Being an amateur astronomer I bought this and the other two volumes recently and I have found it indispensible. Im writing this review keeping solely the tyro's in mind, since one knowledgeable in astronomy would have already had this book. If you are getting interested in astronomy, this is the book to buy - it will surely deepen your interest. Get the book and take a journey through the starts that Burnham offers you in the first few pages.

There are plenty of astronomy books for amatuers with fantastic photos. And sometimes it can be intimidating to know what to buy. Burnham's book is worth every penny (and it doesnt cost much either). It does not contain colorful photos (though contains plenty of b&w photos taken from Lowell/Palomar and other observatories). All 88 constellations are dealt with in detail. First a list of double stars are given in each constellation followed by details of each bright star (including spectrum analysis for some). The book is set in "type-writer" font, so it gives a special feeling of reading some research paper.

A unique feature of this book, which is probably not found in any other astronomy book I have come sofar, is that, it also contains a perspective of a given constellation or star by several different cultures. Most astronomy books stop with Greek and Roman myths - giving a feeling that no other culture was knowledgeable in astronomy. Coming from Indian background, I found it very intriguing that Burnham mentions several stories and myths from Indian folklore (including those that I heard from my granny!). For eg, Varahamihira (c 100 AD?) in his "Brihat Samhita" compares Ursa Major (aka called "Seven Sages") to string of pearls. I was surprised to see Burnham mention this.

One other way I use the book is to first locate some star in the telescope (by lazily moving it around), notice the color, constellation and other characteristics, then look into the book about the details and compare with what you saw. Thats a fun way of learning.

Though more experienced astronomers would observe that some Burnham's values are of older epoch, this should not really bother a beginner. Burnham has certainly packed a wealth of information into three volumes. Again this is a book that will accompany for life on observing the wonders that are up above the sky.

Robert Burnham's classic work could rightfully be called the Bible of American amateur astronomers (in Europe, the Webb Society handbooks probably earn that title). Volume 1 begins with an overview of various aspects of observational astronomy, focusing on the various cataloging and classification systems used to describe stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. The remainder of the three volumes consist of chapters for each constellation. Each chapter begins with a table that give a rundown of all objects of interest in that constellation. What follows are detailed descriptions of all notable objects in the constellation. Burnham did not confine himself to scientific facts - religion, archaeology, literature, and art all find their way into the text. Time has had a toll on the accuracy of the scientific facts that Burnham gives - many distances are wrong, and the discussions of some objects, particulaly remote or highly energetic ones, are seriously outdated. Still, these three books form the backbone of my astronomy library, and have grown battered with heavy use. They make for fascinating reading both beside the telescope and in the living room.

Burnham is a "given" among amateur astronomers. Until quite recently there was no work other than this that contained so much useful information in one place. It's also much more than just a reference. Despite his twenty years at Lowell Observatory, Burnham seems to have remained an "amateur" in the highest sense. His love of the night sky is plainly communicated not only in his entertaining digressions into myth and poetry but also by the obvious effort he put in before the days of PC's and word processors. I began by using these books to get information on objects I already had in mind, but very quickly, the inconspicuous and the usually overlooked began to take on a "real identity" when Burnham spoke about them. The sky became immeasurably richer. Burnham died destitute in 1993. I'm in his debt. He's that wise and experienced friend standing at my side sharing what he knows.

First time I read a book from Myth Series was about 8 years ago- I got it from my mom on my birthday. Few month ago I had a look through my home library and found this book- being a very involved fantasy reader, and just for the sake of rememberance, I read it- and couldn't stop. Since then I got all 10 books and keep reading them over and over, 'cause each time you read it, you discover all the new stuff about characters, always find it unbearably funny and witty, as well as cleverly written. The ending of the 10th book left readers in a terrible suspence- Gleep got shot! And he said "Skeeve"- his second word! I got on this web site to find out when the next book will be out, but it seems that no one knows.

I it very unfortunate that there will be only two more books. I really hope that dear Robert A. would reconsider, or surprise us with at least one more book after that!

This is a light hearted series of "quick reads" that any not so serious fantasy fan should love. In spite of it's humourus and witty style, the concepts for the way magic runs should impress even the most serious and die hard fantasy fan. My only two complaints to date have been the long wait between books and the apparent waning of Asprin's usual fast pace and quick witt in the most recent installment. All in all, this is among the best books/series I've ever read and I would recomend it to anyone with the slightest interest in the fantasy genre. KUDOS to you Robert Asprin!!!!!!

Actually this has nothing to do with the 11th Myth book. I've read all but one Myth book (unless Something Myth Inc. came out without my knowing it) and I don't want to buy Myth Inc. Link over the net, so can someone please give me a brief (DON'T SPOIL THE STORY) overview of what happens? Thanks. I can be reached at lctucker@juno.com

Now, from what I can tell, everyone in Klah is angry at Skeeve for raising taxes. Does that mean that he's the king or still just a financial advisor?

This is supposed to be a review, isn't it? Oops. Sorry. This is a great series. Go out and buy all 10 books right now. If your anything like me, you should have them all read in about a week; you can't stop reading them!
I think I might have written too much. I'll stop now. Bye.

A book I'd recommend to everyone. Robert Weinberg is obviously on the shortlist for a medicine Nobel, and with the acknowledged help of his US editor has produced a wonderfully lucid, exciting book about how science discovered what cancer is and how it works. The link to evolution and Darwinism (at the gene level) is perhaps surprising. but utterly crucial.

This is a *fabulous* time to be alive, if you're intelligent and enthralled by knowledge!

This a wonderful introduction to how cancer begins. It presents a fascinating history of the research involved in uncovering the underlying causes of cancer as well as acquainting the reader with the genetic underpinnings. Weinberg assumes no prior knowledge of cell biology or genetics and proceeds to skillfully lead the reader into some rather deep waters. By the end of the book the reader will have a very good grasp of what cancer is all about and will have gained an appreciation for the wonderous complexity of the cell's inner workings. I highly recommend this book to anyone blessed with a sense of curiosity. You won't be disappointed.

As a scientist, I am familiar with most of the discoveries in cancer research discussed in the book. Weinberg nicely ties them together and explains how one exciting discovery in cancer research led to another. This is an excellent overview of what has been discovered about cancer and what is not known. Weinberg points out that many of the discoveries were from areas of research not directly related to cancer. This book should help the nonscientist understand the complexities of research and why so much time and resources have been required to uncover the mechanisms of cancer. I also highly recommend this book to students at all levels that are interested in any type of research.

If you read this book as long ago as I did, you probably
first heard about it from Douglas Hofstadter's "Metamagical Themas" column in _Scientific American_, or the book in which his columns were collected. (If you're just now being introduced to this book, check out Hofstadter's too; his discussion of it is very helpful and insightful.)

What Robert Axelrod describes in this book is a novel round-robin tournament (actually two such tournaments) in which various game-theoretic strategies were pitted against one another in the game known as the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma. Each strategy was scored, not according to how many times it "beat" its "opponent," but according to how many points it accumulated for itself. The surprising result: a strategy dubbed TIT FOR TAT, submitted by Anatol Rapaport, cleaned everybody's clocks in both tournaments.

Why was this surprising? First, because TIT FOR TAT was such a simple strategy. It didn't try to figure out what its "opponent" was going to do, or even keep much track of what its "opponent" had _already_ done. All it did was cooperate on the first move, and thereafter do whatever its "opponent" had done on the previous move. And second, because this strategy can _never_ do better than its "opponent" in any single game; the best result it could achieve, in terms of comparison with the other player, is a tie.

So it was odd that such a simple strategy, one that went up against all sorts of sophisticated strategies that spent a lot of time trying to dope out what their "opponents" were up to, should do so much better than all the "clever" strategies. And it was also odd that a strategy that could never, ever "beat" its "opponent" should nevertheless do so much better _overall_ than any other strategy.

As Axelrod is careful to point out, this isn't always true; how well TIT FOR TAT does depends on the population with which it's surrounded, and in fact it wouldn't have won even _these_ tournaments if certain other strategies had participated. But TIT FOR TAT is surprisingly robust, and its success does offer some tentative political lessons.

Axelrod spells them out, in the form of principles like "Be nice and forgiving" -- which means: never be the first to defect; be quick to forget what your "opponent" has done in the past. And in a follow-up computer simulation, he shows that it's possible -- under some conditions -- for a little cadre of "cooperators" to increase their numbers and "take over" a population that practices other strategies.

Axelrod's research was and is important for several reasons, one of which has to do with evolutionary theory: it shows that, under the right conditions, natural selection can tend to generate cooperation rather than competition, even among actors who act solely out of self-interest. Another has to do with the spontaneous growth of cooperative behavior in predominantly competitive or hostile environments (Axelrod's examples include holiday cease-fires in the trenches during the First World War). Yet another has to do with the need (or otherwise) for external authorities to _enforce_ cooperative behavior -- a point not lost on Axelrod's libertarian and/or Hayekian readers, including myself.

Nevertheless, as groundbreaking as this work is, the results are modest and Axelrod states them very cautiously. TIT FOR TAT doesn't _always_ "win," and in any case not all of our social interactions can be modelled as Iterated Prisoner's Dilemmas. It's a _very_ hopeful book, but readers will want to be careful not to claim more for Axelrod's results than he claims for them himself.

In short, this volume is a solid piece of political-sociological-mathematical research that has stood the test of time and stimulated all sorts of follow-up work. I expect it will be read for a long time to come -- this conclusion being a simple extrapolation from the fact that I've been reading it for almost two decades now myself. It's fascinating.

If you're an intellectual and want to read a book that will change your perception of many facets of the world forever, this is the book for you. It's not a long read, but you will spend a lot of time thinking about all its implications as you read it. I found it applicable to everything from inviting people to parties, to business and personal relationships, to species competition, to wondering whether a theoretical race of super-powerful extraterrestrials would enslave us, to... Well, you just have to check it out!
I'm reading the sequel ("The Complexity of Cooperation") right now, which is also amazing. In it he quotes a letter written to him about EoC by a woman who claims that the principle developed in it helped her with her divorce proceedings! How can you miss a book with such broad applications.

Though I've never seen the two linked elsewhere, this book explains how Linux and Open Source developers can succeed in a world populated by back-stabbing defectors. A wonderful book and an easy read. Recomended for anyone who cooperates.

For business readers, consider Co-opetition by Nalebuff etal and the Death of Competition by Moore.

The Filmmaker's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the art & science of filmmaking. Though it is currently falling abit behind with it's coverage of digital technology, as this is moving so fast it's hard for any book to stay current.

It has a lot of excellent information though, and goes into detail many other books lack. It's useful as a reference guide, and not so dry that it doesn't make an interesting read. If you are studying film, or want to get into the industry this book is a must have.

As an aspiring young filmmaker, the first thing I was told to do was go out and get a copy of the Filmmaker's Handbook. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the book had been updated in March of 1999, and that now it included all kinds of information about the digital age. I have learned so much from this book. The book goes over the entire film process, and does it in a straight-forward manner. It is a great start for beginners, yet it includes a rich amount of information for the professional. Anyone who has ever thought about a career in film really needs to get a copy of this book. Written in a manner that neither patronizes nor confuses the reader, the Filmmaker's Handbook is the best book I have skimmed or read on film, and believe me, I've looked at a lot.

As a beginner in the film industry, I found this book to be extremely valuable in gaining a solid foundation of knowledge in the various areas of film making. There is as much information as possible and the layout is full of refereces and cross references. It is well writen, and has plenty of ilustrations to acompany the comprehensive descriptions. I predict that this book will be a usefull tool long after I have reached a professional level in the industry.

I love Ringer's books. Though I've never met the man, over the years I have come to regard him as a kind of trusted advisor.

When I screw up (and that happens a lot) I can always pick up "Looking Out For #1", Ringer's previous book, and see why. Invariably, the cause of my failures can be easily traced to my lack of adherence to the "Universal Truths" found in Ringer's books.

These "Universal Truths", however, are found in just about every other book on success ever written. What makes Ringer special, then, is his humorous, no b.s. style of writing. He goes out of his way to relate his own failures in life--something few success authors do--with such self-effacing humor that you won't mind when he slaps you in the face to point out where you need improvement.

With "Million Dollar Habits" Ringer somewhat rehashes his earlier material--thus the four stars. He uses the time-tested technique of all successful authors in fluffing up a spin-off to his earlier works. Indeed, you will find that "Million Dollar Habits" feels surprisingly familiar to "Looking Out For #1", and it is.

Nevertheless, I will likely buy and read just about anything Ringer publishes. I need to hear what he has to say from time to time. We all do.

I've read a lot of books on success, and they all say basically the same thing: Have a goal, keep a good attitude, work hard. But reading it isn't enough. Some fundamentals have to be constantly reinforced. Ringer presents ten basic principles for success and presents them well. He adds a couple of important principles many writers neglect, like how to deal with people who drain you of your enthusiasm.

It is easy reading, and will reinforce your commitment to doing the fundamentals. Sometimes you just have to hear something one more time to make it stick. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on effective self-help material. Million Dollar Habits fits the bill. Definitely worth reading.

Starting in 1983, I read every success manual I could get my hands on. Think and Grow Rich. How To Get Control of Your TIme and Your Life. Laws of Success. But my life never permanently changed and I couldn't figure out why. Then, about a year ago (2000)I reached a low point and started making some real changes. The way I saw things in my life, in other people, got away from people who sucked the life out of me, etc. Things have continued to get better and better than ever! As I reflected on why my life started to change, I came across my old yellow copy of "Million Dollar Habits." (Complete with stuff written in the margins that I can't even relate to anymore!) As I read through the table of contents and began re-reading the book, I realized what I did last year was I started living each and every habit listed in the book! Now, I am buying myself a new copy and rereading it again. I am also giving it to my teenage daughter for her birthday and my best friend. If you read, believe and put into practice each and every habit (the order in which they are given is not random, it is the order of importance) you will be amazed at the changes that take place in your life. This book should be taught in every school.

Each time a re-read a chapter of this book, it is further enriching. I had no background in business finance and only an introductory accounting background prior to reading this book. It is approachable and quite deftly introduces one to the field of finance. Broad coverage of major topics such as financial forecasting, management of growth, debt vs. equity, financial instruments, valuations, discounted cash flow, and drawing from financial statements. Higgins places things in proper context and builds upon knowledge at good, steady pace.

This book is required at Harvard Business School and is used at top B-schools and bank management trainee programs around the country.
I used the book during my MBA program, even though it was not required. My study group members always requested that I bring it to group meetings. I even had a classmate approach the author (who happens to be my father) at my graduation and ask for his autograph.
The book introduces complex finance concepts like net present value in non-academese language and the real-world examples reinforce the concepts.
I strongly recommend this textbook to anyone preparing to enter business school or embarking on a job in financial analysis.
Professor Higgins is a beloved teacher at his home institution, the University of Washington. You can share in a little of his vast expertise and gift for teaching by reading his book, Analysis for Financial Management.

This book was required in my William & Mary MBA program. It covers everything from discounted cash flows to ratio analysis to business valuation. My brother liked it so much he "stole" if for months. I took it back and now he wants it for his Christmas gift. So, here I am buying it for him. The net present value of this book is -- real high:) I highly recommend it for business owners or anyone involved in finance and accounting.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers Valuereporting initiative is attempting to move business reporting beyond the basic statement of earnings and is trying to add the intangible assests of value to the bottom line. The authors here give a great discourse on the initiative and its goals, with good humor and very open discussion, detail how things are currently done (and the dangers inherant for individual investors), why things need to be shaken up (else why a revolution), and the plan for doing so. Very rarely do you find a book on accounting that is a pleasure to read, but this is one of those books

The words "compelling" and "accounting" are seldom used in tandem, but there is no other way to describe this call to arms written by former Harvard Business School professor and three accountants at PricewaterhouseCoopers. The book, which is framed as a manifesto for change in the world of corporate reporting, is written in un-accountant-like language bordering on the subversive. It's main message: Traditional corporate reporting practices are inadequate and downright dangerous in the New Economy. They are inadequate because they don't capture the non-financial measures and intangible assets that now drive value. They are dangerous because they force investors to rely too heavily on short-term financial results, thereby contributing to unprecedented volatility in global equity markets. The authors' remedy? Disclosure of more and better information. This new model is presented in such detail that executives could use it as a blueprint in building new corporate reporting regimens. But you needn't be a corporate leader to appreciate the far-reaching implications of this book, which we at getAbstract.com recommend to all professionals as a - yes - compelling analysis of the current practice and evolving future of corporate reporting and its standards, pivotal benchmarks in the global economy.

"ValueReporting" smoothly describes many broken financial reporting processes, including "whispering", a time-consuming process that CFOs play with analysts, where CFOs "whisper" their earnings expectations to the analyst, making the analysts appear intelligent. A great deal for the analyst cause they don't have to do any real analysis. If the CFO does not play this game, they risk the wrath of Wall Street.

The problem with this is that it is in violation of the spirit (if not the law) of the yet to be enforced SEC Fair Disclosure Act which states that Sally Q. Public gets to know material information the same time that John Q. Analyst does.

"ValueReporting" does offer a practical solution through XBRL technology. As a member of XBRL.org I strongly agree with the authors that if business reporting, both financial and non-financial, is standardized, Web technologies are in place to distribute this information uniformly to all investors and in a richer format than at present. With the gentle prodding of regulatory agencies like the SEC and FDIC, this will happen sooner rather than later. Let's hope that SEC Chairman Unger reads this book, and fast.

For me as a consultant and a technologist "who can spell XBRL", The ValueReporting Revolution was a call to arms to apply my knowledge to the inequities of financial reporting. Helping clients sell their wares over the Web is nice, but to level the financial playing field for small companies as well as large, for the small investor as well as the institutional, is ennobling. And forcing Wall Street analysts to actually work for a living, would be, well, just icing on the cake.

Being a big fan of the show and former military member I looked forward to reading this book and was not dissapointed. The plot was well thought out and the continuous action kept the pace up. It read a lot like a script for the show and would probably make a good episode. I liked the idea of the Davy Jones Locker Club. However for a book I thought there could have been a little more depth to the characters,a little more of their thought processes revealed and a little more description. This would have slowed the reading some but would have fleshed-out a fairly simplistic book. Also I found the editor's proof-reading(or whoever proof-reads) could have been better. At one point early on it seems an entire sentence or two are left out and there are several misspellings throughout the novel. I think it helps to be a fan of the show when you read this book. I'm not sure I would be as enthusiastic if I didn't enjoy JAG on CBS. It was very easy reading, almost too easy.This is no Tom Clancy novel. But like I said it would be a good episode for the series.

Being a fan of JAG I was surprised and excited when I found out there was a TV Tie-In book for the series. I promptly ordered the book and wasn't quite sure what to expect, having read a fair amount of Tie-Ins that were nothing like the series they portrayed. Happily, I was well pleased with my choice! I feel that Robert Tine really captured the feel of an episode of JAG. The characters were well drawn and right on par with the ones I've grown to love through the show. The dialogue and thought processes of the characters were spot-on except for Harm's penchant to revert to heavy cursing -- something I felt was completely out of character for someone who is so good at expressing himself. The action was fast paced and exciting, I was kept guessing and completely immersed until the very end. This story line would certainly make a wonderful episode of JAG -- one I'd love to see. There was just enough humor thrown in -- namely Harm being shifted from one place to another -- to lighten the mood while still advancing the plot. Mr. Tine also captured the chemistry of Harm and Mac perfectly -- right down to the way they play so well off one another. And as a bonus -- Harm even gets to fly! That, in my opinion, is always a plus! There were a few disappointments such as one quite confusing place where some sentences seemed to have been left out of a pretty important scene and there were a few typos spattered throughout that could have been caught through tighter proofreading. I was sad to note the absence of a picture section toward the middle as I've seen in other TV Tie-Ins -- it would have made a nice addition to the book. All that aside, I still rate this book 5 stars because it kept my attention as well as the actual program does and the fact that I will read this book again. Mr. Tine certainly did his research, I could actually see the actors who play these parts in my head as I read. Despite the few errors and the brief slip-up on Harm's character it was a good, solid read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm completely looking forward to the next JAG novel by Robert Tine -- Clean Steel -- and hope that there are plans for other Tie-In novels for this spectacular television program.

I found this book to be very fun to read. I am a JAG lover and felt that Mr. Tine, expressed the characters true to how they are shown on TV. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read or lover of JAG.

Is this a good read? Yes it is, but not necessarily for the accounts of combat missions flown by Robert Morgan, pilot of the famed Memphis Belle, the first B-17 of the 8th Air Force to successfully complete 25 missions, and memoralized by William Wyler's photography and, in 1990, by a movie. More to the point, the story is one of what happened to the heroes of WWII, to those who flew, who were in the foxholes, who strode the deck of a warship. Did everyone come back to marry, buy a house, have children and live happpily ever after? Read this book and perhaps you'll understand in a small way what war meant and what it meant to those who fought in it.

Raised in upper class surroundings in Ashville, North Carolina, Robert Morgan seemed to have a care-free life of good times, fast cars, and plenty of women. But World War II intevenes and Morgan, at loose ends, joins an expanding Air Corps in late 1940. He fell in love with flying, but his career was often jeporadized by his propensities for buzzing buildings and beaches, and his disregard for proper military attire and the finer points of military discipline. There is no doubt of Morgan's abilities and courage, however, because in 1943, after a lengthy tour with his Memphis Belle and crew on a bond drive, he volunteers for the brand new B-29 program. As a squadron commander, Lt. Colonel Morgan is part of the 73rd Bomb Wing, based on Saipan, and flies the first B-29 mission to Tokyo, November 1944, in "Dauntless Dotty." After twenty-six often perilous missions, he is grounded and returned to the States in the summer of 1945. Later discharged, Morgan returns to civilian life with wife and now children and enters the business world begun by his father and headed by his brother, David.

But Robert Morgan's flying career is only part of his story. The other is his personal journey, a trek tinged with sadness and search Despite the privileges and luxury, his father was distant and his beloved mother, a friend of the Vanderbilts, was often away. The suicide of his mother when Morgan was 18 was a serious psychic blow, perhaps accounting in part for his numerous love affairs and marriages. As was true with many others who had seen too many friends killed or lost, Morgan continues for years after the war to wonder "why was I spared, my buddies killed." A drinking problem becomes more serious and it is not until Morgan seeks help from his "Command Pilot," God, and counsel from Billy Graham, does to come to grips with the demons that plagued his life.

Another story is also told; the story of Morgan's greatest love, "The Memphis Belle" and his efforts and those of others to have this fabled plane properly enshrined in Memphis. May Morgan and his "Memphis Belle" have tranquil times in their remaining year.

Robert Morgan had fame thrust upon him for being the pilot of arguably the first air crew to complete the obigatory 25 missions alive and in one piece. The Memphis Belle flew early on in the war, without the benefit of effective long-range fighter escort, a time of heavy losses for the US 8th Air Force, and the US government, looking for a way to publicize the successes of the US bombing campaign, decided to put together a film about one crew--the Memphis Belle was selected. William Wyler masterfully put together one of the finest documentaries of World War II, and a legend was born. In this respect, Morgan was somewhat of an accidental legend, as was his plane. However, Morgan's willingness to return to combat as a pilot of a B-29 in the Pacific when he could have taken it easy and rested on his laurels, proves him to be a man of true heroic qualities. This book deserves to be read, if for no other reason that that it is written by a man who experienced aerial combat in both theaters of combat in World War II. Morgan and his co-writer have done a masterful job of telling the story of what it was like to be a bomber pilot in World War II. The human element is there as well, as Morgan reflects on his personal successes and failures, on his agony at writing letters to the families of crewmen shot down, of his coming to know God after being a Hell-raiser, his problems with alcohol and a failed business, and eventual success and contentment later in life. The Memphis Belle and her crew are living legends, and the story Robert Morgan has to tell goes way beyond a surface treatment of that legend. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the true story of the Memphis Belle, and anyone who simply likes a good biography, honestly told.

Reading the bio of Col Bob Morgan has made history come alive for me. I have never been much of a military history buff, but this book was worth reading. Anyone who had family serve in the Air Corps in WWII should read this book. It is well written by a man who states that the Memphis Belle may be the most famous B 17 ever but she was not the only one and her story is the story of all the Air Corps not just one crew. Bless them all!