Book #2 in my read through the Hugo's. While I thoroughly enjoyed "The Demolished Man" by Alfred Bester, this novel comes across as being way too preachy. Seeking a telepathic companion, Joe Carter orchastrates the building of the first super-computer, named Bossy, that has the ability to renew mankind. Wash away their prejudices and preconcieved notions. And, I guess in the view of the authors, create a race of zombies with no convictions. Skip this one if you're looking for classic Sci-Fi.

This book was originaly called :"They'd rather be right" and won Hugo in 1955.The book is typical for those years. The idea is simple: We created something new and of course we do not know what to do next. Should we destroy it or should we worship it or maybe it's just something that should make everybody's lives better? .The book answer those questions and more. If you do not read much science fiction or read only the NEW "STUFF" and you do not usually use your brains , this book is not for you. You would not simply understand why this book was in top twelve most important Sci-fi books ever. However, if you like to think for a change and like the genre, read it and you will not be disappointed.

The authors do, at least, recongnise the importance of Falun Gong as a crucially important spiritual phenomenon. Their analysis of the first six months of the persecution is adequate, and their description of the mistreatment and torture to which practitioners have been subject is positively heart-rending. They exhibit a sound understanding of the social situation in China and the urgent need for improved human rights in that country. Unfortunately, almost three years down the track, the account in this work is hopelessly out of date. I would therefore direct people to Mickey Spiegel's Human Rights Watch publication 'Dangerous Meditation'. The latter is absolutely excellent on the history of the persecution. It is, however, on more shakey ground when attempting to pigeon-hole the nature of the practice itself. Yet this is nothing to the disastrous Chapter 3 in 'Power...' when the authors' attempt, very unsuccessfully, to get to grips with the teachings of Master Li Hongzhi. They have failed to grasp even the most basic principles and persist in portraying the movement as some kind of offshoot of Buddhism and/or Taoism. Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa to give the practice its proper title - Falun Gong just refers to the exercises and meditation) was passed down from a Master to a single disciple for thousands of years until Mr. Li Hongzhi adapted it for public consumption and introduced it to Chinese society in 1992. Although some terminology from Buddhism and Taoism is used for convenience sake, so people can more easily understand certain concepts, Falun Gong is not derived from either of the aforementioned religions. Indeed Falun Gong is not a religion at all, but rather a way of 'cultivation' or self-improvement system for one's entire being, leading the practitioner towards enlightenment and a higher plane of existence. In fact the authors do not seem to have understood the basic differences between the Buddha and Taoist Schools and the religions of Buddhism and Taoism, which form just a very tiny part of their respective schools. Moreover, the authors' lack of understanding of certain concepts leads them to ridicule those concepts, which is disrespectful in the extreme, as well as being very poor scholarship. I would stongly suggest that the authors, toghether with anyone else who would really like to find out about the wonderful practice of Falun Dafa, begin by reading the introductory book 'Falun Gong(Revised Edition)' ISBN: 1-58613-100-1, followed by the main text 'Zhuan Falun' ISBN: 1-931412-53-7.

Power Of The Wheel: The Falun Gong Revolution is a straightforward, information-filled chronology about the origin, history, and future of Falun Gong, a spiritual and health practice that has spread throughout China's working-class ranks since Li Hongzhi started to spread its message in the 1990s. From Falun Gong's roots of Buddhism and Taoism to its sometimes deadly suppression by the Communist Chinese government and its role in the uncertain future, Power Of The Wheel is a fact-filled compendium that also offers plausible speculation as to what the coming century may hold. Power Of The Wheel is recommended reading for students of Eastern Philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism, and the Falun Gong movement.

I really struggled reading this book. More than once, I threw it across the room. There is 0% chemistry between the Mark and Courtney. I found it difficult to understand what drew him to her in the first place. And it seemed a bit spooky that this supposed hunk was obsessed with her for a whole year. To the point of watching her boardroom antics on video over and over again. Eww!

As for M. Billingham Bootle... Eccentric is not the word I would have for him. Mean to the max is more like it. He should be locked away at the funny farm for good.

Courtney is exasperating. She is supposed to be a bright, on-the-ball exectuive. Could have fooled me. I wanted to slap her more than once and tell her to get a grip. And to think of somebody besides her poor pitiful self. This woman is almost 30 and she's comparing hunk Mark to some pimple-face jock way back in high school. To Mark's detriment. Sheesh! Did she stop her mental development back then?

OK You can tell I didn't like this book and wish I'd saved my hard earned money for something more enjoyable. The only good thing about the book is the cover. That I liked!

I've liked other books by Eugenia Riley, but this one had too much book for too little plot. The book was well written but about seventy-five pages could have been cut from this book without damaging it.

Courtney and Mark get together right at the beginning of the book, she gets pregnant, and then the rest of it is spent dithering how they are going to get their lifestyles and careers to coincide. It became boring after a while. Mark was almost the perfect man - gorgeous, smart, wealthy, loving, humorous, protective - yet Courtney kept having all of this angst over her career vs. his, men who betrayed her trust in the past, proving herself in her chosen field, etc. I started to sympathize less and less with her as the book went on. It was one one of those familiar plots where the heroine can't see what's actually important in life until it smacks her in the face.

Having said all that, the characters themselves were amusing in some ways, but I wouldn't say that I laughed out loud at any of the scenes. Some of the situations that Courtney found herself in stretched credulity to the extreme (and I'm not even talking about the intial plot set-up). She is the CEO of a large company, yet whenever something goes wrong in one of the company stores, she has to go personally there to straighten it out. Hasn't she ever heard of delegation? And, it made no sense why she continued to work for Mark's grandfather, given all the grief she had to take from him - she has a MBA from Harvard, for goodness sake! Also, all of her siblings decide to go on consecutive cruises, and just happen to leave each of their respective broods with Courtney and Mark, the two people in the family with the most high-powered, time-intensive jobs? There were other annoyances, but you should be able to get the picture by now.

I expected more from this book, and didn't get it.

The Great Baby Caper is filled with comedy based in exaggeration, sometimes to the point of the bizarre, as in the case of the initial premise: Courtney Kelly is among the top candidates in line to become president and CEO of the company, Bootle Baby Bower. And she is appalled to hear that her boss, M. Billingham Bootle, is making the final decision about his successor based on all of the distinguished candidates going on an insane scavenger hunt at the company's annual meeting in New Orleans. Her assignment? To scout out the most eligible bachelor in the French Quarter and marry him within 12 hours! Courtney decides this is carrying eccentricity way too far. But it turns out to be even worse than that. What she doesn't know is this is all a convoluted plot of her boss to engineer Courtney's marriage to his grandson.

Mark Billingham is willing to participate in an elaborate entertainment for his grandfather's annual company meeting. It all sounds outlandish, but outlandish is his grandfather's middle name, and the game seems harmless enough. Not only that, it will give him a chance, at long last, to meet and spend time with beautiful, dynamic Courtney Kelly, a woman whom he's been infatuated with from afar for over a year after seeing her in a company video.

From this point on, the droll plot takes flight, progressing from Courtney's initial encounter with Mark, to her fight with Bootle and Mark when she discovers her boss's deception, her make-up with Mark and successive night of passion leading to an unplanned pregnancy, her ultimate marriage of convenience to Mark, and their gradually coming to terms with meshing together their high-powered careers--and high-powered personalities. Endless humorous imbroglios occur in the midst of these events, including a series of visits by the kids of Courtney's many siblings during sequential cruises by their parents.

If you enjoy frenetic comedy with lots of zany subcharacters and crazy complications thrown in one after the other like a juggler tossing a collection of plates, balls and bats in the air as he twirls a beach ball on his nose and a ring around his extended ankle, you will love this story. There is something going on every second, in the classic tradition of screwball comedy. The heroine is very strong, the hero sexy and tender, and their efforts to come together as a couple are moving as well as funny. A very entertaining read.

This is one of the worst books I have ever read, and I've read lots of bad and cheesy stuff. I thought TekWar was bad but William Shatner has nothing on Fabio! The writing is *atrocious*, the characters flat and cliche, the plot all but tacked on as an excuse to show off Fabio's "exquisite physique." My friend sent me this book as a joke, and I'm sending it back to her! There is only one good thing about this book: if you're a writer, no matter how awful you think you are, this will make you feel like Shakespeare. My four year old writes better than this, and that's not hyperbole... I am serious.

This book had a wonderful, fairy-tale quality. The beginning of the story read a little slow, but the story picked up and proved to be a very charming tale. I enjoyed it. I'm a delicate reader and it's what I would consider a "safe read", which I very much appreciate. Fabio has picked himself up another reader!

This book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. It had the things I like in a romance, a dashing knight, a beautiful princess, and of course the bad guy. This book is for all those who love it when the hero has to fight for his lady.

Chinese theatre (i.e., Chinese Opera or xiqu) is one of the most colourful, exciting and enduring of the world's theatre forms. There is much to be said about it's vibrant performance style and fascinatng history. Unfortunately, Riley's book adds little to the rather generic treatment of xiqu actors, performance form, or history currently available in English. While the author's touristy, shallow account of the world of Chinese theatre fails scholastically, the illustrations are nice to thumb through.

Often, Western books on Chinese theatre tell us what traditional theatre looks and sounds like, attempting to offer a source of reference to the uninitiated. Alternatively, they offer us a purely historical account of the development of traditional Chinese theatre. This descriptive trend in Western academia has continued throughout the twentieth century. Finally, Riley has written a book which breaks the mould, theorising not only on the development of traditional theatre, but also on the ritual symbols and meanings which have not only affected its development, but have continued to pervade it to this day. Riley uses a combination of her unique experiences of living, training and acting in China, alongside meticulous academic research to explore the relationship between traditional theatre and its wider cultural contexts. Consequently, this book is the first large study in a Western language to explore traditional theatre beyond its surface representation. Whilst some of the claims Riley makes about her relationship with China and its theatre are untrue (for instance, her claim to be able to view Chinese theatre from a wholly insider's view is impossible to prove given her Western background), her thesis that Chinese theatre is a multi-faceted art form, steeped in ritual exorcism and spirit worship is beyond doubt. If you are looking for a very basic and descriptive guide to traditional Chinese theatre, you might want to look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a well-researched and imaginative study of Chinese theatre, which gets past the usual description and theorises on the concepts at the very core of traditional theatre, then this is a book for you.

please send a complementary copy to review this book

I recommend this book to fellow students anywhere. I am a first year electrical student at Metro Community College's South Omaha campus in Omaha, NE. Electrical grounding is one of the most important areas to educate yourself if you are going into the field or if you are a seasoned professional. Loss of life, property damage and potential lawsuits are what await those who do not educate themselves. Fortunately, this book is very easy to read. ( This review is written and submitted by Racquel Marshall-Kirkeby)

This book was written for seasoned professionals. I am a engineering student, and I depend on this book to help me understand mechanics of materials, but it simply doesn't do this. The authors of the book assume that all readers already know the material. It is extremely frustrating to read this book. The example problems are ambigous. The reading simply does not prepare the reader for the problems at the end of each chapter. The only reason why I give this book two stars is because they have very good visual illustrations.

I bought this book as a supplementary reference for mechanics of materials, which I do at my job. The book is well written, with plenty of example problems sprinkled throughout. I also found this book to be very comprehensive. For example, I found material on the mechanics of shrink wrapping, which I don't see in many other books on strength of materials. The only thing I would fault is that some of the chapters are too long and would have been better from a pedogical standpoint if they'd been broken up into smaller chapters. In particular, Chapter 7 on beam stresses could have been divided into separate chapters concentrating on pure bending and transverse loading. That way, a discussion of pure bending leads naturally into transverse loading. Instead, these topics are sort of thrown together into one big chapter, overwhelming the student. But overall, it's an excellent volume. Given a choice, I'd recommend Beer and Johnston, but you won't go wrong with Riley et al. either.

The Oxford Classic's edition of th Principles of J.S.Mill is an awful one. It not only omits complete sections of the work and doesn't mention it in the cover but lacks notes and even an index.

Don't buy it!

I must be a complete idiot. I finally decided to open this abridged edition of Mill's Political Economy & Chaps on Socialism, just to see what's going on in there. Lo & behold, as anybody with eyes can see, there ARE extensive notes on the text, including an index of names referred to by Mill! However, I wish to reiterate my claim that it is an "awful edition" for idiots who don't open the book or are unable to read the table of contents. Why doesn't Oxford provide user guides to explain these complex matters?

This story started out with Riley and it was Riley all the way through. We went from his sudden appearance at the birthday party she was giving for a big shot (and after being separated for seven months) to his attempted reconciliation, all the way through the book. Her flash backs of how they met and married were cute. The story was almost typical Brown. First they were lovers, then married, then separated for along time and back together again for a happy ending. It's hard to imagine Riley calling someone Dim Whit and they would adore him. I thought the story had zero plot and not one character really grabs you. Maybe because there aren't many characters except Riley and Brin. This one was published in 1985 and is a reprint. It isn't new writing by Brown. Brown can write nice descriptive love scenes, but the overall story lacks suspense. It doesn't keep you enthused about turning the page because there was no doubt about what would happen at the end. I read the story in one evening. This is my third or fourth book by this author and I'm still not excited.

If you are looking for a quick read with lots of passion that can be read in one evening- you might try this one. Brin is a very successful TV producer while Riley, her husband of a little less that 2 years, is a celebrated morning talk show host. But there were problems and after time Brin needed to escape for her individuality's sake. So for 7 months they have been estranged. Now Brin is having to make a decision whether to divorce Riley and take an offer of a life time to produce an up-coming show that is a producer's dream- she has until tomorrow to decide. She is hosting a semi-formal birthday party for her boss when Riley shows up wanting to discuss what the problem was in the marriage. Not taking No! NOT RIGHT NOW! as his answer he works his way into the evening of events- causing it to be an evening of flashbacks, passion, hurt, and love for Brin and himself.

Yes, Riley was a jerk at times- but since we have jerks in real life shouldn't there be jerks in romance novels, too?! And, yes, it was corny at times- but fun. Another sweet romance to read in one evening.

I rated "Riley in the Morning" a four simply because I was a bit disappointed with the ending. The premise of the book is that TV producer Brin Cassidy and her estranged husband Jon Riley who is the star of his own morning show (you guessed it) Riley in the Morning duke out the problems of their relationship. Sandra Brown's idea for the story is not new, but still fun to read. This is a fast paced book, and doesn't take long to read. In short, the conflict arises when Riley decides it would be the appropriate time to discuss the status of their relationship the night that Brin is hosting a dinner party for co-workers. The book then whirlwinds into a two day long extravaganza that will keep you rooting for the couple.
To be perfectly honest, I was expecting a little bit more from the ending. I wouldn't go so far as to say I felt cheated, but I definitely felt like this was worked up to be more than it was. I think that the last few chapters are predictable, though I really don't think it takes too much away from the read. Again it doesn't spoil the book.
I'm still happy to recommend this book for a read sometime, but I would not recommend it as the first Sandra Brown novel to read. This is not the best example of the author's talent. I would suggest starting off with Sandra Brown's "Exclusive" if you've never read her work before. It's a fantastic starting point! I'd suggest saving this one for later if you're not familiar with Ms. Brown's work. If you've been reading Sandra Brown already, then by all means, live it up. It's still really fun!

A previous reviewer wrote: "Christians--and members of all religions--will find diversity and harmony difficult as long as they are committed to the idea of absolute truth."

But is this statement absolutely true?

If I insist that there is absolute truth, then those who speak like this reviewer must also tolerate me in the name of diversity. It is self-refuting to deny absolute truth.

Rather, I would say, "Christians--and members of all religions--will find diversity and harmony MEANINGLESS as long as they are NOT committed to the idea of absolute truth."

Do you disagree? Good! You must tolerate me in the name of diversity.

While I find Riley's thesis interesting and relatively entertaining, I am not impressed with his scholarship. He makes statements that do not withstand scrutiny, for example he writes: Jesus was opposed to many Jewish traditions.
Actually Jesus affirms that he has not come to change the Law but to fulfill it, where he does go beyond Mosaic Law it is in employing that old rabbinical device of 'building a fence round the Torah'. By exceeding the demands of the Law he ensures that the circumstances where the Law is broken can never arise.

Riley also misquotes, for example in Chapter 4 - The Story of Jesus, the section titled 'The Genetics of the Hero and the virgin birth' he quotes Isaiah 7:14 RSV as:
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
when it actually reads:
Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

A very critical difference that has kept theologians in gainful employment for centuries. (But the passage Riley ascribes to Isaiah comes from Matthew)

I can't judge whether this is sloppy or deliberate but it undermines the authority with which he writes.

The Kirkus review above gives a good description of the book. The author, Gregory Riley, is a professor at Claremont College in California. He provides a good history of Greek and Jewish legends, along with the details of how they could have affected early Christian writers. He also shows the development of dualistic and Hellenistic beliefs (body-soul and God-Satan) in the late Old Testament and New Testament writers. I would also mention Riley's emphasis on the diversity of early Christianity (which was lost for the most part in the 4th Century when Constantine took over the church and imposed uniformity, and which was regained again in the Protestant Reformation in the 16th Century). What Riley might have ignored is the intense, often bloody rivalries between Christian sects, then and now. As Garry Wills mentions in "Papal Sin," there is evidence that Peter and Paul were fingered by a rival Christian group as instigators of the burning of Rome, resulting in their execution. Christians--and members of all religions--will find diversity and harmony difficult as long as they are committed to the idea of absolute truth.