Overall, this was a good survey of Mexican history. The writing style was easy to read--not as dense as most history text books-- and was informative on more than just facts. This books covers pre-Colombian history, the Conquest, the fight for independence from Spain, and the evolution (and revolutions) that occured after independence. Also, this book goes into more than just historical fact by expressing ideas that spread through the country, cultural changes, and political trends. This is a great place to start learning about Mexico and, with the recommended reading lists at the end of each chapter, a good reference if a person wants more details on a specific subject covered in the book.

I used this book when i took
my Mexico course at the local
college. The historical literature
is well researched and documented.
This is the best guide if one wants
too know Mexican history. Any one
who says that this book is light, I
suggest you watch the news on the Televisa channel
station or Azteca Television. The literature will
not give you the details of why the economy has failed.

everything is said positive, reserved, and with class.
literature is recommended.

one has to see that mexico is just about the rich vs the poor.
the rich vs the yankees, and the white rich, mestizo rich vs the poor in todays society.

it has been a conquered land, but through revolution and evolution the country has truimphed, work through its leaders.

it was said in the news that the mexicans will not allow the "dollar" control the economy, mexican economy, but the attitude of nationalism is changing for the better in us mexico relations.. . . . .the issue of the european union, the united states of europe is bound to change things soon. . . .

I grew up in Mexico. For years, the best source on Mexican history was a 4-volume set published by the Colegio de México, the authoritative and ultra-elitist "Mexican Harvard." It was the best because nobody could read it (no one dared criticize this monstrosity)!
The Course of Mexican History is magnificent in contrast. Since I found the fifth edition this year, you can be sure that the authors don't neglect their incredible labor!
I believe the contents and lengths of chapters are well balanced. You probably have to live in the country to understand her history, and you might only get the gist of it.
A truly remarkable find!

While other reviewers have lauded this book and it's question and answer format, I found it difficult to read, and understand. The question and answer format may work for some, but it is not for everyone. There were many sub-questions in the explanations that were not followed up on. As a novice to networking, I found a presupposition of knowledge of networking on the authors part. For an intermediate level user, who wants to know the nitty gritty of networking, it is great. For the novice... I am still looking.

This book is a must both for the novice as well as for the seasoned technician. While the new-comer with little subject- knowledge will find even difficult themes well explained, Networking Explained is a very good resource for the professional. It brings technical matters to the point. The question / answer-mode used in the book is an interesting approach to transfer rather difficult knowledge. A must for persons dealing with networks, and certainly worth its money.

I've worked at various high-tech Internet companies like: Nortel Networks, Intel, Cisco Systems, and Inktomi. I am also an instructor and this book is one of the suggested readings for my class "Introduction to the Internet & Data Networking."

The authors' style of Question & Answer development is very helpful for both learning and teaching of entry level and intermediate level users in the networking arenas. The background information on the development of the Internet and many various internetworking technologies are explained in great detail in this book.

If you enjoy talking about the Internet and internetworking, I believe this book is great one to have in your collection.

This book had an awesome message behind it. What a lot of people aren't doing these days is going for their dreams and what a lot of people are doing is giving up. This speech influenced me so much and probably other people too. I recomend this to pre teens and teens and adults as well because they can relate to Bill Veeck.

At the beganing of the novel I couldn't really get into the read, but as I continued reading I found out some of the people that met Bill Veeck always had something good to say about him, as far as his work and some of his business partners our conserned.

When I was 10, I wrote Bill Veeck (then owner of the Chicago White Sox) a letter . . . I recall making suggestions as to the club's lineup . . . not only did he write me back, but his response marked the beginning of an occasional series of back-and-forth correspondence that continued until his death . . . . . . he even made my an honorary
White Sox scout and arranged for me to meet one of his real scouts when I attended a Mets game.

Veeck thus became my first guru . . . he was a baseball promoter, perhaps most famous for having sent a midget to bat in a major league game . . . but he was also an innovator, plus quite a guy.

I devoured his autobiography, VEECK AS IN WRECK, when
it was published in 1981 . . . since then, I have attempted to
read everything else I could about him . . . yet somehow I
had missed MARKETING YOUR DREAMS: BASEBALL AND
LIFE LESSONS FROM BILL VEECKs by Pat Willaims; i.e., until this past week.

My one word reaction: WOW! . . . what a great book . . . it
made me appreciate Veeck even more, along with Williams--quite
a sports promoter in his own right . . . I found myself taking
countless notes, always a sign that what I'm reading is
really making quite a dent on me.

There were many memorable passages; among them:
* Because there is a reason why Veeck went
to bed in the middle of the night. And a reason
why he woke up four hours later. And a reason
why he was never dulled by routine, why every
day became an opportunity, and every hour,
every moment of his 71 years, was gilded and
precious.

He did not sleep because he could not sleep.
He was afraid to sleep because sleeping
meant missing something. He was so caught
up in the basest virtues of each day that his
mind couldn't let go.

Said Washington writer Tom Boswell after
Veeck's passed away in 1986, "Cause of
death: Life."

"With the amount of sleep he didn't get," says
longtime Chicago White Sox organist Nancy
Faust, "Bill probably died at 85 instead of 71."

* Veeck once sent away for a mail-order toy. When
it arrived, he learned it had to be assembled. He
spent the entire night before Christmas attempting
to put that infernal toy together for one of his
children. When he sent his check to the manufacturer,
he tore it into tiny pieces, put them into an envelope
and wrote: "I put your toy together. You put my
check together."

No doubt he felt a burden lifted.

The manufacturer had no choice but to accept the
check.

* He called amputees in the hospital to console them.
("Look at it this way," he would say. "One pair of socks
will last you twice as long. And in the winter, only one
foot will get cold.") He told one fan whose leg was wrapped
in a heavy brace, "If I had another leg to give you, I would."
He demonstrated the leg to curious children. He consoled
an amateur softball player who had broken his leg,
slipping the wooden leg off and telling him, "Here. Use mine."

"I only fear two things," he'd say, brandishing the leg. "Fire
and termites."

And though I typically like to include only three passages,
I just had to include this one too:

* Soon after the funeral, Mary Frances was digging
through the house when she discovered a note. They'd
always written to each other for more than three decades;
notes of love and sentimentality and humor. Seems he'd
written this one while waiting to be taken to the hospital
for the last time.

On one side he'd expressed the depth of his love for
Mary Frances. On the other, he'd written, "Tell everyone
it has been lots of fun."

You'll also find this book to be a lot of fun, as well as
inspirational.

If your idea of love is limited to visions of puppies and balloons, The Thing About Love Is... probably not for you. In Polyphony Press' first effort, the heavy topic of love is tackled in gritty, gutsy pieces that cut to core of this complex emotion. Sometimes it's bliss, sometimes it's bizarre, and quite often it hurts, but regardless of its form, love is always intriguing. This anthology is in keeping with that notion. With a variety of styles and voices, the works featured here are unanimous in their ability to draw the reader in and keep him hooked. It is truly a great read that may challenge one's personal definition of love. Call it an enjoyable experiment in mind expansion!

It's difficult to find an anthology that has as much stopping power as this one. Reading it, I was impressed not only by the diversity of the authorial voices, but also by their veracity. Each story, poem and play seems to have come straight from the gut. What's more, the contributing writers help to remove our blinders; particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. Love, they argue, is nothing less than a battlefield on which each of us daily chances victory or defeat.Those seeking to enter the contest fully armed would do well to buy this book.

Anthologies are not my usual choice of reading material, but as this was recommended to me, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While I could not relate to some of the pieces here, I enjoyed the underlying topic immensely. The poetry, drama, and short stories were a good blend. The Thing About Love Is... an enjoyable and fast read, but has a peculiar lingering effect that required that I return to it for further exploration. It's a perfect book to read from the relative comfort and safety of your best chair, where you know that you can dip into the joy and angst of love and for once, walk away unscathed.

This book does a very good job of telling the story of a very minor piece of scientific research, the discovery of yet another species of large dinosaur (of which there are many) and the geological context in which it may have lived. Thus, as science, it is small potatoes. It does, however, cast the tale in the midst of a good review of elementary geology and paleontology, and consequently, should be accessible even to those who the read the book starting in complete ignorance of those fields. It fails to credit the Alvarezes (a physicist and a geologist) by name for finding out what happened to the dinosaurs, but that may only be the paleonotologist's resentment at having their best puzzle stolen from them by a physicist who didn't dug up so much as a single fossilized bone.

Overall, this is a book for fifteen year olds, but it is a good one.

"The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt" is the fascinating account of the rediscovery of the work of a German paleontologist in Egypt. Just prior to First World War, Ernst Stromer, a Bavarian aristocrat, made a remarkable discovery in a particularly inhospitable region of Egypt: the fossil remains of three different huge carnivorous dinosaurs. Painstakingly reassembled in Munich, they were destroyed in an Allied bombing raid in 1944. In 2000, a group of young American scientists returned to the area where Stromer had worked, unvisited by paleontologists in the intervening nine decades, and there discovered bones of what is believed to be the second-largest dinosaur ever, an 80 ton plant-eating behemoth.

The book juxtaposes these two stories in an entertaining and informative way. Ernst Freiherr Stromer von Reichenbach of Nuremberg arrived in Egypt and headed off to his dig with four boxes of water, a handful of camels, a Bohemian assistant who was not feeling very well but knew about collecting bones, an Egyptian in charge of the camels and their drivers and a cook. Stromer was looking for evidence of early mammals but instead stumbled onto an unknown and important dinosaur graveyard. He was correct and precise and meticulous and quite brilliant. With his little band he made amazing discoveries but the coming war overshadowed everything. The Bohemian assistant died and the cases of fossils, damaged by inept handling, did not reach the now-impoverished Stromer until 1922. For the next twelve years he wrote up wonderful monographs on his Egyptian dinosaurs. One of them, Spinosaurus, looked like a giant T-Rex with a sail on its back. But only the monographs survived the bombing raid. Stromer was a respected man of science but did not suffer fools. It appears that his opposition to the Nazi regime came with a heavy price as two of his three sons died in the war, and the third son was a Russian POW for six years. He himself was twice threatened with deportation to a concentration camp for urging the removal of the natural history collection in Munich to a safer location. After his death in 1952, he and the wonderful dinosaurs seem to have been forgotten.

The time, but not the scene, switches and we enjoy reading about the antics of a group of enthusiastic young Americans, paleontologists and geologists, who decided to mount an expedition to the same Bahariya Depression where Stromer went. But this is a an expedition in a different century, and the group travelled with Land Rovers and GPS equipment and a film crew and actually stayed in a rustic hotel near the dig rather than in a ready-to-blow-away tent that served for Stromer. But besides their somewhat better equipment-it still seems to come down to picks and shovels and hard physical labour-the group brought an interdisciplinary approach and the advantages of nine decades of additional science and understanding. Part of the interest in the newer story is the importance that the group places in trying to understand what kind of environment the dinosaurs of the time faced.

The book conveys the excitement of an expedition very well. First there is the hassle of fund-raising and then the irritation of all the paperwork and the physical discomforts and the fruitless searching. But then there are breakthroughs, sometimes lucky, and then there is the ultimate detective work of adding up all the little shards and scraps and a 5 foot long humerus and some rock profiles and coming up with an answer to what this all means.

One of the great riddles posed by Stromer's finds was how three large types of carnivores could co-exist. This discovery of the huge herbivore answered this question nicely. But the book also makes the important point that very little is really known about dinosaurs since the fossil record is so incomplete. I was astonished to learn that fewer than 500 species of dinosaur have been definitively identified, amazingly few for the millions of years they existed on earth. As a comparison, there are about 330 known species of in the parrot family alone!

The authors do not mention that fact that the number of field paleontologists is minute and that the startling discoveries of the last decades have been the result of dedicated work by only a handful of people around the world. "The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt" tells an exciting story while recognizing the accomplishments of the past and would be a fine addition to the library of any student considering a career in this field.

To digress, this is not a book for specialists but that is not to condemn it in any way. "Popular science" is a genre that is often sniffed at but there is a huge demand to be filled. At a time when 18 percent of Americans 18-24 years of age cannot even identify where the United States is on a map, anything that arouses intellectual curiosity should be welcomed. That this book is simply-written and provides a summary of the history of paleontolgy is a good thing; that it was filmed and turned into a television documentary even better.

It is to the credit of the team of Americans that they have recognized the achievements of their predecessor in the desert in a particularly apt way. The prepared bones of the giant herbivore will return to Egypt, where they will be displayed with the creature's newly-assigned name: Paralititan stromeri.

This book is absolutely great reading. What it makes the book very interesting is the dual story. There is always a very good alternation of passages which describe Ernst Stromers expedition in 1912-14 to the Baharia Oasis (Egypt) on the one hand and the recent expedition of Josh Smith on the other hand.
Apart from this it is told a piece of paleontology which has been nearly "forgotten" although Baharia has been the origin of very unique predatory dinosaur species. In the years of 1912-14 Stromer excavated bones of three big theropods: Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus and Bahariyasaurus. As a continuation of this story which has been sleeping for so many years we get to know how Josh Smiths team has solved the riddle Stromer left: the discovery of a huge plant-eating new dinosaur species: Paralititan. For everybody who is interested in an entertaining story on straight field paleontology I can recommend this book.

The book additionally contains 2 very fine passages with b/w photos. The first one shows photos and the well known monographs from Stromer while the second one shows impressions from Josh Smiths expedition. The second passage also contains two very fine life restorations and skeletal reconstructions of Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus as well as of the new discovered Paralititan.

Nicely done. It is difficullt to find good books that teach the virtues of faith without being heavy handed. I would have liked a few more faith stories from non-Christian traditions. My seven year old is enjoying it.

I found this book just incredible. The stories are just wonderful for teaching the children valuable lessons and virtues. It's hard to explain the book, other than that my kids enjoyed hearing them, I enjoyed reading them, and the lessons in the stories challenge both child and parent alike.

This beautiful, gently written and illustrated book will certainly appeal to all ages. It is a delightful presentation of Christianity and, I think, provides a gentle overview of Christian concepts. Young readers will especially appreciate the illustrations. This book is an excellent teaching tool and a good way to form conversations regarding to Christian faiths. It is a treasure and a wonderful part of any family. I really love this book.

This is the first annual moon sign book I've purchased, and I know that I'll continue to buy future ones. It's helpful in that it gives you an idea of when to take certain actions or what to do on any given day. My only problem is that it's not always accurate. A day that was supposed to go well for me was one of the worst days in months, and a day that was supposedly very bad for travel turned out to be very pleasant. Oh well, it's still entertaining.

I have subscribed to this volume since 1995 and have loved every volume every year. Sometimes the articles get a bit lame, but the charts and tables and lunar gardening advice are excellent. Unlike a lot of what Llewellyn puts out, this one is waaay worth the money!

The Almanac has been a must have over the centuries. Several cultures have relied upon its dates and information, from farmers and gardners, to Kings and Queens and Heads of State. The 2002 Moon Sign Book brings you a step higher with world reknowned Gloria Star reminding us once again why she is one of the world's leading Astrologers.

Along with weather and forecasts, Gloria Star provides the monthly lunar forecasts for all the essentials. Learn and then plan the best days to travel or to make a personal or financial decision. Have a hunter or a fisherman in the family? Give them the heads up to make them the Master for Catch-of-the-day!

Planning a wedding, or vacation, maybe trying out the garden this year or need help in weight control? Whether you have ever had an almanac or this is your first, the 2002 Moon Sign Book is one you need to have. Included are more then twenty-five articles from different authors, who are experts in their different fields, to bring you interesting facts and moon lore.

Saving the best for last: the lunar cycles and phases. The moon is a powerful entity. It controls everything from the tides of the ocean to the fluttering wings of the butterfly. So naturally we want to consult with the lunar cycles for every aspect of our daily lives. If you want this year of your life to be a success, you need to know lunar timing. With easy access tables, all the essentials for day-to-day planning is here.

Look for special days for making purchases, or planning a trip. Have a small business or are beginning one? You will need the almanac to give you the best days for a successful venture. For the gardners, be fruitful and multiply. You can have the best and most beautiful gardens if your timing is right, lunar timing that is! With easy-to-use tables, this year's will be your best garden yet. The 2002 Moon Sign Book provides you with all this plus so much more.

The Moon Sign Book has been a best seller for almost a century! The Llewellyn Tradition lives on in the 2002 Edition.

M.L. Benton, Publisher, Echoed Voices.
Copyright © 2001

If you are looking for an historical 'readings' text for topics in the philosophy of religion, then this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for writings about certain philosophy of religion (or contemporary 'readings') topics then go no further. Craig has assemble some first rate analytical thinkers of the 20th century to cover a wide gamut of topics in the arena of the philosophy of religion.

However, any reader should keep in mind that this is not an historical text of the issues of the philosophy of religion, it is a contemporary text. But, this is actually one of its greatest strengths, since it provides the reader and student some of the most up to date writings available. The topics themselves are 'historical' (for lack of a better way of putting it), but the work is very contemporary.

Some of the topics (or sections) in this text include: Religious epistemology; the Existence of God; Coherence of theism; the problem of evil; soul and immortality; and Christian theology. Some of the philosophers contributing to this volume include: William Lane Craig; William P. Alston; Alvin Plantinga; J.P. Moreland; Eleonore Stump; Quentin Smith; Alfred J. Freddoso; Keith Yandell; Richard Swinburne; Peter van Inwagen; William L. Rowe and many others. This text is a great reference tool, it emphasizes the Christian tradition, it has some first rate introductions, and offers the reader a list of suggested titles for further study. The only downfall, if you could call it that, is the fact that this text is geared toward the student of philosophy and the reader who already has a background in the issues at hand. Some of the articles are quite advanced, but this makes for a great challenging read and will only aid the reader in expanding his knowledge.

...way too advanced for an undergrad like me. This book is an excellent resource for intelligent Christians. Don't get me wrong, I eventually get what is being discussed in the essays, it just takes me a long time.

I don't really understand what the criticism of the earlier reviewer was with regard to Dr. Craig's opinions concerning morality. Dr. Craig has successfully defended his beliefs on morality against his foremost opponents. (I don't know how you can argue for an objective and non-arbitrary morality if you hold a naturalistic worldview.)

I recommend this book to anybody interested in current discussion of philosophy of religion topics. Just be warned if you are not already well versed in elite philosophical terminology: it may take you a while to make it through!

William Lane Craig does a masterful job in his section on Natural Theology. He presents a cumulative case for God's existence by including Alvin Plantinga's modal version of the Ontological Argument. ( Although some philosophers have corectly pointed out that his argument is really Cosmological in nature because it presupposes that something exists. One can only know that a poissible world exists on the background knowledge of an actual world.) Plantinga believes that if it is even possible that a maxamally great being exists, then it is true and necessarily true that he does exist. The only question is what warrant exists in thinking that there is a possible world in which a maxamally great being exists. Here is where Craig hammers the nails in the coffin. Based on the other arguments and evidential considerations one may come to the justified conclusion that it is at least possible that a maxamally great being exists. That there is a possible world in which an eternal necessary being exists. Since this being exists necessarily, then he must exist in every possible world. And since the real world is a possible world, then it follows that God exists.

For a more detailed and better treatment on this subject I would recommend Craig's section on Natural Theology in this text. See also Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by Craig and Moreland ( 2003 ).
The rest of the book is pretty good also. Although it is a little rough at times.

I had to read this book for school and at first was totally lost. But, after I understood the book more I really liked it. I haven't read any more shakespere but after that book I plan to.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is about many confused lovers. One loves another and another loves another. It is also about love at first sight. This is only because a fairy put spell on people to make this happen. But, I must say that A Midsummer Night's Dream is really a good movie.

I simply do not, cannot and will not understand how anyone can do anything but love A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare is Shakespeare, and after reading or enacting this play, any foolish mortal can see why he has stuck around for so long, inspiring, haunting and getting raucous laughs and sighs out of many completely different generations. The language is beatiful, and for anyone who is mistaken, Shakespeare is not old English. He is not middle English. That's right, he's an older kind of modern English, and after you get into his rythym, it is not hard to comprehend in the least. Shakespeare is a magic that picks you up and mercifully and marvously refuses to let go of you. Shakespeare is a passion which swirls around in so many different ways, just to jump up behind you to startle and surprise you when you thought you got him down. Shakespeare is the genius who knows more than anyone about the human character, and what he does not know he revels in the mystery of not knowing. In a Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare is at his witty, sophisticated, passionate, knowing and romantic best, and anyone who has a heart which beats must read or see it for their own good.

I bought this deck based upon the reviews I've read about it, and was very disappointed. I found the designs downright ugly, and the deck itself actually had a weird smell to it, which I think might be from the ink it was printed with (?). They are also an awkward size to use. I found the book simplistic and not very useful. This is just a weird, ugly deck that is no pleasure to use. I don't understand what the other people see in it.

Okay, I do not understand how any one could give this deck a bad review; it makes no sense to me. With all due respect, I guess the individual does not understand the complicity of linoleum block, which is not the same as just drawing a deck, it is much more complex and difficult to work with. But with all that said, this deck is very strong in it's style. Yes this is a very big deck, but for one to truly appreciate the art within the cards, it needed to be this big. I strongly recommend this deck to the beginners as well as the advanced / or collectors. I am a reader and collector of tarots for many years, and I have used this deck, especially when teaching younger adults or pre-teens. I bought a few decks, and with my three daughters, (actually one is younger, and I got her the Hello Kitty Tarot) But I got a few of these decks, this past summer and every day we would color the deck with markers. As we did so we spoke on the meanings of the deck, or what a card meant to one of my daughters. Happily each Light and Shadow deck became beautifully unique and an art project that gave us much time to spend together. Also instead of studying the tarot alone, we made it a group project, and learned so much from one another.

For that alone I recommend this deck so much. You will have a deck all your own. I was saddened to learn that Michael Goepferd the artist of this deck, did not live to see his deck in print, and I hope he can see, that he has created a deck that will defiantly become a classic.

The Light and Shadow Tarot is a marvelous example of an all-too-rare occurance: a deck that works on both the artistic and esoteric levels. These linoleum block prints by the late Michael Goepford were originally published in a limited edition as the Contrast Tarot. I feel lucky to have access to this deck, now including a book by Brian Williams (creator of the Renaissence Tarot, PoMo Tarot and Minchiate Tarot).
 
Goepford's art is superb. Tarot enthusiasts accustomed to decks that look like illustrations from a sword and sorcery novel will find Light and Shadow a pleasant change of pace. The cards show all the expressiveness associated with block prints, but are finely detailed, with delicate, clean lines. As is common with block prints, the cards are all black and white. Unusual for a Tarot deck, but fortunately the cards are well-printed with deep blacks. The effect is not one of cheapness but of rich, complex art.
 
The imagery on the cards keeps fairly close to tradition, though Goepford exercised some creative freedom in his interpretations. All the cards are richly illustrated with symbolic details; every corner of each card is filled with tiny details that add additional meaning.
 
The book accompanying Light and Shadow is as enjoyable as the deck. The book was written by Brian Williams, based on interviews with Goepford. It includes detailed interpretations in a lyrical style typical of Williams, and a short poem for each card. The book also includes a brief biography of the artist, with examples of his non-Tarot work.

Light and Shadow Tarot is my favorite deck, a highlight of my collection. To my mind this deck is the gold standard against which all black and white Tarot decks must be measured. I highly  recommend Light and Shadow Tarot as an art deck for collectors, to readers who want a fresh perspective on the Golden Dawn tradition, and for anyone interested in block print art.