Imagine how you would put this collection together: You would want something from the creator (Sherwood Shwartz, hope I spelled it correctly); you would want something about the cast; you would want the episodes in all their pristine, black & white, first season glory with excellent sound.

Well, it is all here. I have no problem with the double sided DVD's (remember, what it says on the side facing up is what you get when it plays. If you can see "side B" staring at you when you put it in the player, that is what will play), no problem with the rather attractive fold-out case (which includes helpful synopes of the episodes on the cover, without spoilers no less. Very thoughfully done). I have alot of DVDS and these were easier than average to remove from the case (Star Trek: Next Gen were far more difficult, for example).

Add to that the extremely favorable price and this is surely one of the best buys in DVD land. This is also the one American comedy series that my Japanese wife enjoys (well, Japanese comedy is pretty low brow and loveable as well).

Buy it now. It is the right thing to do.

...this book makes you think about where a painting starts, what idea drives it and how to achieve it with our chosen medium of oils. The insightfulness of the author's comments almost sounds philosophical at times, while, in fact, being extremely practical. An excellent resource for getting more quality into your painting. The author is obviously very experienced at painting with a gift for teaching, as well.

There are many excellent example paintings, both positive and negative, well-reproduced on glossy paper. The book is a joy to look at (I like the author's style of painting) and very educational.

This book has survived several reductions/turnovers in my home library and will no doubt survive them all. It's a keeper! Buy it now.

...this is one of my favorite Silverberg novels. Five stars may seem rather high, but I have found pleasure in reading it many times, and what truer measure of value is there than repeated enjoyable readings?
It is considered to be a minor work in the Silverberg opus, however. If you are looking for pretense or snob-literature, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for the definitive statement of Silverberg-the-writer, then this is not that either (and there is no such book, Silverbob has had too varied and rich a career to be epitomized by any one work).
If, on the other hand, you want a strongly plotted story with some interesting characters and events, a world you can enjoy dipping into from time to time, then this book is great! The story has great drive and the motivations are well-justified and intense.
One note: Although I have never yet seen it mentioned (well, I haven't looked very hard), I suspect that this book is a "tribute novel" to Jack Vance's "To Live Forever" which contains many of the same devices and even very similar scenes in certain places (this is legitimate in SF, by the way; TLA is a very different work than TLF in essential ways). I wonder if anyone can confirm this for me? TLF was published, I believe, in the same year that Silverberg won the Hugo for Most Promising etc (1956).
Anyway, buy it, enjoy it, read it again later. I did.

In this book, Michael takes us into the kitchens of the CIA once again. He shows us some of the best chefs in the country, as they labor under the enormous stress of taking the CIA's 'Certified Master Chef' exams.

He then travels to two of America's finest restaurants and explores the character of the Chefs who created them. Along the way, we meet some other colorful characters and some very delightful-sounding food.

That's it in a nutshell. The reason I love this book is because it shows the heart and intensity of what I can only call the 'love of food' and the 'striving for excellence' that both of these Chefs possess. The discussion of their ingenuity in creating new dishes is very interesting as well, but it is the sheer PASSION for cooking that Michael communicates to us that kept my eyeballs glued to the pages.

I have now read both of Michael's books on this subject: The Making of a Chef and The Soul of a Chef. I finished them both in about two weeks and my understanding of the world of cooking, not to mention my faith in the human race (how could you not love a species that is capable of such positive, again, passion??), has simply been...transformed.

Thank you, Michael.

Why are you here? Are you interested in this subject? Then buy it. It's 11 bucks and an absolutely magnetic read. Talk about a deal.

More specifically, the author takes us through the CIA, from weeks spent in Sanitation and Skills and a plethora of other courses, to one week in the best restaurant in the Culinary Institute's portfolio. Along the way, we learn about the hard-charging personalities who become Chefs (with a capital "C"), we hear alot about different kinds of food (and what it takes to prepare them really WELL), and, above all, we become inspired to get more deeply involved with whatever we are doing in the kitchen. Even if it is just our own home kitchen.

The world of great cooking is theatrical and exacting and a lot of darn hard work. There are only three ways to learn about the premier training ground for this fabulous profession: pay a ton of money and become a student there, take a tour if you are visiting in the area, or buy this book.

Or, for that matter, do all three. But start with the book.
Buy it now.

It is true that Chomsky spends a great deal of time criticizing his own country and relatively little criticizing other countries. He is even kind enough to tell us why: Because, as a citizen of the USA, it is simply more sensible, efficient and responsible for him to focus his efforts there. As a voter and a public personality, he can make a difference in the US, much more so than in other countries. He believes, in short, that criticism, like charity, begins at home. In no way does he excuse the oppressive governments of other countries. He does force the realization, however, that we simply DO NOT KNOW if those governments would have ended up being oppressive in the absence of American foreign policy atrocities, because, in fact, many of them were never given the chance.
At the very least, Chomsky's work can help us to "de-brainwash" ourselves. We may not end up agreeing with him (I disagree with his viewpoint on the Second Amendment, for example), but at least we will be thinking 'outside the box', for a short time, anyway. And it is always good to do that as it leads to further insights. This is the way society evolves.
Five stars for the always thought-provoking Mr. Chomsky. Don't be afraid to think afresh, people. Buy it now.

This book was written by a man whose greatest committment appears to be NOT to a political party, his own self-interest, or some other more or less selfish and narrow agenda, but rather to seeing clearly, reasoning fairly, and calling a spade a spade. If you want to get the point of view of someone who is as non-brainwashed as possible, look no further. This man, at least, is sane.

It is interesting to note that he is also off the radar screens of the right-wing gang-bangers. Otherwise they would be here saying nothing and pulling the rating down.

...and very fine explainer, that is Noam Chomsky. I do not understand why anyone would label this book "controversial". He does nothing but state facts (often government-documented facts) and express opinions. When he doesn't know, he says so. This kind of behavior is controversial? If so, then heaven help us.

But it IS controversial, because many of my fellow citizens have been persuaded to stop seeing, and stop thinking. When that is the case, even the most well-documented, thoroughly proven facts become controversial. Very sad.

The (well-proven) export of terrorism by the U.S.
The (palpably obvious) lack of real distinction between Republicans and Democrats.
The (thoroughly documented) U.S. suppression of independence movements world-wide.
The (again, well-supported) derailing of the Mideast peace process by the U.S. and Israel.
Etc, etc, it is all here.

There are a couple of weak areas: Chomsky's espousal of anarchism (perhaps I just "don't get it") and his failure to understand that there were, in fact, very plausible reasons for assassinating Kennedy (Chomsky understands why King was offed, but doesn't get Kennedy, who, in my opinion, was obviously killed to support Johnson's life-long ambition to be President).

All is all, an excellent book which confirms and greatly extends many of the conclusions I have come to over the years. Part of the reason I have chosen to live outside the U.S., I suppose.

Buy and enjoy.

The art and music of this movie are really objectionable. The bridge is very cluttered and old-fashioned looking, clearly infected by "Enterprise" art concepts, leading one to believe that the technology of Picard's time has actually gone backward! I love "Enterprise" for what it is: a nostalgic look at the old days. But completely inappropriate to let the art direction of that series have such influence here.

The music in the beginning is cheaply melodramatic and really grates.

The overall effect is one of a show that has sacrificed the smooth, high-tech appearance that we have come to know as "Next Gen" in favor of an appearance that was out-of-date when Kirk was alive. Bad move.

The plot is inherently good, but poorly executed. Both the location of the final battle and the way it ends lack meaning. Having said that, the battle itself is quite interesting. Also, the lines given to the Romulan commander at the end of this movie are so inappropriately saccharine and phony as to defy belief.

It is also both true and sad that, as another reviewer noted, the ending of this movie completely invalidates the ending of the TV series, which ending was a vastly superior piece of work.

Final conclusion: go ahead and buy it for the extras, but the movie will disappoint. Too much "Enterprise", not enough "Next Gen".

This book has as much information as you would expect for a book of 350 pages, yet reads as enjoyably quickly as a good novel not much more than half its length. I really enjoyed reading about Smith's family life, as well as his connections in, and devotion to, his neighborhood community.

Also, as a previous reviewer said, the story of the presidential conventions and elections is excitingly told. The writer doesn't lose the objective voice of scholarly detachment while immersing us in the excitement of the moment.

I very much valued the perspective this book gave me on events that are much more well known, such as FDR's rise to power, the ominous reality of the Ku Klux Klan, etc. Al Smith's pivotal influence on American politics and society is brought well into the light and it's a marvelous sight.

This is the story of a life lived both humble and large about a very, very American man and a great New Yorker. And it has been told very well. If you are interested in Al Smith, New York, or American politics in general, then this is a great read. Buy it now.