100

Verbatim 94554 700 MB 52X 80 Minute CD-R, 100 Disc Spindle with Reinforced Packaging to Minimize Breakage
$49.99
this should be a good deal and also should last me a long time. Too bad the sleeves or plastic cases are so high priced or low quality.

The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century
$25.95
George Friedman, the author of The Next 100 Years, is the founder and CEO of STRATFOR, a private intelligence and forecasting company. He is the author of four books and numerous articles on national security, information warfare, computer security, and the intelligence business. He lives in Austin, Texas.

If the reader of this book is a severe critic of the United States, that reader must be prepared for an author who is very pro United States. While Friedman's bias is indeed extreme, he does a very credible and learned job of defending his position with substantial informed levels of information. Secondly, the reader will find in this book an interesting discussion on wars and their effects. Third, this author reveals a fascinating forecasting methodology. Friedman states, "...it is important that I address my method - that is, precisely how I can forecast what I do. I don't intend to be taken seriously on the details of the war in 2050 that I forecast. But I do want to be taken seriously in terms of how wars will be fought then, about the centrality of American power, about the likelihood of other countries challenging that power, and about some of the countries I think will - and won't - challenge that power." Finally, I found the author's views on the next 100 years to be, to say the least, dramatic!

Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby
$16.00
I love this book!! It has so many great idea's for baby food. I would definitely recommend this to new moms like myself or even moms that are just wanting to feed there baby healthyer baby food.

Best Classics 100 Volume 1
$19.98
There is no shortage of CDs offering an introduction to classical music, but this would be my pick for the best. As this is a six CD-set, I'll provide six reasons for this opinion.

(1) Selections. Any product claiming to be the 100 best classics has its work cut out for it when distilling the huge range of material making up "classical music" (as it is conventionally described) into six CDs. EMI has succeeded here, in my opinion. There are tastes ranging from Baroque to 20th Century, and selections including symphonic, concerto and opera. The big name composers are here, with the 3 "titans" of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart receiving a little extra presence. There are a few surprises (James Horner's "Titanic"), but for the most part, the selections probably reflect conventional perceptions of "classical music".

(2) Performance Quality. I have heard some clasical music overviews with a noticeable dropoff in quality from track to track. That's not the case here. EMI's recordings are extensive, and it shows in these selections. Included here are some familiar conductors (Karajan, Marriner, Davis, Previn) and ensembles (Academy of St. Martin, London Philharmonic, Berliner Philharmoniker). The performances and recording quality are consistently high.

(3) Quantity. There are six CDs here, each with over 70 minutes of music. As some reviewers have pointed out, these are not full performances, but rather selections from famous pieces, which I would estimate typically run about three to five minutes in length. As the title idicates, it is a collection of 100 "Greatest Hits". This approach is a detriment for some, but my take is that a focus on hi-lites is appropriate for a classical music overview. Even though I own complete recordings for many of these selections, I often listen to these CDs when I am in the mood for variety. The selections usually run long enough to give a satisfying taste of the full work.

(4) Accesibility. One of the reasons I think that this is a good introduction to classical music is that a good number of the tracks here are probably recognizable to those who do not consider themselves classical music listeners. The selections here are often the stuff of movie, TV and commercial soundtracks, and its hard to believe that anyone with an interest in music will not hear something familiar here. The "Greatest Hits" approach means that for a lot of people, a selection will probably stick to what they recognize and move on to the next one.

(5) Bang for the Buck. Classical music in general tends to be a bargain when compared to pop music, but this set has a fantastic price. Currently Amazon is selling this for $20 or less. It's an amazing price for 6 CDs of this quality, and a good example of the physical CD being less expensive than downloading each track individually. (Actually, just about all the other entries in EMI's 100 Best series are great bargains).

(6) Packaging. EMI packages this (and the other 100 Best volumes) in a nifty little compact case. The case holds 6 CDs in approximately the space needed for two single CD jewel cases. That said, be careful with the folding trays, as they are probably too thin to withstand a lot of abuse...

In short, I am a big fan of EMI's 100 Best series, and I think this set is probably the best for providing an introduction or overview of the classical genre. Those who like this set should also consider its companion (Volume 2).