I bought this book and "The Candian Rockies Trail Guide" in preparation for two weeks for backpacking and dayhiking in the Mountain Parks, from which I just returned.
I went on many of the hikes described in the book and found that they mostly coincided with my personal impression, but most of the time I would have been able form that opinion from reading the more factual "Trail Guide" description only, together with the respective Gemtrek map, which you will need anyway. So, basically, this is a nice addition to the "Trail Guide", which itself is indespensable.

For as long as I can remember, my reference to Canadian Rocky Mountain hiking trails has been the venerable Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Patton and Robinson, which, while easily the standard reference and required reading for every hiker, tends to avoid the question of whether a trail is worth doing or not. Except for masochistic marvels like the notorious Carrot Creek trail (removed from the 7th edition), Patton and Robinson are rather trail-agnostic: some trails are good day hikes, others are backpacking adventures for "explorers" with good route-finding skills. To each his/her own.

The Copelands' Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies isn't like that. The authors have an opinion of what constitutes a good hike: jaw-dropping scenery throughout the hike, and preferably above treeline. They discard lengthy, scenery-poor hikes like Howse Pass and Jasper National Park's boundary trails and rank the rest. They pull no punches and, if you understand and agree with their point of view, you find yourself nodding in agreement. The trails I've hiked have earned the rankings in this book -- for example, Paradise Valley and Helen Lake as "premier", Citadel Pass and Eiffel Lake as "outstanding", Chephren Lake as "don't do" (had I but known ... ).

The Copelands include a few ridge walks and scree scrambles not covered by the Patton/Robinson guide, which aren't my cup of tea. They are also more apt to point out trails that present a higher risk of a bear encounter (e.g. Maccarib Pass and Glacier Lake, and it's one of the reasons why they don't include Banff Front Range trails). On the other hand, there are no trail maps, and I find the descriptions more thorough in Patton and Robinson. As a result, you should get both guides, since each makes up for the shortcomings of the other: you need the raw data and authority of Patton and Robinson as much as you need the opinion of the Copelands.

We used this book on a recent day-hiking trip to the Canadian Rockies. While the "rad" writing style isn't exactly our cup of tea, the hike descriptions and ratings are right on. Every "premier"-rated hike we took was an absolute winner. Note that the book does not include any maps at all -- not even sketches -- so getting good hiking maps to go along with it is a must. When we traveled from the Rockies to Southwest British Columbia we were devastated not to find the authors' "Don't Waste Your Time" for that region in any local bookstores or hiking shops we passed. We've used many, many hiking books for various regions around the world over the years, and "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies" truly stands out as the most useful and fun. Congratulations to the authors.

"Diana: Story of a Princess", gives me a lot of detail of which I had been unaware. It makes for quick and compelling reading and presents the material in chronological order. It has struck me as an evenhanded telling of the stories of both Diana and Charles. Since the book is an adjunct of the video it would be helpful if one could view the video as well as read the book.

This new book is designed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Princess Diana's birth. It is a more balanced account than those of Penny Junor, Sally Bedell Smith, and Ingrid Seward and refutes their allegations of Princess Diana's supposed Borderline Personality Disorder. Based on interviews with friends and acquaintances, this book takes readers from her earliest years to her death and the subsequent massive tribute by the public. The authors interviewed individuals who stated that anyone with Borderline Personality Disorder could not have faced the challenges that Diana faced throughout her life nor could have achieved as much. The book honestly appraises the marriage and does not place blame on one of the parties for the breakup as did some of the other books. Princess Diana and Prince Charles are depicted as human characters, with both positive and negative sides to their natures. The underlying message in this book is that Princess Diana might have led a happier life had she chosen another path and chosen another marriage partner. The basic incompatibility of the royal couple is very evident in this (and earlier accounts) of their marriage.

The authors cover extensively the post-divorce years. There are disagreements among the Princess's friends to this day about what the outcome would have been of the Dodi Fayed-Princess Diana relationship.

The book is illustrated with photographs, some never before seen; one in particular shows the anguish that Diana had in dealing with the constant presence of photographers.

This is a balanced account, though there is an omission. The authors do not mention that Trevor Rees Jones was the only one wearing a seatbelt in the car accident.

By far, the most even-handed treatment of the Diana story that I've found. I've read numerous books on Princess Diana and the Royal Family and this one appears to come closest to what is likely the truth. The authors have gone to great measure to interview qualified individuals on both sides of the story and present their findings without drawing conclusions for the reader. I've also seen the companion video . . . excellent.

This book was simply a pleasure to read. While it was well documented, the documentation did not grind the book to a halt. I would consider this more as an anecdotal history rather than a military history. The author puts a human face on a serious topic. I have now read all of the books in print on the Iron Brigade and the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteers and this one is the best.

As an ardent student of history I found this book to be wonderfully documented and accurate. I have read all of the books about the 19th Indiana and the Iron Brigade and found this one to be the best by far. I was so intrigued with the book that I visited the critical archives and libraries cited in Mr. Dunn's book to verify their accuracy. Each entry which I checked was quoted exactly as I found them. I have heard through some Civil War circles that there has been an attempt to impugn this book in an attempt to increase sales of the other 19th Indiana books. If so, this is sad. I have recommended this book to all of my friends.

What a great book on the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteers of the Iron Brigade. The book was maticulously researched and documented. The best part about the book was that the documentation did not detract from the enjoyable reading. The pictures and roster were very helpful. I have personally read over 200 Civil War regimental histories and this one was my favorite. I have read two other books on the Nineteenth Indiana and found them to be lacking in documentation and in ease of reading. This book is the best.

New to sendmail,I needed to set up an email gateway/relay for our network. This book seemed to be the best because it addresses later sendmail versions than the current batbook. The problem I have with sendmail in general is the mountain of information available without any good way to tie it all together. Deciding which information does or does not apply to my situation was the most difficult part. More examples of configurations would be helpful. With this book,other internet resources,trial and error, and enough time, you can eventually complete your project. Great book if you want to learn sendmail theory. Not so great if you want complete configuration examples or a quick "how to".

This book taught me more skimming it for five minutes in a bookstore than all of the hours that I have wasted not finding what I was looking for in the O'Reilly Sendmail book. I found it especially useful in explaining, in detail and with examples, the use of the various mapping tables in the newer Sendmail versions.

Based on the TOC, I've been anxiously awaiting this book (so I can figure out a bunch of sendmail problems I have). Well, it's even better than I anticipated! The initial chapters on concepts are clear; the discussion of the .cf is very useful & complete. In the real world env., I suspect this might even supplant the "bat" book! (agree? comments?)

An unnamed gay man is diagnosed as HIV-positive. This allows him (causes him?) to take a new look (mostly through the bottom of a glass of alcohol) at his life and the part of the gay scene in which he lives most of that life.

And it turns out to be a very ascerbic as well as darkly humerous look. I thought that the book ended up as being a pretty condemnatory account of the shallow and transitory nature of gay life. Rather, since all gay life doesn't comply with stereotypical modes, it's damning of a particular section of gay California.

The essential short-termism of that gay scene, in which relationships are at best brief and are honoured more in the breach, is re-emphasised throughout the novel by the fact that the main character is living on borrowed time, very conscious of his own mortality.

The darkness of this novel will not be to everyone's taste. There's not a great deal of optimism in it - could there be, given the main character's predicament? I should think some gay people will read the novel and recognise its messages whilst believing it does not necessarily depict their everyday lives. Others might be severely discomforted by it because it might be "too close to home". I don't know for sure.

Nevertheless I enjoyed the novel because of its darkness rather than despite it.

Having personally lived, loved, lied and lost in L.A., I believe that Fabulous Hell provides incredible insight into L.A.'s edgy gay scene. Craig Curtis is a gifted author. This is one of those exceptional books that---once I picked it up and started to read the first page---I could not set down until I had reached the last page.

Some day this book will be considered a gay classic. A "must read" for anyone who wants to understand what West Coast hip (including the zingy highs and the depressing lows) is all about. Kudos to Craig Curtis.

I started to read FabHell and couldn't put it down. This book was the best 3 hours I've spent in a long time. I felt the bite of his anger as well as the apathy and depression and I loved it! Everyone you know is in this book. It sounds like a bummer...it's not. It's funny and real!

Thank you Craig!

This book is one in Zondervan's Counterpoints Series, which presents the view of various (mostly) Evangelical writers on theological subjects. This book is sorely needed because Evangelical apologists have had a history of writing critically and polemically of one another (one thinks of the Clark/Van Til debate), with the result of the layman having a difficult time deciding among the various positions.

The problem with this book is either that the writers are too timid or are more irenic than their label would indicate. There are three authors who present variations on the traditional approach: the classical method (Craig), the evidential method (Habermas), and the cumulative case method (Feinberg). These approaches are quite similar, although some differences do arise. When the reader gets to John Frame's presuppositional method, he expects to get a starkly different approach. After all, Van Til was notorious for attacking "traditional" apologetics as "Roman Catholic" or "Arminian." Well, Frame tells us that he agrees with most of what Craig writes. The final writer, Kelly James Clark (who represents the "Reformed epistemological method"), says the same thing.

Perhaps the editor could have selected a follower of Gordon Clark (a rationalist who denied the proofs of God's existence) or a fideist to present a contrasting apologetic method.

Before I write anything, I would like to suggest that the reader of "Five Views on Apologetics" first read "Faith Has Its Reasons" by Kenneth Bow and Robert Bowman, Jr. (NavPress). Doing so will give you a good overview of the methodology taken by the different positions; it would be akin to reading a preview of this afternoon's football game, with a summary of the players and the strategy that will be used fully explained.

Overall "Five Views on Apologetics" is worthwhile for the serious-minded Christian. I do like these "View" books because they allow all sides to take part in a dialogue that certainly has more potential to get things accomplished rather than a free-for-all live debate. All sides get to give their side with succeeding rebuttals. This book certainly had some lively discussion as all of the participants had their own ideas of how apologetics should be handled. The five positions were: William Lane Craig (classical); Gary Habermas (evidential); Paul Feinberg (cumulative); John Frame (presuppositional); Kelly James Clark (Reformed Epistemological).

However, there were three weak points that I need to point out. First, I'm not sure the debaters were the best representatives of the positions they defended. For instance, Craig could be described as a combination classicist/evidentialist. Much of what he said could have been written by Habermas, as even Habermas admitted. Feinberg had, I believe, the weakest argumentation, as I just never did track with his thoughs. Meanwhile, Frame certainly has his own twist on Van Til's ideas, yet these twists make his position a "kinder, gentler" version of Reformed apologetics and thus is not truly representative of Van Tillians--and there are plenty of these thinkers out there. And Clark might as well let Alvin Plantinga write his section since Clark seemed to mention Plantinga in practically every paragraph.

Second, it is apparent that much of the differences quickly became similarities by the end of the book. In fact, Craig even mentioned how he appreciated the similarities the debaters had. If this is so, then why write the book in the first place? In fact, more than once a respondent to another's position declared, in essence, "Why, that could have been me writing! I think--fill in the name--really is a--fill in the position--like I am." This attitude prevailed through much of the book, especially in the concluding comments. (At the same time, perhaps we should rejoice that in a book of Christian division, so many similarities could be found!)

Finally, I think the book got a little too technical in some areas, especially by several of the writers. I think Craig is a master philosopher, and I've seen Bayes' Theorem before, but I'm still scratching my head trying to understand several pages of formulas he put together to support one of his points. Perhaps with some personal explanation I could better understand, but I'm thinking many reading this book would have been totally lost (as I humbly admit I was). Although I didn't agree with his stance, I thought John Frame did the best in explaining his philosophy in the simplist, most logical way possible.

Despite what I feel are its shortcomings, I do recommend this book for the serious student who is interested in apologetics. I enjoyed it very much and was certainly enlightened about the role apologetics takes in the Christian's life.

Few books have seriously tackled apologetic method, or how Christianity should be defended rationally. The last book I know of that surveyed options in this regard was Gordon Lewis, "Testing Christianity's Truth Claims" (Moody Press, 1976; republished by University Press of America).

This book presents five different approaches, each represented by one of its exponents: Classical Apologetics (William Lane Craig), Evidentialism (Gary Habermas), Culumulative Case Method (Paul Feinberg), Presuppositionalism (John Frame), and Reformed Epistemology (Kelly James Clark).

Much ground is covered concerning the Bible's approach to apologetics, where apologetic arguments should begin, how certain arguments for Christianity are, and so on. I will simply make a few comments.

The presentations by Craig and Habermas are the most worthwhile because they are the most intellectual rigorous and well-documented. They also tend to agree with each on most things and reinforce each others views. While I tend to favor a cumulative case method (influenced by E.J. Carnell and Francis Schaeffer, but with more appreciation for natural theology), Feinberg's comments are the weakest by far. He never mentions the leading exponent of this view in our generation (Carnell) nor Carnell's apt and well-published student (and my esteemed colleague), Dr. Gordon Lewis. Not one word about either one! His comments are brief, his documentation is thin, and he fails to advance anything very creative or helpful, I'm afraid. A better person should have been chosen, such as Gordon Lewis. Frame gives his "kinder, gentler" version of Cornelius Van Til, which still suffers from the same kinds of problems--most notably the fallacy of begging the question in favor of Christianity. Nevertheless, the notion of a "transcendental argument" for theism is a good one, but it should not carry all the weight of apologetics. Clark's material is philosophically well-informed (one would expect this of a student of Alvin Plantinga!), but apologetically timid. Clark almost sounds like a skeptic at times.

A few bones more bones to pick. The editor refers to Francis Schaeffer as a presuppositionalist. This is false; he was a verificationist with more in common with Carnell than with Van Til. Gordon Lewis's fine essay on Schaeffer's apologetic method in "Reflections on Francis Schaeffer" makes this very clear. None of the writers address the great apologetic resources found in Blaise Pascal. I also found at least two grammatical errors.

Nevertheless, as a professor of philosophy at a theological seminary who teaches apologetics, I found this volume very helpful and useful. But let's not get so involved in methodological concerns that we fail to go out in the world and defend our Christian faith as objectively true, existentially vital, and rationally compelling (Jude 3)!

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Philosophy Denver Seminary

When asked what their job is, most people will define it in terms of their title or as the list of activities they perform day by day. Never mind that despite all of their honest efforts, they may not be hitting their targeted results. Or worse yet, they may think that as long as they did their part, it doesn't matter that the team may have failed to achieve its goal.

The OZ Principle encourages the reader to challenges that old belief and to take accountability not only for one's individual results, but for the the results of the team. It suggests that "reasons" become "excuses" when we stop trying to overcome obstacles and find solutions. The operative question becomes a mantra of sorts for the truly accountable person as he/she continues to ask, regardless of one's circumstances, "What Else Can I Do?" (to acheive the desired result).

For those who habitually fall "Below the Line", and play the proverbial "Blame Game", this shift in attitude may be a hard pill to swallow. Coupled with the reality that those managers who play the wizards may either be expected to solve all of their people's problems, or may make the mistake of reliquishing their responsibility as coaches in the performance equation. Through a series of real life corporate case studies, The Oz Principle presupposes that, although it may be natural to point fingers, make excuses; to avoid or procrastinate, it is simply not productive. When an individual and/or a team achieves results, it is because they are operating most of the time "Above the Line", climbing the "Steps to Accountability" by finding ways to SEE IT, OWN IT, SOLVE IT, and DO IT. For those who need a dose of motiviation, the awareness of our "joint accountability" for results and the consequences for our accomplishments, or lack thereof, is enough to keep this reader striving to stay "Above the Line"

I highly recommend this book for any front line employee, supervisor, manager, director, Vice President or CEO who cares
about not just doing the job, but getting the results.

I was fortunate enough to be captivated by the title of this book when it first appeared in 1994. I read, enjoyed, and applied the principles of this book in my own professional and personal life. Before saying anything more, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who thinks there is room for improvement in their own life. If you believe you can be a better person by becoming more accountable for all your thoughts, feelings and actions, then you need to read this book. The concepts are not subject to the vagaries of time and society. They are simple truths and common sense.

Rereading the latest edition of The Oz Principle has helped cement its rightful place among "easy to read books that pack an impactful message."

The book follows a metaphor with which we are all familiar. This metaphor allows us all to see how easily we get caught in the role of the victim and how easily we play and perpetuate the blame game in our lives.

The Steps to Accountability are placed before the reader in a way that invites him or her to see a situation for what it really is, own his or her role in that situation, solve the challenges presented by the situation and then to finally proactively act on the situation and do whatever needs to be done.

I have recommended this book to hundreds of people over the years. I have yet to have anyone tell me it was a waste of time to read. Most of the time, people tell me how easy it was to read and grasp the concepts within it.

This is truly one of the few books that has proven its worth professionally and personally over time. I rank it among the top ten best books written on how to get the most out of life.

If you believe in personal integrity, if you believe in honor and virtue in the workplace and home, if you think there is room to improve and grow in your life, then this book is for you. You will always be accountable to yourself. Find out how to make the most of your time.

The book is written for you, the individual, to read and to contemplate. The intent is to help break the reader of the malaise of inaction, which often follows when obstacles to success abound in any endeavor. I found it enlightening and reinvigorating. Through a clever use of analogies to the Wizard of Oz characters, the book leads you to the conclusion that the ability and the authority required to achieve your goals are already within your grasp, just as the Oz characters already possessed their heart, courage, and brain prior to seeking the Wizard. Whether you are a contributor or manager, this book acknowledges that real obstacles exist to accomplishing any worthwhile goal, but points out that successful people and successful teams move beyond excuses and take action to solve their problems. In that regard, I must respectfully disagree with Mr. David Morgan's characterization that this book is a contradiction. The chapters guide you through a structured thinking process that helps you to separate real obstacles from perceived obstacles and to identify actions that will overcome the challenges you face. It also helps dissipate the feeling of powerlessness which inevitably accompanies a lack of progress towards a goal. That is, perhaps, the most empowering facet of the book. I highly recommend reading it.

A brief history of Germany, with a comprehensive Bibliography for anyone who wishes to further their reading on the subject. This book was written in 1982, with an Afterword written by Gordon Craig in 1991, addressing the unification of East and West Germany. As a novice to the subject of German history, I found this book to be a basic introduction, with many things referred to within the book not given a clear definition, and therefore to get a better understanding one would absolutely need to read other material.

I liked that chapters were divided into subjects such as "Religion", "Women", and "Literature and Society", but not knowing more about the different time periods that are referred to (such as the Weimar Republic), I was left feeling that the book was incomplete as a general history.

How, one might ask, could an American academic try to explain the nature of the German people to other Americans? He might do what I do, and talk about the Germans he's met at work and around town, and also the popular and classical culture he sees (not counting the dubbed episodes of Star Trek on TV), but that's just me. If he professionally studied the history and literature, and spent years in Germany during the early years of the twentieth century, he might produce a book like Gordon Craig's The Germans.

This is a scholarly book, and might be difficult for someone with no knowledge of German history to follow. The subjects, covering things like religion, economics, gender relations, literature, and so forth, are done topically, and only chronologically within each chapter. This allows Craig to focus in on certain subjects and hold the focus for as long as he needs, but it also makes it difficult to synthesize the topics and integrate them into the passage of time.

The goal is to "explain" as well as possible the nature of the German people. Thus, there is no general history of wars or kings. As I mentioned, the chronological aspect is difficult to pin down here. If I had to summarize in a sentence, it would be that Craig attempts to relate how Germans have related to each other over the centuries, and to a lesser extent, how they have related to others. Of course, any time someone sets out to explain a people the effort is almost certain to fail if the author asks "Why did they behave so?" This is true for Germany or any other country. But if the goal is to attempt a coherent discussion of "How did they behave?" then there is better hope for success, and I think Craig has succeeded reasonably well here. One gets, if not a feel for the flow of time, then a feel for ideas. One can say, "So this is how German literature developed." One can say, "So this is why their language is so simple, yet so confounding." As an idea book, Craig has produced a useful work.

Over all the books on Germany I have read, Gordon A. Craig has written the most fascinating book comprehendable. It exceeds far beyond the crude and stereotypical portraits that are displayed in many other books, but instead looks deeper into the study of european history and culture. Craig's introductions are insightful and entertaining. The book is composed of a collection of long essay's which prove Craig's neutral outlook on a country that is foreign to him. This book is the best way to better understand the German phenomenon explained by the greatest diplomatic historian of Germany, Gordon A. Craig.

You can hear the sound of the screen door in your head as Craig Wilson writes about the squeek it made when he visited an open house some years ago. That sound reminded him of his childhood, and the same wonderful sound that his grandmother's screen door made and in an instant you are transported back in time with Craig. He writes in such a way that you instantly feel better with every sentence. His book is a wonderful collection of his best essays from "The Last Word", his Wednesday column in USA Today. Craig Wilson is a true gem that can turn the simplest experience into one to be treasured. Whether you are having a bad day or jsut need a little perspective, Craig Wilson's book will make you smile! You know that feeling you get on an early crisp winter day when you warm up some good old fashioned oatmeal and snuggle up with your favorite blanket before anyone else is awake? Craig Wilson just makes you warm and happy all over! After reading this collection, you too will run to the news stand every Wednesday to get your Craig fix! He is just awesome!

Graig Wilson's work is an act of genius. In a society where all things are measure by their price tag, Craig Wilson appreciates the small things in life. He has been my favorite write for USA Today since day one, and I was excited to hear of his collection of columns. He is able to poke fun at things, and be serious. His writing style is wonderful. His view of life is simple, and wonderful. Everyone should read this book, and appreciate the simple things of life!

I began reading Craig's column in USA Today about six months ago (every Wednesday, BTW) - and was immediately stunned at both the quality of the writing, and the depth of insight. So, I hoped he'd written a book ...and... I hoped his "essay-style" would translate. Okay so he has ...and... it (his style) does.

This book is quite simply the best I've read in several years. I've already bought 3 additional copies and mailed to my friends and relatives.

The only phenomonom that I can compare the book to is (obliquely) "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" - which is an incredible movie, promoted without fanfare, and totally deserving of the accolades it's now receiving. Craig's writing should make him the millions Tom Hanks/Rita Wilson are raking in.

Eric Burdon has written a second autobiography. The first was published more than 15 years ago. This new one covers part of the first book, and his life right up to this past summer. He has many crazy stories to tell about his life on tour, and between record albums. As you might guess, he has stories of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. He also has stories of his managers, and politics in general. Often, these are the better stories. One type of story he doesnt tell is about his own songwriting, and the book really should have covered that - unless he plans a 3rd volume someday. The book is not as reflective as the first autobiography, but might be more blunt. It is a must read for diehard Animals fans, but casual fans might wonder why more was not said about making music. He is a decent writer, but he is a much better singer. I give the book 3 stars instead of 5 because I was interested in Eric the singer, and he is not given much attention in this book. But, if you are a fan of this man, you would regret not reading the book.

A friend bought this book for me in the U.S. because I could not get it here. I never read Burdon's first autobiography, so I start from scratch. This book was longer than I expected, and better than I expected. Many good stories, and many honest assessments of peoples in the music business. I have to say one big disapointment for me was that Burdon is more interested in telling readers about his life outside of music than his life within music. I asked for this book mostly because he recorded 2 of my favorite double LPs ever - Black Man's Burdon, with the band War, and Love Is, with the Animals after he moved to California. He doesn't even mention these albums. It seems almost impossible. How could this be? They were huge, famous music projects, but he doesn't talk about them. This is what disapointed me. The stories he does tell are very good though, and I think an Eric Burdon fan would be happy with the book.

Absolute must-have for any Eric Burdon fan. He is a wonderful story teller and keeps you amused and interested all the way through. He's and gives a lot of personal info. as well as sharing some great anecdotes about life on the road etc. After reading his book and learning about all he's been through,(and that's only what he's shared with us) and after seeing him play some 40 years after his start - you can only admire the man !!