Book Review Format

The first thing you'll see, at the top of every file, is a filename and date. 
The filename is more for me than you, but if you want to point out an error, or
ask a particular question, it'd be helpful if you make a note of the filename. 
The date (in a six digit YYMMDD format) is the last time I reviewed this
particular book.  (I sometimes do several reviews as different versions come
out.)

The next section of information is bibliographic and publisher information. 
Older reviews, up until mid-1994, didn't always have the author's full name, an
ISBN (International Standard Book Number), or a price.  Newer reviews use the
UNIX addlib format.  If you want more info on addlib, check the man pages under
"refer".  Here is a short explanation:

          %A   Author's name (separate %A line for each)
          %C   City (place of publication or publisher's address)
          %D   Date (year) of publication
          %E   Editor (of book or series)
          %G   Government order number (usually use this for ISBN)
          %I   Issuer (publisher's name and imprint)
          %O   Comments/etc. (use for format/price, ordering info) 
          %P   Page number(s) (use for page count)
          %S   Series title
          %T   Title of article or book

Most reviews contain a line with the title, author(s), date, ISBN and price.

If you need more info about any of the books (such as the price, which I can't
always find), please don't ask me.  I've included pretty much everything I
could find, and if it isn't there, I probably don't have it.  I have included
publisher contact information for you if you want to pursue it further.

In regard to the content, let me note that, except for one or two, none of
these are "my" books in any way.  I only wrote one (or two), I didn't publish
any, I'm not a paid publicist, and I'm not a bookstore.  I don't know why
people keep making this mistake, but they do, so I'm trying to clear this up
first.

Which leads to the second point.  A lot of people seem rather surprised to find
that I occasionally say bad things about some of the books.  Well, why
shouldn't I?  Some of the books are really bad!  I figure I am doing this for
the general public who want to know what book to buy on a given topic.  Since
the best books aren't always available, I think that a negative review can be
of positive value in telling you what to stay away from.  In any case, I try to
"tell it like it is" so that you can make an informed reading or buying
decision.  (Some of the reviews where I have been most critical have still been
of value to someone, particularly when a bad book happens to be the *only* book
on a given topic, and thus important regardless of how lousy it is.)  And, for
those who feel I've been hard on their favourite book, remember that I'm
equally hard on everyone.  I'm a cruel reviewer, but fair  :-)

For those authors and publishers who are interested in being included, reviews
will appear first in appropriate groups and lists on the Internet.  Some
reviews will be used in various DECUS Canada newsletters, as well as other
publications.  Please send review copies to:  Rob Slade, 3118 Baird Road, North
Vancouver, BC, Canada   V7K 2G6 (phone number for airbills: +1-604-988-4097). 
Publishers shipping from outside of Canada are advised to label the materials
as samples per GST section 215(1), without value and not subject to GST.  Also
please note that UPS seems to have extreme difficulty in getting shipments into
the country.