This was an early Christmas gift along with four other Tasha Tudor books and I LOVE it. Maybe because there is a bit of Tasha Tudor in me or because we live in a small cottage in the Sierras and have chickens, goats, vegetable, herb and flower gardens and love many of the same things she loves.

I like the fact that like Beatrix Potter another author I adore, she lives an authentic homestead life and loves her livestock, painting and making things with her hands. And I found some helpful tricks for catching the occasional mouse that gets in the place. And it is nice to read where someone else uses the good china daily and doesn't save it just for company. Or the joy of wearing clothes that some antique dealer would think are to valuable. And as she notes on page 112 "It satisfies me to spin and knit and weave. I love to be self sufficient, to learn how to make everything I use."

She speaks about and there are accompanying photos of the changes of seasons and the joys she encounters along the way. Her goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and wild birds. Her cooking, spinning and how she plans for the joys in her life.

But I guess one thing I liked so much was her philosophy which she says comes in part from Henry David Thoreau and says "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." As she says "That is my credo. It is absolutely true. It is my whole life summed up."

Tasha Tudor gives me hope that it is possible to live a quiet, less stressful lifestyle.

This book is so wonderful, it surprises me there are any available. A book to be read, viewed, and re-read, it evokes feelings of joy, peace and hope for the future and will always be
in our library.

I very much enjoyed this delightfully personal and emotional journey through the backroads of a France not previously known. The beautiful illustrations by one of my favorite artists gave the reader vivid images of this gorgeous landscape. For a non-artist, it was especially interesting to experience the journey through an artist's eye...an artist very worthy of the invitation to paint Monet's gardens. The book is a wonderful collaboration by a gifted painter and a talented writer.

Already in love with Margaret Hall Hoybach's painting style, I should have known that once I opened her book, both the words and the brush strokes would carry me, faster and faster, through to the very last page. Margaret enables the reader to see, hear, smell, taste, and experience her weeks traveling and painting across France.

Feasting and fasting, reflection and spontaneity, fellowship and solitude - all the elements of a pilgrimage are contained in this intimate account of Margaret Hall Hoybach's journey to paint Monet's gardens. Her sketches and paintings convey the wonder of her journey. Joan Brown captures the creative spark that propels an artist forward and the moments of conversion that await those willing to embrace their dreams. Colors of France is filled with rich, inviting textures arrayed for any traveler, regardless of destination. Hoybach's willingness to share her experience leads me to examine my own path. A good book to share with a friend.

This book sumarizes the things I have been trying to teach to our children. I bought one copy for each of our four children upon their H.S. graduation.

These are the tips you have acknowledged and learned, but never thought to write down. I am glad someone did.

Bravo!

Wonderfully simple, realisitc, and character-enriching admonitions for anyone wishing to be their best.

I enjoy picking up this book now and then and browsing through some of the wonderful advice by Mr. Brown. I found my book was missing a couple of weeks ago and discovered it up in my teenager's room. Imagine that! I think I'll just leave it there.

Es un libro que no debe faltar en la biblioteca de ningún ornitólogo. Describe casi la totalidad de especies de aves del país con más especies de aves en el mundo. Excelente.

This work is all a bird watcher could wish for. The splendid paintings by Tudor add to the very helpful in-depth descriptions. Completed by nearly 1500 distribution maps there's nothing left to wish, except go out there and see them. I used it when birding in Peru and I could still determine nearly all the birds I saw.
It's an example for every bird field guide.

Since no definitive bird guide is available for the Amazon region and Brazil in general, I was forced to choose between this guide and the Birds of Venezuela. I ended up with Hilty and Brown's book by sheer coincidence, and I was not at all disappointed. The text and information is superb throughout, and I was able to identify several species on habitat description alone. For example, the authors clearly describe the preference of many taxa for varzea (seasonally flooded) or terra firme forests, which made a fleeting glimpse more of a certainty, and the range descriptions were invaluable. If I have only one very minor criticism, it is that I have never found plates in black and white particularly helpful, and since several artists were employed, there were differences in visual interpretation in several groups (e.g. the Picidae). However, these are minor detractions from an outstanding volume.

I really enjoyed this book. I was vacationing at a Marriott Hotel and actually bought this book I wanted to read it so much (even though I thought it should just be given away to the guests). It did not disappoint me. As one of the other reviewers noted, it was a well-written, easy read.

Mr. Marriott inspired me with the business tips contained in the book. I especially enjoyed reading about the checklists that Marriott Hotels uses in its business. I really like checklists too. Why invent the wheel everytime you want to do something? Why try to remember all of the steps needed to complete a task, such as making up a room at a Marriott Hotel? Why not just find out what works and put it on paper?! In this way, a business can create a standardized process that can be taught to its employees, instead of relying upon each individual's whim. This idea is also discussed in Michael Gerber's excellent book, The E Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It.

I also enjoyed reading J. W. Marriott, Jr's criticisms of his father's way of making decisions (I also thought it was interesting that he was so negative with regard to his father, in a published book). Jr. said that his father fretted too much about decisions and basically drove himself crazy. Jr. says in this book that one should not try to make a perfect business decision. That involves too much angst and is a waste of time. One should gather the necessary information to make an informed decision as best as one can, then actually make the decision. The price of pefection is prohibitive.

I hope you find this book as enjoyable and as inspiring as I did.

Ran into a copy of this succint biographical book at the Sydney Marriott alongside the Bible/Gita/Buddhist manual, and I wasn't too sanguine about something from the hospitality industry being too relevant to me. But this slim, easy read may actually connect with almost any business person. More so if you are in any way related to customer services or marketing.

Without skipping any beat on chapters of glorious prose, ala TypicalBusinessBook, it shoots straight from the gut about the tenets of Marriott -- how with sheer determination it shot to the big league from a small cottage inn, the MBE leadership style of Marriott (the younger Marriott that is) who prefers to walk his troops instead of boardroom inertia, lessons in team building, the importance of listening to all the levels of the organization, codifying past experiences into business philosophies (not the usual "Best Practices" bromide that is bandied about in elite echelons of business) etc etc.

In all respects, a hidden business gem of a book.

Now the million (ok, 11) dollar question. You can imagine how I got my copy. So would I *buy* this book if I had to? For the basement price, and for the simple but compelling REAL WORLD lessons, most likely yes.

I stayed at a Marriott in Denver last week and found a copy of this book in the nightstand. I expected it to be hogwash and instead found it to be the most useful business book I've ever read. It is a quick read (about 150 pages, not the 240 mentioned in the Amazon catalog). It is entertaining without being self-indulgent and informative without being preachy. The anecdotes revealed an appropriate level of introspection (my one quibble is that Mr. Marriott claims that his family and faith come before business and yet also describes himself as a workaholic). I'm not in the hospitality industry and yet I found dozens of parallels to my own business (computer software and book publishing). Most interesting were the frank assessments of Marriott's business mistakes. He truly used them as an opportunity to learn. The book is chock full of excellent and thought-provoking strategies and totally devoid of the cheesy buzzwords so prevalent in, say, the latest Tom Peters books. Although I have no association with Marriott, the book will cause me to examine the entire service industry in a new light.

I really like this book and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a reference to JCL and to grasp JCL concepts.

For those not acclimated to the mainframe environment I would recommend reading chapter 21-22 first. They cover ISPF and TSO which is the Mainframe "IDE" in the JCL Context. It is the method in which you code JCL, submit JCL, Debug JCL. I know the focus on the book is JCL, but I would have thought the ISPF TSO Chapters would be in the beginning. Still, a well written book.

This is the bee's knees.

MVS Job Control Language explained in easy to understand language.

There is lot's more than just JCL. There are, for example, explanations of file Data Control Blocks, MVS Utilities, compilers, linkage editors and many more subjects of interest to anyone working on MVS.

An absolute must if you write JCL. I have it to hand on my desk all the time.

I have used Brown's books since his first 370 edition. Brown explains the often obtuse JCL with clarity not often found in technical books. It is an elegant presentation of the most central tech skill to mainframe systems. His handling of utilities is equally well done.

This is a great book with lots of tips, I only disagree with Mr. Brown on one point and that is his handling of private investigators and guns. If he doesn't think a PI should carry then he should just come right out and say it, not try and think up silly reasons why you shouldn't. He tries to make the idea of carrying concealed sound like you're just bound to kill the first innocent bystander that crosses your path. Or that you're just bound to be killed with your own gun. With 42(?) states recognizing concealed carry as legal by private citizens we don't see this happening at all but we do see a massive reduction in crimes against persons in these states. On the other hand, states (and cities) without concealed carry (some even deny their citizens the right to even OWN) have escalating murder and crimes against persons statistics.

Mr. Brown points how many hundred highly trained police officers are killed or injured with their own guns or the guns of perpetrators yearly but he neglects to note that thousands more save their own lives because they are carrying and would likely be dead if they hadn't been.

He lays out a fictitious scenario wherein you, the gun toting PI, kill an innocent bank manager, but the scenario is so outrageous as to be preposterous and highly unlikely if even plausible. He has the bank manager running from the bank with a gun, carrying a money bag and looking over his shoulder. He bumps into you, knocks you down and continues running. If I was chasing a robbery suspect with a gun in hand and a money bag that the robber had dropped I certainly would not be looking behind me, I would be looking in the direction the robber went. Otherwise, why am I running at all? And if the robber came your way (the PI) why didn't you see him running by if he had so many money bags he was dropping them running away? The whole thing is silly. Then he places you in legal jeopardy because you responded with deadly force in this ludicrous scenario.

Mr. Brown then proceeds to ask 3 questions which he calls the "Gun Conundrum". He ask if the PI is proficient in the use of deadly force? Then he declares that no PI is proficient (in his opinion) enough after a short course in concealed carry to say yes to that question. This is simple BS. Concealed carry is not to make you a more proficient killer. How much training do most street thugs have and do you not end up just as dead? Proficiency in the use of deadly force is not the question, you can be proficient in killing without taking a class at all! Next question, is the PI prepared to take the life of another person? Careful now, if you answer yes too quickly you shouldn't be carrying at all (this according to Mr. Brown)! In my limited experience the only time you can ever answer this question honestly is if you have faced the situation and had to make that split second decision. No one knows for sure until they are put in that position. Oh, they may boast what they would do but they don't really know until the moment of truth. So, the question is pointless. Third question, can the PI make that split second decision to use deadly force when the need arises. Another pointless question unless you have been there because you just won't know for sure until it happens. And when it happens, you WILL make the decision in a split second or you will hesitate and die thinking about it. I'm not under rating proper training, it can make all the difference. So we get down to the basic question, should you carry? Should you not carry? Only you can make that decision. And it shouldn't be made on the basis of scare tactics, implausible scenarios, or pointless questions. Use sound judgement and you decide for yourself. Otherwise the manual is a great guide and I highly recommend it, believe it or not.

Covers a wide array of PI subjects and goes into adequate detail on most. Re-inforces his points with good stories from his experiences that make the book enjoyable as well as informative. I wish he had included more stories and also product & brand recommendations and more resources. Great book. Nice guy, met him at a book signing in Jacksonville, FL

As an experienced Private Investigator in the State of Idaho I am always looking for reading material associated with my profession. More than a few associates recommended "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating" but, I shied away because of the title. I've always considered myself an experienced professional not a newbie so I let my pride get in the way. Well, after a few more associates recommended the book I had to order it to see for myself if it was as good as everyone said. I must say I am very impressed. Lots of information laid out in such a way that anyone from beginner to experienced can comprehend. My suggestion whether you are an experienced investigator or just starting out is to read this book from front to back!

This book is definitely a book that I shall keep for reference. The tutorials are written in a manner to keep you thinking. Information on Fireworks is in an easy to read format. For the hands on individual, you will find tutorials that will challenge all levels of expertise. Will revisit the tutorials in this book the next time I plan a web page using Fireworks. Happy Computing...

It is a book beyond the imagination.
I successfully created a web site:

[website] after reading the book
of Joyce Evans.
I buy all her books without even opening any of her book at the book store because I know of the style she writes anybody can understand including dumb person like me !
A Brilliant Author and a great web designer.
I look forward for her new arrivals.

Bob Singh

I purchased this book.
It is a very good book written by Joyce J Evans.
I am willing to buy any book written by her without opening the book at the bookstore.
Great Author.

BBC program consisting of interviews with eight well known physicists about the quantum theory.
Although the achievements of most of the interviewed (Alain Aspect, John Bell, John Wheeler) are more extensively explained in other books by themselves or others, these direct dialogues give the authors an excellent opportunity to summarize their work and to reflect on that of others.
I was particularly impressed by the interview with Rudolf Peierls, where he interprets the 'many universes' (multiverse) theory of Everett as 'possibilities' or as a 'dictionary of possibilities', rather than 'universes'.
Not to be missed. Congratulations to the BBC.

We live in an awkward time. Our understanding of the universe is based on two theoretical models, quantum theory at the atomic scale and relativistic theory at the astronomical scale. Despite valiant efforts, physicists have been unable to unify these two highly successful theories.

Quantum theory itself is based "on a profound and disturbing paradox that has led some physicists to declare that the theory is ultimately meaningless." And yet no experiment has contradicted the predictions of quantum theory. Physicists agree that quantum theory "correctly describes the world to a level of precision and detail unprecedented in science". The problem is philosophical, not technical.

I highly recommend "The Ghost in the Atom" as an excellent starting point for exploring the fascinating implications of quantum theory. P. C. W. Davies (physicist) and J. R. Brown (BBC producer) offer us an intelligent examination of the conflicting and controversial interpretations of this fundamental theory.

"The Ghost in the Atom" begins with a brief exposition (about 40 pages), titled "The Strange World of the Quantum", that summarizes quantum theory and introduces the interpretation problem. A remarkable set of interviews follow: eight noted physicists describe with enthusiasm, even passion, the bizarre implications of quantum theory as they see it.

Alain Aspect, a French experimental physicist, describes his 1982 experiment that challenged our view of reality by apparently confirming that non-locality is an attribute of our universe.

John Bell, a theoretical physicist at CERN, is known for his Bell's Theorem that provided the basis for Aspect's experiment. He discusses whether free will might be an illusion, suggests that we revisit Einstein's theory of relativity, and states that he is "quite convinced that quantum theory is only a temporary expedient".

John Wheeler, Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at UT Austin, largely agrees with the conventional Bohr interpretation (also called the Copenhagan interpretation) and argues the importance of the conscious observer in the quantum measurement process.

Rudolp Peierls, who formerly held the Wykeham Chair of Physics at Oxford, objects to the term "Copenhagan interpretation", as it suggests that there is more than one acceptable interpretation. He considers other interpretations to be largely speculation.

David Deutsch, Research Fellow in Astrophysics at both Oxford and UT Austin, argues strongly for the many-universes interpretation. He is a proponent for objective reality.

John Taylor, Professor of Mathematics at Kings College, London, argues for the ensemble interpretation (or statistical interpretation). By abandoning any attempt to describe individual systems, he contends that there is no need to associate the collapse of the wave function with the presence of a conscious observer during the measurement process.

The final two physicists, David Bohm and Basil Hiley, both argue that a "hidden variable" interpretation involving a "quantum potential" can accommodate Aspect's non-locality and maintain objective reality.

"The Ghost in the Atom" is quite exceptional and I easily give it five stars. The quantum theory overview alone, as others have pointed out, is worth the price of the book. The interviews are fascinating.

What should you read next? I highly recommend another exceptional book published by Cambridge University Press, "Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality?" by Alastair Rae. It is more difficult, but does not require mathematics.

There are many books on the topic. Firstly, this one is an excellent text which dwells less and less into abstractness and stupid analogies except for such a nature of the theory itself. It succeeds in presenting the ideas in a as precise thinking/language as possible.

Then, it presents views of many important physicists in their own words. So you are not limited to or biased by one particular view.

A very insightful book. I am amazed with the clarity of thought these people have. All of them.

It's a shame that this book is out of print; it's a very enjoyable story that deserves some attention.

The book is divided into four sections, each of which is titled after what the main character is known as. It starts out the story of a young girl who escapes her abusive family by disguising herself as a boy and running off with a group of travelling performers...

The travelling performers are led by a mysterious dark stranger named Jack Landless. As one can imagine, the lusts and passions of a girl coming of age aren't easy to explain when you're having to pretend you're a boy. Eventually the secret is revealed, and passions ignite, but she gets left at an inn and finds herself...

Passing as a fortune teller and becoming the director of theatrical performances at an orphanage. She falls into a passionate romance with the director's attractive assistant, and discovers that the gentlemen who "adopt" these children have other things on their minds. She meets a girl destined to a training academy for ladies-in-waiting and trades places with her...

And leaps at a chance to serve as an assistant to an elderly lady whose name she recalls from the past. The mysteries unravel and a web of intrigue, infidelity, and espionage is revealed.

The book can be a quick read, with cliffhanger endings leading rapidly to the next chapter, or they can be set down and enjoyed a little at a time.

I found this book in the bargain bin of my local book store, think I'll read this when I'm bored and have nothing else to read. Not being a LOVER of Romance Novels... Well, it was a great book, good for the imagination, kept it on my book shelf, and read it again & again

i picked this book up by chance next to 10 years ago and have read it once a year nearly every year since. the characters are engrossing, the plotline interesting and fun, but it's not the ends in this book that make it so wonderful, it's the journey and the characters through it. mary brown certainly can weave a fantastic story, escapism at its zenith.