This book is for those who wish to
imitate gentlemen... and the title
is indeed misleading !

I will not say more , as I do not wish
to insult the publishers.

This book is mediocre. The book is really more about the author's opinions than advice suitable for applying to life and useful tips. He has some hits, and some misses. The best chapter, Living Large, contains some handy hints and good general knowledge. Likewise, the author develops material that is either irrelevant or treats to tritely. The section on how to goof off at work is silly, and the two sentence description of "How to make friends at work" is useless. The section on clothes, Looking Good, contains basic advice, but needs more diagrams or pictures for better clarification. The chapter of "Feeling Strong", basic health advice, is a collection of elementary advice. The last chapter, "Loving Well" on relationships, is nothing new.
Therefore, this book contains a few gems, but the majority of it is basic advice peddled elsewhere or the author's opinions that may or may not be suitable for your life.

The author seems to go in details that are useless at points. The best sections are about living well and looking good. He should have left the exercise tips out, we all can read them in the muscle magazine from where he got it in the first place.

This is not to say that the book is not helpful, It certainly is to those who really need help in dressing decently and getting some knowledge other than football scores. On the whole a years worth of GQ subscription would be a much better choice than buying the book.

I have 4 years VB programming experience, but after read 7 chapters of this book, I'm still feel confusing. Everything are talked a little bit, but nothing is discussed in detail.
Each chapter is not well connected, this not like a book but like a huge magazine with a bunch of articles -- too many authers can mess up a good name book. They seems never talk to each other before and after writing this book. for examble, in beginning of chapter 9, it says: "By now you have learned how Active Server Page (ASP) use components." -- False! I never learned, at least in this book!
In chapter 6 -- DHTML Application. The example application is only working in VB IDE even after making the package. It's either the author's problem or Microsoft's problem.
As a "Professional VB Web programming book", it neither explains how to deploy a Web application well in general, nor teach you programming in detail.
This book turns me to read other ASP book.

Having purchased many other WROX books, I was eagerly awaiting this one for a current project. When it arrived I read through it like a mad man. Soaking up everything I possibly could. The examples are very clear and there are plenty of them! It covers everything from IIS, ASP and ADO to RDS, SQL, DHTML, MTS and WebClasses. All in one book! Plenty of examples with detailed descriptions and tables explaining the various methods for each function. I definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about using VB6 for web development.

This book covers it all. I was looking for a book the thoroughly covered VB IIS Applications. I found only 2, each dedicating only 1 chapter to the subject. This book not only covers IIS Applications in detail, it also covers DHTML apps in detail as well. It also shows how to incorporate MTS, MSMQ, ADO and other technologies into your VB web apps. A highly detailed chapter on ASP, 4 well thought out case studies and appendixes including HTML Tags, VBScript and Jscript Tutorials, VBScript Reference, Configuring IIS4, ADO, MTS and MSMQ among others completes this book. An absolute MUST for any serious VB Programmer doing any kind of web development.

Be alert that these are authentic scores of the time, and so they are not arranged for the modern keyboard. You'll find one or more vocal staffs, and piano accompanyment, but little piano melody. The descriptions of sheet music should all indicate the scoring.

This book has lovely music -- some I knew, some I didn't, but my mother plays the piano (although she often has trouble reading the faint accidentals) and I sing, then we sing the soprano and alto parts. I'm 14 years old, and this really helps me conndect with the part of history that I love so much. It allows me to understand a bit of what these people were going through.

This is great great book for pianists because it has the original score for the songs. The songs range for well known classics to not as well known pieces, and even a few parodies. It also has the lyrics to the music, for those of you who are multitalented. I did find that the original music was kind of hard to read, but my grandfather for it very interesting. Overall I believe that this is a good book for any civil war fanatic, even if they don't play the piano.

I was fortunate to find this book early. It is written by a man who was actually on the ground as a local serving Police officer. It is written with feeling and sympathy for the unfortunate victims, who cascaded from the skies on to the small Scottish hamlet of Lockerbie.Mr Crawford then spent the next few years tracking the perpertrators of this unspeakable crime, around the world. He describes the horror at the outset,then follows every little clue, in true Sherlock tradition. He interviews suspects, talking to members of various Middle Eastern terror groups. He shares intelligence with other police forces from around the world, and his travels involving the investigation take you to the most unexpected corners of the globe. This is one great story, told by a very ordinary man who was determined to bring these terrorists to justice. John Crawford is destined for greatness in the detective story genre, and I'm eagerly awaiting his next work. Well recommended!

This is a clearly written and at times deeply honest account of the complexities involved in a major investigation. This investigation was a major one, not only for Scotland, but for the civilized western world, and had repurcussions that effected countless lives...and still does. The author places it well to allow the reader an opportunity to relate with the time of year and some of those complexities. The technical jargon of Police work and aviation is clearly explained and the brief history "lessons" concerning the Middle East and some of the fanatical characters is useful. Its written by someone who was literaly there picking up the pieces from the start. At times the author lays open his own feelings, which as a serving professional police officer, had to be secondary to the investigation. Not only raw emotions of dealing with the aftermath of such carnage, but of wrestling with the politics..not only of the police service, but of the Governemnts involved. This is documented and at times more subtly hinted at. It adds to the placing of the book and its historical usefullness in painting a detailed picture of such a major enquiry and the negotiaions that need to be undertaken..or avoided.

There have been several books written about the Lockerbie Incident, but I don't see how there could be a more honest, open, heart-wrenching telling of the tale than this one by John Crawford.
I think only since 9/11 many Americans have come to realize the extent of evil in the world. Two hundred seventy people died as the result of this evil in 1988. Nowadays it seems that aircraft being blown out of the sky is something we have become desensitized to, but this event has touched the lives of many people, including this author, as well as myself.
From the luggage being loaded at the terminal, to the body bags on the rolling hills of Scotland, you will be involved in the case through the eyes of an experienced professional investigating it. You will be taken to Malta, shown piece by piece how this case was solved. You will be able to read each name one by one and get a sense of the magnitude of this event.
You will come to appreciate the work involved to keep a crime like this from going unpunished. You will not soon forget Lockerbie or the people who died there, may they rest in peace.

I loved this book. I felt that I got ten and more biographies of the most famous actresses in the world.It's well researched, and it's fun to read. The author emphasizes the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. I've read all of Jane Ellen's books and enjoy her style. The Golden Girls of MGM is one of her best.

I enjoyed Golden Girls of MGM very, very much. I consider it a Hollywood reference book. Although Jane Ellen Wayne has a humorous writing style at times, she gets her facts straight and documents the iives of Hollywood legends accurately. So much has been written about Lana Turner, Greta Garbo. Liz Taylor, etc., but Wayne comes up with facts that weren't previously known. For those who are not acquainted with the Golden Era, this book is an excellent chance to read about it. There's much to learn about MGM and the great LOuis B. Mayer and the star system. It's a very good read. I recommend it highly.

I am an avid fan of old films so I was delighted to find The Golden Girls of MGM in my book store. Though I knew a lot about MGM, I discovered a great deal more in Wayne's thick and delicious book. These beautfiful and talented actresses are a great study. Wayne dishes the dirt, but she sticks to the basics as well.The book is written in a breathless style. I will read it again and agin over the years so that I can relive those Golden years that were magical, but not forgotten, thanks to this book,

This book doesn't contain a lot of great information, but it DOES make a few great points. Dr. Kirwin makes a fine statement when she says "Any criminal is a long time in the making, and there are many clear signs along the way." Amen, sister! One of the biggest responsibilities society has shirked is admitting when a failure is in the making. Law enforcement would also benefit by NOT believing serial killers are quiet, unknown men who live unseen in the community. Bullfeathers! They are the outstanding weirdoes that we pretend don't exist. Dr. Kirwin also hits hard on the lack of accountability in the judicial system. As she puts it "no continuity, no follow-up." Pat Brown/Director/Investigative Criminal Profiler/The Sexual Homicide Exchange, Inc.

In this timely, interesting book, psychologist Barbara R. Kirwin writes of her experience as a forensic psychologist in the New York City area. Kirwin did most of her evaluations and testimony on behalf of the prosecution, but her writing does not suffer from a prosecutorial bias. Rather, Kirwin attacks the treatment of insanity issues in the courts from a perspective outside traditional categories.

While Kirwin deplores the use of "designer defenses" by high-paid counsel attempting to secure acquittals for psychopathic clients, she also is dismayed by juries' willingness to convict persons who are obviously mentally ill and in need of treatment, simply because the defendant "did the crime." Her lack of faith in jurors' ability to understand and apply the various insanity tests leads her at one point to suggest that insanity issues be removed from the jury's consideration altogether. She does not discuss the issues this might raise under the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees a defendant the right to jury trial. This is a very thorny issue and deserves further study. Overall, Kirwin is better at identifying the problems with such relics as the M'Naughten insanity test than she is at proposing workable solutions.

The book would have benefitted from a broader discussion of the issues surrounding some of the defenses she discusses, including the multiple personality disorder defense. That defense poses fascinating philosophical and criminological issues, since the "alternate personality" who committed the crime is still part of the defendant's self, though perhaps alienated from the "higher" personae who are more capable of controlling their actions. Kirwin believes psychopaths should be punished for their crimes; what about a psychopathic "alternate personality"? A lot more could have been said here; overall Kirwin just skims the surface.

Excellent book dealing with topics such as faking bad and faking good, malingering, and understanding of the workings of the criminal mind as s/he comes into contact with the justice system. Other important issues are discussed such as the effect of the media in the courtroom, and the question of common sense at the end of the day after all the legalise has said its piece. Other highlights include reaction of jurors and judges in the face of the presentations layers make who are essentially interested in winning for their client. A justice system should be able to come to the truth and act on that at the end of the day, rather than how good ones lawyer is.

This book reminds me of the internet boom days - lots of fluff, but no substance. Crawford Killian's book covers web site structure, organizing content, writing style, editing, corporate writing, yet there is no mention of any actual web sites he has worked on.

Yes, the author mentions his print bias, but if I were interviewing Mr. Killian to work for me as web/technical writer, the first thing I would ask:

Name me three URL's (not your home page) you have worked on as a paid professional writer. Not as a contributor, but as somebody who had to take a collection of badly-written material and make a *real* client happy.

Simple question, and I think this would reveal Mr. Killian's real audience for this book: people who don't know *anything* about writing, let alone writing for the web.

Mr. Killian makes a good case for better writing on the web, but his lack of professional experience and academic perspective make Writing for the Web useful only to the dilettante.

This thin and flatly-written volume will disappoint anyone hoping for a Web writing manifesto. Kilian brings no new research and an unimpressive bunch of case studies. But by making the case once again for caring about Web text, Kilian's book serves a useful purpose.

Many pages of the book are taken up with advice applicable to writing for any medium: understand your reader's viewpoint, use the "active voice", avoid relying on your spell checker. Devotees of that classic writers' how-to manual, Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, will find a startling amount of familiar material. So will devotees of Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen and his Alertbox site. A substantial slice of Kilian's book could well have been gathered off a handful of well-known Web sites.

But Kilian also makes a series of points that have been missed or underemphasised in discussions of Web writing to date:

* The Web demands your writing deliver "joltage". A former chief executive of the Fairfax newspaper group liked to compare the newspaper-reading experience to a warm bath. Web reading, by comparison, is a 30-second shower - get in, get the job done, wake you up, don't hang around. As Kilian puts it: "Computers condition us for high joltage. A 'jolt' is an emotional reward that follows a prescribed action ... We feel deprived if we don't get some sort of jolt at regular intervals, so we go where we hope to find more stimulation which, on the Web, means web sites."

* Beware old-style marketers who see the Web as another opportunity to pump a message at a commercial audience. In most media, the marketer hunts the customer down and delivers a broadcast or printed spiel that can be hard to avoid. On the Web, the customer comes looking for the transaction, with a million other sites a single mouse-click away. Research shows Web users are uncommonly likely to bolt at the sight of an old-style marketing pitch. A very few good Web marketers, on the other hand, already understand that the message of a commercial Web site must rely on a more subtle link with a brand's values.

* The Web suits "response" writing which prompts the user to carry out an activity. In the offline commercial world an entire marketing discipline - direct response copywriting - has evolved to offer users spcific benefits if they carry out particular actions. Indeed, the long-established rules of direct response advertising copywriting often look remarkably like Web writers need to import these direct response lessons, in just the same way that Web interface designers need to understand how to convince users to click on the appropriate screen buttons. "The Web is a culture of impatience," writes Kilian. "Effective appeals offer quick and painlesss ways to respond".

Killian could and should have given his readers more insights on issues like these, rather than recycling better-known guidelines. His book does not deserve whole-hearted recommendation. But it's nice to see Web writing getting some of the attention it deserves.

The "Geek" edition of "Writing for the Web" by Crawford Kilian was written for Web developers who are more adept to programming than sitting at the keyboard of a computer and cranking out written Web page content. This book will help them to write better content that will effectively communicate the purpose of their Websites, to inform their readers, and to achieve desired results.

To become more effective communicators online we must adopt certain writing guidelines that will appeal to readers, that will inform them, and then persuade them to act upon what they have been exposed to. Crawford Kilian assists Web developers to do just this. His thoughtful instruction will help Web developers to craft their content around guidelines that includes minimalization, coherence, clarity, accuracy, and correctness. This requires Web developers to know their audience(s), to generate reader interest and interactivity, writing for international readers, properly organizing content, choosing words carefully, avoiding biased and otherwise problematic terminology, and respecting spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.

Topics covered in the book that will contribute to better Web writing includes instruction on organization, choosing the right words, editing existing Web content - with examples, persuading readers to respond, marketing on the Web, understanding copyright matters, and FAQ's about launching Web-writing careers.

This concise guide to Web writing is packed with excellent writing instruction that will set new Web developers straight on the art and science of writing with the online community in mind. The focus on written content makes this book a good choice for those persons desiring to start a Web-writing career or wanting to advance their existing writing pursuits. Recommended for new Web developers, small business operators, and for classroom use!

nice looking cover, but very low in any type of information. many drawings that are not related to the title. just the very basic information at best. i would not recommend

In a way, yes it is, but it is written as if the reader is actually training to be in an elite forces unit and is being briefed. I like this method of writing as it makes the text more of an adventure rather than an enciclopedia. There is a huge amount of information in this book, just about everything you would want to know from basic martial arts, self defence, tracking, sniping, automatic weapons, ambushes booby traps etc. The text is fairly self explanatory most of the time but is is jazzed up with pictures and diagrams. Admittidly the pictures are black and white, but you cant have everything. When it says 'Skills Of the World' it means the entrie world. There are references in here to not only SAS, SBS, SEALs, SWATs, and Spetnaz, there is also references to french elite regiments, Israili, Vietnamise, German and Brazilian too. What I like about this book is the way in which every little tecnique is described then illustrated with pictures finally descibed in action, for example there is reference to heavy machine guns used in Viatnam and knife throwing used in Afganistan by spetnaz. I cant give this book 5 stars because it dosen't bring much innovation to the writing of these sorts of manuals. It is the same tried and tested formula over again but it is good.

I thought this book was very informative. I also have The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmedcombat, and I think they are both very good field manuals for soldiers.
The tactics in this book may be a bit dated - but let us not forget that tactics change with counter-tactics so the latest stuff will not get published for another 10 years simply because it is classified.
However, this material is still highly educational and I would recommend it.

This book was alright. I wouldn't call it good, but it wasn't -horrible-. I did manage to finish reading it, but it was a stretch. A tribe of people living in a primitive society that worships their goddess (a whale that speaks to them) find one day a great ship of the People of the Sun about to crash into the rocks. They rescue three of those aboard the ship, one is the son of the Sun (a ruler who was dethroned and driven from his homeland), one is the Sun's concubine, Silken, and the last is a tiny baby. They name him Eyas. Eyas grows, finding he has an ability to communicate with animals, and a natural affinity with the Brutes (centaurs, lotors, and windwalkers). As he grows, the young Sun grows ever more angry, aloof, and determined to take back the throne that is rightfully his. In short, he runs off to take back his throne, decides he will come back and conquer the peaceful people that raised him, and Eyas decided to round up an army of Brutes to defeat the Sun.

Oh, but wait, this is -also- in a far-flung future and the dead are fighting for the Suns and oh, my, they must destroy Skyland to win. This last bit wasn't introduced until the last eighth of the book. I think the author came up with various ideas -as he was writing-. Had any of this been incorporated in the beginning it would have been -much- better, but he started too small and moved too slowly. This book had a lot of potential, but the climax was just crammed into about twenty pages and disappointing.

Eyas is a very strange book. One of the strangest things about it is the fact that it's good. It shouldn't be good; Kilian writes from a pretty superficial Canadian/Progressive sensibility (check out his map of North America a million years from now, with the Great White North hugely expanded and most of the US gone).

But Eyas has a strange, cumulative power. It starts small, but moves very smoothly into bigger and bigger scale. And the notion of evil Kilian invents is brilliant. I won't give it away, but it's perhaps the best narrative metaphor for the baneful influence of the past you'll encounter anywhere.

Kilian transcends his conscious ideology in this book. Its climax is a Jihad as grand as any in Fantasy, and this Greenish author shows himself to be very adept at describing a complex military campaign. Like Eyas at the end of the novel, Kilian, in writing this book, crashed through layer after layer of ideology to make something greater than its maker.

The first two thirds of this book were great. It starts with a tribe who live like Indians. They have a naming ritual for infants which occurs at a cove. A giant sea creature surfaces there and names the baby. The baby in question becomes a heroic warrior named Eyas. The only problem I had with this book came at the two thirds mark. There was a jarring change in focus that could have easily ground the book to a halt. Still, I'll probably read this book again.

While ordering Mommie Dearest I thought I'd order this too, to have a few laughs with my friends. Well, the drawing is horrible. Like a faded old Woolworth's ad from the 1950's. Also, you have to cut them out. You can't just punch them out. And, there is barely a likeness between the dolls and Joan. I wish someone had written this review before I wasted my money.

Like almost all of Tierney's work, this is beautifully drawn and authentic. The book features three dolls, depicting Crawford during different stages of her life and career, from giddy flapper to toughened career broad, and an array of costumes covering everything from her silent films to her '60s horror movies. The likenesses are good in general (although the middle doll is less like Crawford) and the range of costumes--from 18th-century court gown to futuristic and Austrian dance costumes--is enjoyable. Fans of Crawford's career should enjoy this--as I do.

I nearly did not purchase this due to it's two and a half star rating.Then I read the reveiw and realized that the reveiwer was not a fan.I am glad that I did buy it.All three dolls well represent each stage of the actresses career.The middle doll is the best likeness, but all are good.GOD BLESS