Although very detailed, packed with information, I would not go as far as calling this book a narrative as the Amazon Review did. LeBeau very likely choses his words and it all looks good -a tight summary of a very interesting topic, good language, etc. I started reading with a vengeance but shortly after the first 50 pages I got extremely bored by the book, because in combination with the language and the huge amount of compressed data, I simply was not able to both stay interested in the topic and remember all the incidents. I think if somebody would count the names that appear on those 300 pages, you'd probably get a few thousands. Of course you get a date to every person that appears in the book and of course you get a lot of cross-references to persons the author already mentioned. In my opinion this is not a very good book because you can't use it just for quick reference like a good encyclopedia (because that's exactly what it is with these tons of information)nor can you just dip into it for a good read. The only thing that saved at least three stars for the book is the story itself. And it was written by one of the most powerful author's of all time.
History itself. The Salem Witch Trials is a story of betrayal, superstition, murder, conspiration, corrupt small town politics ... something one can still consider as a methaphor for modern life, because there still are these things after all.

This is a very straightforward and unassuming study of the Salem Witch Trials, an event that encompassed a rather small group of people over a short time period, but continues to capture our imagination. It's the mother of all witch-hunts and amply illustrates how seemingly rational people can be swept up by mass hysteria. Le Beau's most interesting revelations here involve how dozens of people were tried and executed based on the circumstantial testimony of just a few teenage girls. These girls were proven to be influenced by the hysteria around them, coached by the authorities, and even afflicted with psychosis. Le Beau finds that the Salem saga was at its core an outbreak of social control arising from some minor political strife in the town, the rapidly changing social order, the desire to punish those women (and a few men) who spoke their minds and refused to fit into rigid Puritan social strictures, and closed-minded religious mania. Le Beau acts as an impartial investigative journalist here and mostly refrains from offering his own opinions and conclusions, instead sticking to analyses of theories offered by other historians. Le Beau's avoidance of taking a stand does make this book rather dry and workmanlike, but we are rewarded with an impartial study that we can use to reach our own conclusions. Some extra food for thought is the connections Le Beau finds between the Salem saga and other mass persecutions that could be called symbolic witch-hunts - like communist purges, anti-communist red scares, child abuse allegations, satanic cult conspiracy theories, and other types of social hysteria that will continue to torment the innocent in the future.

I had to write a research paper on the Salem Witch Trials. My teacher recommended this book. I thought it was wonderful! This was the only book I needed for my research paper and I got an A+! My relative's were some of those killed and put in jail during the Salem Witch Trials! The only problem I have is that the author doesn't write books for all of my research papers! Thank You!

There's so much wrong with this book.

It's way too long - 756 pages of text. The author, Keith Walker, seems intent on sparing no detail, however insignificant, of Burton Abbott's trial in Alameda County for the 1955 slaying of Stephanie Bryant, whose corpse was found in an unmarked grave in Trinity County, and of the details surrounding the murder itself. Some of the more important details of the case get lost in the mish-mosh that Walker concocts, and I lost track of many of the names, dates, and places long before I finished the book.

756 pages is a more appropriate length for an encyclopedia, instead of a true-life tale of forensics/ courtroom drama. But Walker provides us with virtually no sources for any of the facts that he sets forth, and if he had, this presumably would have stretched the book out interminably further.

Without sources, we're forced to take the author's story at face value, and this is impossible in every instance because the author often "cheats" and sets forward as fact that which is clearly unknowable. The most glaring example of this is that he often does take us into the mind of the accused, Burton Abbott. The mind is that of an innocent man who is truly startled at all of the developments in the case against him, and because we see this early on in the book, a tone is set from there. Yet one need not bemoan the absence of a bibliography or source index to KNOW that the author could not possibly know what was in the mind of the accused.

The absence of source materials and the "mind-reading" device could only be acceptable if the author had intended to write a work of fiction based on the true facts of the Abbott/Bryant matter, but, as reflected in the Library of Congress/ISBN catalog reference, he appears to be passing this off as a "true crime" non-fiction book.

The book also dwells overly loud and long on the travails of Elsie Abbott, the aggrieved mother of the wrongly-accused. The slow tortuous route that she travels while awaiting her son's vindication is obviously part of this story, but to behold it as frequently as Walker imposes it on us is just too painful. Also, there is an air of unrealism about the way in which Elsie repeatedly shifts back and forth from maudlin grieving mother to whip-sharp Sherlockian detective with her own encyclopedic knowledge of the facts surrounding the case, and I suspect that Walker is using Elsie as a mouthpiece with which to describe his own impressions.

This raises the question of what exactly Walker's motivations are. I do not recognize Golden Door Press, the publisher, or any of Walker's other works described in the beginning, but I suspect that Walker's intention, at least in part, was to write an anti-death penalty book. There is an allusion to the anti-death penalty movement that was in existence in California in the 1950's. And while none of the "bleeding heart" arguments against the death penalty have ever convinced me, this book does highlight the only sensible argument against capital punishment that has ever been raised: the horrible possibility that it will cause a fatal and irreversible miscarriage of justice.

This book has caused me to revise my impression of another book on the same subject: "Shallow Grave in Trinity County" by Harry Farrell, which reads like a brief for the prosecution and made me wonder exactly why the jury deliberated for as long as it did. For all of its flaws, "A Trail of Corn" raises issues that remain inexplicably ignored or insufficiently addressed by "Shallow Grave", which was published later. These include the issue of whether Burton Abbott's slight build and sickly physical condition would have enabled him to overpower a resisting victim and ascend a steep hillside. Unless Stephanie was "walked" up the hillside while still alive, her murderer would have had to either carry or drag her corpse up the slope as well.

Some intriguing physical evidence that Stephanie was actually buried in Marin County before being unearthed and re-buried in Trinity (a notion pooh-poohed by Farrell and incompatible with the timetable justifying Burton's guilt) is alluded to in this book. The notion that the criminal justice system is often "rigged" to favor the prosecution, that prosecutors themselves distort or disdain exculpatory evidence in order to score a "win" (and the political plums that accompany that win), and that judges hold prosecutors and defense attorneys to dual standards of conduct is less incredible to this reviewer, in his new capacity of public defender, than it once might have been.

Notwithstanding the book's length, the ending does somewhat repay reading. Elsie's (Walker's?) revelation of the candidate for alternative murder suspect is as plausible and startling in its denouement as the end of Perry Mason rerun.

Do the state of California and the county of Alameda have innocent blood on their hands? Hey, Abbott!

The mid-fifties murder of 12-year-old Stephanie Bryant in Berkeley, California, fascinated me at the time -- I was also 12 and had been born in Berkeley. From newspapers of the time, I simply did not believe Burton Abbott could have committed the crime. This well-researched book finally provides some other possibilities and brings that early case back into the limelight. Very much worth a read.

A truly unbelievable book !!! This case has always fascinated me. Keith Walker does an amazing job of exploring the truths of this case, and leaves the reader amazed. Not to mention an inside look at our deplorabel justice system in the 1950's.

I picked this up in a bargain bin thinking it was a pop science book. A few pages in, it became apparent that the book was a criticism of science's failure to provide a sense of comfort about the big issues ("what is our purpose in life" etc). The author compares science to olde time religion and comes to the conclusion that religion is a lie that makes people happy, whilst science is a truth that saddens.

While this may be an accurate description of the general metaphysical discomfort caused as religion loses ground, it seems a bit presumptuous to suggest we devalue truth and return to the dark ages. As some ancient Roman guy once said, "the desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise". Instead of seeking wonder, purpose and freedom in a godless universe, Appleyard invites us to throw in the towel. And that is what makes this book so morbidly interesting...

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is the modernist or skeptic's assault on modernity in general and the regime of science specifically. As limited as this view must be relative to a traditional or symbolist perspective (i.e., from someone not using the methods criticized to criticize them), I have not read a more accessible book on the subject. If you want to know how much and in what ways our present time (as all times) are an 'Age' with peculiar blind spots, graces, and misconceptions, this is the place to start. Ignore the two reviews below that offer apologies for the regime and accuse Applyard of pessimism; the man who sees the train about to roll over him - rolling over him? - is not a pessimist. Guenon's The Reign of Quantity and Upton's System of AntiChrist are this book's betters but they assume much more on the reader's part; please find this book and delight in his illumination of the ideas that frame our shallow and narrow worldview in the present time. Then read Swift's Battle of the Books and see that this fight is an old one each person must come to terms with.

I found this book to give a spirited overview of the paradigms of modern science and the place of man's sense of self within these paradigms which is no place at all. However, I am not as pessimistic as Appleyard in that I believe science and spirit can be integrated. After readers get aroused by Appleyard they should read Ken Wilber's "The Marriage of Sense and Soul"and E.O. Wilson's "Consilience" for ideas on how these two apparently conflicting worldviews can be integrated. For example, Wilber suggests the method of science can be applied to both the subjective and objective domains of knowledge.

The weibull is often referenced, but is rarely given a technically satisfying treatment. This book did much to fill the gap.

Overall this is a nice book, and a much-needed resource. Hey, what more are you looking for?

I think 5 stars is a bit much, since there are ways in which this, a solid book, could be made into something exceptional.

I would recommend the author include more applications, with source code. As a specific suggestion, include iterative convergence from raw failure data on a representative 3-factor fit. Try to find any text that provides directly-applicable techniques for resolving the parameters. Sure, you'll find an expression for alpha and beta... perhaps a vague comment about iterative solution, but not much more. The truth is that you cannot iterate by any simple means, since convergence on the Weibull 3-fac is rarely stable.

There are other areas for improvement, but this is a review, not a chat room.

Here's a mere nit: I could have done without the tables in print. On the next revision, save paper and expense of publishing in print, and just put those on a disk.

The book is an excellent Introduction to the Weibull but do not expect any book to deal with these equations at a lower level. The reader from San Diego may have gotten frustrated by making that mistake. The Gamma function is defined by an equation on pg 4 and the number on page six is no more than a look up in the Gamma table of pg 4. If you, the potential reader, has a little background in the areas related to the use of the Weibull you should find this book a way to effectively introduce yourself to the subject. A large part of the book is devoted to tables but that didn't bother me since Mr Dodson provided some some nice examples.

This book is directed toward those of us who work versus those in acadamia. Those with many years of experience will find it very helpful and complete. Those without any experience will enjoy the may examples and the software so they do not have to work the equations by hand.

The software ran fine under Windows 95. I would have bought the book even without the software. It was a nice added touch for the price of only a book. I would give it 5 stars as well.

The reviewer from San Diego critized the example that accompanied the table on page 4. The example is correct and the people I've talked with thought it was easy to follow.

Awesome strategy guide for an awesome game. Covers just enough to let you fight the bad guys, then has sections in the back that help you fight the guys. My advice: DONT USE IT IF YOU BUY IT UNLESS YOU ARE DESPERATE AND ARE KEPT UP AT NIGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BEAT THE GOBLIN BOSS. The game is huge, enjoy it. Not many games are built with this kind of dedication.

This guide is the ultimate companion to the game as it tells you about all of the chracters in the game and tells you all about the spells that you need throughout the game. The guide is also full of other usefull information that you need in order to complete the game without any trouble

This guide is very good is because it gives you all the spells you need to know, it also tells you about the characters. This guide tells you how to bring you the characters up levels faster their weaknesses and strong points. There is one thing I did find in this guide that I did not find in some others, is it tells how to search around dangerous areas and not get hurt. The reason I gave it a four star and not a five is because it does not tell everything. Such as some of the things that Nintendo Power tells you.

A novel for anyone who ever wondered where they were, how they got there and where they were going. "Blythe" trips around the globe in search of elusive peace of mind. A slice of life right out of the middle.

A solid first offering from a promising novelist, "Blythe" takes the reader along for a journey through decadence, disillusionment and depression with a shattered moral compass. At times humorous, at times plaintive, the novel plucks at many of the emotions felt by today's Generation X soul searchers.

Blythe, a novel saturated in the experiences of a "lost generation" stumbling through lifeis a smooth read with chapters broken into journal styled entries. Blythe's complimentary soundtrack submerges the reader fully into the life of the narrator taking you on his journey. A highly suggested read by a strong novelist.

I have practiced yoga for a couple of years and experienced different styles of teaching. The challenge of this CD was decent, but I just couldn't stand his annoying voice and comments. Throughout the routine, he would sigh loudly, which distracted me from the poses. His voice and choice of words are very abrasive. I did not enjoy it at all and sent it back for a refund.

I love this book with cd! The booklet is wonderful for showing modifications of the poses. The class can be as challenging as you want it to be. Bryan's instruction and reminders to breathe are excellent. The cd/booklet format is great for yoga, because you can concentrate more on your practice than on trying to look at your tv screen if it was in video or dvd format.

it's simple. this is awesome. it's a Bryan Kest class live, without having to stand in line around the block in Santa Monica! (ha ha).

When I saw this title I was hoping, against hope, that finally, the history of World War II in the former Soviet Union was coming into the light. That light being one of an objective look into the events surrounding the most titanic clash of arms in history. What we have, I am sorry to say, is something not far removed from the bad old days of "cold war" Russian propoganda. I find it hard to believe that the Wehrmacht, appearantly stumbled along from victory to victory against a well thought out plan by STAVKA to lure the Wehrmacht to Moscow and then destroy it. Fugates' narrative is 'almost totally lacking in description of the massive failing in the Red Army's training, organization, logistics, leadership, etc., etc., etc. The Germans, with appearantly inept planning, hopelessly divided comanders, and an interfereing Hitler, were snookered by Zhukov (who appearantly planned all this in a Feb 1941 wargame). I'm sorry folk, while we know the Germans had problems, it is vveeerryy hard to swallow Fugates' arguments. His saving grace is his description of the purges and its effect on the Red Army's officer corps. If he had only solidly linked these events to the hopeless performance of the Red Army from June 22 to the end of Nov 1941 he might of been closer to the mark. I have no doubt that someone, somewhere, will eventually write a truly definitive account of the invasion of the Soviet Union without either a German 'apologist' or Soviet 'trumpet' bias. It is not this one.

The authors have reconstructed, from circumstantial evidence, a revisionist interpretation of Red Army prewar planning and early war strategy. This is an excellent attempt to look at "the other side of the hill" (95% of what's out there being narrated from the German point of view. The authors know their material well, but the specifics of their case (a Soviet master plan based on February 1941 wargames kept secret from all but a handful of generals) hinges on only a few collateral documents. They can document a general similarity of Soviet operations with what they believe was the outcome of the wargame, but cannot conclusively link the two, except by arguing that Zhukov and Timoshenko were at the wargame and conducted grand strategy--ergo they must have employed the strategy from the game. This is dangerous ground upon which to rest your entire thesis. Nonetheless, this book is valuable for approaching the first weeks and months of the war from a Soviet perspective, and makes the point quite strongly that the Red Army had already thrown German operations off their timetable within the first month of the war.

This remarkable book takes a completely fresh look at the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, using the Archives of the Soviet Ministry of Defence, the Soviet Army and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The authors are Brian Fugate, a distinguished American military historian, and Lev Dvoretsky, a retired Russian colonel and military historian.

They present their findings in their opening words: 'It is an enduring myth of the twentieth century that the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 caught Stalin and the Red Army totally by surprise.' Their work demolishes this myth, sponsored by Khrushchev and repeated by virtually every historian since. For example, they found the logbook of Stalin's appointments: he had meetings with thirteen political and military leaders on 21 June, and with nineteen on 22 June, which disproves Khrushchev's claim that panic immobilised Stalin after the invasion.

The book shows that the invasion did not catch Stalin and the Soviet High Command off guard: they had developed a skilful, innovative and highly secret plan to oppose it. This plan ensured that the Soviet Union would not only survive the biggest and most violent invasion in history, but would also defeat it. They developed the key elements of the strategy during three war games held in January and February 1941, probably the most important war games ever played.

The Red Army considered war games the ultimate form of strategic planning, the best way to test alternative strategies. General Pavlov, Commander of the Western Front, advocated a forward strategy of defending Bialystok, which jutted 150 miles into the Nazi-controlled part of Poland, following with a counterattack into Germany. This strategy meant placing the Red Army's main forces near the border. Marshal Timoshenko, commissar for defence, and General Zhukov, head of the Kiev Special Military District, proposed placing their main forces deep in Soviet territory for an active strategic defence. This would create the conditions for a counterattack by the strategic reserve that would sweep the invader out of the Soviet Union and destroy the core of his army. The general staff put the current military situation on the map board, then launched the Nazi attack and played out the moves, testing the two strategies.

The first game tested Pavlov's strategy. Zhukov led the German forces and broke through Pavlov's defences, surrounding and annihilating them. The second game tested the Zhukov-Timoshenko strategy. Zhukov led the Red Army against Pavlov's 'German' forces which had advanced deep into the Soviet Union. Zhukov counterattacked, outflanked and defeated Pavlov's forces. The day after the Politburo received the reports of these games, it appointed Zhukov chief of the general staff.

The authors discovered details of the third game in Timoshenko's and Zhukov's private papers. It tested a more developed version of the in-depth strategy, with a defence zoned in three echelons (see Map). The first, tactical, echelon was behind the border. The first strategic echelon was 200 to 300 miles behind the first, on the upper Dnepr. This launched a powerful counterattack against the southern flank of Army Group Centre as it crossed to the north of the Pripyat Marshes. The second strategic echelon was a mobile reserve, massed around Moscow, ready to attack the flanks of the enemy as he advanced towards Moscow. The plan worked in the game: the Red Army's forces were placed accordingly.

The Red Army carried out this strategy in July and August 1941. It successfully counterattacked the southern flank of Army Group Centre as it moved along the upper Dnepr, delaying its advance on Moscow. The delay enabled the forces in the second strategic echelon virtually to destroy Army Group Centre at Moscow in December. As a result of adopting this strategy, 'The war was essentially won in 1941 along the upper Dnepr and at Moscow.'

The authors conclude, 'the USSR was as well prepared for war in June 1941 as it possibly could have been.'

Just not enough content pretty much sums it up for me. Half the book was pictures, which were supposed to emphasize the techniques, but I found many to be unappealing. The overall material explaining the author's ideas of design criteria could have been presented in about ten pages.

The cover of this book could have employed design basics to get creative results, but the interior makes up for it. Its generous amount of fundmental information is nicely laid out in an uncomplicated and easy to use format. Mostly, I am disappointed with graphic design how-to books. They tend to be ambiguously narrated "portfolios" of high-profile designers with magnificant clients; as if just staring at their work is going to make you a better designer with a bigger budget. Though the majority of these samples are grand, Perterson actually analyses why the designs chosen are successful based on design fundamentals. The first half of the book is honest and humble -- like kindergarten; but in a really nice classroom. The topics discussed in depth are the basics of design like line, type, shape, texture, balance, contrast, unity, color, and value. The second half graduates to the working world and how those philosophies are applied to working models. A must for every designer. I have been doing this for twelve years and I still refer to the first half of this book all the time.

If your going to Fairleigh Dickinson University you will need this book if your taking Digital Design and Graphics Price is GOOD