I am afraid that this book was not that interesting to me. I was disturbed by the fact that every one of these women were disturbed on some level. I felt so sorry for Ellie. I wished that she could have gotten her life together. I didn't think that all pieces of the puzzle fit together. The book confused me to the point that by the end I was not very interested in it.

This book was the first proper novel that i ever read. Several years ago now. And it has brought me so far...It instilled in me my passion for the mystery/detective/thriller genre, and reading itself. It brought me to treasure, above many other things, the importance of a novel's characters, and to consider least of all the actual quality of the prose. This book is undoubtedly written brilliantly, but i enjoyed it so much that i didnt notice. And that told me an important lesson: It does not matter how well a book is written, as long as you enjoy it. (For even if this was written badly, i would still have enjoyed it.)

Morse himself is a puzzle wrapped in so many enigmas and conundrums that his character at times resembles and onion. Even by the final novel, we have not really found out what makes him tick. He remains a puzzle to the last.

Lewis is a very likeable man, an impressive Watson to Morse's Holmes. He is a simple man, but at times can be just as puzzling as Morse.

The plot with this one is simple but incredibly effective. It tells the tale of harmed women, and the revenges that they take. There is one woman in particular who stands out, and that is the teacher, Julia. She is an incredibly strong character, and a rather moving one in how devoted she is to her friend, and her motives for it.

This is a very strong novel, with a truly fitting title. It is an exemplary book of detection, with very strong characters and a very powerful plot. Until he retired, it is truly so that Dexter was probably the best living male crime writer we in Britain had. We lament his departure.

I was a bit wary about starting this novel--I didn't care for THE WENCH IS DEAD or THE WAY THROUGH THE WOODS (found them horribly dull, actually)--but I decided to give it a try. It was well worth the effort; of all the Dexter mysteries I've read, THE DAUGHTERS OF CAIN is easily the best.

A former Oxford professor, Dr. Felix McClure, is found stabbed to death in his flat, and as usual, Inspector Morse and his faithful Watson, Sergeant Lewis, are assigned the case. The two discover a suspicious connection between McClure and a ne'er-do-well named Ted Brooks, who himself vanishes suddenly. As you'd expect from the title, the cast of suspects is almost exclusively female, and Dexter does a fantastic job of probing the passions--both love and hatred--that drive women to murder.

Interestingly enough, the most perplexing question is not so much whodunit as howdunit, and the solution that Dexter provides is very tricky, and very clever. You'd be hard-pressed, though, to find a writer plays more fairly with clues; all the information necessary to deduce the solution is there, albeit hidden in plain sight.

But this novel entertains on many levels, plot being the least of them. With Morse at his grumpy, endearingly brilliant best, and Lewis acting once again as the perfect comic foil, the journey is as much fun as the destination. The story is well-paced, and all the characters are so thoroughly engaging that even the less action-packed segments (which basically means the whole book--this is a British mystery, after all) are fascinating. Finally, no other writer in the English language writes quite like Colin Dexter, whose impeccably idiosyncratic prose is a joy to read. The dialogue is frequently hilarious, the social observations are sharp but subtle, and the use of language (words like "dolichocephalic" pop up more than once) is marvelously quirky. In all, a delightfully sophisticated, immensely satisfying piece of writing.

This book has apparently stood the test of time. While I read it, I had no idea that it had been written 30 years ago. The historic details are magnificent, as is Delderfield's sense of English geography. The story is rather simple and predictable however. And the characters are too perfect. No character is this book is ever in danger of knowing failure, and to me, that detracts from their depth.

This book is a must read for any Anglophile. The story traces the development of a haulage firm that serves all of Enland and Wales and part of Scotland. While that is the major focus, the family life of the founder of "Swan on Wheels" is very much a part of it. In fact, all the characters involved are well presented with divergent and believable personalities.

I am 15 and I loved God is an Englishman. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and the hours I spent on the 816 pages flew by. I found myself trying to finish my homework as early as possible so that I could get to the book before bed. It was also wonderful because it gave me so much to relate to in my Modern European History Class, where we are studying the same time period. I understand the events that we are learning about much more clearly because of Adam and Henrietta Swann. Everyone should read this book, I can't wait to read the other two!

This one's a fast-paced jaunt through parts of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars as the British Lord Wellington confronts and battles Napoleon's occupying forces in that country. Major Richard Sharpe, a lower class sort of guy who has worked his way up the military ranks through prior escapades and prior books, is here confronted with false charges and must prove his innocence through a secret excursion behind enemy lines. This is the stuff of great excitement. And yet I found much of it predictable and the character of the major and his "lady love" and the assorted villains all rather thin and one-dimensional. The series in which this book is placed apparently has a devoted following and this is not surprising for Cornwell has a light hand on the narrative helm and a keen eye for detail and for vividly depicting the scenes in which the tale takes place, especially in the heat of battle. But his villains are just too evil for my taste and his "good guys" too perfect. I was never in doubt, even for a moment, that the good major would work his way out of every predicament and move on, inexorably, to the next book. Maybe that's a hazard of a series like this. Anyway, it was well written if ultimately rather light reading. -- SWM

This is the odd man out in the series (so far), which is a nice change. For much of the novel, Sharpe is out of the army, without Harper or Hogan, and on the run, trying to clear his name and win back his officer's commission.

The scene where Sharpe rescues his lover, a onetime French spy, from a nunnery is the funniest writing in the series so far (eight books and counting). And when a fortuitous explosion frees him from the French, the description of Sharpe wandering away, drunken and dazed, from the burning castle is surreal.

For anyone who thinks Sharpe is a one-dimensional hero character, Sharpe's Honor shows Sharpe's many weaknesses: his inability to sidestep a ruinous challenge to his honor; his blind obsession with a woman who is at best, fickle, at worst, treacherous; his destructive self-pity.

This novel concentrates on the interior worlds of Sharpe and other characters more than earlier books have. It's illuminating to see the battle of Vittoria from so many viewpoints. And Cornwell continues to show that truth is stranger than fiction by taking incidents that really happened, such as the bizarre looting of the French baggage train, and weaving them into the story.

Sharpe's Honor is another strong entry in the series.

Excellent adventure reading. I liked all Sharp stories.

Not only does this book introduce students to the essential techniques, but also to a wide variety of composers from various countries and periods. I feel this is important as it allows the beginner to not only gain an appreciation for the contributions of these composers, but also allows the student to determine the area of focus they would like to pursue in the future, whether that be a preference for Baroque period or Spanish composers, etc.

If there is a flaw, it is found in the accompanying CD. Students, such as myself, can be mislead in what is attainable. For example, the first piece on the CD is called "Spanish Study", which sounds like a simplified version of Leyenda. Nevertheless, if you hear how fast Frederick Noad plays, it is extremely discouraging because there is no way in the world 99.99% of beginning students are going to be able to play this first piece at tempo. It leaves you feeling, "if this is what is expected of a beginning student on the first piece, maybe this instrument is way beyond my capacity, and I should just look for an easier instrument." So, I feel the CD would have been better done if Frederick Noad had played the pieces at a tempo that is realistic for a beginning student. To me, the purpose of an accompanying CD is not to show how a professional would play it, but to show you how you should sound if you play it correctly for the student level to which the book is targeted.

Secondly, one thing beginning students may not know about is a "digital editing", which I'm sure was done on some of the pieces played, since the average for classical guitar is 100 digital edits per 20 minutes of music. An excellent example of this is in the beautiful "El Testamen de Amelia". If the student tries to reproduce those phenomenal artificial harmonics that Frederick Noad plays on the CD, you can spend weeks trying to reproduce such a crisp, clean bell-like sound. Fortunately, my own teacher, who has been playing for over 40 years, pointed this out to me and showed me what can realistically be expected in terms of sound produced in artificial harmonics. So, my point is the student can spend many frustrating weeks trying to produce a sound that is exactly like that on the CD, not knowing it's impossible since we can't digitally edit our playing.

Consequently, you might want to just buy the book without the CD as it can be more harmful than it is helpful in your progress.

One other shortcoming is the lack of a glossary of musical terms used in the pieces. For example, in the same piece mentioned above (El Testamen de Amelia), he uses the term "rall. poco". I spent considerable time going back through the entire book, as well as searching the Internet, trying to figure out what that meant. I was not able to find out until my next visit to see my own teacher.

With the exception of the two shortcomings mentioned, it's an excellent book, and I'm glad I chose the Noad instruction books over others. The final series of Tarrega and Llobet pieces make the end of the journey through Book 1 worth it all.

I think this is a great book for your instrumental needs. I got tired of reading tablature and am taking up classical guitar. Mr. Noad lays the music right before your eyes. The Beggining music is easy to learn and keeps your confidence high. When you get into it they have some very nice pieces, Spanish Study, for example is very good. I highly suggest this book for anyone who is looking to play Classical Guitar.

This is the book I started with and I'm very glad I did! Noad is probably the most accessible guitar method author around. I'm self-taught and believe me there are many ways you can go wrong by being your own teacher. If you like the dummies genre of computer books you'll love this method. He doesn't assume you know anything to start with or try to impress with his advanced mastery. But he does have an intimate knowledge of what a beginner needs to know and how to impart that knowledge. His book one and two are an excellent example of what separates a great guitarist and teacher from just a great guitarist. But you need to read and re-read the text very carefully. There are subtle points, which if glossed over will cause untold pain and cursing later on. But it's all right there in the book. If you heed his advice and study twice as carefully as if you had an instructor whom could catch those mistakes then you'll be ok!

All these guitar methods (including this one) have one glaring deficiency: Lack of enough and varied practice material. Maybe I'm a little dense but classical guitar is not easy. It takes time and a LOT of practice! One can only repeat the same few lines of notation so many times without getting bored to tears. So I solved the problem by getting just about every method book known to man. After the first couple of books it starts to flow and become fun! Each book goes over the same concepts in a little different way with of course different practice pieces. The flaws of one book are cancelled by another and it becomes exciting as you move faster and faster through each text. What was once arduous becomes smooth and pleasant! The Carcassi book is great once you are a little more adept. It's purportedly for beginners but is rather dry and pedantic and a tough slog if you're just starting. There's some great stuff in there however if you already have the basics of notation down. I found it very useful for learning the higher positions. The Christopher Parkening books are great. He starts right out and keeps going with very pleasant sounding practice pieces, which helps keep your enthusiasm high. But like most others (unlike Noad) he leaves out small but crucial details that leave one scratching ones head or throwing projectiles. But if you've done Noad first you just say AH! I know what that is! Jason Waldron is also good and straight forward, easy to understand. (Although I wish he would come out with his second book already!) He has a whole gaggle of songbooks (6) filled with familiar folk tunes, some classical and including CDs. They are very pleasant, easy, confidence building practice pieces. But I prefer Baroque. Node does a very excellent book of Baroque pieces. He also has a Renaissance book with some very pretty tunes. What a joy to read and play such beautiful pieces from hundreds of years ago! It's definitely worth the work!

Now, to end on a bit of a heretical note. I had to teach myself because I really don't like the sound of nylon strings on the classical guitar! I wanted to play baroque music on an electric or steel string acoustic guitar. Just like each person plays every piece a little differently and with his or her own interpretation, I wanted to be able to shape my own personal sound with electronics. Besides, I just like the sound of steel!
So, I use a flat pick to replace the thumb and steel finger picks on the last three fingers. As an added bonus you don't have to fuss with all that fingernail growing, filing, business! I like it and it works pretty well although I still haven't quite figured out how to do harmonics... but I'm working on it! Who knows, you might want to try it also? So, I hope you come to enjoy the classical guitar as much as I do. Persevere through the initial pain and you will never be sorry you did!

This relatively recent compilation of treatment methods for alcoholism is a well-researched summary of alternatives to the popular AA-style abstinence method. The book has an agenda, as will any work on this subject--Ogilvie asks why, in a world where medical treatments are increasingly being tailored to fit the individual, treatment methods for alcoholism other than complete abstinence are so controversial. A very useful resource.

Sometimes it seems like 12-step programs have taken over the world! Their adherents zealously insist that the 12 steps/AA is the ONLY way to cope with alcoholism. This book presents a welcome escape from the tyranny of 12 steppers. In a thoughtful, balanced way, the author reports that there really are other answers for alcoholics, answers that might suit some of them much better than abstainence programs do. She carefully examines all sides of the abstainence argument and details a variety of alternative programs. In addition to the very readable narrative, the book contains an extremely valuable appendix that describes more than a dozen different programs/organizations and gives contact information for each as well as a list of therapists who offer moderation training.

I liked this book because it describes different options than the only one I knew about before I read the book -- Alcoholics Anonymous. As a person who is not particularly religious, the idea of giving up drinking completely AND beginning a new religion at the same time was never going to happen. Now I have some ideas to help me try to cut back, and see if that will work for me. If not, maybe I'll try one of the other groups mentioned in the book. Easy to read, too! Also liked all the web addresses for help and research.

I found this book to be Average. The writer is honest in his confessions I'll give him that, but I lost all interest in the reading after about 100 pages. Missing spirituality, not compelling.

this is a classic tell-all, coming of age story in 1700's europe: rousseaus' mother dies at an early age, and through his imagination and melancholic pursuits, and once his father's hands-off approach ensues, he is left to seek beauty and justice elsewhere.

rich with detailed observations of life, people and his place in the world, it is a wonderful introduction to the man rousseau.

persecuted for later writings and publishment of his philosophy, i.e. the social contract, among others (and much like de sade and huxley} he still found a small niche of support in his time.

other related authors/books i would recommend: the first man, albert camus; aldous huxley; mario vargas llosa.

Rarely have I read such a relevant and sophisticated thinking in a book centuries old. While Rousseau is not one of the world's most famous political and social commentators, his impact and the quality of writing should convince everyone to read his book. In Confessions, he gives a wonderful literary performance, running the gamut from humorous cultural commentator to serious political theorist. It is just a wonderful book to read.

Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in 18th century France, to a middle class family that was wealthy enough to give him a chance at schooling. Rousseau has an amazing ability to find sponsors to fund his education and continued way of life. The man is quite the rogue however, and he is constantly running from town to town, getting in some outlandish situations. The narrative includes plenty of social critiques, anything from the effect of religion on society to the class system. Through Rousseau's social life, you see deep into the world of Bourbon era France. A clever mind can pick up on satirical and damning indictments the young Rousseau makes on the existing system, as he becomes aware that rather drastic changes are needed. Of course, the story also takes us through Rousseau's sexual adventures, which make for fun reading alone.

With all the frivolity of the narrative, it is important to remind ourselves of the importance of this book. Rousseau and his philosophy, outlined in Confessions, was one of the driving forces behind the French revolution, especially among the Jacobins. It is said that Robespierre claimed his allegiance to Rousseau in the moments leading up to his execution. While one can doubt Robespierre's real allegiance to the true ideals of Rousseau, it does highlight the emphasis many French intellectuals put on Jean-Jaques. To the modern reader, the philosophy of Rousseau can teach us all a lot about government and the nature of its relationship with the people. A great book.

I must say, if there is anything that I wanted or needed to know about Coca-Cola, I now know it!

I am studying organization communication and I had to pick an organizational memior in which to do a project on. I chose this book in part because I have always been a Coca-Cola fan, but mainly because my husband now works for the corporate giant and I thought a little personal interest may help to motivate me.

What an in-depth description of the birth and life of our favorite little red & white beverage! From Doc Pemberton and his addictions to the present when millions are now "addicted" to his special creation. This book not only describes how Coke itself was created, but it also goes into great detail about how the image of this soft drink was initiated, molded, and eventually perfected over the years. Frederick takes us through the ups, the downs, and the way downs of the beverage as well as the company. He also gives a clear depiction of what life must have been like in Atlanta in the late 1800's-early 1900's.

My favorite thing about the way that this book is written is the way in which the author tells us a story rather than spitting 500 pages of facts and figures at us. I'm quite sure that I wouldn't have been able to make it through the entire thing had he not grabbed my attention with the fascinating history within the first several chapters. I would most definately reccommend this book to anyone, and not just because I'm partial to the crisp, refreshing, wonderful, exhilerating beverage. :-) Seriously, if you are interested in corporate culture or business of any kind, a history buff, or perhaps you just like Coke, then this is a must read. Just make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to finish(the length is the only reason why it got 4 stars instead of 5 in my book)!

Over the course of the past 100+ years, Coca-Cola has become the best known brand in the world. The story of Coke is one of America, as well as one of a great business that was built from the ground up. Secret Formula does an excellent job of taking the reader on a trip through the often-tumultuous history of the Coca-Cola Company.

While not initially apparent, I think the central theme of the story is captured nicely by the following quote from Lao-Tzu:

"To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty."

The company lost touch with its customers and developed an arrogance that threatened to change the company forever.

Secret Formula is, first and foremost, a beautifully written book. Unlike many business biographies that focus exclusively on the corporate narrative while forsaking literate prose, Allen's writing is taught, clear, and even poetic, a carbonaceous gem. Coca-Cola has a long and enviable corporate history, beginning with humble origins and evolving into the single most recognizable brand on the planet. While no single volume can claim to tell the whole story, this work comes close.

Allen reminds us that Coke's top executives were keenly aware of one devastating realization: what they were selling could evaporate in an instant if the drink wasn't marketed to capture a share of the consumer's mind and heart. Today, when you enter a supermarket, you do not see a stack of tawdry red cans filled with sugared, carbonated, colored tap water. You see, recognize, feel and understand, something altogether more - long before you taste what's in the can. What's in the can is magic. This extraordinary book takes you backstage to witness how the magicians of Coca-Cola made the act work.

A crime has occurred, often (though not always) a murder. As authorities and observers attempt to solve the mystery, often arriving at a false solution, meekly in the background is a humble, unassuming priest. Using his knowledge of the criminal mind, and often bringing to bear theology (because unsound theology is the basis of moral failure), the unnoticed priest arrives at the solution. Each time one comes to the end of these short mysteries, the reader realizes that there is some small detail that he or she missed, which was not missed by Father Brown. Thus is displayed the power of quiet observation. These short stories make for some good bedtime reading, and even profound theological reflection. The only reason I gave this volume four stars instead of five is that mystery is not personally my favorite genre. Even non-mystery lovers can enjoy these stories much as I have.

In the genre of the finely crafted English detective story, Chesterton's "Father Brown" stories are wholesome and stimulating detective tales surpassed by few others, except perhaps Doyle's legendary Sherlock Holmes. In contrast to the arrogant Holmes, however, Chesterton's protagonist is rather quiet, unassuming and modest, and makes an unlikely hero - a catholic priest. Father Brown's simple manner makes you quick to underestimate him, but the startling flashes of brilliance that spill from beneath his humble exterior soon make you realize that he has a firm grasp on the truth of a situation when you are as yet frustratingly distant from it. His perceptive one-liners make it evident that he has a clear insight into something that you see only as an apparently insoluble paradox.

Chesterton has been called the "prince of paradox", and the Father Brown stories are a clear testimony of his fondness for paradox. Ultimately it is not just crimes that Brown must solve, but the paradox underlying them. In fact, not all stories are crime stories - among them are mysterious situations that do not involve criminals, and it is the perceptive insight of Father Brown that is needed make apparent contradictions comprehensible by his ruthless logic. Father Brown is not so much concerned with preserving life or bringing a criminal to justice as he is with unravelling the strands of an impossible paradox. In fact, Chesterton's conception of Father Brown is itself a paradox - both a cleric and a crime-fighter, a priest and a policeman, a representative of God's mercy and an instrument of God's justice, a proclaimer of forgiveness and a seeker of guilt, a listener in the confessional and a questioner in the interrogation.

How a priest could possibly play the role of a detective is explained in the first story, "The Blue Cross". Brown apprehends the confounded criminal Flambeau and explains that his knowledge of the criminal mind is due in part to what he's heard at the confessional booth "We can't help being priests. People come and tell us these things." When Flambeau retorts "How in blazes do you know all these horrors?" Chesterton allows his humble priest to attribute his insight into human depravity to his experience as a priest: "Oh, by being a celibate simpleton, I suppose, he said. Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil."

But both Chesterton and Father Brown have insight into much more than just human depravity - they are both champions of Catholic orthodoxy. This gives the Father Brown stories a depth not found in Brown's compatriot Holmes. In the course of Chesterton's stories, we are treated to philosophical discussions about catholic theology, such as the relationship between faith and reason. We do not merely meet an assortment of cobblers, blacksmiths, magistrates and generals, but atheists, legalists, secularists, pagans, Presbyterians, Puritans, Protestants and Catholics, all with varying and vying affections for superstition, naturalism, rationalism, scepticism, agnosticism, materialism, anarchism, nihilism, or cynicism. Along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, G.K. Chesterton was one of the few writers in the twentieth century that made an important contribution to English literature that was stamped by Christian principles instead of the prevailing secularism of the day.

Readers who do not share Chesterton's theological convictions will not concur with all his insights, but they must concede that they are enjoyable, profound and stimulating. Somewhat surprising is the occasional use of blasphemous expletives such as "O my God", although generally from the mouths of others than Father Brown himself. And Brown does seem to degenerate more and more into a mouthpiece for Chesterton, with a sermonizing tone not present in the first stories.

But on the whole these are exemplary models of the English crime short story. The Penguin edition contains all the stories from all five of Chesterton's published Father Brown collections. Among my favorites are "The Blue Cross", where Father Brown follows a mysterious trail of clues and engages in some bizarre behaviour and fascinating theological discourse to apprehend Flambeau. "The Hammer of God" is also an outstanding whodunnit, as Brown solves the murder of a man who has been crushed by a huge hammer outside a church, seemingly the recipient of a divine thunderbolt of judgment from heaven. In the process Chesterton shares some thought-provoking insights, such as the memorable: "Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak." Also unforgettable is "The Blast of the Book", which recounts the mysterious disappearance of five men whose only crime was to open a seemingly magical book. Father Brown is quick to unravel the paradox by explaining it as the work of an ingenious prankster.

Father Brown's tongue never fails to produce profound paradoxical gems such as "The point of the pin was that it was pointless." And: "I never should have thought he would be so illogical as to die in order to avoid death." It is Brown's unique perspective that allows him to see what others do not see. When his compatriots are awed at the eloquence of a magistrate's thundering sermon in "the Mirror of the Magistrate", Father Brown remarks: "I think the thing that struck me most was how different men look in their wigs. You talk about the prosecuting barrister being so tremendous. But I happened to see him take his wig off for a minute, and he really looks quite a different man. He's quite bald, for one thing."

With the finely crafted prose, depth of theological insight, and brilliant combination of perception and paradox, Chesterton has created in Father Brown a noble and enduring character, a worthy successor to Sherlock Holmes and in some respects his equal and superior. The Father Brown stories are unquestionably worthy of their designation as classics.

Father Brown is an intriguing and refreshing fictional detective. In addition to providing short glimpses into criminal puzzles, this book includes fascinating looks at the time period in which it was written (Father Brown meets the Futurists). Much more intelligent than many of the other entries into this genre, it also wasn't as dogmatically religious as I'd been lead to believe. I really enjoyed this book.

I've read this book like 20 times, just read it over and over again. i fell in love with both the story and the science involved. how creative!

the story involves Viktor and Teresa who are part of a group of colonists finding Newmanhome (i think that's what they called the new planet). anyways, the story also tells us of another "being," named Wan-to, who lives in stars. the intertwining of the two plots are wonderful and very creative. Pohl, please continue the great creative writing.

A fairly decent book that is now out of print, this has to have some of the wilder science fiction ideas that I've seen in a novel thus far that are backed with actual science as opposed to pseudo-scientific babble. More ambitious than Ringworld, hey, anyone can make a giant metal doughnut, how about moving an entire solar system around and describing what the relativistic effects are going to do to the inhabitants? All right maybe it isn't especially innovative but it's darn entertaining. Basically there's an omniscient intelligence out there goofing around and basically causing most of the plot catalysts in the book. The actual plot concerns a group of colonists, especially Viktor (who is fairly cool and not all that flat a character, except for his rather disturbing obsession with an older woman, but he does get better by the end) who is there for the entire book and the effects that Wan-To (the intelligence) has on them. The funny part of this book is that the groups never meet each other, not to disappoint anybody who wants to read the book but if you're expecting some kind of long philosophical discussion between Wan-To and Viktor get that thought out of your head because it never happens. If you want something similar go read "Sailing Bright Eternity" by Gregory Benford which has a conversation along those lines. But you really don't miss it, Pohl gives us enough of a meaty plot to sink our teeth into and his extrapolations are fairly interesting. The only other gripe I have is that the book left an angle open for a sequel by being totally open ended but I can't see Mr Pohl resolving the ending in more than fifty pages. Maybe a short story is in the works for one day to tie up the loose ends? Maybe? All in all, highly entertaining thought provoking stuff for the scientist in you.

Of the 286 sci-fi books in my library, this has been the second most read

Fred Hatfield is indeed one of the clearest thinking writers in the iron game and I think that intermediate level weight lifters in particular will appreciate the information in this book. However, I will say that his website contains even more information than this book provides. From reading his website, he frequently strikes a condescending attitude toward bodybuilders, so I thought it somewhat curious that he would write a book on bodybuilding. Although overall it's a good book, I found myself wanting some parts fleshed out more. For example, how to cycle intensity isn't addressed adequately, nor is how long to rest between workouts. These are questions that intermediate weightlifters grapple with much more frequently than some problems that Mr. Hatfield discusses at length such as how to maintain a proper diet and I wished that he would've discussed those concerns in greater detail. I recommend this book, but I recommend Mr. Hatfield's website more.

I've read a lot of books on bodybuilding, some good, some not so good. For pure weight training, Dr. Hatfield, aka, Dr. Squat, this is the best it gets. There's a ton of info in this book and his routines are complex and grueling. However, they definitely work. I am proof of that as I have built significant gains using his technique.

My only suggestions on how to improve this book even more:

1 -- Some of the approaches are presented with complexity and sometimes get confusing. I had to read and reread many of his instructions and I think it can be simplified and made more clear.

2 -- I would additional info and examples on both the cardio side as well as the nutritional side. Dr. Hatfield has some good info here but doesn't elaborate anywhere near on the details as he does on the weight training and supplement side.

Other than that, I'd say it's a must read for any serious bodybuilder.

I bought this book with some reluctance because there are so many titles one the subject. However, I have read a lot of Fred Hatfield's columns in the magazine's and figured he knows his stuff to be around for as long as he has.

The book has been WONDERFUL! Dr. Hatfield makes a great case for his approach so I tried it. I have gained 16 pound of muscle in 8 months! I have been thrilled with the range of information presented in the book and thrilled with the results! I have used the information and found it to be right on, no nonsense and straight forward.