Bond Reviews

As a huge fan of James Bond in all his various incarnations, I was interested to find a copy of this book the other day in a sale and purchased a copy. My doubts about its' value however began almost immediately, after all how serious can you take a claim that a book is the definitive account of a subject when the authors start by rubbishing their competitors. For the record there are a number of excellent "glossy" style books with flash pictures that are just as good, if not better reference books than this one. Also the number of different accounts of the James Bond phenomenon make it impossible for anyone to claim their version of events is right and everyone else is wrong. Top that off with the fact that the authors here give new meaning to the word "nitpicking", but ironically while they mention some totally pointless trivia connected with various stories and movies, they actually managed to miss a number of other more important details. At the end of the day this is a comprehensive, though at times patronising, account of the world's greatest secret agent. But don't be fooled, there are better books around if you want, and don't be surprised if "M" puts out a 'terminate with extreme prejudice' order on these two authors !!!

This was a quick pick at an airport one day and I was amazed at all the goodies inside. If you've ever wanted to know every language that Bond ever spoke, what gadget or gizmo he used in which movie, or all the aliases he's ever used, this is the book for you. "The Bond Files" is a great book with all kinds of facts, trivia, and information for each story, comic, and movie. The authors even review the opening title sequences and have a nice synopsis of each movie. They don't miss much with this book.

One of the best books to have on James Bond.

Just what makes him tick? Read and find out!

This is one of the few James Bond novels by John Gardner that's worth reading. He does a little something with the characters and plot in this book that keeps the reader's interest. Very satisfactory for an easy read. Contains some interesting torture sessions of Mr. Bond not unlike the beginning of the most recent film, Die Another Day (cold instead of scorpions though).

In his 3rd book, John Gardner pits 007 with agents from the CIA, KGB and MOSSAD working against a Neo-Nazi force. Another masterpice thanks to John Gardner. Not as good as the first two, but is absolutely stunning anyway!

This is the best of the Bond books written after Fleming. Bond, and an agent from the KGB, CIA, and Mossad, must trek into the arctic to monitor a secret bunker serving as a base for a neo-nazi organization. This is fantastic story filled with double crosses and a chilling villain.

This book requires a strong background in mathematical finance and tremendous amount of patience. I used this book for an advanced independent study course at SUNY Buffalo. The exposition in the first five chapters is clear and the tone is very authoritative. The only problem is that the author does everything not to duplicate well-known and well-written ideas that appear in the classic work of Miron and Swannel, "Pricing and Hedging Swaps", to name one source. In addition, the author could have used practical modelling examples that incorporate market data. This is the main weakness of the book. See Miron and Swanell, for comparison purposes.

The book is suitable for people whose lives are about fixed income securities. You have to love interest rate products to enjoy this book. But all in all, this is one book that is worth reading and using as a reference.

The book places more emphasis on an intuitive grasp of the complex mathematics involved, though this must mean giving up rigour to an extent.

It is really a pleasure to read this book. While covering the most important topics it remains focused on the essentials. Whenever you have to deal with a concept in the literature about fixed income instruments you are not aware off Rebonato is always a good reference to start with, similar to Hull's or Wilmott's book.

Rebonato addresses consequently practical implementation issues (although not coevering the technical details of the implementation algorithms - read the original papers for that!) that are frequently missing in so many academic publications. This makes it to one of my favorit books on my book shelf. I am looking forward to his next book on intrest rate derivatives.

This is an interesting book if you are maybe 12 years old. I would guess that most people who have made it past puberty would probably see this book as juvenile and a waste of money and time. The photos appear to be the result of many generations of photocopying. Looks like something a kid would throw together for a school project. I thought this book was really going to contain some radical stuff but it turned out to be a real disappointment.

This is my kind of book! This book is wonderful for beginners and advanced kinds of people interested in chemestry and explosives. It will teach you chemestry in an easy-to-understand method which is great for those just starting out. Once you have this book other things you may read that tell you how to create explosives will be easy to understand.

This book is most certainly a must-buy for those who want to have a bit of fun in their back-yards (or anywheres ;-}). I dont have much else to say about this book except, keep it out of the hands of anyone under 18 and; imagine if half the people in the USA had read this book...

This is the most information packed book I have ever read! After reading this book, I understood the value of knowledge. This book teaches chemistry in a way that you can use and is easy to Understand. If a small percent of any nation's people knew this material, their government would never become a tyrant and other nations would be afraid to invade. This is powerful knoledge that can save your life (or get you killed)! Be sure to read all of it before begining any mixing of chemicals. He gives must know safety information with each chemical or project.

Now the bad news: After reading this book, TV and movies will never be the same! All the BS they use becomes easy to spot and it ruins the movie! It becomes obvious that the script writer is woefully ignorant and you are not! Their movie will quickly become childish or seem stupid to you. Want to realy know something of value? Then study this book!

In this book the author interviews several figures prominent in Pagan/Earth-Centered theology. Some of them had some interesting takes on this philosophy, but a few got really academic and dry. I guess I had just expected more "meat" (background info on Pagan spirituality) besides the interviews, but this may just be my mistake on not reading the description well enough before I purchased it.

I'm often asked by seekers what books they should read or where they should start. I always list "The Spiral Dance," "Drawing Down the Moon," "Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner" and other books to get them started. I will definitely be adding this detailed book to my list, and I think it's as good or better than "Drawing Down the Moon" for comparing the various Pagan paths. Whether you're a complete novice or an elder, you'll enjoy reading these interviews from across the spectrum, getting the scoop straight from the horse's mouth on each tradition. My only minor complaint is that since similar questions were asked of each interviewee, the book does get a bit repetitave and is best read over several days or weeks. It's a great reference, however, and all Pagans should own a copy.

An Excellent view of the Pagan Mosaic!

How do Pagans define Paganism? How were they attracted to a Pagan path? What issues do they consider important? Read the answers, written in their own words! Hopman and Bond have compiled insightful interviews with over 60 Pagans. "They let the People of the Earth speak for themselves - and speak they do, as diverse and fascinating individuals." Hopman and Bond approached a wide range of Pagans, from authors and community leaders, to students and military personnel, assembling over 400 pages of interviews and resources. Each interview discusses how the person came to Paganism, and what key challenges they feel face Pagan culture today.

Selena Fox and Dennis Carpenter describe how Circle was founded in 1974, and the challenges they have faced over the years. Isaac Bonewits explains how Druidism differs from Wicca. Oberon Zell talks about the Church of All Worlds, the Gaia Theory, and much more!

Each in-depth interview is quite multifaceted and very thought-provoking. Each person shares views on a variety of personal experiences, social and theological opinions. From persecuted store owners, to history scholars, to just plain Pagan folks - never before has such a mosaic been assembled. Margot Adler, Starhawk, Susun Weed, Z. Budapest, the Frosts, Alexei Kondratiev, Earthspirit, CoG, and many others. If you've ever wondered about a certain aspect of Paganism, here's your chance to find out more, direct from the source.

Hopman and Bond did an excellent job representing the many different facets of Paganism. This was no easy task. Their section entitled "Paganism from Norway, Greece, Egypt, Israel and Italy" is a wonderful cross-cultural view! A rare treat is the interview with Theodore Parker Mills, a High Priest of Isis, who has touched the lives of many over the years.

They also provide a bibliography of over 200 books and articles for readers to delve deeper. And as a special bonus, Hopman and Bond have assembled a 19-page resource guide, listing newsletters, groups and merchants. A guide like this is a valuable tool for anyone interested in learning more about Pagan culture first hand.

Educational and entertaining, "People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out" will definitely speak out to you -- in a way most other books never have!

Link (Anthony) 203 Main Street, #211 Flemington, NJ 08822 AnthLink@aol.com

I can't give it five stars, because while I very much enjoyed the book while reading it, whenever I stopped, I didn't want to start again. Probably that has something to do with the hopeless and depressing tone of most of the novel, and is therefore not a fair reason, but I like books that grab and won't let me go until I turn the last page. This one grabbed me, but I kept wanting to put it down anyway.

About the depression: don't let it put you off too much. THE SIEGE is extremely well written, and it's amazing power lies mainly in Dunmore's uncanny ability to detail the harsh effects of war (namely hunger and desperation) on ordinary people. There are small overtures to hope, especially near the end, but for the most part, Dunmore has set out to overwhelm and horrify and possibly frighten us, and she has succeeded, painfully. She even managed to make me feel guilty for having more than a piece of bread to eat every day, for never having known the desperation of boiling wallpaper paste and chewing on leather to extract what few nutrients it might yield. This is stark, almost hurtful, and amazingly good writing.

Set during the blockade of Leningrad in World War II, Ms. Dunmore's novel "The Siege" attacks and bombards our sensibilities as no other book in recent memory. Beginning with the Nazi attack of Russia on June 22, 1941, the story examines and portrays the ordeals of the Levin family as they struggle to stay alive and keep their humanity during the longest siege and blockade in modern warfare. Initially, the Levins are caught between the excesses of Stalin's purges and the fury of the German attack. Quickly, the enemy becomes the shelling, the starvation and the cold. Dunmore's prose travels deep within the emotions, fears and thoughts of the characrters to illuminate suffering as no other historical tract has rendered. The voices of all her characters speak to us and transfer us to an umimaginable time when madness and cruelly ruled. Dunmore gives the reader enough of the historical context of the Siege of Leningrad (Luga defenses, Pavlov's rationing, "road of life" across Ladoga, etc;) for our sense of time and place, but the book primarily examines the emotions and human politics of survival.

While her language is direct as a bullet, there is a smokey-poetic quality to it that curls around our senses and forces a painful understanding. Yet, there is no saccharine sentimentality to her narrative, nor are we seduced with maudlin pathos or pity. She punches us with her descriptions and compels us to look at suffering and survival and seek meaning where there seems to be only despair, self interest and cruelly. "The Siege" is at once troubling and uplifting; ugly and fair; compassionate and cruel. As deep as our hearts, it is a book for our souls.

On a personal note, I have stood at the mass graves of Piskarevskaya many times seeking some insight into the sacrifice. I have even written a screenplay ("The Large Hearts of Heroes") in an effort to understand both the historical and personal truths. But in the end I stand in the Cementery with my Russian friends, listening to the stilled voices frozen long ago and waiting for redemption.

This book is very well written, characters are well-developed, historical context is well-integrated. Other reviewers have described the story line - I just want to say this book transported me to a time and place that I felt with characters that I cared about. Highly recommended.

This book offered a great deal of information that was intellectually interesting. For the new Mom looking for a way to incorporate yoga into her life with a new baby it this is not the book.

YOGABABY by DeAnsin Goodson Parker, Ph.D. with Karen W. Bressler, Broadway Books, 2000.

This book and this concept will surely be an inspiration to many mothers and those hands on fathers who want to make sure their baby gets off to the best possible start. I have not seen anything like it before. It is especially valuable in light of the mounting research indicating that the quality of the mother's physical and emotional interaction with infants has profound, life long effects on the mental, emotional and physical development of the child.

Dr. Parker, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, realized the book was needed because of the response she recieved from the YogaBaby program she has offered for years at the Goodson Parker Wellness Center in New York City. This a truly innovative, psychologically insightful, beautifully written and illustrated work. Dr. Parker shows how to use both ancient and modern strategies including massage, stretching, exercises and purposeful playing in order to bring about a deeper bonding while nurturing and awakening eight 'centers' in the baby.

Although, the book focuses primarily on the first two years it is reasonable to expect the benefits will last a lifetime and would include but not be limited to the creation of special time and a high order of communication fostering more trust and confidence, stimulating the immune system, promoting better sleep (possibly for the mother as well), aiding in digestion and assimilation, stimulating body circulation, encouraging neuromuscular development, preparing the baby for mobility, calming the emotions, soothing the baby, teaching the baby a way to soothe itself.

Although, the book is dedicated to first time mothers, as the oldest of nine with twenty six grandchildren, nephews and nieces I feel it offers wonderful insights regardless of how many children the mother has had. Reading this book as a man I was reminded how sublime and inexpressibly incredible is our debt to mothers who make baby nurturing an art form of the highest order.

R. Adam Crane, president American BioTec Corp., founder Health Training Seminars, author of MindFitness Training: Neurofeedback and The Process.

Before my husband comes home from work my daughter and I try out different yoga moves from this book. We started this when she was 3 months old (When I bought the book). Each time we have done this together it has been very pleasant. The book also describes ideal settings for the specific exercises. It promotes exercising the body and also your senses. It is relaxing for both you and the baby. Several of these same movements were recommended to me by my midwife. We have such a great time with this book. What a great way for mom to get "back" her body (after pregnancy) and for the baby to learn about and exercise his or her body.

SMERSH is back in this intigue packed adventure that has Bond running from Ireland to Hong Kong. However, The Bond girl is ditzy and not as interesting as most of the women he usually shacks up with.

This is one of John Gardner's weakest bond books. VERY, VERY complex plot and hard to understand. 007 protects members of W.W.II spy ring. Kind of boring :(

Buy this and read it!! Grab something and hold on! Great excapism from the second author of the 007 books!

When I ordered this guide, I was expecting a format that was similar to the other Petersen bird guides. Unfortunately, this book is nowhere near as well organized. The plates are small, the artwork is not as good, and not all the species are illustrated. The text was also rather thin in life history information. If you are traveling to the Caribbean in winter and aren't up to speed on North American migratory singbirds, you will need to take an Eastern U.S. bird guide with you as well, as the numerous migrants that comprise the wintertime fauna are merely mentioned. I managed to identify most birds that I saw while using this guide, but it was a frustrating process.

Yea, The book could definently use some improvements, but overall the pictures did depict the birds pretty well. The only species illustrated {in color} are those endemic ONLY to the Carib islands. Any birds that are seen in the continental US are only given black and white drawings, and small descriptions. So a field guide and familiarity to eastern migratory birds are a plus! I am VERY dissapointed with the quality of the pages in the book. After a week in the Islands, mine looks worse than any of my regular guides! Bring a water-proof sleeve or something, because it's going to get wet! Not a bad book though, I had a lot of fun, and pretty much every bird you see tends to be a new species! Have fun!

Hard core 007 afficianados will notice a pile of 007 in-jokes that are scattered throught the latest Bond film, "Die Another Day". Among them: While in a Cuban office, Pierce Brosnan casually picks up a first edition of this book, which, as others have noted, is where Ian Fleming came up with 007's name. Better than available alternatives I suppose ("My name is Audobon - - John James Audobon..."

You might like James Bond, and you might even like James Bond books, but you still shouldn't bother reading this one. Gardner has written some pretty bad Bond books, but this is probably one of the worst. Almost laughable. Try Icebreaker or The Man From Barbarossa instead.

This one is good. VERY good! One of the best villians in a long time. Plot is a little twisted, but you don't notice two much. Final challenge is the best part of the book. Stunning!

This is such a great book and i love it i baught it have reading it when i rented the book at the libary. Now i have read it 3 times and i am reading a 4 time write now. I never get sick of it! Broken Claw should be a movie! You have to read this book it is the BEST!