Constitution and the Budget: Are Constitutional Limits on Tax, Spending, and Budget Powers Desirable at the Federal Level (Aei Symposia, 80b.)

Book Description

The Rangers are a secretive organization that originated with the enigmatic Minbari, and very rapidly became the eyes and ears of the forces of light in their war against the darkness. This lavishly detailed sourcebook provides a wealth of information on this group, allowing players and games masters to make full use of the incredible abilities and resources that exist, whether it is for the players to play as a ranger or for games masters to use them in their own campaign.

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wealth of information

Babylon 5 - Legends of the Rangers
Bryan Steele
Manufacturer: Mongoose Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1905850255

Book Description

The year is 2265 and much of the galaxy is happily growing closer together through the efforts of the Interstellar Alliance. The Anla'shok Rangers are the omnipresent policing force used to serve and protect the member worlds, from escorting diplomats to hunting down raiders and bringing them to justice. A cunning Ranger officer from one of these common missions questions the old ways and sets a spiral of events into motion that will reveal weaknesses in the Minbari's ancient traditions, bring together unexpected allies, and pull the shroud from a deadly new enemy - the Hand. The Legends of the Rangers was an interesting telemovie that brought several new ideas and events to bear in the Babylon 5 universe. This sourcebook for the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game Second Edition gives the information concerning those events in a way that could be used by Games Masters and players to bring 2265 in vivid detail to their own campaigns. Although very specific in nature, The Legend of the Rangers set the stage for a number of new plotlines to spin off from the Rangers of that year, their vessels and evolving traditions, and their new and powerful foe.

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wealth of information.......2007-09-29

did not purchase this for the role playing game but for the information about the rangers - excellent source for those who are writing about Babylon 5

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Cinema's Recounting of the Ordinary. (Book Review).(Disclosure of the Everyday: Undramatic Achievement in Narrative Film) (book review): An article from: CineAction
Jeffrey Crouse
Manufacturer: CineAction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008IOA3C
Release Date: 2005-07-28

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This digital document is an article from CineAction, published by CineAction on September 22, 2001. The length of the article is 1678 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cinema's Recounting of the Ordinary. (Book Review).(Disclosure of the Everyday: Undramatic Achievement in Narrative Film) (book review)
Author: Jeffrey Crouse
Publication: CineAction (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2001
Publisher: CineAction
Page: 69(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Disclosure of the Everyday Undramatic Achievement in Narratives

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Disclosure of the Everyday Undramatic Achievement in Narratives
Andrew Klevan
Manufacturer: Flicks Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The Secret Marriage of Sherlock Holmes is about reading, a process that we take for granted. But Sherlock Holmes, the cultural icon to whose exploits Michael Atkinson gives new readings, became famous by taking nothing for granted. Holmes's adventures can be read in new ways, including ways that he himself would have found startling, but which can give contemporary readers satisfaction. In clear, accessible prose that will engage specialists and lay readers alike, Atkinson engages in "a series of flirtations" with nine of Arthur Conan Doyle's favorite detective fictions, using the tools of modern literary theory, from depth psychology to deconstruction. Bluebeard, the kundalini serpent, and Conan Doyle's mother pop up alongside Jung, Nietzsche, and Derrida as guides to new understandings of these classic stories. Just as Holmes uses treatises on tobacco ash and tattoos to give fresh readings to puzzling facts, Atkinson employs widely different critical strategies to unravel the mysteries of reading itself.

"What a delightful book! This is surely the most interesting writing you will ever read about Sherlock Holmes, but it is much more. Michael Atkinson gives us literary criticism at its best: the sheer fun of watching a bold and imaginative reader breathe into well-loved, but well-worn, fictions new and enchanting life. Atkinson's mind races as nimbly as Holmes's own, and he makes the stories our hansom cab through human nature itself. A tour de force!" --Norman N. Holland, author of Murder in a Dephi Seminar

"A book that speaks directly to readers. . . Atkinson sees far beneath the surface of the Sherlock stories to provide fascinating commentary." --Cincinnati Post

"Atkinson demonstrates a love and knowledge of the Holmes stories. . . I would recommend The Secret Marriage of Sherlock Holmes enthusiastically to any lover of the Canon who is prepared to have their perceptions widened." --Mystery Writers of America

Michael Atkinson is Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of Cincinnati.

For additional news, reviews and related Sherlockiana (leaving Press site):
Additional information supplied by the author- http://ucaswww.mcm.uc.edu/English/Holmes/ http://ucaswww.mcm.uc.edu/English/Holmes/"

Customer Reviews:

A stimulating read.......2000-04-29

This is a book about reading - not just casual reading, but a considered form of reading employing techniques not unlike those of Sherlock Holmes himself.

The author takes a sample of the Holmesian Canon and subjects them to careful analysis to come up with sometimes surprising results. Atkinson describes his readings as "eccentric", a view which I must support. By drawing parallels between the stories and a variety of literary, pop cultural and religious matters, some far better known than others, Atkinson reveals sidelights on well-known stories which should delight many readers.

The book would be of interest to students of literary criticism or ardent Holmesians, and especially to those who are both.

My view: a good and stimulating read that encouraged me to re-read old favouites.

Amazon.com

This--this being the attitude encapsulated in Andrew "bunnie" Huang's Hacking the Xbox--is why a lot of people got into the computer industry in the first place. These people liked taking things apart and figuring out how they worked, then making them serve purposes they weren't originally designed for and sharing the new discoveries with others of like mind. Sure, Huang's book is about how to how to turn Microsoft's game console into a high-performance, general-purpose personal computer with a small price tag, and it contains lots of details about the how the heavily advertised gizmo is put together. But you can get the technical material on the Web. What's valuable about Huang's work is that he communicates the pure joy of taking the Xbox apart, figuring out how it works--despite its many designed-in anti-hacking features--and making it do new things. This book reads like the journal of a seventeenth-century voyage of discovery.

There's a wealth of information in these pages about how to disassemble and reverse-engineer electronics, and Huang is careful to show you what tools you need, and how to use them (don't worry if you don't know how to use a soldering iron--that's covered here). There also are step-by-step guides (complete with photos) to a couple of projects, and interviews with key figures in the Xbox-hacking community. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to enjoy a Microsoft Xbox game console without the mindless tedium of playing video games. This book shows you how to open an Xbox, make modifications to it (from a cosmetic LED color change, to putting in a new power supply, to adding a USB connector), and make the changes needed to get Linux running on it. In the process, readers get an education in reverse engineering electronic circuits, as well as in basic electronic techniques (soldering, crimping, etc) and in the intellectual property law that governs hacker activity.

Book Description

This hands-on guide to hacking begins with step-by-step tutorials on hardware modifications that teach basic hacking techniques as well as essential reverse engineering skills. The book progresses into a discussion of the Xbox security mechanisms and other advanced hacking topics, with an emphasis on educating the readers on the important subjects of computer security and reverse engineering. Hacking the Xbox includes numerous practical guides, such as where to get hacking gear, soldering techniques, debugging tips and an Xbox hardware reference guide.

Hacking the Xbox also confronts the social and political issues facing today's hacker by looking forward and discussing the impact of today's legal challenges on legitimate reverse engineering activities. The book includes a chapter written by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) about the rights and responsibilities of hackers, and concludes by discussing the latest trends and vulnerabilities in secure PC platforms.

Customer Reviews:

Has a lot of Info, but is old.......2007-09-08

This book was published a couple of years ago, so it's problem is that it doesn't cover the newer 1.6 Xboxes and doesn't contain Microsoft Dashboard 5960 hacks. Otherwise, it's a wonderful book for someone looking to do something more interesting with their old Xbox, I mean, now that it's place is being taken by the newer 360.

Very, Very, Satisfied ! This book is .... My precious !.......2007-07-26

I really like to Thank's for this Amazing book, well done ... this book is a beauty and fully contain a lot of informations about my beloved XBOX System ... and more ... a lot of more .... I want to say for all .... Buy this item and enjoy ! ;-)

not exactly what I was looking for.......2006-08-30

This book could be a good resource for someone interested in general hacking and reverse engineering, but it fails to provide enough details or describe enough Xbox-specific projects to be truly called "Hacking the Xbox". Maybe if the title had just been "Hacking" it would have lived up to my expectations. As such, I feel that Jonathan Harbour's "The Black Art of Xbox Mods" was more what I was looking for. Still, this book has some value for me, particularly the soldering tutorial.

excellent.......2006-08-13

excellent book. I don't even own an xbox but I want to get into commercial hardware reverse engineering, there aren't any books out there about hardware reverese engineering other than this one. I hope that the author (this book is very well written) writes more books on hardware hacking.

Hacking the Xbox.......2006-08-08

The author tries to give a basic idea of reverse engineering but with gapping holes on code due to fear of prosecution from Microsoft; only a basic idea is given. If one would know the rest of the puzzle then one would not need the book.

Customer Reviews:

Some good points.......2007-03-30

This book more or less covers topics instigated by the Elite that we all already know about. What interests me is the Nazi connection. I (we) all need to know more facts about how the SS cult survived the fall of the 3rd Reich, who they were, how they still exist (sans the cool uniforms),and most importantly, how they have infiltrated the American government, especially the Republican National Commitee and NASA. This book falls a little short of these details.

The Smell of Truth.......2003-02-23

This book, although somehwhat cryptically written--in the uncomfortable vernacular of JFK assassination research buffs--nevertheless is in my estimation a valuable addition to JFK assassination research. Anyone who is up on this literature has to have a good "crap detection" system, and this selection seems to have passed the test with flying colors. Since the early 70s, all serious roads to discovering who killed JFK seem to be leading back to tying up the loose ends left by the Jim Garrison New Orleans investigation. And since there were many such loose ends to tie up, doing so is not a small job. Torbitt has hit pay dirt, and at the very least, pushes Garrison's investigation to the next research frontier--if not to the very edge of completely uncovering the assassination plot. Yet, there are questions this research raises itself. For instance, I am not yet convinced of the Nazi connections--even though there is much circumstantial evidence to support Torbitt's point of view. Despite my misgiving, this piece is coherent in the extreme and can stand on its own. We know that when the conspiracy is finally uncovered, the truth will have its own unmistakable context, and this book has the "smell of truth."

Book Description

In the Cold War era that dominated the second half of the twentieth century, nobody envisaged that the collapse of the Soviet Union would come from within, still less that it would happen meekly, without global conflagration. In this brilliantly compact, original, engaging book, Stephen Kotkin shows that the Soviet collapse resulted not from military competition but, ironically, from the dynamism of Communist ideology, the long-held dream for "socialism with a human face." The neo-liberal reforms in post-Soviet Russia never took place, nor could they have, given the Soviet-era inheritance in the social, political, and economic landscape. Kotkin takes us deep into post-Stalin Soviet society and institutions, into the everyday hopes and secret political intrigues that affected 285 million people, before and after 1991. He conveys the high drama of a superpower falling apart while armed to the teeth with millions of loyal troops and tens of thousands of weapons of mass destruction. Armageddon Averted vividly demonstrates the overriding importance of history, individual ambition, geopolitics, and institutions, and deftly draws out contemporary Russia's contradictory predicament.

Customer Reviews:

Book explains why the Soviet Union did not collapse amid a violent convulsion.......2007-09-06

The author's goal in this book, as he states in the introduction, is to explain why the Soviet Union did not erupt into a violent convulsion upon its collapse. Multi-ethnic empires rarely break apart without violent upheavel. Yet this one did. If your goal is to find out why this is happened this is a book you must read. Written by a leading scholar of the Soviet Union.

almost perfect.......2007-08-21

This is the best historical narrative I had ever read on the subject. It does jingle very well with my own recollections about this period. It is informative with a lot details.

According to Mr.Kotkin the final stages of the collapse were two-fold: first commie-romantic-idiot Gorbachev destroyed whatever was remaining of the existing system while trying to improve it, and then the Soviet elite saw better prospects in joining Eltsin in finishing it off instead of fighting for its meager spoils.

There are a few amusing/annoying/bizarre parts. First, Mr.Kotkin seems genuinely upset that the system did not even try to use its repressive powers to preserve itself. Second, the author could not accept the actions of Soviet elite as reasonable and often goes into incoherent ramblings condemning all parties including his fellow sovietologists.

But again, these are all very minor blemishes, and they are clearly separated from presented narrative, which is simply superb in my view.

Good, Concise History of the Soviet Collapse.......2006-11-22

Stephen Kotkin's "Armageddon Averted" is a good, concise history of the Soviet collage from 1970-2000. Kotkin has two themes that he repeatedly touches on: 1) that the Soviet system collapsed from within and 2) that the collapse was remarkably peaceful. Kotkin's work is very good, although at only 200 pages, it is a cursory account of the Soviet collapse.

Kotkin focuses almost entirely on the Soviet system's inner workings. He describes how the Soviet system was destined to collapse from within and would have collapsed earlier had oil prices not increased in the 1970s, allowing the Soviet Union to continue to finance itself. Only with the coming of the new generation - Gorbachev - did anyone in the Soviet leadership have the courage to realize that the system must be changed. However, when Gorbachev tried to save the Soviet Union by liberalizing part of society, he set loose powers and forces and quickly lost control of the country.

It was at this point, Kotkin argues, that the real miracle occurred: while the Soviet Union had used military force to keep Hungary and Czechoslovakia in its sphere, and had an entire security apparatus that had perfected the police state, the Soviet dissolution was almost completely bloodless. The Soviet leadership (or reactionaries in the government) did not crack down on its own citizens, and neither did it lash out at the rest of the world in either a conventional world designed to foment nationalism nor launch a spiteful nuclear strike.

This is a very good book, but it is lacking on details. Kotkin's writes from the perspective of a textbook, making sweeping statements and broad generalizations without much supporting argument. The book also lacks any personal look at the fall of the Soviet Union (other than occasional anecdotes about the leadership), unlike the excellent (but very different) "Lenin's Tomb." Kotkin also completely dismisses any credit to the United States or any other foreign power or policy for the Soviet collapse. Despite these drawbacks, though, this is an excellent book for anyone interested in Soviet/Russian history, modern history, or political science and foreign policy.

Good book, but Kotkin Does Not Answer the Question.......2006-09-25

Kotkin attempts to answer how the Soviet Union and its empire could quickly and quietly implode - a bewildering topic indeed. He posits that Soviet leadership fossilized beginning with the drooling Brezhnev followed by other barely breathing leaders. He does an excellent job explaining how the disunion got started in Gorbachev's reforms, but fails to answer why no Soviet elites stopped him, or later, stopped Yeltsin.

When Gorbachev took over a moribund system, he had a real and abiding commitment to 'socialism with a human face'. He believed the Soviet system could be reformed and set about seriously pursuing reform through perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). As it turned out, Gorbachev was wrong, the system could not be reformed.

The interesting point here is why didn't Gorbachev or, if not him, a reactionary coup leader use the might of the Soviet army and the KGB to put down by force what could not be stopped by reason. It is understandable why Gorbachev let Eastern Europe go; the Russians could not afford the empire any longer, but why let the system fall apart at home without a fight?

Would state violence have worked? Maybe, maybe not, but why wasn't it tried? Kotkin explains why Gorbachev started the process much better than he explains the lack of forceful response by the elites before it was too late. The August 1991 coup led to Yeltsin's ascension and sealed Gorbachev's demise, but again, why did the generals order the troops to return to the barracks without shooting down the forces that were destroying the Soviet empire?

Kotkin does a great job in the first part of the book describing the ossification of the Soviet empire, the late Cold War, and Gorbachev's rise. Kotkin also originally disputes standard Western views of what the economic 'reform' really was and was not. He also does a decent job explaining why 'reform' didn't really work (the same elite who ran the socialist system was also in charge of dismantling it.) His description of the later period leading up to and under Putin is disjointed. All in all, a good book, but Kotkin never really explains why the Empire faded meekly away rather going out in a firestorm of violence.

History's Truths Revealed.......2005-12-25

Kotkin is a first rate historian who dispenses with the slogans, cliches, and jingoism that often cloud Soviet studies. Armageddon Averted is superbly titled and succinctly written. The author takes less than 200 pages of text to explain the ending collapse of the U.S.S.R. - the "death agony of an entire world comprising non-market economies and anti-liberal institutions." It's a pleasure to read history that so elegantly summarizes complex and world changing events without mischaracterizing them. Many "experts" not only failed to anticipate the changes that occurred, but subsequently gave the wrong reasons for them. Kotkin's breadth and depth of knowledge allow him to avoid such blunders. Most highly recommended. Additional plusses are the Notes and Further Reading sections. The naysayers below seem to have axes to grind that cloud their "reviews."

Armageddon Averted: the Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000.(Book Review): An article from: Independent Review

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Armageddon Averted: the Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000.(Book Review): An article from: Independent Review
Jody Lipford
Manufacturer: Independent Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Independent Review, published by Independent Institute on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1548 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Armageddon Averted: the Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000.(Book Review)
Author: Jody Lipford
Publication: Independent Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Independent Institute
Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Page: 453(4)

Article Type: Book Review

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Armageddon Averted The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000

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Armageddon Averted The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000
Stephen Kotkin
Manufacturer: Oxford U.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0WWQG

Armageddon Averted: Soviet Collapse 1970-2000

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Armageddon Averted: Soviet Collapse 1970-2000
Kotkin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKFT5M

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Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000
Stephen Kotkin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKUZ74

Book Description

From the biographies on Galileo and Dorothy Hodgkin to the discussions chronicling the change of science from simply a tool of learning to a major force in society, The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science is the most comprehensive one-volume resource on science from 1550 to the present. Along with chemistry, physics, and biology, the major scientific disciplines are represented in this alphabetically arranged work including astrology, ethnology, and zoology, among many others. General concepts such as gender and science and scientific development are explored along with major time periods that had a tremendous impact on the field including the Enlightenment and Globalization (post-World War II). The coverage is not limited to just one geographical area but is worldwide, tracing science from its traditional centres and explaining how non-western societies have modified and contributed to its global arena. Major divisions of thought including Aristotelianism and mechanical philosophy are also covered as well as an examination of science and its relationship to professional practice and the changing face of disciplines and sub-disciplines. Individual institutions such as CERN and the Third World Academy of Science are explored as well as the epistemology and methodology of scientific knowledge, theoretical constructs, information on apparatus and instruments, the social aspects and responsibilities of science, and the innumerable uses of the applied sciences. Over 90 biographies bring these fields to life with the stories behind the great achievements. Among the notable scientists are Linus Pauling, Margaret Mead, Niels Bohr, Albert Einstein, and Edwin Hubble. An excellent overview of the field of science and its development over the past few generations, The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science is an essential resource for students, historians, teachers, scientists, doctors, engineers, and anyone with an interest in the many and varied aspects of science.

The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science

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The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science
John L. Heilbron J. L. Heilbron
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKLKU0

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Endangered Species Update, published by University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 2002 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Lands of contrast, diversity, and beauty.(desert ecology)
Author: Jim Rorabaugh
Publication: Endangered Species Update (Newsletter)
Date: November 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources
Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Page: S4(4)

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