Talk about recycling...this series is getting old and redundant. Don't we get enough trivia in our daily lives? Do we need more when we're on the can? I think the Bathroom Readers "Institute" should give this a rest and save a few trees in the process.

Having rediscovered "Bathroom Readers" I was not disappointed . Full useless information that is the perfect salve to the rest of the trafffic on the information superhighway.
A perfect gift for someone who loves trivia.

I've bought all of the Uncle John books, and have enjoyed them throughly. I've also noticed that a lot of the questions on "Who wants to be a millionaire", I have previously read the same information in one of Uncle John's books. Surprised the heck out of my kids when I can answer the questions that has the current contestant stumped.

A must-have for any student of Monet. Volumne I contains covers his biography proper, while volumes II-IV provide a COMPLETE record of the artist's body of work.

Wilderstein protrays Monet life for the most part as that of a debtor. However to his credit, he tempers the romantic "suffering artist" idealism with insight into Monet the creditor. By illustrating what a jackass the artist could also be, the author creates a deep and lively narrative.

Most of the personal insight into Monet come to us by way of coorespondance with Alice Hoeschede. Due to 'appearances' however she requested of Monet her letters be destroyed immediately and thus we're sadly left with a one-sided portrait of the man. While his artistic talents we're unparalled, it's his devotation to correspondance that allows Wildenstein to bring him back to life. Without giving away the ending, it's Monet's inability to write rather than paint that signals the end.

If you are in love with Claude Monet's Water Lily Pond paintings, this is the best book for an explanation as to their origins and where Monet found his inspiration. There is a photograph from 1926 showing the bridge covered with climbing plants.

The Japanese Bridge at Giverny, 1924 is just one of the outstanding paintings in a series of works devoted to the bridge that preoccupied Monet during his final years.

Monet loved his garden at Giverny with such a passion that one could say it bordered on obsession. Harmony in Green, The White Water Lilies, The Water Lily Pond are all explained in detail. There is even a picture of Monet photographed in his beloved garden in 1917.

In every life there is beauty and sadness. The beauty of the water lilies contrasts with the pain Monet felt when he painted Camille on her death bed.

When Monet's wife died, she not only left him without a companion, he then had small children depending on him. He spent most of his meager earnings on his wife's medical treatments and he was also deeply depressed and alone.

This type of revealing information makes him so very human and the paintings then contain a certain depth when these secrets are revealed.

I loved this book! The pictures were wonderful and the readings that went with them were as well. Learned many things that I did not know about his artwork. VERY informative...give it a try, it would make a great gift book!

The title is catchy enough. I expected lots of facts and figures in tables and graphs that would illustrate international trade and finance. Was I surprised. There are facts and figures there, even pictures and cartoons. But the authors see the world differently. "The problem..." we are told, "...is not so much that the world is so tightly linked now...but that the links converge in such a small number of hands." The hands they're refering to belong to corporate executives and billionaires. An ongoing theme throughout the book is the old cliche' that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer.
One thing different about the current process of globalization, the authors claim, "is that a number of poorer countries, led by China and Mexico, now have the infrastructure to house practically any industrial or service operation...." What's wrong with that? They object that "...Ford, Boeing, and other global corporations are now setting up state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in countries where wages and other costs are kept extremely low through repression." We can all agree that repression is a bad thing. We may differ on where it's happening. For instance, according to the index of economic freedom constructed by the Heritage Foundation (what the authors call a "corporate think tank") and the Wall Street Journal, China is "mostly unfree" (but not "repressed") and Mexico is "mostly free." "Repressed" countries include Zimbabwe, Iran, Cuba, Iraq, and North Korea. Corporate capitalism does not appear to be causing problems in those countries by any stretch of the imagination. Vietnam is among the repressed, but it's difficult to see how workers who produce sneakers for the Nike company would be better off if Nike weren't there.
Much of the book is devoted to criticizing "globalization claims." Although some free traders will justifiably dismiss this criticism, in my view the authors' attacks will work to strenghthen the case for free trade. Put differently, any economist who wants practice defending free trade can find it reading this book. Warning: the bile may rise in you.
To their credit the authors provide an abundance of endnotes to support their case. They offer some criticism a free trader would appreciate. For example they object to export subsidies and IMF bailouts of banks with troubled loans to developing countries. They even profess to reject protectionism. However the alternative they recommend, "fair trade," is better described as "managed trade."
The authors minimize the role of consumers in the process of globalization. Corporations would not achieve their goals if consumers weren't buying their products. The authors also fail to recognize the importance of property rights in economic development. If the governments of poor countries established and protected property rights, the people would get wealthier. Given that these authors reject international trade and investment as a cause of our prosperity and cannot tolerate disparities of wealth, they'll always remain idealists with axes to grind.

That is the first book on economics I read that does not necessarily employ a lot of incomprehensible terminology. Moreover, it is written for the average reader who wants to get a "first introduction" into the topic. It is definitely not written for people who search any detailed infomation. This book explains perfectly the basic correlations in today's global economy.

A group in our high school had been planning a symposium on the global economy when our advisor suggested that we take a look at this book. "Field Guide" offers a clear, concise description of many of the global issues that confront citizens of both the industrialized and unindustrialized nations. To its credit, it offers both the pros and cons of many of the issues it discusses and offers a resource list for others to get involved. I encourage anyone interested global politics or economics to read this book, share it with a friend, and get involved!

This set has a lot of CDs to listen to, but the book isn't very helpful. I use the book for translation not for following the dialogue. What this book is really useful for is intermediate Spanish speakers who need to work on their pronounciation and building vocabulary. It seems most of the accents are Spanish, whilst americans are trying to communicate with mexican spanish speakers. If you listened to these CDs on a daily basis, though, repeating the dialouge, you would gain a lot.

This course is really great. For me the trick was to work through each lesson after lesson 1 once slowly with the book, stopping the tape a lot and writing on a piece of paper with a vertical line drawn down the middle. I wrote the English on one side of the line and the corresponding Spanish on the other. Then I would work through the same tape several times as needed, and study the phrases on the paper in between. Once you have got it on paper once, you can work the tape while walking, driving, etc. Once I knew the tape very well and could get most of the exercises correct, I would move on. It's not a race to get through the course, just to learn the language. If you work through it like this, and then do level II, you will be in great shape. I already rated myself a 3 in Spanish and after levels I and II, I moved to about 6 or 7. You have to figure out how to keep going from there.... for example, if you want more conversation stimulus, watch some Spanish TV. This course really helps you speak and understand.

Mastering Spanish Level 1 & 2 also get five stars from me for the following reasons. Mastering Spanish level 1 is the only tool I have found that can actually begin to help someone self teach her/his self the spanish language. If you know of any other let me know. Refering to previous reviews, sure if you are just beginning, then it can be tough to understand the methodology used to teach this course. However for me, I have had three High School years of spanish and they did little more than teach me to pronounce the words. The beauty of this course is that it gives one the opportunity to listen to the language and it structure as it will be spoken to you from those who do not speak English. Make no mistake about it, learning a language is tough, but if one takes time to practice thoroughly with these tools, one can begin to communicate soley in Spanish. That was the goal for me, saying "Hello, How are yor" etc. is nothing. I want to be able to communicate fluently and already I am getting many compliments when I speak and am starting to understand atleast some of what the Spanish speakers of the world are saying. I am very please with level 1, while dissappointed that level two was not offered in CD and does not have the conversation stimulus section on tapes that level 1 had on the CD's.

I found the CD an excellent overview of the northern praying mantis style. There is a wide range of technique, and the applications span the gamut of readily apparent to surprising.

I must disagree with Mr.Ortiz' evaluation of the CD, as I have seen his work as well and can compare the two. The fact that he may not be familiar with some of the applications in the CD does not make them incorrect, merely unknown to him.

While not having a sifu at your arm is a disadvantage, the methodical teaching style in the CD and the multiple angle format make it as close to the real thing as can be obtained.

Please take the one-star review below with a grain of salt. This is the publisher of the Shaolin series here, taking the opportunity to point out that the author of that review is the producer of competing mantis videos.

We apologize for having to respond in this review, but we think it only fair. We agree with the other reviewers that this is quite an excellent learning tool.

Thanks everyone.

The Northern Praying Mantis edition of the "Shaolin Interactive Instructional Series" is an excellent learning tool that should be considered by anyone with a desire to learn the basics of the style. Obviously the CD ROM cannot replace the hawklike eyes of an expert instructor standing attentively by your side. However, the program proves to be the perfect blend of an ancient art and the brilliant technological ingenuity of modern times. In other words, the interactive nature of the program (including but not limited to, multi angle viewing of techniques, an excellent slow motion feature and in depth investigation of "real world" applications of the basic techniques) brings this program to the cutting edge of martial arts instruction. Without access to professional instruction, this CD ROM is as close as one can get to the multi faceted, in depth knowlege of a seasoned (in the flesh) teacher. The CD ROM is way ahead of the archaic learning curve of other instructional media (with a nervous shudder, I hark back to the days of rewinding martial arts instructional videos much more than I could unwind through the enjoyment of an ancient discipline.) This program's intrinsic adaptability will provide much more quality instuction in that it can be easily tailored to the specific needs of the student. One needs only to click on the link to view a technique from multi angle, multi speed observation points second only to actually being there. In other words, buy it.

A marvelous, if brief look at four military institutions in the South before and during the War for Southern Independence. At times bittersweet, Conrad does an excellent job of telling this tale. A nice side-bar addition to anyone's Civil War library, particularly those of interest in the Confederacy.

excellent book! I would have liked to have seen the author delve into several more of the cadets' lives, but what's there is great.

Excellent book. Conrad did his homework before putting pen to paper in writing this book. His knowledge of the subject, and his passion for telling the story of the confederate cadets at war, comes through loud and clear.

This book puts forth a valuable resource for responsibilities that fall under the accounts payable umbrella. The book, through good outlined topics and case studies, shows how a company can save money, maintain internal control, upgrade its systems, as well as retail professionalism of the department. The book includes an excellent division of topics within, which are pertinent to those who are involved with the day to day running of the accounting manager and accountants.

Gives a solid summary of most important parts of running AP operations. The case studies make the book very clear. For new controllers this would be a really good addition to your bookshelf.

This is probably the best (and only?) book available that gives a detailed overview of A/P procedures. It is especially helpful for those who need to design new policies to address difficult problems. For example, the book gives a very good explanation of procurement cards (p-cards), how to reduce T&E costs, and how to choose and hire new A/P personnel. In other words, it covers just about all of the bases. The only area the book doesn't cover is specific software packages, but I think that is beyond the scope of the book's title, and there are many other resources that have information accounting software. Potential buyers should note that there are annual supplements that update this book, and it may be worthwhile taking a look at them as well. Technology causes so many changes, that some business ideas are out of date within a few months, so you might want to make sure you have the most current information.

I can't say that the work that went into this book isn't impressive. To present a theory of this sort is very bold, as it has been highly criticized-particularly those with a background in international relations. Even more impressive is the magnitude of the historical detail he presents within a mere 300 pages or less. However, when addressing his main argument, I can't fully support it-Cha provides only the examples that sustain his thesis, but when it comes to his criticism of other theories, he completely ignores his own standards (anyone who has studied political science knows that historical studies are not the best measurement of future action, this book is no exception). If you are interested in a book US-Korea-Japan political histories, there are books that can more thoroughly cover the subject. If you are interested in international relations theory, this book is somewhat beneficial-not only as an alternative to the historical animosity argument, but also because the overall idea is extremely fascinating. Not your typical leisurely reading-and not designed to be.

Dr. Cha made an outstanding job out of Gleen H. Snyder's Alliance Theory, his analytic structure is nearly impeccable. It offers an clear and powerful explanation on U.S. influence on Eastern Asian affair. If you are an IR student interested in sub-fields like theory of conflict, or alliance cohesion, don't miss it. As to his historical part, everybody knows it's very hard to get rid of those critique like "Cooking the book", especially when we are working on a deductional way. In order to justify our own theory, under most circumstances, authors have to riddle his material through a screen, seperating those chaff. No studies go without drawback like this, Glenn Snyder's historical study was limited only to race between triple alliance vs triple entente from 1870-1914, as Stephen Walt, John Mearsheimer..., all of them have their restrictions on their theories. It's beyond doubt, should one day, Uncle Sam withdraw his troops out of Eastern Asia, Dr. Cha will face a whole new situation. By the time, this book will become worthless, however, I won't stop recommending it strongly, until that day.

This is a great book. Cha is one of the foremost authorities on current international relations, particulary East Asian security. The book does an excellent job of placing salient issues in American-Japanese-Korean relations in their historical context, and provides insightful predictions for the future of these relationships. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in international security. The commentary by Bob Jervis on the back is also a major plus. I think Cha ought to be president. I plan to name my first son Victor. I really recommend this book

This collection of sentences and catch phrases is VERY weak on technical details and VERY heavy on the diatribe. In several instances, it is down right incorrect when referencing history. This book may fit the needs of a poli. sci. type, but it is less than a dust collector when it comes to those working in the fields of IT/IW/IA. As a 2 decade professional in the field, take my recommendation and avoid this book if you are looking for anything beyond recycled political phrases related to IW.

This book tackles international computer system threats that face nations and corporations head on. It presents a theoretical framework for action and will be a valuable resource for the next decade.

Athena was also a serious topic in ancient times when she was the Greek god with a sword and shield, the one who thought up the first Trojan horse... a legacy that connects well with today's netwars.

The authors of each chapter address different issues. Most are from the perspective of military issues. Many use clear historic perspectives to show how one side or the other lost conflicts, for example, the use of smart networks by Mongols to defeat Muslims and by Ho Chi Minh against Lyndon Johnson. Other examples are drawn from the gulf war; the chief of which is that the next opponent will likely not be as dumb as Saddam.

Oddly there isn't much in the book about China and Russia, the cyber-bullies of today's world. Even if one did want to look up material on these countries the missing index prevents it. With a new abbreviation on every page it would also be helpful to have a Rosetta stone inside the back cover.

The example of the wild west is used and very applicable here. There are only isolated pockets of law and order. Good and bad guys are hard to distinguish. Outside occasional enclaves good guys can only trust their resources and a few friends. This high level discussion can be directly translated to domains, firewalls, and virtual private networks. It argues against lowest-bidder security implementations.

Computer network managers will understand diminishing role of government in the direction of commercial systems. This means less traditional compliance-driven security technology will be available. Corporate security, network administrators and infrastructure managers are out there on their own. "Street smart" information behavior will be necessary to survive.

Through the book the term "cyber" is overused. It almost never appears in serious government discussions or commercial security where the emphasis is on all aspects of network issues.

Security managers who want a superficial self improvement should skip this book. It is very concept-dense and filled with ideas which will cause the reader to stop and think about strategy. Few solution specifics are presented. Concepts in this book are suited for someone who is developing a strategic vision for protecting their organization from network attacks.

[adapted from a review published in Security Management. All rights reserved by the author]

In Athena's Camp is, in my eyes, one of the most important books in the area of security policy at the given momnent, alongside 'Sources of Conflict', which has been published by Rand, too. I used the book in a term paper I wrote for political sciences, in which I examined the coming threats in context with the momentary policy of the german government (as I am German and studying here). The book was of utmost importance to me in this case, as it is, as far as I know, the only book covering this topic on such a high level of quality at the moment. Further research also revealed to me, that the momentary german policy is utmost abysmal, and that, surprisingly, the German Green Party, Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen, would maintain the best policy in case of election (just for your information). To all students of political sciences worldwide who love researching the field of global and societal change through the information revolution, get it.

I read this book because it won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1983. It is, I believe, the least intersting and most esoteric book I have ever read. It reminded me of my reading of Fin-de-Siecle Vienna, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981, and which I long wanted to read and then when I read it I found it a chore to read, and greatly welcomed the last page. The last chapter of Transformation made no sense for me at all, and reading this book's only significance is that I have read another Pulitzer Prize winner in history. I thought I should warn persons who might be overly influenced by the other 3 reviews and might think this would be a great book to read.

I first encountered this book in graduate school, where it was assigned to our class. Many of us debated the merits of the book and concluded it really failed to deliver any type of lasting impression. Yet it won a Pulitzer Prize.

All through the book I kept waiting for Virginia to "transform" as the title indicates it did. While Isaac presnts a lot of detailed information, it never really deliverd a convincing argument. "Stillborn" is one term that comes to mind. In comparison to Edmund S. Morgan's "American Freedom American Slavery" (or vise versa) Isaac book misses the mark. Morgan's work shows a definite transformation in how Virginia became a principal player in the establishment of slavery.

Isaac's book is not a total waste, as it does cover a shorter period of time in greater detail than Morgan, but Morgan remains a master historian while Isaac has more work to do.

As you would expect from a book that captured the Pulitzer Prize in History, this is an outstanding book. The writing is clear and cogent. As the other reviewers stated, it brings Colonial Virginia to life for the reader. It's going a bit far to suggest that it explains Colonial "America," though, since each colony was disparate. The New England experience does not parallel that of Virginia at all, for example. The book's best contribution is the use of non-written sources to bring to life the world of the unliterate, both free and slave.