0201776413 Frank P. Coyle 39.99 XML The aim of this book is to try to tell the story that we're now all a part of--a story not just about emerging technologies such as XML and Web services, but also about how these technologies are coming together and combining in new ways, creating new applications for which the requirements have yet to be written. Structure of the Book Except for the first and last chapters, the book is essentially a bottom-up view of the XML-driven, open systems world in which we now find ourselves. 0060512806 Neal Stephenson 7.99 Fiction Cryptonomicon zooms all over the world, careening conspiratorially back and forth between two time periods--World War II and the present. Our 1940s heroes are the brilliant mathematician Lawrence Waterhouse, cryptanalyst extraordinaire, and gung ho, morphine-addicted marine Bobby Shaftoe. They're part of Detachment 2702, an Allied group trying to break Axis communication codes while simultaneously preventing the enemy from figuring out that their codes have been broken. Their job boils down to layer upon layer of deception. Dr. Alan Turing is also a member of 2702, and he explains the unit's strange workings to Waterhouse. "When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first.... Of course, to observe is not its real duty--we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed.... Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious." 0743292332 Stephen King 26.95 Fiction In Cell King taps into readers fears of technological warfare and terrorism. Mobile phones deliver the apocalypse to millions of unsuspecting humans by wiping their brains of any humanity, leaving only aggressive and destructive impulses behind. Those without cell phones, like illustrator Clayton Riddell and his small band of "normies," must fight for survival, and their journey to find Clayton's estranged wife and young son rockets the book toward resolution. 0316172324 Malcolm Gladwell 25.95 Marketing Blink is about the first two seconds of looking--the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us "mind blind," focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to "the Warren Harding Effect" (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the "dark side of blink," he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making. In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell's ideas about what Blink Camp might look like. 0385504209 Dan Brown 24.95 Mystery With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history. A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. 0439784549 J.K. Rowling 29.99 Fiction The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page. 0446677450 Robert T. Kiyosaki Sharon L. Lechter 16.95 Financial Personal-finance author and lecturer Robert Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective through exposure to a pair of disparate influences: his own highly educated but fiscally unstable father, and the multimillionaire eighth-grade dropout father of his closest friend. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his "poor dad" (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his "rich dad" (that "the poor and the middle class work for money," but "the rich have money work for them"). Taking that message to heart, Kiyosaki was able to retire at 47. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, written with consultant and CPA Sharon L. Lechter, lays out his the philosophy behind his relationship with money. Although Kiyosaki can take a frustratingly long time to make his points, his book nonetheless compellingly advocates for the type of "financial literacy" that's never taught in schools. Based on the principle that income-generating assets always provide healthier bottom-line results than even the best of traditional jobs, it explains how those assets might be acquired so that the jobs can eventually be shed. 1564588483 Robert Cumming 27.50 Art An exploration of some of the world's great paintings, ranging from the works of 14th-century Giotto through the Renaissance and Baroque periods to Neo-Classicists and Romantics, on to the Impressionists and Cubists up to Picasso. Cumming describes and decodes each of 45 paintings by graphic commentary using six guidelines: the subject, the technique, the symbolism, space and light, historical style, and personal interpretation. Detailed sections of each painting are analyzed to point out symbols or obscure subjects, to locate unusual signings by the artist, and to describe materials used. 1560976470 Charles M. Schulz 28.95 Comics n 1955-56, the Peanuts gang may have still been in first grade (or lower), but the characters continue to grow into their distinctive and unmistakable personalities. Snoopy overcomes some embarrassment to reveal his talent for impressions (wolf, rhino, alligator, kangaroo, Violet, etc.) and his joyous dance-the-day-away attitude. Linus adopts the same attitude ("Five hundred years from now, who'll know the difference?") and continues to show his genius in such diverse activities as square balloons, snow sculptures, and air sketches, even though he has to resort to wishful violence against his bullying sister. Lucy, now a ripe old 4, has to face such concerns as the Earth being worn down by people's feet and whether Santa exists. And already concerned about getting married, she tries to divert Schroeder's attention from Beethoven either by logic (what's the sense in learning Beethoven sonatas if you don't win a prize?), by sympathy ("My favorite piece is Bach's Toccata and Fugue in Asia Minor"), or by violence, and pulls away the football from Charlie Brown for the first time (December 1956). She also teaches her brother "little-known facts" about the world (palm trees were so named because people can fit their hand around them), which gives Charlie Brown stomach aches and formed part of the stage musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. But she'll never lose an argument as long as she can end it with a well-placed insult. Such is the misery of Charlie Brown, who also has to endure his failure to fly a kite, his complete failure on the baseball diamond, and misery during any holiday. That he does endure, however, makes him one of the heroes of our time. The third volume of Fantagraphics Books' handsome Complete Peanuts series includes a foreword by Matt Groening and a Charles M. Schulz retrospective by Gary Groth. 0439682584 J. K. Rowling 40.95 Fiction Five years of magic, adventure, and mystery at Hogwarts -- now available in a complete hardcover box set. Includes books 1-5 of the worldwide bestselling series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. 0471347809 Efraim Turban R. Kelly Rainer Richard E. Potter 124.95 Technology T takes the stage in business! In today's businesses, Information Technology is one of the hottest ticket in town. Successful management of IT can mean the difference between making it big, or not making it at all. And no other text does a better job of highlighting the critical impact of IT on today's businesses and the relevance of IT to students' careers, than Turban, Rainer, and Potter's INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Now redesigned, revised, reorganized, and updated with the latest wireless technologies and new technology trends, the Third Edition of this popular text makes IT relevant and engaging for all students, regardless of their major. Features Club IT: The new web-based Virtual Company case for the Third Edition gives students the opportunity to develop IT solutions for a simulated music venue called Club IT, which presents live music and DJs. Students are hired as consultants for the club and asked to work on IT projects. Mobile, Wireless and Pervasive Computing: These technologies are rapidly spreading and changing information technology. A new chapter on Mobile, Wireless, and Pervasive Computing (Chapter 6) is right at the cutting-edge of these exciting business developments. Relevance: The authors explain why IT is important to all individuals and functions within an organization by relating topics to specific business majors (finance, marketing, MIS, production/operations, HR, etc.) in every chapter. New Interactive Learning Sessions: These new online exercises provide interactive cases that support the content in each chapter of the text. They include interactive drag-and-drop exercises, simulations, and animations that help students visualize IT processes. Business Extra Select: This online feature allows instructors to package the text with software applications lab manuals, cases, articles, and other real-world content, from sources such as Harvard Business School cases, Fortune, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal , and much more. Instructors can combine the Third Edition with the content you choose to create a fully customized textbook. Go to www.wiley.com/college/bxs for additional information. 0684853159 Iain M. Banks 13.00 Fiction I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me." Those lines begin one of the most infamous of contemporary Scottish novels. The narrator, Frank Cauldhame, is a weird teenager who lives on a tiny island connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. He maintains grisly Sacrifice Poles to serve as his early warning system and deterrent against anyone who might invade his territory. Few novelists have ever burst onto the literary scene with as much controversy as Iain Banks in 1984. The Wasp Factory was reviled by many reviewers on account of its violence and sadism, but applauded by others as a new and Scottish voice--that is, a departure from the English literary tradition. The controversy is a bit puzzling in retrospect, because there is little to object to in this novel, if you're familiar with genre horror. The Wasp Factory is distinguished by an authentically felt and deftly written first-person style, delicious dark humor, a sense of the surreal, and a serious examination of the psyche of a childhood psychopath. Most readers will find that they sympathize with and even like Frank, despite his three murders (each of which is hilarious in an Edward Gorey fashion). It's a classic of contemporary horror. 0142002046 Ian Fleming 13.00 Fiction The allure of James Bond was best described by Raymond Chandler, who insisted that 007 is "what every man would like to be and what every woman would like to have between her sheets." Who can argue with that? This month marks the 40th anniversary of the film release of Dr. No, which was the first Bond adventure to make the big screen, and two big coffee-table books are being published to honor the occasion (LJ 10/1/02, p. 96). Shockingly, Fleming's original novels have gone out of print, but Penguin here reproduces a trio of the British secret agent's early outings, released in 1952, 1958, and 1959, respectively, sporting stylish cover art. These stories were racy for the nifty Fifties but are quite tame by today's standards. Still, they can be fun. 0671723650 Dale Carnegie 7.99 Personal Development This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks.