Well written and informative. Covers dog behavior and training in an easily understandable, and logical method. Enjoyable to read, if you have dogs you will use this book over and over.

"Microcognition" is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to understand and cogitate the most heated issues in AI today. The book is written in 1989, so the most prominent issue is that of connectionism versus classical AI. The book gives very good introduction to both paradigms and provides the rader with lots of background material. The book is basically divided into 2 sections, 1) The Mind's-Eye View and 2) The Brain's-Eye View. The discussion is balanced and insightful, and Clark is a wonderful writer. His conclusion in short is that AI research must continue in both the "Mind's-Eye View" (classical AI) strand and the "Brain's-Eye View" (connectionism) strand for the paradigms have different aims.

Believe it or not this might be the best Vb 4.0 book book you ever buy. An intermediate and hardcore VB programmers would find this book hard to resist. In every chapter, you would find such a headiug "Dear John, How do I...?" OPPSS...Don't be fooled by this phrase yet, this is not just another "how-to" programming book which is usually filled with codes and codes... (sigh...boring...and make you more confused...). It has a very essential tool every VB programmer needs , yet, might have been forgotten somehow For example, in one of the chapter, the author gives you such an insightful trick in "how to make a tooltip" (tooltip is that cool thing that would appear anytime go inside the toolbar). Oyeah, not to forget this one, the book comes with a handy CD-ROM (for the lazybone type just like me, of course...) Buy now, and you can sleep faster and earlier this night (and the following day...and the following day...)

This book is one of the best reference books I've seen! It shows all the functions that I need help on. I have not yet found a function that's not in the book. I keep it by my computer every second, since I DO use it every second!

MICROWAVE PROCESSING ATTRACTS CERAMISTS AND ENGINEERS TODAY, BECUAE OF THE REDUCED COST AND IMPROVED PRODUCT PERFORMANCE.THE APPLICATION OF MICROWAVES IN THE PROCESSING OF MATERIALS IS STILL IN THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE... DUE TO THE SCARCITY IN THE INFORMATION ON THE KNOW-HOW OF INTERACTION AND APPLICATION OF MICROWAVES ,THE ADVANTAGES OF MICROWAVES ARE NOT YET COMPLETELY EXPLOITED BY THE INDUSTRY.THIS BOOK THROWS LIGHT ON THIS FIELD BY THE MERE COLLECTION OF EXCELLENT ARTICLES..THEORY BEHIND THE MICROWAVE-MATERIAL INTERACTION HAS BEEN EXPLAINED IN AN INNOVATIVE WAY. THE BOOK GIVES COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT THE MICROWAVES. IT DEALS WITH THE GENERATION OF MICROWAVES(RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN THE MICROWAVE SOURCES), DESIGN/APPLICATION OF MONO AND MULTI MODE CAVITIES AND THEIR EFFECTIVE UTILISATION IN PROCESSING ACTIVITIES,THEORITICAL CONCEPTS BEHIND THE DIELECTRIC HEATING, DIFFUSION ENHANCEMENT PHENEMENON,APPLICATION MICROWAVES IN GLASS MELTING ,SINTERING AND JOINING ETC.. CONCLUDINGLY THIS BOOK GIVES THE FUTURE TREND OF THIS ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY MICROWAVE PROCESSING. WHOEVER WORKS / WILLING TO WORK IN THIS FIELD (ENGINEER/ STUDENT/SCIENTIST) HAS TO READ THIS BOOK.

Vegetius' compilation of the military wisdom and costoms of the Romans has been the most influential military work written in the western world. Compiled for the Emperor Valentinian II about 390 ad, just before Rome was captured and burned by Alaric, King of the Goths, it was circulated for a thousand years in manuscript form. First printed in English in 1489. This work helped to bring back discipline and cadenced marching. "discipline is superior to strength; but if that discipline is neglected there is no longer any difference between the soldier and the peasant."

copied from introduction of book

Jane Clark Casey begins this informative juvenile biography of Millard Fillmore with the ex-President returning home after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to find his house smeared with ink because it was not yet draped in black mourning the death of the President. Noting that Fillmore is "the forgotten president," who "died the object of ridicule and hatred," Casey contends "the story of Millard Fillmore is a story of political courage--a story of his devotion to the Union and how that devotion cost him his place in history." This is not to suggest that Casey is an apologist for Fillmore's faults; she deal with such things as how he ran as the Presidential candidate for the Know Nothing party in 1856 that was reacting to the growing influence of immigrant voters. But Casey does render a judgment that at a crucial time in the nation's history, the debate over the Compromise of 1850, Fillmore did what he thought was best for the nation without regard to his political career. We can continue to debate the efficacy of that Compromise, whose chief claim to fame is that it put off the Civil War for a decade, but Casey makes a compelling case that Fillmore does not deserve to be forgotten.

Fillmore was the last of the four Whig Presidents (although John Tyler was really a Democrat), only two of whom were elected (they both died in office), although he started off in politics as an Anti-Mason and ended up a Know Nothing. Consequently, Casey is careful to explain the changing political climates that saw the rise and fall of these various parties. I also find it interesting that Fillmore, as an up State New York politician, was opposed to the influences of Thurlow Weed in New York City, which does emphasize that his rise to the Presidency was an odd chain of events indeed. Young readers will also be struck by the harsh apprenticeships Fillmore served as a youth, which made his "hatred of the insolent tyrant" a key part of his political beliefs. Throughout his political career, Fillmore endeavored to help the weak against the strong.

I think those volumes in the Encyclopedia of Presidents series that are devoted to the lesser Presidents, such as Millard Fillmore, have an advantage over those on the great leaders like Washington and Lincoln. Almost everybody "knows nothing" about Fillmore, so every thing is new and fresh. I had just read the fine introductory juvenile biography of Fillmore in the "Our Presidents" series and I was impressed by Casey's command of detail. Furthermore, Casey succeeds in arguing out her claim about Fillmore, so there is an argumentative coherence to the biography rather than just a chronological array of historical details. The Encyclopedia of Presidents is the most informative of the various series devoted to the American Presidents, and this volume on Millard Fillmore is one of the best written of the bunch.

Book Review by Janet Hunter, Business History

The role of the Japanese government, in particular that of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), in shaping industrial policy and export success in Japan since World War Two has been much debated. In recent years, however, with evident failings in the operation of financial institutions, financial regulation and financial probity, it is the activities of the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MoF) that have come under scrutiny both inside and outside Japan. J. Robert Brown, Jr.'s book is the first English-language monograph to analyse the recent travails of Japan's Finance Ministry in the context of longer term developments. Brown describes how during the early post-war years the priorities set by economic recovery and capital shortages generated a system in which the MoF acted as the agent of stability and recovery. It acquired enormous domestic power from its control over the budget process, and an international reputation for its influence over financial markets, particularly in regulating th e division between banking and securities business initiated under the Occupation. Its position was rooted in informal and personal links and information flow, as well as administrative guidance. Brown describes how the operation of the ministry itself, and its locus in broader decision-making structures, engendered risk aversion, and hindered initiative, innovation and leadership, but the advantages of the system ensured that it continued to operate with a degree of effectiveness as long as the economy grew rapidly. By the early 1970s, however, the original raison d'etre of the banking-securities division was gone. The MoF accepted the need for financial reform, but less so the concomitant and inevitable reduction in its own influence. While the pressure for reform from outside Japan was considerable, the MoF was weak in the face of political pressure and vested interests, and progress was slow until the scandals of the 1980s brought the big securities companies into public disrepute.

The MoF was likewise slow in coping promptly with the banking difficulties that followed the collapse of the Bubble economy in the late 1980s. Historical memories of 1920s banking crises led officials to conceal the real extent of the problems that existed, and resulted in constant attempts to play for time. Banks, like securities companies, were effective in manipulating political pressure, and not until 1995 was the first commercial bank permitted to fail. Incidents such as the Daiwa scandal in New York and the jusen (housing loan companies) losses further exposed the inadequacy of informal reporting, and the need for greater openness for effective regulation.

In describing this course of events, Brown demonstrates a process of painful adjustment in which lessons have been learnt only slowly. He argues that the MoF is far from having overwhelming power, even over the budget, and that politicians have not hesitated to overrule MoF officials when it has been in their constituency or party interest to do so. As such, the ongoing reform of both the financial sector and the MoF itself has a political dimension. Brown concludes, however, that the resolution of the bureaucracy's role must rest with the bureaucracy itself. Japan should, moreover, think carefully before going down the path of any explicitly US model, or breaking up or excessively weakening the MoF.

Brown has written a readable and accessible book, informative for both non-specialist and specialist, for both practitioner and academic. Based on extensive interviews with MoF officials, politicians and private sector financial institution employees, as well as on written sources, it has a refreshing 'down to earth' quality about it. Unlike many works on contemporary Japan, it locates the current problems in a longer term perspective, and as such will be a useful source of reference for business historians. Despite its high price it is likely to be better used than many more learned volumes, and should be welcomed as a valuable addition to the literature.

Copyright 2000 Information Access Company, a Thomson Corporation Company; ASAP Copyright 2000 Frank Cass & Company Ltd. Business History

I DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY.I'V READ THE BOOK EVER SENCE THE 5TH GRADE AND LOVED IT.KNOW I'M A TOTAL DRAGON FREAK.IF YOU LIKE FANTSY OR CHILDRENS BOOKS YOU SHOULD READIT.

During the highly publicized sentencing of Susan Smith, the Spartanburg, SC woman convicted of murdering her two young sons, the Herald-Journal reported, "The defense, which has maintained Smith is a tormented woman who has suffered a history of mental problems and abuse, is expected to capitalize on the officers' sympathy for Smith when she confessed. If they could show compassion, defense lawyers hope the jury will believe that Smith does not deserve to die." Meanwhile, the paper reported that in its closing argument, the state directed the jury to regard Smith's behavior as a manipulative tool: "[Solicitor] Pope said the prosecution's theory is that Smith 'pretends to commit these acts to gain sympathy."' In our society, if we are worthy of sympathy it follows that we deserve special consideration and leniency. In this original, provocative study, Candace Clark gives intriguing evidence that people do not innately know when, for whom, and in what circumstances sympathy is appropriate. Rather, they learn elaborate, highly specific cultural rules-different rules for men than for women-that guide when to feel or display sympathy, when to claim it, and how to accept it. Clark approaches sympathy as an important form of social currency. We learn early in life that sympathy must be evenly exchanged; that our "sympathy margins"-our accounts of sympathy credits we can call on in time of need-are limited. In her often amusing narrative, Clark describes the do's and don'ts of "sympathy etiquette," cultural rules that people must follow to protect their sympathy margins. Most disturbing is Clark's identification of a darker, less obvious side of sympathy-its function as a manipulative tool in everyday encounters. What exactly happens when someone gives another sympathy? Is the receiver pleased? Is the relationship solid? Or does the receiver feel belittled and hurt? When our sympathy exposes another's problems or inability to handle those problems, a show of sympathy can humiliate or diminish the receiver. Generally, Clark constructs a kind of social tour of sympathy, revealing that the emotional experience we modern Americans call sympathy has a history, a logic, and a life of its own. This sociology of sympathy provides a look at the mostly tacit rules of behavior that govern our expressions of sympathy in American society. Sympathy is not an easy behavior to follow because of factors of class, race, gender and multicultural expectations. As work styles change and as the plight of the poor continues to burden our social conscience, Clark sees the possibility for some norms of sympathy to evolve and change. The volume provides a reasonable look at the social context in which we express sympathy and gage its fairness and appropriateness.