Buy it, keep it and then will it to your heirs. This is the first cookbook I reach for out of fifty, including international cookbooks. Luckily I found another edition, two volumes and bought it for my 14 year old daughter. This book tells you what it is, how to clean it, how to fix it, how to eat it and what the nutritional content is. Recipe variations abound. If you are just learning how to cook, this book is it! It tells you everything; what to keep in your kitchen, fundamentals of cooking, how to use spices what the meat cuts are and where they come from, how to pick good produce, how to make jelly, breads. If you read through the index, you will find things you never heard of. Definitely a worthwile investment or gift to newlyweds or newly-moved-outs. It is a great first step.

I confess, I've never really believed any cookbook jacket information before but in the case of The New Doubleday Cookbook I can tell you it's all true! It IS the most complete, up-to-date cookbook I have ever found and it always has the answer to all my cooking questions. I can choose from over 4500 simple or sophisticated recipes each one with its own calorie, cholesterol and sodium count and there's tons of handy information about new foods, multiethnic ingredients, new equipment, basic and special cooking techniques, food additives, nutrition ...just about everything anyone wants to know about buying, preparing, cooking and presenting food. This is my favorite kitchen companion now and I know it's the ideal gift for friends and family...beginners, brides and experienced cooks too.

I have cooked with this book for 20 years, and am ordering a 2nd copy to replace my dog-eared, gravy spattered, disintegrating original. From bear roasts to pumpkin soup; from boning a chicken to selecting a duckling for "a l'orange"; from Beef Wellington to boeuf bourguinon; this is the most comprehensive and essential cookbook I've ever seen. I've given this exclusively as a wedding gift for 10 years now - it's the only cookbook you'll ever need.

This book is for anyone who wonders how security mechanisms function. What separates this book from every other book on security is that this book is not limited to computer or network security, it gets into the nitty gritty of digital security.

The author is nothing short of brilliant. He covers a great variety of security issues, from smart cards, power monitoring, cryptography, passwords, access control, EMF emission monitoring [Tempest], biometrics, banking security, the history of all the previous topics, etc., etc., etc..

The other impressive qualities of this book are its clear and amusing writing style, excellent references, and tieing all this together in a fashion that provides a cohesive strategy for implementing truly secure systems.

While this book purports not to be for hackers, they will doubtlessly find this book of immense interest as well, as it covers information that I have not seen addressed in any other book that I have come across. You will learn more from reading this book than reading three years worth of 2600 Magazine.

All in all, great reading, intensely valuable information, and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

It is about time that this book has been written!

Ross Anderson has a unique perspective to offer. He explains complex information, such as the inner working of cryptographic functions, with a clear and precise manner, while at the same time always relating the content to the real world. He possess a rare combination of expertise in theory and experience in practice.

This book covers everything from security of ATM machines, to secure printing; from multi-level security to information warfare; from hardware security to e-commerce; from legal issues to intellectual property protection; from biometrics to tamper resistance. In short, Anderson's book basically covers the entire field of computer security. It is also refreshing that the book is as deep as it is broad.

I will use this book to teach and also to learn. It is a good read cover to cover, and I imagine it will make a fine textbook for many classes on computer security. Every chapter ends with suggestions for interesting research problems and further reading.

As I was reading this book, I kept asking myself how one person could have produced such a comprehensive and complete book. It is indeed a treasure.

Five stars for Ross Anderson's Security Engineering are just not enough - you have to read the book to understand what I mean. I won't repeat what other reviewers here on amazon.com have said; instead I'd say that the author is THE security expert. His amazingly broad and in-depth security expertise and good writing style resulted in a book which is not only comprehensive and detailed, but also interesting to read. You can be an expert in one, two, well, three (out of 10) domains of information security, but it seems the author is equally at home when writing about all 10 domains. I wish I was his student!

Edgar Danielyan

Okay, so I say that this is the best way to read The Hobbit. And I am dead serious.

I know that annotated books can be difficult to navigate, filled with useless, pointless, or just plain boring information, and can be grossly oversized. That is not the case here.

So - here's the scoop.

The original story is very nicely presented, with all original illustrations in color when possible, and in black and white elsewhere. The type is nice and clear, very easy to read. (Many cheaper editions are also rather hard on the eyes. Check the print before you buy, folks!)

The illustrations are printed very clearly, and with very good notes on what they are.

And then the annotations - useful, engaging, and very well done. You will WANT to read these. We discover how the book was written, and what was changed between editions. (There were many changes made so that The Hobbit would conform more easily to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.) There are fascinating tidbits about Tolkien's life and the experiences that made their way into the story.

The forward tells about the writing of the novel, and the appedices give additional details about the text.

There are also many illustrations from other editions of the book. These are varied, from thought-provoking to not-provoking.

And the book is not too big. Some editions are simply too big to be read, but this book is reasonably sized so that you can actually READ IT! In fact, I have not read any other edition of The Hobbit for years, since the original annotated version came out.

The new edition is very much worthwhile. Enjoy!

This newly published, annotated version of THE HOBBIT is excellent for fans of the book. It may be TMI ("too much information") for the first-time reader. The text of THE HOBBIT settles in the center of the book while Doug Anderson's notations appear in the outer margins. At times it's a bit busy - but there's always fascinating reading! Tolkien fans are sure to get excited over this one.

Doug Anderson includes lots of sources in his notes. He quotes Tolkien's own letters, other fairy tales and legends that may have inspired Tolkien, as well as previous versions of the section he's noting. The Gollum section ("Riddles in the Dark") is interesting. Tolkien did some tinkering with the original Gollum story as its follow-up (LORD OF THE RINGS) was taking shape. Seems that George Lucas is not the only person who's revised previously released work! Tolkien was his predecessor.

Also interesting are the many black and white illustrations that Anderson includes, many from foreign editions of THE HOBBIT. Some of the art is hilarious, as it does not resemble Tolkien's characters at all! There is a nice color section of illustrations in the center of the book.

THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT is a handsome, interesting book to own if you're a fan of Bilbo and his adventures with the dwarves (or dwarfs? That's covered in the book as well!)

This version of the Hobbit is a pleasure to long-time fans but will also serve new readers well. Anderson released the original "Annotated Hobbit" years ago but this new format with the annotations in the column most often directly next to the orginal book text is supurb.

Included are Hobbit illustrations around the word, a rich addition, but the real joy of this book is learning background and details about The Hobbit, author J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord Of The Rings. At times the footnotes are scholarly and at other times they are amusing gems.

Anderson has compared all of Tolkien's revisions and has researched the 'whys' 'hows' and 'whens' that helps reveal to reader the meaning of the text and the personality of the author.

My favorites are anecdotes about Tolkien's personal life that involve his family and personal history. They are facinating and at times touching.

WIthout rambling on too much, I can confidently recommend this version of "The Hobbit" as the best available.

This book gives a great look at the life of Gillian Anderson. From her "punk" days to becoming a mother. It has some great color photos of Gillian and even some good Gillian Internet sites. If you are a fan of Gillian or a X-Files curious about the star I suggest you buy this book as soon as you can.

This is the best Gillian Anderson biography on shelves today. But this isn't just a biography, this book also includes television and radio interviews with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. You get to find out what people did when Gillian Anderson appeared at the X-Files convention and what questions her fans asked. It also includes the speech she made in Washington D.C. for public awareness about Neurofibromatosis, the disease her younger brother has been diagnosed with. This book also includes great Gillian Anderson Internet sources and an X-File episode guide with all the shows from season one to the end of season four. But best of all, this book includes a great section of full page color photographs of Gillian. If you are a Gillian Anderson fan, you have to get this book!

This book is great for people who want t get all the facts and want awesome color Photos .I think Gillian is agreat person and Actress and this book helps you realize that.AS well as info there is a great X-files episode guide section.Many thanks to the athur and gillian for being the great actress she is.

If you are not inspired to work on your photo albums (any kind of album) after reading this than I don't know what to tell you! This is a great book!

I was previously a Creative Memories Consultant but quit over a year ago to pursue my online interests in running my own free scrapbook school and newsletter (...) I believe in the "Creative Memories Way" but I also love lots of other products and at times have felt that CM consultants can be a little bit overzealous about making you feel that you are "bad" if you use anything that is not made by Creative Memories. I was curious to see if this attitude was reflected in the book. I am happy to report that it was not! This book could have easily turned in to one big commercial for Creative Memories but they resisted that "easy" route and wrote a book full of meaningful information, ideas, and inspiration for any type of scrapbooker. Believe me if you are a "binder person" or not even into "crafty" scrapbooking you will be pleased with what this book has to offer! And if you are a Creative Memories disciple (after all they are the best!) then you will not be disappointed either.

My favorite parts of this book were the stories told by Rhonda Anderson. She shares the emotions and passion that makes you want to preserve your own memories. She is like a personal cheerleader saying "You can really do this!" and she inspires you with her own examples.

The book is well worth the cost even just for the quotes and idea lists alone, but you will find much more than that. This is not a layout idea book, it is a book to explain and instruct the important role of memory keeper. Thanks for a great read!

...

I just finished reading this book and must say that it is wonderful. There are numerous ideas for getting organized, finding the time and finding the inspiration. So many of us keep saying we need to do this and that but we never get around to it. You can take some of the ideas from this book and apply it to other aspects of your life as well. We all need some motivation now and then and this book provides it. I know that using the tips I found in this book I've been able to not only get motivated to work on my pictures (and journaling) again, but since I am accomplishing something with my pictures I get more energy to do other activities.
From my standpoint this book is not some great big advertisement for Creative Memories - yes it probably will help spread their message of preserving photos, but they don't push on you to only use their products.

Though I have been making scrapbook photo albums the Creative Memories Way for about five years I was really inspired by this book to leave a written/photographic legacy for my family. From the examples given by the authors and other contributors I gained a new insight into what to say along with the photos to truely tell the story connected to them. If you want to leave a written legacy that will be treasured or want to share your life in photos try putting them together in keepsake albums and your family will cherish them for generations.

Written by the terrific husband and wife team, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, the Star Wars Young Jedi Knights series are not to be missed! These series of books center on the young twins of Han Solo and Lei Organa, Jacen and Jacen, and their friends, Lowbacca and Tenel Ka, as they journey on the road to becoming Jedi Knights.

The second book, "Shadow Academy", begins where the twins and their friend Lowie journey to Lando's new venture, GemDiver Station. Unfortunately, Tenel Ka couldn't go with them since her grandmother, the Matriarch of the Royal Hapan Cluster, had sent her ambassador, Yfra, to visit her. Tenel Ka has still not confessed to her friends about her true identity, the heir to the Royal Throne of Hapes. But little does anyone know that an evil force is growing stronger all the time, this same evil force with evil plans for the young jedi knights...

"Shadow Academy" is so much fun, one of my favorites of the first part of the first six books of the series. But "Lightsbaers" and "Jedi Under Siege" comes pretty close. The five main characters of the books are well likable because each of them have their own personalities, characteristics, and quirks.

JACEN: He loves all living thing from plants, animals, to insects. In his own room he has his on menagerie of them. He has a special talent in using the Force to communicate with living creatures.
JAINA: An almost complete opposite of her brother, she takes after her father, Han Solo. She is a mechanical whiz and just loves taking apart and putting together droids, machines, and just almost anything. Also like her father, she is very spirited and has a self-confidence which makes her a natural leader.
LOWBACCA: Called Lowie by his friends, he is a Wookie and the nephew of Chewbacca. Very courageous and strong, he loves his friends very much. But sometimes he can't but just help missing his home planet Kashyyyk.
EM TEEDEE: Very much like C-3PO (almost to a fault), Em Teedee is a miniature translating droid who is always kept on Lowie's belt. Though talkative and annoying at times, Em Teedee is a member of the five friends.
TENEL KA: My personal favorite character, Tenel Ka is the daughter of Teneniel Djo, one of the witches of Dathomir, and Prince Isolder of the Royal House of Hapes. Loyal, a little humorless, brave, and strong, she is a warrior and most of all a true friend. Though strong in the force, she tries not to rely too much in it so she is very athletic.

So I highly recommend you read all of the fourteen books in order. The series are divided mostly into three parts. The first six books are about the rising force of the Empire and its Dark Jedi Knights. The next five books are about how the Jedi's must stop the Diversity Alliance. And the last three books are how the Jedi's deal with Czethros and Black Sun. Another Star Wars series I very much recommend are the "Jedi Apprentice" series. Don't miss them!

It's the best book of the series. It tells you a lot of stuff so that when you read the next book you know what the Shadow academy is. My favorite part of the book was when Jacen and Jaina are in a lightsaber fight and they didn't Know they were fighting each other. I have previously read Heirs of the Force, Lightsabers, Darkest Knight, The Lost Ones, Shadow Academy, and I am reading Jedi Under Siege.

Any Star Wars fan out there must read this book. The Solo children are some of the best Star Wars characters ever and they are really good in this book too. This was sooo exciting; I couldn't put it down. Jacen, Jaina, Lowbacca, Tenel Ka, and Luke are really cool. Nobody went out of character, and this book was never boring. The plot was very original. A MUST-read for any fan. Do yourself a favour. READ THIS BOOK!!! Also, read the other Young Jedi Knights books too, because they're awesome!

Catherine Anderson has written a top-notch novel as far as keeping the reader's interest goes. The characters are believable and so is the story. The scene-stealers, however, are Sammy (the child) and especially Goliath, the Rottweiler. He is some dog! Anyway, the book is a good one, so sit back and enjoy.

Not only does Catherine Anderson do a great job creating wonderful characters and a very moving love story, but she also tells a great tale. She has a particular talent for creating great heroes that seem like ordinary guys, but when it comes time to protect or defend their mates, they show an amazing depth of caring and commitment without turning all wishy-washy. Heath Masters is a perfect example. "Forever After" is about Meredith and her daughter, Sammy, who are in hiding from some shady characters from their past. They happen to move next to Heath, a very sexy small town sheriff, and his dog. Meredith's stringent refusal to accept his neighborly advances only whet Heath's curiosity. Little does he know that Meredith and Sammy are going to lead his life in all sorts of unexpected directions. The rest of the story is so good that I don't want to give it away, so just do yourself a favor and read this book!

When Meredith married Dan Calendri, she did not realize how abusive her spouse was. So when he dies, Meredith feels that she and her little girl are finally safe. That illusion is quickly shattered when Dan's father Glenn decides he wants to raise his granddaughter and will go to any length to obtain his desires. Glenn, who has mob connections, works behind the scenes to get Meredith declared incompetent so that he can gain custody. She knows that she is going to lose. Fearing for her daughter, who was abused by Dan, Meredith and Sammy flee into the night.

The pair moves to a remote area of Oregon where her nearest neighbor is Sheriff Heath Masters. However, Sammy fears all males and Meredith is afraid that Glenn will find her so both of them try to avoid Heath. The frightened females never counted on Heath's canine Goliath, who adopts the little girl as his own. Soon Heath finds himself falling in love with the two vulnerable females. However, Glenn is closing in on them and Heath has dedicated his career to a strict interpretation of the law. Besides having to risk his life for love, Heath has to sacrifice his ideals as a dedicated law enforcement official if he wants to save his beloved women. However, this is something he is not sure he can do.

FOREVER AFTER is a superb adult fairy tale romance that will excite fans of suspense. The lead protagonists are wonderful characters, though at times they are exceeded by the brilliantly developed Goliath and Sammy, whose fear of men seems so horrifically genuine. Catherine Anderson is truly one of the great writers of romantic suspense on the market today.

Harriet Klausner

If you're a new user to FreeBSD, or have been thinking about trying it, "FreeBSD: An Open-Source Operating System for Your Personal Computer" is the one book you MUST squander your hard-earned money on.

This superbly written book is an excellent introduction to the FreeBSD operating system. It covers almost everything that a new user needs to know to get a FreeBSD system up and running: installing and configuring, setting up printers, setting up networking and getting connected to the Internet for mail and web browsing, adding additional software (such as shells) using ports and packages, compiling custom kernels, and administering the system with user management and recovering from crises. It even covers upgrading the entire installation to a newer version!

All this is done in a thoroughly professional manner. The book is written in non-technical, but literate, English and does not waste the reader's time by poorly written explanations that need be read and re-read while the reader attempts to puzzle out what the author REALLY meant -- the material is very clear throughout, and consists of discussions followed by easy to carry out steps explaining exactly what and how to do. And, most amazingly, these steps actually work as advertised: I was able to do all of the things that I mentioned in the first paragraph by following the instructions in the book.

Readers who finish this book will find that they can then handle the more advanced books on FreeBSD, such as the "FreeBSD Handbook", "The Complete FreeBSD," (neither of which I would recommend as beginning-level books) and "FreeBSD Unleashed." Their understanding will also allow full use of the wide variety of resources available on the web in areas which the book does not cover in detail, such as security and firewalls.

"FreeBSD: An Open-Source Operating System for Your Personal Computer" also includes a CD with FreeBSD 4.3 on it. This CD contains all that is needed to get started and has the software needed to work through the entire book.

In conclusion, I would simply say that this is the best beginner-level book on FreeBSD on the market. I'd give the book 5 stars.

...to make the subject such an easy read and still present it in a very structured way. I am just starting a UNIX journey, and the book brings this newbie in a state of infinite infatuation loop. The fact that the FreeBSD OS is a masterpiece of global collaboration adds to it. I am not a pro, just a curious hobbyist. The book comes with the FreeBSD 4.3 for PC installation CD, so you can install it right away: a few concise yet thorough chapters handhold you along the way. After you are done, you'll be presented with a set of useful commands. The author shows advantages of one way of doing the task at hand over another and teaches a few simple yet witty tricks - a nice way to teach good habits from the start and giving you a chance to think for yourself at the same time. Not everybody can do this, pedagogical talent is obviously present here. There are few small errors and omissions, but for the beginner to intermediate level nothing comes close in the whole UNIX Universe. The best cab money I ever spent

"FreeBSD, 2nd Edition" is the best introductory UNIX book since Shah's "Linux Administration: A Beginner's Guide, 2nd Edition." So few authors remember that the people who read technical books need to solve real-world administration problems. Annelise Anderson knows the answers, and delivers the commands and concepts the FreeBSD beginner should understand. She offers practical guidance in a direct and simple manner. "FreeBSD, 2nd Edition" could be the book that convinces members of the Linux crowd to try another operating system.

Even though I've been administering FreeBSD servers for over a year, I still discovered many novel tips. "FreeBSD, 2nd Edition" covers material neglected in other recent FreeBSD books, such as apsfilter, the printing configuration tool. The author describes many of the small yet crucial details which make administration easier. These helpful recommendations include enabling color directory listings, clearing print queues, accessing extra terminals during installation, printing manual pages, and searching the ports tree using 'make search name='.

Beyond minor conveniences, the author shares numerous warnings against possible technical pitfalls, like trying to use cvsup on FreeBSD 4.3 RELEASE and earlier distros. She provides thorough documentation on many key aspects of FreeBSD administration, such as upgrades, enabling sound, and managing ports and packages.

The book differs from most UNIX books in that it does not spend a great deal of time discussing installation and configuration of common applications, like sendmail, BIND, Apache, and so on. While seasoned system administrators probably want more on these subjects, those new to the FreeBSD operating system need the foundation the author so skillfully builds.

If you're new to FreeBSD, you'll love this book. One word of caution: the binding seems weak, as mentioned in an earlier review. I've handled my copy carefully, and it remains intact. I hope it stays that way, since I plan to reference this book for months to come.

This book was really super.Definitly one of the most suspensful books in the Young Jedi Knights series.The plot was great and it ties in with everthing that has been going on so far. Anderson and Moesta are superb!I really want the next book The Emporor's Plague but I can't seem to get anyone to take me to the bookstore! Oh well! I definitly recommend this book who has read all the other books in the series . I think you will find that it is worth your money.

Well! What can I say about this book except that it's fantastic! Jaina and Zeek seem to be getting together, as are Lusa and Raynar, and Tenel Ka and Jacen. But of course thats not the only reason. The action in here is great! The capture of the Jedi Knights, the escape from Ryloth, and the healing. All of the Jedi Knights seem to be maturing with themselves as well as with each other. If you are the biggest fan in the world you of course have to read this book. But even if you just saw the movie for the fun of it, this book is a must for every one. If you don't have it, you better run out and buy it today. There weren't many left at my store the other day. Once again, RUN OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK! YOU HAVE SIMPLY GOT TO HAVE IT! Happy Reading!

This book is the best one in the series so far. I liked the way the kids escape from Ryloth, and Tenel Ka really kicked the crap out of Hovrak. I can't wait until "The Emperor's Plague" comes out!

Remember when comics were fun?

Back before the Dark Knights, the relentless violence, the angst? When people donned ludicrous outfits and fought for truth, justice, and the American way?

Kurt Busiek does, and he's provided an all-expenses-paid trip to Astro City, where the superhero comics of yesteryear live anew.

As with Alan Moore's "Watchmen", you won't recognize the heroes and villains, but you know them nonetheless---Samaritan, Winged Victory, Crackerjack, the Honor Guard. Simple, classic heroes who immediately bond to the imaginations of comic fans.

The story here is simple, straightforward, and infused with a joy that would make Garth Ennis throw up. Whatever happened to the comics you didn't mind your kids reading?

If you prefer your comics to be uplifting and life-affirming, as opposed to the relentless bleakness of the various X-titles, stop by "Astro City." You'll be glad you did.

For those seasoned veterans of comic book fandom, Kurt Busiek's Astro City series is a breath of fresh air in a stuffy, over-crowded room.

Far from the deconstructionist bent of Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, et al, Busiek *loves* superheroes and all the accompanying absurdity. His goal, as eloquently expressed in his introduction to this volume, is to explore the as yet uncharted themes, metaphors and plots while holding dear all of the magic and power of what came before.

While Astro City may prove a bit frustrating for a comics newcomer, it's a warm and inviting destination for the weary superhero fan.

Astro City is nearly unique among superhero comic books because Kurt Busiek treats the superpowers and costumes as little more than a backdrop to tell stories about people. If you want to see a lot of action and fight scenes, Astro City is definitely not the series for you to read. This compilation presents compelling tales about people who seem very real and happen to live in a violent, colorfully costumed world.

Astro City itself is a rich setting with a lot of references to other heroes and events that would be worthy of a long established universe such as Marvel or DC. You'll meet Samaritan and discover how precious time is to a hero with the power of Superman. And a story featuring Crackerjack shows that not all "heroes" are truly worthy of the name. In addition, there are stories told from the perspective of ordinary people whose lives are affected by these larger than life figures.

Life in the Big City gets my highest recommendation. Even if you aren't a comic book fan, these are stories well worth reading.