Across the Aegean

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful............2000-08-22

If you paint water color or have ever desired to, here is the inspiration you will ever need. I became happily lost admiring each illustration - the color, techniques and her unique style will take you away.....

Book Description

The photograph has long been the medium of fashion, but contemporary illustration is transforming how the industry is presented. Fashion Illustration Next presents the work of nearly forty artists from around the world whose work is changing the way we see fashion, free of model worship and the cult of the photographer. Though it is no shock that the new generation of illustrators makes abundant use of digital media and techniques, the surprising array of results -- from high-sheen artifice to fantasy collage to work that looks like "old school" pen-and-ink -- represents a rich confluence of styles. More than 200 examples of this cutting-edge work convey a host of moods reflecting the state of the modern world as much as that of the fashion industry, and revealing a tendency toward the erotic, fantastic, introspective, and sometimes sinister. Fashion Illustration Next is the collision of fashion and vision.

Customer Reviews:

brilliant design.......2006-11-20

This is an inspiring book at the cutting edge.
Every artist or designer should have it.
Awesome to see the fashion design industry is getting away
from stereotype and going in this direction.

On the other hand, conservative artists who
work traditionally, probably won't like it.

A More Appropriate Title -- Art Illustration Next.......2006-05-17

I bought this book for ideas to improve my fashion illustration skills. However, most of the illustrations in this book do not pertain to "fashion clothing" per se. I would categorize most of the illustrations as "art illustration" depicting human figures. The author confuses the distinction between "fashion illustration" and "art illustration". Most of the illustrations in FASHION ILLUSTRATION NEXT were not intended to sell clothing. Borelli's last book, FASHION ILLUSTRATION NOW had a lot more FASHION illustrations; however I'm disappointed with this book. Many of the art techniques used by these artists would not be practical for fashion illustration. However, this book is great eye candy of art illustration in general.

best illustration book ive seen!.......2005-10-06

I think the person who wrote that last review is probably an old school artist, whose about getting the exact proportion ect.....I think this book illustrates how pple think outside the box of what fashion illustration could be. If your tired on seeing boring generic fashion images and want to get inspired get this book!

FASHION ILLUSTRATION FINALLY PROGRESSES.......2005-08-28

Every fashion illustration book I have picked up for the past 20yrs would show the same premises on which to draw and present your illustrations. The fashion industry is suppose to be a creative industry but instead you find very narrow perspectives on how to present your drawings. If you want to be inspired by a new fresh take on illustration and you want to take illustration to the next level then this is a great book. This is currently the best fashion illustration book I have found on the market showing a new modern direction. If you are into method illustration drawing that is taught in classroom books then this is not the book for you.

Different.......2005-01-11

We just got this book into our library. I think it's good for graphic students, I enjoyed looking through it, then again I am not a fashion illustrator. They are awesome drawings, but very abstract. They convey the theme of the designer or seasons overall look. I think it is useful for students to get an idea that fashion illustration is NOT just basic sketching!

Book Description

Ryoma Echizen just joined the Seishun Gakuen Middle School tennis team, which is known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. Ryoma has proven his skills by winning four straight American junior tournament titles. With his skills, Ryoma challenges a rule of Seishun Gakuen that freshmen don't represent the team to play in tournaments until summer.

Customer Reviews:

Will and Determination.......2007-07-17

This Volume is thrilling to read. You go from maturing during a match to believing in your abilities. As the rest of the books, it always makes you think you are there. You want to talk to the characters and tell them their opponents flaws. It is a great read!

Great!.......2007-05-10

My tennis team loves it! All ages are borrowing those from me because it's well drawn and has a nice tennis-centered story to it.

A good series but a poor translation.......2007-05-07

The Prince of Tennis is one of my favorite anime series. Many people say the manga is superior. This may be true, but this publication butchers the translation to the point where I can't stand reading it. I've only seen a friend's copy, and it was enough to make me not want to get it myself.

What bothers me the most is how lazy the translators seem to be. The anime has a large following in america. You'd think they could get someone knowledgable in the common terms used, or how characters address each other. Any Tenipuri fan could have caught the dozens of errors prior to publication.

It baffles me that the same company can do a stellar job with the publication of Death Note but completely butcher this one.

TeniPuri review.......2006-03-04

Ok, I honestly love Prince of Tennis. It's my favorite anime of all time, so I'll try to stay neutral in this review :D

The story is very simple:
Echizen Ryoma is a young boy with superb tennis abilities. He enrolls at Seishun Gakuen (or Seigaku for short), a school that has one of the best tennis teams in the region. He is quicky accepted into the team and becomes famous because he's the only freshman who was ever accepted (besides Tezuka). The story goes through 178 episodes of learning about teamwork and spirit (and you get to learn about tennis too!). His father is the well-known Echizen Nanjirou (also known as Samurai Nanjirou). He plays singles, but has also playes doubles.
Special moves: Drive A, Drive B, Twist Serve, Split Step, Nitouryuu,
Twist Spin Smash, Buggy Whip Shot, Cyclone Smash, Super Rising (from Yuuta), Buggy Whip Shot (from Kaidou), Spot (from Shinji), Deep Impulse (from Shinjou).

Seigaku's team is made up of 9 members:

Tezuka Kunimitsu: the captain of Seigaku's tennis team. A complete genius both on and off the court, Tezuka is very mature for age (some even doubt he's a 3rd year student). He was also a freshman when he was accepted into the team. He has a small problem with an arm injury that was caused by a jealous team mate back when he was still a freshman.
Special move: Tezuka Zone (kinda like a black hole. Can't give too much away here ;))

Fuji Syuusuke: Noted as the "prodigy", Fuji is an oppenent you do not want to face. He is constantly smiling and that helps to confuse friends and rivals alike. The only times he stops smiling is when he get serious in a match (like against St-Rudolf's Mizuki and Rikkai Dai's Kirihara). He cares deeply about his brother, Yuuta. He generally plays singles, but has also played doubles.
Special moves: The three reverses: Tsubame Gaeshi, Higuma Otoshi, Hakugei.

Oishi Shuichirou: The vice captain of the team, Oishi is also known as the "mother of Seigaku" because he worries a lot about his teammates. He plays doubles, and is one part of the national-rated Golden Pair team.
Specail moves: Moon Volley, Australian Formation

Inui Sadaharu: The "Data-man" of Seigaku, Inui's tennis style is what Ryoma once called "annoying". Able to tell which way and where the ball will go, Inui is an unstoppable player (not that he's never lost). He has a book which he writes down data in about anyone he encounters. He is also the one who makes the infamous "Inui Juice" which can knock out even the toughest people. He's kinda like a mad-scientist.
Special Move: Data tennis, High speed serve.

Kikumaru Eiji: The second part of the Golden Pair, Eiji is not someone you'll ever find standing still. Highly energetic and a happy-go-lucky kinda guy, Eiji is best known for his accrobatic tennis stlye. He also has the tendancy to end most sentences with "Nya" which is why he's portraid as a cat in some of the chibi epsisodes. He usually plays doubles.
Special moves: Acrobatic Play, Australian Formation, Kikumaru Beam

Momoshiro Takeshi: Tall, lean, powerful and muscular, Momo-chan is also known as Mr. Passion because when he get serious about tennis, you don't want to be on the other side of the net. He loves to eat and you can probably see him and Ryoma (which he has a close relationship to) pigging out at the local burger restaurant. He plays both singles and doubles.
Special moves: Dunk Smash, Jack Knife, Bullet Serve, Super Dunk.

Kaidoh Kaoru: Known as "viper" (not only in Seigaku, but in most other schools) because of his tendacy to hiss whenever possible, Kaidoh has been Momo's rival since they first met. He is a very serious competetor and hates to lose, though seems to have a soft spot for cats. His training regime is 3 times harder than most of his team mates, curtesty of Inui, and he can usually be spotted jogging before and after school and sometimes before matches. He playes singles, but has also played doubles with Inui and Momo.
Special moves: Snake, Boomerang Snake, Hadoukyuu Boomerang Snake

Kawamura Takashi: You think you have a split personality? Meet Taka-san who, when holding a tennis racket, becomes one of Seigaku's most destructive forces. Probably the most poowerful member on his team, you would know it because of the kind, thoughful person he is without a racket. His father owns a sushi restaurant and Taka-san plans to quit tennis after he finishes school. He plays doubles as well as singles.
Special moces: Burning Serve, Burning Shot, Hadoukyuu, Dash Hadoukyuu

Now, that's only Seigaku's team, but there are 8 more teams you'll meet throughout the series:
Fudomine
St. Rudolf
Yamabuki
Hyotei
Jousei Shounen
Rokkaku
Rikkai Dai
The American Team

I've read some of the manga, but I prefer the anime (mostly because of the art). Though Konomi Takeshi aimed this manga at boys, it wound up with an enourmous female-based fandom. There are a lot of guys in this anime ;)

All in all:
Character design: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Story: 8/10

This might be a bit too in-depth. XD.......2005-12-31

I'm actually the biggest TeniPuri fan in my circle of friends, so it saddens me to have to give a "ehh" rating to such a vital part of the overall series. D:

First off, VIZ. Their translations--urgh. They tend to either go too far, losing everything that the original dialogue conveyed, or they barely do anything, basically leaving it at the "Engrish" level. I've found that, except for a few shining moments here and there, it's a near-complete butchery. Additionally, and this is really my biggest gripe, VIZ has the kids refer to each other by their first names instead of their last ["Kaoru" v. "Kaidou," "Takashi" v. "Kawamura," etc.] To born-and-raised dub fans/Americans/whatever, I suppose that this could make sense. But these kids are not American. Or British. They're not anything other than Japanese. The dropping of suffixes I can forgive, because that's still a fairly common thing to do, but to completely change the form of address like that... Call me picky, but I just can't find it acceptable at all. D:

Now onto the manga itself! XD;
I've...never really been a fan of the manga. Reading the first chapters or so was enough to get me interested in TeniPuri, sure, but I never picked them up again until now. [With the end of AniPuri...]
It's the art, honestly. If you're a better person than I, and can read a series without worrying about the artist's abilities, congrats to you. XD But there's just something about the way Konomi draws joints that gets to me after a while. And Echizen's eyes creep me out. *laughs*
Before I start complaining about Kaidou's lack of pretty or Kawamura's uber-monkey face, I'll end on a positive note.

The story is compelling--even if you think Echizen's a stupid brat, there are several other characters with mini-plots that you can care about. There are really a lot, so many it's almost scary. XD And even if the characterization seems superficial in the beginning, it expands tremendously as the series progresses. I actually found myself tearing up over Kawamura at one point, and I've only cried with one other series in my life. *laughs* The matches are also handled well; I rarely found myself getting bored or frustrated with the length or ZOMG COMEBACK aspects of some of them. Even if some of the moves are ridiculous and there are the prerequisite showdowns of power, tennis is really made interesting. There are even plenty of random interactions and slice-of-life moments to tide those over who aren't in the fandom for the tennis. [Although I can practically guarantee that you'll want to try watching a real match or two after a few story arcs. >D]

Basically: give it a try, see if you find yourself interested. :D However, I'd recommend that you hunt down some fan-translations/scanlations if you're set on following the manga.

The Prince of Tennis (Traditional Chinese Edition) (Volume 12)

Average customer rating:

The Prince of Tennis (Traditional Chinese Edition) (Volume 12)

Manufacturer: Qing Wen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Nonfiction | Chinese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Chinese Books | Chinese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 957509283X

Product Description

A tennis champ from America returns home to attend a junior high with an elite tennis club. His cocky attitude doesn't win him any welcome at first, but his amazing talent wins him a spot in the club. He then leads the club to national competitions. Also a popular anime. This manga is in Traditional Chinese.

Amazon.com

Telling a story through the eyes of children is a tricky business, which is that much more proof of what a magician Alice McDermott happens to be. At Weddings and Wakes, her engrossing portrayal of love and tragedy in an Irish-Catholic family, takes us along with the kids as they accompany their mother on weekly visits to a world of memory and recrimination in the family's old Brooklyn neighborhood. An exquisitely executed little novel that masks all its hard work and complex structure behind finely wrought lace curtains of craft.

Book Description

Twice a week, Lucy Dailey leaves suburbia with her three children in tow, returning to the Brooklyn home where she grew up and where her stepmother and unmarried sisters still live. Aunt Veronica, with her wounded face and dreams of beauty, drowns her sorrows in drink. Aunt Agnes, an acerbic student of elegance, sips only from the finest crystal as she sees Aunt May, the ex-nun, blossom with a late and unexpected love. And all the while, the children watch, absorbing the legacy of their haunted family.

At once a moving evocation of life’s inexplicable calamities and a magical celebration of childhood and familial love, At Weddings and Wakes is the story of three generations of an Irish-American family through the eyes of its youngest members. With eloquence and grace, master storyteller Alice McDermott transforms everyday experience into the heroic and universal.

Customer Reviews:

Couldn't finish it.......2007-07-10

I was on a plane trying to read this and instead picked up the airline magazine. I typically enjoy books about Irish families but this one didn't develop characters that I could become interested in. After half way through the book, I just gave up. I normally have a hard time not finishing a book but I didn't regret it. The style just wasn't for me.

Pointless and plotless.......2005-07-06

I wish I could get those three hours back, even if they were spent driving. The story is told as seen by three children who apparently have no names, as they are always refered to as "the boy" or "the older girl". The book is constantly jumping around chronologically so you never know where you are, and you have to wonder why the author bothered writing it, as there is no plot. Save your money!

Like Monet.......2004-01-11

More like a Monet than a photograph, McDermott's, "At Weddings and Wakes" reveals its beauty by memory impressions rather than by the harsh black lines of plot. No less lost than others who have written here in the ebb and flow of the timeline, I, however, trusted the author. And soon I was intermixing with the memories of the book my own childhood memories - and identifying, in the moment, with the joys and tragedies of this family. I dare suggest any who read this book, liking it or not, will find themselves remembering family stories of times past - memories happy and sad, with characters tragic and heroic and possibly rethinking them in the light of McDermott's graceful treatment of such moments. It was an exquiste read. That is, for those who are comfortable with impressions leading you to see clearly the beauty in life's tragedies and joys, as like a Monet painting. But if you need/seek/want the clarity of a photograph for beauty - skip this book.

Proust in the Suburbs.......2003-08-31

Reading At Weddings and Wakes is like sharing a dream. Events are described with a crystalline clarity and tone perfect attention to detail, allowing us to be swept into the experience without knowing a lot of history of the characters.Even the names of the people appear only incidentally later in the book. The book unfolds slowly and almost cinematically as three children accompany their mother on a trip to Brooklyn to visit their grandmother and aunts. The pacing of the book is languid and deliberate. Characters appear and disappear, we hear snatches of conversations and recollections of past events. I love McDermott's language and though I am a fast reader, she forces me to slow down because each word is important. I am in absolute awe of her ability to tell a story, without resorting to conventional plot devices. I was so totally engaged with the characters and the situation, perhaps because it so closely mirrored my own experience growing up in an Irish Catholic family. Yet I believe the book transends the particulars of place as it addresses the central issues of life: joy and tragedy, our inability to let go of the past and our need to enjoy the moment. Through the eyes of the children we understand how events become experience, as they observe adults who seem mired in their histories, unable to find joy in the moment and move forward.
The love the children share with their favorite aunt,May, the only adult, apart from their father who is actively seeking happiness and finding joy, is palpable. It is so finely rendered that it brought back in a piercingly acute way, my own feelings for beloved and now departed family members. Other reader reviews makes it clear this isn't a book for everyone, but I will never forget it.

In relation to relatives.......2001-09-11

A familiar story, the pathos of Irish Catholics in 20th century America, told with skill, grace, lament. Readers of McDermott's "Charming Billy" will feel right at home in this story as well, although this is probably the more skillfully done of the two. The author attempts several more challenging devices - the viewpoint of the children, the discontinuous timing and a repetition of the final scene for effect - most of which works. The richness of the descriptions and the characters, the familiarity of the scenes, evoking a sense of longing for what is past and irrecoverable, or what was desired and never attained (the view of the child). The writer's feel for the female characters is deeper and more evoked - but then women live in a world of beauty that men will never know. McDermott's writing talent is extraordinary - but as with "Charming Billy" her storytelling skills lag behind her literary skills. Still, thoroughly enjoyable scenes of life - family relationships, the working and middle class in early urban America moving into the wider scene of suburbia - for better or worse, marking well the landmarks as they appear and recede.

Average customer rating:

At Weddings and Wakes

Manufacturer: Dell Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GYTQP0

3 Book Set By Alice McDermott; At Weddings and Wakes; Child of My Heart; Charming Belly

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3 Book Set By Alice McDermott; At Weddings and Wakes; Child of My Heart; Charming Belly
Alice McDermott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W8WGA2

Product Description

3 Book Set By Alice McDermott; At Weddings and Wakes; Child of My Heart; Charming Belly.

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At Weddings and Wakes
MCDERMOTT Alice
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus & Giroux (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OWSOT8

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At Weddings and Wakes A Novel

Manufacturer: Farrar Straus Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HZ7WKO

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At Weddings and Wakes.
Alice. McDERMOTT
Manufacturer: NY: Farrar Straus Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UFY54C

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At Weddings and Wakes. Signed book.
Alice McDERMOTT
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WEPVL2

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At Weddings and Wakes: A Novel
Alice McDermott
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MSBAZO

....available for Intimate Bashes, Wakes, Weddings and Fancy Balls.

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....available for Intimate Bashes, Wakes, Weddings and Fancy Balls.
The Queen City Jazz Band
Manufacturer: Audiophile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W7ZOAM

Abstract of deeds from Wake County Courthouse, Raleigh, N.C., recorded in book G, 1785-1788: Also index of deeds, news items of family reunions and news items of golden wedding anniversaries

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Abstract of deeds from Wake County Courthouse, Raleigh, N.C., recorded in book G, 1785-1788: Also index of deeds, news items of family reunions and news items of golden wedding anniversaries
M. B Birdseye
Manufacturer: Caswell-Nash Chapter? D.A.R
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Real Estate | Practical Guides | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007FVLVU

Book Description

This new tapestry of Froug's essays and interviews with top screenwriters, producers and directors is a sequel to his highly popular Zen and the Art of Screenwriting. Once again, Froug proves that he can pull engaging comments from his interviewees and, with his essays, cause both novice and seasoned screenwriters to stop and rethink what they're doing. The essays are wide-ranging, covering such diverse subjects as creating your own talent, getting your scripts read, avoiding story-structure gurus, entering screenplay contests, Hollywood's rewrite panic, Hollywood's ephemeral enthusiasms, the stop-start method for studying films, guarding your surprises, reinventing old ideas, and guilt as a writer's tool. There's also a scene-by-scene look at the film Body Heat.

The interviewed filmmakers are Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon, The Omen), Scott Frank (Get Shorty, Dead Again), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Payback), Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune, Fallen), Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon, Cool Hand Luke), Eric Roth (The Horse Whisperer, Forrest Gump), Lauren Shuler-Donner (Any Given Sunday, Bulworth), Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The American President) and Robin Swicord (Little Women, Practical Magic).

Customer Reviews:

Good book, poor attention to details.......2006-06-20

Like the interviews, especially with Pierson, although the filmographies are terribly inaccurate; the dates don't match at all. Weak attention to details there.

Excellent insights from some great screenwriters.......2001-11-27

Having read about every screenwriting book that I can get my hands on, I find that these books typically fall into three categories. One, the book that promotes a certain formula for successful writing (see Syd Field). Two, the book that tells of a writer's experiences with the Hollywood scene and/or his/her take on the job of a screenwriter (see William Goldman), and then lastly, there is Bill Froug whose books decry the use of formulaic approaches to screenwriting and enthusiastically urge young writers to follow their muse and let the creative juices flow. Somewhere in the middle is my favorite, Linda Seger, who stops short of advising formulas but gives extremely practical advice for improving scripts.

Nonetheless, Froug's books make for an enjoyable read, although he does aim squarely at the Syd Field crowd and makes no bones about it. Froug's stance on rigid structuring (for example, the 3-act structure) of screenplays has evolved over the years. In his book Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade, he expresses some skepticism about the use of such one-size-fits-all approaches to screenwriting. Well, here we are years later, and he has become not just annoyed at the purveyors of the fill-in-the-blank structure forumulas, but downright hostile toward them. He shreds Syd Field, calling into question his qualifications to have made lemmings out of an entire generation of screenwriters. It is a theme that Froug can't shake througout his book. He interviews several exemplary writers, Pierson, Sorkin, to name a couple, and his questioning is frank and yields some wonderful commentary from the writers. But he does clearly have an agenda to shout to the whole world that the great screenwriters themselves don't adhere blindly to writing formulas. Curiously, however, I found that about half the writers that he interviewed in the book, did adhere to certain structural conventions. Despite Froug's baiting, and to their credit, they were honest in discussing the need to have turning points at key points in their scripts. This is not a book to use as any kind of a reference on screenwriting, but merely to see how the pros really approach their endeavors. I must agree with Froug that too many of the gurus of screenwriting today don't actually write screenplays themselves. If they've got these fundamentals mastered, why not go for the big bucks? I like this book because it helped me resolve where I stand on the issue of structure formulas. If you're unsure where you stand on the debate, you might find the answer in this book as well.

Book Description

Informal, yet thorough in its coverage of complex issues, this directory is the official handbook of the International Managers Forum (IMF).

Customer Reviews:

ArtistManager review of the IMMF Handbook.......2001-04-21

The IMF Handbook is an indispensable tool for all Managers and self-managed Artists. As well as listing contact details for all IMMF members (including me!) it is down to earth, full of practical tips, it tells it like it is. You will find out what to look for in an artist or a manager, what a manager's responsibilities are - and are not - and it walks you through (paragraph by paragraph) an artist/manager contract explaining in plain English what each term means. An invaluable resource and one which I find myself referring to time and time again. I will certainly be buying the 2001 edition (on order at present) which I understand will come in a handy binder in order that the IMMF may update it throughout the year.

Average customer rating:

A book you can't miss

Big thank to other reviewers.... ;-)

Great resource for novice to intermediate players

good report of match, but nothing spectacular

Compact and Accessible, but Shallow

Kasparov and Deep Blue: The Historic Chess Match Between Man and Machine
Bruce Pandolfini
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion

Bobby Fischer Goes to War : How A Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain

Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games: Improve Your Chess by Studying the Greatest Games of All time, from Adolf Anderssen's 'Immortal' Game to Kramnik Versus Kasparov 2000

My System (Chess Classics)

ASIN: 068484852X

Customer Reviews:

A book you can't miss.......2004-07-26

This is a very good book, but I think Bruce a mistake. I am not gonna really tell you inside this book.

Big thank to other reviewers.... ;-).......2004-05-17

At first I planned to buy this book and Keene's book on the first match. Somehow I could not get myself to buy them. Then after reading all the reviews for this book, I agreed with most of the comments.
1) For a book of six annotated games, the full retail price is too high.
2) Some reviewers said the book is too shallow. When I read this book the fourth time at a library, I liked and enjoyed it. Lots of explaination. Now after reading the reviews here I agree that Pando's analyses are one-dimensional and not deep enough, like Nunn's or Yermo's. (Thank you, other reviewers, for pointing out that my chess experience is shallow as well; and help me to save $$$. Lots of chess to learn for me.)
This book is good as a teaching tool for 1400's, the price is not reasonable. Used book's price is a better investment. $9.99 is a reasonable price for a new one. Used ones, get the best price as you can here...

Great resource for novice to intermediate players.......2004-04-11

This is one of my favorite chess books. Pandolfini gives a move by move account of all six games of the match. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates overly-annotated chess games. Pandolfini gives explanation to nearly every move, even the first few moves of openings, which I admit may be too elementary for advanced players, but could be appreciated the novice for the detail. The notation is good, typesetting is pleasing to the eye, and pictures are used at critical junctures. Pandolfini also does a nice job at inserting extra tid-bits of interesting information now and then relative to the topic at hand.

good report of match, but nothing spectacular.......2001-05-16

Pandolfini annotates practically every move of the six games of Kasparov's match loss to Deep Blue (I thought it was called "Deeper Blue"). This is book is written at a fairly basic level. He explains a lot of basic chess terms, such as open files and pinned pieces. All told, the book is interesting for those who want a record of the event, but it's not really instructive. It's also not a great value with only 6 games, though it does provide the game scores (no annotation) of the first match which K. won.

Pandolfini makes some questionable comments - such as calling K. the "last human world champion" - and isn't afraid to express his opinion. He thinks that Kasparov would have won if he'd only played his own game instead of trying to get cute with anti-computer moves.

There's no behind-the-scenes repoortage, nor much here about the technology behind Deep Blue. I think Panda might have written it on his couch from reading the games scores in the newspaper.

Compact and Accessible, but Shallow.......2000-11-28

This book contains the complete games of both Kasparov-Deep Blue matches in a compact and affordable volume, which makes it a good value for its price for anybody interested in these matches. Pandolfini does a reasonable job picking positions to diagram. However, at least to me as a reasonably experienced, if mediocre, chess player, the author's analysis was entirely worthless.

Clearly, Pandolfiini's intention was to use this high profile match to teach some general principles of chess to an inexperienced public. I'm not sure this is a viable strategy, given at what high level the games were played, but there is nothing wrong with the principles the author teaches. However, In his attempt to cater to the chess novice, Pandolfini goes overboard in avoiding the discussion of any but the most obvious lines. As a result, the somewhat more experienced reader is left without help to the somewhat less obvious questions.

As a glaring example of this, it would have been well worth a discussion, giving specific lines, why the black position at the end of game 6 is indeed lost. Instead, Pandolfiini just states some generalities ("Time to buy IBM stock").

Furthermore, the book is utterly disappointing in its failure to provide any substantial information at all about the technology behind Deep Blue, instead of the clichés that the author seems to find amusing.

Book Description

Want to pick up extra cash? Explore opening an eBay store? Unload your dusty disco albums or the collection of antlers in the basement? Hey, those poor, dead deer could lead to a rich, lively career. Whether you want to build an eBay business from scratch or just want to make sure you’re up on eBay’s policy changes and taking advantage of new automation tools, this guide will have you selling successfully on eBay faster than you can say, “going…going…”Starting an eBay Business For Dummies 2 ^nd Edition gets you organized and in virtual business fast with step-by-step guidance on:

Setting up basic auctions
Pricing items or setting minimums strategically
Using the About Me page to begin creating a professional identity
Finding sources of merchandise (once you exhaust your basement, attic, and relatives)
Managing your business with online auction management services and software, including a list of 16 popular sites with their prices
Writing tempting descriptions and taking good photographs of merchandise
Selecting payment systems (and why shipping C.O.D. is a no-no)
Handling inventory and keeping records

Written by Marsha Collier, author of eBay For Dummies and eBay Bargain Shopping For Dummies, an eBay PowerSeller, columnist, and teacher at eBay University, this book is packed with time-saving, money-saving tips plus secret eBay hints to help you compete with the pros from the get go. It gives you inside information on:

eBay motors, real estate, and other unusual areas
Dutch auctions, reserve price auctions, and private auctions
Using an eBay fee calculator to check your final value fees
Shipping and insuring merchandise efficiently and economically
Printing shipping labels and postage

Complete with a glossary and index, Starting an eBay Business For Dummies 2 ^nd Edition is just what you need to get started selling on eBay, to graduate from occasional seller to PowerSeller, or to become a genuine eBay entrepreneur like the ten whose success stories are featured in this book!

Customer Reviews:

Very Happy.......2007-07-22

The book was a lifesaver. It was in good condition and came in a timely manner.

eBay Overview.......2007-03-31

Beginners will find many useful tidbits to help them get a sucessful eBay business started. This book is a good starting point.

Useful.......2007-03-10

Some useful information on ebay. Not all ideas work for all items being sold, but gives you ideas.

Very surprised.......2007-02-07

Its a great first and reference book for beginners or if your thinking of selling anything on Ebay.

General Overview for eBay begginers.......2007-01-10

Overall this book was an easy read. The information is marginally useful. I would not say it is the best book on ebay selling, but there are bits of advice that I found useful. What I think lacked attention was the section on getting inventory, there just wasn't enough sources.
However the book does give advice on going legite and all the paper work you need to complete.
It is a good general book for starting, but not the only one you will need to run an eBay business.

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