Extension Books

To put my opinion into words on this man is an obstacle. EGRoss, was not only an amazing author, but an amazing painter (Which, if his artwork were to be sold as prints, would out sell VanGough prints), a columnist, a husband, a uncle, a son, a friend, a cribbage master, a Star Trek fan, and in my opinion..., to put it one word, a genius. His passing came too early in life, when he was at his peak of intellectual capabilities (if not still on the rise.) I'm grateful that I had him in my first 18 years of life on earth, because he made me think during conversations. His books are more complex then Tom Clancy's and more imaginative (Plus, E.G. Ross doesn't pay other people to write his books). Although his books never saw commercial success, they deserve a place in my top 5 favorite books and the rest of the book reading community. I recommend these books to anyone who enjoys an imaginative-thriller with brains. Do NOT be suprised if you see these books made into movies.

Love to the late-great uncle of mine, from a young filmaker.

... ENJOY!

I haven�t read a lot of techno-thriller fiction, but if Tom Clancy is even half as good as this I might give it a try. Engels Extension is not only a convincing �what if� scenario, but a pretty good story in general. This is a must read for anyone who thinks the Cold War is over and the United States can now relax its vigilance.
Bottom line is: I�ll be buying Ross� next book as soon as it�s available...

I read and enjoyed this book, and agree with the comments of other reviewers who have rated it much higher. However, the book had three failings that caused me to rate it lower. 1) Is it a techno-thriller, or a fantasy? One of the characters has the ability to slow time, somewhat like a superhero in a comic book. This is inappropriate and unnecessary, and detracted from the believability of the story.

2) The author develops some interesting characters, and does it quite well, but doesn't take them far enough. Is there someone like Jack Ryan in Tom Clancy's thrillers that is the main character in this book? No. Instead, there are several minor, but interesting people, but I have no idea who might be included in a sequel.

3) The novel concerns a conflict between the West and a resurrected Soviet Union. The Russians have two surprises for the West; one is a bio-warfare virus, while the other is a new weapons technology. One, it seems, is merely a feint to distract the West's attention from the real attack. But why? There's no reason why one surprise alone wouldn't be sufficient to destroy the West, so why is there unexplained redundance?

Perhaps I'm too picky. The book is well written, and contains more than it's share of surprises for the reader. I would've liked for some of the characters to be developed a bit more, and it seemed very discordant to me when supposedly normal people had comic book hero superpowers. I don't like this mixing of genres.

Even so, the author's next book may be much better, with just a little more discipline in his story telling. If he writes another, I'll probably read it.

Tom Clancy, move over! E. G. Ross' ENGELS EXTENSION is as fast moving and exciting a techno-thriller as it is thoughtful and disturbingly prophetic in its political commentary. Hidden among the antimatter weapons, lasers and cloaking devices of the next century, a refreshing commentary on the dangers of today's politically-correct "feelgood" philosophy runs throughout the book. The danger of losing our freedom is ever-present; and it is the power of the independent mind and the unlimited abilities of man, unfettered by guilt-ridden rhetoric, that ultimately saves America from total destruction. There are lessons on many levels, and Engles Extension is an exciting and action-filled way to learn them. It's a must read---be sure to schedule some time, because you won't be able to put it down.

Based on my 50 years of professional experience in strategic warfare, Ross is to be congratu- lated for the technical accuracy of this book. In addition, the literary style is excellent. The style is so exciting and compelling that it is difficult to put the book down. It is reminiscent of Tom Clancy's novels. While the "cold war" is often portrayed as finished, in much of the current media presentations, this novel illlustrates the many threatening scenarios that can arise out of a world that is supposedly at peace. Again, an excellent historic and real presen- tation.

This is a thourogh book and helps in the understanding and natural curing of many different diseases. One of my faverite things that this book is that it gives you detailed information on the herbs and what is a safe amount to take and the amount of such an herb, vitamin, or mineral that is ok and good in small amounts but could actually hurt you if you took a large dose. It lets you know what is safe for you to take and how much of something is not safe. Also it covers many diseases.

I got this book with my initial subscription to Life Extension Foundation. It is an amazing source of health information and my husband and I (both over 50) refer to it over and over. I just had a copy sent to my sister as a birthday present as she was very interested after I told her about it. The book is formatted to present many, many common diseases and conditions in alphabetical order with a chapter on each (such as Asthma, Heart Disease, Thyroid problems, HIV, Hypertension just to name a few). For each subject, they talk about the symptoms, how diagnosis is done, what mainstream treatments are, what medications are used (plus pros and cons), and most importantly to me, what alternatives treatments are either currently being used, or, under investigation and gives sources so you can research it yourself. The chapter about blood testing is particularly interesting because it explains each test you see on your lab report in detail. Also, most labs print "normal" ranges that are not necessarily considered normal anymore and the book describes what LEF considers "normal", what the target should be, and why. The one thing that non-LEF member readers may find off-putting is that LEF products are often mentioned with info on how to buy them. [...] They do research that is not funded by food or drug companies and sell (high quality) supplements and products. I think everyone should have this book and at least take time to read about heart disease and hypertension.. two topics that are completely misrepresented by the FDA and food and drug industries these days.. take the time to update your knowledge on these important topics!

As the largest block of Americans approaches the ranks of senior status, we face an economy that is incapable of taking care of us we become feeble incompetent old people, especially when there will be more people over the age of 50 in the USA than under the age of 50 by the year 2025!! We owe it to ourselves and our children to be strong, healthy, vital seniors capable of thinking for ourselves, strong enough to carry our own groceries, healthy enough to function independently and if we need to, continue to work well past 65 to support ourselves. The only way to do this is with the Prevention of Disease, not by treating the symptoms of degenerative diseases after they occur. This comprehensive text is extremely valuable for anyone interested in saving their own future, from the medical person to the average consumer of nutritional products.

As a registered nurse and also a diabetic, I found the Fourth Edition to
contain an impressive amount of helpful information. I not only read the
chapter on Diabetes, but I also read several other chapters that are related
to health conditions that both my husband and I experience. I was very
impressed by the fact that the information was presented in a professional
manner and was substantiated by numerous recent scientific studies to refer
to for more specific information about the methods used and the findings
described. I plan to implement some of the information given in the Diabetes
chapter and to discuss other issues that might apply to my condition with my
doctor during my next visit. I have no reservations about encouraging
everyone to read the information in this book.

The book is well-documented and gives complete and clear explanations of diseases, causes, and possible solutions - ultimately suggesting which product is a natural way to releive symptoms and improve health. That's fine, except they don't do enough to alert you that fixing one thing may be bad for another. While you can talk live to an "advisor" anytime, they are not medical doctors and may not be aware of negative consequences of an item. For example, if you have burning with urination, the book and advisors may lead you to take the potent "CRANMAX" which may be excellent for urinary tract infection. But if the burning is from prostrate problems, a heavy dose of cranberry juice (quite acidic) is not a good idea.
They should do more to point such contradictions.

Of all the dictionaries of psychology on the market, this is the very best. So good you end up reading it just for fun.

good value, valable book to have for studying.
much cheaper than buying in the shops.
didnt have to pay VAT from north america!

I noticed that the cover of my book version (3rd edition as well) was different from the one shown as Amazon, but then again, I bought it elsewhere, so please don’t pay too much attention to my book cover (as shown in customers’ images). :)

I bought this dictionary because I am personally interested in Psychology, and having contains over 17,000 definitions, it certainly makes for a very useful and practical dictionary. (I even found the “Romeo and Juliet effect” in it!) It also describes how terms are employed, and looks in details at key concepts. The dictionary also includes words from related fields such as social psychology and neuroscience, which makes it handy for cross-reference.

I feel that the list of phobias in the appendix greatly useful, but unfortunately, it does seem like a rather “short” list to me. It could do better with more listings of phobia though, but other than that, I find this a wonderfully useful and informative reference dictionary to have!

I purchased this book as a "good to have" as a psych undergrad student.

I consistently find that the term I want to check isn't there, or the definition is so vague as to be of no use. For an example of a missing term, mindfulness, a popular psychological technique related to meditation, isn't in there, yet it has been researched for decades.

It's got good stuff in it - but for me, it just never seems to have the thing I'm actually looking at it for.

I'm a grad student in clinical psych in Los Angeles. This book wasn't required, but highly recommended by one of my professors. It has been a great tool (especially for those last minute APA style papers that require multiple sources), BUT I was really surprised by the snarky tone it takes with the definition of "parapsychology". One would think that they would at least ATTEMPT to be objective. The definition's tone is not would you expect from a reference book.

This book records one man's journey, but because this man is so many, it's more like the record of a migration.

Claudi Magris's work is simply the best travelogue that I have ever read: it is a work of imagination, erudition, and deeply-felt culture, and has been beautifully translated: I have never encountered English prose that better captures the cadence and rhythm of Italian!

The best book of an age is a brave new form of imagination and wisdom. "Danube" is a post-generic transcendence of art and vision to an unknown zodiac of meaning. When a book is a leap of creativity, it is an honor to be a reader.

A majestic book of 401 pages and 170 chapters, "Danube" follows a mighty river(of 2,888km) from beginning to end as a journey of knowledge--of time, space, history and fate--to find not only where the river ends but also where time, space, history and fate end: in "God's plans." To know anything fully from beginning to end in an absolute feat of knowledge--the way Magris knows the Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea--is to know everything.

At the heart of "Danube" is a visionary outlook on time as a vastness of centuries of meaning that resides like a cosmos in a nutshell in any moment or place of our lives. Every place along the Danube is "a corner in which a vanished enchantment has taken refuge." In a memorable metaphor, Magris sees the countless years of time and history that have "mysteriously disappeared forever" as "fallen leaves" that accumulate like "humus" in the places where we live and in whose unknown depths lie the roots of who we are. For Magris, history settles as geography. With a preternatural vision of "wave after wave" of history--from the dim ancient days of the eighth century B.C. of the Thracians, Cimmerians and Scythians through the Holy Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Hapsburgs to the 1981 Nobel Prize for Literature to Elias Canetti--"superimposed and deposited one upon another in layer after layer" as "the multiple, composite substratum" of Danubian landscapes and lives, Magris unpacks history out of geography or time out of space. In following a river from place to place across a continent, "Danube" is a mythic descent into buried lives and races, dynasties and empires, ideologies and movements and epochs and civilizations that becomes a miracle of ascent to an ageless meaning untouched by "the incalculable loss of things."

Written out of encyclopedic learning radiant with moral lustre and unrestricted by the contracting conventions of a particular genre, "Danube" is free and "abundant" as a travelogue, a collection of essays, a handbook of biographies, a journal of meditations, a treatise of human geography, a history of "Mitteleuropa," a volume of literary criticism and a book of books all bound with artistic accessories of imagination of the craft of fiction into a post-generic "confederation" of writing and reality.

In "Danube," Magris has re-invented the book as a signifying expression and experience. Magris's book brings to mind the history of the book as a form of expression and a structure of experience and strikes us as beyond comparison with any other book.

An immaculate unity of heart, mind and spirit as a dignity of truth and beauty in words and a profound composition of selfless surrender to "the ultimate and essential things" in which a book becomes a state of being, "Danube" is simply the best book of our time. A soaring act of writing and a sublime structure of wisdom, "Danube" is an omega of solace. With an epic solidarity with everything from beginning to end in a chorus of faculties of awareness of unknown intellectual, emotional, aesthetic and spiritual synthesis, Claudio Magris is writer as hero of wisdom.

Throughout history, the Danube has meant many different things to many different people: a highway, a playground, a barrier against the Turks, a symbol of eternal life or of life's melancholy. Magris structures this book as a travelogue, following the Danube from its source(s) in Germany through its debouchment into the Black Sea in Rumania. But in every place he visits, from a humble bench on the riverbank to the major cities of Vienna and Bucharest, he paints a vivid picture not only of the place itself, but of the people who have shaped its character and history.

I already knew that this region (for which he uses the shorthand term Mitteleuropa) had a complicated history, but I didn't realize how incredibly complicated it was until I read this book. Magris doesn't always untangle the complexities clearly enough for a non-European (and, from living briefly in the region as well as having family roots there, I'm probably better informed than most). On the other hand, his portraits of the people he meets are vivid and memorable -- from the old woman who presides over the 18th-century farmhouse where the Danube (possibly) rises, to the fisher-folk who live at the mouths of the river, to the functionaries and innkeepers who punctuate his journey and the friends who accompany him for parts of it. Writers, living and dead, are evoked as much as politicians and historians; one persistent theme of the book is how literature has reacted to, preserved, and in some instances shaped the history of Mitteleuropa.

All in all, the book is a magnificent achievement and well worth reading, even if some of Magris' observations have been rendered obsolete by the breakup of the Soviet Union. The translation is generally fluid and readable, although one can quibble with it here and there (I found a few minor inaccuracies in the sections that describe places I'm familiar with). And, as for the complaint that the regions traversed by the Danube are "too different" to be treated in one book, that difference *is* part of the story.

In this fascinating journey, Magris takes us from the very -and much disputed- sources of the Danube in the Black Forest, in Southern Germany, to the mouth of the river in the Black Sea, in Romanian territory. Along the way, Magris recreates the legends, stories and historical moments of every village and city he visits. The Danube area is, of course, full of history, since most peoples who ever set foot in Europe seem to have crossed it one way or another. Princes, wars, writers, lovers, many interesting and even fascinating stories illuminate for the reader the waters of the Danube. It really makes you want to make the same trip.

It would be interesting to read an update by Magris, especially about those places who were then under Soviet rule, now that almost 20 years have passed since the publication of the book. Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia all pass before your eyes like a dream.

Every town and story motivates in Magris deep reflections on history, memory, the passage of time, politics, and many other subjects. Magris's prose is dense in the best sense of the term: it is rich and deep, with a poetic quality to it. Very much recommended, it discovers for us many writers from that area who seem worth to read.

This book presents a tremendous amount of detail about Stalag Luft III. So many arcane details are presented! This includes such topics as the mental health of prisoners, religious and cultural activities of the prisoners, and even the heartbreak of POWs whose fianc?s had left them as a result of their captivity, and told them so in "Dear John" letters.

The well-publicized escapes from the camp (and also some not so well publicized ones) are relegated to only a relatively small part of the book. It is easy to see that the murder of 50 of the 73 recaptured POWs following the Great Escape did exert a chilling effect on future escapes, precisely as the Germans wanted. However, some tunnels (Margaret and George) were subsequently prepared in case the Germans attempted to kill all the prisoners in the end. A desperate revolt was also planned by the Stalag Luft III inmates in the event of such a German order. Much detail is also presented about the evacuation of the POWs from Stalag Luft III on the heels of the advancing Red Army.

When it comes to German treatment of its POWs, Stalag Luft III stands out as an exception in a very positive direction. However, there is no way of verifying the claim that the POWs in Stalag Luft III, despite their meager food rations, were nevertheless fed no worse than the frontline German soldiers.

The author Durand focuses on the common mistreatment of POWs by Germans in camps other than Stalag Luft III. For example, some erstwhile American POWs claim that their treatment was little different form that of concentration camp victims, except that the latter were likely to die of shootings or gassings. Even so, Durand gives a detailed but incomplete picture of the German treatment of POWs. He mentions some killings of American POWs and dwells on the numerous Soviet POWs murdered by the Germans. However, he fails to mention the fact that the widespread killing of POWs by Germans dates back to the very first days of the war, when Germans murdered thousands of Polish troops that had surrendered to them (not to mention civilians).

Duran quotes extensively from Kommandant von Lindeiner's memoirs. In it is mentioned the characteristics of different nationalities of POWs at Stalag Luft III. For example, von Lindeiner mentions the Poles as ones who worried about the future of Poland regardless of the outcome of the war. In view of the sellout of Poland at Yalta, and the ensuing Soviet Communist puppet state, these fears proved well founded.

I did not do my research when buying this book, but luckily, it ended up having very good value. I was more interested in reading about "The Great Escape," which is covered in this book since it took place at the camp. However, it is only mentioned in a chapter or two.

Nonetheless, the book covers the span of most of WWII. There are great tales of prisoner life. Very detailed with regards to the German POW system and how Allied prisoners lived.

It reads more like a term paper and not so much like an adventure story. Sort of like you're watching a history channel special on "German POW camps." So if you're looking for a story, I don't think you'll be happy with this. It's more a research piece. The author gives you glimpses into the procedures, day to day life, etc.

Every facet of camp life is covered and for that, he gets excellent marks. Details about food, contraband, holidays, leisure activities, building the camps, administration of the camps, etc. etc. It's all here. There are some tales about the actual prisoners. But I don't think this is the book's strong point. It excels in the nuts and bolts of POW camps and POW life, however does not delve too deeply into their stories.

For the record, my father was interned at this camp as an Army Air Corp prisoner. He is no longer living and passed away in 1973 at the age of 54. I was only 18 at the time. He was not very open about his experience however what he did tell me about the camp was often repeated and brought back to life "in detail" in this book. This is a must read for those interested in our military when the soldiers fought a much different battle and served for a great purpose.

Stalag Luft III is well known to fans of the movie "The Great Escape" as the German prison camp from which 76 Allied prisoners of war escaped in March 1944. That movie was based primarily on Paul Brickhill's short but extemely well-written memoir. This much longer book by Arthur Durand is, in a sense, the rest of the story of life in Stalag Luft III.

Durand takes the long view of the experience of the Allied POWs incarcerated in Stalag Luft III. His narrative describes how some of the more memorable personalities were captured and how they came to be held at Stalage Luft III, how the camp was administered by the respective German and Allied chains of command, and how the prisoners survived the austere conditions in the camp. The digging of a series of escape tunnels, the "Great Escape", and its aftermath are a central portion of the story, but so are the mundane day-to-day details of survival for years in captivity.

Durand explores the difficult relationship between the Allied POWs and their German captors. The POWs saw it as their duty to escape, a duty the Germans essentially understood but were obviously eager to prevent. It appears that for the most part, the German Air Force staff of Stalag Luft III and the captured Allied fliers were operating from a largely shared set of assumptions about how each should behave. The Commandant of Stalag Luft III appears to have been as sympathetic as he was portrayed in the movie. At the same time, there were limits to what the German Government would tolerate; the execution of fifty escapees from the "Great Escape" was a chilling example of how dangerous it was to exceed those limits.

Durand has included a small but illustrative selection of photographs of the camp. In an appendix, he provides a short history of prisoners of war. An excellent bibliography points to the way to additional documentation for interested readers.

This book is highly recommended to fans of "The Great Escape" and to students of the POW experience. They will find Durand's account to be close to exhaustive on Stalage Luft III.

This is a fascinating book about life in a certain POW camp in Germany during World War II. Its authenticity is unquestioned, as it is based upon a diary of events that was written down at the time, rather than later, after memories faded. The book is as detailed a look at life behind barbed wire as one could want. This is a very comprehensive book.

Stalag Luft 3, the camp, is where the actual "Great Escape" occurred, but that is only a small part of this book, which concentrates on detailing the POW experience from capture and interrogation to the war's end.

The interesting thing that I derived from the book was that although the Germans were not completely scrupulous about living up to their obligations under the Geneva convention, they at least paid attention to these rules, and most allied POWs who made it alive to a camp did make it home alive after the war. That is more than can be said, by a wide margin, for those American and Allied soldiers who were POWs of the Japanese. Part of this, the book speculates, is because the Luftwaffe held these POWs (this was a camp for airmen POWs) and it knew that England was holding large numbers of shot-down Luftwaffe pilots. Both sides wanted their men to be treated well. It is probably accurate to say that most of the outrages that the Germans committed against allied soldiers occurred before the captured soldiers reached the German camp system. The massacre of American GIs at Malmady comes to mind. Also, when escaped POWs fell into the hands of the Gestapo, this was never good.

Despite this, however, the book makes clear the shortcomings of the German treatment of the men. The food ration amounted to slow-motion starvation, unless the men supplemented their rations in various ways including the famous "Red Cross parcels." Sanitation was rudimentary until the POWs themselves took a hand in designing a latrine system. On the other hand, the book also makes clear that the German staff of the camp got pretty lean rations too--the fact appears to be that Germany was having a hard time as the war progressed feeding anyone, let alone POWs.

The most fascinating part of the story, to me at least, was the interaction between the POWs and the German camp staff. There were collaborators on both sides, and many of the German staff evidently felt that Germany was likely to lose the war, and this appears to have encouraged some collaboration. Pretty interesting.

Another fascinating facet of the book is how the POWs at Stalag Luft III organized what amounted to a college, which actually conferred credit hours which, after the war, were accepted by many British and American universities as good credit towards a degree. Courage and hope amidst adversity! Good for them!

The degree of detail in this book is startling, and may be more than some readers want to know about camp life, but I found that this detail gave a gritty and realistic comprehenstion to the reader about what camp life was like.

An excellent piece of history that retains its relevance to the present day.

I'm sure there's not much I can add that hasn't been said, except....

The First edition had a chapter about an Aleister Crowley cult that may have been part of the input for Manson (at least the author thought). That chapter got dropped from future editions, but it should have been kept. It's worth the price of the book alone. The cult had a lot of similarities to The Family, i.e. racism, the occult & drugs. Get a nice HB first edition, which are selling pretty cheap

Of the several books addressing these horrible events, this is probably the best as to details and massive amounts of information. It is quite readable and well done. I must admit to not being a big fan of this particular genre of book, i.e. true crime, etc. but this event was so a part of our cultural make up at that time (and still is to a certain extent), I thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did...I learned much that I did not know before. Recommend this one highly.

I enjoyed this book much better than Helter Skelter because this book explained how the murders actually happened. Who died first etc. I felt Helter Skelter was left wanting in this area. I also liked the information about the family. I highly encourage others to read this book.

if you're intersested in the real true crime novel this is the book. while helter sketer was entertaining, it didn't provide the background this book does. sanders deals with this subject with a sence of ironic humor that makes this book easier to enjoy(the subject matter is of course brutal) but this is historically an important part of the 60s. sanders leaves nothing out. you get a real sence of manson as a man, not the urban legend/monster other books turned him into. that's what makes this book terrifying, the fact it makes him a real person. from a litteral,historical, and phycological point of view, this is a most for any true crime fan. this book will "creepy crawl" into your subconcience

A decent read, but not something I would spend a lot of time trying to get a hold of.

Brings a different "light" to the Manson Family, though I suspect that it's not exactly 100% true.

If you're building a true crime library, add this to your Manson collection. If you're just looking for the Manson story stick with Helter Skelter.

I agree with another reviewer that a few of the bear's destinations were poorly chosen in this book. Two of them, the movie theater and gym, are not relevant in my toddler's life. A grocery store, school, restaurant, library, etc. perhaps would have been more appropriate. However, one key aspect of the book trumps the weaker ones, making this book a must-have: the map at the end. This unusual picture book feature really excites my almost 2-year-old. We trace over the streets, visiting each stop in town with his finger over and over. What a fantastic way to introduce directional and spatial concepts to a toddler! Although imperfect, this book really is a valuable addition to our collection.

I bought this book for my son and he absolutely loves it. We both enjoy reading it again and again and go through the town with the Bear. The color is bright and refreshing. Not only the book introduces different activities the bear does around the town, but also introduces the days of the week. I would recommend this book to anybody with young children.

This is a wonderful little book - loved by both my grandchildren.
The problem is I also ordered another book at the same time called Sharing is Fun (order# 058 4815141 2793915) on May 7th which I still have not recieved! dolores poacelli

I found this book in a used book store and fell in love with it and so did my son and husband. I plan on ordering the others in the series. There are many things to talk about on each page. For example, when Bear goes to the bakery you can talk about all of the different things you can buy at the bakery, cake, cupcakes, bread including regular loaves of bread or long skinny baguettes, cookies, donuts etc. The language stimulation possibilities are endless the with fabulous pictures throughout the books. As a speech pathologist I look for books with pictures that have a lot to talk about and this book fits the bill.

Overall, the Bear series of books are fun, educational and highly enjoyable for my two-year-old son. The quality varies greatly within the series, however, and this one ranks the last on my list. It describes an arbitrary assortment of places and shops, which do not coincide very well with the experience of a typical young child. For example, I have not taken my son to a movie theater and do not plan to do so in the near future. If you are new to the Bear series, you should start with "Bear on a Bike", which, being sophisticated and accessible at the same time, is by far the best.

Bottom line... I'm hooked. I was vaguely aware of what Greasemonkey was, but I really hadn't taken the time to explore it. That time is now over. I had a chance to review a copy of Greasemonkey Hacks by Mark Pilgrim, and I don't think I'll look at web browsing the same again.

Contents: Getting Started; Linkmania!; Beautifying the Web; Web Forms; Developer Tools; Search; Web Mail; Accessibility; Taking Back the Browser; Syndication; Site Integration; Those Not Included in This Classification; Index

This is a typical O'Reilly Hacks title, where you have 100 tips and tricks on exploiting some technology or toy. In this volume, Mark Pilgrim shows how you can use the Greasemonkey extension for Firefox to completely change the way you interact with web pages. The first two tips show how to install Greasemonkey and how to install a Greasemonkey script that you either download or write yourself. From there, it's all over the board as far as what you can do with these script gems. Tired of dealing with URLs on a site that aren't clickable? Check out tip #13 (Turn Naked URLs into Hyperlinks). Want to have a web page refresh itself automatically every x minutes (even though they don't have a meta refresh tag)? Then go to tip #41 (Refresh Pages Automatically). And my favorite... Hate those web site registrations that force you to enter basic information every time just to see the content? Do you normally use BugMeNot to find an existing registration? Wish that all could be integrated and automated in your browser? Tip #84 - Bypass Annoying Site Registration. I can tell you that this one was the first Greasemonkey script I installed, and it's way cool...

This is really not a "how to code Greasemonkey scripts" book. You're dealing with JavaScript and the document object model, but Pilgrim and his group of contributors don't spend any time trying to teach you how to do all that. The book delivers the scripts already coded and tested, and you just have to install them. But that's not bad, and it works on a number of levels. If you've never used Greasemonkey, it's a great way to discover the power (as I did). And if you *are* a Greasemonkey user and/or developer, this will give you many new ideas on scripts you might want to write yourself. And since you can download the scripts from the O'Reilly site, you already have a solid base of code from which to start. Hard to beat that in terms of value...

Obviously, I like tech books and I read a lot. But not often do I run across a book that ends up changing the way I view the basic technology I touch every day. If I wasn't a Firefox user, this book would convince me to become one in short order. As a Firefox user, I'm now convinced that I can personalize and manipulate web sites and information in ways I never imaged. This is really a recommended read...

I've been playing with the extensions in Firefox for some time, and one of the more interesting ones is Greasemonkey, which allows you to alter websites on the client side to add functionality or to remove annoyances. The Greasemonkey language is very similar to JavaScript, so Ajax/JavaScript junkies can get a very quick grasp of the techniques in the book.

It does assume some familiarity with programming in general, so this is not something to jump into without any experience; however, it is a smooth ride, and having a good JavaScript book will make it very satisfying.

Really this should be Firefox Hacks since the book is primarily about how to use Greasemonkey to make the sites we all visit on a daily basis more usable. Greasemonkey allows you to write scripts that alter the behavior of websites from within the browser. If that sounds esoteric, ok, but just have a look around what you can actually do with it and you will see just how powerful it is. Greasemonkey is worth your time and this is the book that shows you how to exploit that power.

Has a really poor index.
Can't find a way to delete "[p]Some Text String[/p]".
Figured I would pay money and get this book. No dice.
Save your money and just use Google.

If you're looking for a book on how to actually get started with Greasemonkey *coding* this is a great book. Sure, there's a collection of basic intro info, but this is a how-to book for coders. That's not a bad thing, of course! And from a coding standpoint, it does a great job.

I have done three of these experiments with my kids so far, and we love this book. The experiments are simple, and most things we already have, the rest I can easily get. My son did find a few facts in the book that were wrong, but that may be because the copyright was 1994, and it may be behind by now. To me, that just gives us opportunity to look it up and find how far we've come in 14 years. I am sure we will get a lot out of this book: knowlege, fun, memories, and snacks!

It's a good book but not for kids. Be prepared to teach rather than create. I enjoy the book but it's too much work to explain to the kids why things are happening. A good book for teachers as it could be combined with a lesson.

My 10 year old daughter and I have been working through this book during the summer. She has really enjoyed the experiments. Some of the information is a review from what she learned last year in school and some of it is new. Many of the experiments suggested have lead us to new experiments of our own.

This book is great for introducing various science concepts to children, and has many recipes that can be used and then eaten! Includes muffins, jell-o, rock candy, and more.

We discovered the original 1974 version of this book in our school library. After a quick perusal, we realized it was a fantastically fun way to teach kids science. The kids love the experiments and they are so easy to follow. Now, we use it everyday in our lesson planning in order to teach the scientific method. What a great way to use all five senses to make learning fun and real-world applicable!

John Dickson Carr's popular mystery, The Crooked Hinge (1938), is often found on lists of the greatest classics of detective fiction. Nonetheless, the solution is bizarre, Byzantine, and implausible to the extreme - and thus a rather typical Carr explanation to an impossible murder. The Crooked Hinge is the eighth novel featuring Carr's popular investigator, the corpulent lexicographer, Dr. Gideon Fell.

The setting is the manor Farnleigh Close near Mallingford village in Kent. The year is 1937 or 1938. The baronet, Sir John Farnleigh, is accused of being an impostor, a masquerader, and a fraud. The challenger claims that he himself is the actual Sir John Farnleigh, and that the fraudulent Farnleigh had left him as a young boy for dead years ago on the Titanic. A contentious evening ends unexpectedly in death. Was it suicide or murder? And is the true Sir John Farnleigh now alive or dead?

John Farleigh is found face down in a shallow pool with his throat slashed. Independent witnesses claim that no one was near him. No weapon was found. Complicating matters, a thumbograph, an early fingerprint record that would have identified the true Sir John Farleigh, was stolen during the confusion.

As the investigation proceeds, supernatural elements intrude, that is, rumors of a local witches coven as well the appearance of a repulsive, hag-like, mechanical contraption - an eighteen century automaton - that had been locked away in an attic for many years. In keeping with the rules of a Golden Age mystery, Carr's solutions do not rely on supernatural events, but he does enjoy creating a suspenseful atmosphere that clearly hints at the supernatural.

The Crooked Hinge was reissued in 1976 in hardback (ISBN 0891630260) by The Mystery Library, a publication of the University of California, San Diego Press. The introduction and end notes by Robert Briney are interesting, but what makes this edition valuable is its extensive checklist of the numerous novels and short stories by John Dickson Carr (as well as those published under his byline, Carter Dickson).

I always have difficulty ranking John Dickson Carr's mysteries. I thoroughly enjoy the stories, but the solutions are often so convoluted as to be implausible. And yet, I always come back for more. The Crooked Hinge is among Carr's best, along with The Burning Court and The Three Coffins (also titled The Hollow Man).

This mystery stars John Dickson Carr's gargantuan, shovel-hatted detective, Dr. Gideon Fell and takes place in England between the world wars. All of the characters act suspiciously, including the true and false heir to the extensive Farnleigh estate (and the title that goes with it), their two lawyers, the butler, Lady Farnleigh, and assorted family friends. The reader has many reasons to suspect each character in turn after the murder (or was it suicide?) of one of the two competing heirs. The only person who might be able to tell whether the true John Farnleigh died or still lives is his tutor, Murray who happens to have taken a thumb-o-graph of young John before he was sent away to America to live with a distant relative.

John wasn't the heir, but the black sheep of the family when he was packed off to Colorado via the spanking, new ocean liner, 'Titanic.' He was thought to have died when his ship sank on her maiden voyage, but after his older brother dies without issue, not one but two John Farnleighs show up within a year of each other to claim the family estate and title. The first one to appear marries John's childhood sweetheart and settles down to manage Farnleigh.

Then up pops John Farnleigh #2, one of the competing heirs dies, and someone steals Murray's thumb-o-graph. The reader is beset with conflicting stories and clues, when Dr. Fell finally lumbers onto the scene with his shovel-hat, swirling cape, and crutch-headed cane. He figures out who killed whom right away, but the reader is left grasping at hints (some of them pretty darn subtle - I think Carr cheats a little on this mystery) until the final denouement, which involves that fateful night when the 'Titanic' went down.

As always with this author, the eerie, suffocating atmosphere surrounding a mysterious death is tinged with an aura of the supernatural. "The Crooked Hinge" features devil worship and a horrible old eighteenth-century automaton called, 'The Golden Hag.' Her sinister appearances alone make this a novel worth savoring, and Carr also provides a meticulously plotted mystery (although I could do without a few of his great detective's tics and his refusal to blab out the name of the murderer as soon as he figures out whodunit. And what the dickens is a shovel-hat?)

This mystery stars John Dickson Carr's gargantuan, shovel-hatted detective, Dr. Gideon Fell and takes place in England between the world wars. All of the characters act suspiciously, including the true and false heir to the extensive Farnleigh estate (and the title that goes with it), their two lawyers, the butler, Lady Farnleigh, and assorted family friends. The reader has many reasons to suspect each character in turn after the murder (or was it suicide?) of one of the two competing heirs. The only person who might be able to tell whether the true John Farnleigh died or still lives is his tutor, Murray who happens to have taken a thumb-o-graph of young John before he was sent away to America to live with a distant relative.

John wasn't the heir, but the black sheep of the family when he was packed off to Colorado via the spanking, new ocean liner, 'Titanic.' He was thought to have died when his ship sank on her maiden voyage, but after his older brother dies without issue, not one but two John Farnleighs show up within a year of each other to claim the family estate and title. The first one to appear marries John's childhood sweetheart and settles down to manage Farnleigh.

Then up pops John Farnleigh #2, one of the competing heirs dies, and someone steals Murray's thumb-o-graph. The reader is beset with conflicting stories and clues, when Dr. Fell finally lumbers onto the scene with his shovel-hat, swirling cape, and crutch-headed cane. He figures out who killed whom right away, but the reader is left grasping at hints (some of them pretty darn subtle - I think Carr cheats a little on this mystery) until the final denouement, which involves that fateful night when the 'Titanic' went down.

As always with this author, the eerie, suffocating atmosphere surrounding a mysterious death is tinged with an aura of the supernatural. "The Crooked Hinge" features devil worship and a horrible old eighteenth-century automaton called, 'The Golden Hag.' Her sinister appearances alone make this a novel worth savoring, and Carr also provides a meticulously plotted mystery (although I could do without a few of his great detective's tics and his refusal to blab out the name of the murderer as soon as he figures out whodunit. And what the dickens is a shovel-hat?)

It's honestly suspenseful, with little of the tedious interruptions that slow down the story in later books. It's scary, too, really frightening when Brian looks out the window and finds the automaton sitting balefully in the middle of Madeleine's garden.

Best of all, the ending is a surprise, a shocker. Often when i read Carr I feel that he's been so busy putting together an impossible crime that he allows "any old suspect" to be the killer, but here THE CROOKED HINGE has an almost Agatha Christie feel, it is really the "least likely suspect" who commits the crime.

Does Carr play fair with the reader? He may think so, but I don't. For example, how many times does Dr Fell assure Brian and the constabulary that "only one person" was responsible for all of the crimes? And then, the final chapter tells a very different story, doesn't it? (Fell says it was necessary to prevaricate in order to smoke out the more heinous of the killers. But that isn't playing fair, if you ask me.)

One note that may amuse, during the flashback sequences, during the struggle of the two John Farnleighs during the sinking of the doomed TITANIC, I kept waiting for Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet to float through and say hi, or perhaps to rescue our heroes from their watery fate.

The writing of THE CROOKED HINGE is so good that we forget that the whole premise of the book depends on an amazing, unbuyable coincidence, that one of the two John Farnleighs would consult the other on a professional errand without realizing who he was? No way, I don't think so! (I don't think I've spoiled anything by divulging that much.) Carr's mysteries are always subtle, a disturbance of the atmosphere.

This mystery stars John Dickson Carr's gargantuan, shovel-hatted detective, Dr. Gideon Fell and takes place in England between the world wars. All of the characters act suspiciously, including the true and false heir to the extensive Farnleigh estate (and the title that goes with it), their two lawyers, the butler, Lady Farnleigh, and assorted family friends. The reader has many reasons to suspect each character in turn after the murder (or was it suicide?) of one of the two competing heirs. The only person who might be able to tell whether the true John Farnleigh died or still lives is his tutor, Murray who happens to have taken a thumb-o-graph of young John before he was sent away to America to live with a distant relative.

John wasn't the heir, but the black sheep of the family when he was packed off to Colorado via the spanking, new ocean liner, 'Titanic.' He was thought to have died when his ship sank on her maiden voyage, but after his older brother dies without issue, not one but two John Farnleighs show up within a year of each other to claim the family estate and title. The first one to appear marries John's childhood sweetheart and settles down to manage Farnleigh.

Then up pops John Farnleigh #2, one of the competing heirs dies, and someone steals Murray's thumb-o-graph. The reader is beset with conflicting stories and clues, when Dr. Fell finally lumbers onto the scene with his shovel-hat, swirling cape, and crutch-headed cane. He figures out who killed whom right away, but the reader is left grasping at hints (some of them pretty darn subtle - I think Carr cheats a little on this mystery) until the final denouement, which involves that fateful night when the 'Titanic' went down.

As always with this author, the eerie, suffocating atmosphere surrounding a mysterious death is tinged with an aura of the supernatural. "The Crooked Hinge" features devil worship and a horrible old eighteenth-century automaton called, 'The Golden Hag.' Her sinister appearances alone make this a novel worth savoring, and Carr also provides a meticulously plotted mystery (although I could do without a few of his great detective's tics and his refusal to blab out the name of the murderer as soon as he figures out whodunit. And what the dickens is a shovel-hat?)