"The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
- Eden Phillpotts

Wilson crafted this book about the "love of life" for a wide-ranging audience. Biophilia begins in journalistic style recounting Wilson's various expeditions to the Amazon river basin in search of elusive species of ants. He describes the scenes in the forest with appeal to all five senses, making it easy to mentally accompany with Wilson upon his tropical trips. The adventurous feel in the opening chapters allows Wilson to demonstrate biophilia instead of describing it. It becomes obvious that biophilia is a major force affecting the way humans react to living organisms. Wilson describes biophilia as the "innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes."

In the middle of Biophilia, Wilson sorts out different time divisions, arguing that the way you organize time creates biases. Wilson holds that most humans divided time according to their own evolution. Humans are not the only species that matter. Bacteria, fungi, protoctists, and plants have been around far longer than Homo sapiens, and humans depend on these other kingdoms for survival. This argument allows Wilson to build a platform from which to apply his notion of biophilia.

Wilson alludes to a "conservation ethic" throughout the first half of the book of which he makes his readers aware in later chapters of Biophilia. Wilson's term "conservation ethic" describes what humans need to do because of biophilia. Clear evidence shows that humans depend on other living organisms for survival. Wilson argues that humans need to care for natural resources if we want to remain alive. He uses this book as strong evidence to form global awareness of biophilia and the conservation consequences it warrants.

Wilson closes this book by recapping his intense accounts of the explorations of untamed nature in the Amazon river basin. He mentally leads the reader through forests with clear descriptions of the thousands of organisms he encountered.

The interspersed chapters of his adventures through nature were welcome surprises to his technical arguments in favor of biophilia. Wilson's enthusiasm for other living organisms is contagious, and his enthusiasm makes this book both entertaining and applicable.

Biophilia written by Edward O. Wilson is a book about the conserative ethic and moral reasoning, bringing a new perspective on mans place within the richness of species diversity. Biophilia as defined by the author as the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes. Arguing that the essence of our humanity... the expansive freedom the mind seeks... is inextricably linked with the green enclaves of this planet.

This book covers a wide expanse in both time and scope, from the microscopic and across time... exploring life's varying time scales. I found this book to be wriiten on a personal level bringing the reader into confidence and like a father or grandfather showing us the marvels of nature first hand. I'm sure that was his intent, to reawaken us, to show how man is intergrated and plays an intergral part in the natural affinity of life on the planet, explaining that biophilia is central to the evolution of the human mind.

We go from rain forests in Brazil, to handfulls of soil, explore the bird of paradise, and study the Huron Peninsula of New Guinea. Through all of this we acquire a greater appreciation for life and the intricate symbiosis that interplays on our human equilibrium.

The book has excellent illustrative text that brings a unique vividness to the author's excellent writing. This is a book that takes the reader on a rich educational look... a serious look... at nature and all of the intergral parts as interplayed in life. Man whether he likes it or not, is tied to this planet and its life force.

As a reference guide, the book is extremely valuable. I have seen other books on this subject that are essentially a copy of the help guide. Not to mention that the pricing is 2 to 3 times what a normal book would cost.

The examples are good and the index is pretty complete. A test for a good reference book is that you can readily find the solution to a particular problem. Ms. Howson's book certainly fits the bill.

It would have been nice to have more how to descriptions and practical solutions to common business problems.

Based on the first section alone, Getting Ready for Business Objects, I would recommend this book to anyone just starting out in the Business Intelligence space! Finally someone has come out with a workable model for BI implementation. It is obvious Ms. Howson actually operates in the real world and understands that sometimes you have to OLTP before you STAR and OLAP.

In addition to this lagniappe, there are solid explanations of Universe Design and Report Creation principles. I actually prefer the WROX line of books, but this compares nicely in terms of technical depth. The book provides perspective from both the IT professional and the end user. However, it provides no explanation of how to install or tune Business Objects servers. Basically, it assumes that Business Objects is up and running.

I would say that the book is primarily for Business Objects Administrators who use Designer, Supervisor, Full Client and WebI to meet the reporting needs of their end user community. However, if you just need to learn how to create reports and talk to your IT shop it is an excellent tool as well. If you are looking for the best Business Objects book written to date...then you have found it....don't waste your money on the other books.

One downfall of the book is that no CD was included. You must download the reporting database, sample universe and reports from the web. Also, it would have been nice if the book was available in electronic format as well.

While searching through the romance novel section at the Book Store, I came across a book that made me say, "Oooh...". Daughter of Ireland first caught my attention because of the pretty cover (Yes, I'm one of those people who firmly disagrees with the statement, "You can't judge a book by its cover.") Then, I noticed the title had the word "Ireland" in it, which prompted me to read the back cover of the book. After doing so, I just had to buy it. However, was it all I was hoping it to be? Not quite.
Set in about 250 AD, when Cormac Mac Art ruled as high king of Ireland and the country was protected the Fianna, the fierce and legendary army of Ireland led by Fionn Mac Cumhail, the plot of the story is of the intertwining fates of Aislinn ni Sorar and Eoghan Mac Aiden and the forces of darkness that could tear them apart. Aislinn is a druid priestess, loved and well respected throughout all of Eire; Eoghan is a warrior-poet of the Ard-ri (high king) and also a member of the Fianna. Eoghan's father killed Aislinn's father in a battle game when she was but five years old. Her mother took a death-fast, meaning that she was entombed alive with her dead husband and eventually starved to death. However, before she took her death-fast, she sent for Eoghan, who was seventeen at the time, and told him to take Aislinn to the druid Aodhfin the Wise to keep her safe from Banbh, a dark druid who pledged his allegiance to Morigu, the goddess of battle, death, and war. Aodhfin trained Aislinn in the druii ways, then sent her on a journey with only a cryptic chant to guide her: "From the place of darkness will come a child to light your journey. To the place of fire will come a man bearing fire for the body and the mind. Between darkness and light, you are the still point." Aislinn must figure out the meaning behind Aodhfin's riddle in order to become completely safe from the darkness and have true happiness.
Confusing? Maybe a little. The book is wonderful until about three-fourths of the way through, when the story begins to jump ahead six months to five years at a time. To me, it appears as though Juilene Osbourne-McKnight tired of writing and just wanted to end the book quickly.
However, Osborne-McKnight didn't just make up characters and a story off the top of her head. The story is remarkably believable, for it is very evident she did her research on ancient Ireland before writing this book. She used real people as her characters and real events to shape the plot of the book. Her descriptions of druii rituals and observations of their holidays are absolutely splendid. She took the time to conquer the tideous tasks of translating old Gaelic words and phrases into English and finding the pronunciation of nearly every name that appeared in the book. There is even a glossary at the end of the book for reference, as well as the bibliography of books she used for research.
The character descriptions are excellent, right down to the tiniest detail. Osborne-McKnight made it seem as though I had jumped into one of the character's heads; I could almost feel what they were thinking. The physical descriptions were wonderful, too. The way they wore their hair, the druii robes and clothing, the colors each clan wore...positively wonderful. It really made me wish I had been alive at that period in history, for I know I would have loved it.
Do you like historical romance novels? Are you interested in the Old ways and the religion of the Others? Are you enthralled by the constant battle between good and evil, light and dark? If so, then you definitely need to read this book.

Very vivid plot and description, I FELT as if I was there! For anyone who loves magick, Ireland, Druids, etc you will LOVE this book! I can't wait to find more from the author!

Cary Osborne does a very good job of showing Arden as a person with very human failings. She shies away from thinking about difficult topics, doesn't fully think things through (who of us does?), and always wants to think the best of those around her. This leads her into trouble when she trusts the wrong people, misjudges those who might help her, and stumbles into more trouble than she can really handle.

The one complaint I have is that Jenna, the princess, is more a peice of the background. This is also true in the sequel, Darkloom. Jenna has the potential to be a very multi-faceted character and I would like to know more about her as well.

I really liked this book, Arden Greenfell is looking through different planets to find the princess, but this woman is always in action using "Lifeweave" to try to figure out the future ahead. she has to watch her back, because everyone isn't always as they seem.

I particulary like when Cary Osborne refers to Earth as "old Earth".

I went for the WalkMan friendly tape set.
It didn't take long and I needed forget about walking and concentrate.
I found the question and answer format worked very well, much better than having a droning narration.
FXMentor did lead me to a fresh perspective on dealing with my FX flows.
I had been floundering about in the traditional paradigm of when and if to execute hedge contracts.
I now have a view of the whole process that I am much more comfortable about.
Additionally as a result of these tapes I can now put in place a an ability to measure hedging performance (my management).

This tape set has been an absolute turning point in my understanding of foreign exchange for business.
The author has used numerous examples and explanations to ensure that you get a clear insight into how to use foreign exchange to the advantage of your business.
The section on dynamic hedging was particularly relevant since it displayed how to use foreign exchange as a means of getting ahead of your competitors. And the most amazing thing - it doesn't involve unreasonable risk!
These tapes were great and very easy to listen to - I listened to them in the car.

Plenty of facts, photos, technical information and trivia. A good book for someone looking for a beginner's-guide to building a film collection. And, great fun to read for us classic film fans!

An overview of the author's "100 Collectible Classics"--and it is very informative, with notes on production, trivia, and much more. There is always going to be a debate over what should be on any "best of" or "collectible" list, but these films are a good cross-section of the best there is in movie history.

I think everything reader from New York wrote was right on target! I started with Brides of Prairie Gold and fell in love with her writing style.

I continued with The Promise of Jenny Jones, A Stranger's Wife, Seduction of Samantha Kincaide, Silver Lining, The Best Man and The Wives of Bowie Stone. I do, I do, I do was very good along with the Bride of Willow Creek, Prairie Moon (very touching), Lady Reluctant (very funny) and Emerald Rain.

I even enjoyed Chase the Heart though it seemed a small departure from the others. I finished Rage to Love yesterday having found it through our libraries nationwide loan system. What New York said was true but I had more trouble with the graphic violence. It made me keep putting the book down and then later coming back to it. I dont think I will try the 4 she wrote before this but have alread found 7 from Harlequin American and other sections. I can't wait to read them.

After reading The Promise of Jenny Jones, I went on a Maggie Osborne binge. Ordered and read whatever books were still in print and then started tracking down out-of-print books. The consensus among fans seems to be that the early books can't hold a candle to the ones written after 1985 or thereabouts. Certainly her later books (Jenny Jones, A Stranger's Wife, Brides of Prairie Gold, Seduction of Samantha Kincaide, Silver Lining, The Best Man and The Wives of Bowie Stone to name a few)represent Ms. Osborne's very best work. These books each have original storylines and characters that stay with you long after the books are finished. She is truly one of the best writers in this genre that we have.

But this early book, Rage to Love, is worth reading. The lady of the book, Garnet Winters, makes so many errors in judgment you may want to shake her sometimes, but her heart is in the right place and she matures throughout the short time frame of the book. On the other hand, the hero, Jean Belaine is the ideal man. Phew! He is hot! And what an ending.

The story of slave labor on sugar plantations in the French Caribbean around the time of the French Revolution is often brutal and many sections are hard to read they are so graphic, but the message is very relevant to our times today and the story never falters. It is a page turner and a unique story in almost every respect.

If these books are ever reprinted it would be good to have the covers more in line with the more recent books. The old books look like bodice-rippers and this doesn't do them justice. If you are a Maggie Osborne fan, this is another one of her books that should be read. (Couldn't get into Yankee Princess, though, no matter how hard I tried. Maybe later.)

this guide might be one of the easy's to follow your steps.it also helped me out alot on the 108th stars of destiny you will know were to find them and how to get them.this guide is also one of the rares't guides you will find.

This is a totally awesome guide book to one of my favorite games for the Playstation. The maps are easy to read and the book gives you all the hints you need to gather all 108 of your characters.

Robert McArthur was on he knew was his last speaking trip across the country when I heard him in Boulder in the winter of 1974. He didn't talk about death; he talked about life and how it works. He wrote one short equation on the blackboard, then talked about it for an hour. No long after he was dead, but he was the real young lion, he changed ecology forever. His start was simple: look at avifauna in terms of foliage height diversity, but he did not stop there.

Wilson? He's brilliant in his own way, of course, but I'm betting his contribution to Island Biogeography was criticism and editing.

People have spent a lot of time attacking parts of this book, an equation here, an equation there. And if you don't like equations at all, skip them and go for the ideas. This was the seminal book, the start of the New Era, where complex ideas can be encapsulated in a brief expression, then turned around and it's implications tested. It will teach you how to think.

Originally published as part of the Princeton University Press' Monographs in Population Biology series, Robert MacArthur's and Edward O. Wilson's "Theory Of Island Biogeography" is regarded by many as the most influential tome in theoretical ecology published in the latter half of the 20th Century. Its importance is due to its success in predicting the causes and outcomes of variations in species diversity across a wide range of habitats, not only tropical islands. Furthermore it is the underlying theory behind current research in conservation biology. And it has played a magnificient role in analyzing fluctuations in taxonomic diversity from both marine and continental fossil records across the span of more than half a billion years of Earth history. MacArthur and Wilson conceived of a simple, yet conceptually fruitful equilibrium model of species diversity, recognizing that species diversity is often in a state of flux between varying rates of species immigration (or perhaps, speciation) and extinction. This then novel way at looking at species diversity combined MacArthur's sound mathematical reasoning with Wilson's excellent field biogeographic research (Yet those who are not mathematically inclined should not feel intimidated; their theoretical arguments are made through lucid, exquisite prose.). Without a doubt, their equilibrium theory of island biogeography is one of the finest achievements of 20th Century ecology.

Though it's rather slow to get going in the initial chapters, Oscar Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Gray" builds up into a splendidly effective piece, written in highly polished prose. Dorian Gray, who is suggestively described as "charming" and "beautiful" ... is painted by his friend and admirer, Basil Hallward. Dorian, a self-centered social luminary whose character is reminiscent of Narcissus, makes a bizarre sub-Faustian wish which tragically comes true: that his beautiful portrait may age, while he retains his youthful looks. The conclusion is disastrous, the culmination of a narrative containing elements of murder, suicide, blackmail, a confrontation in a grimy alley and an episode in an opium den. The characters are very well sketched out, particularly the triad of Dorian, Basil and the intellectual cynic, Lord Henry, Dorian's mentor and the mouthpiece of some of Wilde's most cutting amoral opinions. The style is, typically, marvellous, characterised by brilliant exchanges and aphoristic gaiety. Wilde lacerates English bourgeois culture, the conceptions of sin and virtue and the attitudes towards art of his time with tremendous aplomb. Some of his quips are patently snide, sometimes mysogynistic, as in: "Woman represents the triumph of matter over mind, while man represents the triumph of mind over morals." Oh, isn't that just despicable?! I love it!

This sophisticated but crude novel is the story of man's eternal desire for perennial youth, of our vanity and frivolity, of the dangers of messing with the laws of life. Just like "Faust" and "The immortal" by Borges.

Dorian Gray is beautiful and irresistible. He is a socialité with a high ego and superficial thinking. When his friend Basil Hallward paints his portrait, Gray expresses his wish that he could stay forever as young and charming as the portrait. The wish comes true.

Allured by his depraved friend Henry Wotton, perhaps the best character of the book, Gray jumps into a life of utter pervertion and sin. But, every time he sins, the portrait gets older, while Gray stays young and healthy. His life turns into a maelstrom of sex, lies, murder and crime. Some day he will want to cancel the deal and be normal again. But Fate has other plans.

Wilde, a man of the world who vaguely resembles Gray, wrote this masterpiece with a great but dark sense of humor, saying every thing he has to say. It is an ironic view of vanity, of superflous desires. Gray is a man destroyed by his very beauty, to whom an unknown magical power gave the chance to contemplate in his own portrait all the vices that his looks and the world put in his hands. Love becomes carnal lust; passion becomes crime. The characters and the scenes are perfect. Wilde's wit and sarcasm come in full splendor to tell us that the world is dangerous for the soul, when its rules are not followed. But, and it's a big but, it is not a moralizing story. Wilde was not the man to do that. It is a fierce and unrepressed exposition of all the ugly side of us humans, when unchecked by nature. To be rich, beautiful and eternally young is a sure way to hell. And the writing makes it a classical novel. Come go with Wotton and Wilde to the theater, and then to an orgy. You'll wish you age peacefully.

_The Picture of Dorian Gray_, a story of morals, psychology and poetic justice, has furnished Oscar Wilde with the status of a great writer. It takes place in 19th-century England, and tells of a man in the bloom of his youth who will remain forever young.

Basil Hallward is a merely average painter until he meets Dorian Gray and becomes his friend. But Dorian, who is blessed with an angelic beauty, inspires Hallward to create his ultimate masterpiece. Awed by the perfection of this rendering, he utters the wish to be able to retain the good looks of his youth while the picture were the one to deteriorate with age. But when Dorian discovers the painting cruelly altered and realizes that his wish has been fulfilled, he ponders changing his hedonistic approach.

_Dorian Gray_'s sharp social criticism has provoked audible controversy and protest upon the book's 1890 publication, and only years later was it to rise to classic status. Reminiscent of a Greek tragedy, it is popularly interpreted as an analogy to Wilde's own tragic life. Despite this, the book is laced with the right amounts of the author's perpetual jaunty wit.