The book represents a very accessible invitation to some of the essential aspects of quantum computation. While the emphasis is on the mathematical side of the subject, several of the chapters cover the connections to physics and computer science as well. The editor is also one of the authors (of several chapters in the book.--Very nice ones!) The other authors include Peter Shor(an introduction), Dan Gottesman(quantum error correction), Alex Kitaev(quantum codes), U. Vazirani(quantum complexity), and Louis Kauffman(quantum topology). The book is great both for selfstudy and for a beginning course, and it is enjoyable reading.

Written by a restaurant expert, "Quest for the Holy Grill" is one of the funniest, most well-written travel guide/ restaurant review books I've read in a long time.

If you live in Maryland, Washington DC, or Virginia, you will find this book to be an invaluable tool to find great restaurants you may have overlooked in the past.

My husband is a model railroader, and loves this book!

Federalism is seldom discussed overtly in modern public policy debates, though it permeates so many domestic policy questions. While it is true that intergovernmental precepts like sovereignty and home rule have entered the policy lexicon in the current debate over the application of state and local sales taxes on Internet purchases, more often, the question of sorting out the proper role and scope of power for the federal government goes unasked, whether the issue is education, housing, or local law enforcement or something else.

While the subject remains largely unaddressed in mainstream policy discussions, federalism was foremost in the minds of our Founding Fathers when the Republic was born. The Founders were primarily loyal to their states after all, and profoundly distrustful of overbearing centralized governments such as the one they had been forced to deal with in London.

In writing the Constitution, the Founders crafted a document that was profoundly successful in separating powers among branches and balancing national interests while providing for state and local control. But as a living document, the nation has strayed considerably from the intent of the Founders. They would certainly have been distrustful of a federal role in education, housing or local law enforcement, though today, even conservatives accept that this intrusion is here to stay.

The critical modern question seems to be, 'does the balance of power between the federal government and state and locals serve the nation today as effectively as possible'? or phrased another way, 'can a system evolved so profoundly from the Founders intent still function well? Perhaps no one alive today is better at answering the question than David B. Walker, whose comprehensive book on our intergovernmental system, The Rebirth of Federalism was recently published.

Walker has spent most of his professional career deeply involved in the study and the practice of intergovernmental relations. Early on in his career, the late-Senator Ed Muskie tasked him with studying and shaping some of the intergovernmental programs of the Great Society. Walker moved on to become an assistant director of research studies at the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) where he oversaw many of ACIR's studies on the growth of the federal grant system and the inability of successive administrations to impose any fiscal or managerial discipline on the system at all.

For the past 15 years or so Walker has been teaching intergovernmental relations at the University of Connecticut. During this time he has been in the forefront of scholars who have been analyzing the impact of the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations on the theory and practice of intergovernmental relations.

The bulk of Walker's book is historical, tracing the scope of power of the colonies and colonial towns (trivia: colonies and colonial towns were considered to be synonymous), the Articles of Confederation (which failed largely because they granted too much power to the state and locals), and the general trend toward centralization over the last 200 years (such as the Civil War affirming the primacy of the Union over the states, and the Great Depression's effect of rallying public support for presidential activism).

Readers will enjoy Walker's crisp prose, and his determination to cover all angles: policy, electoral politics, social movements, economic fluctuations, etc. Local leaders who especially enjoy American history will appreciate what Walker accomplishes, a review of American history that emanates as much from the state house and city hall as it does from the Capitol and the White House.

Walker also makes the weighty subject matter both amusing and insightful. In recalling the early days of the Gingrich Republican Revolution, he says "the press, media, many political pundits, and much of the public were treating the Speaker as if he were a prime minister and as if Westminster had been transported to Washington, D.C. Senate Majority Leader Dole had become the leader of an impotent House of Lords and Bill Clinton had been transformed into a constitutional monarch. [Within a year however] the President discovered what he always had -- namely a spine -- and he penned his first veto and was prepared to use it again."

Best of all is Walker's take on the current state of affairs, as he grapples with reconciling 300 years of American history to answer the question 'does the balance of power between the federal government and state and local serve the nation today as effectively as possible'?

A consummate social scientist, Walker sets up a three part constitutional test to evaluate the system: (1) establishing a territorial division of power and functions between the national and sub-national governments, (2) providing for direct representation (until 1913 and indirect thereafter) of the constituent subnational governments in the very policymaking processes of the central government; and (3) stipulating an institutional arbiter of jurisdictional disputes between the governmental levels, the SupremeCourt.

Walker posits, "when the dynamics of these three areas of federal-state-local interaction produce a systematically balanced condition, then the health of federalism is fine. When there are serious imbalances then an enfeebled federalism, incapable of effective functioning follows."

Of the current state of affairs, he concludes that Americans need to end the ambiguities that the presently imbalanced system has generated in order to permit each of the levels to operate more effectively and accountably, to eliminate some of the system's complexity that befuddles the electorate as well as many office holders, and to rediscover the vitality and resourcefulness that comes from the territorial division of labor that a functioning federalism nurtures.

Books are a great gift for young readers. Reading to children improves reading skills and cultivates a love of reading. Children who read, often grow up to do better at what they do. Most kids have too much television in their lives. Television is not a good substitute for reading. It's important to stimulate, not stifle a child's imagination!

I had a great time reading, "Recess Rhymes," by Sharon Johnson. The poems are not too long and are well written, perfect for a child's attention span. There are so many good poems, it's difficult to pick a favorite. Several of the many poems I enjoyed are: "Yellow Teeth," "Friendships," "Front Door," and "My Room."

The author's sense of humor is brilliantly reflected in her book. A number of the poems were written similar to the "nutty" style used in Asher Jones' book "Piranhas in the Tub."

The book itself is large in size (height and width). The poems are printed in a large font, which I think is also a real plus. Wayne Washington, the author's son, did a great job illustrating the book. His drawings add so much more to the fun of reading the poems.

This book would definitely make a great gift. The back cover reads: "WARNING: Once you start to read this book you won't be able to put it down. For kids who have said, 'I have nothing to do or I'm bored' THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!" Why not spend constructive time with your children reading a worthwhile book? After reading "Recess Rhymes," ask your kids what poems are their favorites.

I will donate my copy to the school I attended, Donaldson Elementary in Tucson, Arizona, to share the fun of "Recess Rhymes" with others.

As an author of children's books, I highly recommend "Recess Rhymes" for young readers.

I purchased this book to help me find a place to honeymoon that was cozy, not over-run by tourists. I wanted a honeymoon site that offered an authentic experience, not one marketed or comercialized. I knew there had to be out of the way places that would allow genuine exploration and discovery in which the traveler was not just another number being shuttled around to the same places to spend money with everyone else. I ended up finding a beautiful bed and breakfast on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Built in the late 1800's this inn featured a small detached bungalow on the bluffs overlooking the harbor. There is no way I would have found this place without the guide.

I am realizing the benefit of "place." The world is full of ugly concrete box hotels that all look and feel the same. Why not chance it a little and explore a small county inn off a small country road surrounded by woods and coastline? Yes, there may be a little discomfort in the lack of anonimity, but why settle for the generic?

For those who live on the west coast, or want to visit, this guide has hundreds of listings of places to stay. The author has personally visited each of them (tough job), and offers insightful recommendations. The guide thoroughly covers a broad range of geography and has something from everyone from 19th century hotels to small cabins in California's Gold Rush Country. Most of these inns are owned by families who live on the site, so you know you are supporting local economies and not some corporate interest 1,000 miles away.

Read this and then get out there and explore.

i found this book very helpful and easy to understand. wish i would have had this book a few years ago. book is worth every penny.

This book was written by someone who grew up with her summers in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens who revisits the area years later, after the eruption. It was a very reflective, somewhat moody book, that I enjoyed reading. Good descriptions of the area as it struggled to recover from the incredible devastation.

Washington Irving has been called the father of American Literature, and without a doubt he appears to be one of the first great storytellers of our nation, later succeeded by Mark Twain in the late 19th century. Irving's wonderful tales, presented here in a superb audio reading, remind us why Irving has been so immensely popular for 200 years.

The stories are quite diverse, and many take place in foreign locales such as Germany, Paris, and the Alhambra in Spain. However readers will be most familiar with Irving's classic tales of the Catskills and Hudson River Valley, Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. For readers familiar with Tim Burton's recent gothic interpretation of the latter story, you may be surprised to learn that Irving's tale is more of a period piece about the battle for the affection of a young lady (Katrina Van Tassel) then a murder mystery starring the legendary headless horseman. And while a modern reader might get a little tired of hearing about the culinary delicacies which tempted schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, anybody would enjoy the detailed settings and timeless narrative style employed in these tales.

Irving had a knack for effectively setting the scene for a story, describing the bend of the great river and the hamlets (such as Tareytown) which are depicted in these tales. I believe they are best enjoyed in audio format, where a typical 30 minute commute might enable you to hear a single story during one sitting. These tales are well-read by Donada Peters, whose voice struck me as a cross between Angela Lansbury and Vanessa Redgrave. These tales are timeless, and while some tales are certainly better than others ( I thought the Tale of the Mason was pretty weak in particular) there is something to enjoy in each of them.

A must read for every history buff. This book is so interesting, I could hardly put it down. During the first part of the book I had to keep reminding myself that they DID win the war, because the first part chronicles their losses. The second part gets so exciting it's breathtaking, they have all these victories. I highly recommend this!