This book takes comprehensive look at Visual Basic Objects and Components including ActiveX EXEs, DLLs, Documents, and MTS/COM+. Every type of object or component is examined in this book and very well explained in a way to make you understand. Peter Vogel's writting style makes reading this book easy.

This book was a major study guide for the Designing and Implementing Desktop Applications using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (exam 70-176) and the Designing and Implementing Distributed Applications using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 (exam 70-175). I passed both exams. This was an excellent addendum to the Transcender courses and I use this book several times a week as a reference. There are a lot of Visual Basic 6.0 shops out there and I would highly recommend that this book be part of their reference library.

The author is suppose to be writing a Visual Basic.Net Object and Component Handbook which is due out next year. If that book is as good as this book, I will highly recommend it too. I have about 30 Visual Basic books and this book is one of the best.

I studied the object oriented programming(OOP) with C++ before, but I do not know much on OOP with VB. So I purchased this book to learn OOP with visual basic, as well as component design. It is proved that this is really a good purchase. After reading the book, I am doing very well on the object oriented programming with Visual Basic now. I would recommend this book to the programmers who are interested in VB object and component. However, I do think that this book can be better if it is better sentenced. I have read many technical books. It takes me some time to understand what the author is talking about sometimes with this book.

Whether you have been developing with VB since 3.0 or you are new to 6.0 - this book is a "must read". There are some good books that focus on the technology of (D)COM, and others that focus on writing code. This book is the most focused effort that I have come across that provides the reader with the practical "implementation" of OOP with VB.

Interface / implementation designs and strategies, component design/development and deployment all become clear(er) within the folds of this well written text.

This book is very well done and I cannot understate how impressed I was with the effort that the author put into it. He certainly did his research and does a great job outlining the short but rumour ridden history of the Glock handgun. Typically in this genre of book you find a lot of fluff and no real substance, not the case here. One other thing, I may have changed the title lest the suggestion be that Glock is strictly a combat gun, but that statement is debunked in the book, you have to read it to see what I mean. The book is dated in some aspects- there has been further expansion and development of the product line that is not covered. A followup book is in order here to come current. Interestingly the Glock accessories (E-tool, bayonets, etc.) are covered, many people probably did not know these accessories even existed until seeing it here! From the technical point of view, and speaking as a Glock armorer, the book DOES NOT replace the armory documents and manual and was not meant to do so. While the reader is given a general idea of how the Glock functions and the concept of "Safe Action" I would not tackle disassembly of a Glock firearm without training beyond what is in the book. You will not find guides to parts interchangabilities or quirks that are associated with particular models. Okay, now that the disclaimer is out the way, for the firearms enthusiast this is a great one to have on the shelf. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

An outstanding technical reference, this book also delves into the history of Glock (both the man and the gun), the myths, the political hysteria, and the practical reality of this remarkable device. I had the good fortune to count Mr. Kasler among my few close friends. Pete passed away April 16, 2001.

This book is a pretty good read as you may have gleaned from my 5 star rating. However, it is also quite dated already and does not have sections on the relatively new Mini Glocks like the Glock 26 9mm Parabellum that I own. This book is just waiting for a revised edition to fit our need for current information. However, as an entertainment vehicle, it can't be beat.

This excellent book is divided into 2 parts: The disease and the cure, and the latter consists of 3 sections: Accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative and Latch onto the affirmative. It explains the fight or flight response, the effect thoughts have on the body, and the question of death. It also deals with mourning, how to focus on the positive and has a useful section on depression. Suitable quotes by inter alia Freud, Santayana, Voltaire, Emerson, Russell, Shaw, Anais Nin, Epicurus, Whitman, Keller, Hippocrates, Oscar Wilde and Maria Montessori enhance the text and help to explain things. I would not say that it is absolutely the best self-help book I've ever read ( a little more emphasis on how to influence the subconscious mind would have been valuable), but it casts welcome new light on this thing called "common sense." It is a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it.

I have battled depression on and off for much of my life, and I have to say that this is the best self-help book I have ever read. It is absolutely wonderful. It makes you want to memorize every quote and every precious, uplifting word of wisdom. Some people might say that the things in this book are common sense, but if that's the case, when I look around I see that common sense isn't so common! This book really is a must have for anyone who wants to improve their disposition and feel better emotionally.

McWilliams explains and delivers comprehensive and understandable principles of positive-focus. This is absolutely the greatest self-help book for positive thinking that I've read yet. He addresses issues from relationship to life-threatening illness. He doesn't just blab on about the issues, he details and outlines specific strategies for dealing with crisis in a positive, effective manner. I recommend it to everyone, illness or not...this is very empowering.

My main objections to this field guide were the illustrations. Artistic renderings are often beautiful, but fail to portray the animal in question with accuracy. Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius)is a case in point. Although I have not observed this animal at sea myself, I spoke with a number of fellow fishery biologists who have spent time at sea as marine mammal observers and no one has ever observed a bright yellow Ziphius in the field. All observed a base color of grey with this genus, at least in the northeastern Pacific. The Tasmacetus rendering is most likely based on the J. Mammalogy (1976) paper by Watkins wherein an unidentified ziphiid whale (probable Tasmacetus) was observed from a bluff overlooking the sea in New Zealand. Useful plates were those showing all similar cetaceans together; eg. all oceanic dolphins without prominent beaks, all oceanic dolphins WITH prominent beaks etc. The ziphidae plates show male Mesoplodon characteristics, but that is to be expected since solitary female ziphiid whales, especially Mesoplodon sp., could be virtually impossible to identify. My own field guide preferences use photographs rather than artistic renderings. Other problems: The distribution maps to not reflect the full distribution (extralimital observations/strandings) of many species. An example: Psuedorca is shown as a species with a distribution much further south than observations/stranding records indicate. The text does suggest that 'numerous records' exist outside of the more tropical distribution shown in the map. Note also that many of the dolphin renderings are positioned so that the dorsal fin is right where the pages meet. We did get a chuckle over the photograph showing what you should wear when watching whales, but that can be explained by our 'silly scientist' bias. One note for potential whale-watchers: do not allow your binocular strap to lie right on the skin of your neck while at sea as you can wear painful wounds into your neck through a day of whale-watching. Make sure your shirt collar or other clothing lies under that silly strap! Voice of experience!

This is a great book if you want just a field guide with information on the different species of cetaceans. This would be a great book to take "whale watching".

This Eyewitness Handbook on whales, dolphins, and porpoises was extremely valuable during my recent trip to Baja Mexico to whale watch in the Sea of Cortez. The book provides a wealth of information on each species with specific descriptions and illustrations that are right on. We had two naturalists on board and they love the book too, so it's worthwhile no matter what your level of cetacean knowledge.

For the past few years I've commonly associated Telep with fantasy thanks in part to his great Squire trilogy. This book was recently suggested for my reading pleasure. I must admit that I was skeptic at first that it would be as good as his other books. Also note that I hadn't read the first book of the Descent series so I was unfamiliar with the current plot and relationship between the characters. However, after reading the first few chapters I couldn't set the book down! I highly recommend this book and series to anyone who appreciates science fiction of any degree. I know that I'll be looking forward to October when the next book comes out!

The first book was excellent; this one was OUTSTANDING! Telep continues on the storyline he started in the first story and improves upon it by adding more characters, more action, and more bad guys. If you're into Descent, get into this book! You won't be dissapointed.

After actually flying a Pyro-GX for 3+ years in these infested mines I can state with authority that Peter Telep does an exceptional job relaying the challenges I face as a PTMC contractor. His description of the Robot vermin I (and the rest of the Descent Rangers) encounter (and eradicate) is accurate, especially when describing the intelligence that these machines possess. If you have not experienced the unique and challenging futuristic world of Descent, I would like to strongly suggest that you pick up a copy of Telep's book, and also visit Interplay.com to find out how you can obtain your very own Pyro-GX spacecraft. If you want to actually experience the space fiction yourself, this is the way to do it. Hopefully there will be a movie made about Descent. -Swazook (from the Descent Rangers)

Bought this to get back in Marine Corps shape. Was tired of lifting weights so I returned to the basics. Follow the Daily 16 for 6 weeks and you are guaranteed to be in great shape (or at least much better than you were). Results begin to appear after two weeks. Loses a star becasue of the physical quality of the book. Pages fall out if the book is opened too wide, too often. I photcopied and laminated the workout cards for daily use.

This book is just really the best I've ever seen of its kind. Workout books never really did much for me in the way of motivation, but this one truly did/does.

The book is full of easy-to-follow writing that provides good information both for the workout and about our Marine Corps. With full and detailed walk-throughs of both enlisted and OCS physical training courses, the book covers just about anything that anyone considering the USMC would want to know.

The workout itself is clearly laid out with pictures of each exercise being executed with proper form and with schedules that work for beginners and advanced alike.

If you want a general information book about physical training in the USMC or if you just want a solid, easy, all-over body workout...you have GOT to look into this book.

If you've been out of shape for awhile or you have never been in shape then this is the book to get. The workouts start you off at a low pace that increases it's cadance as the months roll on. The "Daily 16," in itself, is a great workout that you can perfrom ANYWHERE. This, along with the rest of the PT ideas, will give you a great amount of variety in your workouts - hence - no boredom. No equipment needed! Just your desire to get in the best shape of your life!

Elise Lufkin has managed, in her book Found Dogs, to move without cloying, to educate without preaching and to make us laugh. This book is a compilation of photos and stories of dogs who have been rescued by caring people and many of who have in turn "rescued" their new owners. These stories range from the amazing; the dog who can detect her owner's oncoming seizure, to the heartwarming; the dog who has they same big brown eyes as his owner's late husband. Diana Walker's photographs capture the connection between each "found dog" and his savior. She shows not only the uniqueness of the dogs but also the varied roles they play in their owner's lives. Useful information on adopting and adapting to a pet is provided. This book is a must for all the animal lovers on your Holiday gift list.

This is an incredible book. I have owned it for several years and each time you pick it up to revisit its pages it makes your feel wonderful all over again. If you aren't a dog lover, you will be after you read this book. It stays on my coffee table in the den and has been the topic of many interesting conversations with fellow dog lovers. I guess this book is so close to my heart because we are fortunate enough to have a "found dog". I am looking forward to Ms Lufkin doing a second book and perhaps including our "Found" dog in it. Buy the book - you'll be glad you did.

This is a wonderful book, buy one as a gift and one to keep for yourself. I bought it as a gift for a friend who volunteered at our local shelter. The volunteers are true heroes, and so are the ordinary people highlighted in this book. After reading this book, I knew it was a keepsake I could not part with. One page stories of extraordinary bonds between owners and the homeless dog they took the risk to adopt make for easy reading that you can pick up, put down, and walk away feeling better about the world. This book is the finest gift for the dogs lover in your life as well as the volunteers at the shelter, your beloved veterinarian, the Dog Control Officer that saves the dog lost in traffic, for your favorite dogsitter, and for anyone who understands there are wonderful dogs out there in need of a home and a person to love. The best part is, profits from the book benefit animal related organizations and shelters. You will feel better having read this book, and a homeless dog somewhere will benefit.

I liked reading through "Mastering 3D Animation" very much. In the first few sections the author Peter Ratner describes the basic need to know stuff of 3D computer graphics in an easy to understand way. Even though I knew most of it already I found parts of it quite interesting. Starting with the section about special effects it becomes helpful even for advanced users. I especially liked the advanced modeling and character modeling part. There are examples and howtos on modeling, animating, shading and lightning for the reader to explore. As an autodidact I buy nearly every 3d book I can lay my hands on and my collection has grown noticeably. This book is definitely one of the better ones!

Jörg Flügge, Munich, Germany 02/25/2001

Mastering 3D Animation is a wonderful training manual for beginners and advanced animators alike. It is chock full of clever methods and techniques for modelling with polygons and nurbs, as well as creating atmospheric FX, effective lighting, efficient character modeling, setup and animating. Most lessons are software independent and are conceptually generic enough to be helpful to any practitioner using any software. My compliments to Peter Ratner for conveying many complicated techniques in an understandable way.

Franklin Londin CG Supervisor Digital Domain

Mastering 3D Animation is a very useful and clear book. It is a goldmine for beginners and a bag of tricks for advanced users. Peter Ratner does an excellent job at explaining 3D human modeling and animation and also gives a good overview of special effects, lighting and surfacing. The book is mostly software independent and all the lessons are presented in a simple way. The man gives you the fundamentals and possibilities and I thank him for that. --Henri Kuuste, 3D Artist, Tartu, Estonia

This novel is one of a series, and makes the presumption that you have read the earlier novels in the series, with references to previous action. It is written in a narative style. The main character is not fully identified by name until page 74 (part of the assumption that you have read the previous novels). Tony Whats-his-name from book one in the series reappears, along with other characters from previous books. There are numerous digressions, and a tendency to use foreign language terms.

The plot is a whodunit as various characters search for the lost Trojan gold that disappeared from Germany during the final days of World War II. In the chaos at the end of the war, many valuable items disappeared, apparently looted. Now a story has emerged that the Trojan gold (artifacts that had been in a German museum) was carried to safety and hidden. Many people have an interest, either for museums or for their own profit.

With two people murdered, and an assortment of people just happening to be on the scene, there are questions about some people's motives (other than the fact that several men are trying to seduce Vicky). Vicky finds her life in danger, as various people follow clues in attempts to track down the gold. There are indications that it had been hidden in a schrank (a type of wooden cabinet). The good guys prevail over the bad guys, but the story leaves things unfinished and the schrank disassembled.

This book was so funny....I hadn't read a Vicky Bliss novel before, so I was surprised by the cast of characters that showed up. They were all so funny because it seemed as if they had nothing in common. I like Vicky much better than Ms. Peabody that I too am hoping that Ms. Peters will return to Vicky and give us more great adventures to laugh about. The one thing I was not very clear on at the ending was weather somone actually found the treasure or not? Did John have something to do with its disappearance?

This book was such a satisfaction to read and reread. I've grown so attached to Peabody and Vicky Bliss, not to mention their fellow characters, that waiting for Barbera Mertz to write more books about them is torture. I hope Ms. Mertz lives to an active old age for the selfish reason that I want her to keep pumping these books out as long as possible.

In Trojan Gold she really delivers the good stuff. John and Shmidt's personalities get a good filling out, reading it is like eating Godiva chocolates, only better. Words can't say enough. In her previous Bliss mystery, Sihloette in Scarlet, the plot seemed weak, but the follow up made up for it. Apologies for misspellings.

"Winnie the Pooh" and "House on Pooh Corner" were two of my favorite books growing up. When I came across this 75th boxed anniversary edition, I just had the get it. Keep in mind, this is just the same great stories in new packages. "Winnie the Pooh" has gold trimmed pages and "House on Pooh Corner" is trimmed with silver. I recommend this to anyone who hopes to pass on the love of the original Winnie the Pooh characters to any young ones in their lives. I know I definitely will.

I think this book suitable for everyone not only for child but adult also can read it. My friend and I love this book and try to collect the whole of Pooh's series. But I think .. The house at the Pooh corner also lovely while The Tao of Pooh was very difficult to understand for child. However, I love it!!

I recieved this book (and its companion, the color edition of "The House At Pooh Corner") as a gift. I cannot speak more highly of them both. Unlike the editor at Horn, who found that the colorization detracted from the illustrations, I find exactly the opposite -- that the color lends depth and detail to the drawings, which are completely untouched otherwise.

The paper is crisp, semi-glossy, and brilliant white; the cover and page edges are guilded; the typeface is sharp and crystal-clear; and the full-color endpapers are truly magnificent.

In all and every way this is a truly magnificent and sumptuous edition -- with perhaps the single exception of price. And even then, with such a marvelous work, that is to be expected!