Open

I think the reference manual is important because of the hierarchial nature of the class structures. Unless, you can visualize a map of all the class relations and there properties this book is a necessity. Open Inventor uses many default parameters for fields and attributes, but you may want to customize the node behavior. The reference manual explains each class, its fields, and the effects of applying various enumeration types.

The next round of plays (in a small print paperback format) produced in Britain with the grand playwright Jonathan Harvey. "Hushabye Mountain" is a play that seems better with repeated readings. In "Out in the Open", Harvey returns to the playful conflicts and creative characters that made "Beautiful Thing" such a delight. Ideal for actors and directors.

This book is one of my daughter's favorites. Each page features a jungle creature who claims that he is "king of the jungle." The corner of each page is hinged though and pulls out to reveal a different creature who then claims, "No, I'm king of the jungle!" At the end, there is a little mouse who says "Everyone knows who the king of the jungle really is!"

The storyline is just OK, but the quality of the illustrations is very good...bold, glossy and high interest. Also, the way that the corner of each page pulls out is inventive and captures childrens' interest. It's a good way to practice motor skills and different in concept than most interactive books.

Another good feature is that this book is very sturdy and hard to destroy (a plus with a grabby toddler). Unlike so many pop up books that are easily pulled off or apart, I'm not afraid to let my daughter handle this one on her own. She can work the pages on her own and the book is holding up beautifully.

Overall, a nice book for a toddler...not too many words to overwhelm them, simple concept, good for motor skills, solid construction, and attractive illustrations.

This is one of the stories in our P.K. Hallinan "A Rainbow Of Friends" children's collection book. We love them all, but I especially like this story because it encourages reading in a playful way. I think the idea of reading "taking you away" is totally lost on my toddler but he loves the colorful illustrations and I love the message. I recommend the collection of P.K. Hallinan's stories because it includes: "A Rainbow of Friends", "For the Love of Our Earth", "I'm Thankful Each Day", and my son's favorite "When I Grow Up". These wonderful stories reinforce positive values (though there is a religious feel to the stories).

This book is a collection of 100 radio scripts from the motivational-inspirational radio program, "Today's Key To Confident Living." The author has taken personal interest illustrations and applied spiritual and motivational applications. A place to record one's observations and feelings is provided for each script. This is a great stand alone book or a companion to other devotional or motivational reading. ECDistrict@aol.com

This book reveals an extraordinary body of landscape architectural work that is at least notably accomplished and, at its best, reflects a comprehensive expression and thorough understanding of the forces and elements that celebrate the confluence of nature and man. It is what Konrad Osterwalder -who selected Kienast as the "founder figure" of the landscape architecture program at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology- acknowledges as the act of entering into nature while retaining an awareness of cultural perceptions.

Kienast's work is reflective of a marvelous simplicity of which Mies would be proud, and his use of materials -especially plants- manifests a managed and thoughtful approach, almost tender and certainly romantic. Grounded in horticulture and plants like so many European landscape architects, it is through Kienast's measured use of a broader palette of materials common to the landscape that his remarkable talent is most celebrated. Especially revealing are the observations of his peers, presented in short essays, that honor both the technical and aesthetic achievements manifest in Kienast's work. Captured in a variety of images, the seasonal impacts that interplay with Kienast's landscapes are an essential representation that pays just homage to the reflective brilliance of his expressive interpretations.

The text shares Kienast's view that it is only through variety that a place can acquire an identity. The spirit of such places can emerge and be recognized only through emancipation of a satisfactory (landscape) design, relevant utilization, appropriate care, and healthy ecology: these criteria surelywere essential to the works of many great American landscape architects including Olmsted, Eliot, Farrand, Church, and others. The underpinnings of the bridge between contemporary European and American landscape architecture continue to be sustained through this text.

This text places landscape architecture on a European meridian of great import to the larger discipline that carries its message well beyond European boundaries. It is an important work on a landscape architect who died too young (age 53, in 1998), with much work still to be accomplished. Perhaps others will follow a path parallel to Dieter Kienast: the landscape would surely be better for it!

Tilden Edwards, Director the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, presents in this book the program he uses to help people develop the art of contemplation. His work generally is with groups of people, although many of the exercises in this book can be done by oneself.

This is not a New Age spirituality. Edwards is stepped in the classic Christian spiritualities. Some of the exercises have an Eastern flavor, but the main thrust of the formation program is rooted in western spirituality.

One really should read this book one exercise at a time in order to get an appreciation of the totality of prayer that Edwards presents. While the book seems small, there is a depth of knowledge and experience that takes a while to appreciate.

All of the exercises and reflections in this book are intended to help one to live in the awareness of God. From breathing to sharing reflections, Edwards is not interested in revelation so much as he hopes peope will find in these exercises how God is part of their lives. These exercises are practical for the lives people live today. But the outcome is not "practical" in the sense that Edwards is not looking for "achievement." The only outcome is one's discovery of God. That leads to other things. But then that is grace.

Shikhar Ghosh is Chairman and co-Founder of Open Market, an Internet-commerce-software company. Previously, he was CEO of Appex Corporation and a partner at Boston Consulting Group. This Harvard Business Review article was published in March-April 1998.

The Internet poses a difficult challenge for large, well-established businesses. Therefore, managers need to understand the opportunities and threats the Internet poses on their businesses. According to Ghosh, the Internet discusses four distinct types of opportunities: (1) Establish direct connections with customers, suppliers, and other parties - The authors identifies three forms of services to customers. "First, companies are giving customers just about the same level of service through the Internet that they can currently get from a salesperson. Second, companies are using new Internet technologies to personalize interactions with their customers and build customer loyalty. Third, companies can provide valuable new services inexpensively."; (2) By-pass others in the value chain (pirate the value chain) - This is a risky strategy since it can damage relationships in their physical chains.; (3) Introduction of new products and services - The Internet is not just a direct connection with customers, it is also a platform for innovation. It is a way to produce and distribute new combinations of digital information, or to create new transaction models and services. ; and (4) Control access to customers and setting new business rules (create a customer magnet). Each of these four opportunities are discussed in detail. The author concludes that the changes from the Internet are strategic and fundamental: "... they will unquestionably affect every company's relationship with its customers and the value propositions for many companies in the foreseeable future."

In this simple and clear article, the author provides a systematic way for established companies to sort through the risks and rewards of Internet commerce. He identifies four opportunities/threats, which should provide managers with adequate direction for any future electronic developments. Perhaps the article is not for the experienced Web-managers or experts, it is certainly useful for people new to electronic commerce. The author uses simple US-English.

You are going to buy this book, of course you are. How can you not, for it is the actual book written by the notorious Capt. Bligh himself. If you are the least bit interested in the voyage that became the Mutiny on the Bounty and its aftermath, you've got to get to it. This book is fascinating not so much because of the description of the mutiny because Captain Bligh surprisingly has very little to say on the subject. No, you'll find this fascinating stuff because it allows one a glimpse into life in the South Pacific hundreds of years ago, and how miserable a castaway crew can become. You will also be able to form your own opnions about the sort of man Captain Bligh was. It is an interesting and challenging task to do so, however, because the man is careful to conceal most of his personality and emotions behind a rather dry and unimaginative journeyman's description of this adventure. Actually, it is this mechanical and rather bloodless recitation of facts surrounding what was a most terrifying and terrific adventure that clues one in that Captain Bligh, despite being an extraordinary seaman was certainly obtuse and even a bit of a creep (pompous ass, at the very least); at least he made my skin crawl at times. He also caused me to marvel at his many skills and tenacity (orneriness?), and even he was unable to completely suppress his emotions and allow himself free rein to personalize a few of the incidents that occured along the way. Few people could have accomplished his feat, that is to sail more than one thousand miles across the ocean in a small wooden boat filled with a hopeless and starving crew always teetering on the brink of disaster. It's also funny that Bligh turned up in all sorts of places around the globe in his life time and one finds him sprinkled throughout history. Did you know, for instance, that he commanded a ship under Lord Nelson in at least one of that man's most famous battles? He also accompanied the famed Captain Cook on one of his famous voyages which is how he got the job on the Bounty. I've ranked this only four stars because the book is really not a joy to read, Captain Bligh's skills most certainly lay in the nautical world. In this day and age, he probably would have found a ghost writer to lively up his self. Yet, this book is essential grist for the mill of Bounty hunters.

This book is great if you're looking to get started quickly with MySQL. I was able to set up and create a database within hours after buying the book, with only minimal prior exposure to MySQL. Plus, it's a great quick reference for some of the standard MySQL commands that you may not need to use on a super-regular basis. The majority of the teaching is done through diagrams and examples, which allows the user to see what's supposed to happen, and have a gauge of how their performing. The text is just over half of the meat of the book, and really just fills in the blank spots that the diagrams leave out. I highly recommend this book for anyone just getting started with MySQL, but it as you get more proficient, you might want to pass it on to another MySQL newbie, as it may just gather dust on your bookshelf.