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But as Gale Stokes shows in this powerful new history--the most comprehensive, analytical, and readable of its kind--momentum for change had been building since 1968, momentum which soon drove past Gorbachev-inspired reforms to outright revolution. In The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Stokes provides a compelling account of the Eastern European struggle for democracy, from the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 through the most recent elections. Stokes vividly describes the thinkers, leaders, and events in each country, showing how the crushing of the Prague Spring had sparked the final disillusioment in Eastern Europe that culminated in the revolts of 1989. In Poland, workers struck again and again to force the government to negotiate, culminating in the creation of Solidarity. Solidarity, he writes, was skillfully led by Lech Walesa, who helped create a ""self-limiting"" revolution with largely apolitical demands. Under General Jeruzelski's martial law, it fostered a ""parallel society"" which proved so successful that Warsaw was forced to recognize the union. In Czechoslovakia, intellectuals turned to ""anti-politics,"" forming Charter 77 to demand that the government abide by its own laws and agreements on civil rights. Stokes also explores the actions of rulers and governments, from Ceausescu's self-glorification to Hungary's official turn toward a more market-based economy. The author interweaves the fast-paced narrative with analytical insight, tracing the path of developments after Gorbachev lifted the lid on reform (showing, for instance, how East German reform crystalized after thousands fled across Hungary's newly-opened border to the West). Stokes provides deft biographical sketches of the key figures, from Polish Communist leader Gierek to Vaclav Havel, and smoothly explains the tangled web of economic theories and reforms. He brings the story right up to the present day, examining the climactic events of 1989, the new democratic, pluralist governments, and the forces at work in the region today. Stokes's highly readable account provides truly comprehensive coverage, including a special chapter on the break-up and war in Yugoslavia. For anyone who wants a clear picture of the new Europe and the events behind it, The Walls Came Tumbling Down offers an authoritative, seamless history filled with keen analysis and human drama."  (less)

thousands of servers providing information to millions of users. Few people, however, realize that the Web was born at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, and that it was invented by an Englishman, Tim Berners-Lee. Offering its readers an unprecedented ""insider's"" perspective, this new book was co-written by two CERN employees - one of whom, Robert Cailliau, was among the Web's pioneers. It tells how the idea for the Web came about at CERN, how it was developed, and how it was eventually handed over at no charge for the rest of the world to use. The first book-length account of the Web's development, How the Web was Born draws upon several interviews with the key players in this amazing story. This compelling and highly topical book is certain to interest all general readers with a taste for the Web or the Internet, as well as students and teachers of computing, technology, and applied science."  (less)

this tropical paradise. A war of the worlds between people who live in a hidden city at the bottom of the sea and the web-footed, gill-headed mutants who secretly run the resort.  (less)

a headache and diagrams that you can't make heads or tails of. Now what do you do? Help is at your fingertips with the real answers to the real questions a beginner asks. In plain English, you'll get advice on everything from how to start up to sending e-mail, checking spelling, using the internet, doing some e-finance, planning your trip online. And now, this completely revised edition of the very best starter's guide also covers Microsoft's most up-to-the-minute operating system, Windows XP--which comes standard in all new PCs. You'll see exactly what this desktop looks like and how to use it to get connected on the net, play the latest and greatest games, and take advantage of the most modern hardware. As you explore the World Wide Web, take along this complete introduction to your PC.br/div  (less)

the rose garden at the Simpson house, he came upon a startling discovery, which brought in the police. Book 10 of the Hawkman Series.  (less)

its own.As it turns out, Mac OS X harbors just as many delicious secrets as any system that came before. You just have to know where to find them. And Mac OS X Hints: Jaguar Edition is the guide you need. Inside, you'll find 560 high-octane secrets in every conceivable category:Desktop and Finder. How to shut down using only the keyboard; use an animated screen saver as a desktop picture; and jump to System Preferences with a keystroke.iApps. How to burn six hours of iTunes music onto a single CD; merge calendars in iCal; and prevent iMovie 3 from applying the Ken Burns effect.Mac OS X programs. How unlock 32,000 secret Unicode symbols in each font; rename the System Preferences panels; add an ""Email this page"" button to Safari; and make Mail announce, in a cute British accent: ""Mail has arrived, O all-wise master.""Mastering the system. How to share Web bookmarks between Mac OS X and Classic; connect to your Mac from the road; and make your iDisk work ten times faster; and.Terminal. Unix fiends have never seen anything like the 105 pages of Terminal brilliance in this book. They explain how to save Terminal commands as Finder icons; put background programs to sleep; wake a sleeping Mac via the Internet; unearth the secret emacs adventure game; set up a message board on your Apache-based Web site; and more.With authority, humor, and 440 illustrations, Mac OS X Hints: Jaguar Edition brings you insight, surprise, and delight at every turn. And that, after all, is what the Mac is all about."  (less)

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studies in comparative history ever written."" The book was honored with the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize, the Merle Curti Award, and a jury nomination for the Pulitzer Prize. Now comes the sequel to that acclaimed work. In Black Liberation, George Fredrickson offers a fascinating account of how blacks in the United States and South Africa came to grips with the challenge of white supremacy. He reveals a rich history--not merely of parallel developments, but of an intricate, transatlantic web of influences and cross-fertilization. He begins with early moments of hope in both countries--Reconstruction in the United States, and the liberal colonialism of British Cape Colony--when the promise of suffrage led educated black elites to fight for color-blind equality. A rising tide of racism and discrimination at the turn of the century, however, blunted their hopes and encouraged nationalist movements in both countries. Fredrickson teases out the connections between movements and nations, examining the transatlantic appeal of black religious nationalism (known as Ethiopianism), and the pan-Africanism of Du Bois and Garvey. He brings to vivid life the decades of struggle, organizing, and debate, as blacks in the United States looked to Africa for identity and South Africans looked to America for new ideas and hope. The book traces the rise of Communist influence in black movements in the two nations in the 1920s and '30s, and the adoption of Gandhian nonviolent protest after World War II. The story of India's struggle, however, was not to be repeated in either America or South Africa: in one nation, nonviolence revealed its limitations, encouraging splits in the civil rights movement; in the other, it failed, fostering an armed"  (less)

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a professional astrologer. Or you could try to digest a mass of jargon, buzzwords, and directions requiring several books and a math tutor to give you any information at all. Now, a much better choice is available. ""Astrology For Dummies is your guide to making astrology both relevant and accessible. This entertaining guide shows you how to cast your birth chart, understand the ways in which the planets affect you, and discover what your horoscope means for romance, work, and the future. In ""Astrology For Dummies, you find out how to interpret sun signs, moon signs, rising signs, and more; apply astrology to everyday decisions; and analyze relationships. This book even shows you how to use astrology to pick your mate, and it also helps you take advantage of astrology software and Web sites. Not to be confused with ""Astronomy For Dummies, ""Astrology For Dummies will have the stars shining in your favor!"  (less)

once expected Ditko to return to the book within a few months and when he didn't, history was truly made. A history that is now fully explored by writer Tom Spurgeon and this presentation of the definitive book - lavishly illustrated with classic and unseen art -- starring Jazzy John Romita! From his days before Marvel, through the Sliver Age, and his days designing and creating the characters we know and love still today (including Wolverine, the Punisher and many, many more), Romita: Generations covers it all. Spurgeon's exhaustive interview includes not only Romita Sr., but the second beloved artist in the family, John Romita Jr.! About Tom Spurgeon Tom Spurgeon is one of North America's best-known experts on the comic strip and comic book art forms and the industries that service them. The son of a newspaperman in East Central Indiana, Tom and his brothers helped their father select new strips for the paper's comic-book page, making the Muncie Star-Press one of the first publications to carry Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side, as well as sone of the few to carry Rudy. After receiving a broad education at Washington and Lee University and a focused one at Garrett seminary on the campus of Northwestern University, Tom worked briefly for QVC, Inc. Drawing on experience in his nepotism-fueled career as a beat writer, editor and entertainment reporter, Tom in 1994 took the position of managing editor at The Comics Journal in Seattle, Washington. Tomedited the Journal for five years, first as managing editor and then as executive editor. During that time, the magazine won multiple industry awards, increased its focus on world comics and encouraged the comics community to see small press and mini-comics as legitimate artistic outlets rather than a training ground for traditionally published works. In forcing the magazine to build on the breadth and depth of its coverage, Tom helped improve the magazine's general mainstream profile as one of American Arts' most unique and valuable publications. When literary comics began to make a major impact in the late 1990s, the Journal was the gateway publication for many editors and writers to understand the phenomenon. Tom also edited the magazine's infamous Stan Lee issue (October 1995) and helped launch its popular companion Web site. In 1999, Tom left the magazine to become a freelancer. He remains a columnist, reviewer and occasional newsman for the publication he previously edited. He has written about comics and a variety of arts-related subjects for Suck.com, Feed, The Stranger, and more than a dozen newspapers and regional magazines. From 1999 to 2002, he wrote the critically lauded newspaper comic strip Wildwood, which enjoyed a daily presence in more than 18 mill  (less)