Broad in Scope, a Bit Uneven in Quality
585602
This compilation is a great effort at both defining "sudden fiction" by example and at displaying the broad scope of the work that's out there, including pieces from all over the globe. The work, according to the editors, was collected over a set period in the early 00's from what has been getting published in journals and magazines around the world. In that regard, this collection truly succeeds in capturing what the current flavor/definition is for the short-short story (not to be confused with "flash fiction," which is even shorter) (and collected in a different companion book by the same publisher) (I also admittedly plan to read it eventually) and ensures that there won't be (m)any repeats in here from other anthologies you may have read.

What is slightly disappointing about this collection is that the quality (for this reviewer) is a bit uneven. While all the stories are of rather similar lengths (3 to 5 pages for the most part), some simply go nowhere, reflecting on a moment or character in detail and arriving at very little in the way of stimulating conclusions. Others, such as Tobias Wolfe's or Sam Shepard's (two of the best in the bunch), nicely portray real conflicts, draw very real characters, and maintain forceful narratives throughout, with endings that satisfy.

If you enjoy short fiction, this is certainly worth reading, then perhaps selling back if you find only a little that you like (I'll probably keep my copy, as I think I like the parts I like enough to want to read them again later on). If you're trying to get into what's going on in contemporary short(-short) fiction, there is no better place to start. Author bios in the back will give you other book titles and such as launching points for further reading as well.
681351
This book was prescribed as a prerequisite for an 'Introduction to Poetry' undergraduate course that I am auditing. It deals with the technical subjects of stress, meter, and variation that are key to the analysis and the writing of English poetry. Despite its brevity, it seems quite comprehensive, and ultimately does provide an understanding of the topic, and so succeeds in what it sets out to do.

However, it is presented in a rather dry and academic manner, and the author comes across as a stiff, humorless professor. At one point he gets carried away with the somewhat dubious issue of whether spondees(paired heavy accents) and pyrrhic feet (paired unstressed syllables) have a right to exist. He thinks they are artificial constructs and should be done away with and such gray-zone feet should be assigned as either iambs or trochees depending on the underlying rhythm. This seems to be his pet peeve, but I'm not sure in the end how changing the nomenclature enhances understanding in any material way.

'Rules for the Dance' by Mary Oliver discusses versification in a much more conversational and easy style, is more lively and engaging. Reading it first gave me the basic concepts to better understand this book. However, McAuley is more comprehensive and in particular discusses the difference between metrical accent and speech stress and the interplay between the two that creates much of the variety and 'tension' in English poetry.

Another issue I have with this book is the choice of rather arcane and ponderous lines for illustration, often from poems by Chaucer and other pre-Shakespearan poets to make his point. I mean, is it really necessary to demonstrate metrical variation with these lines-

What! many a man hath love ful deere ybought
Twenty wynter that his lady wiste
That nevere yet his lady mouth he kiste

Or to indicate a reversed foot with these-

Like as the elm forgrown in mountains hye,
Rond hewen with axe, that husbandmen
With thick assaultes strive to tear up, doth threat;
And hackt beneath trembling doth bend his top,
Till yold with strokes, giving the latter crack,
Rent from the heighth with ruine it doth fall.

Even as I type these lines, they bleed red from my spell-checker. Such examples only serve to confound an already dry and technical subject and shed light on little more than the author's erudition.

Still, lacking better alternatives, I would recommend this book. If one has the patience to wade through it, it does deliver. Luckily, it isn't very long.
917700
Imagine traveling through a wormhole, at high speed, constantly twisting and turning; you want to stop and admire a beautiful pattern, see it in depth, but you are whipped away to the next turn.  There are glimpses of beautiful ideas in this book, but to pursue them you will need to read more elsewhere.

This book touches on an impressive number of topics related to probability and game theory, and the authors weave in a number of interesting bits of history. Sadly, they touch on many topics very lightly and incompletely.

There are the makings of at least 4 or 5 really good books here, if the topics are properly covered.  Overall this is worth reading, as the research behind this book is stunning in scope even if none of the ideas are adequately explicated.
1090938
A fairly dry overview (it reads like, and probably was someone's Master's Thesis), it is certainly worth having but offers all too few real insights either as to stage or film-craft or the background of the specific productions. If you have a broad knowledge of the films drawn from Shakespeare's works, you probably will not discover any "lost gems" you had not heard of before. Still, for the price, it's a good cross reference with other lighter, more interesting - if flaw-filled - works like Douglas Brode's Shakespeare In The Movies.
4526681
Mr. Subramanian has certianly given us a lot to go on in this sweeping survey of every major aspect--economic to religious--of Tamil life over a 240 year span of colonial rule in India (he sadly neglects Sri Lankan Tamils).  It is full of facts and observances, and Subramanian has done an excellent job in his attempt to paint a complete portrait of Tamil life.  Unfortunately, by the nature of its very scope, it fails to investigate any aspect with real depth.  The reader comes away with having a sense of the richness, scope, and pitifulness of this era of Tamil history, but really little more than a disjointed sketch.

I feel this history serves as an excellent primer to Tamil history, and certianly introduces the reader to the major players of Tamil history and major events affecting the Tamils during that time, and some of the details he provides from his extensive research are fascinating.  I found his chapter on economics to be most painstakeningly researched and of fascination to anyone interested in colonial India.  I found his chapters on religion and lifestyles less intriguing, perhaps because of the difference in the level of detail desired by the reader and the level of detail provided by the author.
3954763
This publication covers a lot of ground and deals with some very interesting topics.  While it can be excessively wordy, it manages to convey some useful information.  However, I felt it fell short on the technical side and some of the articles are simply lost in a blizzard of buzzwords.  Aside from the written presentation, some of the graphical choices were also suspect to me.  Some of the images did not come across well on paper and some of the layout choices, particularly with regard to color made it difficult to read.  For a publication that seems to put an emphasis on style over substance, its the style that makes the worst impression.
1215324
This is a good reference guide to Cordwainer Smith's various books.  Do not expect too much, though.  Mostly, what you get is one-sentence definitions of many of the people, places and things in Smith's books, and, in some cases, a brief explanation of where the name comes from.  A publication guide to Smith's stories is also included.
  While there's an introduction, the book's greatest lack is essays and discussions concerning the works and their author (Paul Linebarger, as Smith was his nom de plume).  Comparisons of Smith's stories and the myths he took some of them from would be helpful.
  Good, but there's work to do in future editions.
3301280
There is a lot of good material here which is not well known to the general public, but the book needed more polish and an editor.  I'm giving it four stars mostly because there are few other sources for the information, but only four because there are errors and because of the limitations of the presentation.  If interested in the subject, it is worth reading.
1018518
Norman Davies' "Europe: A History" spans the period from pre-history to the early 1990s.  It's 1,136 pages of text (hardcover edition) narrate the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires; the influx and outflux of tribes, peoples, and cultures; the influence of religion; the development of Western music, literature, art, and architecture; and all the standard topics in between.  Its twelve basic chapters (organized roughly by "era") are supplemented by an additional 130+ pages of indices which include lists, graphs, tables, and statistical data.  And sprinkled throughout are 300 "Capsules" which address all manner of interesting tidbits, from particular people, particular cities, and particular events.  It is fully footnoted, and contains what Davies (or his publishers) describe as a "Selective Index."  In all, it is an ambitious undertaking, and a singular achievement.

One of the real hallmarks of this work is that Davies' concept of "Europe" takes into account not only the familiar geography and events of Western Europe, but incorporates events in Eastern Europe (including, and perhaps especially, Russia), Scandinavia, and the  Balkans.  To the extent that nearby regions, such as Asia Minor, have impacted developments in "Europe," they are also incorporated into the narrative.  One of the real benefits of this book is that it will stretch the reader's conceptualization of what "Europe" is.

Be advised that Davies' is not shy about interpreting this history through the expression of his own opinions, or even value judgments.  Although not strictly objective, the insights into his own point of view -- sometimes expressed overtly, sometimes subtly -- will give the reader enough perspective on his orientation to factor in whatever bias he may have incorporated into this work.

For most readers, this will not be a casual undertaking.  It took me the better part of a year to read it.  But the writing is clear, the events and movements recounted in quite comprehensible form, and (at least in my copy) the ink did not fade from one reading session to the next.  I am certain the author did not write it in a day, and nobody should expect to read it in even two.

Of course, there has been some criticism of the book, mostly from those who believe that it does not give sufficient attention to events in Poland during the Second World War.  After reading the entire text, I am not moved by those alleged shortcomings, which, judged against the whole, seem to more reflect contemporary "political correctness" than any real grievance.  Davies did not omit to narrate the crimes against Humanity perpetrated during that recent conflict.  That he did not devote more pages or words to these topics probably had more to do with the fact that this is a survey, and not an explanation.

Davies has sufficient credentials and academic recognition to give "Europe" credibility.  He holds a handful of academic positions, perhaps most notably with Jagiellonian University in Krakow (where he is UNESCO Professor).

I'd recommend the hardcover to any reader truly interested in this topic or book.  It takes long enough to read that even that edition suffered the wear, tear, and insults of daily handlines.  It is also a valuable reference which many will want to add to their shelves.

It is hard to say if there is any particular thesis which you will take away from this reading.  One perhaps is that the eventual political unification of "Europe" is inevitable, though not likely to be easily attained.  Other lessons which may be demonstrated are those we already know: to the victor go the spoils, as well as the privilege of writing their history.

Good luck with this.  Just pace yourself, and keep at it.  You CAN finish this book.
209990
lacks detail,but not bad for overall information
2438506
I came across this book as required reading for my intro to ethics course. The first chapter was very interesting, but as time passed, I grew somewhat disinterested. While it is a very nice collection of ethics articles, it lacks TRUE diversity.
The readings are fairly diverse, though only within the realm of "common" ethics -- very little space is given to opposition philosophers such as Nietzsche, Crowley, Russell, etc.
Overall, the editors have done a grand job of presenting articles on the more prevalent issues in ethics, both past and present. It could have been more enjoyable (to me) with the inclusion of vastly opposing arguments, but I must say that it does serve the purpose quite well in that it makes you analyze your own beliefs. Highly recommended for those who desire varied readings in "compassionate" ethics; interesting, but not of utmost importance to those looking for more diversity.
4443848
A useful overview of post-production, but folks looking for more detail or depth in each specific area or topic may be disappointed
1696307
Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of books that consist of collections of essays by numerous authors, as it often feels rather choppy and inconsistent.  And this book, edited by Miroslav Volf and Dorothy Bass, certainly fell within that general description.  If you like the collected essay format, then you may appreciate the book more than I did.  More specifically, I found a few of the essays to be rather inaccessible, almost indecipherable.

Though I wasn't wildly enthusiastic about the entire book, I appreciate the goal of helping folks to make connections between theology and practice, as it's a rather unfortunate (if very common) notion that theology is some sort of ivory-tower, abstraction with little application to real life.  The authors are committed to the idea that theology and practice form and shape each other and offer some helpful reflections to validate that thesis.

And, to be sure, some of the essays were well-written and helpful in offering specific examples and thoughtful reflections about the intersection of theology and practice.  Serene Jones, Tammy Williams, Christine Pohl, and Gilbert Bond offered particularly insightful thoughts.  Though I wasn't enthusiastic enough about the book to widely recommend it, I suspect that I might refer back to a few of these essays at some point down the road.  But I'll still keep looking for a more thoroughly consistent and engaging book to describe the crucial interplay between theology and practice.
1246965
While the images are impressive, a book that claims to contain 'essential tips and techniques' should be much more comprehensive. Being in the market to buy a 500mm lens in the near future I was interested to note the author's use of the various lenses but it is more of a coffee table book than really informative.
4490477
A quarter century ago, I spent a lot of time reading about, teaching, and doing research into the origins and consequences of the WHO definition of health, which emphasizes the interconnections between the physical, mental, and social aspects of health.

I hoped that this book would advance the discussion of the social component of health and well-being beyond where (I thought) it was 25 years ago.  The fact that my interest was both clear and somewhat academically-oriented may explain some of my disappointment with the book; it did not provide the continuity or insight that I hoped it would.  Readers with different orientations may not be AS disappointed.  But I think that they will be somewhat disappointed.  The references are diverse and interesting, but (ironically) the book flails about too much, and lacks effective focus, which is frustrating.
3882681
This text has a plethora of information regarding anything mathematics has to offer, however it has some limitations. For example, its commentary on probability and applied statistics is lacking in depth, perhaps from the author's lower level of interest in these topics. The same information that can be found in this book, only more up-to-date, is freely available in the public domain. However, the book does look interesting on the coffee table and can be the centre of conversation.
3329597
This book covers a lot of topics, some with quite a bit of theories, and some with sample codes which can be accessed online (more chapters are added a couple of weeks after my purchase). In general, the authors achieved their goal of balancing the breadth and depth of the topics in OpenCV. That said, it falls a bit short on my expectation of "Blueprints". For one, the parameters could have been better explained.