The "Honors Class" is the set of mathematicians who have solved, or heftily contributed to solving, one of the famous 23 problems proposed by David Hilbert a hundred years ago.

Energetically researched, Yandell's book naturally presents numerous morsels of biography, spotlighting the eccentricities, the sobrieties, the childhoods, travails, philosophies (he got me to understand, finally, why the intuitionists cared so much about their program), and politics of the members of the Honors Class. But from all these snippets, what emerges is a biography of mathematics itself in the 20th century; a sense for the marvelous, moving, growing organism that has been the mathematical quest.

Many bright men and women, many geniuses, populate these pages. But with two exceptions (Georg Cantor, the mystical grandfather of modern logic and set theory; and the remarkable Teiji Takagi, who built Japanese mathematical culture, and the class field theory that led to solutions for three of Hilbert's 23, all seemingly with his bare hands) they didn't wield their chalk in solitary splendor. They formed a web made of learning, mentoring, competing, collaborating, inspiring; a web that converged on and spread out from two tumultuous epicenters of the century's math activity: Goettingen in Germany (until Hitler drove out all its best minds), and Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies.

There are four parts biography to one part math here. That should make the book as approachable for laymen as it is delightful for the math sophisticates who'll get to put faces on all those familiar old names. The address in which Hilbert set out his problems is given in full as an appendix; and those who wish to pursue the technical topics further get a bibliography rich enough to keep them occupied for years.

You'll get only tantalizing tastes, best in the earliest and latest chapters, of the nitty-gritty content of 20th century mathematics. But you will get a doubleplusgood, full-length portrait of what it became as a social and cultural enterprise.

Fascinating historical comments, lively portraits of mathematicians, and their times. While the narrative is about the lives of some great mathematicians, it sucessfully outlines main ideas in the subject,--the personal and scientific context. The author does a great job in sharing his fascination with the rest of us. The book covers roughly the past hundred years. It is a great service to the mathematics community,-- and especially, it is an enjoyment for everyone.
It reads like a novel, fast paced, and it is hard to put down. I meant to look at it before going to sleep, but instead read it to the end, finishing in the morning. As a professional mathematician, I am often saddened by how little our work is perhaps understood and appreciated. Books like this can do a lot of good. I can now tell my children that dad does stuff like that.
The author brings the events and the mathematical people to life, and he has a story to tell. This book is and will be a success for a long time to come.

In 1900, David Hilbert gave an address to the International Congress of Mathematicians that outlined the twenty three most important unsolved problems of mathematics, as he saw them. In "The Honors Class", Benjamin Yandell describes the problems and the very remarkable people who worked on them. More than a century later, there are still a few that remain unsolved, and some of those that have been successfully attacked withstood assault for many decades. I was familiar with many of the names in book because they are associated with equations that I have used and that I teach my students about. It was not until reading this attractive and well-written history that I was able to put those names and their contributions into context. This is the best popular book about mathematics that I have read since "Fermat's Enigma" by Simon Singh.

An engaging, rewarding read, much needed these days. Though they discussed the problems these three faiths have with each others claims to chosenness and truth, and hinted a few times at needing to widen the dialogue to include "other" non Abrahamic faiths, they did so in a way which indicates some lingering conceit and self righteousness. Hmm. Can't we rejoice in how our common spiritual yearnings find various expression in different cultures?

This book was great...' kept my full attention. The last book I reviewed was about the same religions, but this one was so much better. It gave me a much better understanding of the common Islamic views. You get the words straight from the discussion between the 3 faiths, not just one man's research of other men. This book is very simple for any reader to enjoy. It is always great not only to see comparative religion but to see people with entirely different views on the same subjects conversing "in a beautiful manner". They are struggling to find a way to bring their views together, and the Christian commented on how very close he was to including Muhammad as a prophet of God. Their struggles just begged one uniting cry in my mind, although they didn't know it themselves: Baha'i.

This book is based on live dialogue between well-qualified spokesmen representing Judaism, Christianity and Islam, presented before audiences throughout the United States. It provides an excellent insight into each religious tradition, and left me with a greater appreciation for what the three faiths have in common. Worth reading by anyone who wants to better understand the relationships between the three Western religions that trace their beginnings to Abraham

My 3 1/2 year old daughter LOVES this book. I hate to give away the last page, but my little girl can hardly contain herself waiting for the last bug, the Sopranosaurus. She pushes the magic button again and again. We love ALL of David Carter's bug books!

A fabulous book. Very creative/inventive, it was the big hit of the 2 year old's Christmas gift hoard.

We received this book as a shower gift. It has become the all-time favorite toy for our 11 month old daughter. Forget bonding with stuffed animals-she just wants to look at this book! She squeals with delight everytime she sees the cover and NEVER tires of looking at the whimsical, bright pictures. On the last page she looks up at me to see if I am laughing with her at the funny last critter. Every time, it is so cute! I am giving this book out at every shower I go to.

but not something that I was looking for. Don't have real life examples in detail.......

Much of Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development will be a discussion of technologies and ideas with examples to demonstrate specific techniques. Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development will also contain case studies to illustrate real-world examples of specific topics. ColdFusion 5 is a massive upgrade, and it adds lots of new features, including some designed specifically for advanced and power users. Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development will address these issues and technologies, including: using clustering and fail-over technologies to ensure server uptime, using the new archive and restore features. server monitor and benchmarking, creating secure applications and integrating with existing security system, extending ColdFusion using COM/DCOM, CORBA, and the ColdFusion C and Delphi API's, using the Java integration options, customizing and modifying the client environment, writing custom tags and functions, ISP ColdFusion hosting issues, and working with XML and XSL. User Level: Advanced, 600pp

Within 1 chapter, I was already able to increase performance and get a quality return from this book. A must for every Cold Fusion Developer. It's part 2 of the Cold Fusion Bible!

Benjamin Rush was a remarkable man. It is encouraging to think that this Founding Father will be studied by today's generation. The book is a bit dry, still, David Barton has done us a great service by reacquainting us with one of the outstanding figures in our Country's origin. This should be suggested or even required reading for any American History class.

It's no wonder our modern education system ignores Dr. Benjamin Rush. Not only was he a highly principled man of integrity, but he was also a devote Christian who lived his life according to the dictates of scripture. In every endeavor of his life he remained strongly entrenched in his Christian values and defended the Bible as only source of true virtue for a free society.
Loyal to his beliefs he abhorred the institution of slavery and did everything within his power to have it abolished in his lifetime. Unlike many of his contemporaries who opposed the slave trade for political reasons, Rush believed that the slaves themselves deserved equal rights with rest of mankind! He proved his sincerity by using a section of his own land to erect the very first community in the American colonies for 'Free' men of color. Including building them homes and a church and supplying a black clergyman for their spiritual needs. Why isn't this taught in our public schools?
We live in a day when the foundations of our history have been twisted and distorted almost beyond recognition. The average high school student today could no more tell you why the American Revolution was fought or WHO it was fought against! As for the framers of our Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the only frame of reference our young people have is what comes out of the movie studios of Hollywood. The result is a darkened understanding of the legacy these men left behind and a 'warped' view of their outstanding accomplishments in a time when Liberty was unknown in the earth.
Men like Benjamin Rush are avoided like the pledge because they fail to meet the 'criteria' of the modern education system. Rather teach the students that our founding fathers were all bigots, slave-owners and rich white plantation holders. Condemn them all for the faults of a few. Don't focus on the accomplishments of men like Rush, Adams, Franklin and others, who dedicated their lives to struggle for human liberty. Instill into our youth the 'humanistic' spirit that destroys a respect for the dignity of mankind and discards Liberty as morally repugnant.
Those of a mind study the life of this man and see for yourself the heights from which we have fallen. If you have children trapped in our deteriorating public school system, consider the difference godly values would make in their continuing education. May this book then serve as a framework to rebuild the family unit and motivate our young parents to 'train up a child in the way he should go, so when he is old he won't depart from God!'

This is a POWERFUL book. A good, quick read from some of our premier modern-day American historians. This collection of essays gives us an inside look at most of the presidencies of the second half of the 20th century. A must read for any history buff.

• Edmund Morris - Last fall, Morris published the controversial biography Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan. His book The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt earned him a Pulitzer Prize.

• Ben Bradlee - Author of That Special Grace, a tribute to John F. Kennedy, Bradlee is a vice president at the Washington Post. He previously was the executive editor at the Post who oversaw reporting of the Watergate scandal.

• David Maraniss - A reporter at the Washington Post since 1977, Maraniss earned a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his coverage of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. He subsequently wrote the Clinton biography, First in his Class. His latest book is When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi.

The "Power and the Presidency" series was created on behalf of the Montgomery Endowment by alumnus Robert A. Wilson of Dallas, a communications consultant who put together a similar series, "Character Above All" (dealing with the impact of character on presidential leadership) in 1994 at the University of Texas at Austin.

These well written essays provide vivid glimpses of varying Presidential personalities, with thoughtful discussion of individual strengths and weaknesses. To me, especially in an election year where character is a major issue, it was an enthralling read, with highlights of qualities such as "Reagan's voice, which was a large part of Reagan's power..." or the speaking style of TR, with plosive P sounds, which "would pop with Gatling-gun force. The effect of his oratory was to bury every word in the psyche of his listeners." or the political genius exhibited by FDR who talked "at a level at which very few people could follow him and understand what he was really saying" that FDR also recognized in a young congressmen, LBJ, as "he saw Johnson understood _everything_ he was talking about." I enjoyed reading these examples of behavior and the illuminating contrasts such as: "It is hard to imagine two more different men than Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy..." or "despite the major differences in their temperaments--indeed, I would argue, because of these differences--Eleanor and Franklin forged their historic partnership..." I would recommend to readers the book "Presidential Temperament" by Choiniere and Keirsey, another well researched volume which gives an explanation of "how each President's temperament inevitably expressed itself in his behavior, both in office and in his personal life."

Let me begin by saying that the rating I have given is not comparing Kennedy's volume to other kinds of works, but rather to the half-dozen or so popular textbooks that are similar and that anthologize many of the same works. All have particular strengths and weaknesses; they are all worthy anthologies.

For several years, I have been using the Kennedy anthology to teach the introduction to literature class to university students. I am reasonably satisfied with the current text, although the price seems rather high. I have had some reservations about the selections in poetry because Mr. Kennedy has insisted upon calling popular songs "poetry" and implied that a few of the pop songs by Run D.M.C., Paul Simon, Bessie Smith and Clarence Williams, and the Beatles are the equivalent of real poems. Sometimes a student will become angry because I will not accept a paper on a pop song.

This 60's kind of nonsense (like "The Poetry of Rock") should have remained in the 60's. Shamelessly, however, Mr. Kennedy and his publisher seem to pander to what is perceived as students' tastes. I note that at the back of the volume is a form soliciting students' opinions of the selections. There is no similar form for teachers.

I am especially disturbed by this new edition because the claim to "international and multicultural coverage" has evidently meant the deletion of a great short story, Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych." I guess, in the minds of the compiler and editors, the inclusion of additional "student essays" was more important than the inclusion of a great story. (Frankly,I--and I suspect many others--could do with fewer student essays and more essays by professionals.)

In a recent article in "The Chronicle of Higher Education" (Feb. 12, 1999), Professor James Shapiro (Columbia) laments, "When Brevity Rules the Syllabus, 'Ulysses' Is Lost." He goes on to say that because of the current demand for brevity, we can "forget about 'War and Peace'--'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' is fast becoming Tolstoy's representative work." If Kennedy's 7th edition of "Literature" is any indication, however, we can forget about Tolstoy altogether.

Maybe some caring people could get together and demand that Tolstoy be put back.

The Kennedy Anthology is a decent dependable sampler. I studied from it as an undergraduate and I now use it, as a grad student, to teach introductory lit classes (supplementing it, of course, with outside material)

I'm suprised, however, at the reviewer's comments above. Yes, Kennedy includes rock songs in the poetry section, but claims dismissing their inclusion are faulty for two reasons. 1)Rock lyrics, whether you're fond of them or not, do qualify as poetry (they are verse, after all and whether or not rock and roll lyrics stand as "good" poetry is a completely separate issue) and 2)Despite the fact that popular lyrics are included in the poetry section, the canonical giants are still well-represented (no need to fret, Whitman hasn't gone anywhere). In other words, if you dislike the rock lyrics, well, simply don't teach them.

More importantly, in a field as diverse and (usually) liberal as literature, I'm shocked that people still complain about multiculturalism and international literature "taking away" from established great texts. Isn't this PC debate over? Haven't we all now simply accepted the fact that including diverse texts isn't a PC issue but rather an issue of good old common sense? Does anyone really still question the validity of marginalized (yet talented) voices being heard? Hasn't liberal humanism (at least in its problematic manifestations) been successfully deconstructed? Frankly, I'm frightened to think how there are English instructors out there actually arguing AGAINST diversity. Then again, I'm also incredibly naive.

Lastly, I like lit textbooks that include examples of student essays. I employ a workshop method in my class and my students and I look at a variety of essays throughout the term--from established professionals, from students, and from me. Students are too often bombarded with "professional" examples of what they are expected to produce. Why not include examples of reasonable essays that are more or less within their rhetorical reach?

... First of all, it is massive and contains three books in one - fiction, poetry and drama. Each section includes a plethora of selections as well as longer works (like the full length plays of Hamlet and Macbeth). So one is really getting quite a library from this one book.

Even better, the sections are organized along themes in order to teach the student (or interested reader) how to appreciate the various forms. So the poetry section has sections on sound, figures of speech, rhythm, closed and open form, etc. I suppose this comes from it being a textbook for undergraduate courses - in any case, it pays off. I've learned a tremendous amount already. It's all in very easy to understand non-technical language, too.

At the end of the book, there is even a brief section on various forms of literary criticism. The book contains numerous student essays, brief author biographies, reflections by the authors on their own works (this is really great), and it reflects a really broad range of genres and time periods (unfortunately the section on haiku is plagued by bad translations, and there aren't enough examples of Chinese and other Japanese poetry... oh well!). There is also an emphasis on getting the reader to practice (and write for him or herself) what is being taught. So if you want to be a writer, this is great.

If you're a beginner interested in getting into literature, this is really a great way to do it. Don't be put off by the massiveness of this book - it's really a resource. Just start in one small place (I started in 'poetry') and work your way around. It will definitely increase your appreciation for literature.

I must say that I was quite dissapointed with the book. The book was stale and at times too disciptive. Perhaps, it was meant for students and not real world practictioners. However, to be fair, I am quite sure that both the authors are experts on the subject and would be great if they had written a more applicable / practical follow-up for us in the (service) game. Like I said, this would be a good text and that's about it.

Ben Schneider has written a book of extraordinary value here. Having read several dozen service books, this one ranks with The Service Profit Chain, Call Center Management on Fast Forward and The Discipline of Market Leaders. As a psychologist, Schneider demonstrates a profound understanding of customer (and employee!) behavior. Some may criticize its mildly academic approach, but anyone who wants to get beyond the fluffy prose and jaded case studies of American-based service needs to read this book. Unlike so many publications today, this one cannot go out of date.

I am in the service business. Training people in service has been my job for many years. I have read dozens of books on service. However, this book presents a total shift in mind when speaking about service. We all have a lot yet to cover if we are committed to generate service excellence. Don't miss the opportunity. Ronen Ben-Naphtali (Israel)

In June of 1757 Benjamin Franklin embarked for London to serve as a agent for the Pennsylvania Assembly, returning to Philadelphia in 1762. In November of 1763 he returned to England, again as Assembly agent. Over the next few years he is appointed agent for the colonies of Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, returning to the colonies in 1775. This book chronicles Franklin's years in London serving as colonial agent

Franklin in Paris arranging for French help in the Revolution is an inherently fascinating topic. Davis Schoenbrun gave it a good thorough treatment. However, Schoenbrun is a plain writer, without any noticeable style, wit, insight. He does not manage to create any feeling of "triumph." Ths frustrations of his mission, however, are evident.