among the best there is
354641
Kindred is the story of a young black woman named Dana who is transported back through time to help save the life of a plantation/slave owner named Rufus, an accident-prone white man who is actually the father of one of Dana's distant ancestors. Dana (and occasionally her white husband Kevin) go back to the early 1800s, where Dana finds herself treated as most other blacks were at that time:  less than human. Though beaten at times, she is allowed certain privileges because she saves the life of Rufus. The book ends the way it began, with the ending explaining the beginning, and providing a stirring metaphor to boot. Kindred is extremely well written, with clean, clear prose, and a narrative so interesting that it will keep you reading late into the night...and first thing in the morning, as it will be the book you reach for when you awaken. It's not really science fiction...more like horrible fantasy when you think about it. In any case, labels don't really matter. Do yourself a favor and read it. Now.
3879323
One of the best if not the best I've read on this topic. Why so good? To the point in simple terms, nothing so lengthy you lose track of the point. Excellent for average Joe pre-retiree like myself. I learned far more new things from this book than other ones and the writing is realistic and friendly, you feel like a friend is talking to you.
3402468
The Brahms Piano Quartet in G minor outshines its two later rivals in popularity, and there's a wealth of choice on CD from famous groups like the Beaux Arts Trio, the Amadeus Qt. with Gilels, the Guarneri Qt. with Rubenstein, and Isacc Stern leading assorted starry soloists including Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma. But having heard them all, I think this 1990 version with Murray Perahia and members of the Amadeus has more passion and fire than any of the preceding. Rubenstein is more charming in the piano part, Gilels more deep-toned and serious. But put on the famous finale, and the flying Hugarian rhythms come off best here, showing real vibrancy. Also, Perahia and his string players find more strength in the Andante con moto, which almost everyone else plays as a pastorale.

The sonics are good but not great, and the aging Amadeus Qt. doesn't always play in tune. I find those technical considerations minor--this is an outstanding reading on all musical counts. (Note: a reviewer below speaks of a bargain version of this CD, but it no longer seems to be in print.)
1016842
Best there is! Little expensive, but you can't buy better!
2031399
Not if there is something better, but in my long search, no other product can compare to it, it is simply the best of the best.
998032
One the best. Its up there with the name brands. And cheaper.
216490
The best of what's out there, and a very good book it is.  This is not a book on trading systems or money management. It is a book to enable the trader to improve his/her trading. All of us suffer from emotional  blockages, many unconcious. It is the result of growing up in less than  perfect homes. RBR offers a step-by-step approach to finding and dealing  with the blockages the interefer with YOUR trading. Caps on  "your" because RBR uses a paradigmatic rather than case-specific  approach. Next best book so far is Tharp's "Trade Your Way to  Financial Freedom," which, while good, is a distant second.  Of  course, if your computer finds the trades, places the orders and exits the  trades, and all you do is have the broker send you a check every month,  this book is of no value to you. I haven't become that clever yet.
2292805
This book is among the best I've read.  It ranks right up there with Shogun, Hawaii, and The Source.
Fast moving, lots of twists and turns, plus a peek into life back in the 12th century all contribute to a wonderfull book.
Of note is the recording by Brilliance.  They've accelerated the playback, so it plays at, what seems like, half again the normal speed (the pitch is correct, though).  I like this, but some may not.
4433354
Spyderco is known for certain knife designs and production excellence. This is certainly one of their best, now in its fourth generation. Constant improvement is everywhere evident in this knife. Looks goofy to the uninitiated, but there is nothing in the design or materials that is not there for a reason. The edge is the reason. Everything else follows, from the blade (necessary to keep the edge from easily breaking off), the blade shape and grind (made for maximum use of the edge for certain tasks, in this case, slicing), thumb ramp jimped (grooved) for traction, hole for easy one hand opening and large enough to be effective with gloves on, to the light weight, high traction fiberglass reinforced nylon scales, fortified with lightened steel liners. I always have a Delica 4 on my person. Other knives come and go, this one is a keeper.
4645816
This recording of the Brahms piano concerti is simly the best available.  It is true that at times the sound quality is a problem - at the beginning of the final movement of the first concerto the right speaker drops out entirely.  (Although, for most of the recording I think the sound is probably better than most modern CDs - the expansiveness and realism is phenomenal, notwithstanding the tape hiss.)  It is true that there are a few slips from Fleisher - in the first movement of the first concerto he slips off some of the octave leaps up the keyboard.  However, no other recording matches this one for brilliance, passion and intensity.
Recorded before Szell became obsessed with details and, obviously, before Fleisher's tragic injury to his right hand, the two work together like few conductor/pianist teams ever have.  The first concerto first movement is, at all times, heavy and dense; the tempo is much more appropriate than that taken by Curzon.  It is deliberate and yet enthralling.  This is contrasted not only with the brilliance of the final movement of the first concerto but also with the way in which the second concerto seems to float, particularly with the horn solo at the beginning.
The couplings are interesting for historical purposes, but when it comes to Brahms' solo work Katchen is, in my opinion, unsurpassed.  The booklet accompanying the CDs is very elegant, containing some wonderful photographs and interesting commentary from Fleisher himself.
1991467
Beethoven's sixth is often underappreciated and overlooked.  This version will quickly get you to reconsider your opinion if you have dismissed the sixth as "lightweight."  The entire symphony is played with exquisite sensitivity.  The first two movements, in particular, reveal Beethoven's genius.  Bohm gets the orchestra to revel in Beethoven's lush textures.  Everying is balanced and played with great delicacy.  Bohm's reading of the seventh is quite different than the famous Klieber version.  Again, other reviewers have criticized Bohm for being a bit too slow (the only place this is a concern is in his rendering of the fifth).  However, Bohm gets a different, though equally satisfying effect from the slower tempo, particularly in the second movement.  Bohm gets much more emotional depth out of this movemement than Klieber does.  The spirited eighth is every bit as great as Szell's outstanding version with the Cleveland Symphony.  In short, this is a "can't miss" cycle.  You can't go wrong, and you won't be dissatisfied with Bohm's versions of all nine Beethoven symphonies.
2919420
This is an old book but still one of the best.
136406
This is a relatively small collection compared to some of the other ones out there, but it's all quality. Ration it or you'll be done enjoying it too soon.
1783075
what can i say, it's underwear, but one of the best in the market.
723976
Might prefer regular, but one of the best of its kind.
2011555
The best of the very best. The soudn is rich. The physical appearance is beautiful. And the price? Don't look further, nobody can beat this price.
4472660
The relatively low score on Amazon for this title is kind of amazing. Of course, it's not nearly as excellent as Newman and Jone's earlier Horror; the 100 Best books, but it towers above most other readers guides covering this genre. I would even call it essential, just because there are so few guides of this quality. It's particularly good at listing the better anthologies. Each book has an essay written by a practicioner of the horror genre, and as you can guess, the essays and choices vary greatly in quality. It skews somewhat to the literary and semi-obscure. Overall, I found it quite convincing and probably picked up about 25 titles I'd be interested in reading, which I find to be a terrific ratio.