This is an excellent book-perfect for any X-Files fan. It has descriptions of the episodes, characters, and conspiracies. It contains the information that the viewers want to know. I usually only read the official guides, because the information is assuredly accurate. However, Unauthorized X-Files is almost perfect! I have read the book cover-to-cover and have not found any mistakes.

A good book that features many of our "daily driven" buses, not like other books that just showcase "Trailer Queen" and customized buses.
BTW, FULL MOON BUS CLUB ROCKS!

I admit, these kind of books (how to be glamorous / how to stretch a penny / how to dress like a Prada girl on a gap budget / how to be basically fabulous) books are my downfall. I love them. I'm a sucker for a great "how to be chic and fabulous" book. I love the graphics, the helpful little tips, the entire gossipy feel of them.

"Work It, Girl : 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick" by Wendy Burt and Erin Kindberg is a fun and friendly user's guide for those of us either just starting out - or in the middle of that first BIG job. With chapters such as :

*The Breakfast of Champions
*Bookworm in the Fast Lane - (the joy of audiobooks on the commute)
*Relocation for a New Job - (how to get aquatinted to your new city)
*Effective E-mailing
*Kiss Me Kate - (tips for staying OUT of the office dating pool)
*The Little Car That Couldn't (auto repair)

This book covers every possible problem, question or insight into the world of the "chic" worker girl. It's a really lighthearted and fun user's guide and give some great and practical tips. A nice book for a gift or a quick ride on the subway to your new job. :)

Kudos to Burt Wolf for creating an indispensable collection of kitchen cookware, gadget, tool, electrical appliance and everything but the kitchen sink reviews for both the new and experienced cook. There are tons of books dedicated to recipes and cooking, but this book gives you wonderful information on what cooking equipment to buy. I feel so much more informed and confident in my purchases since I've used this book. It has reviews and information on kitchen essentials all the way to esoteric gadgets you never knew existed. It's a great way to inventory and stock your kitchen. I also love the fact that it includes pictures and descriptions of currently available items with reviews written from an unbiased viewpoint. Also included are insights from many well known and talented chefs.

This should have been called, "The Kitchen Equipment Bible." It's that good! Highly recommended.

I still have my original Cook's Catalogue, bought when I was in college. I wasn't new to cooking then, but I sure hadn't seen devices like he showed in that book! I fell in love with it then, over the next 20+ years purchased some of the equipment in there, and wondered if there would ever be a followup.

Well, here it is, and it is as inclusive as the original! Unlike a prior reviewer, I enjoy reading about the arcane and unique pieces made for cooking. I don't want a book of this scope written like Consumer Reports. In the first place, even Consumer Reports' product evaluations are usually subjective. Plus, their prices aren't accurate. Yes, I rather wish Mr. Wolf had at least given some range of prices for items in the book. However, I don't consider it a real drawback, as prices do vary enormously even on the web.

I found the recipes and other inserts pleasing and practical. The color photos were also welcomed for this edition. There is literally no way to cover all kitchen products on today's market, but Mr. Wolf goes further than anyone else I've seen in trying.

I tend to be a kitchen gadget and utensil freak anyway so this book is right up my alley. Otherwise, and particularly for the novice in cooking, I have doubts about its utility.

This book was a great help in expanding some of our kitchen equipment. If you visit a bookstore or library, you may find thousands of books on cooking and not one on cooking equipment. This book fills that niche very nicely.

There were some items that we had acquired that we knew were really good -- the authors had done their research and it was encouraging that they found the same and for similar reasons. That gave me some reference as to their experience.

The book is up-to-date. They have equipment that is top-notch and widely available. The photos are excellent.

The book is also a great resource for items you may not have considered or known about. I know that we now have several more items on our list of equipment to buy. This makes it especially good as a gift to newlyweds or people starting out on their own and want to cook.

I would give this biography 3 1/2 stars if possible. I was fascinated by the life story of this charismatic, one-of-a-kind star. I can't give the book an A+ because I think the author went into too much detail sometimes on Lancaster's role as an independent film producer. Page after page of details of film financing, contracts with various studios, dollar amounts, and loan-out deals, etc. We need some of this to get the gist of Lancaster's abilities as a businessman and fore-runner of today's star/producers, but this was chapter after chapter of byzantine business deals. I got bored and skimmed parts of this stuff. I was more interested in the stories of his personal life and his creation of his marvelous film performances. I also got a little tired of the author's repeated teasing about his possible bisexuality. If all she can offer is that it's been rumored about in the past, and that he felt comfortable and nondiscriminatory towards gays, big deal! On the one hand, she repeatedly says he was not overly concerned with his appearance. On the other hand, she believes his tendency toward "narcissism" regarding his beauty could be a hint that he was gay or bisexual. Oh my, I think that's a little silly. Maybe he was just staying in good physical shape because he made his living as an actor. The point is to just leave it out if you're only repeating pure speculation. Other than those two objections, I really liked the book, and would recommend it to any fans of Burt Lancaster.

From the cheesecake nude of Lancaster on the rear cover, one might expect only tales of sexual liasons in this Buford biography. What one gets is a new appreciation of this hunk of a film star. Lancaster was a film genius. He had the personal drive of a starving Irish artist, who did whatever it took to succeed. Learning of his life in the circus and in the Depression Era theater adds dimension to this pretty boy. Lancaster never lacked the desire to go further than just his pretty face. He saw the market potential for independent filmmakers and met the challenge. If anything, Buford's exacting details of Lancaster's business dealings slow the reading down. But one gains respect for Lancaster over all. Amazingly loyal to wife and family, Lancaster's final days without that tie to Norma were somewhat melancholy. However, what a rich life he had! What a gifted, determined actor he was! Despite the seamy immorality that always seems to rear its ugly head in these star biographies, one gains new admiration for the Hollywood star who was much more than a celluoid dream. Not a speedy read, but worthwhile.

Compliments to the author! This is probably the best investigated star biography I know - and the bluntest. Burt Lancaster grew up in New York under desolate conditions. His mother beat him. He found diversion in sports and practiced frequently. He became a true muscle man and even worked as acrobat. His magnificent body and his colgate smile became his biggest assets in Hollywood, but he wanted more: He gave dynamic performances in "issue" films, like SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, ELMER GANTRY and THE SWIMMER and became also a successful producer. Like most stars of his generation he survived the sixties in westerns, but late in life he was rewarded with worthwile roles in ATLANTIC CITY and LOCAL HERO. At one point, the author complains that today's filmgoers throw him in the same pot as Kirk Douglas and Charlton Heston, yet, despite her obvious admiration of his talents, something drives her to unveil the dark side of his life.

I fully expected to discover some skeletons in his closet, but I didn't expect them to rattle so loud: It's neither the hint at bisexuality that shocks me, nor the revelation that a government agency kept a file about his secret life, that included "orgies" with Rock Hudson (She does not tell us what exactly happened at those orgies). No, the most shocking moment comes when Buford reveals that once he threw a woman to the floor with brute force. This case of grievous bodily harm was settled out of court, but I think it is too serious to be excused with charming Walt Whitman citations. Yet - we had been warned before: he was always on his guard, she tells us, because "He knew that he was able to kill a man". Like his character in THE LEOPARD he took what he wanted with the right of the sovereign. His marriage was a "must" marriage, but it produced 7 children, despite his wife's serious alcohol problems. He was apparently a dedicated father. Some of the details in this book excite real awe for the author, not because they are unsavory, but because they made it in this book at all: What Lancaster's sons did to a neighbor's swimming-pool (exactly what you think), that digestion was a topic at dinner table...How she made her interview-partners babble! Lancaster was a star who kept an "entourage": Generous in financial matters, he kept many people at arm's length, hereby preventing them, of course, to stand on their own feet. No one hindered Kate Buford to write a pretty, fan-pleasing hagiography. That she opted for honesty instead does her credit: Those are the only biographies worth reading, even if they are not always pleasant. Well done, Mrs. Buford!

Spenser hits his 25th anniversary with this one! Hawk gets him a case looking into a tenure denial, while Susan wants him to help with a stalking. As usual, nothing is simple. Spenser takes care of the stalker but the woman in question becomes addicted to his presence. Meanwhile, the tenure is wrapped up in race, gay pride, outings, and many other concepts.

It's amazing how well Parker does with "touchy subjects" - women stalking men, gays outing other gays, race-wise agendas being thwarted by those who should know better. I enjoy greatly reading about these kinds of situations and the moral dilemma that they pose.

That's not to say that the book really makes any sense. There are a number of huge plot holes. You don't really read Spenser for the mystery part - you read it for the lovely way Parker writes, for the Boston area mentions, and for the way issues are examined.

If you've not read Spenser before, you might want to start from the beginning - you get more out of the series when you understand where the characters are coming from. If you already enjoy Spenser, then you know what to expect - great writing, bizarrely flawed plots.

This time Spenser takes on two cases for the price of one, which is zero. He even mentions in passing another case he had that he didn't get paid for. When was the last time he made any money? I don't think he is independently wealthy, so I guess he just makes money off the boring cases that we don't read about. Or maybe Susan is supporting him? That aside, this was a good story with lots of twists and surprises. I would like to have seen a bit more of a confrontation with the guys who threaten to kill Spenser and Hawk. They do get theirs in the end, but that is largely offstage. The strength of this book, as always, is the interplay among the characters. The resolution of the stalking subplot was really good, we get to see an unexpected side of Susan. I enjoyed this book, but I still wonder if Parker would keep writing them if his financial arrangements were the same as Spenser's.

Hush Money was my first Parker read. It won't be my last. His name has been familiar for years, but until recently his books hadn't floated atop my reading pile. Now I know why he's so highly regarded in the mystery field. Here's what I discovered:

Robert B. Parker is a master of dialogue. Virtually anyone who puts 80,000 words on paper is bound to come up with a clever phrase or two. Parker does it page after page. He has the uncanny ability to drop in the perfect comeback to every question and comment. Smiles and the occasional out-loud laugh are the result for readers. I haven't had so much fun reading a book in years.

The main characters, private investigator Spenser and his black sidekick Hawk, are very strong and well-done. One could argue that the characters are stereotypes--even cliche'. But they are examples as good as you'll find: witty, brave, irreverent, strong, unpretentious, open-minded, fair-minded, loyal, sexually magnetic, appropriately violent, and clever.

The shortcomings that prevent delivery of the fifth star are that Spenser's love interest, Susan, is too good to be true; Spenser's (and Hawk's) high vocabulary and reasoning are inconsistent with his blue-collar, average-guy image; and the plot is rather uninspiring. But that misses the point of this book. You read the book not for the gray matter challenge of the underlying mystery, but for the sparse and near-perfect utterings of Spenser, a classic, Chandleresque private detective.

Trying to absorb as much information about .NET and all its components, I picked this book up once I saw it. I think it does a good job of explaining some of the new aspects in C# like reflection, assemblies and manifests. It was a good read for C# information and touches on ASP.NET and ADO.NET as well. It contains lots of notes for folks who already know java or C++ to point out how C# is similiar or different to these languages. What I liked most about it is that it goes into using VS.NET to create applications with C#. It gives an introduction into WinForms, the CLR, Web Services, working with existing COM application and WebForms. Since it hits on so many areas, it doesn't have room to go too deeply into each, but it does give the reader a good overview. There are samples and source code to work with so that you can start experimenting with C# to develop .NET solutions. It's worth reading if you're looking to start programming with the VS.NET beta now.

This books have cover most of the critical aspect under C# programming language and I like the way the books structured. It describe the language syntax in 2 short chapters, which is good coz most of the time, the syntax for programming language is quite similar and for the case of C#, it very similar to syntax like C++ and Java and the author uses the C++ and Java syntax comparison approach which I find very easy for me to learn up the syntax. This is very valuable to me and the remaining of the book cover other critical aspect of .Net such as Assemblies and Manifest, COM+ Services for .Net Components, Web Services, Webform (ASP.NET) and Winform, which is important for further understanding the usage of C# in .Net platform.

Now, I'm waiting for the Inside C# book from MS Press, which suppose to have more in-depth coverage of C# programming language. Moreover, I'm looking forward for a book that provide example for .Net Framework using C# (MSDN, CodeProject, VisualStudioWire, Wrox did provide those information but is better to have a complete guide on this) coz I feel that after picking up this language, the next hurdle is to understand the .Net framework well in order to do real world coding for .Net apps, where the current .Net Framework SDK have a lot of missing information.

But overall, this book did provide me a good start on C# and is far more better then others C# books in the market currently, even most of the chapter provide quite limited information on the particular topic but this is what we can expect for technology under BETA stage and this is only the beginner guide.

Great work [authors], keep it up for the next release, the Profesional C# (suggestion).

Thanks for reading my review:-)

First off, I just wanted to congratulate the authors on hiring a proofreader... Great Job! The book is almost error free (compared to the other C# books)

The book reads well and is packed full of great info that only comes from actually using C# (Little things like good ways to pad bits, how to align formatters, etc). Since .NET will allow dinosaurs to come back to life and code (COBOL), there's even an OO fundamentals chapter...(C++ and Java developers: the ideas were all illustrated by C# code, so you still WILL learn something) The BEST thing about this book is the fact that practically all C++ and Java developers can feel right at home... Inside nice little text boxes, the authors share the little discrepancies of C# versus Java and C++...(While nothing new to C++ programmers, I just hope a programming language that is both elegant AND optimized for speed of execution, doesn't threaten Java developers...)

I, unlike the other reviewer, enjoyed the fact that simple base classes were not covered... There're about a zillion of them and that's what the 200+-page white paper is and has been for since JULY... To tell a user to Close () and Dispose () all objects is sufficient when they're fully documented... I do suspect that the classes that were NOT covered, like some of the advanced RTF/XML SOAP converters/writers, were simply not ready by Microsoft yet...

All in all, great book... However, the BEST WinForms reference is still the large FREE online tutorial Microsoft has provided ever since the PDC........

Robert B. Parker is an excellent author -- he could pull three stars out of a description of Spenser getting audited on his income taxes. Maybe four.

But of his recent work, Chance is a bit of a disappointment. Mystery? There isn't really a mystery here the reader can solve. Character? The new characters are all rather shallow, structureless, and uncompelling. This may be a statement about the type of people attracted to Vegas, a city which plays a promonent role in the story, yet no insight is gained into the shallowness, no real new perspective is offered. Suspense? There really isn't much. Drama? No, not much of that either.

Really there isn't much here, globally. Locally, it's better. The interactions between Spenser and the others is, as usual, a joy to read. And Spenser's verbal quips, cultural references, and interesting insights are worth the read. But the book needs a bit more. And Parker's shown before that he can provide it.

Note : This review is based on the book as a part of the Spenser series. The Spenser books are best read in chronological sequence. As a standalone book, this is probably only two stars.

I had a good enough time with this book -- partly because I always enjoy Spenser and partly because I recently travelled to Vegas for the first time in a decade. Parker's observations on the Strip and its denizens are very accurate, and very funny. And all the essentials that give the Spenser saga its charm are all here: banter between Spenser and Hawk, Susan's idiosyncracies, even Pearl eating Chinese food. It's the mystery, such as it is, and the characters that are lacking. Shallow, dumb thugs and their pathetic womenfolk get themselves all tangled up, and Hawk and Spenser unravel it. Yawn.

One problem that many authors have is keeping audiences interested after dozens of books. We become accustomed to a certain style of writing, a certain cast of characters, and it's easy to get bored. Robert B. Parker is one of the few (only?) authors that can successfully write novel after novel in the same way with the same main characters and still weave an engaging story.

Chance is your basic Spenser novel; if you've read a few of them, you know just what to expect. Our hero is hired to find an errant husband, and ends up focusing on a damsel in distress. Most of the way he has no idea what he's doing. It's refreshing, actually, to have the investigation end at one point, with Spenser more clueless than when he began. Of course he figures it all out in the end, but more by luck than anything else. There isn't too much byplay with Susan here, so if you're interested more in that relationship than in Spenser's wisecracking and dogged persistence, try another book (perhaps Small Vices).

I hope Mr. Parker keeps Spenser going for a long long time.

Talk about a tough (and HUGE) subject to cover! Well, I bought this book for two reasons (1) to get a better understanding of C#, and (2) to serve as a starting point for passing the C# for Windows exam. The book served both purposes very well. I read this text cover to cover with the exception of 4 out of 23 chapters.

I saw another review of this book that said something like "1300 page cursory overview" Well, you're probably right. But, I challenge anyone out there to find a book that covers every aspect of .NET that's less that 5,000 pages. Here are a few examples:

1.) There's a chapter on security (there are entire books on the subject)

2.) There's a chapter on ASP (there are entire books on the subject)

3.) There's a chapter on web services (there are entire books on the subject)

4.) There's a chapter on XML (there are entire books on the subject)

5.) There's two chapters on ADO .NET (there are entire books on the subject)

You get my point. This material adds up, and anyone expecting in-depth coverage of everything in 1300 pages should get a reality check. Unfortunately, to really get a grasp on .NET you're going to have to shell out for more books. (So far I have C# in general, web services, and ADO covered. The next purchase will be an ASP .NET book) Can you see where I'm going here? Professional C# is kind of an umbrella for all of the other books. Now, where I find this book does a nice job by itself (not requiring another text) is as follows:

1.) Nice job explaining the C# language itself (including some of the more advanced datatypes), as well as how it implements OO principles.

2.) Nice job explaining what and how the framework is constructed, as well as how a .NET application is constructed.

3.) Focuses mostly on the client-server (windows as opposed to web) side of development.

4.) ADO coverage is enough to get you productive.

There are a LOT of other good features of the book. And most of the subject areas covered provide an adequate presentation of the material. A couple of exceptions are ASP and security. I realize that a book on C# must at least touch on these topics, but it probably could have just left those chapters out. Buy another book. (35 pages on ASP .NET? Don't bother!)

I can't say if it's too advanced for some users. I've never purchased a "beginning" series book by Wrox, I alway go for the "professional". The only thing I would have expected them to do a better job on beacuse you can't really get a separate book on the subject, is deployment.

Anyhoo, I think this is a great book for the purpose for which it was intended. If it was 5,000 pages long, I would have given it 5 stars. For the most part, Wrox usually does a good job. Remember, there are NO silver bullets with .NET books. Unfortunately you're going to have to get at least 4 titles to cover everything well.

Bottom Line: If this is your first .NET book, it's worth it. It was my fourth, and it's still worth it. If you need to take it to the next level, you'll need more than one book - no matter which one you get first.

I am enjoying this book so much that I thought I'd write a review about how I felt about this book. The second edition of Professional C# is really an excellent piece of work. The authors have done a real good job covering a wide range of topics. Not only did I get to learn the basics of the C# language, but the book took me well into the depths of the .NET framework class library. The book starts with a thorough explanation on what the .NET framework and the CLR is all about and where C# as a language fits in. The C# language is introduced in 3 detailed chapters - The basics of the language, Object oriented features in the language, and advanced topics on C#. These chapters had some really nice examples and gave me a strong foundation in understanding the constructs of the language. This is followed by an introduction to the core classes in the framework and how to put them to use. From then on, there are 18 more great chapters covering the framework class library in detail right from writing Windows Forms Applications, Data access with ADO.NET, Controls and Data binding, how to work with the XML classes in the framework, ASP.NET, COM(+) interoperability techniques, GDI+, Web Services, Remoting, Security, Windows services, ADSI etc., You name it and there's probably a topic on the subject covered in sufficient detail to get you up and running. It's hard to pack such exhaustive content all into one book, but they've done a great job at that. Overall, I am very happy with the book and it's well worth the money I spent for this 1220 page tome.

Wrox comes through with another great book! I was looking for something that would help me learn Windows GUI for an independent studies course and so I leaned on my past experiences with Wrox Books (Beginning/Professional Active Server Pages 3.0, Beginning PHP4, Beginning ASP Databases, Beginning XML, Beginning JavaScript), which had always been a good experience to say the least. If you want to learn a language for programming in the .NET environment then this is the book for you.

However, I do suggest some background experience with programming or understanding the concepts behind programming languages. Even though this book does provide excellent explanations of the topics, I think I understood concepts more easily because I've had two years of programming in C++ under my belt. Not that you need to be an experienced programmer! However, it would be good to know a little something beforehand. Otherwise, I suggest checking out the Beginning C# book which might be a little better suited for non-programmers looking to break into the realm of programming. C# really is a lot easier to understand as a starting language than C++ because Microsoft put in a lot of effort into making the language easy to use without having to know all the perplexing C routines for programming in the Win32 API.

Enter into the world of TyTy, patriarch of the Walden family, who is obsessed in finding gold. His obsession is so great until he digs holes throughout his farm and foregoes the necessity of doing his planting. TyTy isn't the only one with an obsession. His son-in-law Will is determined to re-open the closed mill in his South Carolina town. Will thinks TyTy is a fool and TyTy believes the same about Will. Once again, Erskine Caldwell, takes us behind the scenes of southern poverty in the depression through his use of outlandish characters with impossible dreams. TyTy is a man of the land who is unable to sow a crop while Will is a son of the industrial mills. The mill exploits its workers and the soil refuses to yield a crop. Both men and their families become victims in a system neither one can understand. Yet these men refuse to give up their dreams.

Witness the foolishness of TyTy as he captures a white, white man to divine a gold lode. The sensuousness of Ty's daughter, Darling Jill, gets to be rediculous as well as his passion for Griselda, his daughter-in-law. Throughout the book you will be confronted with adultry, rape and ignorance. The female characters are clueless and use their sexuality to get what they want. Except for Rosamond (Ty's daughter) neither of the females exhibit any type of strong character and even Rosamond falls short.

The positiveness of this book is that it shows the sociological and economic impact of the depression on the lives of poor people. You witness their exagerated behavior and begin to shake your head. The weakness of the work is its repetition, pointless scenes and weak plot. After awhile the story gets to become a bore as you're wondering where is it heading. It is a fair read and I would say by all means read this work and move beyond its stereotypes of exagerated southern culture.

I bought Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre because one of the gang, that I respected, said that this was one of his favorite books. And since I like expanding my horizons, especially on the literary front, I bought God's Little Acre. I was surprised. I expected to find Jed Clampett and his family instead I found a man who lived by his own sense of morality, social status, all told in a prose that at times switches from brutally honest to poetry of the highest order. Sure the frank sexuality is present. What isn't usually stated, when people are discussing God's Little Acre, is the basic principal of Ty Ty Walden behind it. With all foundations of social behavior, God's Little Acre, is an example that there are deadly consequences because not everyone that is subject to, or born and raised in that social theory will act accordingly to the theorist imaginings. The novel is about men living up to their own definition of manhood. It is about the clash of social mandates and personal morals. It is the telling of truths that dares to put a reason behind societal misdeeds. Caldwell wrote a splendid back.

If Andy Griffith and Hugh Heffner were to co-author a Shakespearian tragedy it would be a lot like "God's Little Acre." When there ain't no money in planting cotton and the mill's shut up there ain't but one thing for men and women to do to keep their minds off of their troubles: SEX!

TyTy Walden is as obsessed with finding gold on his land as Captain Ahab was about finding the great white whale. Greselda Walden has to be one of the most desired and fought over women in all of American literature. And what red blooded American male would not have wanted a date with Darling Jill. This book alternates from being light-hearted and silly to being very serious and profound. There is great pathos in the description of the desperation of Will Thompson and the other starving mill workers to re-open the mill and go back to work. The death of Will Thompson is a great reminder of the struggle of working people to be treated fairly in this country. This book accurately recounts the hopes and fears of the thousands of working class people who were forced to live in "company towns" and who "owed their soul to the company store."

Although I found some of the more explicit sexual content of this novel to be silly and somewhat overdone (I don't think that most people in rural Georgia in the 1930's were this open about their sexualty!), this is a great American novel and Erskine Caldwell should be remembered as one of the great American writers of this century.