This book about Richard Ramirez, the so-called Night Stalker, is simply one of the best, most painstakingly researched books I have ever read in the true crime genre. Philip Carlo takes you through every single facet of the Night Stalker case, from the victims and thier families, to the life story of Richard Ramirez and his family, through the trials and the evidence and even the groupies that gathered around Ramirez during his lentghy trial.

Carlo takes you down slowly, down into the mind of Richard Ramirez. By the time you realize where you are, its almost too late; you understand the Night Stalker. The groupies make sense. You feel the bewilderment of the victims. You understand the drive of the dectectives and see flaws in the system. And maybe, just maybe, you understand why someone like Doreen Ramirez would be so obsessed with a killer that she would make it her life's mission to marry him on San Quentin's death row.

Unlike many true crime novels, where the "shocking photos" are nothing more than pictures of the places and the peripheral people, Carlo has photos of crime scenes, Ramirez in various stages of his life, the women who were obsessed with him, the outrageous trial behavior. One tiny dissapointment: couldn't the photo of Laura Kendall (undeniably gorgeous but unmentioned in the book) be replaced by a shot of his supporters from the Church of Satan in court?

All in all though, this is a work to rival Graysmith's in depth coverage of the Zodiac killer. I highly reccomend it to fans of good true crime writing.

I read a lot about true crime, as it is a career avenue I'd like to pursue. As someone who has read a lot of material regarding serial killers and mass murders, as well as many other books based on fiction or fact of other topics (I read a lot of John Douglas' work, which I highly recommend), I can honestly say that this book held my attention with both the information Philip Carlo obviously put a lot of time into researching, and his amazing descriptive ability. This read like a fiction. He tends to overuse words at times, but that is merely a small issue. This book is captivating and spell-binding, and the detail that has been put into it will definity satisfy the reader. It is human nature to be curious about the sick and twisted deeds of killers like Ramirez, and at the risk of sounding unsympathetic towards his victims, this book does not disappoint. Although it saddens me to read about such violence to innocent people, I want to know the truth, what the crime scene was like, and how the murder was carried out. It gives me a lot of insight into how these criminal master-minds think, and enables me to delve deeper into their psyche patterns.

Absolutely the best-written and researched book about a serial killer I have ever read. Philip Carlo turns in a stellar performance detailing every aspect on the psychotic rampage of America's most deadly, viscous and sadistic serial killer. The extensive research was evident in the way Philip narrates the actual crimes themselves. A cold blooded, spine chilling account of Ramirez's unreal invasions of his innocent victim's homes while they slept had me checking my doors and windows at night. Fast reading exciting recounts of Ramirez's bloody spree and the LAPD's urgent chase to bring him down. The in-depth look into the Night Stalker's family history and upbringing helps explain what turned a little boy into a monster. The coverage of the court trial is very comprehensive and gives us a close up look at the inner workings of a major criminal case. Carlo regales us with a well-written, colorful and detailed look in to the mind and crimes of the Night Stalker. A must read for true crime aficionados.

I just returned home after seeing Jane Goodall speak at Chautauqua, NY. After her inspiring and life changing (for me) speech, I bought this book and found it to be just as wonderful and moving as her speech.

This book made me rethink they way I was leading my life and resolve to change for the better. She uses the story of her fascinating life with the chimps at Gombe to argue against the 'justmeism' prevalent in today's society.(Its just me--how can I make a difference) It made me understand that there is no reason why I can't use my purchasing power to influence companies to treat animals more humanely and to care for our environment.

I loved her thought of humans being in a time of 'moral evolution'. It really made me feel that we do have a higher purpose in life and should be trying to live our lives the most compassionate way we can.

I've already told my friends about her book and her message and they have been inspired as well. I hope everyone picks up a copy of this book and is moved the way I was. I, too, understand her reasons for worrying about our future and her reasons to hope.

In this rich and rewarding autobiographical journey - from infant to wizened woman in her sixth decade - Jane Goodall shares her life-defining experiences including her mentorship by Louis Leakey, the observations of chimpanzees that made her famous, and her significant relationships. The reader is right there with her through learning experiences and personal struggles and may be surprised to know about the difficulties and sacrifices even the lucky, gifted and famous have to make. Jane Goodall frequently calls on her grandmother's favorite scripture for comfort in inclement times, "as thy days, so shall thy strength be." Goodall's accounts and insightful realizations give courage and perspective for dealing with the hardship and obstacles in our own lives.

One of the things I value most about this book is that Goodall addresses ethical and spiritual dimensions of science and conservation. Most scientists do not publicly discuss these larger ethical dilemmas or they sometimes engage in them but lose perspective in balancing human needs with those of other living creatures. Jane Goodall is not only willing and able to discuss these complex dimensions, but the outcome is helpful and thought-provoking.

If I were a professor in any of the sciences (esp. biology, genetics, and environmental studies) or ethics, I would leap at the opportunity to make this required reading. In her broad and clear way, Jane Goodall touches on many of the key issues and interrelations that scientists (budding or established) need to be aware of but will not find in a science textbook. We, as students and concerned individuals, need to know about the Jane Goodalls, Rosalind Franklins, and Einsteins in addition to the Watsons and Cricks so we can visualize the full range of options for how we live and the kind of science we do.

Some people have been lucky enough to know all along that they can have both their science and their religion (in some religions, the harmony of science and religion are explicit, such as in the Baha'i Faith), their compassion and a keen desire for intellectual investigation, scientific research and problem solving. Goodall is one of these people, and it is wonderful to have a respected thinker like her showing that the two seemingly dichotomous realities can blend harmoniously and that it is not always inappropriate for a scientist to also be civically active. Of course, some level of detachment and impartiality must be maintained in scientific research, but this other element of human compassion and civic responsibility needs to be increasingly recognized, emphasized, and cultivated.

While Goodall's periodic discussions of spirituality and ethics may seem unusual subject matter for many traditional science environments, scientists and students will appreciate the opportunity this book offers to broach these subjects in a planned and meaningful way. There is something unthreatening and inclusive in the way Goodall finds value in religious traditions beyond her own, and this feature makes "Reason for Hope" an especially good candidate for required reading in academia. In contrast to books like "The Double Helix," Goodall's sensitivity and same-era research into another genetics-related area provide a needed counterpoint to the attitudes of competition and exclusion that characterized the discovery of DNA. Different models of scientific exploration, different kinds of scientist. Both will be encountered, and both are important to know about.

Readers of all ages can find a hero and a role model in Jane Goodall. Her books for young adults and children have inspired me even as a 23 year old, and I have since given copies of "My Life with the Chimpanzees" as gifts to children as young as 9. Jane Goodall is a remarkable human being with heart, compassion, strong communication skills, and unflagging commitment to chimp research, improving the lot of humans, animals, and all of the life on our planet. The vision and persistence she lends to those tasks are making a wide impact, not only on Westerners, but also on African children and communities at multiple socio-economic levels. People who are working to make a difference are among Goodall's "reasons for hope," the sincere, caring and visionary Yous and Mes of all countries and backgrounds.

Goodall's fresh perspectives illumine things I already knew about and reveal many things I did not know before. Her beautiful command of the English language, vivid descriptions and compelling viewpoints will appeal to the artist, nature-lover, and poet and her sincere spirit speaks poignantly to further engage and delight the rest of us. Female scientists and concerned citizens will be among the most appreciative audience.

I read "Reason for Hope" in one long sitting -- only interrupted by dinner on this Thanksgiving eve. It felt as though Jane Goodall had taken the time to have a powerful, absorbing, and stimulating conversation with me the reader. I say conversation because going with her on her life's journey caused me to reflect simultaneously on my own. She realized her most cherished childhood dreams. Can we all? For Jane Goodall's gift of time and energy, I feel honored and grateful. She has this effect, and because of this valuable "conversation," I feel more dedicated to my own path of service to humanity. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

By the way ... don't miss the breathtaking color photograph on the inside front cover!

Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey, by Jane Goodall with Phillip Berman, Warner Books, 1999, New York. by Marc Bekoff Reason for Hope is an amazing book by a most-amazing woman. Jane Goodall's autobiography is easy to read and will appeal to people of all ages. She writes about highly personal issues and reflects on science, religion, and spirituality. Goodall is clearly a "Jane of all trades and master of many." She wears many hats and she wears them well. Goodall is a naturalist at heart, can do multivariate statistics, write about God and spirituality, be a faithful and committed mother and wife, and find time tirelessly to share her experiences world-wide. There is so much between its covers that one can only offer a glimpse of the numerous topics that are considered in Reason for Hope. This very personal book touches on diverse issues ranging from practical matters we all face daily to more philosophical questions concerning the meaning of life and spirituality. We learn about the events in Goodall's development that led to her views of the world, the incredible importance of family and friends, her work with Louis Leakey (her incredulity when he chose her to begin studies of chimpanzees although, and perhaps because, she had no formal training and no degree), field studies of chimpanzee behavior, conservation biology, environmental ethics, evolution and its relationship to creationism, cultural evolution, the agonizing death of Goodall's husband, Derek, the ins and outs of how much science is done behind the scenes, science and politics, and how so many scientists shy away from confronting the ethical issues that are raised by "doing science." Goodall also learned that naming animals and describing their personalities (I think that "animalities" might have been more acceptable terms) was taboo in science, but because she had not been to university she did not know this. She "thought it was silly and paid no attention." In an interesting story, Goodall notes how fortunate she was when her mother, Vanne, found she had taken a whole handful of worms to bed at 10 months old she did not throw them out, but quietly told Jane they would die without earth, so she toddled with them back into the little garden outside their London apartment. In many ways Vanne is no less amazing than her daughter. In her mid-fifties, Vanne joined Jane on her initial journey into the wilds, leaving for five months a nice peaceful existence in England. Goodall also relates how her novel observations of tool-use in chimpanzees, which were responsible for redefining what is it to be human ("Man the toolmaker" no longer was tenable, tool use did not separate humans from other animals), were looked upon with skepticism by people who thought she was untrained to do the work she was doing, many of whom had never left their ivory tower or seen a wild animal. Photographs of tool use subsequently squelched their concerns. Goodall also ponders evil, warfare, love, and hope, and writes about such notions as reincarnation and the meaning of time and space. She also wonders if she should have brought a child into what many call a hopeless world. Goodall fearlessly discusses how science, intuition, religion, and spirituality merge. Few scientists ever attempt to walk in fields in which she strolls comfortably. Goodall claims, rightfully, that "Science does not have the appropriate tools for the dissection of the spirit." But perhaps changing our views of science will help us along. Goodall is also an accomplished poet and sprinkles some of her works throughout. Goodall also espouses how words, used as labels, can lessen an experience, make it too rational. She notes "Words are part of our rational selves, and to abandon them for a while is to give freer reign to our intuitive selves" What is so appealing about this book is that Goodall does not profess to be an expert in such matters of time and space or in such areas as moral philosophy and religion. Rather, she shows how questions that seem so irrelevant to many scientists are, in fact, highly relevant to the way they go about their business. And, a message that comes out loudly and clearly throughout is that after all is said and done, Goodall is a human being before all, a mortal made of flesh and blood. Just like all us, Goodall can cry, laugh uncontrollably, and most importantly, laugh at herself. So, what are Goodall's reasons for (3) the energy and enthusiasm that is found or can be kindled among young worldwide; and (4) the indomitable human spirit. Everybody can make a difference, and it is the little things we do for others that count so much. Goodall obviously loves what she does. She enters her standing-room-only lectures carrying her stuffed animal buddy Mr. H and begins by emitting a walloping pant-hoot. People laugh and then relax. Goodall then begins quietly to talk about her work and the world at large. Her audience is eerily silent. Goodall speaks softly with confidence, but carries a big stick. She also is light and sprinkles serious discourse with down-home humor. Goodall is not a quitter. Most people expected her to leave her difficult and dangerous field work after a few weeks, but she is now entering her fortieth year of research! She is unrelenting in carrying messages of hope across the planet. Just as she stills her audiences so will this book still you. There is no better model for us to follow as we head into the millennium and beyond. Reason for Hope is one of the most important books of the century. Marc Bekoff teaches in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology at CU-Boulder. He is editor of Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare, for which Dr. Goodall wrote the Foreword

After wanting to read RF for a long time, I finally got a book. This was the first Feynman book I read. It has two parts, the first is mostly about Feynman's first wife Arlene and his friends when he was a young man. The second tells us how Feynman investigated the Challenger explosion. The book is not technical, the second part is a bit more detailed and might tell you more about rocket engines that you would like to know, but the whole book is very interesting. I particulary enjoyed the first part, how Feynman decided to still marry Arlene not matter what everyone else was telling him, and how special their relationship was. Feynman is a brillian man, yet funny and modest, he even shares some of his embarassing moments. I became a fan and am now going for more Feynman books. A first part for your heart, and a second part for your brain. Some were just random thoughts, with no order at all, and it was a bit confusing sometimes for someone who didn't know Feynman's life, but still, this was a delicious book and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading about the people who make brilliant science... and still have a sense of humor. :)

Here is another book of wonderful biographical anecdotes of one of the most intriguing scientists who has ever lived. However, those who are looking for merely a continuing edition of the tremendously popular (not to mention hilarious!) SURELY YOU'RE JOKING MR. FEYNMAN should take note: this present work does not qualify as that.

To be sure, there are a handful of chapters which would fit right into SYJMF. However, 2 major sections cover some exceptionally serious topics which are hardly material for Feynman's typical humor. One section details his love for his first wife as well as her untimely terminal illness. The other covers his work on the commission to disinter the technical problems that led to the explosion of the Space Shuttle CHALLENGER in 1986. These major sections encompass roughly 3/4 of the book.

The chapter on his wife's suffering is especially poignant and touched me very deeply. Feynman was a man whose love and compassion matched his intellect. I could not but feel empathy and admiration for the way he took care of his bride, knowing all along that she would not live long. His decision to be straight with her about her condition, instead of feeding her some fairy-tale story about how she had a good chance of recovery, was both painful and edifying to read.

The section on the CHALLENGER goes into great detail on everything that went wrong that fateful day in '86 as the nation watched the disaster on TV. To this day, I have not seen a television documentary cover this story as I think it should be covered.

I recently saw a special on the CHALLENGER on the DISCOVERY channel. It did an excellent job of focusing on how the engineers at THIOKOL were screaming at NASA not to launch, well into the wee hours of the morning of the catastrophe. However, what the special omitted was the cover-up and closing-of-ranks that NASA did AFTER the accident. To me, NASA's behavior after the fact was even more reprehensible than its carelessness before the launch.

It was for the reason of politics that then-president Ronald Reagan personally requested that Feynman be on-board the investigation committee [a committee that also included the astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, among others]. Reagan knew that Feynman would get to the bottom of the matter (which he did) and that Feynman did not care for the politics of making NASA "look good" (which he didn't).

With this in mind, even people who are not interested in Richard Feynman, but are curious about what happened to the CHALLENGER would gain much by reading this book. Feynman explains his thorough, logical methodology and how it rubbed many people the wrong way. His straight-forward and honest disclosures of NASA's gerrymandering created much animosity between himself and NASA exec William Rogers (who, it seems, was more interested in NASA's image than getting to the heart of the matter). For those who are interested in further reading on the CHALLENGER topic, I would recommend NO ORDINARY GENIUS: THE ILLUSTRATED FEYNMAN ...

For Feynman enthusiasts, this book is vintage Feynman - a can't miss. As a bonus, the center of the book has photographs from his life, as well as some of his sketches. The book is equally recommended for people who wonder about what "really" happened to the CHALLENGER, and why it happened. NASA aficionados may be disappointed in the work as it exposes (truthfully) all of the fudge-factors, apathy for safety issues and faulty reasoning NASA used with the efficacy of launching CHALLENGER on time and preserving its positive image after the fact.

Dr. Feynman, by allowing us to see some very personal moments during his amazing life gives the reader a personal connection to one of history's greatest men. From his work on the Manhattan Project to the Shuttle Challenger disaster, Feynman's wit and sense of humor (as well as his bold style) gave personality to complex scientific problems. This book is a definite must read for any Feynman fan as well as any physicist in need of some perspective. Feynman was the embodiment of Einstein's notion, that you can't understand physics unless you can explain it to a barmaid. Feynman could (and often did), and his style of writing brings his deep understanding of all things, complex or simple to light.

Donald T. Phillips has written a solid and engaging book. It has been hailed by critics and leaders in business, sports, and every other arena as a common sense masterpiece of historical and character analysis. The book is divided into key lessons, each representing an aspect of President Abraham Lincoln's leadership style, as revealed through his words and actions. A beautifully written intimate history, the book shows Lincoln in action. The discussion reveals clearly how any leader can apply Lincoln's timeless principles about communication, character, endeavor, and people. We [...] recommend this book to anyone interested in leadership, Lincoln, or history.

Phillips' book contains many interesting facts of Lincoln's leadership style and provides many examples of why Lincoln was so effective.

Even as a Southerner, I have always admired Lincoln along with Robert Lee, Thomas Jackson, and U.S. Grant as the most remarkable leaders of a turbulent time in our great nation's history.

Some of the more interesting points Phillips makes in his book are (while including historical examples from Lincoln's life) include:

1. How to deal with unjust criticism.
2. A good leader has to be persistent and focused on his
goals.
3. Encouraging innovation and risk-taking by others.
4. Be succinct and consistent in your communication.
5. An excellent leader must be decisive at the appropriate
time and place.
6. Honesty and integrity are of utmost importance.
7. Persuasion works better than coercion.
8. Never underestimate the power of informally talking
with your subordinates.

All in all, an excellent read full of practical advice on how to treat people with respect and dignity!

Lincoln on Leadership tells the tail of one of the most influential presidents of American history. It's a quick read that really touches at the core of leadership and the man who exemplified the subject best, Abraham Lincoln. The way the book is titled makes you think that it was Lincoln himself who actually wrote it (this is not true). Although there's a good amount of writing by Lincoln in the book, the lessons are mostly interpreted by the author Donald T. Phillips, through actual historical events taken from the president's life in office. The author does a great job of extracting the jewels of leadership wisdom by analyzing Lincoln's actions. Lincoln on Leadership is not a step by step guide on leadership theory, it is more of a biography on Lincoln's life in office. If your looking for a thorough history on Lincoln don't bother, most of the items covered are during the Civil War, the time where Lincoln displayed most of his leadership abilities.

The contents of the book are presented in four parts, each part breaks down into several sub-parts pertaining to the main topic:

Part I - People

Part II - Character

Part III - Endeavor

Part IV - Communication

I must tell you, after reading this book I am definitely interested in learning more about our sixteenth president (AKA - Honest Abe). Lincoln on Leadership helped me see the extraordinary attributes of an American legend. His honesty, integrity, and tenacity are all characteristics that should be mimicked by all students of leadership.

Excellent job Donald...

This book holds all the action and psychological suspense of books written by James Patterson. I like Clyde Phillips and will be anxiously waiting for future books from this author. The book began with a gut-wrenching murder that grasped the reader's attention from the very first page and never let go.

Kenny Marks and Jane Candiotti are making a commitment in their relationship and moving in together. As luck would have it, moving day is more memorable than anticipated. A bizarre murder of a former police officer, now down-and-out and hooked on drugs, has just taken place. Marks and Candiotti are called to the scene. This is just the beginning of a diabolical killer's plan for revenge, a fiendish criminal who spent fifteen years in prison planning his fever-pitched killing spree. The action and suspense keep the plot twisting and turning from start to finish.

The book has a well-developed plot and, for the most part, strong characters, particularly that of the killer. The only down side of the book was the rather juvenile persona of Jane Candiotti when it came to her romantic relationship. The professional and personal characteristics of this character conflicted. Although love does make us feel young, the events and dialogue in regard to the romance came across as immature and adolescent, particularly for a forty year old woman. Jane Candiotti is supposedly strong and mature, capable of tracking down a hard-core criminal, but her juvenile personal side left the reader feeling she was too immature in her personal life to be credible in her professional life. For this reason the book lost a star in the rating.

Overall, the book was a great thriller. It was well-written with a super-dynamic plot, although the author might do a little more research on firearms (there were a few blunders in that department.) The book was still a terrific read and highly recommended.

I'm amazed that the SAME writer who created Suddenly Susan(the upbeat television show starring Brooke Shields) also wrote a book where the opening chapter contains a segment where a man's eyes are gouged out of his head with a rusty spoon before his head is shattered by a rock. Then again, maybe it isn't so odd, because this novel is written with a spare, tight intensity that keeps it moving along, edited as tightly as those television shows made to fit 30 or 60 minute formats. The basic story involves San Francisco Homicide Inspector Jane Candiotti and her partner Kenny Marks, forced to take down a madman with revenge on his mind, a revenge he spent 15 years planning while locked away in prison. Although action, not character portrayal, is writer Clyde Phillips strong point, I did find Candiotti to be a compelling personality, a woman entering her 40's who is finally allowing herself to think of committing herself to a future that goes beyond her job (and involving, not so coincidentally, her partner, Kenny), a cop with a believable domestic side who loves to cook and decorate. Fellow cop Kenny Marks is equally compelling and figuring out who the killer is and what motivates him makes for an intriguing read - and a satisfying one.

Thank god I had this book along with me on what turned out to be the longest flight I've ever been on -- I couldn't have put Blindsided down if I wanted to. Jane Candiotti and Kenny Marks, detectives, lovers, and partners against crime, are two of the best drawn characters in the world of mysteries. Together they must sort out the drama not only in their relationship, but in a frightening series of murders that'll keep your heart pumping, page after page. Beautifully written, with enough plot twists to turn you upside-down, Blindsided is a classic -- shrewd, satisfying, brilliant. Bravo Clyde Phillips.

After reading The Bachelor, I was anxious to read more about the Chandler brothers. Carly Phillips never disappoints! The sex is hot, characters are truly believable, and the plot well developed. Rick is a strong, sexy hero and Kendall is a smart, strong heroine(no TSTL heroine here). A fun, light read full of humor.

If you love to review great books (and I do), when you compare the author's works with another's, at least stay within the genre. I would group Carly Phillips say, with the Lori Foster contemporary romance novels, particularly the Buckhorn Brothers series. The Chandler brothers are believable characters. Roman, Rick and Chase become real to me because I have known men who remind me strongly of them. Ms. Phillips has well-fleshed out her men with human frailties and sexy, charming traits.

In The Playboy, Rick Chandler's mother is obsessed with marrying off her boys and becoming a grandmother. Later Raina admits she just wants to see her boys settled and happy as she was with their father. As a mother (or foster) of 7 boys, I can very much identify with Raina in this.

Rick and Kendall Sutton meet in an amusing scene; eye contact jolts, the sparks fly. I love the page where we find out about Kendall's woefully untalented attempt to turn her blond hair to a rich auburn the night before her wedding. It was very pink/punk when she and conservative cop Rick meet. This scene is deftly and hilariously presented, and the reader can say to herself "I've been there"! Soon Rick comes up with the idea of Kendall playing his girlfriend so his mother (and the women in town) will leave him alone.

Rick has good reasons for his fear of commitment. Kendall does not believe in the fairy tale of happy relationships with anyone. Her standard plan is to distance herself emotionally by packing up and leaving. Her character comes alive as we begin to understand her complex background; she belatedly realizes her younger sister has experienced a very similar childhood. This explains her teenage brattiness. Actually, I thought that Hannah had normal teenage brattiness with the habit of totally embarrasing her sister. Hannah is a wonderfully entertaining addition to the story at any rate.

I found the book to be not only a keeper, but a one-nighter as well. Ms. Phllips writing style focuses on her characters in the foreground, with their surroundings rather sparsely covered. In a Regency novel I would be disappointed; but in a contemporary book I like to fill in the setting with my own imagination. This is another trilogy where you want to tell the writer to hurry up already.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has parents! Don't let the title fool you; Carly Phillips' The Playboy is a great book of humorous romance that many people can relate to. When a desperate mother does whatever it takes to get her sons married with children, she realizes, the best type of love is the type that doesn't involve her matchmaking. When old family friend Kendall Sutton comes to town she accomplishes the impossible; catching the heart of one of the most wanted men in town, Rick Chandler. Once these two set up a deal to go along with until Kendall leaves town everyone in town begins to wonder and gossip out of curiosity and jealousy as to who this new comer is that stole one of the last available Chandler men in town. Kendall and Rick begin to develop uncontrollable emotions for one another and what began as a simple deal may turn into a future together. Only one catch, both Rick and Kendall swore to never wed again after getting their hearts broken once before by the ones they loved. Both ends of the deal are up and the question on everyone's mind is now will the town's sexy playboy propose?
I enjoyed reading this novel a lot for many reasons. Carly Phillips knows how to keep the readers attention by telling you what you need to know without all the useless information. The plot above all is what will keep you reading until the very end. Although it is realistic the plot is exaggerated which keeps every scene interesting. So, in conclusion, I highly recommend this book to anyone because I felt it was the best book I have ever read.

I admit from the onset that my review of this work is tainted by two facts: (1) I'm an engineer and not a physicist and (2) I've received enough lectures in physics to be utterly bored with almost the entire first half of the book. Don't get me wrong, Feynman is an utter genious. I was just bored with the book because it read like a Physics 101 class. His careful construction of our modern physical world piece by piece was interesting but not very informative. I wasn't impressed and it seemed to me that this book was simply published so someone could make money off of Feynman's lectures. I didn't see much here to make me sit up and pay attention instead I was busy mentally doodling while my eyes scanned the pages.

From 1961 to 1963, Nobel laureate Richard Feynman delivered a set of lectures to classes in basic physics. By design, the contents of the lectures were transcribed, with the goal being the creation of a set of materials that could be used worldwide in the teaching of physics. Unlike so many abstract scientists, Feynman was an excellent teacher, able to explain the principles by using everyday analogies and without appeal to advanced mathematics. This book is a collection of six of those lectures, chosen for their appeal to the general reader.
The titles and topics of the lectures are:

i) Atoms In Motion - an examination of the atomic theory of matter and how atoms react with each other.
ii) Basic physics - the history of physics before and after the discovery of quantum mechanics.
iii) The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences - how physics can be used to explain chemical, biological, geological and astronomical phenomena.
iv) Conservation of energy - the fundamental principle of conservation of energy, and how energy can change form.
v) The Theory of Gravitation - the development of the theory of gravity from Kepler to Einstein.
vi) Quantum behavior - an explanation of some simple thought experiments demonstrating the weirdness of quantum behavior.

Feynman is also honest with his audience in saying that in many cases, the mechanism is not known.
Since the lectures were delivered forty years ago, many advances have been made. However, they still remain an excellent introduction to the basic principles of physics and can be read and understood by anyone interested in how the universe functions. They can also still be used as primer material in a basic physics course.

This book explains some basic concepts in physics so well that even someone who doesn't like physics might enjoy it! 'Six Easy Pieces' are 6 lectures from Feynman's complete 'Lectures on Physics', chosen for their accessibility to the general public.
Feynman, like all great teachers, understands his subject so well that he is able to explain the concepts behind it in clear, simple terms.
There are 6 chapters in the book, all of them generalized lectures on topics in physics. Feynman explains the structure of the atom and there is a very excellent description of charge and how atoms attract each other.
I really enjoyed the chapter on the relationship of physics to the other sciences, especially chemistry and biology. There is even a section on the relationship of physics to psychology.
Chapter 5 is on gravity and there is a great explanation of Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newtons law of gravitation. These ideas are explained so understandably, I felt like I received a clear conceptual picture of what is happening.
But the highlight of the book for me is Chapter 6 on quantum behavior. Feynman explains the wave-particle duality and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle so well that I really felt I understood the basic ideas. I am just a layman but I found I could really get what he was saying.
Another thing I liked about the book is its honesty. If there is something physics does not understand, Feyman admits it, outlining the parameters of knowledge but acknowledging deficiencies.
The author doesn't come across as a know-it-all, and doesn't 'talk down' to the reader, something which I find refreshing in a science book.
Like any book by Richard Feynman, this one is a delight to read. Informative, honest and with that unique Feynman ability to make even the most complex ideas understandable to the intelligent layman.

First off, this review is of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle" published by Dover Children's Thrift Classics, $.... While most reviews might concentrate on the merits of the stories themselves, this review is meant to support the benefits of purchasing this particular edition over others.

That said, the first thing I would like to comment on is the price. You can't ask for more of a bargain that to pay less than a ... of America's most popular and well known Revolutionary War era stories. Great for anyone on a budget, or parents who want to expand their child's library but don't want to break the bank on something they may only read once. ....

Secondly, I would like to mention that this book contains BOTH "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" AND "Rip Van Winkle" in their respective unabridged entirety. Both are relatively short, entertaining, and easy-to-read stories that supply a great introduction to period literature, beliefs, and storytelling for children and adults alike. While these are not Washington Irving's only writings, they are perhaps the most well-known.

As a former teacher, I have the following suggestion: If you live in the New York metro area, this book would be an excellent jumping off point for a trip to Washington Irving's homestead, "Sunnyside", in Tarrytown, NY, for which you can find plenty of information online. There are several other "living history" sites in the area as well.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle" brings together these two classic stories by Washington Irving. The text of this Dover Children's Thrift Classic is accompanied by the whimsical illustrations of Thea Kliros. Both tales are set in the Dutch-American communities of rural New York State.

"Legend" tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher who lives in an area purportedly haunted by a terrifying spectre: a headless horseman. "Rip" tells the story of a farmer who has a remarkable paranormal experience while wandering in the mountains.

Each story explores the intersection of the supernatural with everyday life. The stories are full of vividly drawn characters and are rich with the local color of rural Dutch American communities. Issues such as folk beliefs, geography, history and oral tradition are well handled by Irving.

Irving's playful, earthy prose style is a delight to read. Passages such as a description of a Dutch-American feast are memorable. Funny, ironic, and poignant, these tales are true classics by one of the most enduring figures in American literature.

Will Moses' illustrated retelling of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow rivals Arthur Rackham's near century-old version as the best edition of the book ever published. The Rackham version, with its moody, archetypal illustrations, has the slight edge, as it contains Irving's full original text in addition to Rackham's spectacular artwork.

However, Moses's simplification of the narrative is masterfully executed, and the colorful, playful, and numerous paintings which adorn the book have a warm period charm of genuine Americana. Moses portrays the Hudson River Valley as a lush expansive valley not unlike the Garden of Eden on the first day of creation. Happy farmers, their wives and children, cows, geese, ducks and pigs frolic together amid fields of wheat and corn; galleons approach dramatically from the river; and the Catskill Mountains, sun, and sky suggested an infinite panorama and endless horizon full of promise.

The story tells us that the Dutch colonists were a superstitious lot, and that the Sleepy Hollow region itself was or seemed to be under a spell of some kind. The farmers and their wives suspected witchcraft; strange music was heard in the air; visions were seen; and the inhabitants themselves lived their lives in a kind of continuous dreamy revery. These tales and superstitions give rise to the legend of the headless horseman, said to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a canon ball in the war, and now nightly prowling the region in search of it. Moses' nocturnal landscapes of the swamps, hills and the Old Dutch Cemetery under a bright harvest moon are particularly effective. Significantly, these stark, haunted landscapes do not violate the spirit of the book, but enrich its sense of wonder.

Moses' Ichabod is a cheerful but somewhat hapless fellow, confident and foolish in equal parts. His Katrina is a strong but innocent blond beauty, and a friend to children. Brom Bones is an appropriately square-shouldered, square-jawed hooligan, rowdy and full of mischief, if not absolute spite.

Anyone familiar with the tale knows that it is not a horror story but a folktale, a fireside spook story, and a 'legend' as Irving, writing here as Diedrich Knickerbocker, himself called it. This edition of the book is appropriate for children but is equally suitable for adults. Highly recommended.

Wow I'm almost at the end of this book and it's simply marvelous what the author can teach you with such an easy to follow narrative. Mr. Kerman has the ability to teach you advanced stuff with simple step by step examples..he is the best Flash writer I've read. He is the FLASH TEACHER!!..

This book is an uncommon "Teach Yourself in 24 hours" book, because he goes beyond the basics and while you read you feel that you have learned and learned well and understand what you just read.

This is the FLASH book to learn. Then get an advanced ActionScript book and you will be a FLASH PRO..

A WINNER!!

Going into this stuff, I knew nothing about Flash other than what I'd seen surfing around the web. What I was looking for was a simple but comprehensive introduction to the core functionality of Flash -- something covering the basics of animation, tweening, how timelines work and pretty much how to "think" in Flash terms. I wanted something that'd give me a well-rounded introduction from which I could begin experimenting immediately.

This book is exactly that. It's very readable (the author should be commended for his clarity of composition); I was able to get through it in about four days. The examples are appropriately repetitive -- by Hour 15, you'll notice the exercises getting shorter but more complex, repeating and building upon the stuff you learned the day before -- and they all work exacly as they're supposed to, which, as an engineer, I can testify is rarely the case with technical books. By the end of the book, I had a firm understanding of the basics of animation, symbols, buttons, timelines, ActionScript and basic communication with server-side applications.

Too many books of this kind are long on fluff and short on substance. Not this one. It might not be much to look at, but it's all there. For beginners seeking the definitive introduction to Flash 5, look no further.

Although an intermediate-level flash user myself, I found many useful new techniques in this step by step book. Many of the new books are poorly written, read like help files, or contain too much fluff. This book is different - the author does an excellent job in writing, presentation and organization of topics, an A+ job. Skilled, not too basic, not too jargony, he seems to get it 'just right'.

Kept me hooked for hours straight reading, that's unusual for this type of book, for me :) He's written it to be read, then used with flash on your pc, a bit at a time, so he walks you through exactly what to do to learn each topic. Great approach.

I went to a local bookstore to browse through all the flash books, I bought this one, colin moocks, and others.. this was the first one I'm working on, very well presented and organized. I'm learning new things about a program I've been using for a year + already. Good work, of all the intro texts this one seems to be the best, even good for an intermediate user like myself.

nice book - better than the others

The Ice Harvest is a very short book, barely clocking in at 200 pages. And yet, reading this was the most fun I've had in a while. This is a noir story that goes back to the earlier times of crime fiction, where the likes of Raymond Chandler ruled the genre.

This gritty tale of crime is full of twists and turns and surprises. The book has everything you'd dream of finding in a crime novel; sex, drugs, alcohol, violence and, of course, lots and lots of money. Here, we have an attorney, Charlie, who's spending his last night in the city. Christmas eve, during one heck of a freezing rain/snowstorm (and you can imagine the many great gags that emerge out of this situation).

Charlie works for people with lots of money, who own lots of bars and strip joints all across town. But Charlie has a secret. He's stolen a great deal of money from his bosses, and now he wants to leave his life behind and take the money with him. Of course, many people do not want to see him succeed and will try to stop him at all cost.

The Ice Harvest has a very simple plot. And yet, you can't help yourself, you just want to keep on turning the pages. I loved the characters in this book, especially Charlie, who's your anti-hero par excellence. There is as much to hate as there is to love in him. His choices are often amoral and yet, you also feel sympathy for him in the strangests of times.

The book is full of very colorful characters who all end up serving purpose to the plot. Phillips is a born storyteller; from the very first page, he takes you by the hand to bring you along a very wild and very fun ride. He knows when to end a storyline and starts a new one, when to end a joke before it gets old, or when to make a character disappear because he or she simply isn't needed anymore. This, you would only find in a master storyteller, so it is quite surprising to find these qualities in a first novel.

If there is one complaint I have about the book, it would be its length. Maybe I would have liked to see more. Then again, I'm not sure that anymore subplot would have helped the narrative. In any case, as it is, The Ice Harvest is a nifty little book that does exactly what it sets out to do; to bring you a few hours of much deserved, much sought-after entertaiment. What more could you want from a crime novel?

I have to love a writer who can tell a great story in under 300 pages. And make no mistake, this is a great story. Mean, lowdown and dirty, with a cast of characters who have not one redeeming quality between them. It all takes place in Wichita on Christmas Eve in 1979. Charlie is a shady lawyer who, with his partner, Vic, has stolen enough money from their mob connected boss to leave town and start a new, better life. While Charlie waits to hook up with his partner, who has the money, and to catch his plane, he wanders aimlessly around town in a snowstorm, visiting the strip clubs owned by his boss, drinking too much, and visiting his angry ex-wife and the children he has always neglected. Phillips captures the lonely, dreary lives of the strippers, drunks and employees of the seedy clubs and bars still open on a snowy Christmas Eve. There's an incriminating photo, a package full of money, and lots of double dealing. Charlie is a man who has some good intentions and impulses, but generally manages to overcome them. It's a violent book, funny and ironic, too. Phillips creates an atmospheric world of lonliness, brutality and sleaze. It's a stunning debut. I can't wait for the follow-up.

THE ICE HARVEST is as good a first novel as one could hope for. Actually, it's far better than that.

I read this tight little noir tale last December during a snowstorm here in Chicago. A few hours, a pint of Old Grandad, and I was thouroughly entertained by the tale of the doomed Charlie Arglist.

Arglist is a jerk. A lousy dad, a doublecrossing snake of a lawyer(is that redundant?), and he's about to split town. Somehow I kept hoping he would make it. You could almost call this 'slapstick noir' but it's too well written. In a fair world, this would be held up as a shining example of what literature today ought to be. Novelists like Phillips, and Kent Harrington (Dia De Los Muertos), Zak Mucha(The Beggars' Shore), and Don De Grazia (American Skin), they should be supported and widely read, and given the exposure that the (mostly) hacks of oprah's book club unjustly receive.

This is timeless writing and I predict that it will become a classic amongst lovers of truly great fiction.