This book is chock full of Java programming and architecture goodies. No Java programmer or architect should be without it. It hits on some of the subtleties of the paradigm and makes some great suggestions for solutions to common problems. I've already used several since I read the book three months ago. It covers the full range of the Java paradigm from EJBs to Servelts and JSPs. It also covers many Java Web service APIs such as JAXP, JAXR and JAXM. Unlike many other books, it also address J2ME, GUI programming and several utilities. Readers should also check out the web site that goes along with the book. It provides sample code, corrections to the text and links to additional resources.

The book is easy to read and well organized with excellent "how-to-fix" information about the "hard-to-figured out" problems. We found many of our Java servlets problems in this book and wished that we had this book earlier when we struggled to solve the instance concurrency problems in our web-based Java/Servlet application. This book is definitely the first book that we will refer too when we have any difficult Java related problems in the future.

This book is full of valuable information, and something that I believe I can use for my team of Java developers on our projects. I have enjoyed this entire book, but here are my comments on a few of my favorite "articles" from this book.

#1 - When Runtime.exec() won't. An excellent 13 page discussion of how things can go wrong with the famous Runtime.exec(). There are so many ways to mess up when running OS processes from Java, and this article discusses most of them, and more importantly, the right way to go about using Runtime.exec().

#5 - Avoid Granularity Pitfalls in java.util.logging. This is a well-written discussion of the java.util.logging API, and helps programmers avoid using it in the wrong way. This is a good tutorial, but I really like the pictures that show the relationship between the logger and the handler - it is much easier for people to understand that way.

#15 - Avoiding singleton pitfalls - This is a great discussion of how multiple "singletons" can happen in your VM, if you don't set them up the right way... My company has seen this happen a lot, but I have seen few discussions on it before this book.

#24 - JSP design errors. This is something that I don't believe many other books talk about, and is very valuable. A lot of the JSPs that I have seen out there look bad, and this shows how they should be developed. The examples are good, and this is short and to the point and conveys the points well.

#41 - The problem with multiple concurrent ResultSets. This shows an example of having 2 ResultSet objects open at the same time in an iteration, and showing the results in Sybase, Oracle, MySQL, Access, and SQLServer. It shows how, depending on the implementation of the driver & database, different behavior can be seen, and shows how to fix it. This is an excellent article - most examples I have seen before do not take the time to show behavior from multiple databases.

These are only a few of the articles from this book. I like the book because it is full of self-contained articles that discuss aspects of the Java programming language that are tricky - or are often misunderstood and misused. I also like it because it covers performance, design, and in many cases, gives metrics. Some of the APIs discussed in the book I have not used yet (j2me, jaxrpc, jaxr), but probably will in the future. This is an extremely relevant resources.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I give this an excellent rating, and recommend it highly.

This is a lovely story. I am not as familiar with the Trinity West series as the rest of the readers, but I think I will haunt used books stores to find the others, esp. Leader of the Pack. Clay was an extremely sympathetic hero and anyone's dream man.

Finally, we get to read about Clay Yeager! I've enjoyed most of the Trinity West series immensely, and this was no exception. I loved the character of Clay and was thrilled to read about the dog, Mud, too. I have to admit that my favorite part of this and every book in this series following Leader of the Pack was hearing more about Ryan Buckhart at the end. If that man really existed, I'd be a very happy woman! Still, it was a good read. I can't wait for her next book.

After hearing so many wonderful things about this book, I was not disappointed! I loved both characters and the writing is flawless. Of course, I had to start searching for the other books in the Trinity West series and I have enjoyed them just as much.

WOW!!! The pictures of the roses in this book are unmatched by any other publication. I have for many years been a Hybrid Tea Rose fan, but after reading this book and after visiting several gardens with Austin's roses in them, I have been converted. I just ordered over 20 bushes and I cannot wait for their arrival next spring. I agree with a previous reviewer who commented that the writing is self serving at times, but Austin's passion for his plants can be understood. Austin's comments about group plantings and his recommendations concerning minimiums for plantings of each species, I found invaluable. I believe this book is well worth the price and will win you over to a relatively new breed of rose.

This book is what started my passion for roses and transformed me into a true gardener. I carried the book around with me for days, amazed that nature could create such beautiful flowers. Within two months I was watering my new English Rose garden comprised of 16 roses from the pages of this beautiful book! If you even think you love roses, you must get this book!

This book is a really beautiful book full of glorious photos of Davids Roses. We are given a brief family history on each rose and a rating for the overall assesment and fragrance of them. Full to the brim with color shots, this book would make a terrific gift for anyone who loves roses or as a special treat for yourself.

Barbara McGuire's Foundations in Polymer Clay Design is a must have for every polymer clay artist. It has exceptional information to enhance one's design knowledge and how to apply this knowledge to polymer clay artwork. The photos are stunning and best of all, show evidence of today's talented pc artists. Barbara's examples of each design concept and how they apply to working in polymer clay are valuable to the serious artist.

This book has several wonderful easy-to-try projects that demonstrate the chapter's concept. These lessons help to satisfy the reader who is looking for practice, but may not be 'enough' for the person who is simply looking for a book of how-to projects.

McGuire's book will remain an excellent reference for the artist and one where new lessons can be learned each time the book is taken off the shelf to reread. Five Stars!!!!

Barbara E.McGuire's 'Foundations in Polymer Clay Design' is a great addition to both a beginner's and a more advanced artist's library, however, note that it is not a project book. The technical aspects of the clay are briefly discussed in the first chapter. The rest of the book focuses on the aspects and elements of design. Invaluable discussions on color, line, form, movement, etc., are contained within its chapters; as well as a stunning array of polymer clay artwork captured in beautifully executed photograpy.

While you will find plenty of inspiration gazing at the gallery of work in 'Foundations', you'll find little if any discussion of the techniques used in making them. The information offered is to be used as a guideline for refining your own unique style.

Working in polymer clay is more rewarding now that I've read (and reread) this book; it has served as a muse and a mentor. My work is more professional, more diverse and visually pleasing; my practice far more organized. The absense of step-by-step instruction does not limit the reader but helps them to expand by calling upon them to apply what they have learned to their own ideas.

This title is a perfect complement to Donna Kato's 'The Art of Polymer Clay', which is overflowing with technical instruction made beginner-friendly. I highly recommend a newcomer to the medium purchase both titles.

I loved this book! It was a great beginning course in color, design, balance and how to make it "look" right. I highly recommend this book

Do not be fooled by the size of this book. Once you open the book you will not find it easy to close it.

This book satisfies on many levels. If you are an art lover, you are amazed at the artwork and how beautifully the publisher reproduced it. It's the next best thing to being in Frick's art collections yourself.

If you are interested in Frick or the post Civil-War industrial era, you will at last find a revealing biography of the man that finally acknowledges that he was a human being, albeit flawed in some ways. This book should shatter some commonly held myths about Henry Frick.

My only complaint is some incomplete research. I have discovered several historical errors that a good editor should have caught. For example, and perhaps most blatant, many figures and stated facts relating to the 1889 Johnstown Flood are incorrect. But Frick's reaction to the Flood is an insight not known to many until now.

Mrs. Sanger should be proud of her book. This will serve as a definitive history of both the man and his legacy. This will be a valuable addition to your library.

"Henry Clay Frick: An Intimate Portrait" is an excellent work of history, biography, and a stunning visual presentation of art. The result of a decade long effort by a Great Granddaughter of Mr. Frick, Martha Frick Symington Sanger, the book is a beautiful volume from its construction, to what is displayed and written within.

This is not as scholarly a book as Simon Schama's "Rembrandt's Eyes", and so it should be judged with distinct criteria. This is a family history as related by one of its members, so in exchange for the objective view of the Historian, we trade a certain objective detachment for an intimate portrait of the man, his family, and the legacy of art he collected. I was amused to read that one person thought that some of the works bought by Mr. Frick were "Duds". I would agree that when your collection includes multiple paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Renoir, Veronese, El Greco, and Van Dyck, to name a few, some are perhaps "better" than others. I would also suggest no one would take a pass if offered a work for their own.

Mr. Frick was a very tough businessman, at times brutal, and he never hesitated to employ these tactics when he perceived his business interests were threatened. This does not make him unique among the major Capitalists that built this Country, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Fisk, and many other were also notorious by today's standards, or were they? Private armies may no longer be used, but public welfare, and the fate of employees is not always at the top of the list today either. I do not attempt to justify what they did, rather to suggest a more dispassionate view is in order. Our "Robber Barons" are often compared to the Kleptocrats of today's Russia, and that truly is absurd.

Fortunately many of these men amassed great collections of art whether rare books, paintings, historical documents, or something else that caught their interest, and we are the beneficiaries of their collections. The Morgan Library or The Frick Collection simply could not be duplicated today. Theoretically Mr. Bill Gates could pay the price, but where would you find a brace of Vermeer's offered for sale?

The book is not perfect in it's history as others have pointed out, however on balance I believe the work to be excellent, and certainly the most personal insight into the life of Mr. Frick.

Mr. Frick and others like him make easy targets, that they were flawed is not the issue, they were. They also gave back in a variety of forms a great deal of the wealth they accumulated. This may not be enough for some or even for many, but to have left no legacy other than that of brutal businessmen, I suggest, would be a great deal more disappointing.

The book is amazing in so many ways. When I had finished it, I felt as if I'd experienced something far more important than a mere biography; her legacy or her life's masterpiece, perhaps. If so, then in my opinion, and with all due respect, she's outdone her forebearers.

I bought this book because I read the "Circle of Seven" and expected a similar thrill. The book was good, but not as suspenseful as the other one. I didn't really know what the Lasko Interview was about until the middle of the book. There were a lot of pages dedicated to sharing the gospel as well.

After hearing Clay talk about his book & the background which lead to his writing & then meeting him I could hardly wait to read this book.I found that once I started reading it was difficult to put it down. The christian message of "One Anothering" as it was interwoven into the mystery presented a sound principle which should be adopted by all christians.Reading this book has been extremely worthwhile & I would recommend it for christians to give to their non-christian friends.

A BOOK WITHOUT THE USUAL 4-LETTER WORDS SO PROMINENT IN THE GENERAL POPULATION OF READING TODAY LEAVES ONE WITH AN INCREDIBLE DESIRE TO HAVE MORE AND MORE OF THE SAME TYPE BOOKS. THIS IS TRULY READING THAT NOT ONLY HAS THE INTRIGUE OF MYSTERY, BUT IS ALSO INSPIRING IN A SPIRITUAL WAY, WHICH LEAVES ONE HUNGERING AND THIRSTING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. THANK YOU MR. JABOBSEN!

Served traditional beef bourguignon to 16 people for New Year's Eve dinner last night using the recipe on pages 26-27 of this book.

The recipe is a bit complicated because of all the separations (liquid, meat, vegetables), and you definitely need to plan in advance, but the results were superb. None of our guests had ever had this dish with as much flavor as this version, so it was a big success.

I used top sirloin, marinated in an inexpensive Cotes du Rhone for two days (yes - two days), browned the beef (big job since I just about doubled the recipe) one evening, and then simmered it in the oven at 300 degrees F the next morning. After letting it cool a bit, I put it in the refrigerator for two days (yes - two days), and then reheated it before our guests arrived.

Did I mention the flavor was wonderful? And since I made a ton of it, we'll be able to have it now and again as we take frozen portions out of the freezer.

Be sure to make lots - if a recipe is as time-consuming as this is to make, you'll want to have a lot of it that you can later just warm up if you want to.

The creamy potatoes with bacon (near the front of the book) is the best potato dish I have ever eaten. I served it at a dinner party recently and the comment was: "awesome". Also, recently I had the twice baked spinach omelet except mine was made with gruyere cheese only, no spinach. It was cooked one day and re-cooked the next. It was fabulous and it is great to know that it can be made ahead. I love Anne Willan!!

This book is a great example of why the Internet recipe sites will never replace cookbooks. Nowhere can you find such beautiful pictures, and wonderful recipes as this book. Ms. Willan has written a meticulously researched cookbook that is just as much at home on the coffee table as it is on the kitchen counter.

I must respectfully disagree with a previous reviewers comments. The "Gateau le Feÿ" does work exactly as written. I've created this beautiful dish a couple of times now with no problem. I could see how this might not turn out if your oven temperature is incorrect, so it might be a good idea to test your oven with an oven thermometer prior to starting this dish. As for the point to wait until they do a new printing with corrections, it should be noted that if there were corrections to be made, you'd think that Ms Willan would have done so when she appeared on Martha Stewart the first week of February 2001, and made this dish, just as it is written.

I was very disappointed with this book. It is true that it includes many exciting techniques, but the instructions are very poorly written (including editing mistakes and typographical errors) and frequently less than helpful.

Some of the editing choices that were made were questionable. For example, on one page there is an image of an (admittedly lovely) brooch and another "detail" photograph of the same brooch--only the "detail" picture is only slightly larger than the original and therefore doesn't add any extra information.

The artwork selected is also disappointing. I found the majority of the pieces to be somewhat unsophisticated. While there are several notable exceptions, on the whole this book failed to inspire.

In short, there are many excellent books on polymer clay already, and more are being printed every day. Pass this one over.

I really enjoyed everything about this book

I was totally thrilled with this polymer clay book. It is remarkably well written with all of the how-to details extremely clear and precise. The photographs are stunning and the projects exciting. I like the fact that there are projects for beginners as well as for the advanced clayer. The author has included not only her own projects, but those of some other fine clay artists which gives the book a wonderful variety. This is an absolute must for the clayer who is looking for creative ways to use the clay.

Disappointing. Many pictures are dark and/or fuzzy. I find that hard to distinguish features of different hawks.

HAWKS IN FLIGHT by Peter Dunne is a useful book because it includes many photos and drawings of various species of Raptors in flight. When you see a Raptor, you generally have no way to identify it except by it's flight profile. Feather markings simply cannot be seen when a bird is sailing on a current of air or scuttling after prey. Once in a while I've surprised a hawk at rest, but generally it is well hidden in the leaves of a tree and takes off before I can get a good look. Even the Cooper's Hawk I see on my morning commute along the parkway is usually sitting back on a branch waiting for road kill (he is one fat lazy bird).

The photos in HAWKS IN FLIGHT show the birds as seen from the side flying close to the ground and as well as overhead. The book also includes drawings showing birds that resemble each other juxtaposed side by side as they would never appear in nature. Some of the photos are not very clear and the drawings are darker than I like, but no less a birder than Roger Tory Petersen recommended this book which nicely complements his own books.

Although the title includes the reference to hawks, the chapters cover Buteos, Accipiters, Falcons, Kites, Harriers, Eagles, Ospreys, and Vultures. The chapter on Accipiters covers the Cooper's Hawk, the hawk I see by the roadside in Washington DC. We also see Falcons chasing our song birds. A whole lot of back-stabbing goes on in this town.

There is no other guide which even approaches Hawks in Flight for thoroughness, clarity, and utility. Anyone who seriously pursues the sport of hawk watching must have this book.

For those just starting out in hawk watching, and for general use by even the most serious hawk watchers, I strongly recommend another work by Dunne et al., Hawk Watch: A Guide for Beginners, which is a large-format condensed version of Hawks in Flight. this book does focus exclusively on eastern species, however. Having both books is ideal.

Although I am sure a lot of time and research went into this book, the statistics listed and projected in no way relate to real life baseball numbers. I guess if you want to transplant Chipper Jones into Fenway Park or the Astrodome you can make somewhat of a comparision, if that is what you are into- but this in NO WAY relates to real life baseball as we know it. In fact it is only the author's opinion regarding his concocted logic and values that measures different leagues, stadium effects, etc.

Does this help the fantasy league player? It might- but who knows since I am not involved in these leagues. I bought the book on a friends advice that it was an interesting and fine resource book. I tossed it into the trash after studying and reading thru it once. What a mistake and waste of 20 bucks. It seems that one man's opinions and outlook on what skills/statistics are important to rate players on dominates his projections and conclusions. This book may be "the berries" for some of you but it was NOT for me.

Baseball Prospectus is the probably the best of the yearly annuals. With the addition of Pitcher Abuse Points to their excellent roster of stats and reports on minor leaguers, it's a book that's a useful companion for the year ahead.

But Baseball Prospectus has two problems: first, the statistics contained aren't real. If you quote a batter's statistics to someone in an argument over a player's worthlessness, you can get caught making stuff up. The statistics for players are translated to park-neutral etc. While this is fine and good, in one sense, in another, I'd like to know what a player's K/BB ratio was for real, not what it should have been.

The other problem is that Baseball Prospectus does a lot of hedging in comments (I think so that each year they can say "Correctly forecasted the rise/decline of Player X"). Too many players have comments like "If healthy, look for him to have a great year. Otherwise, expect a steep decline." For a book with such a strong sense of its own place and an original perspective, it's disappointing they'd stoop to this in order to make good quotes for the next year's back cover.

That aside, Baseball Prospectus offers great information unavailable anywhere else. Get it first, then complain.

I have often admired those who can spout names and numbers, ERAs, and any other fact you might want to know about baseball. Now I know what the fact finders do when there is no night baseball! Any fan, parent or relative of a fan now has the perfect gift to give. BASEBALL PROSPECTUS 1999 is a book a baseball fan cannot put down, "literally or figuratively". As a bonus, it is enjoyable and light reading. This book gets us from first to second to third base and home again. And between games, you should also read THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION, by Mitchell, Coles and Metz which will get you from first base - you have a problem, to second base - identifying why you are stalled, to third base - learn ways to develop many solutions to "help you hit the ball twenty times as often or twenty times as well" , and take you home again to begin perfecting the process. Because each time you run the bases, you will get better at it and find more ways to succeed. If you are a baseball fan, you will score by reading both of these books.