Davis' book suffers from its very nature -- it attempts to explain a highly technical, that is, mathematical, subject without using mathematics. Davis is only partially successful in avoiding the use of mathematics; given the almost impossible nature ot the task, he does quite a good a job at explaining game theory.

The chapters on zero sum games hold together nicely and manage to leave the reader with an understanding of their nature as well as how to arrive at a Pareto-optimal solution. (Small rant: It drives me absolutely bonkers when I hear business school grads tossing around the word "Pareto" as if they had any idea of what they spoke!) When non-zero sum games are introduced, however, Davis simply cannot overcome the complexity of trying to explain multi-variable solutions with mere words. He resorts to quasi-mathematical explanations or makes assumptions that would not be at all obvious to the lay reader.

This book is an excellent refresher in game theory, or a good primer for those with some knowledge of the topic and some intuitive mathematics.

There seems to be a whole cottage industry of books on Game Theory. Not many of them are non-technical, and this is probably the shortest of them. So this is a plus to those with no background and who may not go any further. This book suffers from being slightly out of date.

Game Theory is a subfield not of mathematics but of economics. This despite the fact that one of the greatest mathematicians, Von Neumann, had invented this and that at the advanced level it demands a good deal of higher math. This is a reason why John Nash won the Nobel for economics - and not a Fields Medal (for mathematics).

I think it's dangerous to make life-and-death decisions based on Game Theory. First, it's hardly a real science, only the application of mathematics to social questions. Second, you can easily make an error in your calculations.

This brings to mind Franklin's moral algebra. He advised a friend (Priestly, I think) on how to make intelligent decisions: by dividing the pros and cons into two columns, then giving a value to each in terms of importance (1-10, for example), adding up both columns and comparing the two sums. The larger sum should be the decision. And then he cautioned that real decisions are not necessarily made in this scientific way, although the exercise really sharpens your thinking. At a minimum it forces you to think of all possible pros and cons of a problem. In the end, though, one big pro/con (or two) may decide the matter. And even then, you can't be sure you've made the right decision because maybe you've forgotten something in the arithmetic. Still this is a rational way to think something through, especially on major questions.

The utility of Game Theory is likely to be much less than Franklin's scheme because PEOPLE IN THE REAL WORLD DON'T BOTHER USING IT. Would Roosevelt and Truman have done much better when dealing with Stalin if they had been acquainted with Game Theory? I doubt it, although Game Theory impressed some of the geeks in the Pentagon. (Nor vice versa. Stalin would have just laughed if somebody had tried to "sell" him this academic exercise. He relied on his own judgment.) To this day I have yet to hear that Game Theory is the secret of success of top managers like Jack Welch, Warren Buffett and Sandy Weill.

This book is a good intro to the field and teaches you the basic vocab specialists use. Read it like a book on recreational brainteasers, and you'll have lots of fun. I know I did.

Game Theory is worth a second look, a Nobel Prize having been awarded in 1994 to John Nash, et al. The official Nobel press release specifically cites Von Neumann and Morgenstern as its father. Had both been alive, they might have been the recipients of the prize.

There seems to be a whole cottage industry of books on Game Theory. Not many of them are non-technical, and this is probably the shortest of them. (Another is written by JD Williams: "The Compleat Strategyst" - note the spellings - also from Dover.) So this is a plus to those with no background and who may not go any further. This book suffers from being slightly out of date.

Game Theory is a subfield not of mathematics but of economics. This despite the fact that one of the greatest mathematicians, Von Neumann, had invented this and that at the advanced level it demands a good deal of higher math. This is a reason why John Nash won the Nobel for economics - and not a Fields Medal (for mathematics).

I think it's dangerous to make life-and-death decisions based on Game Theory. First, it's hardly a real science, only the application of mathematics to social questions. Second, you can easily make an error in your calculations.

This brings to mind Franklin's moral algebra. He advised a friend (Priestly, I think) on how to make intelligent decisions: by dividing the pros and cons into two columns, then giving a value to each in terms of importance (1-10, for example), adding up both columns and comparing the two sums. The larger sum should be the decision. And then he cautioned that real decisions are not necessarily made in this scientific way, although the exercise really sharpens your thinking. At a minimum it forces you to think of all possible pros and cons of a problem. In the end, though, one big pro/con (or two) may decide the matter. And even then, you can't be sure you've made the right decision because maybe you've forgotten something in the arithmetic. Still this is a rational way to think something through, especially on major questions.

The utility of Game Theory is likely to much less than Franklin's scheme because PEOPLE IN THE REAL WORLD DON'T BOTHER USING IT. Would Roosevelt and Truman have done much better when dealing with Stalin if they had been acquainted with Game Theory? I doubt it, although Game Theory impressed some of the geeks in the Pentagon. (Nor vice versa. Stalin would have just laughed if somebody had tried to "sell" him this academic exercise. He relied on his own judgment.) To this day I have yet to hear that Game Theory is the secret of success of top managers like Jack Welch, Warren Buffett and Sandy Weill.

Game Theorists themselves disagree on the finer points: Davis in this book points out errors by Anatol Rapoport, for example. This should be enough to give us pause about Game Theory itself.

This book is a good intro to the field and teaches you the basic vocab specialists use. Read it like a book on recreational brainteasers, and you'll have lots of fun. No higher math is required (not even simple algebra) - just a little patience and the motivation to think things through. This is the only low-math intro I know of that covers both 2-person and n-person games of the zero-sum and non-zero-sum varieties in one slim volume.

Either some of the reviewers here are hijacking the website to advocate their biased views, or the book has left them vastly misinformed.
There is a Kurdish issue in Turkey - as the many adverse European Court of Human Rights judgments against Turkey have proved. Human rights violations of the most severe nature continue - including murders, disappearances, torture, rape, fabricated criminal charges, property destruction and more. The assertions by the reviewer that "there is no Kurdistan" and "there is no Kurdish issue in Turkey, but there is a terrorist issue, that is the bloody PKK and its followers..." is clearly not an objective viewpoint. 1) Are you saying the "Kurdish issue" is equatable with "a terrorist issue" - ie all Kurds are terrorists? 2) The PKK has been on ceasefire for over 2 years 3) This ignores the other Kurdish parties such as HADEP, KDP, PUK. In fact, a very big part of the "Kurdish issue" is this very problem - Turkey's labelling of all Kurds as "PKK terrorists" in order to justify human rights violations.
As for "there is no Kurdistan" - although Turkey seeks to obscure its existence, the term has existed since the 13th century (long before Turkey, Iran and Iraq borders were drawn). Kurds were even guaranteed autonomy of it after WW1, but the treaty was ignored because of subsequent diplomatic cowardice. If Kurdistan were formally recognised, it would stretch across the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Iran for some distance of 200,000 square miles - roughly the same as France.
The investments made by Turkey in areas populated by Kurds have been made to rebuild areas destroyed by Turks. This sounds like a positive step - except that the areas are being rebuilt in a way which enables the Turkish state to keep a close eye on Kurdish activities in the regions. Furthermore, it is incorrect to say it has mostly been without the aid of international financial institutions. (eg the enormous GAP project). Why, as the previous reviewer states, should "no foreign elements be allowed into this matter"? While personally I resent globalisation, Turkey cannot reap the benefits of NATO membership, international investment, and seek to join the European Union, without a corresponding loss of sovereignty. (Similarly, while the solutions in the book are described as being "ineffably American" by one of the few decent reviewers here - isn't that really the concomitant of signing international treaties and joining international organisations, as Turkey has volunteered to do?) Most of the authors' recommendations for "solving the Kurdish problems" are already Turkey's legal obligations as a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights. (The real question is why isn't the international community forcing Turkey to keep its' promises.....) But, as a solution to the problem of Kurdish human rights violations, "stop breaking human rights law you voluntarily signed, Turkey" seems an obvious starting point.
I am extremely cynical that a Kurd in Diyarbakir would seriously maintain there was no Kurdish problem there. Perhaps he means that the Kurdish problem is more concentrated in rural areas, and he does not come across it in daily life in Diyarbakir. This would still acknowledge that a Kurdish problem does exist. If he means there is no Kurdish problem in Turkey... Then I'm afraid I find his claim to be Kurdish very hard to believe.
Just to be even more cynical, there seems enormous disparity between the numbers of readers who have "found the reviews useful" here. Tim Dinch and Diyarbakir Reader - you wouldn't be clicking on your own reviews to recommend them, would you? Perhaps because of large numbers of readers who have found your reviews "unhelpful"... did 87 people *really* find your book review ("I disagree with the author about issues such as Kurdish issue and Kurdistan") helpful?

In the heat of the United Nations debate in 1948 surrounding the decision to create a Jewish state, Warren Austin, the American ambassador, vented his frustration by calling on Arabs and Jews to "settle this problem in a true Christian spirit." Fifty years later, his appeal is still laughingly remembered. Barkey and Fuller, two specialists on Turkey, write nothing so silly in their attempt to find ways for Turks and Kurds to make peace, but their recommendations do have a comparably provincial quality: basically, they want those two peoples to solve their problem in what might be called "a true American spirit." That is, after a spirited survey of the Kurdish issue, they offer a host of recommendations, every one of which is reasonable, desirable, sensible-and ineffably American. Recognize the Kurdish language, they say, end government propagandizing, give up attempts to establish a unitary ethnic polity, redress economic ills, reduce the security presence, legalize the Kurdish political parties, withdraw the military from politics, permit greater freedom of expression, decentralize the government, and experiment with federalism.

Even so, the authors do not guarantee these demanding steps will do the trick, conceding only that they offer a possibility for the present Turkish state to remain intact. But Barkey and Fuller probably overestimate the chances of Americanizing Turkish politics, just as they underestimate the staying power of the Turkish Republic. The region's states (like Lebanon and Iraq) may be held together with string and sealing wax, but they do seem to survive, at no matter what the cost. Even without fulfilling our authors' recommendations, today's Turkey seems likely to remain whole.

Middle East Quarterly, March 1999

In their book, Turkey's Kurdish Question, Henri Barkey and Graham Fuller provide a comprehensive historical and current analysis of the Kurdish problem in Turkey. The Kurds seek to establish legal recognition and rights, freedom of cultural expression, economic concessions, decreased security presence, etc. from Turkey, a state that has largely been unsuccessful in dealing with this ethnic minority. Barkey and Fuller speak to policymakers in Turkey in addition to other international actors by raising a number of policy questions and solutions toward the Kurdish problem. The book recognizes that dealing with ethnic minorities is not unique to Turkey and in this way shows that it is definitely plausible to arrive at solutions to this ethnic issue. The authors illustrate the ways in which the Kurdish question is not one to be dealt with lightly, instead, it deserves immediate attention and reform policies from the Turkish government. The implications of the Kurdish issue impacts surrounding Arab nations, which also have Kurdish inhabitants, as well as the international community.
In the historical account of the book, we see how the Kurds were integrated into the Ottoman Empire as Sunni Muslims. With the new Turkish republic, however, came the nation's undertaking to turkify the people and eradicate any perceived opposition to the republic. The existence of a Kurdish identity posed a threat to that of the Turks; subsequently, policies of assimilation, and a rejection of the Kurdish language and cultural links took hold.
The revolutionary Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), sought to obtain an independent Kurdish state, which would lie within the established borders of Turkey. The PKK launched military attacks against the state in order to meet their political ends, though the authors have noted that recently the PKK has been moving towards negotiating with Turkey. Turkey opposes any political parties, which represent the Kurds, which has in effect allowed for the PKK to become the dominant force on the Kurdish issue. The authors acknowledge that the Kurdish problem is outside of the PKK alone, and deals with a growing Kurdish identity.
Barkey and Fuller identify the governmental institutions in Turkey where Kurdish policy is dealt with. The institutions and their policies indicate that they believe that the Kurdish problem is characterized by threats to security, and internal order. "Hence, if the violence can be suppressed, then most of the problem will be taken care of" (p. 134). The Kurdish problem is essentially an ethnic one, and it is crucial, as the authors point out, for Turkey to recognize that the Kurdish issue deserves an ethnic solution. In addition to economic reforms and increased political freedoms for the Kurds, the Turkish government must accept the existence of a Kurdish identity and allow them to express their cultural independence. Turkey already has a democratic structure in place and needs to be further democratized.
It is in my opinion that the most consequential argument of Barkey and Fuller's lies in their description of solutions to the Kurdish problem. The authors demonstrate how the Kurdish question in Turkey is far from changing one policy but changing policies and institutions on many different levels. They indicate that a practical and peaceful resolution to the issue lies between the extremes of suppressing a Kurdish identity and creating a Kurdish state, none that provide sound resolutions to the problem.
Ultimately, Turkey has not been able to secure a "trusting" relationship with their citizens. This distrust is evident in the strong military presence and control in the southeast and the illegality of Kurdish political parties. However, it is clear that the Turkish state has not been successful in suppressing the freedoms and identity of the Kurds since they continue to pursue their political goals and make claims to their ethnicity. The fact also remains that, "the state holds virtually all the cards: The Kurds themselves have almost nothing to concede in negotiations ..." (p. 181). Barkey and Fuller appropriately account for the fact that Turkey has issues with dismemberment and finds cultural identities as threats to a broad national identity.
Turkey's southeast region, where Kurds largely reside, suffers from severe economic, political, and social underdevelopment. The southeast is economically poorer relative to the rest of Turkey; characterized by a strong military presence; the Kurds are denied cultural expression; and lack adequate education. Such neglect only exacerbates feelings of Kurdish alienation from the state and separatism. The possibility of creating a pan-Kurdish state will be difficult and may not actually be the best solution, "but preservation of the present Turkish state is still a possibility..." (p. 205). Thus, it is crucial for the Turkish government to implement economic, political and social reforms so that the Kurdish population is recognized as a legitimate ethnic group that can be incorporated into Turkey.
For nations in the West, Turkey is a crucial link to other Muslim countries in the Middle East. For fears of developing a hostile relationship with Turkey, the United States does not apply pressure to change Turkey's policies on the Kurdish issue, since it is a strategic ally to the United States. Turkey still faces some pressures to deal with the Kurdish issue more effectively since it seeks to join the European Union. However, Turkey still struggles to incorporate and effectively solve their ethnic problem in the same way that many other Muslim countries have failed.
The authors of Turkey's Kurdish Question present us with a lucid account of the Kurdish problem in Turkey. The book is a significant contribution to the subject as it brings to light a complicated issue that is not openly discussed in Turkey.The authors provide a number of solutions in their book, which do not necessarily guarantee Turkey's success in dealing with the Kurdish issue. Nothing for that matter truly does. The Kurdish issue is one of great complexity and depends heavily on the acceptance of a Kurdish identity in the Turkish government and it's initiatives to resolve the issue.

Ms. Morton shows us the dirty underbelly of the world of personals dating. It's ugly. The only problem I have with the book is that she goes on these dates without any effort or contemplation of being romantically involved with these men from the beginning. Most of these men were totally undeserving of a second date (are there men out there like this?) but it doesn't seem fair for those men who may have actually been looking for an honest relationship. So as ugly as Ms. Morton shows America how bad the dating scene is, she also comes from a pre-not interested stand point.

So she made fun of the jerks that are out there, about time someone did. Married men do not need to be OUT THERE Stay home with your wife mister. Between my friends and I, we could write a book about our terrible dates so I for one know where she is coming from. Just the other day a guy exposed himself himself to me in the park and the I saw him 20 minutes later and he smiled and put his hand out for me to shake. No thank you.
Men are men all over and I applaud Ms Morton for telling it like it is. I laughed and laughed, why? Because it's a very funny book.

Rochelle Morton's book was hysterical, I couldn't put it down and now have passed it on to my co-worker. We both agree that although she did meet a lot of jerks it's a lot more fun than reading about so called nice guys. I'm sure all women have a tale or ten to tell about the wierdo's they have met throughout their dating life. So you go girl, I loved it.

This book proved to be a great help when writing my own programs as it is written in a friendly style. There are also a number of programs at the back of the book which are an excellent source of reference. The PIC commands are all explained well and the text leads you through each program step by step. Well worth having on your bookshelf.

This book was extremely helpful and gave a full insight into the world of PIC. The book is well written and has helped me write my first PIC programs!

I found this book to be about the best book anyone could need if they wish to get started using the Microchip Pic Processor.

The book gets off to a good start by teaching the reader about the numbering system used with the pic. It then moves on to dealing with the syntax of assembly. I found the explaination of what the various syntax mean in lay mans terms to be a easy read.

I have various other books on the PIC from Mike Predko and David Benson. This book from John Morton in my opinion is better as it does not wander from the topic at hand..It deals with what is required to perform the task of learning to program the PIC.

This book would make an excellent teaching tool for a college as it is well written.

H.M. Stanley was one of the most inhumane people to ever live. He murdered thousands of Africans on his "adventure" through Africa. Reading these five star reviews makes me SICK. Everyone who labels Stanley as courageous is very very IGNORANT. Read King Leopold's Ghost by Hoshchild. Then you might feel some guilt for all the praise that you gave Stanley. I'm sure those thousands of Africans who were murdered by this coward did not appreciate his "adventure". Not to mention that 90% of the stories he told in this "adventure book" were complete lies. Go ahead and praise a mass murderer and give him five stars. Maybe if you were not so ignorant you would realize how evil this man really was.

This is an amazing book, just a great read and some of the most outrageous adventure in modern times. There is nothing to cause one to suspect this is anything but the unvarnished truth, and as such, it beats fiction all hollow. This was when men were truly men (see also the outstanding parallel work by John Speke, whose adventures preceded Stanley's and seem to amply confirm the narrative in all particulars). Stanley was a professional writer and writes like one, ever so much better than one expects from such a tough guy. As an added bonus of enormous interest, we are treated to an amazing insight into the personalitiy of the equatorial African with whom we now live in much the same tenuous relationships as did the author. I doubt this book is widely read anymore, and what a pity. Great stuff.

The natives of Africa who worked with Stanley called him Bulla Marari - "The Rock Breaker", and with good reason. It is really very hard to appreciate Stanley's accomplishments from today's perspective. In 1874, Stanley left Zanzibar. By 1877, he had crossed the continent and reached the Atlantic Ocean. There is nothing modern man can do that would equal this accomplishment. Today's daring adventurers climb rocks or mountains or go bungee jumping. Stanley was traveling into the unknown. Not even space exploration today holds the quality of the unknown, as did Africa in Stanley's time. The hardship he faced during this time was unbelievable by today's standards. His circumnavigation of Lake Victoria alone contained a constant stream of near death scrapes that not only required staggering amounts of physical courage, but a mental toughness as well. A lot of the reviews I have read on this work focus on Stanley's political incorrectness. I urge a closer reading of the work. Stanley was actually extremely open minded and, more than anything, fair in his views and certainly very progressive. When discussing the character of the African natives, Stanley was of the opinion that "they are, in short, equal to any other race or colour on the face of the globe, in all the attributes of manhood." Stanley was an insightful enough observer to draw comparisons between African legends and Christian beliefs, giving each equal respect and recognizing their similarities. Stanley even at one point performs the ceremony of blood-brotherhood with the famous chief Mirambo, which involved the sharing of blood by mutual cuts on the leg. I would suggest that Stanley was not only a progressive during his own time, but for any time. He judged men simply by deeds, nothing more or less. If only Stanley recieved the same standard of judgement. In Stanley's time, so much was unknown, and the world seemed so large and rich. In our time, so much more is known, and yet our world has become so narrow, specialized and petty. There can never be another man like Stanley. We are all far more interested in watching a teenager eat a plate of worms on "Fear Factor."

I find you must of have the audio part with lesson part or this series. I called my local music store where I bought Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course : Lesson Book, Level one and wanted to get the audio part. I called my local music store where I bought the person who spoke to me said they woul other the part and then call at the end of that week. No call. I think without the audio part you have to take lessons from some one. I don't won't to do that yet. One star maybe to much? .

If you want to learn how to play the piano, you must use Alfred's Adult Piano Course. I have been playing the piano for about 5 years and have used both this course and the Bastien series to teach myself how to play. I can honestly say that I can play, talk, and theorize about music as well as anyone...All because of these books and this course. A friend of mine attended the NY School Of Music and plays the trumpet professionally. I think I know just as much as he does. If you are serious about learning the piano and about music reading and theory, and are motivated enough to put a little extra effort......BUY THIS COURSE. It's approach is geared towards the adult learner, covers every aspect of music and thoery (that is every key, their minors, chords, chord building, etc.). With each step you learn new songs that increase in intensity and difficulty as you progress. However, the difficulty between stages is seldom felt by the student. When you reach level 3 - you play classics by the best. Bach, Pachelbel, Beethoven, etc. You will be amazed at how easy it is to learn...........and bear in mind, I am just an owner of a steel fabrication plant with no prior music knowledge or experience or training. Good luck to anyone who purchases this course. It is the very best. Thanks.

I returned to the piano after 40 years and needed something gentle to ease my re-entry. Both levels One and Two of this book were extremely helpful. I did each chapter two or three times and found something "returning" to me as I went along. I went through the entire book in just one day (albeit a long day) and had a tremendous sense of satisfaction at making music again. This is not a beginners book, nor is it for perfectionists and didactic piano teachers. But if you used to play the piano and loved it (but dropped out from weariness with the torture treatment) this is the book for you. Play for yourself, for the love of music, and for fun. On to Level Three!

I got this book and was pretty enthusiastic about complying until realizing that most of the meals are fish! I hate fish! There's also some whacky reasoning as far as digestion goes. I think it would work not b/c of the diet but from the conviction required by the dieter.

I must admit I haven't quite started with the makeover yet, I'm just browsing through the book and gathering strength and the food needed. I'd say that after reading through the book, it seems like it's worth giving a try. I'm not much of a health freak (to say the least) and being a political journalist I live quite a hectic life. But that's a good reason for me to try and live healthy for at least a month. Ms. Henner states in her book that this month will change my life. I can't tell yet if it does, but why not try? It's spring, the time for renewal, the effort itself I put into renewing my body and soul might as well pay off.
Even if I don't yet know if it works or not, I've given this book a five-star rating, because Ms. Henner's writing style is charming, the tips she offers as part of the makeover seem useful and the food is easy to prepare (which is an important factor for someone like me that usually lives on microwave food). So, go ahead, if you feel like some change could do you good, try her tips!

My eating habits have changed for the better due to reading this book. I look healthier and feel healthier. I purchased the "Total Health Makeover" book after reading this one, and didn't like it as much. This one was enough info. for me.

Okay, so how can Christopher Radko do anything wrong?? Well, he probably can't - but his publishers sure can. You may ask, what good is a picture full of detail that is only 2" by 1.5"?? PUHLEASE make those pictures bigger - the magnifying glass works, but not as well as a bigger picture.

And the text....goes on....and on....and on.....with very humdrum items. How to pick a Christmas tree, how to light it. This information has been included in every Christmas book through the ages. We don't need to have it over and over again. Take away some of those words and put in more OR JUST BIGGER PICTURES!!

This guy is special - make him a special book!!

I'm a huge Christopher Radko ornament fan and collector ... His past books are just basically about ornaments only and I thought it was great to see this book about decorating and ~how~ to use his ornaments (among others) and, along with more elaborate decorating ideas it also includes the "basics" of Christmas decorating - such as how many lights to put on a tree, etc ... If you're not a CR fan, you may not appreciate the book as much however.

Beautiful photography of Christmas displays from country home settings to mansions. Not just for the Radko ornament collector, Heart of Christmas provides all lovers of Christmas with a wealth if information about traditions of the holiday.

I listen to a lot of tapes about living a healthy life style. I think this one is the most disapointing. She rambles on & on providing only a few usable insights. It wouldn't be so bad if the path she took was inspirational to the average person. Most people can't aford personal trainers, health spas, & expensive fittness centers for the affluent. Those things aren't bad, & they are what helped her. I do a lot of counceling on fittness & nutrition, & the average person that I work with wouldn't relate to making those type of expenditures to live healthy lifestyle. The few things that are applicable to the average person are few & far inbetween.

I have always been a fan of Joan Lunden, but this tape is nothing more than narcissistic musing of her path to growth supported by The Golden Gate Spa and a high dollar fitness club in New York

The tape contributed no new or practical knowledge which one could make use of on their own path to growth.

I have always admired Joan Lunden and followed her on GMA since the birth of her first child. She seemed to be pregnant everytime I was. First my daughter than son than another daughter were born around the same time as her children. I was going through a very low point in my life when I picked up her book in the library. I finished it in a day. I felt so uplifted and have been trying for a long time to make changes in my life also. I am just 50 and it's so hard to find the courage to do things different. My life has been in turmoil for about 5 years now and I have just started to get into inspirational readings and tapes. This book hit such a nerve and I am going to as a result of this read her other books. One of my things was getting back in shape and loosing 20 lbs that has been bothering me for years. I have confirmed my feelings of her being now my hero. I will not climb the titans but I sure will reach my goal of just feeling better about my self. Thank you Joan I have given birth with you, cried with you, laughed with you and this book makes me feel so good about my self again. Barbara

After reading all the positive reviews for this book, I feel like maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But I can't help thinking that somebody else contributed heavily to this book. It just doesn't feel like Griffin's dialogue. And who edited this book? Johnny Oliver and Jack Portet get mixed up, and I thought the version of the M16 used by Special Forces soldiers during that era was known as the CAR 15...(Griffin calls it a Car 16) As usual, Griffin has changed the story line from past books to make things fit into this story. (Take a close look with how he has played with Lowell's and Felter's pasts) And why can't Guevara actually be used in the story instead of being referred to in dozens of Top Secret messages? I don't know....I really like Griffin's Corps Series...and all the other Brotherhood books I thoroughly enjoyed...but this one was a struggle just to finish. But it's nice to see the characters brought back to life. I hope that if he does so again the story will flow a little more smoothly.

In 1964 the CIA reports revolutionary Che Guevara plans to replace Belgium influence in the area with Cuban control as a first step in making the continent a Cuban landmass. On the advice of Colonel Sanford Felter, Commander of the Top Secret Special Operations unit, President Johnson wants Che stopped, but not killed, preferring an image of a bungler not a martyr.

President Mobuto agrees to allow Felter's crack unit to complete the task of removing Che from the Republic of the Congo. With professionals like Lowell, Bellmon, Craig, Thomas, and new recruit Portet, the Americans succeed in their mission of kicking Che out of Africa. However, the versatile Che simply shifts continents to South America.

It has been a dozen years since W.E.B. Griffin released a "Brotherhood of War" novel. Fans of the series and newcomers will agree that the wait for SPECIAL OPS was well worth it as this novel is a tremendous military adventure. The men of the Special Forces seem like real people with everyday problems as well as dealing with a deadly mission. The story line rings true because of the numerous historical tidbits circa 1964 and the political involvement of various leaders in what the crack unit is authorized to do or not do. Mr. Griffin has triumphantly brought back a winner that will send many a reader searching for the previous eight novels (aside to Putnam: think reprints).

Harriet Klausner

This is one of the greatest Griffin books in years. So many readers lust for the action, but Griffin seems to remember that it's planning and waiting that makes an opertaion work.

The story moves along and the characters are really allowed to develop.

There is the standard romantic stuff that seems to be part and parcel of Griffin's work, as well as the idea that being an officer (or at least a Special Forces noncom) is really "where it's at", but that's part of the fun. Let's face it, the kind of stuff Griffin writes is not about the ordinary soldier. It would be boring writing if it were.

I wonder if he has any more stories like this left. I would be very interested to read them.