it is like a dictionary and you can find every ship you want to know in this book

This is the last (in chronological order) of a famous serie of four books dealing with the history of the steam and iron navies from the beginning (1861) to the present days. It's a very exhaustive book, which covers almost every nations that ever manned a naval ship, from the huge US Navy down to the smallest African or Pacific ones. In this way a reader can have a very good idea of the power and evolution of the world's navies through the desing of their ships, built or not (the book contains the description of a lot of projected ship classes that were never built, but that are interesting in order to better understand the evolution of some navies). As usual, for all the ships built before the period covered by the book, the reader is referred to the other similar books of this serie (mainly the third one, covering the 1922-1946 period). Every ship or class is described quite in detail (overall the main types, like battleships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers and submarines), with a description of the project evolution, a brief account on the modifications occurred during the ship's life and the final fate of each one. A lot of photographs and some drawings complete what can be considered one of the best purchase a naval enthusiast can ever do!

This is an update of Conway's formerly 2-volumes (Western and Warsaw Pact navies), first published in 1982. This is now 1 volume, large format size of the other Conway's, 1860-1946. It is an impressive book, covering the cold-war era, describing in minor detail, the survivors of WWII, and in more detail, new construction from 1947. It's the only book of its type because it covers all types of vessels and all navies; each entry has a brief description (sometimes insightful) but usually just a recitation of public info (because very few of these vessels saw combat). They are accompanied by a medium-size photograph, and often a line drawing (but the drawings are of medium quality, and plainly "hand drawn"). The book is not a thorough treatment of any particular ship or type of vessel; for that, you will have to use other books such as Norman Friedman's (now dated) series on US Navy battleships, aircraft carriers, submarines, etc. It lacks the descriptive nature of H. Lenton's books on the British WWII navy, or the graphic intensity of the dedicated battleship, cruiser, etc. books. Nevertheless, no other book is as comprehensive as this one, and remains the seminal work on naval vessels in the cold war era; it's richly illustated and has sufficient text.

did you know that boxwood, the ever present suburban hedge, is mildly poisonous? i didn't! a very useful book to reference for what not to touch, eat, or annoy.

"Peterson's Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants" is the first thing to be packed in one's backpack.It is essential to every hiker, camper, naturalist, hunter, bird watcher and nature lover. There are a hell of alot less hazards than benign plants and animals (although this varies somewhat according to region. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US has it easy compared to the Southwest) and while most people could identify a few, it doesnt make sense not to learn the 2-3 dozen major ones to avoid.

The book is up to Peterson's usual high standards in a field guide. It covers mammals followed by poisonous plants, shrubs/trees, vines, ferns and fungi. There are color photographs but the black and white drawings are the way to go for IDing. Most people will not read the entire book unless they're a hardcore naturalist or really, really bored in front of a campfire. I recommend checking out the hazards in your partiualr area icluding AT LEAST the following: 1. All poisonous snakes and their look-a-likes 2. Black Widow and Brown Recluse spider 3. Tics and Scorpions 4. Bees, Wasps, Fire Ants 5. Poisonous Plants including the Big 3: Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac 6. Poisonous Mushrooms (not so you can learn which you can eat, but to understand the severity of eating just one wrong one)

There's alot that won't apply to you(save those for a rainy day) and some hazards are less hazardous than others. For example, the short-tail shrew is listed, but most people need not live in fear of "killer shrews". But knowing that their bite has some bite to it, maybe you'll avoid juggling those cute furry creatures. Also, large mammals aren't included, though bears and mountain lions can seem pretty hazardous to me in some situations.I recommend supplementing your reading with "Bear Aware" by Bill Schneider and "Mountain Lion Alert" by Steven Torres. In addition, I wouldn't trust this book solely to gather a gourmet wild mushroom feast, either. I've seen some books topping 1,000 pages on edible shrooms and they still might not be complete. Its best to leave the shrooms alone!
Finally, there are a few diseases found outdoors worth researching: Giardia, hantavirus, rabies, and lyme disease among others.

Also recommended: "Peterson's Wild Edible Plants" and "Medicinal Plants".

Before you dash out into the woods and pick some plants you think are edible, you might want to get this book and know definitely what will kill you, or really mess up your body. Excellent info, bright color pictures, and written for an easy understanding, this book should be in any nature enthusiast's library, right next to Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, possibly the best plant identification guide around.

Marrus' work, The Holocaust i History was a very perspective view of the Holocaust. He sees the and presents the controversies and problems within the study of the Holocaust as a normal historical event. My only problem was that I found it difficult to understand and determine which parts of the piece are his opinions and which are not.

This is not a book about the history of the Holocaust as much as a work on the historiography of the Holocaust. It is excellent, covering the various theoretical debates that exist in the literature and giving excellent guides to further reading. One note of caution: the book was published in 1987, and is now beginning to show its age a little as regards the latest synthesis of scholarly knowledge on the subject e.g. there is no discussion of the recent Browning / Goldhagen debate nor the attempts at resititution by the Swiss banks etc. In these cases, readers should be directed to the most recent edition (4th) of Ian Kershaw's "Nazism: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation".

This is not a criticism, however. I have used Marrus in the classroom for the past five years and find it perhaps the best introduction available to the historical debates surrounding the Holocaust. Students will gain by reading it.

First published in 1987, this book holds up to the test of time. Marrus is great at putting the Holocaust in perspective, laying a high amount of blame on the indifference of the Germans, Poles, Allies and the neutrals (the Vatican, Switzerland, etc.). He shows how anti-semitism was not confined just to Germany at the time - at the turn of the century it was strongest in France and Russia and was at its highest ever in the U.S. during World War II - and how most top Nazis did not join the movement because of their belief in anti-semitism. He also shows the context of the Holocaust in the larger picture of World War II: more than three times as many Russians were killed (20 million) as Jews.

Marrus is also very good at describing the Holocaust itself - how it reached a fervor in 1942 (when more than half of all Jews were killed) and how only half of the 6 million were killed in camps. He dismisses the view popularized by Hannah Arendt that the Jews acted like sheep led to the slaughter: he convincingly shows that the Jews were in total disbelief about the Holocaust and did resist when they actually knew what was going on. Finally, he discusses the actions of those few people who actually helped out the Jews, namely the Dutch, Italians, Danes, Bulgarians and Hungarians.

All in all, a very good book on a depressing topic.

If you are into photojournalistic photography, then you have undoubtedly heard of Magnum. This book is for you if you care about Magnum and are interested in seeing the work of prominent Magnum photographers and reading a bit about the history of Magnum and photography in general.

The book is quite big and heavy. This makes it great to display on a coffee table and to view the powerful photographs, but not so easy to read the 3 essays. Also, the book only covers up to the mid to late 80's. It should be updated to include the Magnum photographers of the 90s. That said, it's is still packed with important and inspiring work.

The world as seen by the legendary Magnum photographers is really increadable. This book is and will always be a photographic masterpiece. When do we get further editions? Well done Magnum

This book is a "must-have" for anyone who has even the most remote interest in photojournalism. Every time you turn the page of this book, you will enter a new era and meet a new person or feel a new experience...and surely you will envy the talent and experience of the photographers who bring it all to print.

Messieurs Picquet and Shanty have produced an impressive compilation of terrorist incidents for the year 1998, outlining event criteria and event descriptions - some 398 incidents in all. What we don't know about terrorist events that occurred in 1998 could fill a book, and this is it. They have performed a useful service in describing in detail this violent international phenomenon. Turning this work into an annual series will be public scholarship of the highest order and will do much to further our understanding of terrorism.

Ray Picquet and Frank Shanty have produced in International Terrorism: An Annual "Event Data" Report, an extremely useful tool for the terrorism researcher, policy analyst, or anyone interested in this timely and important phenomenon. This study of international terrorism events occurring in 1998 is presented in a very well-conceived format with the reader clearly in mind. The introduction is very thorough and includes excellent information on terrorism definitions, source and collection methods, event criteria, and provides the reader with detailed, yet simple instructions for navigating and using the chronology. Following the introduction is a very useful, global overview of data, complete with easy to read charts showing quantitative rankings and regional reports to provide the reader with concise geographic snapshots. It is evident throughout that Picquet and Shanty have gone to lengths to cross check data reliability and to provide a "street level" perspective on terrorism...especially helpful to this analyst's own counter-terrorism assignments. Also helpful are the numerous criteria which compose each incident, providing the particulars that too often stymie detail-oriented research. Finally, the heart of the "Event Data" Report provides six excellent chronologies of terrorist incidents for all the world's major regions. Any researcher or analyst will tell you that the comprehensive and user-friendly format presented by Ray Piquet and Frank Shanty is the most helpful in finding information. Coupled with extensive findings and a solid methodology, this report will be a frequently consulted resource.

Thomas M. Sanderson Defense Analyst Science Applications International Corporation

International Terrorism: An Annual Event Data Report,1998 (Cobra Institute Studies on Terrorism #1) is a simultaneously comprehensive and concise database of terrorism for 1998. The authors' extensive backgrounds in the intelligence, national security policy, and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) weapons fields have contributed greatly to its quality. It is thoroughly researched and provides more information than any other I have read on the subject. This annual review of terrorism is sure to become a standard on every professional's bookshelf.

This is the first volume in a collection of books on design criticism. The articles are pulled from sources like the Journal of the AIGA, Print, and EYE magazine. The topics range the "ugly aesthetic" to the state of design education. The articles are all decent none really stick out as undeserving of a place in this collection. Paul (IBM logo) Rand Contributes an interesting essay on what purpose logos really serve and Paula Scher talks about the way she runs her classes at SVA. The essays all provide some food for thought(even it the thought is " I'd like to smack this guy.")Buy it and keep it with you It's a good thing to have around while your waiting for a bus, a haircut, or a class to begin.

If you're a designer or visual communicator, this book is a must have for research, history, and critical insight. Throughful, provocative, and daring, Looking Closer gauges the role of design across social and cultural divides. Its articles are collected from magazines such as Graphis, Eye, Communication Arts, and the AIGA Journal. Furthermore, the book is cheaper than getting a subscription to those magazines!

A collection of essays from various magazines, designers and typographers provides the student with an unmissable reference guide. Excellent as it is not only an enjoyable, interesting read, but also fantastic for essay writing as it condenses a library of books into one small paperback. No student should be without this book!

Mastering French, Level II, is for those who understand and accept that one must work to learn a language. I have been through it twice and find that my grasp of tricky syntax exceeds that of those who were unwilling to 'drill' (which is how language is learned). I would rather utilize Mastering French's variety of drills offered here than have only one drill per subject - which becomes boring. The hours of taped French offered on the 12 - 90min. tapes allow you to fill your ears with the language in an effective and interesting way.

I commute to work each day for about 2 hours and do this program. I recommend this learning program for those who have extra time here and there- commuting, laying out at the beach, traveling, whatever. Over time all of the tidbits of information here will sink in to your brain. But these are more than tidbits- they are the most essential and basic words and everyday phrases to get by and converse in French on an intermediate level. Of course, keeping up with Parisian and local 'argot' is probably impossible unless you live in the respective area, but what is learned from this system will get you through in speaking French properly, regardless of the fluctuating neighborhood nuances. What I would have liked to have heard more of are expressions like "Quelle belle piece!" for sometimes the dictation is a bit monotonous. I find foreign languages, and French in particular, easiest to remember when it is charged with emotive expression and even situational comedy- which these tapes somewhat lack. Overall, however, it may be preferable to come off as a tempered French speaker. Thus, this French learning system is recommended for its thoroughness.

Grueling at times, yes, worth it, absolutely! The only way to become fluent is to become so used to saying something that searching for the right words or grammatical syntax is no longer necessary or at least not as much of a chore. The drill approach is the best without a doubt.

Be prepared to pull your hair out, but the results come quickly and tend to stick longer than with other conventional language instruction packages.

Fast, entertaining read. Focused entirely on a young boy and his family. More a narrative than a fact filled historical fiction but worth reading. Seeing WWII through the sometimes limited, sometimes seeing larger than life, view of a 8-12 year old child is interesting. Characters are fascinating, realistic and far from perfect. Jozsef fluctuates between innate maturity and the ability to see clearly through situations and adults to childish desire and emotions in a dangerous and desperate time. All facets of people during war are demonstrated here- the villains, saviors and the apathetic. Jozsef's many friends and teachers are hysterical but you sometimes flinch at Jozsef's cruelty.

The self-indulgent, narcisistic nature of the protagonist is the undisguised and tragic ego of the writer laid bare, both pathetic and heroic, in this brilliant if flawed Hungarian novel. An at times gripping, and always informative work, which rightly earned its place in PW's Best Fiction of 1995. An uneven masterpiece which would most probably benefit from a more literate and professional English translation. Nonetheless, the author's distinctively Hungarian, tragicomic voice is still audible despite a rather cumbersome and precious English rendition.

Battlefields and Playgrounds is the last word on humanity's darkest hour. A masterpiece of modern fiction, this novel is more than a novel, more than a chronicle, a memoir, a tribute to victims of persecution, holocaust and genocide. It is a celebration of life in all its glory and vulnerability, a portrait of childhood, human suffering and divine redemption. The exquisite prose, even in English translation is like a latter-day Gray's Elegy, sounding the curfew of Europe's vastest graveyard, with angels' trumpets echoing in the shadow of Death, heralding a last chance for humanity. This book restored my faith in literature, humanity and God. An unmitigated triumph of modern writing. Janos Nyiri's authorial voice rings true in a world ravaged by cruelty, bitterness and injustice. His genius lies in recording the greatest agony and evil, while reaffirming beauty, humor and innocence at the same time. By this life-affirming masterpiece, the author of Battlefields and Playgrounds restores Love, Beauty and Hope as only a child-survivor of the Holocaust can. Battlefields and Playgrounds should be required reading in every home, school, government and religion. An unforgettable book.

As with any book on making your home more efficient, a grain of salt must be held at the ready. Saving $50 a year may be a goldmine to some and may just be a private victory against oil corporations to others. Still, with all the info in this book, you'd have to be pretty wasteful to not recoup the purchase prise pretty quick!

Like the previous critic, I advise the ever-present grain of salt when reading anything that has yet to be proven scientifically. . . Like the wrapping of the water heater HAS. You WILL save energy and in turn money by doing so. So much to the point that the state of California now provides Water Heater Blankets with installation, free of charge, to anyone that wants one. Soon it will be a requirement.

The advice in this book spans the gamut-- everything from "First, go after holes a cat could crawl through." to triple-paned windows that take decades to pay for themselves. Whether you're looking to save a few quick bucks, or you approach conservation from an aesthetic, save-the-planet viewpoint, there is plenty here to keep you busy. Some of the advice is controversial (vapor barriers in attics) and some is bogus (wrapping your hot water heater, which is probably well insulated already), but the treatment of the subject appears thorough and reasonably practical.

Like the previous critic, I advise the ever-present grain of salt when reading anything that has yet to be proven scientifically. . . Like the wrapping of the water heater has. You WILL save energy and in turn money by doing so. So much to the point that the state of California now provides Water Heater Blankets with installation, free of charge, to anyone that wants one. Soon it will be a requirement.

A most comprehensive text of twenty-four units, each containing basic sentences, applicable grammar and various kinds of drills for reinforcement. Many of the drills give you English sentences on one side of the page and the translation to the German on the other side. I found it very useful to look at the English sentence, try to translate it into the German and then check my translation with that of the book. However, there were no directions anywhere on how to use the audiotapes. The tapes have German speakers speak the sentences and the drills, but I see no way to use them independently of the book other than to hear how the words are pronounced. If someone had spoken the drills in English, allowed a moment for me to translate into German, then have the German speaker give the correct translation, I would be able to use the tape without the book in front of me. However, this is not to be. The book has helped me a great deal. Unfortunately, I can't say as much for the tapes.

I have spent many years searching for ways to bring my German proficiency as close to total fluency as possible. When I found this package I thought I'd give it a try. Five years later, I still use it to keep my skills fresh. Barron's drill approach is the best way, in my opinion, to gain confidence in speach and comprehension. I spent four years in Switzerland on business and had very little difficulty adapting to my new life thanks to my ability to communicate effectively. I would suggest this to anyone who already has a solid foundation in German, but is looking for that extra something.

I highly recommend this product for those who know some german already and really want to solidify things like grammar and vocabulary. After using these tapes, I passed my college's placement exam, which I had failed twice in the past. Learning grammar from speaking is much better than learning from a book.