FO Books

Straightforward, understandable, well-written. It's not an easy topic but this helped me get the material much better!

Gives a clear picture of the basis of these tests. I had a better idea of what they covered and what to expect after reading this book.

Felix Holt combines themes of political responsibility and social concern amidst the background of a community that is facing problems involved with the rapid industrialization of the country. Eliot depicts a village caught in a battle between tradition and progressivism. The characters who make up this struggle are brilliantly portrayed. There is even a sweet romantic twist to the story that renders it even more enjoyable. Eliot gives one the impression that in order for society to make advances for the good of all, some people must willingly give up the prosperity and status that accompanies a largely capitalistic state. It is through such noble acts that those less fortunate can gain a voice in a system that constantly represses them. This is the major theme of this incredible novel.

I've heard a lot of moaning this year about how democracy is dead and how much better things were in the good old days. Eliot's unromantic view of human nature is the perfect cure for all that. As she tells it, people were dumb, and cunning, and selfish back then - just as they are today. The biggest difference was that most people weren't allowed to vote: "universal suffrage" was about as beyond-the-pale then as gay marriage is today.

Here's the TV preview version: _Felix Holt_ is a lively mix of barroom treating, soapbox preachers, riots, bribery, "irregularities," and a courtroom scene with a shocking finale! One caveat: readers spoiled on modern pap may find this novel difficult going. But it's worth it.

The illustrations, maps and photographs alone make it a worthy coffee table book, but the depth and breadth of scientific information will keep one fascinated for months or more.

For those who want to understand the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine and the interelationships of the sea, tides, gulf stream, the shore, the birds, the fish, whales, and how they have and will change through time...this is for you. Brilliant satellite photographs and clear explanations of "how it all works".

I'm not a fan of Charles River Media's books. They don't have color illustrations, aren't well proofread and just generally seem cheaply put together.

Despite all that, Illustrating with Macromedia Flash Professional 8 is a must-have book for anyone using Flash. Firebaugh's use of Flash as an illustration tool is mind blowing, using simple vector tools to create photo-realistic images.

The problems of being published by CRM are evident though. The black & white pictures make it hard to judge what's going on and there are a few confusing typos and mis-wordings. (he often says "delete" when he really means "cut") You end up stuck having to have the FLA files right in front of you while you read. It's a good way to learn, but rather inconvenient.

I don't want to come off as down on this book just because I don't like the publisher. There's tons of great learning in this book. The source files are set up so you can poke through each step and see how things are put together. Also there are exercises at the end of each chapter to practice what you've learned.

All in all, Illustrating with Macromedia Flash Professional 8 puts you on the path the to do things with Flash you never thought were possible.

Micromedia Flash, now part of the Adobe family, has long been thought of as an annimation tool for web sites. This book stresses that Flash is also capable of producing high-quality photorealistic illustrations. To get the most out of the book you should have some experience with Flash. As such, I consider it an intermediate level book.

This is the second edition of this book, with the new edition focusing on more advanced illustrating projects, covering the new features built into Flash Professional 8, and covering points discovered since the first edition appeared.

The format of the book is basically a tutorial. It starts with simple line art, like you might use to illustrate assembly instructions for a bookcase. From there it goes on to more complex items eventually getting up to what the author calls 'photorealistic.' The images are close to photo quality. As some of these illustrations are quite complex, they are included on a CD supplied with the book.

Using Flash as the way to generate illustrations increases the utility of the program, their data storage formats are smaller than those of many other programs, and of course animation is available.

I needed to write up a web-development contract as an independent contractor. Previously, I had used bits and pieces of other contracts but never quite knew what some of the paragraphs meant. A colleague recommended this book, I bought it and have not regretted it. One of the biggest helps is the author explains the meaning of every paragraph of the contract and makes recommendations in your favor. I finally wrote a contract that I understood and was comfortable handing to the client. And what's even better is they signed it without any changes! I just copied the legal agreements directly from the CD-ROM, modified them to suit the context and sent it off. Also explains the need to register copyrights, and legal stuff related to web sites.

Had to buy this for an E-Commerce class I'm taking in law school -- I guess it was the closest thing to a textbook the professor could find. Very useful and straightforward.

These descriptions are so well written, I can taste them. As a chef, I find this book to be more valuable than any recipe book and my only wish is that it had been updated to a larger volume.

Much better than the "food lovers guide" but perhaps not as complete.

I have used this book for looking up information on just about any item one could want to know about food, serving it, using it or the history of a food item. It is very clear and an easy read. It is fascinating to read and has a lot of historical facts in it. I didn't know that garlic was a natural antibotic until I read this book. It is easy to find things in this book as it is set up as in a dictionary format. You could not go wrong buying this if you like to read about food.

Since I live in what might be called "Mosby's Back Yard" --- the Washington, DC suburbs of Northern Virginia --- I thought I should learn something about this man for whom several local streets, highways, and bridges are named. A friend recommended "Mosby's Rangers" by Jeffrey Wert; my wife suggested a new book, James Ramage's "Gray Ghost." But I opted to begin my study with Mosby's own account of his adventures: his own memoirs.

I know that old soldiers tend to exaggerate their war stories; and they occasionally ramble. But Mosby's Memoirs are still fascinating, and I think the exaggeration is kept to a minimum. The story does get a bit bogged down in Chapter 12 --- talking about events leading up to Gettysburg. The good colonel, like all soldiers, is also somewhat wordy discussing the merits and failures of various generals and officers in the war.

Still, all things considered, I found this to be quite interesting. I don't usually read military memoirs, but I enjoyed this. Now on to "Gray Ghost!"

Oh, another thing that made this book (and, presumably any book on John Mosby's exploits) fun to read: he mentions so many towns, roads, and places already familiar to me. Last weekend I took a drive to Beaverdam, VA just to see what was left of the train station near where the Yankees captured Mosby early in his career (he was shortly released). Couldn't find the station, but the tracks are still there! If you're familiar with Northern VA & the Shenandoah Valley, check out this book!

I read this book in less than 3 weeks! It was great, and for those who don't know the Civil War it's even better because you don't know what's about to happen. I really liked it, and you should check it out.

In my studies for the LSAT, I found these great prep-tests - they are real former LSAT tests (without the experimental section). They helped in my preparation for the real thing. Now I'm just waiting to get my score!

LSATs are hard!!!!! This book was great to practice with. I wrote all over it and really feel that I have a greater understanding of what is expected of me. There is only one full test in this booklet and for me, it is much better than having 10 or more practice tests in one book. I really liked this format and this booklet and I look forward to getting another and another to practice with.

Note: The review that follows is of the Second Edition, published in 2006 after the deaths of Donald Clifton and Edward ("Chip") Anderson.

The Gallup Organization has accumulated a wealth of research data from millions of respondents to identify their strengths. Some of the most recent books have examined this information, notably those written by Marcus Buckingham (e.g. Discover Your Strengths and then Go Put Your Strengths to Work) and Tom Rath (e.g. StrengthsFinder 2.0). What we have in this volume is another important contribution to our understanding of how to identify strengths and then leverage them to achieve success "in academics, career, and beyond." It was co-authored by Donald Clifton and Edward ("Chip") Anderson with Laurie Schreiner and offers a substantial value-added benefit, a self-assessment that they urge their reader to complete first. An access code is provided and is valid for one user only.

In the Preface, Anderson acknowledges that prior to a presentation by Clifton, he had "always assumed that that top achievers set high goals and low achievers set low goals. But research indicates that top achievers tend to set goals slightly above their current level of performance, whereas low achievers often set very, very high goals." He goes on to point out that "top achievers build their academic and personal lives - and later their careers - on their talents. They use those talents as the foundation of strengths development, and they apply those strengths to produce excellence." This is the core concept of the book.

So, what are your strengths? To answer that question, first complete the 30-minute online "StrengthsQuest" self-assessment and print a copy. I also recommend that you print a copy of the summary version. The information completes the first three aspects (i.e. discovery, development, and application) of what Clifton and Anderson characterize as a "lifelong adventure." Next, guided and informed by what the results indicate, focus on further development of your strengths. In this context, "focus" is a key word. Frankly, I shudder when recalling my efforts in years past to try to increase what seemed to be my strengths while struggling (at the same time) to eliminate my weaknesses. Without focus, the mixed results were inevitable, and disappointing. Worse yet, when entrusted with supervisory responsibilities, I made the same mistake with those for whom I was directly responsible.

Of special interest to me is what Clifton and Anderson have to say about what they call "signature themes." That is, dominant areas of talent. They acknowledge five difficulties when accepting and then affirming one's themes (e.g. "many people are blind to their own greatest talents, and often the greatest talents of others"). In Chapter III, they identify 34 of these themes. For purposes of illustration, let's say that the results of your "StrengthsQuest" self-assessment reveal these five:

Achiever helps to explain your drive, a constant need for achievement both as an individual and as member of a team.

Belief indicates that you have certain core values that are enduring. They give your life meaning and satisfaction.

Deliberation suggests that you are a careful, vigilant, reflective, and private person. Rather than denying risks, you rigorously examine them.

Ideation means that you are fascinated by ideas and are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are.

Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and gaining their affection and trust. They energize you.

Clifton and Anderson briefly discuss these and each of the other 34 signature themes. It is important to keep in mind that their comments as well as the results of the "StrengthsQuest" self-assessment are descriptive rather than definitive. Think of them as probabilities, not certainties. In this context, I am reminded of Walt Whitman's acknowledgement in "Song of Myself":

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes." (ll. 1314-1316)

Throughout the remaining chapters in their book, Clifton and Anderson provide both information and counsel that will help their reader proceed through the second and third dimensions of her or his "lifelong adventure," development, and application. Of course, new discoveries suggest new strengths to develop and reveal new opportunities in which to apply them. To me, what is most exciting about the StrengthsQuest is that it can - and should - continue on two separate but interdependent levels: as an individual and as someone who can help others during their own "lifelong adventure" of discovery, development, and application.

This review is somewhat longer than I originally intended but I felt (and feel) obligated to be as specific as possible when explaining why I think so highly of what Donald Clifton and Edward ("Chip") Anderson offer, in collaboration with Laurie Schreiner. Their book is indeed a brilliant achievement.

StrengthsQuest: Discover and Develop Your Strengths in Academics, Career, and Beyond

Not as easy a read as strengthsfinder 2.0 but goes into more depth for those who really want to use their assessment to do more detailed planning for academics and career.

I use this book in my classroom for the intermediate-level CS college student. It covers detail in a conversational way, giving the Unix novice a chance at absorbing such a complex operating system. While it has it's weaknesses (not much on shell scripting), it is certainly the "bible" of Unix books.

Although I have been using UNIX for years, and have half a shelf of O'Reilly UNIX books on various subjects, I still keep coming back to the Waite Group's UNIX V Primer. The reason being that although it is not a deep treatment of any UNIX subject, it gives you the information you need to know to actually *do* something. Typically I will use it to remind me how to do something in Sed for example. Something that I don't use that often, and just need to see how to do one simple thing. Instead of hunting around in a more complete technical book, I can go to the primer and get quick no-brainer instructions on how to do it. The examples are clear and well illustrated and the writing is excellent. Highly recommended for novices and anyone who bumps into UNIX a fair bit but isn't an avatar.