A reviewer below has already done an excellent job of summarizing the book, so I can only hope that my review can serve as a complement. "1587" is essentially an examination of why the Ming dynasty--an institution that commanded great wealth and governed a vast nation--was already showing signs of decay and its impending collapse under the reign of the Wanli emperor. Ray Huang does an excellent job to show how cultural inertia and an institution that governed miserably effectively neutralized the voice and power of individual participants. The Ming dynastic system did not tolerate loyal opposition and was not designed for ministers or individuals to discuss opposing views in an orderly manner, which meant that power struggles were bound to be ugly as rival ministers and bureaucrat employed moral arguments to tarnish each others' reputation. Avenues for advancement within government amounted to a zero-sum game in which an official's effectiveness in governance was a barometer of his morality (bound with tradition and Confucian precepts open to interpretation). Imagine if your local mayor was judged not on his or her effectiveness or merit, but on whether he or she was a morally upright individual who was adhering to both the spirit and traditions of the past.

The Ming imperial system also placed a greater value on the institution and sought to dehumanize the emperor. The emperor was the emperor--he was not Wanli, not Jiajing, etc. The bureaucrats and officials--whose power was constrained individually--exercised great power as a group, effectively dictating how the emperor should act, behave, and present himself to the public. Little wonder then, that the Wanli emperor, whose power was in the negative and not the positive, hardly sought to rule in an effective manner after being weighed down by such an institution. Others in the drama--the powerful minister, the innovative general, the eccentric bureaucrat, and the dissenting scholar--would find the same forces inhibiting their ability to affect real changes.

Huang ends his book by concluding that the Ming dynasty was a "highly stylized society wherein the roles of individuals were thoroughly restricted by a body of simple yet ill-defined moral precepts, [and that] the empire was seriously hampered in its development, regardless of the noble intentions behind those precepts. The year 1587 may seem to be insignificant; nevertheless, it is evident that by that time the limit for the Ming dynasty had already been reached. It no longer mattered whether the ruler was conscientious or irresponsible, whether his chief counselor was enterprising or conformist, whether the generals were resourceful or incompetent, whether the civil officials were honest or corrupt, or whether the leading thinkers were radical or conservative-in the end they all failed to reach fulfillment. Thus our story has a sad conclusion. The annals of the Year of the Pig (1587) must go down in history as a chronicle of failure."

I recommend this book for all those not only interested in the history of the Ming dynasty, but to those who are interested in the nature of Chinese imperial statecraft and the question of how government should be structured.

This is a truly unique book in its approach to the presentation of Chinese history.

There have been an untold number of books written on every aspect of Chinese history since, literally, the dawn of the written word. The approach of this text really takes the reader inside the Chinese mindset presentng history in a truly readable manner.

Para1: A scholarly work that is easily accessible to non-specialists, historian Ray Huang's ironically subtitled 1587: A Year of No Significance focuses on the Ming Emperor Wan-li--who rose to the throne and the age of eight and who reigned for 48 years--and five other figures in the court of the decadent, doomed Ming Dynasty. This is an off-beat masterpiece of both history and biography, learned yet chatty, steeped in the dense, ancient imperial chronicles yet surprisingly contemporary in its oblique illuminations of contemporary Chinese political culture through the prism of history. Para2: Huang's approach is is reminiscent of Kurosawa's in Roshomon, employing multiple points of view from the imperial court in seeking to expose and foreshadow the demise of the Ming. We meet archetypes from the drama of Chinese history: the Machiavellian chief minister, the perceptive but disregarded general, the anguished philosopher, and, at the story's center, the eccentric Wan-li emperor himself. In choosing to write about Wan-li, Huang is able to create a measure of narrative tension unusual in Chinese historical writing, because by the Year of the Pig, 1587, the emperor has ceased to fulfill his prescribed role in rite and ritual as the embodiment of moral order. Wan-li's behavior causes great agitation among his courtiers, bureaucrats, retainers, imperial wives and concubines, eunuchs, and slaves, each of whom occupies a carefully defined place in the regimented life inside the walls of the Imperial Compound and who, without punctilious observances by the emperor, is without a fixed point of reference. Para3: A special feature of this book is the wonderful chapter on the incorruptible censor Hai Rui, who dared impeach the Emperor. Hai Rui is familar to students of modern China as the subject of a 1960s play, "Hai Rui Dismissed from Office," that provided Mao Zedong with the pretext to launch the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Mao believed, rightly, that the play was an allegory of his dismissal in 1959 of his defense minister, who dared to speak the truth about Mao's failed Great Leap Forward. To meet Hai Rui in Huang's portrait is to understand anew Mao's resentment at being cast as villain in a historical drama. Para4: Although published by a major university press, 1587: A Year of No Significance is not simply for specialists. (It is, however, highly regarded among professional China scholars and contains all the trappings--excellent and extensive endnotes, bibliography, and index--of the scholarly monograph.) Above all, it is an engaging, often gripping, at times tragic, and, ultimately, unforgettable portrait of a man and a moment in time. It is, moveover, beautifully written in an odd, often haunting first-person voice that renders palpable the weight and majesty of four thousand years of Chinese civilization. Para5: A variety of excellent, biographically-based popular works on imperial China remain in print--Jean Levi's historical novel, Emperor of China, and Jonathan Spence's work on the Qing emperor Kang-hsi are among the best known--but, in my opinion, Huang's book surpasses them all. 1587 is, indeed, a work of great significance, by an author of encyclopedic knowledge and scope and a stylist of vast charm and elegance. Signed: Paul Frandano

Great novel. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil war, American History.

Winner of 1997 Cader Cox Historical Fiction Award by the North Carolina Society of Historians

This book will live. it is a work that transcends history or fiction. a book to treasure forever, it takes the reader into the American Civil War as no other has. I recommend it highly

Ever since I got this wonderful book, my restoration of WW II jeeps has got a definite direction. I have been able to master the various differences between the MBs and GPWs. The wiring is made perfect. The quest for 'F' marks has increased(I have found many more such marks than those listed on page 139.The 'Jeep Straps', 'Seal patterns','Marking of Vehicles' and the 'General use,Standardized Parts' are only found in this book. As a restorer,owning 23 low bonnet jeeps, I seem to be commanding a fairly good knowledge about WW II jeeps, and would like to be contacted by jeep lovers in INDIA for more information. Could this be the starting point. I once again assuse that I am proud to possess the Bible on Jeep Restoration. Would like to own the second book by Ray Cowdrey,but dont know where in India will it be available? Please guide.

THE INTRICATE DETAIL OF THESE BOOKS,WHICH AN ENGLISH FRIEND INTRODUCED ME TO, WAS VERY USEFUL TO ME WHICH CHANGED ME FROM SIMPLY LIKING THE JEEP TO A LIFETIME LOVE AFFAIR! A MUST FOR EVERY JEEP LOVER-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

If you are interested in classic jeeps... If you are thinking to buy one of this classics... If you had one and need to know everithing on it... If you really want to learn from a source indeed thrully... If you want to RESTORE this marvelous machine to its original shape, even if you have a similar model like the CJ2A (like me)... THIS IS THE BOOK! Coda: you MUST buy both volume I and II for an exhaustive and complete image.

Almost A Hero, by James Dalton is a must read for every mother in the country. The information included in that story could save a lot of problems for many young people. Knowing about the wolves lurking in the shadows can save a lot of heartbreak. Read the book and thank the author! A must read. Think real!

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of believable action and solid characters. You actually care more about the characters than the body count (like most action books). The authors do a good job building suspense for the ending. You gotta love it.

This is a book for those who enjoy unadulterated action novels. There is the obligatory romance (actually two as I recall) but they are effectively interwoven into the fabric and add to the level of interest...especially since their inclusion makes for some tense moments in the latter stages of the story. Women would enjoy this novel for that reason alone.

I completed this book over a month ago so I cannot provide individual characterizations as I might have immediately upon finishing it. But let me say the action and character development had me more interested each time I picked up the book. I hated to see it end.

Mssrs. Dalton and Renfro showed a remarkable resilience in their writing, creating ebbs and flows and nuances which made for very entertaining reading. Mr. Dalton's ample experience in two tours as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam no doubt aided in this writing, but beyond that, the authors' ability to build suspense, surprise, and entertaining characters was impressive.

The ending is worth waiting for.

First off, I'm a pastor in Chicago. Ray Pritchard is my senior pastor(I don't work for him; I minister at a nearby college). I've enjoyed his sermons for almost 3 & 1/2 years now. So I'm a bit partial to him.
With that said, let me say that this is the first book by Dr. Pritchard that I've actually read. It's very down to earth, clear, and easy to read. It took me all of 3 days to finish it(it's only 130 pages long).
Dr. Pritchard basically tells us that we're sinners, why we're sinners, why we can't save ourselves, and why we need a savior. But most importantly, he tells us what to do to get saved and to find salvation. He doesn't browbeat the reader into submission or to his ideas. But he lovingly explains all that I've mentioned above. And he proves everything he says in this book.
This book would be an excellent gift for anyone and everyone you know that doesn't know Jesus personally. Amen to Dr. Pritchard & this book!!!

An Anchor for the Soul is a primer in helping seekers and new believers capture the essence of new life in Jesus Christ. We use it at our church as part of a Fresh Start Packet for new believers and seekers. It is scripturally based and presents a great help for those seeking to grow in Jesus Christ. It also gives hope to those who are looking for an anchor to base their life upon in a world desperately looking for answers to the key questions of life. It is easy reading, but compelling. I highly recommend this little book as a means of telling the Good News that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

If so, this book captures the essence of the Bible in a simple, yet straightforward manner. This book is perfect for anyone who is trying to figure out how to find that elusive peace and forgiveness that we all seem to be searching for. In a compelling manner, the author distills the message of Scripture into an easy-to-read format so that we can know our standing before God -- and clearly explains how we can be saved from our sins and on the road to heaven.

I enjoy reading Kurzweil because he's an adventurous thinker. This book is particularly fun because some other fine minds take him to task. Ray holds up well because he's a reasonable thinker. Although some of his predicitions seem outlandish, they may not be. You can't read this book without engaging in a lot of interesting visualization about the future. Some of it is frightening, but there is hope as well. Will the future runaway on it's own or will we be in charge? I don't know, but I'm sure thinking about it, now.

This is Ray Kurzweil's third book concerning the future of reductionist artificial intelligence design and it's possible effects on us in the decades yet to come. In THE AGE OF SPIRITUAL MACHINES, Kurzweil's previous book, which I enjoyed also, and this volume, he uses technological trends, including Moore's law and other tools, to show that a desktop computer will have achieved human level computational ability around the year 2020. Also, Kurzweil envisions that we will be able, sometime in the next few decades, to scan human brains and download that 'software' into these advanced computers to give them human level reasoning abilities, with the speed of computer neural nets, leaving humans behind, so to speak. Accordingly, it may also be possible to scan individual brains and load that information into an advanced computer (attached to a body of some kind), giving that person a sort of immortality. This is the gist of Kurzweil's argument, I hope I got it essentially correct.

What Kuzweil means by computers someday becoming 'spiritual' is that they may become conscious, and 'strong A.I.' is the view that "any computational process sufficiently capable of altering or organizing itself can produce consciousness." The first part of this book is an introduction to all of the above views by Kurzweil, followed by criticisms by four authors, followed in turn by Kurzweil as he refutes these criticisms.

Personally, I found most of the views expounded by the critics here to be either non-sensical, or 'beside the point'. One critic says that the life support functions of the brain cannot be separated from it's information processing function. Of course it can be, even the effects of hormones can be programmed into a downloaded brain, as well as other chemicals used by brains. Another critic states that possibly evolution is in error, and yet another criticism is that our machines will not be able to contact a divine entity and would thus be inferior.... give me a break, well...perhaps this is all true and maybe pigs will one day fly over the moon unassisted. I could go on and on, but this is the job of Ray Kurzweil and he defends himself admirably in the final chapters of this volume. Kurzweil does mention in this book that brain scanning machines are improving their resolution with each new generation, and eventually will reach a point where they should be able to image individual neurons and synapses in large areas, and allow the brain 'software' to be transferred to a suitable non-biological computing medium, my only criticism of Kurzweil here is that I think he should discuss this technology more, and where it is headed, his next book would be a great place for this.

One final point, it seems to me that when a new idea appears to be difficult and complicated to achieve, the pessimist says: "This is difficult and complicated, and may not work", whereas the optimist says: "This is difficult and complicated, but may work". Only time will tell for sure.

The work, inventions, and opinions of Ray Kurzweil in the field of artificial intelligence have captured media attention and the attention of philosophers and researchers in artificial intelligence. But not only is Kurzweil one of the most brilliant and controversial of all the individuals working in artificial intelligence, he is also the most optimistic. This optimism holds not only for the future technology of artificial intelligence, predicted by Kurzweil to give independent thinking machines in the next three decades, but also for its social impact. Kurzweil believes that artificial intelligence will work for the benefit of humankind, but that this benefit will depend to a great degree on his belief that humans will take on technology that will effectively make them cybernetic.

The controversy behind Kurzweil stems from his recent book "The Age of Spirtual Machines", which is a detailed accounting of his predictions and beliefs regarding artificial intelligence. Many individuals objected to his visions and predictions, and he answers a few of them in this book. In particular, he attempts to counter the arguments against him by the philosopher John Searle, the molecular biologist Michael Denton, the philosopher William A. Dembski, and zoologist Thomas Ray. With only a few minor exceptions, Kurzweil is successful in his refutation of their assertions.

But even if Kurzweil completely refutes the arguments of these individuals, and possibly many more against him, the countering of arguments will not by itself solve the problems in artificial intelligence research. The fact remains that much work still needs to be done before we are priveleged to see the rise of intelligent machines. Kurzweil is well-aware of this, for he acknowledges this many times in this book. He points to reverse engineering of the human brain as one of the most promising strategies to bring in the robotic presence. The success or failure of this strategy will take the mind-body problem out of purely academic circles and bring it to the forefront of practical research in artificial intelligence. The 21st century will thus see the rise of the "industrial philosopher", who works in the laboratory beside the programmers, cognitive scientists, robot engineers, and neurologists.

Each reader of this book will of course have their own opinions on Kurzweil's degree of success in countering the arguments of Searle, Denton, Dembski, and Ray. But one thing is very clear: Kurzweil is no arm-chair philosopher engaging in purely academic debates on the mind-body problem. He is right in the thick of the research and development of artificial intelligence, and if the future turns out as he predicts, he will certainly be one of the individuals contributing to it. He and many others currently working in artificial intelligence are responsible for major advances in this field in just the last few years. Their ingenuity and discipline is admirable in a field that has experienced a roller coaster ride of confidence and disappointment in the preceding decades. All of these individuals have proved themselves to be superb thinking machines.

I bought this book in 1987 for my then 6 year old. It quickly became his favorite. The friendly green monster helped him to conquer his own fear of bed time monsters, and it became our joke that 'the beast' was under his bed guarding him! He is now a U.S. Marine and the book has become a favorite of his 2 and 4 year old little brothers who love it not only because 'Big brother Dave' loves it (still), but because they love to join in the pillow fight at bedtime and imagine stealing apples from the kitchen when the sheriff and deputy are watching t.v. They love to call out the final sentence with me as I read.... "OF COURSE there's no beast in the bathtub.... he's under my bed!!!"

"Lewis skidded down the stairs and into the living room. 'I can't take a bath,' he announced. 'There's a Beast in the bathtub.'" So begins one of the most heavily rotated books in my children's collection. The delightful text is complemented by charming illustrations. The best children's books appeal to those who read aloud and those who listen. Beast in the Bathtub more than satisfies both audiences. If you can get your hands on a copy, don't miss this wonderful book!

The story is about a boy, Lewis, who doesn't want to take a bath because there is a Beast in the bathtub. Lewis's mom insists that he bathe and the adventure begins. Lewis and the Beast are loveable characters and their interaction is charming. The story flows beautifully from start to finish making readers feel they are actually watching Lewis and the Beast. The illustrations are also wonderful. A must read for all children.

This is a "must have" for Metzker fans and other late 20th century photography afficianados. These are starkly contrasted b/w photos that are both abstract design and life commentary. You will want to cut out each image and hang it on your wall. But don't. The book itself is too elegant.

The photos of this book further the photographer's thinking as it is conveyed through a photograph. The photos display strong evidence of a conscious mind behind a camera interpreting what is in front of it. The photos are graceful, delightful and engulfing. Their rending in the book itself is spectacular. The prints being seen for the first time are strongly supported by the remaining work. Together they lend towards the viewer's discovery of the photographer's thinking in making these photographs. Several varied series of photographs are displayed. Truely a gift to look so far into the creative process.

This is a fantastic collection of street photography by an often overlooked photographer. Metzer's photographs are brilliant scenes of bright light and deep shadow. The deep chiaroscuro of film noir cinematography is the first thing that comes to mind. His juxapositions of shadows, buildings and people are simply beautiful, and at the same time very lonely. If you can, I would recommend seeing this exhibit in person (at the Laurence Miller Gallery, NYC). Otherwise, definitely pick up this book.

Gonzalez is organized, thoughtful, and extremely visual in giving tips on how to recognize Vintage Fiesta from Post86 (reissued) Fiesta, as well as distinguishing knock-offs from the real thing! He discusses each of the impressed stamps and ink stamps used to identify Fiesta, as well as providing pictures of each stamp. He also shows how to measure items to distinguish Vintage from Post86. His value ranges are a bit high, but this book is invaulable when it comes to being a useful resource for new and seasoned collectors alike. This book is great to use hand in hand with the Huxfords' book. The values in the Huxfords are very accurate, but the book can be confusing - especially if you are at a Flea Market and need info quickly. Gonzalez will provide info clearly (and easy to find) without rambling.

I am usually a harsh reviewer and rarely give a book five stars except for one with strong scholarly content. This is one where I did give five stars because the book so adequately covered the necessary topics important to collecting this type of item. It is the most comprehensive book available for information on Fiesta.

Brand new, year 2000 hardback library volume of 182 pages. A beautiful book with a wealth of information and more than 800 full color, large, sharp photos. Covers from Homer Laughlin Lines, Taylor, Smith and Taylor Lines to Knowles, Mt. Clemens, Zephyr, Sevilla, Camwood and others. Item descriptions are very detailed and appear with great photos and values. The photos are exceptional, and true to life. A joy for collectors of colorware.

This is a must have for Delphi programmers. It is chalked full of useful code. It is concise and to the point which makes it a great reference book.

As an environmental engineer, I use Delphi to develop standalone applications to access and analyze large water supply data bases. I have over 30 years experience developing and using water quality and quantity models in everything from FORTRAN to Delphi.

Of all the Delphi books I have used, this one is the most readable for the non-professional programmer, using a minimum of jargon and less focused on business applications. It has never failed to provide the hint I needed to move ahead on a programming problem. While not as comprehensive as other Delphi guides, such as Pacheco & Teixeira's, the information it presents is more accessible for quick reference. I look forward to Todd & Kellen coming out with an updated version for Delphi 4.

Of the 25 Delphi books that I own, this is the one I take with me when I don't know what will be required of me.

It is the perfect replacement documentation.