This is a quite comprehensive book. The authors cover a wide variety of insightful information and research in the child welfare field. Very good for anybody who will be working in a public child welfare setting or conducting research in this area. As with most academic reading, it tends to be a little dry. And, because there is so much information, sometimes it doesn't flow very well.

In his book, Frontiers of the Roman Empire: A Social and Economic Study, C.R.
Whittaker takes the reader along an historic journey documenting life along the Roman frontier. This study focuses on the role of the Roman military, society and economy and the impact they had on the frontier peoples from 100 B.C. to 400 A.D. He discusses the role of trade and how it influenced the establishment of permanent frontier zones along Roman Britain, and the interaction between the British people and the Roman invaders.
Whittaker begins his study with a detailed description of the extent of the frontiers and the people whom the Romans encountered, believed to be barbarians. Some of the points he makes is that there was not a Roman frontier policy which determined how they were to maintain the frontier. He claims that the Roman frontier was not a militarily defensive system to guard against the "barbarians", rather he asserts that the military posts along the frontier were only temporary strategic defensive positions where the Romans established control with the intent of pushing further northwards. This is an intriguing paradigm as the various schools of thought surrounding the Roman frontier have maintained that the frontier zone marked the extent of the Roman Empire.
Another intriguing aspect of this study is that Whittaker claims that Roman society impacted and influenced barbarian society along the frontier in that the social class stratification which was evident in Roman society was also appearing in the "barbarian" societies as well. There were upper and lower classes developing among the native peoples. When Roman provinces began to fall to the "barbarians" the social class structure that was implemented while those areas were under Roman control was retained when conquered by the "barbarians".
Towards the end of this study, Whittaker examines the role of "barbarians" infiltration into the Roman Empire. He asserts that parts of the Empire were able to fall into the hands of the "barbarian" tribes by small decisive attacks
rather than battles involving tens of thousands of warrior tribes. In addition, he claims that Roman writers such as Sidonius wrote about the "barbarians" in a propagandistic way, in order to frighten the Roman people living along the frontiers to resist them with more force.
Utilizing propaganda to make the "barbarians" appear more savage and threatening, ancient writers helped create a stereotype regarding these "barbarians" which has lasted centuries even after the Empire fell. It is only with recent scholarly examination that modern historians have been able to discern fact from fiction. The barbarians were not in fact as uncivilized as they appeared to be. Graham Webster acknowledges this fact in his studies on Roman Britain, in which he pays particular attention to what society and life were like in Britain before the Roman conquest.
Webster maintains, as does Whittaker that there was a thriving, flourishing civilization, albeit not as modern but organized, before the Romans invaded the British Isles. Whittaker maintains his thesis throughout this study, that the Roman frontier was not stagnant, but rather that the frontier was a permeable border along which societies and economies grew.

Most people know Whittaker Chambers as the former Communist spy who gave testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In the process, he blew the cover of fellow agent, Alger Hiss, a high-ranking official in FDR's State Department.

That was in 1948. Even in recent times, with evidence by now thoroughly convincing, liberal Democrats have refused to believe that Hiss, a left-wing icon, was a traitor. In the introduction to this book, Milton Hindus writes that their lack of contrition makes relevant Chambers's work, some of which is collected for the first time in this anthology of journalism. For a wider view of Chambers, outside the famous case depicted in Witness, one can turn to these articles, reviews, and stories written between 1931 and 1959.

The chronological arrangement of the pieces allows the reader to see the progress Chambers made from his revolutionary fiction for The New Masses, through his authoritative anti-Communism as an editor at Time, to the mature conservatism he composed for National Review from his farm in Maryland late in life. In all there is a steady introspection and honesty. He was that rare thing, Hindus reminds us - his own man.

There is also a good bit of variety: reviews of Ayn Rand, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, and George Santayana; a prophetic short story about the rise of Russian imperialism; a history of western culture; and a moving piece about the resistance of Maryland farmers to the intrusion of bureaucrats from the Department of Agriculture.

The review of Rand's novel, Atlas Shrugged, is particularly devastating. Chambers found this popular book to be less a novel than a political tract in which Rand presented a melodrama meant to depict the world's problems, then, in the sort of authoritarianism she denounced, set herself up as that world's savior. Chambers criticized Rand's inability to see shades of grey. In effect, the review drew a line between conservatism and libertarianism, with Chambers and Rand at opposite poles, a line just as sharp as the one Chambers often drew between Christianity and Communism.

In leaving the Communist Party, Chambers was convinced that he was joining history's losing side. It should not surprise us that the word "witness" in Greek also means "martyr," for in Chambers work there is more than a hint of martyrdom. At times his gloomy pessimism about the fate of the West trips his logic, causing not so much a leap of faith but a jump to a conclusion.

Yet I believe that Ghosts On The Roof still has something to offer: for the craftsmanship of its fine prose; for the challenging breadth of its world view; and for a perspective on the central political and moral events of the twentieth century, a perspective based not on theory but on experience, on having felt these conflicts in his bones.

Mr. Whittaker has worked as a ship captain out of Portsmouth Harbor for most of his life. This book is a combination of his stories and in-depth historical research. He is able to trace back the history to the first settlers in the area. He is then able to tie in the history of this tiny area to the history of the USA. From the first fishing villages and trading posts to being the leader of developing submarine technology during WWII

So far, this is the only producing/project management book that I recommend to other aspiring and wannabe website producers/project managers. I've produced for the web since 1997 and even served as a production manager for a, now defunct, dotcom. I hadn't read one worthwhile book that accurately chronicled the producer/pm role in web development until this book. It wastes no time getting to the point of the various relationships among producers, designers, developers, etc. and, unlike other books, isn't plagued by introspectives from the author on his theory of WHATEVER YOU DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT. If you are looking for a book that will let you learn in a hurry; this is the book.

I started reading my copy on a TWA flight from St. Louis to Sacramento and finished somewhere over western Nevada (a little over 3 hours).

This book is very well written and easy to understand. I really liked the "Take Home Messages" and the detailed information that explained the messages.

The real eye opener in Stop Homocysteine is the enormous size and complexity of the methylation process. Lowering homocysteine levels through methylation is only one part of this amazing biochemical story. I am a victim of cardiovascular disease and it is a very important process in my life, but I am also nearing retirement and the diseases of aging are gaining prominence.

The back cover of Stop Homocysteine sums up the whole book when it states: Methylation is a whole body process. Learn how it can be used to:

. Help the Heart . Heal the Liver . Improve your mood . Strengthen your bones . Prevent Cancer . Improve Antioxidant Activity . Live Longer . S! low Aging

And people, you can take that message home.

I was introduced to this book by the instructor of a community-television video producer's course. He specifically referenced the chapter on editing. I liked Whittaker's writing style and approach. Whittaker covers many, many topics with a good overview and enough depth for understanding, but neither bogs down, nor is too simplistic. The structure of the book is that you can jump around and just read the chapter that interests you at the moment, be it editing, pre-production planning, audio, copyright and legal, etc. That being said, the book was written in 1995, and is beginning to show its age. Missing are discussions of the mini-DV video format and the newer non-linear editing software (e.g. Final Cut Pro 3.)In short, there needs to be an updating. Same goes for the fairly comprehensive bibliography (nothing newer than 1994)- but many of those texts have since been updated and are still in print - so at least it points you in the right direction. Perhaps Whittaker's planning these updates in the next edition. Mindful of that, it's perhaps best to keep the cost down with a used edition. At any rate, the book is a good addition to your video production reference library.

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 few recent books that has dared to take up the challenge of producing a good single volume (452 pages) on *all* cat species, there is an inevitability that this volume will be compared with the likes of Guggisberg's "Wild Cats of the World" (1975).

In approach, the Sunquists' have chosen to create a more "scientific" presentation than Guggisberg; focusing less upon anecdotes and narrative, and including much summary information from previously published researches, many of which are indeed difficult to obtain first-hand.
In many areas, of course, this shows how *little* we actually know about many felid species: the entry for the flat-headed cat, for example, is brief and contains little new information from the last 27 years.

For each species, we are given a color image (bound in two signatures), one or more black and white pictures as a chapter heading, followed by a more-or-less detailed species account which has a core format (description, distribution, ecology, behavior and status in the wild) to which is added various other information, as is available.
Given the number of sources available in many cases, these accounts are well written and fully referenced within each species' chapter; a major plus for further researches.

Further chapters on study and conservation, the introduction ("What is a Cat"?) and appendices on communication, reproduction, trade and status (IUCN/CITES) seem to be somewhat "tagged on".
The first and last of these would be ably complemented by the IUCN's "Wild Cats: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan" (also available free-of-charge, on-line), whilst Andrew Kitchener's "The Natural History of the Wild Cats" and Paul Leyhausen's "Cat Behavior" would be of considerable interest with regards the other aspects; albeit there is, as yet, no single-volume reference work covering all felid-related topics in detail.

On the down side, the Sunquist's book appears to show a wilful and selective neglect of work carried out on a "non-scientific" basis. This is perhaps most obvious to the layperson in the section on translocation and reintroduction which totally fails to mention the Adamson's ("Born Free"), Billy Singh ("Tiger Haven"), and others. Given that issues surrounding the reintroduction of human-socialised big cats are of importance, it is surprising that such discussions are totally avoided, here.

Other worries include careless interpretation (such as the family tree of wild cats on page 14, suggesting that many felid lineages diverged from the same common ancestor at a single instant in time) and the avoidance of scientific works not published in Western sources. The dustwrapper inscription suggests that the authors "have spent more than a decade gathering information about cats from every available source", yet on tigers alone they totally miss key books and papers in the Indian literature on man-eating (Chakrabarti), white and other color variations (Desai, L.A.K. Singh), olfactory communication and social behavior (Choudhury, Sankhala, etc.) and ethnographic impact/human interaction (Chakrabarti, Niyogi, A. Singh, etc.). The same absence of references to primary Russian sources (for the Amur tiger) is also noted, and similarly for other species (such as the only worthwhile book on the Asiatic lion, Srivastav's "Asiatic Lion: On the brink").

It is also unclear what the authors have to benefit from the assertion (in the Introduction) that 25 years ago, "the biology of even easily recognizable species... was virtually unknown, and nothing was known about what they needed in terms of space and food". Despite the fact that our knowledge has increased greatly in recent years, a review of the available literature from the 1960s through mid-1970s proves this statement to be largely false: indeed, references to these "non-existent" sources are made throughout the Sunquists' book....

On balance, then, good reading and a most worthwhile addition to any wild cat reference library, albeit our understanding of these intriguing and fascinating animals is in a continual state of flux and it can be dangerous to place *too* much credence in any single volume written at a given date.

Nice book, however I wouldn't recommend it to anyone testing REAL software. I would recommend it to all Fat Client testers using MS products.

This book is not a practical guide to testing software. It is a book about a few techniques, often overlooked, for breaking software. The tests covered are very good, but are only an extremely limited set of tests.
If you need to test software on a Windows platform, then these tests and accompanying program on the CD are probably worth the price of the book. It is a very short, easy read and is useful for any experience level. Just realize you need a lot more than this for even the most rudimentary software testing.

If there is an area of software development that needs to be codified and formalized, it is the procedures for testing the software before release. With the exception of software that does only a few tasks, it is not possible to test all possible paths. The number of possible paths expands very quickly so that it is effectively infinite, which means that it is so large that it might as well be infinite. Furthermore, this problem will only get worse as software continues to increase in complexity. Finally, the testing phase of software is relegated to the last step and is often considered to be a menial task by developers. Given these conditions and the general pressure of meeting a release date, it follows that testing is often cut short.
With all of this as a background, it would appear that testing is a hopeless task. That is not the case if the testing is done in a systematic manner, which is what this book will teach you. Whittaker is a computer science professor whose area of expertise is that of testing software. He breaks the process into two broad categories: user interface attacks and system interface attacks. Each of these areas is then split into separate attacks, seventeen for user interface attacks and six for system interface attacks.
The attacks for user interface are:

* Apply inputs that force all the error messages to occur.
* Apply inputs that force the software to establish default values.
* Explore allowable character sets and data types.
* Overflow input buffers.
* Find inputs that may interact and test combinations of their values.
* Repeat the same input or series of inputs numerous times.
* Force different outputs to be generated for each input.
* Force invalid outputs to be generated.
* Force properties of an output to change.
* Force the screen to refresh.
* Apply inputs using a variety of initial conditions.
* Force a data structure to store too many or too few values.
* Investigate alternate ways to modify internal data constraints.
* Experiment with invalid operand and operator combinations.
* Force a function to call itself recursively.
* Force computation results to be too large or too small.
* Find features that share data or interact poorly.

The attacks for system interface are:

* Fill the file system to capacity.
* Force the media to be busy or unavailable.
* Damage the media.
* Assign an invalid file name.
* Vary file access permissions.
* Vary or corrupt file contents.

Each of the attacks is presented using the subsections:

* When to apply this attack.
* What software faults make this attack successful?
* How to determine if this attack exposes failures.
* How to conduct this attack.

This approach leads to a very thorough demonstration of how to perform rigorous software testing in a limited amount of time. If I ever teach a course in software testing, this is what I will use as a text.
The book includes a CD containing two software testing tools, one of which I wish was available when I was developing software. While it is running, you can move a slider to have it bind memory resources and learn the point of memory use where your software performance begins to suffer. This is very useful, and is much easier than trying to load up many other applications.
Software testing is a critical area of development that is still in the process of being codified into patterns for reuse. This book demonstrates many of the currently available strategies and should be read by all members of testing teams.