If you want to understand how TCP/IP networks work, both at a practical and theoretical level, this is the book for you. It is well written and covers all practical aspects of managing a modern TCP/IP network. Definitely another O'Reilly book that should be on every network admin's shelf.

Maintaining any type of computer network is a challenge (to say the least) and books like this one are a welcome addition to any sys admin's library. Above the book's title on the cover are the words "Help for UNIX System Administrators" and that's precisely what this book is. Starting off with a "primer" on TCP/IP and how data moves around on a TCP/IP network gives anyone new to TCP/IP a general idea of how it all works. There are also chapters on configuring your interface (along with general info on installing PPP & SLIP), routing, network servers, and sendmail, all important parts of a TCP/IP system. Near the book's end, the topics of troubleshooting and network security are also addressed.

All the O'Reilly books I have read always have thorough descriptions of the their topics and prove to be excellent sources of information. This book is no exception. If you maintain (or will be maintaining) this type of network, you need this book

Having reviewed over 600 books in the past several years I am sometimes have to stop and recognize a truly exceptional book and this is one of those times. Having worked with TCP/IP for over 5 years, after reading this book I was amazed at how much I didn't know.

While it is true this book is written for the UNIX/Linux environments, the principles involved will apply to almost any network environment. The 700 plus page book is very well written and extremely well documented, the author has certainly done his homework for this book.

The breakdown of TCP/IP is excellent and there is great material for routing, security and troubleshooting as well. You have been given numerous examples to learn from and work with. Overall this book is certainly one to have around and a great addition to my technical library.

Up until now "The Erotic Bondage Handbook" was the most comprehensive reference on rope bondage. However, while "The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage" isn't as comprehensive, I think that it is the better book.

The author Midori is famous for her elaborate rope bondage scenes and this coffee table format book show us why. The front cover is immediately arresting with a woman in partial suspended bondage, standing on one leg, while Midori supports her.

Inside is a brief introduction, and some technical details on types of rope, safety issues and which knots and ties are needed then we are into the techniques.

Eleven ties are described, grouped into seven sections. Each section starts with a full page photograph of the ties described within and the text is enhanced by many clear drawings to show just how to do each tie.

All the ties are simple. Deceptively so. But despite their simplicity once they are tied with care and artistry around a willing body, they produce an effect that can move the viewer (and definitely moves the participants).

I like this book very much, here is someone writing about something that they are not only an expert at, but also who clearly loves what they are doing and the effect it can have on others. Midori writes in a clear, easy style that draws you in and gives you the feeling that with a bit of rope you too can produce results similar to the illustrations.

What more could you want?

This book combines all of these elements through the delicacy and power of intricate ropework encasing and caressing the human form, created by an expert in the art of Japanese bondage, and captured by a master photographer.

But this isn't merely an image book (as if that weren't enough).

True to her first-and-foremost role as an educator, Midori offers step-by-step instructions on how to recreate the bondage shown in Craig Morey's gorgeous and inspiring photographs. The instructional pages and illustrations are clear and amazingly easy to follow.

The history, safety, resources, and materials overviews, plus little extras like a titillating his-and-hers seduction scene, followed by a detailed (and purposeful) scene analysis make this a comprehensive, sexy, and altoghether thoroughly entertaining guide.

I do wish there were more photographs, but that's the petty complaint of a beauty glutton. And this is a beautiful book, a must-have not only for anyone wishing to incorporate ropes into his or her sensual play, but also for anyone who enjoys the human form as art.

Midori is an artist of the human form.

Written by Babydoll1008 (for some reason, this didn't go through with my name...)

Imagine..a "coffee table" type book about Japanese rope bondage, complete with instructions and diagrams and some absolutely gorgeous photographs produced by Craig Morey (a photographer who has created some luscious bondage photos over the past few years).

Fetish Diva Midori who has been involved in the San Francisco Bay Area SM scene for years now has created an excellent book about this form of bondage, which can be beautiful and alluring to look at, but for some like me, a daunting task to do well.

Midori must have had people like me in mind, because she describes specific types of this kind of rope bondage, offering step by step instruction and diagrams, along with pictures of the "finished product." The book also offers information about the history of Japanese rope bondage, the different types of rope available, safety, and then discusses seven specific rope bondage "techniques." Among them: simple breast bondage, arm & chest bondage, the beautiful "Tortoise Shell Body Harness," and the "Bamboo Rod."

If you're any kind of "bondage aficionado," be it practioner or simply a "conoisseur," this book is excellent, as well as being a kind of "instruction manual" on Japanese rope bondage.

In contrast to some of the other editions of the complete works of Shakespeare, this book really is value for money. All plays (and poems, etcetera) are printed in a lavishly, pleasing way, very easy to the eye (one of the biggest drawbacks of some editions is that they use a very small font to keep the number of pages to a minimum). As others have commented, not much can and should be commented on the works themselves, they have stood the test of time, and the (normal) spelling that is used in this edition makes each reading an enjoyable experience. All the plays are given a brief (and somewhat succinct) introduction, which is, at best, okay. The strange things, in this book, are, for example, the order of the plays, the way King Lear is printed in two versions (that differ only in small details), and the inclusion of fragments that are attributed to Shakespeare (a bit controversial to say the least). Still, if you want to buy a good, thorough, and well-researched edition of the complete works of Shakespeare, you will not go far wrong with this book.

Pretty much any edition of Shakespeare deserves 5 stars for content. I think the question most people must have is "Which edition?"

I purchased "The Complete Pelican Shakespeare" because I wanted a relatively portable, high-quality book featuring text that benefits from modern scholarship (including brief notes and glossary). I wanted an edition to read and to treasure.

I should say that I didn't need extensive commentary with the text (as in the Arden paperbacks). That bulks it up considerably, can be had in other places, and can be left behind once one has read a play once or twice.

While I'm no Shakespearean scholar myself, this edition seems to meet the editorial criteria quite well. The text appears to benefit from modern, authoritative editorship, the introductions are brief but useful, and archaic terms and phrases are defined on the page where they occur.

The binding is high quality, as is the paper.

This is the most portable of the modern hard-cover editions I've found, with the possible exception of the Oxford edition, which is thicker, but smaller in the other two dimensions. I decided against the Oxford because the binding is of lesser quality and Oxford has a relatively idiosyncratic editorial policy with which I don't entirely agree.

Sadly, this is still a pretty big book, just small enough for a good-sized person to hold up and read in bed, and too much for an airplane or trip to the park. I wish someone would make a truly portable version! There is no reason that the entire thing couldn't be compressed into the space of a smallish bible (for those with the eyes for it!).

This weighty tome brings together authoritative versions of the complete works of Shakespeare. The excellent and informative introduction provides the historical context for the plays, the author and the folios. It also explains well how the plays tended to evolve with re-writes and performances. I have not read all of the plays and sonnets, but of the Shakespeare works Henry V and Hamlet, for example, provide high drama with stories that are compelling and language that is unique, beautiful and powerful. While the Taming of the Shrew and a Midsummers Night Dream provide humor, and other plays provide tragedy and pathos. A thousand phrases from these great plays and sonnets have probably carried into modern usuage. Shakespeare is best enjoyed first as a play by fine actors, such as those of the Royal Shakespeare company, that can give life to the often archaic and unfamiliar words, phrases and language constructs that come late 1500s. Once you have been captivated by a good live performance, reading the text becomes a joy and the strange language an exquisit pleasure. Some movies based on Shakespeare are more interesting than others (Kenneth Branagh has been quite successful, while Mel Gibson and Sir Lawrence Olivier were less so to my mind) but a live theater performance is far better and the written word is probably a close second. If you are interested in Shakespeare then this is a wonderful book - the only one you need really. If you have children then you really should get this and encourage them to read it. I have started reading selected passages with my 5 year old son and he loves it, he is absolutely enthralled with the language -- be bold, try it.

In his introduction, William Lane Craig explains that apologetics is the branch of Christian theology which tries to rationally justify the claims of Christian faith. Craig does this in an easy-to-grasp manner, concentrating on the philosophical issues rather than the hard evidence (for an apology with hard evidence, check out Josh McDowell's "The New Evidence").

The book is broken down into eight parts:

--How do I know Christianity is true?

--The absurdity of life without God

--The existence of God

--The problem of miracles

--The problem of historical knowledge

--The historical reliability of the New Testament (by noted scholar Craig Blomberg

--The self-understanding of Jesus

--The resurrection of Jesus

My favorite two sections were "The absurdity of life without God" and "The existence of God." In these sections Craig tackles many of the philosophical questions about God, and he does it in a simple and succinct manner. Another thing that I really liked about this book are the sections at the end of each chapter called "Practical Application." In these sections, Craig supplies ways you can use the information in the chapter to share in an evangelistic contact. Simple and specific dialogue is provided for the reader to use in spreading Christianity.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking to build his faith. Craig's final words, the "Ultimate Apologetic," challenge Christians to use their own life as an example of the best apology. To do this, follow the two great commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." --Matthew 22:35-40 The ultimate apologetic is: your life.

Unfortunately this reviewer reveals his presuppositional bias against Christianity early on. However, that's not why I felt the need to comment. Where the review says:

"Admissions such as these, where Craig admits that REASON itself is not sufficient to establish the truth of Christian claims, shows the title of the book is a complete misnomer-- Reasonable faith does not rely on mere emotional 'wishing-to-be-true,' nor does it rely on the type of veiled threats embodied in the suggestion that you should accept God because you will be "held accountable" if you dont't. "

completely shows that the reviewer missed Dr. Craig's point in writing the book. The premis of the book is that the Christian faith is not a "blind leap of faith" but a small step of faith in the direction that the evidence all points. Christian faith is reasonable in as much as it doesn't goe against reason. However, you cannot prove Christianity 100% for that would eliminate the need for faith and "without faith it is impossible to please God". In this book Dr Craig show that the Christian faith, though still faith, is faith based on facts and not just "mere emotional 'wishing-to-be-true,'".

I read this book under the recommendation of two noted apologists. This book neither toys around with apologetics nor gives brief, watered-down arguments; rather, it gets to the meat of the subject and goes in depth. This book is well suited for college/graduate apologetics courses and for any Christian who is willing to take a serious, in-depth look at Christian apologetics. The book is academic in nature and not a typical self-help, devotional read... although while reading this book I do feel my relationship with Christ grew out of my deeper understanding of many things.

Craig explores and explains well the relationship of faith & reason, the existence of God, the absurdity of life without God, miracles, arguments concerning problems of historical knowledge, reliability & historicity of the New Testament scriptures, and the claims & resurrection of Christ. Each chapter gives views contrary to orthodox Christianity and then Craig analyzes each in turn. I especially appreciated his treatment of miracles and the problem of historicity.

At the end of each chapter is a summary and a personal application section. The personal application questions helped me to keep in mind the real reason why I was reading this book. This book could be used in a small group Bible study, but I would not recommend it to those who are not willing to put forth some effort.

The last chapter is brief, but very important. Here Craig reminds us that the best arguments in the world really come second to how we live our lives as Christians and how we interact with the people around us. This, he says, is the "ultimate apologetic."

This is a wonderfully written book.

This book was amazingly insightful and easy to read. This book is not a "How to use Linux" book, but how to configure a SERVER. The author gives a lot of opinions and personal experiences to make the lessons more understandable. Its a solid reference manual for quick lookups of info, but how the author crafts his chapters from install to maintenance is amazing.

I have several books on Linux but I found this one the most useful. In the beginning when I run my Linux network server, I was in a hassle as it was not easy to follow the documents of Linux, they were so fragmented! However, this book guided me how to step my step familar with Linux. It was so clearly written that it could make a beginner become an expert after finishing the whole book! Now, I placed it near my Linux server for my daily reference. I suggest people who are uncertain of how to start reading this book!

For all of you out there like me who have read how to install Linux so many times, but are still confused about the step-by-step how (and why) processes for setting up a DNS server, or a mail server using sendmail, or a samba server, etc... this book is great. The author gives clear examples, and good advice. The book is easy to read, and should be one of your first buys if you are setting up a server. The author spends a lot of time on RedHat and Caldera, with many graphics illustrating the screens you would expect to see.

Easily coined as a coming of age story, Craig Lesley's brilliant work *The Sky Fisherman* contains as many unpredictable currents as the river which flows through it.

Lesley establishes characters with ease, embellishment and energy. His language suits the people he creates, the landscapes described and, most importantly, the town that combines both entities. He does not shy away from intriguing subjects like death, mourning, sorrow, lost dreams, prejudice, love, arson and murder.

Told through the eyes of young Culver, the protagonist whose father was "lost" on the river Lost while fishing with his uncle, Lesley allows him to know more than he should but retain a striking amount of innocence throughout. Although Culver admits to flashes of his future such as, "Deep in the marrow of my bones, I felt that nothing was going to turn out as we had hoped, and I felt sick for all of us, especially my mother.

Culver's mother, who facilitated the move back to Gateway, the place of her husband's death and the home of his brother, Jake, is sensible, likable and sometimes surprising. The strength she needs to leave her second husband, Riley Walker, is mustered one day in a cafe which served bad cottage cheese and sour pears.

Culver doesn't mind the new surroundings. Riley walked his family from one railroad town to another on his general decent with the Union Pacific Railroad. Landing in his last two dog town, losing his wife and adopted son finally drives him over the edge, causing him to torch the town before turning into a vagrant.

The future looks bright for Culver and his mother, they both have jobs, they have their own house and they are rid of Riley, they believe. Culver works at this Uncle Jake's adventure outfitting store and is often left in charge when Jake is leading fishing trips with the "dudes."

The colorful characters who grace the threshold of Jake's store are as interesting as their names and stories. Gigantic Gabriel Webster, "Gab" is the station manager for the local radio station. He continually tries to sell advertising and consistently sees ways for the town and businesses to grow. Buzzy Marek is a crop duster who "swoops so low he's got to burp to clear the barbed-wire fences." Sniffy St. John is a night watchman and glue mixer for the ply wood mill. Seaweed Swanson is a retired chief petty officer of the United States Navy but has trouble with the clock and "actually spent two extra years in the Navy before realizing he could retire with full pensions after twenty" he blamed this on "too many trips across the international date line."

All of these characters also have mugs hanging in the Oasis cafe with "nicknames labeling their coffee cups...I (Culver) enjoyed trying to match the customers with their colorful monikers: Big Joe, Babe, Grasshopper, Heavy Duty, Short Stack, Skook." And Culver often walks home alone from the cafe in order to "study the town at night and consider how I fit in it."

Just as the colorful characters cannot be ignored, the powerful force of the river takes on characteristics of its own. Culver becomes a man on this river by not only challenging the rapids which claimed his father's life, but also pulling his first dead body on the Lost and almost getting pulled under by a panicked tourist. Jake contends that "There's a fool born a minute and only one dies a day."

Also surging through this novel, are the beliefs and teachings of generations. Jake and Culver's father took his boys fly fishing on the river frequently. Jake remembers that "Whatever he knew about the river, that's what he saw in the sky....There's the Sky Fisherman. Those stars closest to the mountain are the hip boots. Straight above is his vest, and the little curved line of stars is a pipe jutting out his mouth. That long row of curved stars makes up his fly rod. From the deep bend in that rod, I'd say he's hooked a dandy." Jake passes on to Culver important family history and respect for the nature surrounding him.

Another current swirling in this tale is Native American mythology, beliefs and humor. Gateway is situated next to Hollywood, a reservation, which is also plagued with scandal, murder and suspicion. The tribal policeman, Billyum Bruised Head, befriends Culver due partly to his relation to Jake and also his display bravery.

Unfortunately for the characters, there is also a deep undertow which pulls at the inhabitants, sometimes cursing their dreams forever. Culver witnesses extreme drought which results in unbeleivable fires and more men lost.

Lesley's previous books, *Winterkill* and *River Song* are equally as intriguing novels. His ability to establish characters and his art of storytelling are phenomenal. Even those not thrilled about fly fishing can enjoy this latest effort and those who are will have an enhanced read. Lesley is also a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Portland, Ore., which is obvious from his poignant topical descriptions.

Craig Lesley has the uncanny ability to draw readers into his narrative immediately. His characterizations and dialogue are so realistic that it's often difficult to believe his works are fiction. In 'The Sky Fisherman,' Lesley writes something of a coming of age story, in which the book's narrator Culver Martin comes to terms with his father's death years earlier and the circumstances that surround and haunt relations between himself, his mother and his uncle. At the same time, Lesley provides a real picture of relations in a small town near an Indian reservation. Here Lesley brings to life the complex feelings and resentments on both sides of this line, i.e. among the town's mill-workers, farmers, etc. and the Indians on the other. Also well-rendered is the love for and obsession with fishing and hunting on the part of the locals, which the author brings to life in his evocative descriptions of the landscape - although he fictionalizes many place-names, it's obvious that he is referring to the Deschutes River in Oregon. This is certainly Lesley's best novel.

Craig Lesley is one of those writers that well-meaning acquaintances tried to push on me several years ago. Hence, I resisted much of his work, and reluctantly read _Winterkill_ one afternoon out of a sense of obligation. After reading _The Sky Fisherman_, I'll likely become one of those who pushes his work on others.

The story is narrated by Culver, a teenager at the time of the events in the book, and told from a point of view some time later. These events were decisive moments in Culver's coming of age, and marked a critical time of transition for the network of small towns at the center. Young Culver must find the way to deal with the traumas of his father's death, his step-father's failures, his mother's fears, and more adventure helping his uncle Jake than most young men are called upon to survive. Culver's drive to know more about his father brings out buried conflicts that threaten to destroy the little bit of stability that anchors his existence. Lesley gives Culver a voice through these struggles that offers a gripping narrative. Culver's youth and inexperience prior to the momentous events come through clearly in his reflections as an adult. There is wisdom in Culver's perspective, but Lesley avoids the pitfalls of forcing this wisdom on the reader.

In some respects, this book is like a large number of other coming-of-age Western novels, from _Huckleberry Finn_ to _A River Runs Through It_. With its setting in border towns near an Indian Reservation, and communities where the economic life centers on lumber and river recreation, the book aptly reflects life in the rural West. Unlike so many other such novels, however, Lesley allows a sensitive and perceptive portrayal of Indian-white relations into the heart of the book, but without making race relations the driving force of the narrative. In doing so, he may get closer to the heart of the West than most of the novelists and historians who have made the effort.

This novel is a serious work of fiction, entertaining and provocative. It stimulated me as a reader in several ways. I'm eager to return to _Winterkill_, as well as Lesley's other novels. I'm stimulated to make a dent in my pile of unread books by a host of other writers. And, I'm provoked to write by Lesley's powerful handling of the language. In addition, reading this book the week prior to a steelheading trip on the Deschutes River also proved to be good timing. This book energized me in a fundamentally important way: it reminded me of the reasons money saved from avoiding a cable-TV subscription is well-spent on literature.

Tanya Mravik, 32 year-old single female, Los Angeles, CA

I was introduced to the Cathars and the heretical Inquisition through Stephen O'Shea's The Perfect Heresy. It was so fascinating to me that my supervisor at work recommended that I read another book about the heresy that was written by a student who had gone through our writing program (at UCLA Extension). That book, a novel, is called The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy and was written by Charmaine Craig.

Ms. Craig has done a SUPERB job researching for this novel and her writing style gave life to these characters who are based on real people who lived in the Middle Ages. She has made the human issues as realistic as those that we deal with today.

This book was highly entertaining, educational, relevant, and should be read and enjoyed by everybody who is interested in the Inquisition, the Medieval time period, and/or southern France.

Charmaine Craig's The Good Men is at the top of my most cherished books list, and I can't recommend it more highly. I have not submitted an online review before, but I loved this book so much, I felt compelled to comment. The novel entirely drew me in from beginning to end, and I couldn't put it down once I started. I still find myself reflecting on the three generations of characters, feeling for them as if they were real to me. In particular, I was struck by the author's most honest portrayal of the human condition. Her characters were true to life -- complicated and imperfect, wanting goodness, but invariably stumbling along their interconnected paths. Through their struggles and triumphs, Craig cut straight to the core of what it means to be human, in all its pain and beauty. Though the story takes place in medieval France, its essence is absolutely timeless, and just as relevant today as ever. I am in awe of this talented, first time novelist, and can't wait to see what's next on her horizon.

I finished reading The Good Men two weeks ago and I can't get it out of my head, so I have to add my praise to the long list of glowing remarks already posted by other admirers of this beautiful book. I won't be surprised if this novel garners lots of awards. Ms. Craig's masterly prose, her eye for detail, and her ability to find emotional nuance in scene after scene, transported me to another place and time, where her characters struggle, each in their own way, with how to live life. Like in all great works of literature, the characters are often flawed, but through Craig's compassionate telling, each takes on a kind of dignity and human grace, right down to the fallen priest, Pierre Clergue, whose final act (which I won't give away) is so right and momentous, that it gives reason and meaning to his life in its very last seconds. My book club loved this book too, and I've been recommending it to everyone.

I'm generally skeptical about books that solve problems that the collective wisdom of the medical profession cannot! However my excruciating back pain (sciatica ?) caused me to try the exercises in this book....what did I have to lose? After about ten days of incapacitating pain when I got out of bed in the mornings, I started the exercises and got immediate (although, not total) relief. Six weeks after diligently following the exercises I still have a recurring ache but a run-through the streching (not flexion) exercises helps a lot.

Once the pain subsided I gingerly moved to the flexion exercises:I am convinced that a full stretching of the spine is key to recovery.

A few years ago I suffered a minor accident that resulted in progressive and long term back and hip pain. The orthopedic surgeon diagnosed severe sciatica. He put me on prescription pain meds, muscle relaxants and lots of bed rest. Actually, bed rest was about all I could handle as all of the prescription meds kept me in a constant mental haze (but did little to relieve pain). The doctor also referred me to a physical therapist 4 times a week (who has time for this - each session lasted hours). After 4 months of this with not much improvement I'd had enough. I stopped taking the prescription meds, switched to OTCs and began chiropractic treatments. A year and two chiropractors later the improvement was small but pain was manageable. Unfortunately the last session with the chiro left me feeling worse than when I began the treatments. Then I found Robin McKenzie's book. I could not believe the improvement I experienced after just two days of following his emergency exercises. After several weeks I had complete recovery. I have given this book to friends and relatives with back or neck problems and they have all found relief from pain and have gained full mobility. The funny thing is that the positions and movements that Mr. McKenzie prescribes are exactly what the chiropractors and surgeon told me not to do!
Go figure!

I bought this book in October of 2001 and have considerably reduced the lower back pain I have suffered with for nearly 20 years. After years of doctors, spinal manipulations, drugs, xrays, MRI's, physical therapy, the pain was intolerable and nothing doctors did was helping. Rather than have an epidural steroid injection (research the side effects of those!) I decided to buy this book. It took a few months before I was pain free, but I noticed improvement right away. Using a lumbar roll, always sitting with good posture and doing simple exercises once a day has changed my life. You certainly do want to be under a doctors care and have approval before doing this or any exercise program, but do not be afraid to try this it does work.

Bold, forthcoming, and honest manual written for any gay man learning how to navigate in confusing and dangerous waters of our contemporary straight society and not-so-well developed gay environment.

This book provides creative tips to forming an appropriate attitude to gay life, gives some ideas on how to set your mating / dating expectations, encourages a reader to be wizz of small but very meaningfull things/ ideas/ plans.

This book also discusses such important issues as man's trouble (addictions, abuses, illness), various paths on a road of gay life-style, eternal gay problems such as rejection and humiliation and how to be yourself, love yourself, enjoy yourself, and be happy where and who you are.

Inspiring, refreshing, boldly and affirmativly vocalized, excellent gift idea to any gay man.

Warning: Explicit Language

If there were one book to recommend on gay male relationships--This is the ONE! As a social work therapist, I recommend this book to all my gay male clients and workshop participants. Summarizes the developmental process of relationship in a non pathologizing way, while offering useful skills to meet and connect with other men! Anxiously awaiting Craigs further offerings. This one is well worth the price!

This is a detailed and thought-provoking "relationships for dummies" kind of book-- excellent advice for dating, maintaining relationships (sexual, married or friends), and generally dealing with people. The author occasionally spouts a little nonsense based on curious gay stereotypes that apparently fit *his* lifestyle, but it doesn't get in the way of the message. This is a terrific book, and I've even recommended it to a few straight friends!

This book is moderately useful if you are relatively new to Java -- with two months of active work in a Java environment most everything in it should seem like common sense. For a beginner just after learning the language syntax, I would recommend it. For someone with, say, a years experience -- given the price -- this book would be a waste of money. Since that's pretty much a match with the authors' claims, I don't fault the book for that. My only real complaint is that the performance section is just plain weak.

One word of warning: this book should not under any circumstances be compared to the Scott Meyers C++ books. Those books are really indispensible no matter what your level of experience and deal in depth with language issues that are not obvious and often new features of the language standard.

This book is not highly organized, reading more like an almanac than a textbook, but I think that is a plus here. I bought the book for the performance section, and picked up a couple things that only a guru would pick up on their own (e.g. the fact that Strings recalc their hash key every time). By cruising through all the points it helps reinforce your existing knowlege of to-do's and not to-do's, as well as comparing tradeoffs of similar choices. I ended up with some added confidence for my "common sense" programming practices, and some very valuable insight in some unfamiliar areas.

The downside is that this hardcover book is expensive for it quantity of content, and doesn't lend itself well to revisions. I actually like the brevity and white space, but I was able to browse the entire performance section is about 90-min. A perfect handbook! A pricy textbook.

I would have preferred to buy a cheap paperback version that might benefit from yearly revisions (like The Java Developer's Almanac), especially since I'm sure new revelations of performance tuning will materialize as the Java language matures and grows. Also, the book only covers general Java performance, touching on RMI, AWT, and Collections, but really staying close to the java.lang package... I'm sure there is a lot that could have been covered in specific API's (Java 2D, 3D, JDBC, etc.)

Overall this book is a keeper! Strong praise since even after being very picky about spending my book money I still end up trashing 50% of the books I buy.

I look forward to future expanded (and cheaper) editions.

This is an extremely high quality and useful book. C++ community has had books like this for some time, but this is the fist book of this type for the Java programmer. I would compare it (in quality, and usefulness) with books like "Effective C++" and "More Effective C++" by Scott Meyers. Although the book will be most useful for the intermediate Java programmer, I am sure that many seasoned and advanced Java programmers will also learn something from this book. The book is full of extremely useful "idioms" or patterns for coding. These idioms enhance the understanding of the Java language, and guide you in writing more effective Java code. The authors always refer to well known design patterns to enhance the understanding of the topic. A basic familiarity with the GoF patterns is helpful in getting the most out of this book. This is a unique book, and in my opinion, a must for any serious Java Programmer.