At first this book bothered me with it's lack of references. Bowman would make an assertion (or state a fact, depending on your views) but not provide a reference for fact checking. Some of the government reports he quotes do not even appear in the bibliography. One example of this is when he refers to "a 1979 government report." Looking in the bibliography, there are no references at all from 1979. My question: "Which report?"

In spite of this recurring problem throughout the book, there are some very important points which he makes. Our country is completely reliant on energy distribution systems that are vulnerable to disruption.

When I finished the book, I felt like he started out with his conclusion (the last 3 or 4 chapters) and then wrote the rest of the book to support it. This didn't work very well, but... the conclusions are important enough that I have a hard time dismissing the book as I was initially ready to do.

This book tells us the public secrets none of us realized until the World Trade Center bombing. Without telling terrorist how to destroy us, the author helps us all to realize that international terrorism is not just an easily ignored horror overseas, but is imminent to us. Our lives, our dreams; the very survival our country may depend on how our leaders deal with the issues in this book. Our country's web of utilities and other services have bound us together, and supported us through decades of hard times. They may now be our downfall

This timely and extremely relevant book deserves your immediate and full attention. Published in 2001 but before September 11, it has also been abridged and released in audio form.

The three authors describe several attempts at biological and chemical attacks that have occurred over the past fifteen or so years, like the Japanese nerve gas subway incident. One of the more frightening sections of the book is the description of the facilities in the Soviet Union where secret research was conducted, despite the treaty banning biological/chemical weapon development. No records were kept, and we will never know how many human lives may have been lost in central Asia, as the Soviets viewed people of this area as expendable. Now, a great many scientists of the former USSR are penniless, and their expertise may be for sale to Mideast nations, or to terrorists like bin Laden.

To me, the most chilling fact the authors present is their statement: "The military-industrial complex that supports weapons systems has little interest in vaccines and public health." Neither do the private sector pharmaceutical companies, who pursue tremendous profits through such products as Viagra and Rogaine. In the US, the notion of public health seemed antiquated as such diseases as polio and small pox seem to have been conquered. Recent events have demonstrated that we must update public health systems throughout the country, as doctors and nurses are the "first responders" to new bio-chem threats.

Recombinant DNA, "designer bugs", can pose tremendous threats: Taken far enough, they could even produce a slave-race of genetically-altered individuals to serve a ruling race. There is a bright side, which I as the mother of an autistic son, am thrilled to think about: Research into the immune system, and auto-immune diseases, can produce cures for ailments as varied as M.S., diabetes, and autism. Research aimed at destroying life can be used as a source for healing.

Now more than ever we can heed the words of St. Paul, spoken in a distant time and place yet alive with truth: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War Written by Judith Miller, Stephen Engelbery and William Broad is a book the reveals to the reader what kind of threat germ warfare is to us all. The writers did an excellent job tracking down government reports and interviews with people in the know.

This book is an investigative journalism style book, asking questions and later providing answers and solutions to something we really do NOT want out-of-the-box. Secret reports from the CIA, Pentagon, and details about the massive program the Soviet Union embarked upon including charges of human test subjects. There are interviews with senior government officials, including President Clinton.

Reading this book is a real wake-up call, not only to the United States government, but to the people as well. We need to protect our shores from both foreign and domestic threats... as it doesn't take a superlab to make these biological agents, but it will take a super-effort among the American people to maintain the life we enjoy today.

I would concur with the authors of this book that our next threat will be germ weapons, the advances in biology has been mainly unchecked for years giving rise to both legitmate and illegimate research labs. Remembering that terrorists are not rational and are causal fanatics, we have to, now, account for bio-weapons labs... perfecting biological weapons is no longer a viable livelyhood... we need to use this biology with genetically modified germs to counteract the weapons and stop misuse.

The narrative flows freely and is easily understood, as this is a fast read, but more importantly a very informative and eye-opening book.

As a crime fiction writer with my debut novel in initial release, I found GERMS fascinating. Within minutes of the shameful attack on our twin towers, I mentioned to my wife the possibility that truly determined terrorists could have planted biological weapons within their luggage as they boarded those airliners they planned to turn into bombs. GERMS confirmed, to this reader, that such a possibility was at the very least possible. Fortunately, it appears now that our nation has dodged that bullet on this occasion, but this book is a must-read work. The journalists who collaborated on GERMS present frightening details involving the possibilitiy of biological warfare in our modern age. They also report on our government's attempts to prepare for and, we hope, prevent such an attack. We are living a new age. Warfare will not be what we have witnessed in the past. GERMS makes that fact clear. Anyone who wants to be an informed citizen, ought to read this bok.

If this is your first book by Stephen Hunter you'd probably give this book four stars, possibly more. However, having read Point Of Impact, Dirty White Boys, Time To Hunt, Hot Springs etc., Hunter's latest effort doesn't quite measure up. The first half of Pale Horse Coming was in typical Hunter fashion -- action upon action, details about guns, a Swaggert being larger than life. I couldn't put the book down! The second half, however, dragged in too many areas and the action slowed down considerably. Further, many of the events that occurred were somewhat predictable. Overall, Pale Horse Rising is a book I think you'll like -- you just won't love it -- an emotion that true Hunter fans have come to expect (demand?) from his books!

This Hunter's best book. He takes us back to 1951 and Earl Swagger - Medal of Honor and Arkansas State Trooper. Along with Earl is Sam Vincent - you remember him as the fiesty lawyer in Point of Impact.

Together Sam and Earl uncover the secret of Thebes Penal Colony in backwoods Mississippi. Sam approaches the puzzle according to the rule of law, the rational and the logical. He desperately wants to uphold the system. Unfortunately, Thebes and the human scum that inhabits Thebes do not understand the rational. They are beyond the law.

They are not beyond Earl.

Here Hunter's true genius is displayed. Pale Horse Coming is Earl Swagger at his primal and fearsome worst. Hunter has brought Earl thru a crucible that can only end one way (I won't even intimate the details - it is too good). Suffice it to say, Hunter brings Earl to a place that even the horrors of Iwo Jima can not compare.

This one ranks up there with Point of Imnpact and The Day Before Midnight. You will not be dispppointed.

Stephen Hunter has written several novels in which the characters Bob (the nailer) Swagger, and his father Earl Swagger. Each novel stands on its own as a great work of modern fiction. Pale Horse Comong is no Exception. This book is a special treat for those of us that have read the works of the "golden age of gunwriter" from the 1950's. Elmer Keith, Jack O'Conner, and many other make appearnces in this great novel. This is a book about Justice, etribution, Revenge, and mostimportantly, Gunmen. A great read, and highly reccommended.

The Folger Library series are your best Shakespeare source. They specialize in Shakespeares' greatest plays and are quality books that are perfect companion and translator to Shakespeare. It is loaded with page after page of translation from the Old English expressions that are no longer in use to our modern talk, and pictures as well as historic background information on th Elizabethan era and Shakespeares' life. Hamlet is without question Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, remaining in our theatrical culture to this very day. It has become a conversation piece for English professors, dramatists and screen actors (Mel Gibson tackled the role in 1991) and even psychologists, who claim that Hamlet had the Oedipal complex, especially when they read the scene in which Hamlet is in his mother's bedroom. What makes Hamlet so great ? Why does this old play still come alive when performed on the stage in the hands of the right actors ?

Shakespeare, believe it or not, was a people's person and knew about the human condition perhaps more than anyone in his day. Hamlet deals principally with obscession for revenge. Hamlet is a prince whose father has been murdered under the evil conspiracy from his uncle Claudius and even the support of his mother, Queen Gertrude. Depressed, wearing black all the time, and very much as solitary as any "Goth" would be in our day, Hamlet laments his situation, until his father's ghost appears and urges him to avenge his death. The mystery still remains, is this ghost real ? Is it, as many in Elizabetheans thought, a demon in disguise ? Or is it simply a figment of Hamlet's own emotions and desire for revenge. At any rate, Hamlet's father appears twice and Hamlet spends most of the play planning his revenge. His most striking line that reveals this consuming need is "The play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king!".

Pretending to be mad, he scorns even the love of the woman he genuinely loves, Ophelia, whose mind is shattered and heart is broken and who has an impressive mad scene. The deaths of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are also in Hamle'ts hands and a consequence of his revenge. The famous soliloquy in the play, is of course, "To be or not to be", taken on by such great actors as Lawrence Olivier and Orson Welles. Hamlet muses on the brevity of life and the suffering which can only cease through death, as he holds a skull and is evidently suicidal. Finally, the last scenes are the most dramatic. Hamlet duels with Laertes, Ophelia's brother, and with Claudius himself. The deaths of the main cast, including the Queen, goes to show how tragic the human desire for greed and revenge is.

This is Shakespeare's finest tragedy, and quality drama, best seen in a live stage performance, but that also works as a film. As for this book, as I said before, this is the Hamlet to have. You will become more acquianted with Hamlet and Shakespeare even more than taking a year's course with a teacher. This book itself is the teacher.

A tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1599-1601. Before the play opens, the king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who has taken the throne and married the queen, Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. Hamlet, tormented by this revelation, appears to be mad and cruelly rejects Ophelia whom he loved. Using a troupe of visiting players to act out his father's death, the prince prompts Claudius to expose his own guilt. Hamlet then kills Ophelia's father Polonius in mistake for Claudius, and Claudius tries but fails to have Hamlet killed. Ophelia drowns herself in grief, and her brother Laertes fights a duel with Hamlet.

Hamlet's dilemma is often seen as typical of those whose thoughtful nature prevents quick and decisive action.

Hamlet contains several fine examples of soliloquy, such as " To be or not to be" and Hamlet's earlier speech lamenting his mother's hasty remarriage and Claudius' reign which opens "O! that this too too solid flesh would melt". Much quoted lined "Neither a borrower nor a lender be", "Something is rotten in the stste of Denmark", "Brevity is the soul of wit", "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" The lady doth protest too much, methinks," and "Alas, poor Yorick". Arguably Shakespeare's finest play and one that can be read again and again.

If you could read only one thing in your lifetime Hamlet should be that one thing. It is Shakespeare's best work by far, and within its pages is more meaning than you could find within the pages of an entire library full of books, or plays as the case may be. A mere review, a couple words, cannot do Hamlet justice. At times I realize that the language of Shakespeare can be difficult that is why I recommend the Folger version because it helps to make the images expressed by Shakespeare's characters clear to the reader, and allows them to get their own deep personal meaning from Hamlet, Shakespeare's greatest work, with out being bogged down in trying to decipher and interpret his antiquarian English. Don't just listen to what I say, or read what I write, read the play on your own outside the cumbersome restraints of a classroom and see for yourself what I mean.

When drama goes hand in hand with comedy, a fantastic and peculiar pair enters the stage. It is quite difficult to achieve that strange feeling in which the reader is able to find pity in joy, as Shakespeare was able to do when writing his comedy The Taming of the Shrew.
Baptista is stubborn to let his favourite and younger daughter Bianca get married after finding a suitor for the shrewish Katherina, his oldest daughter. As a consequence, a complicated mockery is carried out and anyone displays a true identity both literally and metaphorically. Besides the humorous joke and its funny characters, compassion is clearly shown.
A classic that a reader will never forget. Furthermore than a simple play, Shakespeare also criticized the submissive role of women as well as the poor treatment of servants, always from a comic view, which is a useful way to understand the Elizabethan period, with its habits and customs. Although it may not be too realistic and the actions are sometimes extravagant to happen in true life, it does not let the reader get bored and he/ she will find that the book is easily and quickly read.
Once again, a classic that everybody should read in order to start changing those problems that have persisted for ages: women's role in society and everyone's right to have a satisfactory treatment through injustice.

Of all of Shakespeare's plays that I have read, this is the most enjoyable. The characters are real and engaging - the sweetly stupid Bianca and her hoard of suitors, Baptista, who is more interested in selling his daughters to rich husbands than making them happy, the sly and masterful Petruchio, and most of all, Katherine, the Shrew. The play is full of action, comedy, and enough mistaken and hidden identities to keep the reader happily confused.

Katherine, who appears to be "tamed" by Petruchio's cruelties, learns the art of subtlety and diplomacy that will enable her to survive in a society ruled by men. Her speech in the last scene is not a humbling affirmation of the superiority of men, but a tounge-in-cheek ridicule of Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio, who think that a woman can be tamed like a wild animal by a few days of bumbling controll.

The Folger Library of Shakespeare's plays are the most readable editions that I have seen. There are detailed side notes and definitions of unfamiliar words, which are perfect for the reader who is not familiar with Shakespearean English.

The Taming of the Shrew is a play within a play. It starts out with a drunkard, Sly, and a lord. The lord bets that he can trick Sly into thinking he is a lord. When Sly wakes up he doesn't understand, but eventually accepts who they say he is. After a few minutes he becomes bored and the play, "Taming of the Shrew" comes on. It is a play that has men dressing as women, other men, and women dressing as men. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a book that will have a geat beginning, middle, end, and will keep you wanting to read the next page.

This is only the second book I've read by Stephen Hunter, after _Point of Impact_, but it was another winner. The book mixes real history and characters with fictional characters to great effect, something along the lines of what Max Allan Collins does in his Nate Heller mysteries. Set in the post-WWII years in the corrupt town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, Hunter succeeds in creating a real page-turner, as we follow the adventures of Earl Swagger, a depressed war hero with something of a death wish, as he puts together a group of young lawmen to weed out the corruption.

The group is something like the Untouchables--young, single men gathered from police forces around the country so that they will not be compromised by local connections. The scenes of the group's training are among the best in the book, along with the action sequences wherein they bring down a number of casinos.

This isn't a perfect book by any means: Hunter really strains sometimes to tell his story and there are a lot of very awkward sentence constructions. He isn't entirely successful in bringing the historical characters--Bugsy Siegel, Virginia Hill, etc.--to real, believable life. And, as in the Bob Lee Swagger books, there's a bit too much attention to the guns and the gunplay for any but the firearms-obsessed, which Hunter appears to be.

Still, this was a very fast-moving and enjoyable book and I'd recommend it.

I almost wish "Hot Springs" was my first Stephen Hunter novel. On its own, it's a solid, hard-boiled tale. It's also a prequel to almost all of his other novels, giving Hunter the perfect opportunity to show off his skill at foreshadowing and drawing connections between apparently unrelated stories, which is considerable. "Hot Springs" would make a great introduction to Hunter's work.

Unfortunately, as the latest installment, it's somewhat lacking. While it does have plenty of new revelations and background information for those readers already familiar with Stephen Hunter's characters, it doesn't have much else, and what's there feels a bit recycled. The plot is fairly straight-forward, lacking the dramatic cross-cutting of "Time to Hunt" and "Black Light", the twistedness of "Point of Impact", or the sheer intensity of "Dirty White Boys". Anyone who's read Hunter before knows exactly how it will end, and may even recognize the setting of the inevitable final showdown.

Still, it's good to see old friends like Earl Swagger and Sam Vincent again, as well as real-life historical characters like Bugs Siegel, Virginia Hill, and colorful FBI agent and trick shooter D.A. "Jelly" Bryce. (In a major role and only thinly disguised under the name "Parker".)There are also tantalizing hints that we may soon hear much more of Frenchy Short, whose character promises to be quite a departure for Hunter.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the three "Bob the Nailer" offerings from Hunter, I looked forward to this novel whose central character is Earl Swagger -- WWII veteran, medal of honor winner, tortured soul, and father to Bob the Nailer. Although not as good as Point of Impact (which was an impressive page turner), Hot Springs did not disappoint. Early morning workouts on the stepper or exercise bike were not seen as drudgery but rather as an opportunity to pound out more pages of Hot Springs. Throughout the book, one comes to know and further appreciate the intricacies, both positive and negative, of being a Swagger. Action sequences and character development are interwoven and provide a complementary blend throughout the book. This novel is able to stand on its own as an action/thriller, but for those who have already completed the "Bob the Nailer" books, it also offers a good early glimpse at characters from previous novels and ties together events that are littered throughout those efforts. Certainly, this will not be the last novel from Hunter based on the Swagger clan.

Comedy, in the strictest sense, is concerned with ultimate forgiveness and reconciliation. In Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest," the protagonist, Prospero, must come to terms with his brother Antonio, who conspired to have him driven from his duchy in Milan, and with the world of social interaction in general.

Magic, Power, and Conspiracy are the foundational thematic elements through which Shakespeare effects Prospero's reintegration into human society. Thrown into a boat with his infant daughter Miranda, Prospero comes to live on a nearly deserted island in the Mediterranean Sea. Prospero's concentration on developing his proficiency in Magic caused him to become alienated from his political and social responsibilities in Milan, leading to his expulsion. His brother Antonio conspired with Alonso, king of Naples, and seized the power Prospero forsook for book-learning.

Prospero hears of a sea voyage undertaken by his enemies, and, using his Magic, whips up a storm, a great tempest, which causes his enemies to be shipwrecked on his island. On the island, Prospero exercises total power - over the education of his daughter, his slave, the deformed Caliban, and now over his enemies. He engages Ariel, a sprite, to orchestrate the division of the traveling party, and to put them through various trials to exact vengeance and ultimately, submission from them.

"The Tempest" is a fine effort from Shakespeare, but the power relations in the play are problematic. Prospero's insistent dominance over the action of the play is extremely troubling. Although he is presented as a benevolent character, Prospero's relationships with Miranda, Caliban, and Ferdinand, King Alonso's son, complicate his overall worth as a man and an authority figure. The dynamic between the slave Caliban and the drunks, Trinculo and Stephano, is also very unsettling.

Overall, "The Tempest" remains a whimsical flight of imagination, while exploring intriguing themes of education, political intrigue, and romance. Certainly, it is still a well-constructed and entertaining play after nearly four hundred years.

This is Shakespeare's 2nd last play. Yet, nothing indicates that he was running out of steam. The images are beautiful. Stephano, Caliban, and Trinculo are memorable as the bumbling conspirators. Miranda and Ferdinand are fine as the two young lovers. Ariel is striking as Prospero's loyal servant. Prospero is a magnificent creation. Not only does he offer several beautiful and memorable passages, but he is well drawn as a character who was unfairly forced into exile. He also makes his prison his paradise. In addition, he is a fine representation of Shakespeare himself: "Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me / From mine own library with volumes that / I prize above my dukedom" (1.2.166-168). His speeches in 4.1 and 5.1 also reflect how Shakespeare himself was contemplating the end of his career. The story itself is very well drawn. Shakespeare grabs our attention with a storm at sea. He offers us a reflection of himself, comical touches, beautiful images, profound passages, beautiful language, young lovers, comical villains, and deep messages. If you like this, be sure to read his final play "Henry VIII."

Yes, there is once again murder brewing in the play of Shakespeare but only in a comical way. Not able to claim to be a Shakespeare expert, I have only read four of his other plays. However, it is in my opinion that this be the best one, most likely because it is a comedy and is much lighter that his other plays. This classic play tells the story of the former Duke of Milan who was wrongly dethrowned by his brother. Using his magical power that originally expelled him from Milan, he is able to bring the King (Alonso), Alonso's brother (Sebastian),his own brother (Antonio) and other servants to the his mostly vacant island. Ordering about the spirit Ariel, he manipulates his way into an interesting and funny situation. There is much to gain from reading this wonderful play which is one of Shakespeares last. I recommend this book to Shakespeare lovers and even more so, to variety readers such as myself. You won't be dissapointed by the plays light mood which is much better than Shakespeares serious murder stories.

Reading the reviews for this book makes it clear that there are two camps of readers of this book: those who read it in high school and those who read it later in life. Count me among the latter.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. I was pleasantly surprised by Golding's depth and sharp insight. Despite the youth of its main characters, Lord of the Flies is not some juvenile adventure novel. Golding's bleak commentary on the absolute evil (the "Lord of the Flies") that lies in our hearts, waiting for just the slightest opportunity to throw civilization into chaos is chilling and powerful.

I hope that those people who read this book in high school go back and read it again later in life, especially those who did not like it. Lord of the Flies is not an exercise in finding symbolism and motifs ... it's about understanding the point that Golding makes through his story. Lord of the Flies is clearly one of the more compelling and intense books I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it.

Which is not to say that girls won't enjoy this too, but when it was published in 1954, 'Lord of the Flies' was written in response to the standard literature targeted to boys. Golding was frustrated with the idealistic, happy-ending-every-time formula, particularly in one book called 'The Coral Reef'-there are several cutting references throughout 'Lord of the Flies' to this work. In 'Lord of the Flies,' Golding shows us what he feels would *really* happen if a group of boys were left alone on a deserted island. As the book progresses, we see the boys' attempts at maintaining a civilized society degenerating faster and faster.

The plots and ideas introduced present many questions of the reader. How does a group of British schoolboys, growing up in what they consider the height of civility, turn so readily to savagery? How does the temptation of power make them forget their goal of rescue so quickly? How can they so easily dismiss acts of murder? And, as you read the last three pages and close the book, you wonder...how do they feel about the events that have taken place, afterwards?

A better question than "how" is "why." In the critical note included in the back of the book, there is a quote by Golding that states, in his own words, the theme of 'Lord of the Flies': "...an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature...the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable."

Given the novel's endurance over time and countless praises by the critics, one would judge that Golding succeeded. As a reader, you must decided for yourself, but one thing is for sure: This definitely isn't the Hardy Boys, the popular (yet plastic) product of the Stratenmeyer syndicate that, while it has withstood time as well, can't be said to have had an impact on society. Whereas this novel was carefully crafted to be intense and thought provoking, unflinchingly real...not to mention graphic. As a final word of advice, don't hesitate to read this...but don't read it while eating. ^_^;

Don't buy the Cliff's Notes: read this book for yourself - you will enjoy it and remember it for the rest of your life. And if you watch a movie version, read the book first. The old black and white film version cast with British kids is a million times better than the more recent color version with American kids -- probably because American kids are *already* savage...they have no civilized habits to lose! :-)

There is an incredible scene in the book where some older boys toss rocks at a younger boy who is playing in the water. The author notes the the older boys are careful not to throw the rocks too close to the younger boy: I believe he calls the protective perimeter thus formed the circle of civilization or something. Anyway, it's a great and important passage; look for it. It foreshadows all the madness to follow.

Here's a suggestion for a term paper (it worked for me): The character named "Piggy" wears spectacles that he fastidiously cares for when the boys are first marrooned; however, the spectacles are slowly demolished step by step as the boys descend into savagery. By examining the condition of Piggy's spectacles, you can judge how bad things have gotten on the island.

Although I couldn't set this book aside without wanting to read more, it's not for the faint of heart. The details can be quite graphic at times, which was not exactly necessary to tell this horrific story, but it definately put into context how truly psycopathic Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmoka are. What really amazed me is the fact that neither of them is remorseful for what they did to those poor young girls. Mr. Williams does seem to focus more on Karla in this book, which lets us see that she may have been the true mastermind of all the crimes commited, but I would have liked to have read more on Paul as well. The only possible complaint that I could have about this story is that sometimes Mr. Williams jumped around with some details and also there were too many names associated with this case to keep straight. I was astounded that the police could "bungle" the investigations so badly, maybe those three girls would be alive today if Paul Bernardo was stopped earlier than he had been. I can't quite comprehend why the police settled themselves on facts which proved to be incorrect. It's as if they walked around with blinders on instead of meticulously checking out every piece of evidence. This is absolutely worth the read and it shows the great injustice served to all the victims of the sick minds of Paul and Karla. They should rot in jail, and I'm not talking about "country clubish", I'm talking about hard time in general population. Let's see how long they survive there!

I have now finished the 3rd and final story on this very derranged couple... I very much liked this book because I think it tells the truth about Karla more than the other 2 books, which i also liked...Karla was not a victim, there is no one in this universe that can make you do the kinds of horrific acts that Karla did along side her sicko husband, unless you weren't from the same mind frame, I still after reading 3 books can not believe what she did to her sister let alone all the other girls...The fact that she allowed Paul to even think he could violate Tammy and gave him permission acting in concert with him brings total chills down my spine and in each book there was never any remorse..Paul deserves the electric chair, but Karla if i were a prosecutor i would try and find every reason to renege that deal they made her and keep her behind bars and if that parole system in canada allows her to get out before her due date that would be an all time sin...When the time was right she told all when it suited her. How her parents could even look at her is beyond me she had everything to do with her sisters death if not more ...Anyway this book is realy good well written !

Sick. Karla and Paul are, without as doubt, two of the most vile, malligned creatures on this planet. As if it isn't bad, sick and twisted enough to accost, assault, and kill a perfectly innocent stranger snatched off the street...these two wind up acting out their perversions on a young family member as well!!!

Once the case burst open and both were arrested, Karla was more concerned about safely getting her possessions out of the house than helping the police find out the truth behind the gruesome torture, rape, murder of three young women! She had the audacity to wear the Mickey Mouse watch-that had belonged to one of the victims-during a police interview/interrogation!!!

And to add further insult to injury, Karla has been offered an early out from prison! Nervermind the eternal prison the families of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffee (sic) live and suffer in...just make an accomplice to the rapes and murders of their daughters happy, huh?

I cannot imagine what Karla's family is thinking-she is on videotape as an active participant in the drugging, raping, and subsequent death of her teenage sister-and yet they still support her and plan to welcome her back into their home once released from prison!!!

Man oh, man, you talk about Dysfunction fest...

I guess I expected that a platform independent standard such as XML would have been better expained using a platform independent language such as java. For the unix/java engineers out there....this book contains much useful information and don't get me wrong, I learned a lot. The question is, would I have learned as much or possibly more if I didn't have to put up with 90% of the code examples written in VBScript? Many examples require Internet Explorer. Content was up-to-date and informative but somewhat repetative (12 authors).

The book covers too many topics and just few are developed in deep while others are superficially introduced because not yet standardized at the time of print. The book claims it covers the following topics: XML, XSLT, DOM, DTD, SOAP, XLink, XPointer, XPath, WAP, WML...and more; but just XML, Schemas, DTDs and SOAP could almost fit the book's size.

Chapters don't follow a very logic thread and it doesn't deal enough with very relevant subjects. Wrox probably planned to make this book the XML bible but I think they are far from the target.

The XML declarative language, with its adaptability and expressive power, is continuing to become the language of choice for reporting and classifying information. XML is a formal grammar that captures the syntactic features of a document type definition, and its properties, syntax, and applications are discussed effectively in this book. It covers XML as formalized by the W3C and the authors show how to use XML in Web-based and database applications. Readers who have developed applications in HTML will probably view XML as somewhat more abstract, since the visual representation of the content of a document is not emphasized in XML. Readers are expected to have a background in HTML, JavaScript, Java, and ASP in order to read the book. Although XML can be learned by reading the W3C specifications, these documents are frequently difficult reading, and this book makes the learning of XML much easier than reading these specifications. They include the W3C specifications for XML 1.0 in an appendix to the book for the interested reader. The book is a little dated, since the W3C has been updating XML specs since the time of publication (especially with regard to schemas), but there is a 2nd edition coming out soon.

In Chapter 1, XML is introduced as a mark-up language and its inherent extensibility emphasized. This is followed by a detailed treatment of XML syntax in the next chapter, with emphasis placed on the hierarchical nature of XML. The authors do include a discussion of Processing Instructions (PIs) for users who want to use XML in this fashion.

Document Type Definitions (DTD) are the subject of Chapter 3, where the authors communicate effectively how DTDs formal grammar is used to specify the structure and permissible values of XML documents. The formal DTD structure is discussed, and the principles behind writing DTDs are effectively outlined. They also discuss the problems with using DTDs.

Data modeling with XML is discussed in the next chapter, with information modeling via static and dynamic models treated in detail, and the authors carefully distinguish these two approaches. The actual designing of XML documents is given a nice overview as well as the role of schemas in XML. This is followed in Chapter 6 by a discussion of the (tree-based) Document Object Model, which overviews how XML documents can be accessed by various programs. Some helpful examples are given on how the DOM can be used to create an XML document programmatically. An alternative way of processing an XML document is discussed in the next chapter on the (event-based) SAX interface. The authors outline in detail the benefits of using SAX rather than DOM. In Appendix B the reader will find the Internet Explorer 5.0 XML DOM 1.0 W3C specifications. In addition, in Appendix C, the specification for the SAX 1.0 interface is given.

The shortcomings of DTD are addressed in terms of XML Schemas and namespaces in chapter 7. Since this book was published, XML Schemas have reached W3C recommendation status as of Nov 2000. The authors give a good overview of namespaces and schemas, with helpful examples. This is followed in chapter 8 by a discussion of how to link and query into XML documents using the XML information set, XLink, XPath, XPointer, XML Fragment Interchange, with XLST covered in the next chapter. For database applications, the authors outline the differences between relational databases and XML documents. A very detailed treatment of how XLST transforms the source document is given, and the authors compare XLS and DOM transformations. An Internet Explorer XSL reference is included in one of the appendices of the book.

More details on the relationship between databases and XML is the subject of chapter 10, wherein the authors show how to store XML and how data can be communicated between different servers using XML. The issues involved when moving data from RDBMS to OODBMS or from Oracle to Sybase, are discussed by the authors. This is followed by an interesting discussion on how to use XML as a distributed component model for server-to-server communications via XML-Remote Procedure Call and Simple Object Access Protocol.

E-commerce applications are discussed in the next chapter, with EDI and its improvement via XML. The business markup language cXML , which allows business to business electronic commerce transactions across the Internet, is also treated in detail.

The authors then finally discuss how to render XML documents more readable and pleasing for the viewer in the next chapter using the style languages CSS and XSL. The discussion is really interesting, for the authors dig a little deeper into the foundations of style languages. The discussion of style languages as rule-based languages is particularly illuminating.

The next chapter is very interesting and its inclusion is actually very surprising, namely a discussion of the Wireless Application Protocol. The authors give an introduction to the Wireless Markup Language and WMLScript. The book ends with four useful chapters on case studies for data duality, distributed applications, a book catalog information service, and SOAP.

There are many applications of XML in many different areas, such as CellML (proprietary) used in cell biology, CML (Chemical Markup Language) for molecular chemistry, IML (Instrument Markup Language) for control of laboratory equipment, BSML (Bioinformatic Sequence Markup Language) for gene sequencing, and MathML for formatting of mathematical equations. I find XML an extremely powerful approach to information reporting and I am currently developing a package called NMML (Network Modeling Markup Language) for use in reporting results in simulation and mathematical modeling of networks, and FMML (Financial Modeling Markup Language) for use in reporting results in the modeling of financial instruments. This book, along with the W3C specifications, has been a tremendous help in the development of these applications.