Members of our book club recently read this book. One member liked that all the women met without regard for personal or political differences. Another member would love to be invited to one of the dinner meetings (...). The description (p. 144) of the priorities of the women senators impressed another member. "Not compelling, but intermittantly inspirational", commented yet another member. One member wished that the biographies for each senator were compiled in one chapter rather than the current "bits-and-pieces" format. In addition, she would have appreciated the cover photos identified so that stories could've been matched to people. The final member was inspired to run for the school board. The afterword (in the latest addition) was a nice addition which showed the current dynamics of the Senate.

The Senate has long been characterized as the Old Boy's Club, a place where the political process is insulated from the pressures of cultural change. The nine women currently holding seats in the Senate have been, in very diverse ways, part of the winds of change that have swept through the American legislature. Nine and Counting chronicles the personal and political travails and triumphs of these extraordinary women. Though they come from very different backgrounds, they are consistently advocates for their constituents and have been important role models for women who are committed to public life. The book's narrative thrust is aided by skillful commentary from Catherine Whitley, interwoven with personal stories and comments from each of the Senators. The book is easy to read and steers away from explicitly political agendas or advocacy, instead focusing on the realities of women's lives and the importance of bringing diverse voices, male and female, Democrat and Republican, to the legislative process. As a young woman in politics, I found it fun and, in its own way, inspirational.

The nine extraordinary women of the United states Senate have collaborated with writer Catherine Whitney to present an informative and absorbing read. Following the lives of all of the women who've served, Nine & Counting intermingles the fascinating personal stories of each of the nine women currently holding office. This is the greatest number ever to serve at the same time. And that's the point. The women of the Senate want to inspire others to join them. The first woman Senator, the formidable Rebecca Felton of Georgia, was appointed as a token gesture, and allowed to serve only one day in 1922. And it was stunning to be reminded once again that women didn't have the right to vote until 1920. Political offcie for a woman was a rare accomplishment. Dedicated to the Girl Scout Organization, with all proceeds from the sale of the book going to them, Nine and Counting is a lot of fun to read. It was obviously written to inspire young women to emulate today's nine women Senators, to show them what courage and perseverance can accomplish. And that's exactly what it does. An entertaining, enjoyable read, it should become a lasting part of the historical record of this great nation.

This is a fairly straightforward story: an elderly couple are brutally murdered, and through sheer determination, and a bit of good luck, the police, headed by the central character Kurt Wallander, solve the crime. As you'd expect.

It's well done though, in a Scandinavian sort of way. It's not just that the action takes place in and around Ystad in Sweden. There's a definite feeling of Scandinavian calm about the novel, despite the subject matter. And also a suggestion of the often supposed, though rarely true in my experience, Scandinavian seriousness, graveness, literalness, whatever.

Some of that may be down to the translation. At times the writing has an almost childlike quality to it; or perhaps it's just a "matter-of-fact-ness". It's not unappealing.

What Mankell is good at is making you feel the chilly Swedish landscape. Ever-threatening is the weather, closing around the police as they close around the killers. It's like the elements are in league with the criminals sometimes, and it gives the book quite a creepy feeling.

Mankell doesn't pay much attention to the other characters in the book; Wallander is the main man. But Wallander's crumbling personal life is described quite well, and threatens to derail his life constantly. The way he pulls through the problems of the murders, the weather and his personal life, to succeed, is perhaps the central attraction and theme of Faceless Killers.

A good read. And quite an easy read. But nonetheless satisfying.

If you like police procedurals with real people instead of a plot with cardboard characters, Henning Mankell is your guy. His detective Kurt Wallander is a likeable, middle-aged fellow with various personal and family problems, plus having to unravel a really nasty murder. It takes the entire book to to do, and I was totally surprised at how the thing was resolved. Along the way, the story conveys something of the feel and spirit of Sweden, or at least the author's version of it. A point that amused me, as an American accustomed to cops who shoot first and think about it later, is the Swedes' awkwardness when having to find their pistols and go after a nasty character. I've read three of the Wallander books, and all are engrossing throughout. The author composes in Swedish, but the translations are uniformly good, at least as far as this non-Swede can tell.

I read in a Times review that Wallander bore similarities to Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus. Well, having read just this one Wallander novel I can say that they both drink rather a lot, they both seem to find themselves getting involved in the action and wandering around with an increasing number of cuts and bruises. Broader comparisons between Mankell and Rankin can also be made. They are both gritty writers of crime fiction. This is a far cry from murdered vicars in quaint villages. Having never read a book set in Sweden before I was able to learn something of the climate, the landscape, and the 'asylum-seekers situation'. In other words, Mankell sets the scene well just as Rankin builds an incredible portrait/landscape of Edinburgh. There is a sober realism about Mankell's writing. The dialogue has no frills but is not empty of humour. Wallander's character is well-developed although at this stage many of the other detectives do seem to merge into one. Just like Inspector Rebus, he is clearly useless at relationships. His wife has recently left him, his daughter survived a suicide attempt and has now run away. He makes a groping lunge at a married lawyer during the course of this book and comes off with a stinging cheek. Yet, just like Rebus, we sympathize with him. We admire his determination to solve the horrific case of a murdered, tortured elderly couple in a small village. At this point though my positive comparison with the Rebus novels ends. The plot of Faceless Killers is much more simplistic than Rankin's novels. Rankins is able to interweave a myriad of storylines and events. 'Faceless Killers' has two or three plotlines at most. Rankin usually offers us the chance to see a variety of perspectives other than that of Rebus. Mankell sticks to Wallander almost the whole time, with the exception of the opening scene. Strangest to me was the way in which the first three-quarters of the book is held down tightly to the space of only a few days and then suddenly months pass by with the crime unsolved. I won't go into this further for fear of spoiling the story but the ending is disappointing after maintaining the tension so well earlier on. I will probably give Mankell a second chance and read the next one in the series. It is a well-written book but I personally do not read that much crime fiction so am very demanding on what I do read in this genre. After Ian Rankin it is hard to be satisfied. However, if you are a voracious reader of crime stories this should definitely be given a reading.

I really wanted to like this book. I endorse the patterns approach to home design, and I've come to rely on Taunton Press for very high-quality construction books.

Unfortunately, "Patterns of Home" is a disappointment. It should be subtitled "How Architects Get Their Rich Clients to Build Large Homes Full of Amazingly Superfluous Detailing". A few of the example homes are very interesting, but the majority of them are overblown ostentatious mansions that most people can't possibly afford. Sadly, Sarah Suzanka, author of the "The Not So Big House" series wrote the foreward. She forgot to mention that most of the homes featured in this book are quite big.

If you have a lot of money to spend, or just want to see how the other half lives, you might find the pictures interesting. I got bored and disheartened after the first 6-7chapters.

The authors of this book have taken the best of Alexander's "A Pattern Language", and combined wonderfully designed and excellently photographed homes to publish an inspiring and thought provoking book. Frankly, the world has too many "500 House Plans" types of books. This one describes the logic, reason, and common sense that involves the interlocking of ten basic patterns that could make any basic design more successful. As a residential architect, I consider this among my five top-rated books.

"Patterns of Home" simply is a wonderful book. It contains some of the most beautiful residences anywhere, gorgeously photographed and described. The book also makes a lot of sense. In a time when so many "design" books are self-serving treatises on a particular style or philosophy, "Patterns of Home" steers clear of jargon and techno-babble. The book delivers ten distinct, yet complementary studies (patterns) that serve to wonderfully illustrate how a house can truly be a home. I am an architect in private practice and I design several custom homes or estates per year along with my commercial, institutional and other commissions. While this in no way makes me an expert, it does allow me to highly recommend this book to those seeking to improve the livability of their home, or design meaning into a home. Even if one is not involved in, or contemplating such a project, this book is a great source of ideas and... well, it has a great deal of tremendous pictures!

I am heartened to see Jacobson, Silverstein and Winslow put forth such an accessible, readable and pleasant book on a subject that has been dangerously worn out recently. The material in "Patterns of Home" is not necessarily new, but the presentation of it in such a thoughtful manner is valuable and meaningful. The arrangement of the material is logical, starting with site planning, spatial relationships, and the basics of shelter, light and proportion. The transition into feeling, perception and texture is seamless and rewarding to experience.

The chapter (pattern) on "Refuge and Outlook" addresses a concept dear to my heart. My own home high in the Southern California mountains embodies much of this concept. The presentation of this concept gave words to things I've often struggled to explain. I was very moved by the elegant, yet simple language used to present this and the nine other patterns. The ability to crisply and efficiently write about ideas and concepts that can easily become mired in technical or philosophical discourse is not common. It is precisely this skill that the authors bring to this work, and which makes "Patterns of Home" so useful. The authors clearly appear to practice what they preach, and the honesty that I sense in this book is refreshing. I commend the authors on producing a book that is highly informative in a very sensible way.

This book is a companion to Lawler's "A Home for the Soul" on my display table. I heartily give "Patterns of Home" five stars.

As with many other countries, Lonely Planet has a very good guide for Ireland. Every city, town, and village are covered in this book. No matter where we were, we could always find something on the location. The index is wonderfully useful for that purpose. There are also some suggested itineraries. My only criticism is that LP seems to have missed many of the excellent guesthouses in Ireland. I would think this should be LP's speciality, so found this aspect disappointing. Still, I would not leave home without LP, on this trip or any other for that matter. Even if you don't want to go the budget route --something many associate with LP -- you will gain from the descriptions of places, restaurant and pub recommendations, maps, history, and more. And despite its reputation, LP does list high-end hotels, castles, and the like. I haven't found a single excellent guide for Ireland, so I suggest doing some internet research before leaving and taking LP and at least one other guide (I like the Blue Guide series).

Bon voyage!!

I just returned from a three month bike tour of Ireland. I had no tour guide; I brought only myself, my bicycle, clothes (of course), and four guide books on Ireland. The one book that I used over and over again, leaving all others tucked abandoned within my pack, was the Lonely Planet guide. The LP guide has detailed chapters on anything and everthing in Ireland, including phone numbers, prices, hours, city maps, hostels, B&B's, hotels etc... It also includes history and facts so that when you do arrive in Ireland and see a castle or a dolmen or the Burren, you will know the story behind it. I can't say enough good things about this guide. If you are going to travel in Ireland, this book is a must!

The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want.

I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe and spring 2000 in ireland. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you.

It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.

The same experience is true for my trip this last spring to Ireland. Lonely Planet Ireland is as good as Western Europe, but more detailed.The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want.

I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe - poor, but free. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you.

It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.

"13 Secrets for Speaking Fluent Japanese" is an interesting, well put-together book that makes a nice supplement when learning Japanese. The use of Manga is appreciated, and the tone of the book is casual conversation. The target skill level is intermediate or so. Absolute beginners will find little value.

The "secrets" are all fairly useful, but they are not quick solutions or shortcuts. Each secret requires effort and study. Some of the solutions are simple, like "Read Manga in Japanese," whereas others are more complicated like the idea of using synonyms when you can not remember the exact word. (Such as: "I feel like a train ran over my head" rather than "I feel hung over.")

All in all, this book makes is a good addition to formal Japanese language learning. Just don't expect to buy it and have everything suddenly "click."

Dont get me wrong, students of japanese are definately going to be the ones able to gain the most out of this book because it is specifically focused on learning the japanese language, and the many examples, quizes, and certain study tips are unique to Japan. But many of Murray's tips are useful for studying any language. Specifically im referring to the two chapters explaining stratagies for coping with not knowing the right word, or just plain not being able to remember it. As he notes, these are problems native speakers have too!!! they just know how to deal with it better.... While his examples are really great for japanese, the concept should be taught more often in other languages... GET OVER BEING AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES... and JUST TALK!!!!

The style of this book is relaxed enough that it can simply be read for entertainments sake because of the games, and stories within. I really like how Murray doesnt take himself too seriously in his writing, which makes the information just that much more accessible, and therefore useable. The advice on katakana words is priceless... i completely agree, thats its a mistake to conciously avoid hundreds to thousands of vocabulary items we already know, because we THINK its not REAL japanese... who made us the language police (unless you're in France, then its understandable). The reality is that if actual real live Japanese people can understand it... thats good enough.

He even made me think twice about a couple of my own study habits... personally, im not a fan of anime, manga, etc... if you like it, thats fine, its just not for me personally...but i will admit that Murray makes a great argument for reading manga as a study aid... actually made better in the chapter about sleezy romance novels.. but the point still applies... that it doesnt matter if we really like it... but that we can learn some useable japanese from the process. Great Book... definately worth a look if you're a student of any language, and a must own for beginning students of japanese.

I've lived in Japan most of my life. Having worked in education, I've read and know about language books, particularly those on practical Japanese language. What's good about this 13 Secrets book is that it teaches you how to express yourself in Japanese with individuality and character. I've read a lot of books which just try to make a boring language robot out of you. This book covers all sorts of areas of language, like jokes (straight and sarcastic) and the language of exaggeration, so you can make your point in conversations. It also teaches all sorts of practical techniques to help you get by even if you don't exactly the right word. If you set your thought patterns right, then you can say pretty much whatever you want to say. This was a revelation.

The other thing that's good about this book are all the illustrations - especially the 'IF' manga. If you need to get a fresh perspective on Japanese and want to have fun talking to Japanese people then this book is great. Give it to people who are bored with Japanese or about to give up their studies and watch their language-acquisition juices start pumping all over again!

A great shot in the linguistic arm!

This is an important book that explains an incredibletransformation in American social policy. Sometime around themid-1960s, a new code of private values and government policies pushed their way into mainstream society. This vision and its consequences were a radical departure from our nation's past. From 1950 to 1965, an economy founded on free market principles, nurtured on minimal government regulation, and protected from large welfare programs, had slashed the poverty rate from one third of the population to just over one-tenth. Eliminating poverty seemed like a real possibility to Americans as long as the wheels of capitalism continued to spin unhindered. From 1950 to 1965, African-Americans won court battles giving them the human rights guaranteed to every citizen. These belated changes were cemented by the hallmark 1964 Civil Rights Act and accompanied by a remarkable surge in African-American incomes. This fifteen-year period was an era of immense progress. Not only were the classes and races coming together but crime was remarkably low, families exceptionally resilient, and drug use almost non-existent. Then around 1965 something happened. All of a sudden the capitalist economy that made Old World immigrants into middle-class, suburban home-owners was described as a guilty, imperialist system that exploited the poor and the weak. Government planners in Washington got right to solving this "problem." From now on, people could expect a guaranteed income for an unlimited period of time, without regard to personal behavior or the ability to work. To show what a compassionate society we are, we would destroy the work ethic that was the bedrock of Western civilization. But that wasn't the best part. After 1965, the principle of equal opportunity for all races that Martin Luther King martyred himself for was also described as a "guilty" system that kept blacks and women oppressed. Suddenly, it wasn't only white supremacists who claimed that blacks couldn't thrive in American society. It was the very black leaders themselves. They claimed that affirmative action programs were needed to keep African-Americans functional. Too bad if it destroyed the American ideal of merit and equal opportunity. Tough luck if it strained relations between whites and blacks. Those claiming that racial preferences were unjust could be dismissed as closet racists. Only a decade later, the consequences of this change in values and government policy were beyond dispute. Destroying merit and the work ethic did not create a "Great Society." Rather, it helped create a large underclass imprisoned by poverty. Crime rates tripled, illegitimate births exploded, and drug use surged. The trends have leveled off since the late 1970s but the consequences of this values shift remain with us today. Opponents of racial quotas are still lampooned as closet racists. Reformers of the welfare state are dismissed as "uncompassionate." What is really racist and uncompassionate is defending the government policies that created this wretched condition. We made this happen. And we can unmake it. The power, as always, is ours.

This is an important book that explains an incredible transformation in American social policy. Sometime around the mid-1960s, a new code of private values and government policies pushed their way into mainstream society. This vision and its consequences were a radical departure from our nation's past. From 1950 to 1965, an economy founded on free market principles, nurtured on minimal government regulation, and protected from large welfare programs, had slashed the poverty rate from one third of the population to just over one-tenth. Eliminating poverty seemed like a real possibility to Americans as long as the wheels of capitalism continued to spin unhindered. From 1950 to 1965, African-Americans won court battles giving them the human rights guaranteed to every citizen. These belated changes were cemented by the hallmark 1964 Civil Rights Act and accompanied by a remarkable surge in African-American incomes. This fifteen-year period was an era of immense progress. Not only were the classes and races coming together but crime was remarkably low, families exceptionally resilient, and drug use almost non-existent. Then around 1965 something happened. All of a sudden the capitalist economy that made Old World immigrants into middle-class, suburban home-owners was described as a guilty, imperialist system that exploited the poor and the weak. Government planners in Washington got right to solving this "problem." From now on, people could expect a guaranteed income for an unlimited period of time, without regard to personal behavior or the ability to work. To show what a compassionate society we are, we would destroy the work ethic that was the bedrock of Western civilization. But that wasn't the best part. After 1965, the principle of equal opportunity for all races that Martin Luther King martyred himself for was also described as a "guilty" system that kept blacks and women oppressed. Suddenly, it wasn't only white supremacists who claimed that blacks couldn't thrive in American society. It was the very black leaders themselves. They claimed that affirmative action programs were needed to keep African-Americans functional. Too bad if it destroyed the American ideal of merit and equal opportunity. Tough luck if it strained relations between whites and blacks. Those claiming that racial preferences were unjust could be dismissed as closet racists. Only a decade later, the consequences of this change in values and government policy were beyond dispute. Destroying merit and the work ethic did not create a "Great Society." Rather, it helped create a large underclass imprisoned by poverty. Crime rates tripled, illegitimate births exploded, and drug use surged. The trends have leveled off since the late 1970s but the consequences of this values shift remain with us today. Opponents of racial quotas are still lampooned as closet racists. Reformers of the welfare state are dismissed as "uncompassionate." What is really racist and uncompassionate is defending the government policies that created this wretched condition. We made this happen. And we can unmake it. The power, as always, is ours.

While the President and the Congress debate the levels of funding for the welfare state in the coming century, Charles Murray makes a very convincing arguement for why it should be done away with altogether. Replete with statistical analysis (including the raw data from federal government sources), Murray argues that should an outside observer review the statistics on the economic progress of blacks and the poor from about 1963 onward, without any social context, they would have to conclude that a systematic effort was afoot to ensnare a large group of people in perpetual poverty. Murray explains the dynamics behind the failure of welfare policy and argues a more generic case as to why nearly all government efforts to induce behavioral change in the population are doomed to failure. Murray's account is well supported, crystal clear, and highly thought-provoking. Recommended for all who wish to be involved in welfare policy or its debate for the coming century.

Like many people I had a pre-formed opinion of Bosie from the various books written about Oscar Wilde, this biography has considerably altered my perception of Lord Alfred Douglas. He was a very complicated character and the book gives a balanced view on all aspects of his life as well as the many facets of Douglas's personality. It deals with the many untruths which surround his relationship with Wilde and includes extracts from Douglas's poetry. I had no idea how much of this there was nor how lovely, after reading sections of it reproduced in the book I now want to read more. By the time I put the book down I felt very moved by the whole tale of this mans life. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Although the life of Oscar Wilde has been written about extensively, that of Lord Alfred Douglas has remained obscure until The appearance of Douglas Murray's biography. The book is a remarkable accomplishment for such a young man and the character of Lord Alfred Douglas, as unpleasant as it may be, is very absorbing. Murray describes the 45 years of Douglas'life after Wilde's death and illuminates the personality of a man who, until now, has been known chiefly as Wilde's lover and companion. Particular attention is paid to Douglas' poetry, which few people seemed to feel was worthy of much critical scutiny before.

It was particularly interesting to me to see Douglas' cantankerous and litigious (sp?) life turn into a parody of his father's similar behavior. This causes me to consider that perhaps the strain of insanity that ran through the Douglas family tree afflicted both father and son.

In any event, Lord Alfred had a largely unhappy life and died penniless - an embarassing condition for an English lord of high breeding. His stint in prison, while well deserved, apparently had a devastating effect on Douglas' health and outlook.

Ironically, I found myself growing more sympathetic towards Douglas toward the end of the book. He seems to have realized that most of his troubles in his later life were self-inflicted and that he had no one to blame but himself.

Altogether, this was a highly informative work which illuminates not only the life of Alfred Douglas but also the times in which he lived and the people with whom he associated.

This is a fascinating freshman outing from Douglas Murray and an in-depth examination of the figure at the heart of Oscar Wilde's fall from grace in England at the end of the 19th century. The photos are illuminating, and the text is authoritative. Everybody knows the story of Bosie and Wilde, and most are aware that Lord Alfred was the offspring of the litigious aristocrat who gave boxing its Marquis of Queensbury rules. That these two daffy nobs should have combined to bring down one of the brightest bulbs in the Empire is one of literature's great tragedies. If I have a complaint about the text, it is simply that Murray appears to have convinced himself that Bosie was a great poet and sonneteer, whereas he was actually nothing of the sort. His poetry is, typically, labored and often syntactically suspect. He had a few inspired moments during his association with Wilde, and these resulted in the production of a handful of modestly successful works, including his most famous, 'Two Loves,' with the line about 'the love that dare not speak its name.' Otherwise, Bosie dropped out of the limelight in the wake of Wilde's death, only to surface occasionally throughout the first half of the 20th Century, when his name was attached to various court actions for libel, culminating in his being sentenced to jail for six months in the '20s. It all makes for a fascinating study in self-flagellation. Douglas may have been a footnote character, but sometimes the footnotes are needed to illuminate the primary text. In this case, it is his relationship to Wilde that guarantees his footnote status and which, for better or worse, defined his life for the forty-five years he survived his better half.

J.J. Murray is back with his sophomore novel Something Real. He takes the reader on a humorous journey with Ruth Borum, newly divorced from the unfaithful Rev.
"Bor-em." Thought she is divorced from the good Reverend, she does not lose her seat at Antioch Baptist Church where she has been the organist for years. Her presence at the church makes for some interesting gossip in the small town in which they reside and uncomfortable for the good Reverend and the Deacon Board, especially when she becomes surrogate mother to two bi-racial children. She provides more fuel for the gossip mill by falling in love with their father, a big, burly white man named Dewey Baxter. She finds some of her friends will leave her by the wayside and others stick with her, but she also finds some people she has passed by on Vine Street can have her best interest at heart.

Besides Ruth, there are some interesting characters in this book. Fred or "Jar-Man" can hear God talking to him from a Mason jar. His words of wisdom encourage Ruth to follow her heart. Tee and Dee are two little children who will steal your heart as they did Ruth's when you find out about the hardships they had to endure. Tonya and Naomi are friends who Ruth can depend on sometimes. Her reluctant ally is Meg, Dewey's mother and another supporter is the school secretary Mrs. Holland.

I found this book interesting, especially that a non-African American man could tell the story in an African American woman's voice. Though some of the generalizations were a little over the top, I found this story funny enough for laughing out loud moments and touching enough so that I wanted to wrap my arms around the characters as I felt their pain, confusion and anger. I would recommend putting this one on your To Read list.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

I loved this book. It's real and brings out that all people have flaws. I don't know if it was meant to be a love story or a story of a woman's struggle but it fulfilled both charactersitics. Many women can also relate to the main character (Ruth) because of her physical appearance, character, and state in society. For once it's not just some skinny, rich, young girl with an attitude. It's about time. I have never read by J.J. Murray before this book and if the others are like this then i will be sure to read those as well!!

Hats off to J. J. Murray. I started reading Something Real in the beauty salon and was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my cheeks. The other patrons were turning their heads and coming out from under their dryers to find out what I was reading. I was amazed to find out that J. J. was a white male writing from a black woman's perspective. He captures the "stuff" that goes on in the Black Church and develops characters that you either identify with or think you know personally. Ruth's self-esteem is at an all time low as her no-preachin', adulterous husband, Reverend "Bor-um', puts her through hell and tries to get her kicked out of the Church she grew up in. Tee and Mr. Dee make you want to hug them for all they've been through in their young lives; and Dewey--what woman would not love a man who builds her a Church?

I don't want to give away the story. This is a must read. It will have you laughing, crying, and cheering. I look forward to Mr. Murray's next "work of art".

I have been using books by these authors and Herb Schildt for over 10 years. Not only do I like Osborne books but I like these authors.

First, Osborne books are easy to read (not that small type - you know what I mean). Murry and Pappas also give a lot of short programming examples which are very helpful for new programmers.

I liked the C++ coverage in the book but also liked the material on STL, MFC, etc. I'm about 1/2 through the book and found that the code works correctly.

A good book if you want everyhting from soup to nuts in one book. But don't plan on carrying it too far - it is over 1000 pages.

My father gave me a book by Murray and Pappas about 10 years ago. It was on assembly language programming. He said it saved his job at General Electric. I used it in college and found it to be very helpful.

I guess these are the same guys. Anyway, my company wants to convert some old program code to C++. I had a course in C, but didn't know that much about C++ classes and objects. Well, this book will get you up and running pretty fast. They do a really good job on classes, objects and all of the other object oriented stuff. The best part is how they integrate it with Windows code. I was interested to MFC but most of the books I read assume you know C++ when you want to do MFC. Not this book! They picked me up by my bootstrapes and got me into MFC quickly.

Some of the topics, like COM+, are a little advanced for me at this time, but I guess that is what a complete reference is all about. Thanks guys! (and if my father were still alive I think he would thank you too).

I spent 2 1/2 hours carefully studying C++.NET books (and over $5 on various cakes and coffee goodies).

This is my opinion and why I bought this book. I am not so concerned about NET, but these authors certainly covered C++.NET in detail. What I do want to learn is C++. I was a COBOL programmer until a recent layoff and was told that C++ is the language of the future. I tried a couple of times to learn this language, and almost resorted to taking a class at a local college. Anyway, last week was my FINAL attempt to get started on my own.

I bought this book and am already in chapter 8. I have worked my way through programming examples, created a few of my own and am building confidence that I can eventually master this stuff.

Now - why did I buy THIS book. First, it's over 1000 pages. Second, it has tons of programming examples. Third, it is layed out in a simple yet progressive manner, and fourth - I like Osborne books (in general).

So there you have it - my opinion in a nutshell.

I am a medical student having studied medicine and biochemistry for the past 3 years. I found the Harper's Biochemistry by a coincidence on the university library.......it is now my favored reference on biochemical and some physiological matters being very concise with more specific details than many other biochemistry textbooks. Said that, I might have more value in your last periods of biochemistry and physiology and as a reference for the rest of your study. Thats why you should go to the library to try it for a couple of months. But then again....you will not be disappointed. S. Wiedemann - Denmark.

The book, at least from my point of view, is not a good book to grasp the core concepts of Biochemistry from at the beginning of your biochemistry course.Actually,it is a tool by which you can get a deep understanding of the subject by the aid of other books that can give you the full picture of Biochemistry. Its advantage is in that it covers in details many of the topics that other books usually do not cover. I remember many times finding myself opening the book looking for some details that some professors mention as extra bits which are not found in the other textbooks and present in this book. I recommend it as a reference book for medical students but not a textbook.

This textbook is the most useful and reliable one especially for students of medical school.@Other textbooks of biochemistry usually mention only biochemical matters, but Harper's always stands from the viewpoint of clinical medicine. Each biochemical facts are followed by clinical facts and cases and its clinical knowledge is really useful. This will help you study not only biochemistry but also internal meicine with full of new findings and knowledge. This book is my favourite and will be your favourite, too!