Definately worthwhile. One of the best books for Civ II I have seen. Some really good info. Strategies for the intermediate player to the beginner. Not only a good strategy guide but a good referance as well.

This book is the absolute best Civ 2 book. Bar none. It is also the best Civ 2 reference book available. Do not even bother to buy other Civ 2 books; I have read them all and most are a waste of your money, esp. the worthless book by Jason Rich.

This book has excellent suggestions for beginners and intermediates, and is invaluable for experts as a reference. Many of the details of the game are simply not found anywhere in the game's original documentation, but are explained very well in this book. From this excellently formatted wealth of information, one can deduce many advanced strategies of the game.

There are a few minor errors which advanced players will eventually notice (eg, page 309 concerning subversion), but these are very subtle and probably won't be noticed by most beginners and intermediate players.

This book is easily worth the price. If you like Civ 2 (or wish to play and/or understand it better), this is the book for you. This is the first book you should buy after you get the Civ 2 game.

Mr. Ellis has written a most unusual book. His thesis contends that the invention of the machine gun and the failure of the military to recognize it significance in the decades leading up to WWI, considering it useful only against tribesmen and other "primitives", led directly to the horrific slaughter of WWI and the static warefare of the trenches. He looks in depth at the military subculture of Victorian England and how it was incapable of recognizing the significance of the machine gun-and those who attempted to place the weapon into the British Army's scheme of things were sanctioned and gagged. When we finally get to the chapter on WWI it is akin to reading one of Shakespear's tragedies. The inevitability of the butchery is made all that more terrible by the knowledge that the deliberite myopia of the British and French higher command ensured that their troops used outmoded tactics against emplaced German forces and their Maxim guns. The author gives one case where two German machine guns annihilated a six-hundred man British infantry battalion in the space of a couple of hours with no casulties sustained by the Germans. In other words six German soldiers killed and wounded hundreds. The final chapter covers the years following WWI as well as the role of the weapon in movies of all things. Some might disagree with Mr. Ellis, that the invention of one device could be responsible for such sweeping changes in both social and military circles is unrealistic, but Mr. Ellis presents a very skillfull work that states just that. If you are looking for a technical history of the machine gun then this book isn't for you, but if you are curious about the impact that the industrial revolution has made on humanity then this book will be a fascinating read.

This is a unique book. John Ellis has written more than a technical history of the machine guns, a weapon which has really revolutionized the battlefields and the military world. Mr. Ellis tells us a story about the resilience of customs, practices and traditions, in spite of the fact that the material reality that once enabled these customs and practices to thrive have already gone away. The 19th Century's officers and commanders were accustomed to thinking in terms of human intrepidity and courage as the most important attributes to carry the day in the battlefields. Machine guns were the first specific application of the technique and logic of the industrial revolution in military combat. Firing an inordinate stream of bullets, machine guns came to be the definitive symbols of the machine age in military history, regardless of marksmanship or easy targets. Nevertheless, ingrained beliefs die hard. The militaries in all major powers continued to cling to the idea of the irreplaceability of the infantry and cavalry charges, with bayonets, swords and lances, as the final judge of victory or defeat in military matters. In this sad tale about the final triumph of the material conditions against an ideal and constructed world, there would not be any place for happy endings. Archaic tactics and a longing for offensives, on the one hand, plus the continued production of more powerful and improved machine guns, on the other, set the backdrop for the appalling bloodbaths of the First World War, like Gallipoli, Verdun and the Somme. This is a book that will please not only social scientists or scholars, but also anyone with an interest in this topic (First World War, military matters and gun history) with a sophisticated taste for reading and studying. It is important to mention also the dozens of wonderful pictures and drawings that illustrates all the book, which give the reader enhanced pleasure.

i first read this book when i was still in school, my mother had picked it up for me and i found it to be one of the best books at the time. i have read others but this book still hold a special place in my heart because i found it to be a good description of a young boys adventures as he grows up. granted this is scifi, but it hold all the wonder and fiction needed to creat a good scifi without telling the reader alot of extra googlie go terms, it keeps things simple and close to home on how something would be made or named. again i liked this book very much and highly recommend it to anyone. pickup a copy and charish it forever. i'm on my second copy, (as the last one got traded before i could grab it back), and find that it is getting harder to aquire.

I picked this book up in 1981 at a used book store and it has always been one of my favorites. Earth has been through a war and the millions of veterans and orphans are looking for work. Space Angel is a ship on a 'make or break' job that quickly becomes the adventure of a life time. Great and diverse characters make you wish you could have gone alone with them. If you need a summer book to read in the sun and like Sci Fi, this is the book.

"Thou Shall Not Kill" by John L. Ellis is a wake-up call for intellectuals who still believe in the Communist ideology and mourn its accelerating demise. The author, and his wife, left Nazi Germany in the thirties, but their relatives perished in the Holocaust. Yet, Mr. Ellis is convinced that Lenin's legacy has been more destructive to Judeo Christian morality than Hitler's demolished fascism was.

Ellis' arguments are simple, straightforward and laid out in a review of the immoral actions of the leaders of the Soviet Union. Beginning with a summary of the Communist Manifesto the writer exposes the utter fallacy of any attempt to construct a Utopia on its commandments. Marx and Engels promised to create a "new" human from the basis of "the working class." Private property based on land was to be abolished and "the State" would control everything: the instruments of production, means of communication, and all expressions of culture. The 1917 Russian revolution enforced this ideology ruthlessly, nullifying religion, tradition and any "unwanted" consequences of individual freedom or creativity. It is now known that one hundred million lives were sacrificed for Communism's inhuman purpose.

In parts of our modern world this materialistic and cruel disregard for any human rights is still in effect, witness Communist China's practice of killing prisoners if their body parts are wanted for transplantation.

The fascist regimes were authoritarian, cruel and inhuman, but never so conceited that they abolished tradition or killed their own countrymen to create brand new people. To the contrary, Hitler tried to instil behaviors contributory to purity of "the race" and its culture, and promoted German procreation by paying mothers for multiple births.

Both fascism (the extreme right) and communism (the extreme left) have shown their despicable faces, but communism continues its attempts at social engineering to refashion the universe. Mr. Ellis correctly points the finger at our predilection to favor communism over fascism just because Hitler attacked his old ally Stalin. However, it is time for all intelligent people to understand that malpracticed reasoning can lead to murderous totalitarian institutions and governments, both on the left and the right.

For me, the confirmation of the primary thesis in Thou Shall Not Kill came directly from current Russian leader Vladimir Putin. As quoted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published 2/12/02, he indicated that he thought that there is a definite role for religion and morality in modern day Russia.

By extension, we can surmise that he also feels that the absence of these elements was a major flaw of communist ideology. This is the main point of the book, and it is interesting that both the author and the leader of Russia arrived at the same conclusion independently.

This book is important because it addresses key issues that previous "Rise and Fall of XYZ Empire" books have not - namely, the role of morality in building sustainable societies. Most historians shy away from this subject because it is "soft" or "not factual". Thou Shall Not Kill is a powerful reminder of how important morality really is.

This title contains a wealth of knowledge about the tillamook burn as well as some stories about people caught in the burn. It covers each of the burns and has a lot of information about the reforestation efforts made by many people. It failed to give information about a so called "lost steam engine' wich we were trying to locate in the burn area. Other than the lack of detailed information about equitment lost in the fire it has more genral information than most books on the subject. This book would be a best buy for someone looking for general information on the burn. If someone has imformation about the "lost steam engine" in the woods please e-mail me.

I could not put this book down after I started it If you enjoy the outdoor and the forests then this is a must for you.

This most recent Transmetropolitan collection takes a distinctly darker turn as Spider and his 'filthy assistants' go underground and Spider's health begins to suffer. More than ever before, Ellis' social commentary on his dystopian City hits close to home. Previous collections have satirized the decadence and sloth of modern American life by exaggerating it in daringly hilarious ways, but _Spider's Thrash_ descends to address modern-day social problems more directly. Although the issue on child prostitution presents a still more corrupt and degraded world than the one we live in now, the issue on the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill and their subsequent homelessness is not exaggerated at all. Ellis' demonic president, The Smiler, also seems creepily relevant to the post-9/11 attack on civil liberties, particularly when Spider quotes the newsfeeds as saying, 'The President is officially 'studying the constitution to protect the people from outmoded language and ideas therein.''

If it sounds like this collection gets a bit preachy, it does, and plot continuity suffers as a result. But those of us who have come to know and love Spider and his mad quest for the truth aren't likely to stop reading. As director Darren Aronofsky (_Pi,_ _Requiem for a Dream_) says in his introduction, 'Profanity + anger + revolution + cynicism + drugs + cigarettes + truth + justice - fair = Spider Jerusalem. . . . A true original.'

Your friendly neighborhood outlaw journalist is back. Warren Ellis combined the humor of Palahniuk, the prose of Hunter S. Thompson, and the anarchic sensibilities of British punk rock into the greatest comic book character of all time: Spider Jerusalem. The comic is consistently funny, satirical, and eye-opening. Ellis uses the medium for his trademark brand of cynical social criticism...and it shows more than ever in this collection. Spider gives the big F-YOU to the government, and corporate America in this trade. He branches out on his own, publishing his column illegally for no money. This time neither the president nor the paper can censor him. God help us all. I definately recomend this trade to any fans. You must read this, it's Ellis and Robertson at their best.

David Ellis' second time out writing a X-Com strategy guide brings some mixed results this time around.

The Bad: Around half of the guide is a simply re-print of the manual, with a few added details. Although good, many other sections of the guide were simply too short and did not go into enough depth (who ever heard of devoting only 1 chapter to the tactical part of an X-Com game?).

The Good: Aside from the manual re-print, the entire quality of the material was very very high. Combat tips are right on the mark, and information is presented in an easy to find/read way. The tables are placed in the chapters they relate to, not some "Tables and Reference information" chapter at the end of the guide. It is a very easy to use companion to the game, not diving into meaningless details (for the most part) but not skimming important subjects (for the most part) either.

Bottom line: Mostly Excellent quality, just not enough of it.

One of the best game guides I have ever read, this book greatly enhances the Terror from the Deep experience. Rather than being a step-by-step guide that you must follow like a robot without understanding _why_(something that would be almost impossible anyway, due to the nature of the game), this guide provides the detailed information you need to make your _own_ decisions. Statistics on literally everything in the game, along with detailed explanations of how crucial game aspects like movement, combat, and finances _really_ work, make this one a keeper.

This book is a great joy for children, adults and teachers. It is the story about Ziggy trying to find his stripes. He goes to his friends in the area, who are pop-out characters found on each page. The friends are colorful and great ways to learn animals and what they look like. Does Ziggy find his stripes? Do his friends join him in the search?

This pop-up book is truly "one of a kind"! Ziggy is very popular in our home. The book is superbly written and boldly illustrated. The story and the pop-up illustrations captivate my one year old daughter like no other book out there right now (and we have many!). Also, content aside, the craftsmanship of the book is superior to other pop-up's, as this one withstands the tugging of a toddler extremely well.

Founding Brothers is in some ways a very good book. As an amateur history buff with admittedly poor knowledge of many of the personalities that have shaped American history, I enjoyed reading Ellis's descriptions of America's "founding brothers" (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Hamilton, and Burr) and their personal relationships and rivalries, despite the author's often-times overly verbose style. Several of the stories offer fascinating "behind the scenes" insights into some of the momentous decisions of the revolutionary era. For instance, the debate regarding establishment of a "permanent capital" on the Potomac and how that decision was influenced by slavery and other issues was particularly interesting.

However, having hoped for a fair and accurate treatment of all of the players, I came away slightly disappointed and feeling that the author had elevated John Adams to a position of greatness far ahead of, and at the expense of, Thomas Jefferson and even George Washington. Much of the book focuses on the relationship between Jefferson and Adams with Adams clearly emerging as the hero and Jefferson coming across as a conniving overly ambitious politician who would be more at home in today's American political environment than as one of the founding fathers. While it may be an entirely accurate conclusion, I'd have enjoyed a less one-sided treatment more.

Anyone who enjoyed David McCullough's biography of John Adams will find this book to be a rewarding companion, which fills in important missing pieces about the foundation and development of the new American republic.

The concept in Founding Brothers is quite original as American history from two perspectives. First, Professor Ellis focuses on how the American revolution was different from colonial revolts before and after, and other attempts to establish republics. Second, he encapsulates his points around six themed incidents and relationships, built on Lytton's Strachey's example in Eminent Victorians.

The book's primary thesis is that it is the political leaders of the American revolution who were the essential difference in the creating the new nation's initial, and unprecedented, success. Professor Ellis focuses attention in the book primarily on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and Abigail Adams. ....

In each of six vignettes, you get a new perspective on what happened from afar in space and time, and a refined view of what happened in detail by examining the situation from many perspectives.

The book opens with the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel. ....

Washington and Franklin come across the best in the book, particularly in acting in ways that were principled, disinterested and competent. For example, both of them realized that slavery was inconsistent with the revolutionary principles. ....

I came away convinced by Professor Ellis's point that the self-awareness of playing a historical mission was critical. ....

After you finish enjoying the "what if" considerations in Founding Brothers concerning the American revolution, I suggest that you think about where a principled and supportive role could make a difference in what you do and care about.

Joseph J. Ellis has now made a habit of writing interesting books about the American Revolution and its aftermath. In his latest effort, Founding Brothers, Ellis concentrates on six incidents involving seven of our foremost American patriots. The topics (or chapters) range from slavery and the national debt to the location of the national capital and the disasterous administration of John Adams.

While my favorite chapter deals with the dinner involving Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison. In which the federal government assumed the national debt from the states, for the relocating of the federal government, on the Potomac River. Jefferson and Madison also made sure that, unlike Great Britain or France, the national capital would not be the financial center of the country.

Among the other informative points that Ellis brings up was that Hamilton was the only prominent American casualty of the ideological differences stemming from the decades after the American Revolution. The growing unpopularity of Washington's second administration with other prominent Virginians which culminated with his Farewell Address was also interesting.

Founding Brothers is an exceptionally easy and quick book to read. Ellis repeatedly informs us what the world was like in the 1790's, when there was little historical precedence for a republican style of government or a biracial society.

There were many labrythine agreements made between the founding brothers and Ellis' research is highly commendable in attempting to sort it all out. For anyone interested in the years that followed the ratification of the Constitution and the beginnings of our present day government, this book is a must.

"Castle of Wisdom" begins with a young man named Elias sitting beside a stream pondering a blade of grass. How did such a thing come to be? Is there a maker and a purpose to all things, or is it all a matter of randomness without purpose? Deep in his soul, he feels there is a purpose. A village elder tells him that the purpose may be learned at the Castle of Wisdom so Elias goes to find it. By the time he gets there, he has aged considerably and experienced much grief (and joy too at times). He finds the great purpose of life, but I can not tell you what it is lest I ruin your reading experience.

This is a book that has moved my emotions in a strange way that I can not fully explain. It made me take a second look at subjects I had long put aside. If you really and truly follow the author's reasoning through the story, you will KNOW the meaning and purpose of life. It is simple, but then it isn't so simple either. You'll just have to read the book to know what I mean.

As for the writing-- the style is very simple, and I would have to say it could be improved for sure, but the message is so profound and the story so powerful that it transcends writing. Hope you enjoy it.

"Castle of Wisdom," though entirely different in writing style, reminds me of a C.S. Lewis book because it is one of those rare books that makes some very deep points about the meaning of life but it also gives us a fun story to read.

I ordered the book because I had heard many good things about it, and I am glad I did. The book refreshed me and left me with a warm feeling. I have never read another book like it.

The story is this: A young man named Elias goes on a long walk to find the "Castle of Wisdom" because he believes he will learn the meaning of life if he finds it. Of course many distracting things happen along the way-- romance, adventure, captivity, you name it. But in all circumstances he learns things, and each experience contributes to the final experience of learning the thing written in the Castle. It all ties together.

So at long last he enters the Castle, and there, written on the wall behind the throne is the meaning of life... er, I can't tell you about that part. That would ruin the reading experience.

"Castle of Wisdom" was well worth my nine bucks and one of the best books I've ever read. Enjoy!

"Castle of Wisdom" has to be one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. What makes it so great is the pace of the story. It moves fast, and it holds your attention. I can not stand an overly-drawn out story. But what also makes it great is that despite the fast pace, the story is really meaningful. It is about the meaning of life, and love is very important to that meaning.

I don't think this book is for everyone. The narrow minded reader who takes everything literally, who can only see the surface story, just won't understand it and will actually hate the book. The reader who knows how to pause and relish the depths of the symbolism will be most pleased. So I recommend this book to people with deep minds and broad souls, to thinkers, to real readers. For everyone else, I say go read a trashy romance novel or some slash and kill horror story. That would be more to your liking.