This book is one which ALL Star Wars diehard fans must own. It is a complete systematics of the various starships of the Rebel Alliance. Basicly it is the blue prints and scientific explanations that are best. However i gave it a 7/10 because for most of thos with no previous Star Wars experience or no scientific knowledge, this book is cryptic.

Star Wars books are the best in general, And this is a really good one. It tells about another chapter in the rebel alliance. characters are well developed and interesting. with a good plot and several sub plots.

This book is very detailed and gives a lot of useful information and backround history for those who are die-hard fans of star wars and the empire. It is also a great tool for those who play the role playing game also.

This book is an interesting collection of writings and speeches by conductor and erstwhile composer Pierre Boulez.

It has three parts. The first (200 pages) consists of pieces that deal with Boulez' attitudes and philosophy about composing and music. His theories are intellectually interesting, but devoid of musical inspiration. It seems that his low reputation as composer is well deserved.

The second part (also 200 pages) is the most edifying. He displays a deep understanding of the intricacies of the orchestra, and the interpretation of other composer's works. It demonstrates why he is such a reliable conductor.

The third part (100 pages) is the least interesting. It is a collection of personal memories and reminisces.

As a writer, one admires his courage in tackling subjects (like artistic taste) that so obviously open him up to ridicule. Few composers have explained their thought processes in a way so clearly understandable to the layman better than Boulez.

In summary, one comes to the conclusion that Boulez will be remembered, if he is remembered at all, as a conductor who produced some top notch recordings of Stravinsky and Debussy, and some mediocre Wagner operas.

I cannot add much to the other reviews, this is the full weight of Boulez from both worlds as conductor and creator of theory and music. Boulez always found inroads into the theory of his works, like the indeterminate, aleatoric Third Piano Sonata which includes an analysis here, great reading from tis documentary value. Also reflections on Debussy's Jeux, a seminal work for the post-war generation of composers, the epiphanic, the slow introduction of materials and their appraisal. The problem is that Boulez writes quite tersivily, in short bursts, much like the sonic poet he is. Also the work on Wagner's Ring is discussed quite well, the approach to faster tempi, and Wagner's free form almost leitmotiv, where these musical ideas float through. There is also much on administration, on creating IRCAM, and reflections on where Booulez came from, profiles of Desormiere,Hans Rosbaud, Hermann Scherchen. Boulez would frequent their rehearsals, a hands-on non credit education.

For anyone even remotely interested in the world of contemporary music and the volcanic changes that Pierre Boulez spearheaded in that conservative world from the 50's to the present, this is the essential book--a manifesto outlining the hopes, ideals, problems and successes that we face in the modern musical world. Every subject is covered here; from extensive essays and polemics to recording sleeve notes to interviews and tributes to musical colleagues and friends, Boulez leaves no subject untouched. What may seem at first dry and forbidding turns out to be, upon powerful and deep immersion, an inspiring and even moving text and 'calling' for the modern musician.

I intially got into Cooper by mistaking his work for another writer, but found myself happily surprised after reading some short stories he had written.
This book is pretty much standard for Cooper, not to say it is bad. It is always fascinating to read about the sorts of things people think about but never admit to. Or the things which ahppen in life no one wants to talk about. Specifically very dirty sex and murder. And this book will cover all of that.
It's rather hard to explain the plot since I don't think there is one in any normal sense. Dennis Cooper ust isn't that kind of writer. Instead, we have vignettes all orbiting around one character, George Miles, a teenager sort of confused by and removed from the world. This quality he has allows numerous tortures to be enacted upon him and he takes it, not really seeming to feel any deeper sort of pleasure. A character it is easy to project upon by the other characters.
It's been a few months since I've read this, but it still seems fresh in my head. This is the sort of stuff which will seriously affect you, but some will find it too shocking and repulsive for their taste.

I've just finished this book, my third so far by Dennis Cooper, the other two being "Frisk" and "Guide". Cooper seems to be covering the same issues of sadomaschoism, death, murder, homosexual rape, etc...In this book as compared to the other two the reader can see his development as a writer,which in the later books he is more controlled in his prose. This was one of his first books, while the other two were written later. It's a good novel with some similar characters but it left me with a coldness inside.

this is one of the most painful books i've ever read. it hurts to read it, but it's still one of my favorite books. cooper has an ability to show situations that are both horrific and beautiful. that really hit home for me because i think that's how life really is. it's like children singing in hell.
i read this one right after _Frisk_ and liked it a lot better. i could identify more with the George character, than i could with anyone in the other book. the portrait of the kid who gets exploited by everyone around him in different ways is just amazing. i couldn't sleep the night i read it. it's one of those books that makes you sad and contemplative. if you want to do that, definitely pick it up. if not, it might not be a good idea.

An excellent book which I heartily endorse for a layperson's understanding of cholesterol. An everything you need to know book, with all the latest as of the publication date. The doc also has recommendations based on his own experience and research, most obviously well considered and grounded. Of course, things are moving so fast in heart and health research that I have questions since the two months ago I read this book, and things are left unanswered. I felt the book failed to synthesize adequately all the information that is coming out. E.G. how do we combine the benecol with the vitamin e,c,b, the fish oil, the garlic, the COQ-10, the flaxseed oil, melatonin etc. Does the benecol affect absorption of some of these other food ingredients being touted now by the researchers? And, do we take something, or everything, and if we combine everything, when do we ingest? I also had questions, unanswered, about the doc's touting of oat bran and psyllium fiber, since other research indicates that these foods, like processed wheat flour, have high glycemic indexes, and therefore that large ingestions would by inference tend to increase blood triglycerides. Thus, maybe I consider this more an information book than a program book, as I felt that latter aspect as explained needs more work.

I agree wholeheartedly with the other reviewers. At first, I thought it was just hype, but Dr. Cooper convinced me that new foods like Benecol actually work to reduce cholesterol. My doctor wanted me to take medication, but I hate taking pills. This is so much easier and I trust eating food more than taking pills.

Dr. Cooper also proved to me that I needed to be even more concerned about cholesterol than I thought. Cholesterol is a problem in America and lower is better. I was happy to read that there are many other doctors and clinical studies that support Dr. Cooper's use of Benecol to lower it.

Dr. Cooper provides straight, clear advice on how to lower cholesterol naturally with functional foods like new Benecol foods and even bran flakes. His recipes and meal tips provide even more options for including Benecol into the everyday routine. His explanation of the "science" behind this new food is simple and understandable. His discussion of the additional cholesterol reduction seen when Benecol is used alongside a cholesterol-lowering medication is intriguing.

Reviewer: S.A. Roe Desperate Times is a collection of poetry by Charles Cooper written and assembled over more than 8 years of his life, which does indeed read as a journey. Mr. Cooper is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic College and the originator of the PBAC Poetry Society. Currently pursuing his graduate education at Old Dominion University, he spends his time with family and continues his writing.

While journeying through this book, the reader is skillfully led from one poem to the next in anticipation. This skillful direction can be seen in "Declared Love" which concludes:
"We would be married on the morrow,
"No later," she said
And our separate lives would end."
Leading subtly to "In Holy Matrimony"
"The morrow came with the night far away
Expectancy grew for the marriage today,...."

What appeals most to the reader is the depth of emotion evoked in this poetry. The reader cannot avoid becoming emotionally involved in this search for self. This emotional connection is apparent in "Finding Peace":

Would the journey was the goal,
Would the fountain was my soul,
Forever spouting the words of the universal night.

Or "Introspection of a Loner"

I am destroying my own self,
From the inside to the outside,
No man could defeat me,
So to myself I bring demise.

Many references are made to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Roger Waters, Dylan Thomas, Robert Browning and other great poets throughout this work and the influence of these great men is evident in the poetry of Charles Cooper.

Desperate Times is full of diversity in both structure and content. The words and patterns hold the attention and keep the reader focused. In the author's poetry, anxiety and concern over lost love, faith undone, and a search for the soul are balanced with the power of truth and love. It reflects desperate times indeed for this poet, who has expressed his spiritual journey in a well-written, inspirational collection that leaves the reader believing poetry is his life and all of life is poetry.

American poetry is HUGE - everywhere one looks there are readings, contests,"slams" etc. Of course, just because there's a lot of poetry out there doesn't mean any of it is any good. So I thought until I came across Desperate Times. Definitely a breed apart from the average "slammer", Cooper seems to have an enthusiastic grasp of the classics, and uses this enthusiasm to good effect. It is plain that he worships his influences (especially in his earlier poems included in this volume), but never lets his admiration degenerate into mere imitation.
That said, what caught my attention about Cooper's work was his unique turn of phrase which captures complex ideas and releases them to the reader with an elegant simplicity. For example, in "Every Man Within", the great mystery of Adam and Eve is summed up neatly thus: "The rib that was taken left him empty inside/the emptiness that would only be fulfilled by a bride." All over Desperate Times there are instances where an otherwise-average poem is electrified and elevated by such concise yet universal ideas.

Charles Cooper's is a unique voice in American poetry - by staying true to his influences he creates a new truth all his own. He is one to watch!

Combining free verse with traditional rhyme schemes and experimental formats, Charles Cooper's Desperate Times is the work of a writer at the height of his poetic skill. Dividing his book into twelve sections, Cooper takes the reader along with him on a perilous psychological journey through love, madness, and pain.

Though the poet's mastery of his craft is enhanced by numerous references to great writers of the past, notably Ralph Waldo Emerson, A.E. Housman, and T.S. Eliot, clearly it is Cooper's own poetic gift that carries the day. Often varying his writing style from one poem to another, and even stanza-to-stanza, Cooper makes excellent use of rhythm in a number of offerings, particularly his beatnik-inspired effort, "The Black Bleeding Heart Beats Alone," and provides readers with searing portrayals of the human condition in eloquently rendered poems like "Failure" and "The Wastrel."

It is probably safe to assume that some readers who come to Cooper's book with a built-in faith presupposition will not like every line they read. A few of his jabs at religion are rather irreverent to be sure, although it would be unfair to say his book devalues religious thought entirely. In the end, Desperate Times is a stellar effort for Cooper, a literary work true to its author's vision and triumphant in its poetic craftsmanship.

this book is very well done.the focus is on tour dates,where he played,what city,etc. in addition,it has some text about who the band members were,tv shows and special events,bootlegs,and much more.it is not a dedicated history to the man--but more a sleek year by year diary from the 70s to the 90s--in fact,reading this really makes you want to see alice live!i found it to be concise and a pleasure to read.very well researched!

I was very impressed with the intensity of the research and detail of this book. The author takes you chronologically through Alice's career, focussing on recordings, tours, film and television and books. He goes bit by bit, album by album, single by single, and fills each entry with loads of detail. Minutiae including who played what, on which song, how the song did on the charts, variation in design, dates, formats, catalogue numbers, trivia-pretty much everything I wanted to know about Alice's output from 1964 to 1998. The book is split into five periods: 1964-74, 1975-79, 1980-82, 1984-1990, and 1991-1998. It is chock full of photos (many of which I had never seen before) both in black and white and in color and information (much of which I didn't know). It is a fascinating read for the Alice Cooper fan, and written so it can be read like a book (I read it cover to cover the first day I got it), or used as a reference guide (I have referred to it many times since). I can't recommend it enough for anyone who has questions about Alice or his music. This book answers it all.

This book is jam packed of any and every item imaginable on Alice. It is an amazingly informative as well. Each item is described in such detail you literally get lost in it.Has lots and lots of photos of the merchandise.Has rare bootlegs etc,too. Don't hestitate on getting this one. It is a winner!

Li Po (AD 701 - 762) and Tu Fu (AD 712 - 770) are regarded as the two greatest Chinese poets. Li Po was a spiritual poet whose verse deals with consciousness and the human mind, whilst Tu Fu was a chronicler of the everyday life. The book includes a thorough introduction encompassing the pronunciation of Chinese words and names, notes on the Chinese calligraphy and the introduction proper which provides information on the poets and their times, plus backgrounds to T'ang Poetry and the principles of Chinese syllabic metre. The poems are elucidated with explanatory notes and with reference to Ezra Pound's translations in his book Cathay. In this regard, I found here another translation of Li Po's poem The Ballad Of Ch'ang-Kan (The Sailor's Wife) the first part of which was translated as The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter, by Pound. This is a beautiful poem and I was very pleased to find the second part here. Although there is no unanimity amongst scholars that it really is by Li Po, it perfectly completes the first part and Cooper's notes here are very illuminating, especially as regards place names on the Yangtse river. This excellent book concludes with a list of titles and an index of first lines, including poems by other poets in the introduction.

I am not giving the stars to the translation or the edition. This is the only book on Li Po I could find available a few months ago. I guess I was lucky enough to run into an old edition of Li Po's poetry at my University library years ago, and had been looking for a copy since then. Got this. Want more.

LI PO AND TU FU : Poems Selected and Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Arthur Cooper. Chinese Calligraphy by Shui Chien-tung. (Penguin Classics). 249 pp. Penguin 1973, and Reissued.

This is a valuable book in many ways. Besides giving a selection of enjoyable translations of China's two greatest poets - Li Po (+ 701-762, 25 poems) and Tu Fu (+ 712-770, 18 poems), it also includes a remarkably full and informative Introduction of almost 100 pages which not only serves to introduce beginners to the subject of Chinese poetry, and to the work of Li Po and Tu Fu in particular, but which could also be read with profit by others.

Each of the 43 poems is followed by an explanatory comment, which can range in length from paragraph to essay form. The book also includes a Guide to the Pronunciation of Chinese Words and Names, and, since twelve of the poems are accompanied by the Chinese text in the striking calligraphy of Shui Chien-tung, a Note on Chinese Calligraphy has been provided by the artist for the benefit of those who may not be familiar with the nature and history of this fascinating art form.

Shui Chien-tung has "adopted a manner influenced by Chinese bronze inscriptions [and] has also followed various styles of writing to suit the different poems" (pp.13-14). The result is a clear style which in most cases will cause no problems for anyone who may be studying Chinese characters, since the structure of even the more complex characters can easily be discerned.

Here, as an example of Cooper's style (with my obliques added to indicate line breaks), is the first of two 'sonnets' of Tu Fu's 'At an Evening Picnic, with Young Bucks and Beauties' :

"Sunset's the time to take the boat out / When a light breeze raises slow ripples, / Bamboo-hidden is the picnic place / And lotus-fresh in the evening cool; // But while the bucks are mixing iced drinks / And beauties snow a lotus salad, / A slip of cloud comes black overhead : / Before it rains my sonnet must end !" (p.163)

Cooper's reading nicely evokes the lighthearted amusements of spoiled and wealthy youth, out on the cool water with a party of singing girls for an evening of companionship and pleasure after the heat of the day.

Cooper's anthology has an excellent Introduction, is of manageable size, well-translated, helpfully annotated, uniquely illustrated with Shui Chien-tung's calligraphy, and has other useful features. It would make a good introduction for anyone new to Chinese poetry, and it can also be read with interest by anyone wishing to extend their knowledge of Li Po and Tu Fu.

Those who, after reading it, would like to explore further and learn about some of China's other great writers, might take a look at the excellent anthology by Cyril Birch, another book I can strongly recommend:

ANTHOLOGY OF CHINESE LITERATURE : From early times to the fourteenth century. Compiled and edited by Cyril Birch. Associate editor Donald Keene. 492 pp. New York : Grove Press, 1965, and Reissued.

I was required to read this book (it reads like a textbook)for an American history class I was taking in my sophomore year, and I love the book. Cooper integrated various facets (political, social, military, and cultural history) into a solid and interesting read. It can be a little dense at times, but it is a very good beginning for those interested in twentieth-century American history.

I had to read this book for my US History,1914-1945 class, and I have to admit, I am quite pleased with it. It was well-organized and gives an in-depth look into the Roosevelt and Wilson presidencies. This book is a must for anyone interested in 20th-century American history.

I liked this book. It details the history of the USA in pretty sensible chronological order from 1900 to 1920, with good description of the events during those momentous decades. It is pretty balanced, and should not offend anyone with biases one way or the other. The author is an authority on the two dominating figures of those decades, Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, and I read his dual study, The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, on October 7, 1995, with much appreciation. Cooper writes in a clear style, and even tho this book read like a college textbook, hey, it is fun to read a college textbook on such interesting subjects as this book deals with. A good and worthwhile book.

This book is incredible!!! It sheds a new light on how to interact with a variety of people. After reading this book you will truely understand the "different strokes" that "different folks" have and how to effectively communicate with them. Applications of this materail is relevant in your personal life in addition to your professional life. If you want to grow your communication and listening skills--don't pass this one up!

This is a concise, straight to the point book that gives salespeople some simple tools to better understand what is important in the minds of their clients. The perspective that these tools provides has enabled me to more effectively find solutions to my customer's concerns. It is well worth the hour it takes to read.

This is a great book for anyone in sales. It will help me adjust my presentation styles to the particular temperament that I am dealing with and also help me be a better manager. This is a must read!

"Inferno: Book Two of Indigo" finds Princess Anghara/Indigo and her stuttering wolf in a burning realm of torment and terror. A village of copper miners is coerced into joining the cult of Charchad, who turns out to be one of the demons that Anghara/Indigo loosed upon the world in Book One of this series. Anyway, Charchad forces the villagers to mine uranium (we never learn why), and death, radiation poisoning, and really icky mutations make life miserable for all who stumble into his realm. Indigo and Grimya, her talking wolf, join forces with Jasker, a priest of the Fire Goddess Ranaya, in order to destroy the cult of Charchad and the demon, Aszareel.

Indigo spends a large part of "Inferno" trapped in lava flows, torturing a mine overseer (who, admittedly, is slimy, revolting character), and snarling at her allies. I can't figure out why anyone would like her or want to help her, especially the poor wolf.

"Nemesis: Book One of Indigo" was definitely a better read than "Inferno: Book Two of Indigo". I'm still debating whether I should venture into Book Three. I keep hoping Indigo will lose the stuttering wolf and develop a more winning personality, because I really admire Louise Cooper's writing ability. Her "Time Master" trilogy is one of the best reads in Fantasy.

Maybe the "Indigo" series is just not for me. Check out "Inferno" if you must, but Niven & Pournelle's "Inferno" is a far better read (not to mention Dante Alighieri's).

I absolutely love this book it has a lot of emotions. As I read the book I felt emotionally involved. I think that the book was well written because the author able to make me feel like I was one of the characters in the book. There was a time when I felt cheated because Quinas acted as if he was really hurt by what Indigo and Jasker's elementals had done to him. The telepathic she-wolf really did care for her friend yet, Indigo didn't see that. Nemesis, Indigo's enemy that will dog her in her footsteps, had such a hold on her that she couldn't see that.

An original plot. Louise really has so many elements in her novels, despite the fact they aren't terribly long. It is easy to over look them. Her look at the pressure to conform in society, fear of man and the unknown, the effects of religious fanatacism, and how subjectivity can obscure reality. In Inferno, Indigo finds a religious group falling apart, literally, from the effects of their new found deity, Charchad. This is perhaps the most physical demon Indigo faces. The story's resolution is on par for Louise Cooper, where this book gets outstanding is the powerful, and nearly overwhelming imagery she creates. As one reviewer noted you can almost feel the heat, the nacreous glow of decay that the Charchad emminates you can so easily envision. You can feel the community decaying as you read. A strong first challenge for Indigo and it really grabs a hold of you. Plus even though you can feel the evil of the Demon Cooper doesn't create a derivative demon at all. It isn't growly and melodramatic, it feels alien and perhaps even insane, but evil nonetheless. Enjoy.