Book Description
Get the book that shows you not only what to study, but how to study. The only classroom-based integrated study system for professional certification gives you complete coverage of all objectives for the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 exam, hundreds of practice exam questions, and hands-on exercises. The CD-ROM features full practice exam software plus an adaptive test engine.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book.......2007-10-06
You'll have a better understanding of the compiler/environment and you'll pass the test. This book and questions busts your butt harder then the real test, so you'll be more then adequately prepared. This is a book you want to keep around you long after you take your test.
Excellent book.......2007-09-17
I have passed my SCJP exam! The book was really helpful to either extend my java knowledge and helped me to passed the exam. I have spent about two months to prepare the exam and read this book about 3 times. Make sure you understand all the questions from inside out at the end of each chapter. I only used this book as my studying material (you would think that's risky, isn't it?) But it did work, although I did grabbed a few mock up exam from internet. But I didn't have much time to do those mock-ups, otherwise i may can do better in the exam. I got 88%.
Excellent! Rare book!.......2007-09-11
The book is written with such clarity, precision and humor that are rarely seen in the IT education. The authors have done fantastic job at presenting complex material in an easy yet concise fashion.
Great SCJP book!.......2007-09-06
This book has a very light language and go deep in Java language. I recommend it if you really want to be a Java 5 certified!
The best SCJP book.......2007-09-01
This is a 'must read' for everyone who intent to apply for the SCJP.
Worths the price.
Book Description
Imagine a world without eBay...unthinkable! How would you get that Farrah Fawcett poster, retired Beanie Baby, or first-edition pet rock? Handling over a gazillion (OK, we exaggerate--it's actually only 1 billion) page views each day, server-side Java makes eBay work.
Isn't it time you learned the latest (J2EE 1.4) versions of Servlets & JSPs? This book will get you way up to speed on the technology you'll know it so well, in fact, that you can pass the Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD) 1.4 exam. If that's what you want to do, that is. Maybe you don't care about the exam, but need to use Servlets & JSPs in your next project. You're working on a deadline. You're over the legal limit for caffeine. You can't waste your time with a book that makes sense only AFTER you're an expert (or worse one that puts you to sleep).
No problem. Head First Servlets and JSP's brain-friendly approach drives the knowledge straight into your head (without sharp instruments). You'll interact with servlets and JSPs in ways that help you learn quickly and deeply. It may not be The Da Vinci Code, but quickly see why so many reviewers call it "a page turner". Most importantly, this book will help you use what you learn. It won't get you through the exam only to have you forget everything the next day.
Learn to write servlets and JSPs, what makes the Container tick (and what ticks it off), how to use the new JSP Expression Language (EL), what you should NOT write in a JSP, how to write deployment descriptors, secure applications, and even use some server-side design patterns. Can't talk about Struts at a cocktail party? That'll change. You won't just pass the exam, you will truly understand this stuff, and you'll be able to put it to work right away.
This new exam is tough--much tougher than the previous version of the SCWCD. The authors of Head First Servlets and JSP know: they created it. (Not that it EVER occurred to them that if they made the exam really hard you'd have to buy a study guide to pass it.) The least they could do is give you a stimulating, fun way to pass the thing. If you're one of the thousands who used Head First EJB to pass the SCWCD exam, you know what to expect!
Customer Reviews:
This book is very exciting.......2007-10-06
This book is really very exciting. This book is very easy do read and to learn. I'm waiting to new version of this book and to new topics.
Trust me, just buy it!! .......2007-09-22
I referred religiously to only this book for my study. It makes for a very interesting read. Most of the questions were based on this book. And I am happy to say that I scored 85% after just studying for a couple of hours for one month.
If you want to refer to just one book, this is it.
Best book for SCWCD.......2007-09-13
This book is just too good. I had thought of writing this review as soon I had cleared my exam this July with 92%. My apologies for this delay.
If you would like to brush up your servlet/jsp/ tag libraries and appear for the SCWCD exam, then look no further. This is the book.
With Head First's unique style of presentation, I just loved reading this book.
I would say the book can improve more on examples and exercises. But whatever it has it really drives it in and makes your fundamentals solid.
The exams after each chapter are solid with good answers and very less errors or typos as found in other books of the same genre.
However the final exam in the book is much much tougher than the real one.
Enjoy
-Arijit
Wonderful Book.......2007-09-04
I started reading and i couldn't stop more. I'm a little suspect to say anything about this book because I'm really fan of this series.
What can i say about it ? If you really want pass the exam and don't want spend money with courses, use this book.
ps: sorry if i did some mistake, I'm Brazilian and my English is not the best thing i got.
Very pleased!.......2007-08-31
I learned something in the first chapter. This is leading me by the hand, which is refreshing in a sea of new information. I am not even studying for the exam, but I chose this one over a couple of others and I'm glad I did!
Average customer rating:
- Good Book!
- The little book G.W. should have read
- beautiful little book!
- The Art of War for Lilliputians......
- Too Small
|
The Art of War: (Miniature book)
Sun-Tzu
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Military Science
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Eastern
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Eastern Philosophy
| Other Eastern Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Deals
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
Religion & Spirituality
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Military Science
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Eastern
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Eastern Philosophy
| Other Eastern Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Prince (Bantam Classics)
-
Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy
-
The 48 Laws of Power
-
The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition
-
The Art of War (Shambhala Classics)
ASIN: 0762415983
Release Date: 2003-07-29 |
Book Description
The ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu is universally recognized as the greatest military strategist in history, a master of warfare interpretation. This condensed version of his influential classic imparts the knowledge and skills to overcome every adversary in war, at the office, or in everyday life.
Download Description
The art of war is an excellent reference for anyone who commands a military force and needs guidance.Perhaps a buisiness owner or manager would find similar qualities between the book and their situation.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book!.......2007-08-10
The book arrived in the mail very quickly and in great condition. The book was a lot smaller than I thought it be, but that is ok.
Thank you
The little book G.W. should have read.......2007-05-14
Wisdom in a little book, what more can I say. Required reading at any military Academy,worth a damn {G.W. AWOL} Oh well. It translates thur the technological advances.
beautiful little book!.......2007-04-10
a must-have classic sent in great conditions! a collectable item without a doubt!
The Art of War for Lilliputians.............2007-03-19
I'm sure the text is fin, however wha I received was a 3" x 3" micro book that's all but unreadable. What's worse is there was no indication in it's listing that I could find that said it was a book for munchkins.
Not happy.
Too Small.......2007-03-10
Alot of the important writings were left out of this book. It was a bad idea not to read the review before buying.
Book Description
Primarily Written for those who want to earn the Sun Certified System Administrator (SCSA) certification for Solaris 10, this guide presents full coverage of the official objectives for both the required exams: CX-310-200 and CX-310-202. In spite of the laser sharp focus on the exam objectives, this is not a cram style book. Written in a classroom-based teaching style, this book presents material in a sequential fashion: topics and chapters build upon the previously covered topics and chapters. There is no hopping from topic to topic. An introductory chapter for beginners and a cohesive, concise, yet comprehensive presentation of the material makes it a self contained book that requires no prior experience in Solaris or UNIX. Even after passing the exam, you will find yourself coming back to use this book as an on-the-job reference.
Full coverage of exam topics includes:
- Basic and advanced Solaris 10 installation
- Managing file systems and core dumps
- Performing user and security administration
- Managing network printers and system processes
- Performing system backups and restores and managing storage volumes
- Managing naming services
- Managing role based access control and system messaging
- Understanding fundamentals of TCP/IP networking and managing network services
The book features complete details on all exam objectives, 250+ practice questions, step-by-step exercises, on-the-job elements, a two-minute drill at the end of each chapter that reviews the key points in the chapter, and chapter self-tests. The CD contains MasterExam practice exam software with all new questions, a Searchable electronic book, and a second practice exam (with free online registration).
Customer Reviews:
Great book!!.......2007-08-06
This book is amazing. teachs all you need to know and how to do. perfect. my unique concern is a version of the cd content for mac os x. except this, which we can fix using parallels, I recomend this book 100%
Gotta go with the general consensus here..........2007-06-14
Good, but not great. Unfortunately, this seems to be the best option for the Solaris 10 tests.
The De Facto Book on Solaris 10.......2007-03-11
To prepare for the SCSA certification exams, I used this book and an eBook (SCSA Exam Quicklet) by the same author that contains five practice exams. I guess I downloaded it from BooksOnBoard. Based on these two resources, I have already passed the first exam and preparing for the second exam. I have found both of these books as excellent resources for the SCSA certification exam preparation. I agree with another reviewer that for now this is the de facto book on Solaris 10. The presentation style of the author also makes it a good reference book for learning basics of Solaris 10. Every term that appears is defined and the use of visuals makes the dry topics interesting and easy to understand.
This book covers topic well within the scope of the exam. For more advanced material, you can always check out the SUN docs.
Not a good reference manual.......2007-03-10
I purchased this book to be both a desktop reference and a study guide for certification. I have not taken the certification tests yet because I have serious doubts on the amount and quality of material covered in this text. The book is not indexed very well at all. Still looking for a good Solaris 10 reference guide for Unix Admins with experience in other flavors.
This is the book.......2006-12-30
Yes, there are typos in this book. If you are one of those people who throws a book out for that reason, then this is not the book for you. However, this is a very good book for both exam-prepping and for general reference. I used this book almost exclusively, and I managed to pass both exams. I expect my decoder ring in the mail within a few weeks. If you want a Solaris 10 book now, get this one. It is the best available. Maybe in a year or so, there will be another book that is the definitive on this subject, but for now, this is the one!
Amazon.com
Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God series has enjoyed boundless success, making his dialogue with God accessible to a worldwide audience of adults. The Little Soul and the Sun distills the essential message of the Conversations with God books and sews it into a story that even children can identify with. Frank Riccio's poignant illustrations are the perfect companion to Walsch's parable of a little soul who discovers that it is "the light" but still wants to know how it "feels" to be the light. This proves to be a problem, as God created nothing else but the light. God's solution, with the help of another soul, is to surround the little soul with darkness, so that it can feel what being the light is like. This deceptively simple tale of self-discovery carries such a profound message that adults as well as children will read it over and over, each time learning a little more about who we really are and why we are here on earth. --Brian Patterson
Book Description
This is a dramatic and orchestrated companion to the childrens book "The Little Soul and the Sun", by Neale Donald Walsch, author of "Conversations With God". The story is narrated by the author and performed by a cast of characters. The performance is brought to life with a rich orchestral underscore and special effects, and includes four songs which reinforce the story's profound messages. The story is followed by an inspirational orchestral reprise and Overture.
Customer Reviews:
Spiritual - Little Soul.......2007-09-02
I LOVE THIS BOOK! It may look like it is just a children's book - not so.
This book is especially meant for all of us to read. I have given it to many friends and they all have called to thank me for introducing them to this wonderful book. In addition to being a great book for kids, most adults will find the messages to be very meaningful to them as well. It changed my way of looking at a lot of things and helped to heal some long lasting wounds. I read it at least once a month and am moved to tears every time. I highly recommend this book for kids of all ages ---- especially adults. It will open your mind to the light and change your life forever.
Lovely.......2007-08-14
I am glad i got this book for my little girl and I cant wait until she starts understanding it. She is only 5 months but I couldn't wait. BUY IT, You wont regret!
Good Story and Great Pictures!.......2007-07-06
This is really good book for children as well as those who are reading the conversations with God as I am. The story will help children to realize why some bad things happen and how they can always look for the positives in the bad. I know that I will read this book alot and to my siblings. Some kids might find some things alittle confusing, but I would just keep reading and explaining it to them. The books that Neale has produced can do nothing but help people. I think this book is great and every school should have it. The only problem i have is that the book is kinda pricey. I just bought it for 17 dollars at barnes and noble and on amazon is twelve something, but then theres the shipping cost so then its still around 17. Anyway, it's an awesome book with great pictures.
Seeing Beyond Offense.......2007-06-07
I read this book almost every day for a month. This increased my compassion for myself and others. I started seeing new perspectives on people who seemed bullying or offensive previously--I now see a new part of them that perhaps they have forgotten. And, I see how their "offense" is perfectly orchestrated for my growth! In fact, in one case, it was obvious to me that my "offender" was simply repeating something my own ruthess inner critic had been saying so that I could hear how ludicrous it was and laugh it away!
again- I'd give it 10 STARS!.......2007-03-23
Absolute perfection!
Great book and my 3 year old daughter wants to read it over and over! We also have the CD she can listen to. I believe you can by it on amazon, if not, contact the author himself...its even more powerful and my daughter loves listenning to it on her CD player in the car. Especially long trips!
A MUST to have together with the "Little soul and the Earth- I am somebody!"
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Chinese
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Women
| Specific Groups
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Augustine, Saint
| ( A )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Doctors & Medicine
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Lawyers & Criminals
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Love, Sex & Marriage
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Early Civilization
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Historiography
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asian American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Asian American
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
French
| Erotica
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Victorian
| Erotica
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Epic
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
German
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Russian
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Chinese
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Conspiracy Theories
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
War on Drugs
| Crime & Criminals
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
English (All)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Arabic
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Armenian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Czech
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Greek
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Hungarian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Korean
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Norwegian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Persian & Farsi
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Polish
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Portuguese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Romanian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Russian
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Swedish
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Turkish
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Science
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Online Research
| Genealogy
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Native American
| Earth-Based Religions
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
History of Science
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Magic & Wizards
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Sailor Moon
| Popular Characters
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Pilates
| Exercise & Fitness
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Art Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Biographies
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Romance Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
-
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
-
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
-
Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
-
They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Average customer rating:
- MUST READ
- Courtesy of Teens Read Too
- astonishing
- I Cried for Her Loss in Innocence
- Awesome Read!!!
|
Copper Sun
Sharon M. Draper
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Colonial
| Fiction
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fiction
| Explore the World
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
African-American
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Prejudice & Racism
| Social Issues
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Friendship
| Social Situations
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asian American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical Fiction
| History & Historical Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Draper, Sharon M.
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Children's Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Teen Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Higher Power of Lucky
-
Rules (Newbery Honor Book)
-
Hattie Big Sky
-
The Road to Paris (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books)
-
Penny from Heaven (Newbery Honor Book)
ASIN: 0689821816 |
Book Description
When pale strangers enter fifteen-year-old Amari's village, her entire tribe welcomes them; for in her remote part of Africa, visitors are always a cause for celebration. But these strangers are not here to celebrate. They are here to capture the strongest, healthiest villagers and to murder the rest. They are slave traders. And in the time it takes a gun to fire, Amari's life as she's known it is destroyed, along with her family and village.
Beaten, branded, and dragged onto a slave ship, Amari is forced to witness horrors worse than any nightmare and endure humiliations she had never thought possible -- including being sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas who gives her to his sixteen-year-old son, Clay, as his birthday present.
Now, survival and escape are all Amari dreams about. As she struggles to hold on to her memories in the face of backbreaking plantation work and daily degradation at the hands of Clay, she finds friendship in unexpected places. Polly, an outspoken indentured white girl, proves not to be as hateful as she'd first seemed upon Amari's arrival, and the plantation owner's wife, despite her trappings of luxury and demons of her own, is kind to Amari. But these small comforts can't relieve Amari's feelings of hopelessness and despair, and when an opportunity to escape presents itself, Amari and Polly decide to work together to find the thing they both want most...freedom.
Grand and sweeping in scope, detailed and penetrating in its look at the complicated interrelationships of those who live together on a plantation, Copper Sun is an unflinching and unforgettable look at the African slave trade and slavery in America.
Customer Reviews:
MUST READ.......2007-08-13
This book has something for everyone. There is a lot of suspense and drama and I highly suggest this read to all. It's a hard cover and may seem like a big book if you don't like to ready much but I promise you will want to keep reading.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-08-10
I have been a fan of Sharon M. Draper for some time. She is a master at writing realistic fiction. COPPER SUN is her first historical fiction and it is amazing -- as well as frighteningly authentic.
This book follows the trials and tribulations of Amari, a fifteen-year-old African maiden. After witnessing the slaughter of both the old and young in her African village, including her parents and her young brother, she is chained, by feet, hands, and neck, lined up, and herded miles on foot to the ocean by pale skinned visitors with fire sticks. She watches her fellow Africans suffer incomprehensible humiliation and death at the hands of their captors as they are shipped like animal cargo across the ocean. The life that awaits her is nothing like she could have ever imagined.
Amari must adapt to life as a purchased slave on a rice plantation, a life that includes atrocities committed upon her by her white owners. She meets Polly, an indentured servant who has dreams of making it to the big house and being a fine lady of standing. Instead, Polly lives in the slave quarters and finds she's given the chore of civilizing Amari, now called Myna, and teaching her enough English to work. After witnessing murder, the two girls find themselves thrown together in a desperate run for freedom.
This is not just another book about slavery. This is a book about something real and tangible. Ms. Draper's writing is so vivid that you can smell the rank odors beneath ship. You can feel the pain of being lashed with a whip. Your throat will constrict at the heart-wrenching pain of a mother and child being forced apart. You will also celebrate the strength and spirit of Amari and those she inspires.
COPPER SUN won the Coretta Scott King Award. This is a book I will make sure goes on my classroom shelves. I give COPPER SUN a gold star!
Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger
astonishing.......2007-08-09
the best book i have read in YEARS. Copper Sun is a tearjerker and a heartwrencher opening your eyes to what life must have felt like during slavery and the things you take for granted. You just want to crawl into the book and rescue Amarie and take care of her.
The book is about Amaries's love of life, family, even the boy that she is "forced" to marry. Until the day a bunch of strangers come into their village and turn not just hers but all the villagers lives around. She is sold to men and forced into slavery, but along the way she finds friendship and learns more about the way the world fuctions.
I could not put this book down and finished it in one day. Sharon Draper is an amazing woman with a big heart (my niece won a contest at school and was picked to have dinner with her), and also an amazing writer. I am going to purchase all of her books and i cant wait to "sit down with her again"
I Cried for Her Loss in Innocence.......2007-06-13
Powerful, life-changing, and a must read, "Copper Sun" gives a vicarious account of what life must have been like during the slave era.
For Amari, her life in Africa was peaceful and happy until she was kidnapped to be sold as a slave. Upon arriving in America, she was bought as a "birthday present" for the plantations sixteen year old son--what an OUTRAGE! She begins life on the plantation helping cook, among her "duties" for Clay. "Copper Sun" gives insight to the hardships that all slaves endured and this books accounts are heart-wrenching.
This story will keep your adrenaline flowing, at times your eyes crying, and renew your belief in the power of the human spirit--I couldn't put it down--I read it from cover to cover.
Sharon Draper has become my "new" favorite author.
Awesome Read!!!.......2007-02-01
THIS IS A MUST READ!!! Mrs. Draper has true writing skills that worked magic throughout this book. This book is classified for young adults but everyone should read it young and old alike. Mrs. Draper takes you from the very beginning with Amari playing with her brother in Africa, to being captured at the hands of her own neighboring tribe. From the horrible boat ride to America, (in vivid detail) to Amari being sold to a plantation owner for his son's sixteenth birthday present. Amari is left in the hands of a white indentured servant girl about her age to be made "civilized." You will have to read it for yourself to see what happens from here, you will not be disappointed! I was full of so many emotions, happy, sad, angry, I found myself ranting aloud a couple of times. This book is not predictable by far; I found it hard to put down. I rarely take books to work with me in fear of reading them and I just could not leave this book at home! This book offered me knowledge and understanding and for that I am grateful.
Continued success to you Mrs. Draper.
Book Description
Best selling author, Paul Sanghera, offers cohesive, concise, yet comprehensive coverage of all the topics included in the Sun Certified Programmer for Java 5 exam (CX 310-055). With a laser sharp focus on the exam objectives, the Study Guide goes beyond just being an "exam cram." The material is presented in a logical learning sequence: a section builds upon previous sections and a chapter on previous chapters. All concepts, simple and complex, are defined and explained when they appear the first time. There is no hopping from topic to topic and no technical jargon without explanation. No prior knowledge of Java programming is assumed. The single most difficult aspect of this exam is to read and understand the code in the exam questions in a limited amount of time. To help you get fluent and comfortable with the code, the book offers complete runnable code examples distributed over all the chapters and a codewalk quicklet feature at the end of each chapter.
Although the primary purpose of the book is to help you pass the SCJP exam, it will also serve as a good reference after the exam.
Special features include
- Hundreds of questions modeled after the real exam with fully explained answers.
- A complete practice exam with questions modeled after the real exam and fully explained answers.
- Hundreds of complete runnable code examples, explained in the book, that you can download and experiment with. This is a code-intensive exam.
- The Codewalk Quicklet feature based on the process-based codewalk philosophy to prepare you for efficient response to the code-based questions in the exam.
- The Exam Quick Prep feature which recaps all the important points for the last hour of preparation before taking the exam.
- Useful information and analysis for the programmers who are considering updating the J2SE 1.4 certification to J2SE 5.
Customer Reviews:
Very good book.......2007-07-25
In the beginning of the year, Java equals "null" to me ( I know C/C++). I decided to learn the language and take the SCJP as a measure of my learning. I tried the Deitel book but didn't like it. Then I started to read the Kathy Sierra book, but they assume you know the basics (not my case). Due to the comments of one of the reviewers, I bought this book and liked it very much. I read it twice, tried all examples, fragments and tests and then went back to the Sierra book, which is more comprehensive (it is a much bigger book), has better explanations of generics and threads and has more tricky questions. I was able to pass the SCJP exam this month thanks to these two very good books.
I do not give 5 stars due to the presence of several typos and some other minor errors in the text. These errata are not yet in the book site, but as you are studying for the exam, you will spot then when you compile or cross-check with the SUN Java documentation. But these are a small nuisance considering the overall value of the book.
Helpful Starting Point.......2007-07-12
This was the only book I bought and I passed the cert. I found the book to be generally good. I felt a couple of the examples were poor. For instance on page 141 the finding the area of different shapes, a classic example of where one should use polymorphism, the book provides an example of overloading operators. Yes, in the sense the code is "correct" but I find the misuse to be confusing. There are a number of items including some questions in the review exam that are just wrong. That is if you type the code in and run it you don't get what the book claims that you should. These do not seem numerous and I have not found any certification material that is without this sort of problem. The reality of preparing for the test is that if someones answer doesn't make sense you have to test it for yourself. It would be nice if publishers would hire someone to go cut and paste all of the code into a compiler and find this stuff.
More importantly there is not enough material on generics and there is only ONE practice exam.
Having complained I should and that the text is readable and helpful in preparing for the cert. I found it to be a good starting point for my preparations.
The Best SCJP Study Guide and Java 5 Book to Learn Java.......2007-04-23
I have just passed the SCJP for J2SE 5 exam largely after preparing from this book. However, to be on the safe side it might be good idea to consider using more than one resource to prepare for this exam, because the exam is certainly not a walk in the park. I have read all the three SCJP for Java 5 study guides from cover to cover. So I would like to share my experience with these study guides in the context of both the exam and learning Java:
"SCJP Exam for J2SE 5" (this book) by Paul Sanghera.
I found this Study Guide the best among all, especially for the beginners. As another reviewer said the author has the unique approach of saying only what is necessary. He also has the skill of making difficult concepts easy to understand without compromising accuracy. The material is organized in such a manner that we also learn Java while preparing for the Exam. Because everything is explained from scratch, and there is no hopping from topic to topic, this book is especially suitable for the beginners. Here are some features in the book that I especially liked:
* All concepts are clearly defined and explained by using visuals where necessary. It makes this book self-contained.
*Tons of code examples explained in the book, which I downloaded from the book website and experimented with them to build confidence.
* The Exam Quick Prep appendix. I went through this just before the exam to refresh all the important points quickly.
* Exam's Eye View, Caution, and Notes throughout all chapters, which re-enforced important points.
* An appendix that provides useful information and analysis for those who are considering updating the J2SE 1.4 certification to J2SE 5.
If you are a beginner, this is your book. If you are an advanced Java programmer, this book will still take you through the exam without boring you.
Bottom line: I agree with another reviewer that books like these are hard to find.
"SCJP for Java 5" by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates.
This is a good book for advanced Java programmers, but rather over-hyped. If you are planning to buy two books to prepare for the SCJP exam, this is the second book I will recommend. However, this is NOT the book for the beginners. If you do not have intensive Java programming experience, do not use this book as your first book. If you want to use this book, first study Sanghera's book.
"Complete Java 2 Certification" by Phil Heller and Simon Roberts.
If you want to buy three SCJP for Java 5 study guides, this is the third one I will recommend. It does not do justice with some of the exam objectives. Overall exam coverage is not that great, but you will learn some Java topics.
Get Up to Speed in Java in Preparation for the SCJP1.5 Exam!.......2007-04-16
This certification study-resource from Author: Paul Sanghera is a great tool for quickly getting up to speed in java with a view to taking the java programmer exam! As someone who recently succeeded at the SCJP 1.5 exam, i can vouch for this book. The following review is thus for those interested in preparing for the exam and not quite sure whether this book is the right tool for the job.
As a green-horn in Java, I found the following 2 exam-study resources very useful in learning how to program in java, and taking the Sun Certified Java Programmer for J2SE5 certification:
(Book 1.) SCJP Exam for J2SE 5. - (SCJP E5)
(Book 2.) SCJP Study Guide. - (SCJP SG)
Note: (due to review real-estate constraints, i shall limit this review to (Book 1) ie: [SCJP E5 (Sanghera)] -( the current book in question). you'll find a (Book 2) review on the customer review page for : SCJP SG
Like most new-comers to java, I wanted to get-up to speed in java rather quickly. Therefore, the (SCJP E5) book from Sanghera was chosen as the first reading-reference, as it seemed concise, compact & condensed. However, if i had to do things-over, and choose which one book to use in order to scale the SCJP 1.5 exam -(whilst learning the Java language as well), I'd pick the [SCJP SG] from Sierra & Bates.
Here's why...
About the (SCJP E5) book : this book is great for beginners. i found that it brought me up to speed quickly Re: java, as well as preparing for the exam. However, unless you have previous knowledge & experience coding in java, you might need another book for deeper clarity and more rigor regarding 5 SCJP1.5 exam-objective related areas, viz:
(1.) - Generics
(2.) - Threading
(3.) - I/O + Regular Expressions + Parsing
(4.) - Packages + Jar Files & Static Imports
(5.) - Exceptions
Note that: while the 5 exam-objectives above are quite well treated in the (SCJP E5) Sanghera book, I found that the (SCJP SG) Sierra & Bates book, provided the finer level of details that i believe a beginner might further require in order to have a better grasp Re: these 5 exam-objectives cited above (AND) (the questions in the real exam do require this further finesse with those details).
Otherwise, with the material in this book alone and without any hands-on experience, i reckon, a beginner might struggle a bit to pass the real exam by a comfortable margin.
and this is why i cant give the book alone all 5 points of credit. (I would however award 4.5 points!)
Upon completing the book, any access to good exam-revision practise material would be very useful in order to pass at the exam-level. while the (SCJP E5) book features useful questions and answers at the end of every chapter, as well as a further round of 73 questions in Appendix-D of the book; I believe people preparing for the exam would find it useful to seek out further resources for exam-question practise & revision purposes .
As review-space is short, i shall include below only 2 of the exam-revision resources which really helped prepare for the actual exam (for details Re: The other key resource used, u might want to refer to the customer review posting for (Book 1): SCJP SG
u might want to check these out:
(1.) "Tiger notes" on JavaRanch. look under the SCJP FAQ section for : [Mikalai Zaikin's SCJP Tiger notes ]. You can get a paperback copy of notes similar to these on Amazon if you prefer. lookup: Java 1.5 Tiger. However, i'd advise that you use it only as a prep-extra, just to cross-check certain topical-details you may need to clarify ie: (java: "Exceptions"). I wouldn't recommend it as your sole & unique study guide.[ kittybooboo's notes ] on JavaRanch are also quite good.
(2.) Turn to a SCJP Group for advice on the forums. They represent people in the same boat as those trying to prepare for and pass the SCJP exam. here are 2 such groups you can join.(Yahoogroups): Google: [" tech groups yahoo + scjp5" ]; (Another is): Google:[ "jchq + net" ] (-OR-) if you are preparing for the SCJP 1.4:( scjp 1.4 groups ) : Google:[ "uk groups yahoo + java_balk" ] ps: a good book for SCJP 1.4 is :A Programmer's Guide to Java Cert
(3:) refer to my customer review posting for (Book 1) ie: SCJP Study Guide
Schedule, Sit and Ace the exam in 2hrs:55mins, when you've finished with these various exam-practise questions and study-guides.
The exam is comprised of 72 questions of which several are fashioned as drag & drop coding-scenario questions. Although, the pass mark is 59%, I think most people -(myself included!), view the exam as tough, because of its code intensive nature. I think reading, tackling & spotting possible coding errors in code-samples 6-30 lines long is tough under such time-constrained exam conditions, Plus, No credit is given for partial answers. However, on the up-side, it is do-able with the appropriate revision preparation regime.
Curiously, in comparison, the previous SCJP exam ie: the SCJP 1.4 exam, is comprised of 61 questions , for which one has 2hrs to complete. Plus, the pass mark is 52%. That exam, is generally deemed to be an easier exam compared with the SCJP 1.5 exam; at least so attests certain in the user-community on JavaRanch.
for those wondering, i took the SCJP 1.5 exam on March 19th 2007. the passing-score achieved was: 98% ie: (71 out of 72 questions ). The pass-mark is 59%.
Good Luck!
next stops: SCBCD, SCWCD, SCEA, SCJWSD.
Cheers :-)
Great Book.......2007-04-08
Passed the exam on the first try after primarily preparing from this book. Very well organized...I learned Java while preparing for the exam...The exam is of course not a walk in the park...However, this book helped...Concise, to the point, and perfect flow...There are actually much fewer typos in this book than in the other SCJP exam book that I have...I love the author's style...he has a way of making difficult concepts easy to understand, and yet stay accurate... Will get you through the exam...but also good to just learn Java.
Amazon.com
One of the most acclaimed "science fantasies" ever, Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun is a long, magical novel in four volumes. Shadow & Claw contains the first two: The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator, which respectively won the World Fantasy and Nebula Awards.
This is the first-person narrative of Severian, a lowly apprentice torturer blessed and cursed with a photographic memory, whose travels lead him through the marvels of far-future Urth, and who--as revealed near the beginning--eventually becomes his land's sole ruler or Autarch. On the surface it's a colorful story with all the classic ingredients: growing up, adventure, sex, betrayal, murder, exile, battle, monsters, and mysteries to be solved. (Only well into book 2 do we realize what saved Severian's life in chapter 1.) For lovers of literary allusions, they are plenty here: a Dickensian cemetery scene, a torture-engine from Kafka, a wonderful library out of Borges, and familiar fables changed by eons of retelling. Wolfe evokes a chilly sense of time's vastness, with an age-old, much-restored painting of a golden-visored "knight," really an astronaut standing on the moon, and an ancient citadel of metal towers, actually grounded spacecraft. Even the sun is senile and dying, and so Urth needs a new sun.
The Book of the New Sun is almost heartbreakingly good, full of riches and subtleties that improve with each rereading. It is Gene Wolfe's masterpiece. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk
Book Description
The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Shadow amp; Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume:The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim.Ursula K. Le Guin said, "Magic stuff . . . a masterpiece . . . the best science fiction I've read in years!"The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic, and learn the truth about his hidden destiny."Arguably the finest piece of literature American science fiction has yet produced [is] the four-volume Book of the New Sun."-Chicago Sun-Times"The Book of the New Sun establishes his preeminence, pure and simple. . . . The Book of the New Sun contains elements of Spenserian allegory, Swiftian satire, Dickensian social consciousness and Wagnerian mythology. Wolfe creates a truly alien social order that the reader comes to experience from within . . . once into it, there is no stopping."-The New York Times Book Review
Customer Reviews:
Do you like "dense, allusion-rich" prose?.......2007-09-30
I can't recall where I read that description of Wolfe's prose, but it's apt. The writing in this book is dense and full of allusions. Dense like cornbread that's too dry, and murky allusions to things you don't know. If you like your writing foggy and unnecessarily complex, this may be the book for you. Also if you like torture scenes, which I am no fan of.
I hate to be so negative, but that was the case for me with this book. I tried Wolfe because F&SF magazine so highly recommended him, because a number of authors I like (including Gaiman) recommend him, and because I liked his story in F&SF magazine's tribute issue. First I started the Wizard Knight series, and I liked the first book of that fairly well. Then I tried this torturer series, but I found it unpleasant and virtually unreadable. It's just not my cup of tea.
Gaiman likes it; his fans will too........2007-07-26
I felt compelled to renew the idea that readers of Wolfe's work encountering this book for the first time on Gaiman's recommendation should forge ahead--this is good. Incredibly dense, complex and multi-layered, its themes and proto-Victorian style resonate for the Gen-X-influenced-by-the-tail-end-of-New-Wave, Goth-admiring crowd. * Eerily prescient in its anti-big government stance, I would wager Wolfe was working out his own ambivalence towards independence and maturity, using his main character, the Torturer, as a metaphor for the difficulty of a responsible adulthood. (In your thirties, your job isn't to kill people: it just sometimes feels that way.)
* An amusing aside--Wolfe's editor didn't think to take out the word 'delimits', which is generally the province of engineers and math nerds. Apparently that was Wolfe's day job.
A great work of "serious" literature and therein lies the problem..........2007-06-05
I first read the Book of the New Sun as a teenager back in the early 1980s and I must say I understood very little of it except for the basic story. I've now finished reading the series for the 3rd time and my understanding is vastly greater- not due to my greater discernment or maturity, but mainly because I've since read Solar Labyrinth by Robert Borski.
The Book of the New Sun is highly literate puzzle which requires much thought to understand (the real key is to recognize that many of the characters are actually relatives of the protagonist). So why only 3 stars? There are great works of literature that are still highly entertaining and readable-unfortunately, the New Sun isn't one of them. Rather, I'd compare it to something like Moby Dick which I admire but also didn't enjoy reading. I'm glad I've read the book several times (and I've been enriched by the experience), but frankly, it's a book with limited appeal...even many highly-intelligent and literate readers will be put-off by it- I think the main problem is the story isn't grand or epic enough. Also, the puzzles in it require too much thought- reading Solar Labyrinth shocked me in a way because I would never have figured out even half of it on my own. Reading should be entertaining first and foremost- it shouldn't require so much thought with so little pay-off (in the sense that ultimately, the plot doesn't justify all of the complexity nor are the characters likeable enough).
Just because Neil Gaiman likes it doesn't mean you will.......2007-04-28
I read this on the recommendation of Neil Gaiman. I discovered that even as I worship the man's work, we have VERY different tastes in fiction. This book started out very strong for me, but as soon as the Torturer, began questing I began to snooze heavily and continuously. So someone tell me, did the sun die? Did someone kill it? I am totally chagrined. Sorry Neil.
Read it twice.......2007-04-17
Honestly, read it twice. It will take at least two full readings to even start to understand this novel. I wasn't very thrilled with this book on my first reading, but then again it was my literary cherry-popper. Everything I read before this novel is a waste of paper, everything after is measured by it.
I am somewhat embarassed by alot of reviewers that either compare this work to Michael Moorcock or Robert Heinlein or state that Gene Wolfe is their anti-thesis, as neither liking or hating any author will have a bearing on enjoying this novel. I find it strange that no one compared The Dark Tower 4-7 by Stephen King to this series, seeing as how after book 3, basically the entire writing style and plot was explicitly stolen from New Sun. Wizard and Glass was based off of Shadow of the Torturer, Wolves of the Callah after Claw of the Conciliator, Song of Susannah after Sword of the Lictor and The Dark Tower after Citadel of the Autarch. While Michael Moorcock might have had an influence on this book as well, The Elric books are not stolen in any way by Gene Wolfe, merely used as a point of reference.
Someone compared reading a sentence in this book to eating bricks, which is so. Don't give this book to a faux-intellectual, as he/she will think you are poking fun at the supposed meaning of intelligent discourse. What is true and what is an invention of the narrator? When does the novel take place? Do any of the events of the novel even really happen? You can read the last book of the series first and it is as good a starting point as an ending point to this cyclical work. It really is all subjective, but each time you read it, you read it from a different point of view. I respect this work above all others and so of course I'm going to sound subjective, myself. Another similarly subjective question is "Why is Wagner better than Rammstein?": There isn't any real answer and it would just result in the devaluation of both if asked.
Not to say that Wolfe was not inspired by Jack Vance's Dying Earth series, far from it. I think this work and Dying Earth have two completely different messages though. One explores causality, futurism and archaism, while the other explores possibilities of narration, imperfect characters, disregard of standard plot devices and the revisionism inherent in legend.
For an explicit example, Dungeons and Dragons was originally based off Dying Earth. Though this book was inspired by Dying Earth and I Claudius, no writer could base a derivative work off of New Sun and expect to succeed on the level that Wolfe has.
There are alot of books that definitely ARE science fiction, or fantasy or mythological in nature. This book is something else. You really need to be on your second read-through, or be an english-lit major to understand how this novel cannot be anything less than the standard by which all speculative fiction should be judged. Not to say that there aren't other great books, but there's only room for one on the top of the mountain, and you have to climb your way up the slope to be able to read it, and face the harshest climate that the English language has ever found itself in to appreciate the true value of this work.
Book Description
An integrated study system based on proven instructional methodology, this book and CD package shows you not only what--but how--to study for the SCWCD exam. The book offers complete coverage of all official exam objectives, 190+ practice exam questions, step-by-step exercises, on-the-job elements, and chapter self-tests. The CD-ROM contains MasterExam software with a complete 69-question exam, a searchable electronic book, 45+ complete web applications with source, and access to a downloadable bonus exam (with free online registration).
Customer Reviews:
Needs better technical editing, or at least an online errata guide.......2007-02-04
After I finished the first chapter self-test, and saw that there were two obvious errors in the answer key (questions 7 and 19), I considered buying another book. I searched for an errata listing for the book online, with no success. I emailed the author and techical editor. To his credit, David Bridgewater replied promptly, but was not much help: he suggested that the publisher probably has it on their website (as of when I emailed him, they did not); and he also sent me corrections to two places in the book, but there are a lot more just two errors in the book.
The technical editor did not reply to my email. This comes as no surprise; perhaps she is embarrased at the poor job she did editing this book. She obviously did not give thorough consideration to the self-tests.
I decided that I did not want to spend the time or money to get a different exam guide, and that 99% of the book was most likely accurate, and the errata are probably easy to spot (even if they are really annoying), so I trudged on.
I regret that decision. I am now at the end of chapter 4, and have spotted a total of five major errors in the self-tests, and at least a dozen minor errors in the self-tests and the text of the chapters. Also annoying is the ambiguous wording in some of the self-test questions; some of the phrases used are open to interpretation, and should be worded to be less ambiguous.
Without knowing how good or bad other SCWCD exam guides are, I'd feel pretty confident in recommending that you should probably go with a different study guide that this one.
save your money.......2006-07-11
The author probably has great insight into the subject matter;unfortunately, he does not know how to convey his knoeledge to the reader. The practice test questions are ambiguous and full of errors. There was probably minimal editing of questions and answers; as a result, a reader has to correct the errors and then try to fully comprehend the explanations to the practice questions. It is an inefficient way to study and learn. Head First,despite its errata (it has corrections at its website), is a superior product. This textbook is not worth the headaches.
A lot of errors .......2006-05-10
I would not recommend this book even though it covers all of exam objectives and has a lot of examples and exercises. The reason is that there are a lot of errors that make this book hard to read. It is very irritating, annoying and time consuming.
Here are just some of errors I found in the book.
1. Answer to question 13 on page 88: "...HttpServletRequest.getHeaders() returns all request header names..." It is not correct because the method that returns all request header names is getHeaderNames(). There is no getHeaders() method (with no arguments) in HttpServletRequest class.
2. Page 82 question 19. Author mistakenly took the code from question 8 so the question 19 and answer to it on page 90 are completely irrelevant.
3. On page 559 author says that the type for 'items' attribute is java.lang.Array. There is no such class in Java!
4. Page 637 answer to question 8: "...J to 14 (c:forEach, again)". If you look at question's code on page 625 you can see that correct answer should be: J maps to 'body'.
Number of errors, big and small, is very high in this book. This is the case of unprofessional work both on the part of author & editor.
Reasonably good.......2006-02-24
I got this book partially because I prefer more of a textbook format than the Head First books. This book's format was more straightforward, so I got it along with the Head First Servlets and JSP. However, I have found a lot of errors, inconsistencies and confusing explanations in this book. Some of the errors are minor, but others really cause fundamental confusion. I'm searching for an errata for the book now. (There may not be one -- I'm not finding it yet.)
Although the Head First books have a comic, cartoonish quality that I don't generally care for, I must say that their editing is better, their explanations are always understandable, and I find myself going to that book to clear up my confusion with this one.
That being said, there is a lot of very good information in this book and some of the explanations and examples are pretty good. You might consider getting both books because they both cover the material in different ways.
I was tempted to give the book four stars, but I've just hit another few errors that are really irritating. (The author is trying to explain the difference between the forward() and include() functions for handling servlet requests. But his code examples mistakenly are showing forward() where apparently he meant to type include(). These examples do not match the explanation at all. See pages 183 and 184.)
Another egregious error: In the Head First Servlets & JSP book, they make a point of saying "You need to recognize WRONG method names like: getPrintWriter(), getResponseStream(), [...]" etc. And there's a big X in a circle on top of these names. Look at the SCWCD book by D. Bridgewater on page 179. Guess what method he uses inside the code example -- getPrintWriter() !!! (Gee, and I was wondering why my code would not compile.) In that SAME code sample, you can see him getting a PrintWriter object and calling the "write" method on it. I was perplexed by this because I saw them using the "println" method in the same situation in the Head First book. Well, apparently there is a difference, even though the code does work. Sierra and Bates in Head First make a point of saying you should use "println" with a PrintWriter and a "write" with a ServletOutputStream. They explain why, of course. I don't know about you, but these sorts of errors are confusing. I'm not even mentioning the multitudes of small typos throughout the book, like: java.servlet.forward.path_info. (servlet is in the javax package, not java.)
In any case, the book might be worth getting, and if you are able to find an errata it would make the book much more usable. If you do not find an errata that covers all of these errors (I've only mentioned a few), then be sure to get some other resource to check this one against so you can understand parts that are erroneous or confusing.
Very good book for the exam if you are willing to spend the time.......2006-01-24
This book is a 5 star book if you are a beginner and have a lot of time at your disposal. The author is very detailed in his treatment of all the topics that comprise the SCWCD. However, if you are an experienced programmer and/or have a short amount of time to work with, then you will find yourself skipping through a lot of pages. I feel that the 750 odd pages could have been condensed to around 400. The 2 minute drills are very helpful. The exercises after each chapter do not help much and seem to be aiming to trick questions rather than model the questions from the exam.
All in all, very satisfied. I just passed the test last Saturday.
Books:
- Season of Life: A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood
- Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas
- Sun, Wind & Light: Architectural Design Strategies, 2nd Edition
- Supernovae and Nucleosynthesis (Princeton Series in Astrophysics)
- The 12th Planet (The Earth Chronicles, Book 1)
- The Amateur Astronomer's Pathfinder
- The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
- The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design for Casual Living
- The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars: The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the Entire Star Wars Saga
- The Cosmic Race / La raza cosmica (Race in the Americas)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Madame Bovary
- History: Fiction or Science
- Body of Evidence: A Scarpetta Novel
- Cloud of Sparrows
- Every Woman's Marriage: Igniting the Joy and Passion You Both Desire
- Ecology and Evolution of Flowers
- Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi
- Sand, Water, Silence: The Embodiment of Spirit : Explorations in Matter and Psyche
- Dragons, Unicorns, and Sea Serpents: A Classic Study of the Evidence for their Existence
- Biology Of Anaerobic Microorganisms
Head First Servlets and JSP: Passing the Sun Certified Web Component Developer Exam (SCWCD)
Head First Java, 2nd Edition
Head First Design Patterns (Head First)
SCJP Exam for J2SE 5: A Concise and Comprehensive Study Guide for The Sun Certified Java Programmer Exam
Head First EJB (Brain-Friendly Study Guides; Enterprise JavaBeans)
