Other reviewers may find Kate and her story charming. But, charming implies something in a character that makes you enjoy being with them. They don't have to be perfect, but you expect that you'll feel better for being around them. Kate Rendell, the notoriously strong willed heroine, (ala "Kiss Me Kate") is not pleasing nor even, in spite of her high opinion of herself, perceptive. She jumps to conclusions with unhappy and damaging results in every single chapter of this book and never, ever learns from her experiences. Even the author tosses in comments by almost every other character, that indicates Kate is bossy, gripey, pushy, bull-headed and chooses to misunderstand things when she's irritated. She frequently questions herself, "AM I strong-willed?" But she never finally says, "I simply MUST stop assuming the worst of everyone and making a point of telling them so!" Harry Gerard, the nobleman who loves her in spite of her unpleasantness, deserved a sainthood. By the time the book was through I felt that the author, one of my usual favorites, had figured out how to have Kate misunderstand and miscommunicate about every possible thing. Here's how I judge characters that are supposed to be heroines: Would I want someone like this as my friend? I think not. She'd have you mistrusting everyone, angry all the time and all based on something she--oops--misunderstood. So, no, I didn't find this book charming--solely because of the characterization of Kate. We won't even start on her ditzy cousin. It's not the worst book in the world, but Ms. Mansfield has written far, far better.

This charming bon bon of a book was just what I needed when I was looking for a break during the holidays. I devoured it in one sitting. The characters are endearing and the mulitple subplots (Deirdre's flightiness, Isabel learning to love again) are handled gracefully. If you like the sort of novel which deals with one hero and one heroine falling in love with each other, you may not like this book quite so much. This book is better read with the understanding that it deals with a whole ensemble of people - their friendships, growth in character, romances, etc.. One thing that I truly liked about this book is that the characters did not stay constant. Their experiences shaped and changed them and the reader got to see this as the story developed. I hope others enjoy this as much as I did!

I loved "The Girl with the Persian Shawl." It's the kind of book you want to hug to yourself and read quietly away from the hustle and bustle of day to day life. And while the previous reviewers are quite correct in saying it's all about misapprehensions and miscommunications, the novel is also (in my opinion) an example of how a very plain and basic storyline can be enlivened and made engaging by an enchanting and lively prose style.

Harry Gerard, Lord Ainsworth, has been hunting for a painting that one of his ancestors had done about 100 years ago and which has gone missing since then. And when he reads that there is a painting at Rendell Hall (The Girl with the Persian Shawl) that seems to (descriptively) match the one he is after, he sets out to investigate. Unfortunately for Harry, he runs afoul of the painting's owner, Kate Rendell, a beautiful young lady who is incensed at the suggestion that her family heirloom might have been illegally obtained. Proud and impetuous, Kate immediately begins to try and give Harry the rough edge of her tongue, and is quite stunned to discover that it is he that gets the better of her when he subtly points out how rude and disagreeable she's being.

The incident preys on her mind, and makes Kate question much of her behavior -- her need to always manage things, her reluctance to back down and acknowledge when she's wrong, and her pride -- and the result makes her feel completely blue- deviled. So that when an invitation to uncle's estate arrives, requesting the need for Kate's and her mother's presence in order to celebrate a special occasion, Kate eagerly leaps at the opportunity for a change of scene, hoping that the festivities and congenial company will help get rid of her fit of dismals as well her latest tendency to think about Harry Gerard all the time. Imagine her shock and surprise when one of the guests turns out to be Harry! Now, Kate has to decide how she will get through this house party with equanimity when she doesn't know how to deal with Harry or her attraction for him...

If you like reading about alpha-male heroes and feisty heroines, then "The Girl with the Persian Shawl" may not be the romance novel for you. True, Kate is stubborn and managing, but she's no amazon. Also, because Kate begins to question much of her behaviour and the manner in which she handles things after the first few chapters, there is a certain and texture and tone to this novel that makes it so very compelling and readable. The story unfolds smoothly and the romance that develops between Harry and Kate, while a little sedate and brief (the trials and tribulations of Kate's youthful and flighty cousin, Deirdre, tended to kidnap much of the novel), was a joy to read.

"The Girl with the Persian Shawl" was a truly fun read, with splendidly drawn characters (esp Kate's mother, who's character simply blossoms as the novel progresses), and is one I have no hesitation in recommending, esp if you like quiet books that focus on character and gentle romance.

There was a lot of theory, but not all that much instruction that could be applied outside this book's carefully designed examples. With the increasing popularity, I spend quite a bit of time flipping through it, trying to give it a chance. As a computer instructor, I wouldn't suggest it.

I found this book very useful on my VB projects for school but It could be better. So, if you are new to Database programming this is a good starting point.

I've been programming for several years. Did most of my work in MS Access, and Quick Basic before that. Access had spoiled me as far as writing small client/server programs. I was looking for something to introduce me into the world of Database Programming in VB. This book, surprisingly, does a pretty good job.

I was looking for something to get me started with ADO as well as some of the newer VB technologies, such as WebClasses - a subject I knew nothing about. The book did a fairly good job. It doesn't go in depth into any of the subjects, but gives you enough to wet your appetite, which is what I hoped out of it.

If you're looking for something to introduce you to the world of database programming using VB, this may be the one you want. Let's face it - compared to other programming books, you can't beat the price.

I've read many books about the great aviatrix, Amelia Earhart. This one tells of Amelia's role in an already failed marriage, much like our country has given us the personal failures of our own President. Although the connection to Amelia is the lure of the book, the story is based more on the author's free-will interpretations of her grandmother's diaries -- what she must have thought, reacted, felt. The entries, in Dorothy's voice, seem distorted with many episodes, imagined. Should everyone's diary be at the mercy of their relative's own interpretations after their death? If the grandmother had written from memory, exactly how it was, would the story change? Dorothy's diary held the details of a troubled life (for a woman of privilege), still (without her input) and the author's self-promoting connection as a the distant "step-great-granddaughter" is hardly the stuff of interesting literature. I would recommend readers acquire actual biographical books to satisfy real curiosity about the lives of deceased heroes.

This is the story of the Putnam family and Amelia Earhart. George Putnam eventually married Amelia, but prior to that was her publicity director and writer of her adventures. Also interesting to learn is the Putnam family was huge in the publishing industry back then but also have a part in the invention of Crayola crayons. Much of the book is Dorothy's diary, which makes it kindof a slow read.

The time and research it must have taken to write this book is commendable. We have a read so much about Amelia but to hear about Dorothy and the incredible life that she lead was truley facinating. I would highly reccomend reading this book.

Although this book is thorough in describing the differences between viruses and bacteria, I think it misses an important opportunity to reinforce hygiene...wash your hands, cover your mouth etc. These are given a cursory review on the last page, with no accompanying illustration. I had hoped that this book would help my almost-4-year-old to understand how people get sick, how they get well, and how they can help prevent communicable disease to reinforce what I teach at home. I do not think that the authors did a very good job of meeting those expectations.

My three-year old son really enjoys this book. The book's fairly simple, yet informative account of how viruses and bacteria can make us sick helps to make the abstract concept of germs more concrete for him. As an added bonus, the book gives a plug for handwashing, covering mouths when sneezing or coughing, and not sharing cups that most preschoolers can benefit from. I must also confess that, despite having read the Times Science section for years, I learned quite a bit about viruses and bacteria from this simple, well-illustrated book. A good buy, especially for parents who field a lot of factual queries every day. The Let's Read and Find Out series is a great way to let someone else do the explaining for a change.

By relating famous hoaxes such as the radio broadcast of H.G. Well's War of the Worlds and discussing recent space probes to Mars, Mercury and Venus, Branley comes to the conclusion that there might be life beyond Earth... but not in our solar system. While he admits there may be possibilities of life in other galaxies, he claims there most likely isn't life in our solar system except for what exists on Earth. This is an outdated and inaccurate view. The goal of the series is to introduce basic science concepts to young children, but the only concept I came away with was very Earth-centric - none of our species could live on Mars, ergo, there is no life on Mars. Branley never defines life. In truth, we cannot assume "life" to be carbon based, requiring warm temperatures and sunlight. In fact, on our very own planet we have found species that do not require these things. Instead of writing "there is no life on Mars," Branley should have written, "There is no life as we know it today on Mars. If this idea is too scary for young children, perhaps there isn't a need for a low-level book on this topic. At the least, the book serves as a jumping off point for an interesting discussion. The authorial intrusion in the book ("People also say it's silly to believe there is life on them [other planets]. I don't think so.") is annoying and condescending. The writing is too simplified; children could handle more details than are given about the planets, the space program, and the various ways alien life has been envisioned in our culture. The illustrations are a bizarre mix of simple brightly colored collage style pictures and photographs. The diagram of the solar system is great, and whimsical aliens decorate the end papers and many pages. A page of further activities concludes the book. No works are cited, no resources for more information are listed. A glossary, index and timeline would have been appropriate inclusions. This book was originally published in 1984; it needs much more overhaul than it received.

This book talks in children's words about a subject that adults learned so long ago that they may have forgotten. The artistic side of the book keeps children entertained without taking away from the subject content. My five year old loves this book.

Wow -- I first read this book when I was ten and just finished re-reading it now that I am 33 and a writer myself. Mann paints a glorious, personal picture of Jayne, but periods and events seem glossed over and there is little mention of Jayne's decline into B and C films and her drinking problem. Mann must have had a wonderful editor while she was a columnist, because she certainly didn't have one for this book. The spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors are so frequent, one wonders if she did it on purpose. Pretty shoddy in that respect, but a good read if you can get past the fact that clearly no one proofread this material. ...

This book is a fun read. The author, a close friend of Jayne's, sometimes seems to bend the truth a little. This is a book Jayne would have been proud of. Fact and Fiction are confused and her legendary image is preserved. I thouroughly enjoyed it as an homage to a great Love Goddess and a great entertainer. I recommend reading it if only for the playful voyages into the supernatural. There is a nice section of photos and this book will keep you interest piqued.

I'm a beginner and already have hit errors on page 47:
Start>Programs>MS SQL server>Configure SQL XML support in IIS

My computer yield the following:
Start>Programs>MS SQL server>
>Books online
>Client network utility
>Enterprise manager
>Import and export data
>Profiler
>Query analyzer
>Readme.txt
>Server netowrk utility
>Service manager
>Uninstall SQL server 7.0

There is no mention of Configure XML support in IIS!

I'm tired of buying books with sloppy technical editing. Oh, to read just one book on VB .net that didn't have an error in the first 50 pages.

I am really please with this book :
In this book you will find clear, efficient examples explained step by step.(you can download the examples from the WEB).
You will have to read only what is necessary to do your job.
You don't loose time and you don't have to read from the beginning of the book to understand. You can read directly only the chapter you need.

You don't have to read useless comment or sentence which bring you no practical skill. This book explain really only what you need .
And you can adapte the example of the book to your need.
This book is more clear and efficient than "VB.NET" Professional of the Wrox Team.

In conclusion, this book is made in a way that you can understand fast and well. This is good and practical book.

Emmanuel Evrard

I bought this book with the hope that it would help me figure out a slightly more complex than average home wireless setup. The book is extremely thin, with most of the content being a walkthrough of various screens in windows to configure the client portion of a wireless network.

Very little attention is given to how to configure a house with a DSL connection and wireless networking internally. There was no useful information at all on the setup I would like to create, which would have one DSL line but multiple wireless zones in the house.

This book may be useful for those who have absolutely no knowledge of wireless networks, but for anyone beyond that level I would not waste the time or money on it.

(No relation to the author) It is true that dynamite sometimes comes in small packages and this book proves it. If you are in need of a starting point with Wi-Fi/802.11 based technology, this book will help you. If you or someone else you work with needs a high level overview of the technology and the benefits it provides, then this book is for you. It is not designed to go in depth or into all of the technical issues that revolve around this topic. But it does a fantastic job of giving you the basics in a very easy to read and understand manner. The only reason that I did not five this book five (5) stars is because it spends a large number of pages showing how to install and configure various clients. It really was not needed. I own 7 different WLAN adapters and they are all different. Other than give an idea as to what you might face or see, I don't think it really adds much and gets a little more technical than the general audience is going to want. Other than that, you can go wrong with this book.

If you are looking for a book to help you with the pragmatics of setting up a 802.11b (wi-fi) wireless network in your home or office, this book is filled with information. The installation tips saved me alot of time, and the chapter on Security was very helpful. I also liked the big picture material included by the authors, such as case studies and interviews with people who are wireless gurus.

This is a stylish, well-costumed, and soulless version of a great book. It left me absolutely cold. It looks like one wooden stage set after another, with acting to match. If Austen's Fanny Price is irritating, Sylvestra LeTouzel makes her positively infuriating -- whining, complaining, sanctimonious -- what could Edmund or anyone else see in this person? The only memorable performance is by Jackie Smith-Wood as Mary Crawford, who brings out all her superficial charm, her shallowness, and, finally, her amorality. In this movie, she comes off as a much more sympathetic character than Fanny. Henry Crawford seems like a dressed-up fashion plate reciting his lines. The movie stayed fairly close to the book, but the ending in the movie seems more of an afterthought, tacked on in a few lines of narration.

The definitive movie version of Mansfield Park is yet to be written. The movie currently showing bills itself as a 'wicked comedy', and Jane Austen never intended Mansfield Park to be read as a comedy. And while Frances O'Connor is a delight in the current movie and a much better actress than LeTouzel, her Fanny Price isn't Austen's; O'Connor's Fanny is strong, spirited, animated, nothing like the weak, spineless Fanny of the book. I hope someone makes a movie version of Mansfield Park that is worthy of the book and soon, because it's one of the best novels in the English language and deserves a version that finally does it justice.

I am a great fan of Jane Austen's works, and have read each of her novels several times with great zest. With that said, let me assure you that while this version of Mansfield Park is certainly faithful to the novel, it is absolutely soulless, dry, and painful to watch.

The "acting" (and I hesitate to call it that) is terrible. "Lady Bertram" is particularly terrible - she has affected a whiny voice and unblinking eyes as a substitute for acting; she appears drugged. "Fanny" is a tad better, and I didn't find her chopping hand-motions as distracting as some other reviewers.

This cannot in anyway compare with A&E's magnificent, glowing version of Pride & Prejudice. Mansfield Park is a captivating story and should be done justice to.

My advice is to save your money; the bad lighting, the hideous cinematography and lackluster costuming make this production a true nightmare. However, if you are truly desperate to watch a Jane Austen novel brought to life, try the 1970's version of Persuasion. It also has terrible costuming, but the acting is superb, and it's far more worthy as an Austen fix.

This version of Mansfield Park is worth 5 stars to me, but it will not appeal to everyone. For it is not a glossy big-screen-adaption which trades Jane Austen's genius for something else. I saw it on television during a Jane Austen marathon about 5 years ago, and have been hoping to find this video ever since. At first I was not impressed, but I kept watching it because I am such a Jane Austen fan. Gradually I became hooked. All the actors looked so real. The actress who plays Fanny Price is especially interesting. She is not movie star beautiful, but she has the eyes and complexion of a nineteeth century doll. She uses her looks to portray the Fanny I imagined; the Fanny who is the antithesis of Elizabeth Bennet. On the other hand, the actress who plays Mary Crawford is beautiful but her looks are almost spoiled by the awful (yet historically accurate) wig she is made to wear. More importantly, her Mary Crawford is true to Austen, and with my modern sensibilities, I liked her very much. The other actors are also adept. I am very much looking forward to owning this video. I know I will watch it again and again, just as I read the book again and again.

This book is a joke. I have never seen so many errors. People, do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy this book. Even if someone offers you a free copy, RUN don't walk AWAY from it.

Your book states that Reba McEntire was born on March 28,1954,as a long time fan of Reba's I can say that you got the date correct but the year that she was born in was 1955.

With all the other country guides out there, this faces pretty stiff competition. Its advantages include a more open -- though slightly diffuse -- layout, explicit album recommendations (ranging from one to five bones, and "woof!" for complete dogs) and an excellent Resources section. Appendices include: movies with country themes (courtesy of the VideoHound guide), fan clubs and websites, recommended publications and radio stations, as well as chronological listings of industry awards, and finally, the Hound's patented cross-reference lists in the back. The companion CD, however, is rather disappointing: an eight-song sampler of contemporary artists on Mercury/Nashville.