But not only does this book suffer the fate of any one-volume biography, that of being neccessarily incomplete, but it also is rather sloppily written, at least by the standards of academic works. It has about as many instances of trivial sloppinesses, such as "He tried outfor the baseball team..." or The new student activism was a electric shock..." as I'd expect to see in a mass-market paperback, mistakes which I'm much less willing to accept in a book like this one.

A far superior biography of Johnson can be found in Rober Dallek's two-volume set, "Lone Star Rising" and "Flawed Giant".

On reading a one-volume biography on an individual that had such a long career in public office you know that it is an overview, there is just not the pages to really go through the work he did. If you are interested in LBJ you know that there are any number of books that focus on his decisions with the Viet Nam war and his record on civil rights laws. There may be even a few that talk about his plan to assassinate JFK but they belong with in the fiction section. What this book provides to the reader is a well-documented and constructed book that covers his life. Personally I could have done with less on his life before the age of 18, but that is standard fair for a bio.

The reader gets a good overview of the civil rights battles and laws LBJ fought for and put in place. It covers this section rather well and it left me wondering if maybe the authors focused on this positive aspect of his LBJ's presidency to the detriment of his dealings with the war. To be honest this was the section of the book I was most interested with and felt the authors could have done a better job and provided more detail.

The book is a good overview of LBJ. I felt the authors had a positive view of LBJ and if there were room for maneuver, they would take the road that left him in a more positive light. This is a good, broad review geared for the reader that maybe just starting to look into LBJ or just wants a nice general overview. If this is what you are looking for then this is the book for you.

an excellent biography of the career of LBJ, craftilly weaving between the simple values man and the complex politician. very worthwhile reading

I purchased the Access 97 Bible awhile back and feel it is a great book for novice Access users such as myself. I needed to get up and running with Microsoft Access and wanted a book with good examples on building an access database. This was the book for me.

I felt the authors did a wonderful job of explaining complex, technical topics so that they were easy to understand and comprehend.

Unlike many technical books, this book contains many pictures and examples which helped me to understand the topics covered in the book. I did find some inconsistencies with some of the items on the CD, but a quick email to the author resolved my problems. They were very helpful on answering my questions with the book as well as other questions I had on Access.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to learn about Microsoft Access and building database in Access.

I knew nothing about designing databases before picking up this book. This book is fantastic, it lays out the information in a way that is easy for people who are not computer savy to understand. It covers essentially everything you want to know about tables, queries, forms, reports and macros but only scratches the surface of modules/VBA. If your looking for a book that covers VBA this is not the book for you. After 3 months I not only learned Access but built a pretty savy database at work. I definitely recommend this book to all beginners and people who just want to improve their database design. Overall very pleased with the book.

I have read this entire book, as well as the 3 "bonus chapters" included on the CD-ROM (in MS Word format), and (suprisingly) truly enjoyed the process. I found it to provide an excellent step-by-step methodology for developing Access 97 applications, with each of the major aspects (tables, forms, reports, macros, and modules) laid out clearly with beginning and later advanced sections and chapters. There are lots of examples to illustrate each aspect or feature, which I believe is a great way to learn. 1 minor flaw: nothing specific on the rules of data normalization (kind of brushed over with some ideas in the Pet store examples), which really is the foundation for all good database development. Overall, an EXCELLENT book for someone who wants to know everything about Access 97 without getting into serious VBA programming (which is where I'm headed now). If Mr. Prague and Mr. Irwin come up with a book on that, I'll buy it without second thought.

When you read this book, you should be prepare to be challenged on what you have heard about Nixon before. This book undoes--or purports to--all of the early Nixon myths. It appears to be exhaustingly researched, and Nixon haters can take comfort in the notion that Nixon became the Nixon they hated after the 1960 Presidential Election.

Still, Gellman does sugarcoat some things Nixon does, and appears to draw some charitable conclusions without any backup. It is an interesting read, and a portrayal of what by any accounts is a remarkable journey from unknown to Vice President.

Though there were shades of the later Nixon in the young man, he was not nearly as visceral, vulgar or mean-spirited as he was to become as President. There were tinges of guilt in his make-up when he stepped over the line of decency, and such signs were utterly absent in President Nixon. Gellman is a fluid writer who is painstaking in being fair to Nixon and presenting him as a fairly likeable, though monstrously aggressive Congressman. He maintains that the young Nixon was a good father and attentive husband, thought he evidence for this is grossly lacking. He was the quintessential absentee father who spent almost no time with his daughters. Gellman conveniently ignores this.

More troubling is that Gellman almost seeks to exonerate Nixon from two of the most mudslinging and tawdry campaigns of all time: his 1946 run for Congress against the hapless, though decent Jerry Voorhis, and his inhumane hatchet job against Helen Gahagan Douglas in 1950. Nixon's brutal character assassination of Douglas in conveniently skirted, or excuses are made for RN. Because Gellman frequently falls into the habit of glossing over Nixon's destructive impulses, the book never reaches any grandiose literary heights.

Nixon has been the subject of much nonsense, particularly of the psycho-babble genre. Gellman thankfully doesn't attempt any of this and the book is a better product for it. Ultimately, this is a readable, balanced (overly balanced!) portrait of a young man driven by demons and a lust for power. For anyone wishing to understand Nixon in his 30's, this is an essential study.

Richard Nixon, to most, is America's most controversial president of the last century. An intelligent and competent person (Nixon was awarded a scholarship to Harvard University), and an adept politician, he was also the first American president to resign (announced on 8 August, 1974), the result of his 'Watergate' connection.

Nixon was not a public's darling. His Watergate involvement, his resignation, the "Tricky Dick" image is what most Americans (and the world) remember about the former president. This unfortunate reality is due to the fact that many authors only dare to write about the negative side of the person. But not Irwin Gellman.

THE CONTENDER is a passionate, remarkably intelligent and unmatched account of Richard Nixon's other side- the "other Nixon" every student of politics, whether of the Left, Centre or Right, should understand and appreciate.

Gellman's book is intelligent, impressively researched, and written in a readable manner. The portrayal of the subject is stimulating, balanced and sensible, a portrayal that will surely provoke many readers.

I would say this is a must read for those interested in learning more about philosophy or even self taught scholars who are openminded to present day applications of basic theories. Although I do not completely agree with all the analyses and comparisons offered in this book, I cannot argue against the fact that like its predecessors (The Simpsons and Philosophy and Seinfeld and Philosophy) this collection of essays offers a unique opportunity to explain sometimes complex theories of philosophy in a palpable and comprehensible manner that I think anyone can appreciate. I admit that although some of the analysis require time to digest and at times may be a slow read, this book is well worth it if you are interested in learning more about philosophy and do not feel like buying "An idiots guide to philosophy". I have used the theories that I have found in this book to concentrate on specific philosophers and avenues of thought. Also, it is just more interesting as it makes you think and gives you tangible examples that parallel with your own life experiences. Of course these life experiences may not include the gravity defying martial arts but stranger things have been true so I leave it to you to decide. Which pill will you choose?

This book contains 20 essays by 20 philosophers covering various parts of the film The Matrix and how they relate to philosophy. The 20 essays are divided into 5 categories. The first group of essays deal with the possibility of the Matrix or some other deceitful reality, the second section includes essays covering implications of The Matrix, the third covers how The Matrix relates to religion and ethics, the fourth section includes the essays covering philosophical themes of The Matrix, and the final section includes essays in which the film is analyzed from different perspectives, including feminism, Marxism, and postmodernism.

While almost all of the essays are good, my two favorite essays were #8: "Fate, Freedom, and Foreknowledge" by Theodore Shick, Jr. and #19: "The Matrix Simulation and the Postmodern Age" by David Weberman. Both were interesting and thought-provoking.

At least two of the essays, though, contain serious flaws. Essay #7: "Neo-Materialism and the Death of the Subject" by Daniel Barwick is seriously flawed in its critique of reductive materialism. The author quotes a passage from Michael Tye noting the difference between experiencing different colors and merely learning what it's like to experience different colors. This passage and the subsequent discussion of it are relevant neither to reductive materialism or to The Matrix. A more relevant situation would be one in which 2 people perceive what they think is a real tree, but only one of them is actually perceiving a real tree while the other is only receiving computer generated electrical signals that give the false perception of a tree, as what differentiates one's perceptions in reality and The Matrix is not the perceptions themselves, but rather the source of those perceptions. Essay #10: "The Religion of The Matrix and the Problems of Pluralism" by Gregory Bassham describes the references to religion in The Matrix, and finds the film to be supportive of religious pluralism. While the film does indeed borrow plot and character archetypes from religion, that does not make the film religious or supportive of a view towards religion, such as pluralism or exclusivism. The Wachowskis commented in an interview that the film was about "Faith in oneself," which is a non-theist position.

It was somewhat annoying how nearly every one of the essayists repeat how The Matrix is similar to Plato's "The Cave" allegory and how The Matrix is similar to Descartes' malicious demon thought-experiment. Also, in almost every essay the dialogue from the scene in which Cypher is eating the steak while making the deal with Agent Smith is quoted and analyzed. Instead, perhaps, the first 3 essays could have been devoted to 1 of the 3 things exclusively (The first essay is devoted primarily to the "The Cave" allegory) so they wouldn't have had to be repeated in almost every essay.

Also, I was a bit disappointed that none of the essayists noted the more likely, but not nearly as interesting scenario that should, but probably won't, be revealed in the final 3 minutes of the 3rd film: The year is actually 2399, not 2199, and none of the thought to be real events, places, or even people (which no longer exist) are indeed real, and instead everything took place as part of a computer simulation onboard one of the A.I. machines, of what might have happened if the A.I. machines had used human energy to continue their existence on Earth, instead of solar energy that the A.I. machines really use to continue their existence in outer-space, as it floats benignly through space.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this book. If you liked the film and are interested in philosophy then I think you'll find this book enjoyable and thought-provoking. If you didn't like The Matrix and are not interested in philosophy or have studied philosophy extensively, then this book probably isn't for you.

I use this book in the Introduction to Philosophy course that I teach. This book provides me with an "in" that I can use in order to discuss very important philosophical issues. It is often difficult to make the material "come to life", especially when teaching a required course. By using this book, it is possible to make the process much more enjoyable for students who would otherwise be disinterested. This book can be used on its own or, being that it is relatively inexpensive, it can be used as a companion piece along with a textbook. For the most part, the writing is lively and engaging. It is both accessible to Intro. students and interesting to graduate students. Anyone who has had an even cursory acquaintance with philosophical writing knows how rare that is. I believe this to be the best book in the series. I am most likely biased; I have what some might call an unhealthy obsession with the film. The other two books, Seinfeld and Philosophy and Simpsons and Philosophy, are excellent, but this book is much better for use in an intro. course for on simple reason: To understand most of the essays in the other two books, the reader will have to be familiar with the series. Seeing a few episodes will not do. With The Matrix, you can watch a two hour movie and be able to understand the references that are made in the book. A few highlights:
Ch.1: Computers, Caves, and Oracles: Neo and Socrates- Compares Plato's allegory of the cave to Neo's journey. An excellent discussion of what it means to lead an examined life and seek the truth. Excellent segue into the red pill/blue pill debate.
Ch.6: The Machine-Made Ghost: Or, The Philosophy of Mind, Matrix Style- Discusses Artificial Intelligence and the nature of the mind. The author argues against dualism and favors a materialistic view. Leads to a discussion on whether or not it would be theoretically possible for a Matrix to exist and the presuppositions that are present in the movie with regard to the nature of the mind.
Ch.8: Fate, Freedom, and Foreknowledge: A discussion of fate, freedom, omniscience and determinism. Even if they escaped the Matrix, would people really be free?
Ch.11: Happiness and Cypher's Choice: Is Ignorance Bliss?- My favorite essay in the book. What do we make of Cypher's decision to try to return to the Matrix? Is a decimated reality preferable to an artificial world where you can "eat" a juicy steak and do not have to worry about Sentinels trying to kill you? The author says that it is, and his argument is very thought-provoking.
There are other excellent essays in this book, but these happen to be my favorites. Students, teachers and those who are just interested in philosophy: You should definitely buy this excellent book.

I bought this book when it first came out and while Schiff gives a lot of information on the subject of federal income taxes, he missed some very important information.

1) The United States (i.e. Federal Government) has limited jurisdiction. As stated in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution for the United States of America:

"To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, byCession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;"

In other words the United States Congress can only pass laws that apply within the above defined areas. Since Schiff is big on case law here's one that he missed:

"The power of the United States to tax is limited to persons, property, and business within their jurisdiction, as much as that of a state is limited to the same subjects within its jurisdiction."

- United States v. Erie Ry. Co., 106 U.S. 327, 333, 1 S.Ct. 223 (1882)

26 USC § 7701(9) defines the "United States" as the District of Columbia and the several states. At § 7701(10) the term "State" is defined as the "District of Columbia". Did you get that or did you miss it? The 50 union states aren't included in those definitions. See 26 USC §§ 5272(b), 5362(c)(9), 6103(b)(5), and 7462 for code sections that include the union states.

Jurisdiction should have been his MAIN argument.

The "Dixieland Law Journal" some excellent information on the subject of federal jurisdiction. Do a web search with those key words.

2) The Internal Revenue Service is NOT a agency on the United States! Look at 31 USC §§ 301 thru 310. Every agency of the Department of the Treasury is listed therein. Notice that the IRS, BATF, and Secret Service are NOT listed!!!

For the most detailed information about the origin of the IRS search the web for the document "THE BIGGEST HEIST IN HISTORY" by William Cooper.

3) ON the subject of wage withholding he never informs the reader about the following points:

a) 26 USC § 3402(p) which clearly states that the W-4 form is voluntary. Read it for yourself. If it's voluntary why does he advise you to fill it out and claim "exempt"?

b) He never informs the reader of the legal definition of employee as defined in 26 USC § 3401(c). He never discusses the legal meaning of the word "includes" as used in the code. It is meant to be used in a restrictive manner. In other words "employee" includes only the definitions in that code section! If it's not included it's not a part of the definition! Are you an "employee"? If you're not why does he advise you to claim "exempt" on a W-4?

c) He missed the definition of "Withholding Agent" at § 7701(16). That is very important. That definition contains the withholding requirements in the IRC. Look them up and see if you are subject to it.

4) He never researched the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR's). The CFR's have more detailed information than the IRC. If you carefully study the sections that apply to Subtitle A, you'll notice that the sections that define "United States" don't include the 50 union states!

I could go on but I won't. Irwin Schiff has done a great deal of research on this subject and I thank him for it. Because of him I've saved a lot of cash. However, If you think that by reading this book (or any of his other books) that you'll know every thing about the US income tax, you are mistaken. There is a lot of valuable information out there that Schiff has NEVER covered. Get on your favorite search engine and start looking for it! I've found it and so can you!

Here's a list of some documents that will help you figure out this complex subject. Search the web for them.

1) "PUBLIC JUDICIAL NOTICE" by William Cooper. There are 3 parts of this document. Read them all! Very good information in these!

2) "AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MEANING OF THE TERM UNITED STATES", by unknown. This is a long and detailed document that is a must read!

I would also suggest that you purchase the book "GOOD-BYE APRIL 15TH!", BY Boston T. Party. I would recommend this book over any of Schiff's books. Read it!

Good luck.

This is a great book (although the examples of how numerous judges simply ignore the constitution and the law are infuriating). I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 because some of the legal arguments are difficult to follow (and the government has purposely obfiscated things enough to make it this way). The review by Mr. Trader100 indicates to me that he is the kind of person who would discourage the Boston Tea Party and urge everyone to "work within the system" and beg your English colonial governor for reform. Each man has to decide for himself where to draw the line.

I think Irwin is fantastic!! Everyone of his books are worth getting!!! Get this book now....you will save tons of money and really get an education as to how you are getting screwed by your government misapplying the law!

The law says you don't have to pay....so stop paying now!!

Buy this book and Irwin's other books (ESPECIALLY The Federal Mafia) to find out how.....I've followed Irwin's procedures for 3 years now...He's the best...forget the rest....I've researched this for over 5 years now....more people use Irwin's method's than any other and that's for good reason....

This book is widely used in finance courses in my university, a puzzling fact because books should rarely sell if they're hard to read. The bookfs authors introduce a broad array of investment theories and discoveries. Thatfs a plus. But their wordy sentences, which grow wordier and harder to follow as they delve into each chapterfs key concepts, offset the plus. The authorsf inconsistent use of terminology is another drawback. As I move on to later chapters, I feel as if the authors were growing more verbose. That benefits no readers, given the later chapters discussing higher-level concepts.
When they revise this book for the next edition, they should hire proofreaders, journalists if possible. They care about readers and can help rewrite the entire book into a readable piece that helps students instead of confusing them.

I studied the entire book for my Investment Management course at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and found it very complete from the point of view of the "novice" investor and/or student. The book is not written for the intermediate or expert investor, but for an introductory course in Investment management it did the trick.

This is a clearly written book with excellent visual aids. I especially liked the concept checks and the current events boxes. The sample questions from CFA exams were particularly helpful. On whole the book does an exceptional job of explaining difficult subject matter. I'd even recommend this book to the 'lay' reader.

The authors have tried to cram all the theories and ideas of corporate finance in one single volume- they did a commendable job, but has made it too burdensome for MBA students who have to cover the whole book in a single semester. The initial chapters are a joy to read, but it all becomes unstuck when the reader reaches Part IV (Capital Structure and Dividend Policy). Then the authors become somewhat vague and make a heavy weather of explaining the important topic. That is the reason why I could not give five stars to an otherwise excellent book. The initial three parts viz. Overview, Value and Capital Budgeting, and Risk introduce novices gently to the basic concepts and tools. The writing is wordy, but very simple, and it never becomes irksome to the reader.The part on options is detailed enough to give the reader a basic idea of derivatives and will set him/her up nicely for future courses in advanced finance. On the whole, the book is much more detailed and easily acceptable than the other "classic" viz. Brealey and Myers. The best fact is that the authors are not writing for financial experts, but for people who are new to finance. Possibly, this is the best introductory textbook on corporate finance available today.

I am a student with science background. When I started my research on corporate finance, I had ZERO knowledge of investment and business ! I have tried very hard to swallow through the famous Bryley and Myers text recommended by my supervisor, and what I can conclude was : boy, is this how finance people write their text ? After beating about the bush for tens of pages, you still have no idea what they are talking about !

Thankfully this book by Ross and also another by Haim Levy save my day and correct my almost biased opinion about business academics (disorganized to the extent that can't even produce an honest and sincere introduction of finance with clarity and organized structure, that I sometimes wonder do these people know their work or not ?).

Really I don't know why some people discount Ross completely, because this is really one of the more decent and organized texts available about corporate finance. Anyone who wants to have serious learning about corporate finance should really take a look at Ross and also Haim Levy. Have patience and you will see where the author is leading you to. I am speaking from someone with ZERO background and experience in finance and business.

We use this book for both the undergraduate Intermediate Finance and MBA Introduction to Finance courses at University of Central Florida. This book is very easy to read no what your background in finance is. It serves as an excellent reference as well.

It seems there are a few people here who try to counterbalance each review that is awarded a 5-star rating with one that is a 1-star rating although their arguments do not hold water. My suggestion is to take a look at this book for yourself and simply return it if you're not happy with it. The fact the so many universities have adopted this text AND continue to use it says a lot.

This book is helping me learn Spanish but it is by no means a feasible course on its own. It's mostly focussed on grammar, and even that is introduced at a very rapid pace. The lessons consist of a short dialog, some grammatical notes with at most 3 or 4 examples, and a list of vocabulary. I found the audio lessons to be pretty impossible given the rate of the course.

One further complaint, I've detected a handful of errors in the answers to the chapter questions.

All up, this is a good grammar textbook but I'm covering the basics with other materials such as an easy reader and Pimsleur audio CDs. I wouldn't recommend it as your sole means of study.

I had two years of Spanish in college and four years later bought the "Ultimate Spanish: Basic-Intermediate" program to brush up on my skills. This has proven a good refresher course, but those new to the Spanish language should not purchase this for use as a "self-teach" program and expect to develop strong skills.

Many of the explanations in this book are quite brief, and the written drills are very limited. Anyone using this as a refresher course would do well to also purchase "Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses" and "Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions," both by Dorothy Richmond, for more extensive written exercises.

GREAT REFRESHER COURSE for former Spanish students.

I studied Spanish for 9 years and was practically fluent. 14 years later I find myself struggling to remember basic vocabulary, verb conjugations and familiar phrases. With my experience in the language, I've been able to successfully complete the first 5 lessons in only a few sessions, with excellent retention. My email friends from Spain and Peru have already noticed an improvement in my Spanish.

The CD's: "Learn at Home" are helpful if you need help with pronunciation. I enjoy learning from the "Learn on the Go" CD set because I am forced to recall the information without the aid of a textbook. I feel the pace of the conversation is good, and the CD format makes selecting a lesson easy.

Why only 4 stars? Another reviewer made flashcards....I made an Excel spreadsheet. It would have been great to have all the vocabulary and phrases on a ready-to-use CD or disk. Here's how: One column for the English words/phrases, one column for the Spanish translation, and a third column for the exam. Simply hide the Spanish column and type your answers into the exam column. Unhide the Spanish column to check you answers. Mark wrong answers with red text.

Format:The lessons are divided into functional topics like time, greetings, weather, health, food, phone calls...making it easy to learn and reference information. I find this format much more enjoyable than the traditional classroom & textbook method.

Dear Mr Oldham,

your book is so full of mistakes that it makes the average ABBA-fan scream for justice. Here are just a few of your inaccuaracies:

You write: "No more carefree laughter..Agnetha sings mournfully on Knowing Me Knowing You"...well, it was Frida who sang lead on this one- a fact that was even mentioned in the liner notes on the "Arrival"-album.

You write:"At the end of their 1979 tour ABBA knew they would never tour again...well, Mr Oldham, tell me then, who toured Japan in spring the following year- impersonaters???

You write: Opus 10 died of boredom before delivery- but the one track they recorded for that album- I Am The City shows that ABBA had lost none of their vitality...well Opus 10 was never recorded because such a project didn't exist and I Am The City was recorded way back in 1982- and not in 1986.

Dear Mr Oldham, you don't even know the bare facts that one can look up in any "Gold" compilation inner sleeve. A man who doesn't even know who sang lead on the worldwide hit Knowing Me Knowing You is surely not the right person to write an in-depth biography.

Save time and effort next time !

I don't like this book at all! First of all, I don't think that interfering of the authors of the book into private lives of Agnetha, Frida, Benny and Bjorn was very nice of them. And then I don't think that these people really can know what they are talking about. I mean, it can be interesting to read about the behind-the scene lives of ABBA members but how can these people write what Agnetha was thinking about sitting alone in her hotel room? No one but Agnetha can know it , and I don't think it was she who told Andrew Oldham about her feelings. I suppose that the authors really did a big research before writing this book but there things they just couldn't know about. They give their idea of private lives of Frida, Agnetha, Bjorn and Benny, told some gossips and rumours but most of those things can't be proved. You may think that I think so 'cause I'm ABBA fan and I just don't like reading some rather unpleasant things about the members of the group. It isn't so. Being ABBA fan I'm interested in knowing as much as possible about their lives, even if sometimes I don't like what I hear. But it should be facts, not rumours! Though I have to admit that this book can give you a lot of fun if you don't take it seriously! I gave it 2 stars only because of the pics. Some of them are really cute!

This is a triumph of style over substance. The research is very poor with the result that there are a lot of factual errors in this book. I counted three in the first chapter alone (an example is the scoring system used in Eurovision in 1974). The main one, of course, is the repeated reference to Frida and Agnetha hating each other, which simply wasn't (and isn't) true. Nevertheless, this book is a fun quick read and the author's opinions, which range from comments on ABBA's music (which, in general, they rave about) to pop lyrics in general and musicians in the movies, are lively and entertaining. If you just cut out the personal stuff between the girls, the rest of this book will tell you as much as you ever need to know about ABBA, unless you're more than a casual fan. For those wanting more, 'Bright Lights, Dark Shadows' fills out the details, in a less tabloid fashion - but that still has it's moments of wrong-headedness (the comments in regard to the failure of Chess, in particular)