This book was a very quick read, as I have found all of Mr. Evans' books to be. While at times the writing did seem a little lengthy and the plot contrived, I very much appreciated the message behind this book (and all of his books, for that matter). This latest work was indeed a quick read, as I finished it in two readings. The story is quite enjoyable although at times I kept mentally picturing Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal (albeit in reversed roles) as Faye and Michael. The book gave me pause as I reflected on Esther's comments on old age and how certain decisions in one's life can indeed be pivotal experiences.

This is a must-read for fans of Mr. Evans and it shall receive a place of honor in my library next to the "Christmas Box" series I own. Read and enjoy!

Straight to the heart and beyond, goes this wonderful book by Evans. After spending the last two years of his life caring for his dying mother, twenty-two-year old Michael goes to work in a skilled nursing facility where he meets Esther Huish, a quiet elderly patient with regrets that have crippled her life. It is through Esther that he realizes his life's dreams and is able to reach for the unattainable.

Faye, the love of his life, is from an upper class family that puts the value of a dollar and breeding on a pedestal that Michael falls short of. When Michael finds himself accused of a terrible crime he learns just how alone he really is. Faced with choices that are near impossible to make, he is guided as well as saved by the wisdom of this older woman that has come into his life.

This is an excellent story filled with inspirational quotes and bits of hard won knowledge from Esther's journal. The sequel is titled "The Carousel" and is a continuation of the lives of these extraordinary characters. Evans is the well-known author of "The Christmas Box" series that also includes, "Timepiece" and "The Letter". 3/4/01

I have heard of Richard Paul Evans, but have never read his books until now. I recieved The Locket in a fed ex package from my step-daughter. I read it in one night. Start to finnish. The Locket is a story of a longing heart and a yearn for love. It is a story of valuing every moment of your every day life. Is about the enduring qualities of hope and forgiveness. When I read the last page I was left in awe. The book has changed me. For anyone who has experienced the redemption of love, you will identify with this book. The Locket is the best book I've read in years, and since reading it, I have put all of Evans' books I've missed at the top of my Christmas list.

One word......AWESOME!!! Dale Jr. takes on a wild ride through his rookie season running with the Big Dogs in the Winston Cup. Not only does he give us an insider view of what happens on race day, he takes us behind the wall and gives us a look at a driver off the track. This is the closest I've felt to the real life of the guys I watch on Sunday. Driver #8 is a great read full of emotional highs and lows. I found myself laughing in some segments and nearly crying in others. Even if you aren't a fan of Dale Jr., I encourage you to read this book. You'll have a whole new respect for what these fellows do and a whole new respect for them as people.

This is a wonderful read for all NASCAR fans even if you are not a Dale Jr. fan. I was glad to find that Dale Jr. divulged emotions regarding the death of Dale Sr. appropriately and respectfully while conserving the privacy that he and all NASCAR drivers fight daily to preserve. As a twentysomething NASCAR fan I naturally related to his new millenium attitude and approach to the industry, his career, and often complicated issues such as media infringement, sponsor committments and unstable fans. Additionally, this book provides the reader with fantastic play by play descriptions of the races along the NASCAR circuit of his Rookie season with driver oriented explanations of various technical issues of the cars and tracks.
Overall, I rated this book 5 stars for its easy readability and attention keeping entertainment factor. By the end of this book you'll be ready to invite this guy over for a cold Bud!

Hi,

I am a new fan of NASCAR. My dad has always been a fan esp of Dale Earndhardt. I came across this book and decided to order it. I have read the whole book in over a week; which is fast for me. I have greatly enjoyed this book. Not only do you get to know Dale jr. a little better you get to see the world of racing through his eyes. I have learned about the sport from this book. If you are looking for a bio on Dale Jr this is not the book for you. If you are looking for what life was like with Dale Sr. this is not the book. You will get a breif background on his life and yes he talks about his dad alot in the book, but it's mostly for the boss - driver aspect.

weather or not you are a fan of Jr or not this is a great book for any race fan. It gives you the fly on the wall look at the ups and downs of a Wiston Cup season.

Finally an action-packed lightning-paced thriller featuring Marine Force Recon! Thomas L. Muldoon brings you Marine Force Recon like Stephen Coonts brought you Naval Aviation; like Tom Clancy brought you Submarines, US Army Gound Forces in Europe, and CIA Cyber-Ops; like Patrick Robinson brought you Navy Seals. There hasn't been a Marine action book this good since W.E.B. Griffin's Saga of the Corps. WARNING: if you work Monday through Friday 8-5, do not start this book on a weeknight! A terrific read that begs for a sequel!

Every so often I get in the mood for reading an action-packed thriller that deals with our country's elite military forces: U.S. Army Special Forces, Marine Recon, the Navy SEALS, and Delta Force. To impress me, the author of the novel has to know what he's talking about-preferably from personal experience-and be able to tell a good story with strong, heroic characters facing insurmountable odds. Any writer who can do this will more than lightly win me over as a loyal, die-hard fan. One such author is Thomas L. Muldoon. His debut novel, AN EXECUTION OF HONOR, hooked me in the first eighteen pages and made good on its promise to deliver a high-powered adventure, involving the elite Marine Force Reconnaissance unit. The novel starts out in 1986 with President Luis Cardona, his three sons, and a small part of his army escaping from the country of San Tomas in Central American as the Communist rebels take over the capital.
Helping Cardona to get out of the country are William Means of the CIA and perhaps the most dangerous unit of fighting warriors in the world, a nine-member team of Force Recon Marines headed by Captain Dan Paige. When Paige and Gunnery Sergeant Melvin Snipes refuse to allow Cardona to bring his large cache of cocaine with him, the exiled President has them viciously tortured and killed. The rest of the Recon unit is totally unaware of what has happened until Cardona is well on his way to America, where he's to be granted asylum by the President of the United States. When the members of the Recon unit voice their complaints to the higher-ups and demand justice for their dead comrades, they're warned to back down, to keep their mouths shut, and to forget about it. That's the worse mistake the U.S. military and government can make because these men never forget an injustice and will spend the rest of their lives getting even. The remaining seven members of the Force Recon team soon quit the Marine Corps and set about making plans to take out Cardona and his family. When they do, each member of the unit suddenly finds himself to be a hunted fugitive, with "hit" teams from the United States, Russia, and Cuba after them. It doesn't take long for this to become an all out war because the Force Recon Marines aren't going down without a bitter fight. If you want them dead, you'd better have a lot of body bags for your own men! AN EXECUTION OF HONOR is filled with action from beginning to end, while going into great amount of detail with regards to what it takes to be a Force Recon Marine and how well they're trained in the "seek-destroy-retreat" process. Mr. Muldoon describes the latest in fighting technology and small-arms with clear expertise, never dulling the reader's sensibilities with too many facts, but rather enhancing the story and making it utterly believable. The Recon Marines are strong characters that come alive with their intelligence, their desire for justice, and the loyalty they have for the members of their own unit, as well as for the United States. Their honor and loyalty are never questioned. The reader comes away loudly cheering these guys on, praying that they will survive, but knowing that the odds are against them and that most of these men will die before the ending of the novel is reached. This is definitely a book that deserves to be read by every member of the U.S. military, especially the Marine Corps. I remember when I was in college and my Uncle Mac came back from Vietnam. He was a Force Recon Marine. When I tried to ask him about what he and his unit did in Nam and what it was like, he said in a soft, quiet voice that if he answered my silly questions, he'd have to kill me. At first I thought he was joking, then I saw the look in his eyes and I immediately shut my mouth and never asked him another question!

If you like adventure, excitement and intrigue... this is a must read! Techno-adventure at its best.

The book is a fast paced read that includes Special Forces units of the military along with the CIA, FBI, KGB and the Cubans.

Warning... clear your schedule before you start because after the first few chapters you won't want to put it down.

Tom has achieved a level of mystery and suspense that is exciting as the novels of ... Tom Clancy, Stephen Frey, John Grisham, Dean Koontz,James Patterson and John Sandford.

This is an excellent read that doesn't have a slow chapter.

I've known for many, many years that very few stock market investors make money no matter what the market's direction. Having come to the conclusion that the only safe mutual fund was one with excellent performance in what ever type of market we were then in, I developed my own momentum type methods for buying and selling mutual funds. I rode the 1990's Wall Street Roller Coaster up..up..up; hoping I'd make enough money to offset the decline when it came. I also began searching for ways to temper the descent. After the market began to slide in 2000, I spent hundreds of hours seeking out no-load mutuals with good performances while also looking for ways to ride the bear. I wanted top performance from my investments whether the market was going up, down, or sideways.

Despite intensive investment reading and research, I didn't find what I was looking for until I read "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It." I won't equate reading this book to "finding gold in them thar hills"...but, I could. Al's book and newsletters have added structure to what I'd been doing. The book filled in the missing pieces of my own investment strategies. Although I was already subscribing to two of the investment information sources Al uses, I didn't come close to knowing how to get the most from them. Al took my thought processes beyond where I was able to go on my own to his easy methods that make absolute sense to me.

Perhaps more than some who have struggled with their investments in totally different ways...I truly appreciate the simplicity of Albert Thomas's methods for making money from my investments;no matter what the direction of the market. Whether you invest on your own or you use the services of a broker or an investment advisor, you will benefit from reading this one.

Al Thomas has documented a very interesting system for making money under both bull and bear stock markets. He uses simple buy and sell rules for trading mutual funds. The system always has your money at work in the best funds when the market is moving up. In bear markets you are safely in cash!

The thing I liked best about the book was his honest remarks about the Wall Street System. Brokers and analysts do not have your best interests in mind. With Al's book in hand you can grow your portfolio with limited down side risk.

His book covers other trading venues such as commodities, individual stocks, and stock options. The book is a collection of his wisdom from many years of market experience. You will also receive his e-mail newsletter, "Over My Shoulder" to supplement the strategies in the book. I have many books on investing and this one is by far one of the best in terms of practical know how.

--- Steve R.

Easy read. Humorous, to the point and on the MONEY! Al Thomas with out a doubt is the small investors Guru. In 2000 and 2001 I lost 25% of my investments due to buy and hold. I read Al's book three times at the end of 2001. In 2002 I made 2% on my investments and so far in 2003 I have made 20%. I am 3% shy of my losses since 2000. All this in a tough Bear market. Making money in a Bull market is easy, knowing when to buy and sell in a Bear market is key. His points on cash positions, stop limits and charts are just a few pointers out of several that helps you hold onto and increase your investment portfolio. This book is well worth the price. Thank you Al for your advice and honesty for the little guy.

I'm an Oracle DBA with 13 years experience, beginning with version 5 of the database (remember those MS-DOS floppies?).

About Tom Kyte: Tom is an acknowledged expert in the field; he is Vice President of the Core Technologies Group at Oracle. His web site is a terrific alternative source of information about Oracle. He also publishes the "Ask Tom" column in Oracle Magazine.

Tom Kyte's book is simply awesome. Every time I read another chunk of it, I learn something new. His depth and breadth of understanding is amazing. (If you think you are an Oracle expert, buy the book. You'll be amazed at how much more Tom can teach you.) His troubleshooting is really good too. He seems to know all of the places where people encounter problems with specific features, and includes great troubleshooting information where appropriate.

If you're hesitant to buy the book because it doesn't have "9i" stamped on it, buy it anyway! Believe me, you won't regret it! Remember: 9i is a superset of 8i, and a good understanding of 8i functionality will help you understand most of 9i too.

I also had the privilege of meeting Tom in person, during an Oracle 9iR2 presentation. He is a very generous with his time, but also perpetually busy answering questions on his web site (he was connected with a laptop and cell phone before he started the presentation). I asked him about the time it took to write the book, and he acknowledged that it took a major chunk out of his life. Be thankful that there is a person as knowledgable as Tom who is so willing to help the rest of us get up to speed!!

This book belongs on every developer, team leader, or DBAs desk that works with Oracle. Kyte has written a masterpiece in advanced Oracle knowledge. He does three things very well in this book: tells you what is important in Oracle, why it is important, and what happens if you do things the wrong way.

Kyte starts out giving the foundations for Oracle databases, the architecture, locking schemes, and table and index considerations. He gives a good treatment of the types of tables and indexes that Oracle offers including the appropriate times to use them and the trade-offs to weigh.

Another key topic that he covers is redo and rollback. These features are handled in a unique way in Oracle, and a lack of understanding can lead to inefficient and incorrect databases and applications.

Armed with the foundations, Kyte then takes the reader through performance tuning and optimizing databases. The best advice in this section is that performance cannot be thrown in at the end. The design decisions for a database will determine how it performs and scales. As he says, "There is no fast=true setting in the init parameters."

Then the book tackles some more advanced features, such as autonomous transactions, dynamic sql, and C and Java extensions for stored procedures. Kyte again gives good advice for when these are appropriate over standard PL/SQL stored procedures.

The size of the book can be intimidating at first glance, but it is pleasant to read. Kyte uses a conversational style rather than a lecturing delivery. This book has a lot to offer, and you won't find yourself tired after reading it.

I have just to say that i 100% agree with all the five-stars reviews on this book - since they have dissected the book from every possible perspective, I have only to add that this is by far the best book on Oracle that I own - and I own 15+ of them.

This book and Jonathan Lewis' "Practical Oracle 8i" are the only books that I carry with me every day when I commute to work, even if their combined weight is more than 2.7 kg and I'm probably the physically-laziest human on the planet. But their helping me in shading light on some Oracle feature in minutes in countless occasions is invaluable - not to mention that they *explain* how Oracle works, which is something that any serious Oracle professional will surely appreciate, and that separates both books from the crowd.

I first became aware of Kahlil Gibran when I read a poem of his that was on the menu at my favorite Lebanese restaurant. Ever since then, I have sought out his books. The Prophet is my favorite. Several of the "poems" or passages are fully relevant to parts of my life. The book makes one feel good and inspired to do good for others. There is barely an aspect on life that the poems do not touch on-love, marriage, death and all of our own insecurities and doubts about people and life. This would be a good book to give to a friend who is going through a rough time, or just has unanswered questions at a certain point in their lives. The writing is lucid, insightful, and will be relevant for as long as time goes on.The drawings add to an already great work. At my favorite Lebanese restaurant, I not only found good food-I thankfully found Kahlil Gibran.

Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet is a book that has touched many people very deeply since it's publishing in 1923. It has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American edition alone has sold more than four million copies. It is considered both by Gibran himself, and by the general public to be his literary masterpiece. The Story is about a prophet leaving a town, and as he leaves he imparts some of his knowledge to the towns people. Gibran himself was born in Lebanon in 1883. He was a poet, artist, and philosopher. His fame and influence has spread through the world, superceding linguistic and cultural barriers. His poetry has been translated into more than twenty languages, and his drawings and paintings have been distributed and showcased all around the world. In the last twenty years of his life he lived in the United States, and began to write in English. The book The Prophet was written during this time period. His words and pictures change the way that people look at life, and people find them to be an expression of the deepest impulses of man's heart and mind. The Prophet is about a man who is leaving a small town called Orphalese where he has made his home for the past twelve years. He has, for that time period, been waiting for a boat to take him back to the land of his youth. We are not told where that land is, only that he has been waiting to return there for twelve years. The entire book occurs on the date of his departure. As he is about to leave, the townsfolk stop him in the town and request that he tell them about certain things. He talks to them about life's lessons and imparts his wisdom to them. He is asked about giving, and he tells the people to give without recognition, because their reward is their own joy. He also talks about things like marriage, work, friendship and also love. He speaks about each, and more, describing the way that people should deal with each issue. This book is an interesting book. It is ninety-three pages of life's lessons set down in writing. These are words to live by, and tell others to live by. This book is certainly a book that everyone should read. Even if people don't agree with some of the beliefs, they should still read the book, if only to get their mind thinking about life, and it's many quandaries from a different perspective. This book is not unlike the musings of an aging man imparting his life's lessons to an audience of just about anyone whom he can gather to listen to him. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's lessons and stories are wise beyond the ages, and still hold up to be as true today as they were when Gibran wrote them in 1923. The lessons enumerated within this pages are lessons that one would hope were followed by the general population, and I know that if more people read this book, then the world as a whole might become a more easily survivable place.

Gibran gets right down to the bedrock of what it is all about. He was obviously a very enlightened man, and The Prophet is so completely, psychologically and spiritually healthy. Anyone who would not consider this work a standard for healthy living, is simply simple-minded. This book should be offered to all high school students as a guide in gaining perspective on what is really important in life. I first read The Prophet about 10 years ago, and I typically read it about once a year, just to remind myself. However, I gave my copy to my son who showed signs of being "at risk" at age 17. I believe the book had a significant, positive impact on him, and he is now 20 and living a very responsible and balanced life. After my son had read this book, I found him on the telephone one evening reading passages to a friend. It made him think, and any time you can get a teenager to think, it's a very good thing.

"The Ultimate Competitive Advantage" provides business leaders with real-life examples and the rudder necessary to shift the course in a stormy, ever changing environment and find the most direct way to new opportunities. This is a useful toolset necessary to develop a winning business model in a globally competitive environment. The authors of this foremost book understand business models and how to make them a source of adequate competitive advantage. The primary idea of Don Mitchell and Carol Coles is simple and rather practical at the same time: improve the effectiveness of everything you do. The authors show how strategic innovation can emphasize your business from the stack and deliver stronger.

The book is well organized and the writing is clear and concise, all making for an informative and enjoyable read. It is an excellent book for a strategic planning point of view. It is an absolute necessity for the 21st century business owners and CEOs. The book is teaching you about Business Model Innovation and the ideas might become useful as your business direction changes. The book offers help to anyone looking to improve theirs chances for success. And it is quite readable. I highly recommend it for senior and mid-level managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, and business students.

Alexander Petrochenkov

The Ultimate Competitive Advantage provides the reader with great, practical advice on how to establish a business model innovation mindset.

Using a multitude of real-life examples to illustrate their points, Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles clearly lay out the steps to business model innovation. You will get ideas for how to: increase the value of what your business provides to its customer, increase profitability, eliminate costs that provide little or no value to the customers, pursue business models with a higher potential for growth and profitability, expand your thinking about who your stakeholders really are and what they are owed, and how to do all of this over and over again.

Each chapter ends with a set of questions to help the reader apply what was learned to their personal situation. The questions, alone, are worth the price of the book.

And you get one more bonus. Mitchell and Coles clearly write with a conscience that has been sorely lacking in some of the leaders making recent headlines.

Gadzooks man! When I first started this book and read the business models of the featured companies, I thought "What?! These people are literally gambling at the way they do business!" But the more I read, the more convincing it was to understand that to have the competitive edge in today's business world, you've got to think outside of the box.

Using real world business models, author's Mitchell & Coles explain how you can cause your company to have the competitive advantage by simply changing your company's business model. No matter what the size of your company, this book is a definite tool in creating your business model. Most companies restructure and reorganize, hoping to attain business effectiveness & success. Yet the "Ultimate Competitors Advantage" will help you discover ways to reinvent your business model that will not only meet the needs of your customers, but bring strong profitability back into the company and spread from the employees to the shareholders. All around success!

So put an end to the business model that says "We've always done it this way." Buy this book, and allow it to help mold and guide your imaginations into 21st century business model innovation!

This book is not a novel. It is an unusually constructed history in three volumes, written by a word-class writer. It is a heavy read. In this volume, Solzhenitsyn describes arrests, interrogations, tortures, trials, prisons, and methods of transporatation from the prisons to the labour camps. He gives a brief history of the genesis of Gulag, its principles and its expansion, in the chapter "A Brief History of Our Sewage Disposal System." Solzhenitysn marshalls an impressive range of facts and first hand anecdotes in addition to his own experiences, usually relating them in a straightforward manner, sometimes with bitter, vicious sarcasm, sometimes with passionate anger. The book is an astounding achievement, especially when one considers that he wrote it in sections, hiding each as it was completed; he was never able to refer back to what he had previously written, yet I noticed no repetitions. The book is an astounding achievement, immensely powerful, but very depressing, sometimes heart-breaking. Nonetheless, anyone who wishes to be well-informed in general, or about history in particular, must read it.

Gulag provided for me a powerful and shocking history lesson I had never been taught in high school or college. So much has been taught on Hitler, but barely anything of substance on Soviet Communism. After reading this book, you'll understand the reasons for the so-called paranoia of McCarthyism. Ronald Reagan had it right when he called the Soviet Union an "evil empire." I found this book so compelling, though heart wrenching, that I went on to read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" as well as a recent biography on Solzhenitsyn by D. M. Thomas called "Alexander Solzhenitsyn: A Century in His Life." I have come to the conclusion that nobody but a man like Solzhenitsyn could ever have written Gulag.

This is probably as significant a book as has been published in the 20th century. Not because it changed the course of history or influenced a huge number of people. It did neither of these things. The history it deals with was already long passed and its size and severity kept it from being read by a mass audience. Still, it is significant because it tells a story that otherwise could not have been told. The full extent of what happened during the half century of Soviet rule to millions of Soviet citizens is the focus of this book and Solzhenitsyn's narrative, often numbing in the regularity of repeated cycles of arrests, 'trials', and imprisonment, seems to be his effort at repaying those who perished - at insuring that they are remembered and that those who subjected them to lives of torture are remembered for what they did.

Solzhenitsyn is a true hero of the 20th century. A military officer of the Soviet Union during WWII, he was imprisoned for writing a letter that included a joke about Stalin. During his time in prison he met numerous others who had been in different camps - different places and different types - and started piecing together in his mind the full scale of the vast Gulag enterprise which eventually consumed more of his contrymen than the total count of those of all countries who died in WWII. That the size and scope of this mass internment was kept virtually a secret to most of the world (and to most Russians)for so long is only part of the horror to which Solzhenitzyn is responding.

From his first book, A Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovitch, a small volumn about a single day in the life of a typical Gulag prisoner - smuggled out of Russia and published in the West - he has devoted his life to various tellings of his country's recent history. Most of it to do with the Gulag. This isn't pleasant stuff. It isn't tight fiction like Darkness At Noon. This is the real stuff with no prettifying. He feels that someone had to tell the truth. We owe it to him to listen.

The intended audience appears to be students, consultants and municipalities. It is a handy text useful as a review of hydraulic principles and is presented like a text book on hydraulic modeling. It seems particularly well suited for individuals just learning how to model water distribution systems.

Many books written on the subject of computer modeling are written in reference to address specific issues or are prepared by or for the acedamia community and presented in a complex manner. This book covers a wide range of subjects that water distribution modelers typically face in day to day practice. It is written from an engineering perspective, however the concepts are presented in a simplified manner that non-engineering personnel can understand.

I found the simplified presentation of the subject matter to be somewhat sophmoric, which limits the use of the text to fairly simple concepts. However, the range of subjects covered is broad and the concepts presented are accurate. I use the book to get ideas on how to approach modeling different hydraulic elements in municipal water systems.

All in all this is a good reference book to have on hand. I recommend it.

Water Distribution Modeling shows why Drs. Walski, Chase, and Savic are considered among the foremost experts in water distribution modeling. The book provides essential information for modelers at all levels of expertise - students, beginners, as well as experienced engineers. Water Distribution Modeling can serve as a college-level textbook or as a bookshelf reference manual.

Walski, Chase and Savic have authored a complete guide to water distribution modeling. All aspects of model development are covered, from basic modeling and hydraulic concepts to more complex issues such as extended period simulations and water quality. The presentation is focused, direct, and understandable. The organization of the book allows a reader to quickly locate specific information without searching through pages of unrelated materials. Basic modeling tasks are explained without "talking down" to the reader. Advanced concepts are described in a clear, common-sense manner that even a first-time modeler can easily understand.

Water Distribution Modeling is a hydraulics textbook, but differs from other hydraulics books in that it is oriented to modeling. The explanations of building and calibrating models recognize actual mapping limitations, field data availability, and monitoring equipment capabilities. The procedures provided therefore apply to the "real world." This same real-world approach is used in the presentation of typical modeling analyses and design applications.

In summary, Water Distribution Modeling is a complete reference for water distribution modelers. It is well worth a thorough review.

The book is excellent, very well structured, the information are accessible to all, the explanations are very detailed. The authors reached a perfect harmony between the theory and the practice.

The mission of writing a book accessible and very complete text in modeling of the systems of distribution of water was executed with success by the team of Haestad Methods. I congratulate the investigators Thomas Walski, Donald Chase and Dragan Savic for his excellent acting presented in the Distribution of book "Water Distribution Modeling". The book written by these great masters represents a historical mark in the international literature of the hydraulic modeling. The reading of this publication is obligatory for investigators, teachers, students and professionals that work in this area.

My suggestion for the next edition is the enlargement with larger depth of the discussion in certain themes that I consider extremely important. Maybe these themes could be included at the end of the work with the detailed deductions of the main formulas used in the hydraulic modeling as well as the historical references of her development (including the scientists that developed the formulas). A lot of people that use these formulas ignore their origin, development and limitations. I believe certainly that this would increase the value of this excellent book.

"Democracy in America", published in two parts (the first in 1835, the second in 1840), is the great work of Alexis de Tocqueville, a young, aristocratic Frenchman, who traveled through most of the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States during a 9 month period in 1832. Tocqueville had originally set out to study the U.S. prison system but what he saw inspired him to write about much, much more.

The foresight he had for such a young man is really impressive to read 160 years later. What he saw in the morals, work ethic and government structure of the United States led him to accurately predict many of the ways in which the U.S. would lead and has led the world. At the same time Tocqueville was not oblivious to many of the ills in the America he saw. He very wisely writes of the cancer that the institution of slavery was to not only all black Americans, but to the white, Southern farmers and workers as well.

I hate having to give these books "stars" for ratings because in many cases it takes away from the ultimate importance and classic status of a book like this one. Tocqueville does tend to jump around and venture off into different topics that don't fit with the rest of their chapter, which could be attributed to his youth. Also, a few of his predictions, naturally, were way off. A native Texan, I had a good laugh at his view that "the province of Texas is still part of the Mexican dominions, but it will soon contain no Mexicans." But overall Tocqueville's view of America was honest, accurate, and the perfect explanation of why, on a daily basis, people continue to risk their lives to gain the freedom that only the United States of America offers.

De Tocqueville was an amazing man who posessed amazing insight into the workings (and not-workings) of American society. One only laments the fact that he was not a middle caste American politician arguing amongst great minds during the Constitutional conventions. Then again, we are equally lucky of the fact that he was a curious Frenchman of the leisure class who happened to be passing through. This is what gives de Tocqueville the ability to refrain from emotionalism and give us an outsiders view of what makes America good, bad and just plain different.

See, de tocqueville recognizes, as did our founders, that liberty and democracy are key ingredients to a healthy society. On the other hand, he points out that too much freedom or democracy lead to lazy, public-opinion driven conformity, over-emphasis on materialism and restlessness. Another contradiction de tocqueville points out is that although self-government is generally a good idea, there are times when an all powerful aristocracy is just more efficient. He can see all sides.
The best part then is that de Tocqueville doesn't come to any final conclusion. He just observes and reports on America's inner workings as seen by an aristocratic Frenchman.

A few reccomendations to the de tocqueville virgins. First, as this is the unabridged, it may be advised to read the first book, pause to read something else, then read the second book. I read it straight through and found that not only would I have benefited from reflection, but much of the second book is a rehash the first. Second, keep in mind during the second book that the word 'democracy' is also de tocqueville's word for 'capitalism'. The word 'capitalism' would be introduced only years later by one Karl Marx. So when de tocqueville says that democracy increases industriousness, what the reader should hear is that capitalism increases industriousness. This in itself is a brilliant observation by de tocqueville. Democracy and capitalism really are the same thing, different scale. The producer, like the political candidate, cater to the consumer or the voter. Both systems allow the individual to choose the goods and services he wants and reject those he doesn't. This is why one may also want to read 'Wealth of Nations' with this book.

The only other thing I can tell the reader before he or she embarks on a fascinating reading adventure is to keep in mind why de tocqueville wrote the book. He intended it to be read by the french who were not familiar with or had misconceptions about America. Of course, it provides contemporary America with an amazing historical survey. Like the introductory exclamation to MTV's 'Diary' show says, "You think you know, but you have no idea".

The specific edition I am reviewing is the Heffner addition which is a 300 page abridgement. I also own an unabridged edition but I have only read Heffner cover to cover. What is amazing about de Toqueville is how uncanny many of his observations are over a century and a half later. He accurately predicted in 1844 that the world's two great powers would be the United States and Russia. He aptly pointed out that Americans are a people who join associations and he is so right 156 years later. Although there are both religious extremists on both ends, ie fundamentalists and atheists, he was dead on that, as a whole, we are a religious society but that our religious views are moderate. De Toqueville shows how American characteristics evolved from democracy as opposed to the highly class structered societies of Europe. From de Tocqueville, it could have been predicted that pop culture, such as rock music etc, would develop in America because the lack of an aristocracy causes a less cultured taste in the arts. In a thousand and one different ways, I found myself marveling at how dead on de Toqueville was. Most controversially, those who argue that we have lost our liberties to a welfare state might well find support in de Toqueville. Here, 100 years before the New Deal, he forsaw that a strong central government would take away our liberties but in a manner much more benign than in a totalitarian government. There are certain liberties that Americans would willingly sacrifice for the common good. Critics of 20th century liberalism in the US might well point to this as an uncanny observation. By reading "Democracy in America," the reader understands what makes Americans tick. De Toquville was an astute observer of who we are as a people and should be read by all educated Americans.

I want to note that there are several editions of this great work and in deciding which to buy, be aware that each has a different translator. I feel Heffner's translation is slightly stilted but, he did such a wonderful job in editing this abridgement that it, nontheless, deserves 5 stars.