An excellent overview.....
348319
I thought this was a terrific overview that captures the spirit and beauty of the music. It gave wondeful insight and depth to the people behind the music...innovators such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and others.  I think some people will be disappointed in the book simply because it does not adhere to their particular viewpoint (there is very little coverage of fusion....no great loss in my book). But for people who want to get the background of the music and peer into the origins of it, who want to understand the passion that lies within it, this is a must read.
2929973
I found this a good introductory overview of the subject without excessive detail. Just what I was looking for.
3322764
What this book does wonderfully is provide an amazing overview of the history, arguments, and developments of the four main views of apologetics - classical, evidentialism, presuppositional, and feidism.  If you need an overview of these types this book is one of the best resources I've read for that purpose.  The authors also do a good job of articulating a fair representation of each view and the explanation power of each.

It is not flawless however.  It's critiques of presuppositionalism don't seem to really be negatives which is a minor point since that's the position I favor.  The biggest flaw, however, is one of the main reasons for the book.  It suggests an inclusive view of each of the four views and shows that the use of all of them for particular purposes is the best approach.  However, with their approach in mind they seek out support.  However, it appears that an appeal to John Frame's view of a tiered approach where the presupposition is developed first and the other three views can be used with intellectual honesty seems to win out.  The authors fail to go back over and think about what critiques folks in the presuppositional camp would make.

That being said, I would highly recommend this book as a big overview on the four views of apologetics.  This book and the Five Views from the CounterPoint series would be primary.  Final Grade - A-
1777466
I had heard often of Six Sigma, but knew next to nothing about it (and suspected an overdose of trendy nonsense because of the silly sounding terms borrowed from karate). This slim volume seemed the right starting place, since I did not wish to invest in a tome of material if Six Sigma turned out to uninteresting for my company.

This is, indeed, an excellent overview. It tells in global terms what to expect. The statistical methods are described in non-mathematicians' intuitive terms (a pity, I would have liked a little more detail) but for my needs it served it purpose admirably.

As a result of reading this book I am moving on to a more technical account of Six Sigma. I need to know what the operational definitions are and how the statistics are used. I am not yet certain if Six Sigma is suitable - in software development we have established methods for tracking bugs and improving interface usability. Nevertheless, my interest has been whetted.
4893287
Jim Marrs does a superb job presenting a nearly complete overview of the alien/UFO phenomenon.  I must admit I was put off by the first chapter in his book (the Moon a spaceship?  really?), but being familiar with the author I pushed past that chapter and concluded that he merely presented it because it is one of the theories out there floating around, not because he necessarily believes it himself.  The rest of the book is, as I said, a fantastic overview and I would highly recommend it to alien/UFO/conspiracy buffs.
534516
Though this book is short on details and specifics it gives an excellent overview of Baptist history. This is a great place to start if you want to study Baptist history. There is an extensive list of books cited at the end of the book to help you on your way to learning more about the struggles Baptist have overcome to become the faith we are today.
2159901
Bob Dylan / Masterpieces:  This is an excellent 3 CD overview of Dylan's career up to that point (the late 1970's).  This set may seem redundant compared to the many other retrospectives on Dylan's work, and it largely is, with the exception of a few rare live performances.  However, considering this set by itself, as it is, this is a Five Star set (but an unnecessary one).
1694794
If you are a photographer making the transition from film to digital technology this book is for you. Don't be fooled by the title: this book offers an excellent overview of all aspects of digital imaging. I don't care how much you think you know, you will learn from this book.
940286
The book provides a great overview of (most of the) katsina carvers.
Through the accompanying pictures and the added text it provides an excellent insight into the different emerging styles of katsinas.
It also is a great tribute to this survival of the Indian cultural heritage.
2871591
This provides an excellent, vendor independent and "Architectural View" of Network Systems. Given the length (a mere 320 pages including the Appendix, References and Index) some choices had to be made about which topics beyonds the basic OSI Architectural Model to be explained in any depth.  Beyond basic
Network Systems Architecture some treatment was given of Processor, Memory and Hardware Implementation, QOS and Cryptographic Implementations.  Important topics not covered include such important application areas as "Internet of Things" and detailed comparison of Network Software Implementations and Operating System linkages.

I believe this is a superior and modern approach (especially given the nod to hardware implementation) for an introductory course in Network Architectures, or as a guide for the IT person or Marketing Manager hired into a Network Vendor's employment. Whether the particular choices of coverage beyond the most basic are considered as most useful to the individual purchasing this text is somewhat of a personal decision.

--Ira Laefsky, MSE/MBA IT Consultant formerly on the Senior Staff of Arthur D. Little, Inc. and DIGITAL Equipment Corporation
1289520
I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave a great overview of everything. It is designed for someone getting into the hobby like myself. The book is a little shorter than I expected, but all of the key elements are in there. Lots of pics and an easy read.
741721
In one sentence....an extremely informative, to the point and relevant study. The author is qualified and versed in the topic.
1528310
I just finished going through this book, and I can say that it is a good overview of Application Express. It showcases all of the main features by example by walking you through building a help desk application. The book left me with questions, wanting to know more, but as a beginner's book, this one can't be beat.
4572265
I really like this book - it gives a great overview of various religions, without too much detail.  Other than my own religion, I really only know the names of certain religious celebrations for other faiths - it did a great job providing a short history and explanation of some of the major celebrations in each faith. It also has great pictures!
2810597
This book gives an excellent overview of the Oracle8 engine.  While it  does not get into the "how-tos" required for DBAs, it is great  for for those DBAs experienced with other databases (Informix, Sybase,  etc.) who are now learning Oracle8.  Read this book first, then go on to  the more specialized Oracle books.
3703081
I thoroughly enjoyed this book (disclaimer I am in the 'saltwater' economic camp myself).  I thought it provided an excellent overview for the lay person of modern macro economic ideas out there and also backed up, with justification, the economic course Paul espouses.  It will be a good read even after our current economic conditions change, maybe even better, as we reflect on what could have been.  I will recommend this to anyone who wants to understand how macroeconomics and modern economies actually work.
4467346
This is a good overview. It is a good reference to
have around, particularly for amateurs who seek straight forward information.