I can't imagine who could benefit from this. For those who learn well from print, the book offers literally no explanation to support the multi-media presentation. For those who learn well from multi-media, this CD skips so quickly (in a patronizing tone) over complex material that if you don't already know Java, you ain't gonna learn it here. I found "Thinking in Java" to be much, much better.

It should be noted that the material, as presented, teaches Java per the JDK 1.02, so it does not cover some newer features of the language and standard classes.

This should not be seen as a condemnation of an otherwise excellent course, just a note that someone finishing this book may want to then move to a JDK 1.1 or 1.2 book.

I found this approach very useful. The presentation is concise, up to the point, and makes sense. The only recommendation would be to make the flow more interactive. I would like to be able to get more deatail on certain topics. Also it would be nice to have some volume control on the console. Great tool for a begginer in Java who has some programming experience.

This book is one of lowest value books I have ever purchased. It is expensive, yet contains very little information. The photos are old-fashioned, very clearly and quite badly posed. They lack, in most cases, any sense of relationship or emotion between the subjects and the environment or the camera and the viewer. Some of the subjects seem as though they have been stuffed, including the glass-eye look.

On the technical side, the book lists the equipment used, but there are no lighting diagrams.

One last note, if there was a picture of the cover page, I would have never bought this book. It shows general Colin Powell, in uniform, in a command room of some sorts. No problem so far, except he looks as if someone punched him in the face, his gaze is empty and disconnected, so much so that you wonder what he is doing in that room and whether he just went there to get his picture taken.

what i liked about this book was the timelessness of the portraits. some portraits were made a couple years ago, some were made 30 years ... the point being that a well made portrait is timeless art. i think after a year you could revisit this book and be recharged.

This book takes you step by step in how a master photographer plans conceptual portraits. He discribes how he communicates with his subjects, poses and lights them and gets the expression from all types of people, men, women, children, couples and groups. Both outdoors, in the home or in their working enviorment. This is the most complete book on this style of portraiture I have ever read.

I found the recipes very bland. There are much better low fat cookbooks out there - like Eating Well Rush Hour. Skip this one. I donated mine to the library.

This is a wonderful book! I bought this book 5 years ago in england and actually cried when it got lost in my move back to the US. This is a great book if you are looking for a way to help your family eat healthy. These chicken recipes are the best you've ever tasted! I would pay $100.00 for this book so it's definately worth buying.

This book is an excellent receipe book for Chicken. The ingredients are normal every day stuff you have in your cabinets.. and they are so easy to prepare. Everything that I have made from this book has been VERY TASTY! And they are so good that they don't taste low fat. Your getting quality tasting food without all the calories! You will love this book. I was given this book by a friend who also loves this book, and I will be buying more as gifts for mother's day. Perfect for the Chicken Lover!

This book is a notorious fraud from the 19th century.

It pretends to be contemporary accounts of the death etc of Jesus. Actually they're all bogus. The editor expanded this book into the 'Archko' volume, but was caught because he created some of his 'ancient' documents by copying verbatim from the novel 'Ben Hur'.

The motive appears to have been money, and the intended victims rural Christians with no way to check his claims.

Full details are available in E.J.Goodspeed's "Strange New Gospels", which is online. In the late 19th century a fair few people had a go at making money this way, targetting different groups. Mahan's effort is the only one still circulating, but Goodspeed details a collection of them.

It is too bad that the Reverend W.D. Mahan really did not shelter a Mr Whydaman in the winter of 1856 who really had seen the documents found in Mahan's book. It would be wonderful to read an authentic interview of the Three Shepherds. It would be wonderful to read an authentic report of Pontius Pilate to Caesar. And it would be wonderful to read the report of Caiaphas concerning the execution of Jesus... if these documents were authentic.

_The Acts of Pilate_ begins with transcripts of letters between Mahan and Whydaman wherein Mahan pretends to procure transcripts of copies from the Vatican. Mahan did his homework fairly well. He includes some authentic details. However there are some flaws as noted by Edgar John Goodspeed in _Strange New Gospels_ (pub 1931).

These ancient documents, preserved for hundreds of years in their original language deep within the Vatican, corroborate the Biblical accounts of Jesus' trial, crucifiction, and resurrection.

Some of the writings are straightforward reports of the period, like Josephus' writings. The author takes enormoous pains to establish their authenticity in traceable steps as well as his credentials for finding and publishing these documents.

Some of the accounts are truly astonishing. Pilate wrote a full description of the "Jesus issue" to Ceaser. He describes how he wept at the sight of bent and broken Joseph of Arimethia ascending Pilate's steps, stained with the blood of Jesus, asking for the dead body of his friend and Lord.

Caiaphas gives two accounts of his actions to the Sanhedrin. In the latter, he describes himself locked in his bedroom, studying the scriptures for prophecies concerning the Messiah. Suddenly, the resurrected Jesus appears before him and offers him salvation if he would but believe in the risen son of God. Caiaphas is convicted and forlorn. He resigns his position as high priest, unable to perform its functions with honor and integrity. Was he saved at the last?

Pilate writes to Ceaser that he had dispatched 100 Roman soldiers to stand guard over Jesus' tomb. "The very event they were supposed to prevent," he said, "they became witnesses to." What a profound illustration!

These accounts are compelling, believable,and illuminating of the Biblical accounts. The book is fun and edifying to read.

The ideas in this book are good, if a reader would glean from it that the Lord is telling us to keep up fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, even more seeing the emminent return of Christ and the rapture. Not only should we experience Christ in small gatherings of believers, but also in the community of the Body of Christ, which is in the church.

Martin and McIntosh have contributed to the library of small group literature with a very hands-on, "nuts and bolts" approach to the topic. They offer some philosophy and theology to bolster their approach, but not much. However, where this book lacks in philosophical justification, it makes up in practical, realistic suggestions for actually implementing a small group ministry.

Before you even get started with this CD you need to have at least a basic understanding of Visual C++ and the application framework or you're doomed from the start. There is at least one error or omitted piece of information in each and every lesson which not only adds to the confusion of learning MFC programming but about two hours trying to figure out what is going on. This could have been a really great product if they would have just paid attention to detail and gave a little more of an explanation of what you're actually doing.

There is a real absense of understandable information that allows the novice programmer to to use C++ and windows. Even college courses tend to avoid the transition. This CD and its booklet fills that void admirably! After only one class in C++, where the output only used DOS, I was able to study this CD and booklet and start using windows. Thank you Harry!

I watched this book grow from drill and kill in earlier editions to its present, bloated 6th edition. I have taught out of the 5th and 6th editions of this book for 4 years. The students absolutely hate it. It is cluttered and confusing. The order in which grammar and vocabulary are presented defy logic and all current research in second language acquisition. This book has been torn down and put back together so many times, that it is a hellish mess. Language methodology has changed and evolved over the nearly 25 years this book has been in use, and now this book doesn't know what it is or wants to be. The exercises in the book are worthless. All the instructions are in Spanish from chapter 1 on, and the students cannot interpret them, which renders the activities useless. Dicho has had a good, long run. It's time to shelve it and move on. The only reason I still use it is because I have no choice in textbook selection where I teach.

As a beginnng Spanish student, I find the book cluttered and overwhelming. Also, a more organized approach to the subject would help. My foreign language background is French, so I am familiar with how to study a different language.

This is by far the best beginning text that I have found in twenty-four years of teaching. The high-interest level of the text with the easy-to-understand explanations and interactive activities make this book very accessible to even the student with no prior background in Spanish. At the same time, the wealth of activities including proverbs, cartoons, business Spanish, dialogues, open-ended conversations, problem solving, cultural information along with the CD's, videos, and internet activities, also challenge and interest the student who may already have some knowledge of Spanish. The text uses a communicative and personalized approach that allows the student to develop skills in speaking, reading, writing, and listening comprehension. The writing assignments and classroom drills are not dry and boring as in some texts but very creative and often humorous which helps make teaching with this text a joy. Each edition of the text has incorporated new material to meet the needs of our students. I especially like the segments in this edition on computer technology, letter writing, medical Spanish, and environmental and social discussions. After completing this text, most of my students are inspired and encouraged to continue their study of Spanish. Many of my Spanish majors enjoy this text so much that they keep it for reference instead of selling it back to the bookstore. I have built several successful Spanish programs using this text and have many fluent students who adored the text. The bottom line is that this text has personality as well as being highly useful. I love it!

Reviewer: Roger Pearse from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom
In the 19th century there was a flood of genuine discoveries of ancient manuscripts containing hitherto unknown works from antiquity. This seems to have stimulated the production of numbers of bogus documents, targetted at various communities. The common motive was to get money: the intended victims of the hoaxes could be determined by the language used.
Most of these documents have vanished into history, with their target groups - 'Jesus in Tibet' enthusiasts and the like. The Archko volume is one that has not. It was first published in 1884 under the title "The Archaeological and the Historical Writings of the Sanhedrin and Talmuds of the Jews..." and repackaged, reedited and revised as "The Archko Volume" (2nd Edition) during the life of W.D.Mahan, its author (I have both a 1884 and a 1905 edition - Mahan died in 1906).

After some difficulty I procured a first edition. One document -'Eli and the Story of the Magi' has been omitted altogether from subsequent editions, without any mention of why. There is, of course, a good reason for this. Apparently the text is copied verbatim from the novel "Ben Hur" (publ. 1880). The rest of the material has been rearranged, although there is no mention of this in the preface. All copies with the title 'Archko volume' are versions of the second edition - the first does not have the preface in the same place.

I investigated the 'translators' McIntosh and Twyman, and found that they are not listed as the authors of any other volume in the US Library of Congress catalogue. There is no evidence that they ever existed.

The shelfmark given for the material by "Valleus Paterculus", as a Vatican Library shelfmark, is wrong, as this institution classifies its manuscripts by collection, not by author. Since I am interested in other Vatican MSS, I can vouch for this myself. In fact no manuscripts of any work by Velleius Paterculus exist anywhere in the world, as the sole MS of his real history was lost during the 17th century. Since he died in AD30, it naturally does not mention Christ.

A general discussion of some of these hoaxes is available:GOODSPEED, Edgar J., Strange New Gospels, Chicago: University of Chicago Press (1931), v+110pp. (There is a copy on the internet). It isn't very scholarly, and some of the judgements seem biased - New Testament Scholars enjoy a low reputation among Christians, and with good reason - but I have checked a number of the facts given and they seem to be correct. The rest must be left to the judgement of the reader.

The purpose of the hoax is plain - to make money from Christians living in rural areas of the US. As far as I know, it has not circulated elsewhere. It certainly was not targetted at unbelievers, or scholars, or even persons living outside the US, none of whom were at all likely to be taken in.

So what should Christians think? I was reminded of some wise words by the ancient Christian writer, Tertullian: "Manifold are the ways in which the devil has sought to undermine the truth. He is now trying to crush it, by pretending to defend it" (Adversus Praxean 1, 1). Spiritually this is a snare - inviting Christians to put their trust in something false, in the hope of convincing them, when the fraud is revealed, that the bible too is false. Commercially it is circulated for money, since its fraudulent nature has been known for over a century. If something seems too good to be true - it is. So is this.

This work is considered a forgery. See APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT by M.R. James and STRANGE NEW GOSPELS by E.J. Goodpseed.

Some people claim the Archko Volume to be a forgery. My opinion is why would it be? Nothing in it either detracts or adds to christianity. In fact--it amplifies the humanity & godhead of Jesus at the same time. In the Archko Volume there is a written investigative report saying the night Jesus was born there was a loud ruckus of angels declaring the saviour accompanied by light shows and singing in the skies--so much so all Bethlehem was aware. So, why would anyone think the Sanhedrim would not send an investigator (Jonathan) to look into these. This awesome birth of Jesus thus documented, why would anyone think the same Sanhedrim wouldn't send an investigator to interview Mary & Joseph when Jesus was 26? I'd of been very suspect if they didn't. Perhaps those that think this is a forgery do not like the fact that the Senhedrim's agent Gamaliel reported Joseph is selfish, tall and ugly; or that Mary is fair to see and seems to be a naturally good woman. Perhaps some people think this is a forgery because Pilate appears in extreme awe of Jesus, almost a believer, in his reports to Rome. Or, that what Caiaphas wrote after and about the resurrection may have some wondering if he too resigned and later died a Christian. Can I or anyone say 100% that these are real? No - but only for the same reasons I cannot say that any copy of our Declaration of Independence in existence is real. Do I believe they are real? Yes!

I was inspired by the compilation of bird dog stories found within this book. If you enjoy the excitement, fear, despair, and elation associated with the training, ownership and running of all breeds of bird dogs, you will enjoy this book. The authors help you relive the moments you have endured with your own dogs in addition to helping you imagine the hunts you have yet to experience. This is a definite must read for bird dog enthusiasts.

I borrowed this book from a friend and had a tough time putting it down. Great stories from writers who truly love their dogs. A few of the essays are sad, but all of them allow us to share a part of a fellow dog lovers life with his best friend. Definitely a must read.