Subjects:  1. 1874-1922   2. Antarctica   3. Expeditions & Discoveries   4. History   5. History - General History   6. History: World   7. Polar Regions   8. Shackleton, Ernest Henry,   9. Sir,   10. Travel   

Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues   2. Polar Regions   3. Travel   4. Travel - Foreign   

Customer Reviews (6)

If only I had this book when I was starting out
Video Game design is a highly demanding, tireless, thankless, competative, ruthless, cuthroat profession, whose sucess stories wade in the sea of design hopefuls crushed by the neverending relentless expectations of this occupation. For those still interested, keep reading.
If you think you are ready to give this a shot, then buy this book. While nothing will prepare you for video game design like your first week of work, ( so called " Hell Week" in the industry) Adams begins to lay the foundation for the tough road ahead. If only this book had been around before, for instance when I was a gopher over at EA Sports in the early 1990's, the heyday of NHL hockey and FIFA Soccer, the so called glory days when maverick designers created their own rules, coded at the seat of their pants and got paid the big bucks. I saw it all, saw the craziness, saw the mayhem, and then saw it get even worse. I would have been better off with this book, and so would anyone.

In the past decade, things have changed. Its a travesty that there has been a "brain drain" from the video game design sector in the past couple of years. We need the best and the brightest to design the future placaters of the masses. Now they are no longer interested in the field because of the crazy hacks that have taken over, rescinded the protocol and the bucked the accountability. Buy this book now.

NOT what i thought it would be....
I am an experienced computer professional, who decided to change professions, which also makes me a recent graduate of a 3D animation school(i graduated at the top of my class). I purchased this book based on mary-margaret.com's(supposedly one of the best game recruiters) recomendation AND based on the other reviews listed for this book. I really thought this book would be informative. I was WRONG. This book was a huge WASTE of money. And I am not sure that the other reviews listed for this book are even from REAL buyers... I definately do not share their opinion.

This book was basically a waste of money, because it only gives you general information that most people already know. For example on page 189 the section "How to find a Job" starts. The first paragraph is a "its not what you know, its WHO you know." section. How is that supposed to help recent graduates or professionals changing professions?

In short, this book is NOT for professionals or graduates. It might be useful to high school students, who need might need to learn how to focus their career goals towards an game career... but even then i am not sure how it would help when they get to the position of actually trying to get the job.

TOTALLY DISSATISFIED, and WISH I could get my money back! This was a highway robbery at its best.

Great book
There a lot of books on breaking into the game industry so why would you buy this one? Hell, the overall gist is the same where ever you look - online, books, here, etc. 1) Build a folio, 2) Take any entry level job you can in the industry and be prepared to work your way up 3) if you can, try to meet people in the industry already.

If you want more indepth information than that however, this book is for you.

Why?
1) Everything is clearly broken down into sections very cleanly. Nice index and appendix makes it easy to reference.
2) Covers every possible angle - whether you're young, a college graduate or already working in another industry and deals with your strengths and weaknesses
3) Well written and substantiated by interviews with industry professionals (from game designers to game industry job recruiters)

No words are wasted in this. Every word holds some meaning. I was suprised at the breakdown on minority groups, different ethnic groups and gender issues in the gaming industry. I felt this chapter alone (whilst not necessarily relevant to me) increased it's target audience substantially by tackling a lot of issues that not a lot of authors have considered.

A lot of other books out there are a collection of interviews with various game developer professionals and often their answers are disjointed and do not answer the question directly, if at all. This does not make these books any "less" valuable, only a little bit harder to find the information you might be looking for.

If you want a nice, clean, crisp and concise book on breaking into the game industry, this is the book for you. My only gripe about this book was that I felt it was rather short (largely personal perception, I understand that). That said, it did cover everything you could possibly think of (short of building your own game company, but that's a topic for another book I think) so do bear that in mind, hence my rating. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Career/Job   3. Careers - General   4. Careers - Other Specific Fields   5. Careers / Job Opportunities   6. Computer Games   7. Computer Graphics - Game Programming   8. Design   9. Electronic games industry   10. Electronics Industries (Economic Aspects)   11. Entertainment & Games - General   12. Industries - General   13. Programming   14. Video & Electronic - General   15. Vocational guidance   16. Computers / Computer Graphics / Game Programming   

Subjects:  1. Lawson, Ernest   

Raymond Briggs's loving tribute to his parents has an emotional power that far exceeds its deceptively simple technique. Graphic in format, the book combines vigorous but sensitive illustrations with dialogue that cogently elucidates its characters' personalities. Milkman Ernest meets lady's maid Ethel in 1928. In short order they are married, holders of a mortgage, and parents of a boy--solid members of the English working class, aspiring to more for their son. As they experience the Depression, World War II, postwar prosperity and cultural upheaval, readers come to know them intimately. Ernest is left-wing, unashamedly proletarian, and perennially enthusiastic about the great changes modernity is bringing, from unemployment insurance to highways. Ethel is a Tory, a bit of a snob, and far more realistic about how much actual improvement they can expect and what it will cost. They worry about their adored child constantly, especially after he goes to art school. She gets sick and grows senile in 1970; he dies shortly after her in 1971. It's hard to imagine a reader who won't weep when their son looks at the pear tree in the yard of the house the couple inhabited for 41 years and says, "I grew it from a pip." Plain words and plain people strike a universal chord in this touching memoir. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Spot On!
Forget A.J.P. Taylor! Nevermind Arnold Toynbee! "Ethel & Ernest" tells the story of 20th-Century Britain through the eyes of a working-class couple. When we study events in world history, we often forget the perspective of ordinary people like Mr. & Mrs. Briggs. I've learned more about modern British history from Raymond Briggs parents than from any established historian to date. Mr. Briggs should get a knighthood for E&E!

Hello ... can I have my copy back ...?
Actually, its a pleasure knowing that since I have bought this illustrated book, it has been passed on to friends of friends of friends! I havn't even seen it for a month. No one can resist this book, which is an affectionate yet honest look by the author/illustrator Raymond Briggs, who tells the story of the courtship and life of his mother Ethel and father Ernest, set squarely in a historical period of Britian. The historical detail is amazing - from the comic antagonism of the political attitudes displayed by his mother and father, to the harsh reality of facing World War II on families. But the story is told with such humour and insight, and with such a powerful undercurrent of sadness and love, that it is uplifting rather than depressing.

I noticed another reviewer said this book was hard to catergorise - and that is so. It is not a story with a particular point - the point, if any, is about life.

Beautiful way to tell a beautiful story
The story told in this book is a half-generation ahead of my life and half a world away, but it is one I recognize and feel deeply. The author tells his parents' life story, difficulties and all, with words and especially with wonderful drawings. It is in the style of a comic book, but it is told seriously, with deep emotion and great honesty.

It is a treasure and if you have sympathy for working-class folks or have any desire to develop an emotional connection to them, then this books is for you. This wonderful telling of their lives shows them struggling to build a place for themselves in a very harsh world during the Great Depression and WWII and on through the cultural upheavals of the sixties. They live their lives with courage, pluck, and love.

The story has its heartbreaks and there is deep sadness at times, but these were lives admirably lived and the son should be praised for the way he honored his parents with this book. This book feels like a gift when I read it.

Bravo! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1895-1971   2. 1900-1971   3. Art   4. Artists, Architects, Photographers   5. Biography / Autobiography   6. Biography/Autobiography   7. Briggs, Ernest,   8. Briggs, Ethel,   9. Comic books, strips, etc   10. Graphic Satire And Humor   11. Parental Memoirs   12. Techniques - Cartooning   13. Biography & Autobiography / Artists, Architects, Photographers   14. Briggs, Ernest   15. Briggs, Ethel   

Subjects:  1. Architecture   2. Architecture, Domestic   3. Commercial buildings   4. Designs and plans   5. Details   6. General   7. Architecture / General   

No writer has been more efficiently overshadowed by hisimitators than Ernest Hemingway. From the moment he unleashed his stripped-down, declarative sentences on the world, he began breeding entiregenerations of miniature Hemingways, who latched on to his subtractive style without ever wondering what he'd removed, or why. And his tendency to lapse into self-parody during the latter half of his career didn't help matters.But In Our Time, which Hemingway published in 1925, reminds us ofjust how fresh and accomplished his writing could be--and gives at least an inkling of why Ezra Pound could call him the finest prose stylist inthe world.

In his first commercially published book (following the small-press appearance of ThreeStories and Ten Poems in 1924), Hemingway was still wearing hisinfluences on his sleeve. The vignettes between each story smack of GertrudeStein, whose minimalist punctuation and clodhopping rhythms he was happy to borrow. "My Old Man" sounds like Huck Finn on the Grand Tour: "Well, we went to live at Maisons-Lafitte, where just about everybody livesexcept the gang at Chantilly, with a Mrs. Meyers that runs a boarding house. Maisons is about the swellest place to live I've ever seen in all mylife." But in the "The Battler" or "Indian Camp" or "Big Two-Hearted River," Hemingway finds his own voice, shunning the least hint of rhetorical inflation and sticking to just the facts, ma'am. His reluctance totraffic in high-flown abstraction has often been chalked up to postwar disillusion--as though he were too much of a simpleton to makedeliberate stylistic decisions. Still, nobody can read "Soldier's Home" without drawing a certain connection between the two. Returning home toOklahoma, the hero finds that his tales of combat are now a bankrupt genre:

Even his lies were not sensational at the pool room. His acquaintances,who had heard detailed accounts of German women found chained to machineguns in the Argonne forest and who could not comprehend, or were barred bytheir patriotism from interest in, any German machine gunners who were not chained, were not thrilled by his stories.

Customer Reviews (31)

IN OUR TIME
In Our Time is a great collection of Ernest Hemingway's early short stories, which he wrote when he was at his peak as a writer. I love the way he uses simple descriptions and dialogue to narrate them, giving a more natural feel to the stories. You can see his tough writing style beginning to show already at this point of his career. Most parts will be confusing to the novice reader because Hemingway really wants you to infer what the stories are about - he will not go right out and tell you. There really is no single theme to this whole book, but it basically shows how life was back in the 1920's. Many of Hemingway's works were based on his own experiences in life, which is very interesting. "The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife" was based on the author's own father, who was, in Hemingway's mind, a coward. "Soldier's Home" is an excellent story of a distressed soldier coming home from The Great War. "A Very Short Story" was based on Hemingway's own romance with a nurse while he was overseas during the war. "Indian Camp" and "The Battler" are two of my favorites. It has been said that the character Nick Adams was really Hemingway, and when you read the Nick Adams stories along with a biography on Hemingway's life, it is easy to see why. Each story in this collection has a meaning unto itself, and I highly recommend that you read all of them.

Wait on this one.
Buy a bigger collection of Hemingway stories and save some money.

Great book by a great author
This book is an excellent example of the works of Hemingway, one of the best American authors of all time. It consists of a series of short stories alternating with sketches. Hemingway's sparse descriptions are powerful, because they leave so much to the imagination. This one is a must-read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adams, Nick (Fictitious charac   2. Adams, Nick (Fictitious character)   3. Adventure stories, American   4. Autobiographical fiction, Amer   5. Autobiographical fiction, American   6. Classics   7. Fiction   8. Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961   9. Literary   10. Literature - Classics / Criticism   11. Short Stories (single author)   12. Short stories   13. Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Administration   2. Ambulatory Care   3. Ambulatory Medical Care   4. Health Care Administration   5. Health Care Delivery   6. Medical   7. Medical / Nursing   8. organization & administration   9. Medical / Administration   

Customer Reviews (12)

OK But Not Entirely Satisfying
Gregg Herken's BROTHERHOOD OF THE BOMB is subtitled: "The
Tangled Lives And Loyalties Of Robert Oppenheimer, Ernest
Lawrence, And Edward Teller". This statement implies that
this book is something of a three-way biography of three
important nuclear scientists, but it actually has a broader
focus, discussing not merely the lives of these three men but
traces through the story of the US nuclear weapons program in
World War II; the American Communist Party; the Red spy
network in the US; McCarthyism and the Red witch hunts of the
Cold War; and the rise of the nuclear arms race.

In a sense, this relatively broad focus makes this book, if
not exactly frustrating because it's an okay read, at
least a little unsatisfying, since it gives enough of these
stories to be intriguing but not enough to give a clear
picture -- while distracting enough from the story of Lawrence,
Oppenheimer, and Teller so that they never seem to really
come alive.

This is a pity, since at least Oppenheimer and Teller are
fascinating individuals -- Oppenheimer was brilliant and
arrogant, impatient with lesser intellects, but still
much admired; and Teller is brilliant as well, with the odd
unintentional humor of the single-minded. (In an interview
a few years ago he told the reporter up front: "If you
mention Strangelove ONE TIME, I will THROW YOU OUT!")

In the end I get the feeling like I would have been happier
with something with much more scope, detail, and length;
or, with the scope it has, less detail and length. The
story of Oppenheimer's political persecution is laid out
blow-by-blow, but for myself I think a more concise
description would have let me see the forest for the trees
much better.

I must admit that the description of AEC Chairman Lewis
Strauss, who orchestrated the charge on Oppenheimer, was
vivid enough to be creepy, since Strauss was the sort of
fellow whose faith in his own convictions so strong that
he could burn any number of witches at the stake without
a second thought. It's good to be reminded that there are
people like that out there!

OK, I don't want to go too far. This isn't a bad book.
It's well-researched and provides worthwhile information.
There are fascinating bits in it, for example how
Oppenheimer was not merely given a clean bill of health
by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, but even
praised as something of a national hero by the prominent
HUAC member, Congressman Richard M. Nixon of California.
(There always was a "Good Dick Nixon" and a "Bad Dick
Nixon".)

It just left me wanting much more -- which, I suppose, is
a good thing as well.

Very cool book
This book was very fascinating and fun to read. The book is very informative and interesting about the development of "the Bomb", and beyond. The book goes into vast detail about Ernest Lawrence, Robert Oppenheimer, and Edward Teller; especially Ernest Lawrence. The book starts in about 1939 with Ernest's invention of the cyclotron, and ends in the early 1960's with the Limited Test-Ban treaty. Besides talking about the relationships between the three physicists, which is very interesting, the book also talks about a lot of the small people involved in the production of the first fission weapon. What I think is cool, is the information given on Robert Oppenheimer from the FBI. The book also sends a lot of time discussing Edward Teller's interest and development of the Hydrogen Bomb. Although it does give some information about the nuclear testing we have done, it would be better if the Author discussed this more. Overall, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history and development of nuclear weapons.

This book is VERY WELL WRITTEN
I'm only a few chapters into the book at the moment. However, I am finding the book to be very interesting and extremely well researched. I totally disagree with the other reviews on this one. The book is very well written. I can hardly put it down. Excellent job! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General   2. History - Military / War   3. Military - Weapons   4. Modern - 20th Century   5. Nuclear Physics   6. Science   7. Science/Mathematics   8. Scientists   9. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Customer Reviews (5)

The wisdom of Ernest Holmes
If you have never read Ernest Holmes before, this is a great book to start with. It is simple to read, yet it conveys Ernest Holmes' wisdoms at the core, and directly.

Ernest Holmes will tell you about the concept of Divine Mind, Spiritual Supply, Mental Laws, and why our thoughts create our experience.

The first time I read his concept of "Entering The Absolute", it really opened up a new way of thinking for me. He says that to enter the absolute means, be able to think independently of any existing circumstances or problems. Meaning, if you have any problem or situation which you wish to solve or get out from, the only way to get out from it is to spend your focus mainly on what you really want - which is the solution/answer. If you are poor, you have to think thoughts of wealth,abundance and success, to dwell on the "Infinite Supply" and never on the present circumstances. Many other authors have written about true stories where people have gotten themself out of their situation of lack, by daily thinking and feeling about what they truly desire.

I recently read that the author Anthony Robbins, many years ago when he was broke, he set such big 'impossible' goals for himself such as owning a huge castle to live in, a limosine, being a multi-millionaire and being the successful person he desired to be. And he mentally rehearsed each goal everyday, as if its already achieved, that within JUST ONE YEAR he achieved all of his goals above! The castle, the limo, the wealth and life he dwelled on everyday!

For those who are interested in this topic, you may want to read "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen. However, I still think 'Creative Mind and Sucess' is the best. If you are interested in Ernest Holmes, I recommend his other books such as "This Thing Called YOU", "Love And Law", "The Essential Ernest Holmes".

One of the best books in its class
There have been dozens of books telling you that your thoughts create your reality and how to use that to your advantage. This is one of the original such books. The major difference is that because Holmes was inspired as one of the original channels through which this very important information came through, I could fell that his words in this book were highly charged with transformational spiritual energy. I'm not talking of some New Age foo-foo idea. And I'm not talking about religiosity (religion, the bureacracy between God and man!). I'm talking about grounded, very real direct spiritual power. What he offers in this book is the real deal. I have known of this stuff for years. And yet when I read this book, I intentionally approached it with "beginner's mind" as if I've never heard of this stuff before. And as good as my life already was going into this book, applying what Holmes writes has boosted my life to a new level of inner fullness. Buy it, read it, apply it every moment and this will transform your life.

A book to READ, RE-READ...and TRAVEL WITH!
Ernest Holmes' Creative Mind and Success is a little gem of a book. Not only will reading and re-reading it give you the good stuff for your mind that'll help propel you to success -- but the book proves you don't have to write a ton of verbiage to be profound. And you, as a consumer, can save thousands of dollars in motivational training by just reading THIS small book.
Holme's main point is that "your thought decides whether your business shall be a success or a failure." Why? Because "Life is from within outward and never from without inward." Our thoughts DO influence what we become and how we fare. Holme's wrote this book in 1919 and wrote the foward to its reprinting in 1957 -- and it is as good as ever.
And...no...I'm not a card-carrying member of his church (with a name like "Gandelman" -- guess!). But I've learned (the HARD WAY) that the motivational speakers and motivational/spiritual writers are CORRECT: how we view things, what we verbally and mentally affirm and what and how we pray (affirmation is actually a form of prayer so if you don't like to pray and you do affirmations, you're basically doing it) DOES HAVE AN IMPACT. If I don't do it and go into a downward spiral, I STAY in it. If I break it and do affirmations or Holme's version of prayer mixed with affirmation (affirmative prayer) I get out of it and steadily advance.
Why do I suggest you get and read, re-read and TRAVEL WITH this book? A few reasons:
1. It's only 84 pages long.
2. He clearly provided the foundation for the views of many motivational, self-help folks who would follow. I see a lot of Napolean Hill's philosophy (they most likely arrived at the same conclusions independently) in it. And even Norman Vincent Peale whose widely used quote is on the dust cover: "I believe God was in this man, Ernest Holmes. He was in tune with the Infinite."
3. He CONSTANTLY tells readers to ignore the naysayers who tell you you are a failure. Ignore the prophets of doom and gloom who, in your darkest moments, will tell you that you are destined to flop.
4. He gives you a very specific explanation as to why you must IGNORE the negative voices and view yourself as a success and your goals as doable. As he puts it, yes, there is a cause and effect but "In your life you are that cause." Think failure and poverty...that's what you'll get. If, despite where you are now, you think success and plenty, you'll find yourself headed in that direction.
"Whatever we think is the pattern and mind is the builder," he writes. "....Know that no matter what others may say, think or do, you are a success, now, and nothing can hinder you from accomplishing your good."
5. Whether you want to use a self-help framework or religious framework this profound little book (you will NOT feel cheated; there is no padding!) gives you the CONFIDENCE and HOPE to jump out of bed every day and get down to it...and listen to YOUR OWN encouragement and blot out the negative voices that may surround you and dishearten you.
When things may not look great, you can read it and get your thinking back on track. If people say you're destined to fail, Holmes is there to tell you you will NOT and give you a specific framework to tell you why you won't if you don't think you won't.
NOTE: I not only read this but I underlined it. Now I'm re-reading my underlinings. Then I'll re-read it again..and I travel with this jewel of a book, keeping it in my carry-on luggage or my overnight bag. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Doctrines   2. General   3. New Thought   4. Psychology   5. Religious aspects   6. Success   7. United Church of Religious Sci   

Customer Reviews (2)

Handy, but could be better.
I teach an Interior Design Graphics class and find this book to be useful for a number of tracing images such as trees and cars. The people section is not as up to date as I'd like. Lots of the figures look like they walked out of an old Charlie's Angels set. Still, though a basically good book for its purpose. Just don't expect it to be the end all.

Retro 70's
1995 edition with 1970's figures and automobiles. Classiclly, this has been an architectural resource book for any office doing presentation work, though, today the content is dated. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture   2. Design & Drafting   3. Drafting & Mechanical Drawing   4. Entourage (Architectural rende   5. Entourage (Architectural rendering)   6. General   7. Interior Design - General   8. Themes, motives   9. Architecture / Design & Drafting   

Customer Reviews (7)

A must for any adventure library
If you are a fan of Antarctic exploration then this wonderful book should be in your library. Many know the incredible story of the Endurance and the trials those 28 men endured when the ship was locked in the ice and eventually crushed. The beauty of this book is that it documents the story with the remarkable photos of the expedition photographer, Australian Frank Hurley. When you consider the time period of this story (1914-1916) you can only marvel that Hurley produced such amazing images with the equipment that was available at that time. Additionally, the initial introduction to this photo collection is excellent. It presents a good recap of the Endurance expedition with many quotes from crewmembers that have not appeared in previous books.If you are a professional photographer, or even an amateur, the information on Hurley's equipment and the story of his early training will be of special interest. The over 500 photos will hold your interest for hours! I've read almost every book on Endurance and this will rank as one of my favorites.

The Definitive Pictorial Account of the 'Endurance'
This mammoth book is the definitive pictorial account of the voyage of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the 'Endurance', on their death defying journey to Antarctica between 1914 and 1917 as told through the camera lens of master photographer Frank Hurley. The book is approximately twelve inches square, and can easily be mistaken for a (very large and heavy) coffee table book from afar. Once it is opened, though, it is obvious that this in no trifling work. It contains background and narrative on Shackleton and the expedition and all of the surviving Hurley photographs (almost 500 of them total) and in scope is the most complete and amazing account of the expedition I have ever seen.

The text is enlightening and wonderful, but the photographs are the unmistakable stars of the book. Hurley was taken along to document the expedition, and document it he did, despite the fact that it turned out completely differently than any of the men would have ever wanted or imagined. The photographs range from breathtakingly beautiful pictures of water and ice, to fascinating character studies, particularly of life aboard the ship, to poignant photos that are impossible to view without being choked up, of which I place the photos of the dogs and cat at the top, realizing that all the animals, their most faithful of friends, were ultimately killed on Shackleton's orders to conserve food (many of the dogs were eaten.) It is truly fortunate that Hurley was along to document the voyage; mere words alone could never do justice to one of the greatest survival stories ever told, and certainly the most harrowing that I can imagine.

The book is a timeless masterpiece and belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the Antarctic, polar exploration, or man's ability to endure untold hardships yet emerge victorious over the elements.

Excellent
I was fortunate that I could follow Shakelton on T.V. while reading and viewing these excellent pictures. This book is outstanding and I would urge anyone interested in either Shakelton or photography to get it. I could not help but think that every member of this expedition had story to tell. We have heard only a few. Amazing the limits of human endurance and to think that they had a photographer with them who realized what he was filming, and did so for all of us to see.To Hurley was far ahead of his time, and I am inclined to think that Ansel Adams had probably learned from Mr. Hurley. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1874-1922   2. Antarctica   3. Arctic Islands And Antarctica - History   4. Documentary Photo Collections   5. Endurance (Ship)   6. Expeditions & Discoveries   7. History - General History   8. Individual Photographer   9. Photo Essays   10. Photography   11. Polar Regions   12. Shackleton, Ernest Henry,   13. Sir,   14. Travel   15. History / Polar Regions   

Customer Reviews (10)

Gorgeous Tarot Deck & Awesome Book!
Whether this is your first Tarot deck or the newest addition to your Tarot collection, THE QUEST TAROT will soon become a trusted friend. The luminous graphics on each card open up multidimensional doorways to other worlds -- with meaningful constellations, rainbows, animals and flowers gracing many of the cards. This deck is instantly accessible, since each card contains a keyword along with it's name (such as "The Moon" -- "Dreams") for easy interpretation. In addition to providing regular tarot readings, THE QUEST TAROT cards are designed to help you foretell timelines, as well as include gemstones, rune stones, the I Ching, and Kabbalah in your readings. This deck also contains a couple of new cards: "The Multiverse," and a blank card.

What impresses me the most about the companion book is that the information for each card is perfectly aligned with the pages, so at a glance you can read all about each particular card without having to turn any pages. Joseph Ernest Martin demonstrates his creative, playful side by including several games to play with this deck -- everything from "Quest Tarot Poker" to "Truth or Dare!" My other favorite thing about the companion book is how clearly Martin describes techniques for getting the most insight from each of your readings -- "turbo-charging" them so they provide you with the most awesome insights.

If you've got burning questions, THE QUEST TAROT has the answers for you!

Absolutely Gorgeous Tarot Deck
I saw this deck at a con I recently attended and was instantly attracted to it by its beauty. Joseph has put a lot of love and effort into these cards. And not only are they beautiful, they are a kind of "universal divination tool." Not only do you have the traditional cards, including the Major and Minor Arcanas, but also on the cards are either rune symbols, I Ching symbols, astrological signs, and gemstones. The cards have a number of unusual features, such as foretelling time lines and the ability to answer Yes/No questions.

There's also a short section in the book called Tarot Party Games. Can you imagine "Tarot Poker?" Hmmm makes me wonder what happens when you get a full house in your spread. Another section I liked was in the book's beginning where it discusses how to take care of your cards, a nice touch.

And of course the book describes each card of the Major and Minor Arcanas. There's also a blank card, called the Mysterious Blank Card which you can use as your Significator card or as your own "custom card." The Major Arcana also has two "zero cards," The Fool and the Multiuniverse." Very nice.

I really like how Joseph has kept with tradition in designing this set, but added a few extra touches that make this deck really stand out. I have looked at numerous Tarot decks and not felt anything, but as soon as I saw this deck, I felt an immediate and positive emotional reaction to them.

Ground-breaking New Tarot Deck!
This lovely deck is pure eye candy but it has definite nutritional substance. Visionary Joseph Ernest Martin had created a visual feast of color, astrological signs, I Ching, rune stones, rainbows, animals, Kabbala, crystals and gemstones, a yes/no feature and much more! At last---a user-friendly tarot deck that is gorgeous, as well. No wonder it was snatched up like hotcakes in its first printing!

Joseph is an award-winning graphics and fine artist with gifted psychic abilities. Perfect combo for a near perfect tarot deck. The only tarot deck coming close to it in it's appeal to me is the Voyager deck. He has made it easier for the non-Tarot reader to actually be able to read a spread.

My favorite cards are the Multiverse, and the blank card, which I understand are two new cards to be added to any deck.

The more I play with this deck, the closer I get to actually wanting to learn the art of tarot reading. It is a most useful tool for delving into one's life in a multidimensional manner. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit   2. Divination - General   3. Divination - Tarot   4. New Age   5. New Age / Parapsychology   6. Tarot   

Newly revised and updated for Java 2 standards, the second edition ofThe Complete Java 2 Certification Study Guide is packed with informationon what you'll need to know to pass both the Sun Java Programmer and DeveloperExams. With Java certification becoming ever more popular, this title is anessential resource for anyone who's preparing for it.

The cover of the book asserts that one of its team authors actually contributesquestions to Sun's tests.

The goal here isn't so much to beat the testmakers (although the book has plentyto say about test-taking strategy) as it is to master the finer points of Javathat you'll need to understand to succeed on the exam. The focus is on the areasthat Sun has defined as important. The Programmer Exam--the first level of Suncertification--is covered first. Basic language features are reviewed, such asaccess specifiers, operators, and other keywords that will help make you anexpert. (Some sections explain with great clarity the mysteries of Java's"extra" shift operator and other features.) Other chapters cover threads andmultithreading strategies, as well as user-interface design with layout managers(which Sun considers important).

The second half of the volume concentrates on the Developer Exam, a morefree-form exercise in which programmers write custom code, based on aspecification from Sun. Two case studies, one for a room-scheduling applicationand another for a trouble-ticket system that tracks requests for technicalsupport, illustrate this test. As the solution is presented, you'll learn how tobuild custom client/server software, and how to use Remote Method Invocation(RMI) and other advanced techniques. There's also advice for the bestprogramming styles and choices for passing this challenging exam.

As in the previous edition, each chapter in this book concludes with samplequestions (about 10 each) to help you study. In the new edition, there's now afull sample Programmer Exam (both printed and on the accompanying CD-ROM), whichsimulates the length and format of the real thing. In all, the new edition ofthis previously bestselling title will continue to provide helpful preparationfor anyone who seeks Sun certification.

Despite the bulk (over 900 pages), this book actually makes for quick reading,and will help anyone decipher some of the more difficult aspects of the Javaprogramming language. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction to Sun certification and theProgrammer Exam
• Java language fundamentals: primitive data types, literals,arrays, and garbage collection
• Java operators up close (including evaluationorder and the shift operators)
• Access specifiers (public,private, default, and protected)
• Converting and casting rulesin Java (including promotions)
• Flow-control statements
• Exceptionhandling
• Object-oriented design primer
• Overloading and overriding
• Inheritance and subclassing
• Inner classes
• Threads andsynchronization techniques
• Using the Math, String, andStringBuffer classes effectively
• The Java 2 Collections API
• Layout managers
• Event handling
• AWT components
• Painting
• FileI/O
• Introduction to the Sun Developer Exam
• Sample room-reservation casestudy
• Working with Java databases
• Creating a client/server system fromscratch
• Remote Method Invocation (RMI)
• Multithreading issues
• User-interface design with Swing
• Trouble-ticket problem tracker casestudy
• Using Swing JTable, JTree, and other Swing controls
• How to submit finished exam work to Sun
• Tips for the follow-up exam
• Sample Programmer Exam (including CD-ROM version)
• The future of Suncertification

Customer Reviews (230)

Dry but useful
I already knew Java pretty well, but I'll be changing jobs soon and I wanted to put certification on my resume to make keyword-grepping HR bots happy. (Sigh.) I figured I could pass the test cold but didn't want to bet money on it, so I bought this book.

I think it's a pretty good book, but I haven't read any other Java certification books so I have no basis for direct comparison. It's seems a bit dated, but the Programmer exam hasn't changed much in a couple of years (still based on JDK 1.2 without Swing) so that's okay -- adding more coverage of newfangled stuff that isn't on the current test would not please the intended audience. The one big change in format versus the sample test in this book is that the current test tells you how many answers to check on the more-than-one-choice multiple-choice questions. (Poke around some Java certification web sites.)

It covers both the Programmer and Developer exams, so it's thicker than books that only cover the former. I haven't taken the latter, so I don't know how on-target that part is, but it was an interesting read. (Certainly more interesting than the half of the book that focuses on the Programmer exam, but that reflects the nature of the two exams. The Developer exam is about writing real code, while the Programmer exam is about being a human compiler and language lawyer.) The Developer section does not give a complete solution, though, just hints. I understand why the Sun-employed author doesn't want to do that, but they could have invented a problem similar to but not identical to a real assignment and then solved it completely.

The Programmer exam is a multiple-choice test based largely on memorizing a bunch of exact rules about how the language works. Some of them are things you really need to know (e.g. what private and final mean), and some are just stupid memorization. (Do you remember the exact nested constructors of all those Writers and Readers and Streams in java.io, or do you just look them up in the handy online API help?)

My one criticism of the book is that, perhaps because the main author works for Sun and is directly involved with the certification exams, the book isn't blunt enough in places. If I wrote it, I would say things like "I know it's idiotic, but memorize every single method signature in Thread and which ones are deprecated" rather than just teaching what really matters about Threads, because the exam unfortunately focuses on both equally rather than on the important parts. People buy this book because they want to pass a test, not because they want to learn the language. They've already done that using other sources. So the book should teach more directly to the test. Maybe the non-Sun-affiliated books are better in this regard.

The book comes with a CD. It has a Java-based program that lets you take the chapter exercises and sample test (only one, unfortunately), which IMO beats taking it on paper. The text of the book is also available on the CD, in encrypted PDF, but unfortunately you have to run a Windows-only setup.exe to install it. Yes, a book about a portable language, stored in a portable document format, with a non-portable installer. Some people just don't get it.

By the way, I passed the Programmer test, but it was harder than expected. I would not have passed it cold. My advice is to buy a certification book (can't say which one since I only read this one), study, and make sure that you can pass a couple of sample exams by a comfortable margin before you drop money on the real thing. If you don't already know Java pretty well, I don't think you'll be able to pass this exam via just studying a couple of books (unless you have a photographic memory) -- write some real code first. Even if you do know Java, write some small test programs dealing with areas you might be weak in (threads, AWT if you've done primarily non-GUI work, collections if you mostly use arrays, inner classes, exceptions) to cement what you've learned.

Excellent Review, Easy to Understand, Missing 1.4 Objectives
Having recently passed the new Programmer 1.4 Exam, I found this book does a very good job of explaining all the basics need for certification.

Each chapter is devoted to a different topic and has 10 review questions at the end to reinforce chapter topics. Unlike some of the other prep books on the market, I did not feel overwhelmed at the amount of information. The author does a good job of going through the material at a slow pace and clearly explaining the topics. Since I have only read the Programmer section, I can not comment on the Developer section.

The only negative aspect of this book is that it is geared for the Java Programmer 1.2 exam, not the new 1.4 exam (released October 2002). While the 1.2 exam is still available, I imagine most people will be looking to take the new 1.4 test. The 2 versions of the exam are very similar, but 1.4 exam omits IO, AWT, and Swing. These 3 sections take up a large chunk of the programmer portion of the book (200 pages approx.). This said, you may want to wait for a new 1.4 version of the book to come out that covers the new topics (assertions, hashCode()/equals(), etc).

Overall, a great exam preparation book and worth the money.

Don't Buy Just For Sun Certified Java Developer Exam
This book will get the job done if you're using it to pass the SCJP exam. However, it is not at all helpful when it comes to the SCJD assignment. The book gets way too advanced when it comes to the SCJD part. It glosses over topics like distributed event notification, and creating a thread pooling mechanism. These things are not necessary for the exam at all and the book's explanations are way too generalized to help you understand them anyway. I found the book's style to be too formal and much less readable than the book by Kathy Sierra. If you're just taking the SCJP test, this book will work for you. But, if you're going for the SCJD, I recommend "The Sun Certified Java Developer Exam With J2SE 1.4." This latter book goes into way more detail and is much more helpful for SCJD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Certification - General   2. Computer Bks - Certification   3. Computer Books: Languages   4. Computer Networks   5. Computer Programming Languages   6. Computers   7. Programming Languages - General   8. Programming Languages - Java   

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent
The University of Chicago Math Series is excellent as an self-study or in-classroom math series. I prefer it over other curriculums I have used.

"Chicago Math" Algebra text is Excellent!
Our 14 yr. old (homeschooled) daughter just completed this University of Chicago's Algebra textbook. She found the text complete, thorough, and very easy to follow! She found it to be an almost completely 'self taught' course! She also enjoyed the colorful pictures, extra projects sections, and the interesting sidenotes which included world trivia topics. We have been successfully using the Saxon math text books for all of our lower grade math work thus far, and were somewhat reluctant to try something "new" and different. But right from the start, our daughter LOVED the Chicago math, and welcomed the change. I just wish that there had been a text like this for me, her mother, when I was struggling through Algebra back in the '70's. We would highly recommend this math textbook, and it's clear solution manual to ANYONE studying Algebra! Go ahead and try something different this year! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Algebra   2. Algebra - Elementary   3. Algebra - General   4. Algebra - Intermediate   5. Mathematics   6. Science/Mathematics   

Customer Reviews (1)

the best general info out there
I am a nurse, and I recommend this book to almost everyone. It is written at a decent level - not dumbed down, but not too technical. Information is current, helpful and practical. For less than 25 bucks, it is a bargain! Family and friends will benefit as well as people with cancer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cancer   2. Diet / Health / Fitness   3. Diseases - Cancer   4. General   5. Health & Fitness   6. Health/Fitness   7. Popular works   8. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Cancer   

Soon after the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911, his Anglo-Irish rival, Sir Ernest Shackleton, sought to top the feat by making his way from one end of Antarctica to the other on sledge. He set off with a crew of 28, including scientists and a movie cameraman, but the voyage turned disastrous when Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, became hopelessly stuck in pack ice, throwing the men (and the dogs brought to pull the sledges) into a desperate battle for survival. South is Shackleton's own account--one of the critical sources for Alfred Lansing's bestseller Endurance--of what it was like to be "helpless intruders in a strange world," a vivid narrative in which tales of Edwardian pluck are counterpointed with lyrical accounts of whales, penguins, and bizarre mirages. This story of a group of men who beat nearly impossible odds to escape death and make their way home is one of the all-time great survival stories. --Robert McNamara ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

A modest, factual account of extraordinary leadership.
This a story of a "failed" cross continental expedition and its aftermath. It gives a continuous account of the unbelievable experiences of Ernest Shacleton and his crew of 27 men from the time their ship, the Endurance, is frozen in pack ice until their final escape some 20 months later. This unbelieveable feat was accomplished without a single loss of life!

The character and leadership abilities of Ernest Shackleton are impressive and facinating as he and his crew are pitted against forces of nature beyond the experience of most mortals.

I found much inspiration for dealing with life's everday experiences and challenges from reading this account. I have also read Frank Worsley's account of the "open boat" escape and a biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton. I will continue to expand this list of readings as I am able to find more accounts on the subject.

The lure of the Antartic and the study of these extrodinary adventures grips me as no other topic has for a long time.

A Gripping Tale
Ernest Shackleton has always been one of my heroes. The story of the Endurance and how the Shackleton Expedition kept body and soul together and made it safely home after losing its ship in the Weddell Sea ice pack is one of the most heroic episodes in the annals of human adventure. Hollywood could not write a more compelling epic.
I bought the book because I wanted to read a first-hand account of the Expedition, despite being somewhat afraid of its being bogged down in technical details. It was not. Once the scene was set, what the reader gets is a fast-moving, easy-to-read, and very gripping tale of the attention to duty, the guts, and the undying optimism it took to overcome what must have seemed like insurmountable odds. Shackleton's wry sense of humor and his willingness to take calculated risks and make hard decisions undoubtedly helped to inspire his men to work as a team.
You will sit on the edge of your seat as you read of the harrowing voyage in the tiny dinghy across the raging seas as Shackleton and a chosen few set out from Elephant Island in a desperate attempt to reach South Georgia. You will feel the weariness and the agony of his party as they seek to find a way to the other side through what had been considered inaccessible territory. And you will feel the sense of relief and triumph as the party stumbles into the whaling station where it was able to organize a rescue for the comrades left behind on Elephant Island.
That is really the climax of the story. Some readers may find the second portion of the book a bit anticlimactic, and it is, but that does not take away from the main story. The second part merely recounts the trials and tribulations of the other half of the expedition. The story of those men and their ship is interesting in its own right and is included here only because Shackleton, as overall commander of the expedition, included their story in his journal.
Sir Ernest Shackleton's story is an inspiration to me. His heroism shines in a world that produces too few heroes. I highly recommend this book to all who like a good story. Perhaps you will be inspired too.

the straight-ahead momentum of an ice breaker
His party stranded on an ice floe hundreds of miles from their destination, beyond the reach of the outside world -- even had the outside world known they needed help, or where to look -- his ship crushed by countless miles of pack ice and supplies running low, Ernest Shackleton spent not a moment in lamentation. He set about saving his crew and himself. They made their way to a small, desolate bit of island shore, from which Shackleton and five men journeyed 800 miles in a 22-foot open boat across the most dangerous sea in the world. A trek through miles of snow-covered mountain wilderness finally brought rescue. And everybody survived! Shackleton's is an epic tale of true adventure and derring-do, and he tells it with the straight-ahead momentum of an ice breaker diving into the pack. He sees beauty in the Antarctic, and he carries a touch of poetry (Browning, anyway) in his soul. He is also a detail man, and his flights of descriptive eloquence bog down amid facts, figures, wind speeds and diatomous striations. But this piling-on of minutiae proves riveting in the action sequences (most of the book). We feel like we are there. Having told his own party's tale, Shackleton gives a useful if anticlimactic account of the Ross Sea wing of the expedition - a story with its own generous measure of adventure, heroism and poignancy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography   2. Biography/Autobiography   3. Expeditions & Discoveries   4. History - General History   5. Literary   6. Polar Regions   7. Antarctica   8. Journeys   9. Shackleton, Ernest Henry   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography   2. General   

Customer Reviews (2)

New Adventure in an Award-Winning Series
Slowly the skies began to turn gray and it started to snow. The animals looked up as small snowflakes fell from the sky. It looked magical. "It's going to be a beautiful, white Christmas," thought Ernest. ~Ernest's Special Christmas

Ernest is a lovable miniature donkey who has appeared in three previous stories. He is friends with a kind, white draft horse named Chester. They know Christmas is near when they see the red bows on the wreaths decorating the pasture gates. It is almost time to celebrate Christmas, but the barn seems rather lonely. Ernest realizes that Chester is not in the stall.

"I better go find him. After all it's Christmas Eve. We should all be together."

As snow blankets the farm, Ernest braves the snow to look for Chester. Since Chester is white and the snow is getting deeper, Ernest almost trips over Chester. Ernest is a thoughtful little donkey and he knows he has to get Chester back to the barn. So, he quickly rounds up all the other animals and even the birds and mice join in to help. Ernest shows love and determination and helps his friend so they can celebrate Christmas together.

The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and Carol A. Camburn has created the cutest miniature donkey who looks like a huggable cuddly stuffed toy. Chester and Ernest are real friends and you can see their "real" picture on the inside of the cover. Carol has a horse named Billy and also loves cats. Laura and her husband live on a farm in New Jersey. They have made a home for homeless horses and miniature donkeys who enjoy a quiet retirement. Her life on the farm is her inspiration for "The Ernest Series."

Ernest holiday greeting cards are also available in packs of 18 cards. The inside message reads: "True Friends are the best gift of all. Merry Christmas." The book cover is darker than shown here at Amazon. There is a powdery blue background with snowflakes that is quite pretty. I even found the tiny mouse on the cover. Children and "adults like me" will have fun finding the tiny mouse hidden on every page.

"Ernest's Special Christmas" is a charming Christmas Eve adventure that shows children how love, thoughtfulness, and kindness can make the holiday season a more heartwarming time of year.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Additional books in this series (age 4-8):

Ernest and the BIG Itch - A story about problem solving and you can search for the ladybug hidden in each illustration.

Twist and Ernest - Lessons about not judging others based on appearances and prejudice

Teeny Tiny Ernest - Ernest realizes that who you are really comes from the inside and then he is not so sad about being such a small donkey.

An engaging tale of spirit and compassion
Ernest's Special Christmas by Laura T. Barnes is a heartwarming story of friendship between a little donkey and a hardworking draft horse. When snow falls thickly, the old horse finds himself unable to move, the little donkey must get help from his animal friends to ensure that everyone comes safely home. Enhanced with illustrations by Carol A. Camburn, Ernest's Special Christmas is an engaging tale of spirit and compassion, based on real-life events and animals at Barnesyard farm. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Farm Animals   2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   3. Children: Kindergarten   4. Domestic animals   5. Donkeys   6. Fiction   7. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas   8. Horses   9. Juvenile Fiction   

Customer Reviews (7)

I WISH I COULD GIVE IT 10 STARS OR 100
Truly a philosophical and psychological classic with powerful ideas exploding from every page. Highly recommended for hundreds of passages like the following:

"The thing that makes the study of character so fascinating and so difficult is that is largely a matter of sorting out bizarre collages ... That is why self-analyses for anyone who wants to work at it, is a task for more than one lifetime - it can never really be finished." • "The ego finds out what feelings, thoughts, and situations are dangerous and then permits the organism to exist in a world in which there is no danger by steering clear of these feelings, thoughts and situations. ... And this price is the heaviest we have to pay: namely, the restriction of experience ... by skewing perceptions and limiting action." • "One of the things that most people take with them out of their early experience is a dependency on others for their sense of self, a rooting in the powers of someone else; this gives them a certain serenity, an ability to carry on daily without worrying or thinking about their own weakness or lack of self-confidence." • "Genuine heroism for man is still the power to support contradictions, no matter how glaring or hopeless they may seem." • "We think we see power in the people with sure beliefs, unshakable convictions, smug self-confidence. Yet these are psychological weaknesses on a planet which is fluid and full of surprises."

early ideas from Ernest Becker
A well-written book but really a prelude to DENIAL OF DEATH; better to start there and work backwards if one finds that book of significant interest.

devastating and life changing
After reading "The Birth and Death of Meaning" along with "The Denial of Death", Ernest Becker quickly became one of my personal heroes. Who else would have had the guts to write something so penetrating, so frightening, so threatening to the mechanisms we use every day to cope with life? Becker makes shockingly clear the fictitious nature of human meaning and the contrived nature of social game: if you've ever wondered why the mentally ill are so neglected as a minority and generally spurned even by so called "activists" for racial acceptance, etc, you won't wonder after reading this book. For all that Becker is gentle, not some arrogant nihilistic jerk. There is no typical existentialist self pity here, no "nausea", simply a tough recognition of the way things actually are and a few relative ideas as to how we should deal with them. This is what differentiates Becker from the postmodernists and others who delight in impotence: he is open to solution, to creative play and even religious answers (of an unconventional kind, of course.) His insight and intellect are so powerful as to be scary, and one wonders how such a man dealt with the trivialities of everyday life knowing that they are part of a gigantic charade of illusory meaning. He makes it clear that man is a social animal, and that we are built from the outside in rather than the other way around. His theory of the "urge toward cosmic heroism" fits perfectly into actual concrete everyday life, where anyone and everyone is eager to stand out in some way as cultural heroes. Like Nietzsche, perhaps even better, Becker illustrates the way in which we deceive ourselves and deliberately confuse the cultural game with underlying material reality. He offers four levels of possible solution, the first of which he warns can lead to narcissism and mandess, the second and third being religious in an abstract and metaphysical way. Becker is not, like so many sociologists, drunk on his own lucidity or on a power trip: he is telling us to relax, because the question of relevance is very much up in the air. Authenticity is his message. I would recommend this book as it is easily one of the most important philosophical awakenings that are on the bookshelf, but I would qualify that statement by also recommending it be taken in small doses. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General   2. History & Surveys - Modern   3. Mind & Body   4. Philosophy   5. Psychology & Psychiatry / General