Series Books

With each new Bone book I get, I never get disappointed. Each book is more and more engrossing. While the black and white issues are the originals, the colors add more to the overall story than I would have guessed. The art is great, the epic story is amazing and the colors just help bring everything together even more.

I gotta say that once you get into the Bone series, it's hard to stop reading it, and I really enjoyed this volume, which is mostly about the antics and schemes of Phoney Bone as he tries to swindle people out of their money, hurting others along the way as things backfire terribly. Definitely great stuff!

The Bone series really hits its stride in this volume. Continuing the excellence from previous volumes, the story deepens and builds into a truly great fantasy tale, on par with classics of the prose fantasy world. I'd give this volume more than 5 stars if I could. Highly recommended.

Side note: - While I understand the all ages appeal of the Bone series; I find it odd that these books get shelved (and buried from a wider range of readers) in the young adult sections of the major chain stores. It would be better to shelve them with Graphic Novels or SciFi/Fantasy.

Jeff Smith's BONE: THE DRAGONSLAYER provides another fine graphic novel in Book 4 of the Bone series. Here the forces of evil are growing - and the roots may be within the Bone family itself. Full-color graphic novel pages entice kids to read the Bone adventures, and even newcomers will find it easy to jump in.

Action, suspense, mystery, with a winning plot and great characters, this beautifully mastered chapter in the bone series is top notch! I can't wait for the next book in the (assumed nine-part) series to come out!

You will find unknown things about your furry friend, such as what they express with their body language, details on the different kinds of dwarf hamsters, health section, breeding section...it's a complete guide to understand your pet, and it has a great variety of pics!!!

I had been frustrated when looking for dwarf hamster information since so much that I found was focused on the larger size hamsters. This book solved my problems, plus is has species specific information (Campbell's versus Robo, etc). My one complaint is that they do not properly address the issue of diabetes in dwarf hamsters and even have pictures of Campbell's eating fruit.
Regardless, the gem of this book is in the pictures. The photos are of Cute Overload quality and even the illustrations are adorable. Worth buying just for the photos!

This book has sooooo many details abouut dwarf hamsters. It tells of many tips and how-to's of taking care of your dwarf hamster pet. It also gives much information about understanding your hamster, what it needs, and about the history and origins of the 4 different types of dwarf hamsters. Another section includes the breeding of dwarf hamsters. It is very scientifical and educational and can really help you with your house pet.

Very informative book on dwarf hamsters. Wife and daughter both thought it was a very good book to start out with. What information it didn't have we found online. Overall they like it very much.

This book was an great resource for my dwarf hamster and helped me learn all I need to know about taking care of it. I totally recommend this book.

Used to listen to this on tape and wanted to replace it with cd so I could listen to it in the car. If you want to get a taste of life in 1660's London, this is it. The written diaries are also fascinating but fairly hard to read, so Kenneth Branagh helps us out here. Anyone interested in English history will be very pleased with this diary. If you don't yet know who Pepys is then, for sure, you need to buy this. I've listened to it at least twice over the years and alway hear something new with each listening. Highly recommended!

I chose to listen to this book because I felt I "should" be better acquainted with what can arguably be called the most famous diary in history. I looked upon it as a chore that would improve my mind.

I may have, indeed, improved my mind but it turned out to be no chore! What an absolute delight. I've read many historical novels that weren't half as exciting, funny and fascinating as this book. I kept having to remind myself that this man REALLY lived through all these things -- the plague, the great London fire, the machinations of the court.

Plus, his willingness to expose in frank (and sometimes bawdy) detail his personal life, health, sexual dalliances, etc., brought *him* as well as his times vividly to life.

I doubt if trying to read through the actual diary would be as much fun, but the editors' careful selection of entries culled out the best bits while never losing continuity.

And what more can I add to the praise of Branagh as narrator? The man is a phenomenal talent and shows it in this book. Never over-acting, he manages to convey a perfect tone (for instance, just the hint of a whisper at the more personal parts, as though Pepys was confiding in us).

All in all, this book convinced me that improving my mind doesn't HAVE to be tedious.

Of course it is not the complete Pepy's diary but is wonderful to listen to while on long drives. Kenneth Brannagh as the reader brings life into the English language of yesterday. I wonder if a movie is in the offing.

Samuel Pepys' Pepys' Diary is an outstanding classic which comes to life in audio cd format, narrated by Kenneth Branagh whose background in film and direction lend to a vivid narrative indeed. Pepys' classic has lasted centuries because it records in vivid descriptions the bygone world of 17th-century London life: this vivid written word in turn translates well into audio and brings a rich history to life.

I loved these tapes. I concur with the reviews that they are addictive - better for a long country ride than a harried rush hour. Then let Pepys (Branagh) be your witty and engrossing travel companion.

It obviously helps to be familar with the Restoration to enhance your enjoyment of these diaries; though many with even a general background will still find them entertaining. Highly recommended.

Superb. Simply. Great literature. The character of John, the main character's friend was the best and most gratifying of all. Please obtain and let your eyes go to work. To think the author died short of fifty. Man, we get burned sometimes.

I am thilled to see this book being available in hardcover and paperback as well. I read this book about ten years ago and I read it regularly every couple of years. The story is very compelling and the scene of the protagonist walking home through a run-down community is a classic of American literature.

What this book and O'Connor's other novel, The Last Hurrah, apart is the writing. In an era where writers seem to challenge one another to be more like Faukner and less comprehensible to the average man, O'Connor wrote very well and his language is beautiful. From this fine prose arises really deep characters which are flawed and so easily identifiable to us all.

I found this to be a wonderful novel and a great pleasure to read. I have been trying to find this for years and could not in any bookstore. While this could not translate to the movies as easily as Last Hurrah, I found this to be so much more interesting. A truly Catholic novel, it is a joy to find something that takes spiritual issues seriously and yet is hardly preachy. And if you are Irish, the dialogues of the "friends" of the family will make you laugh outloud while reading. This brought back the charms and frustrations of my childhood and my own family of Irish aunts and uncles. Long but worth the effort. A great find.

As I was reading THE EDGE OF SADNESS, I couldn't help but think that in 1961, when this Pulitzer Prize winning novel was published, it must have been rather controversial. It dealt with the humanity of priests, noting flaws but in a respectful manner. While some writers such as Georges Bernanos dealt with such issues in his DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST, American audiences were still used to the Hollywood Big Screen concoctions of Spencer Tracy--Father Flanagan/Bing Crosby--Father O'Malley models of priesthood. While the priest in THE EDGE OF SADNESS may be worthy of the warmth and love given to his movie counterparts, he's hardly perfect.

The novel tells the story of an alcoholic priest named Hugh Kennedy beginning again in ministry in an older, run down parish. Readers get a sense he's not the priest he once was, and throughout the novel we learn of his early ministry, the ramifications of the death of his father, the struggle with alcohol, and the loneliness that is a real part of his life. The book is written in the first person, and we hear the story of his life as he tells of his rekindling of a friendship with the Carmody family: Charlie, the patriarch, his son John the priest, Dan, the ne'er do well, Helen, the outspoken sister married to a doctor and Mary, the daughter who remains at home to care for the aging but still independent and at times ruthless Charlie. We also meet a host of minor characters: Helen's husband Frank, their son and daughter-in-law Ted and Anne, Charlie's longtime friends P.J. and Bucky, Roy, the maintenance man who works at Fr. Kennedy's church, and Fr. Stanley Danowski, the endearing yet naïve and at time nerdy young curate at Fr. Kennedy's parish. As the events of the novel unfold, we see changes in Fr. Kennedy as he discovers his love for God and his vocation.

This is an older style novel in many ways. O'Connor is not short on words and he gives a number of details, yet the novel flows and is a fast read for a volume of nearly 650 pages. The issues of struggles in priesthood, vitality of parishes, older priest verses younger priest, unstated yet real competition between clergy people, and a hunger for God are all present in this book. In some ways if some historical details were changed in the book, it could be about modern day Catholic life. Perhaps this is the power of this book and why it can seem timeless. While it tells a story from an earlier day, it's not an invitation for nostalgia, at least for Catholic readers. Instead it will remind readers of what truly matters in life: the importance of faith, and the importance of having people who love us and people we love in return. While it may seem dated in some ways, readers will agree that the editors at Loyola Press were correct in reissuing this book as a classic.

This simple but beautiful bittersweet story of life among the Irish-American citizens of an unnamed eastern city is a joyful and beguiling tale. O'Connor's characterizations and dialogues are engaging and from my personal experience utterly authentic. I feel as though I have met all the main chacters and could give them names among family and acquaintances. The set piece of Father Kennedy' battle with alcoholism is tastefully done.

If you're reading this review, then you must not own volume one of Firefly: The Official Companion. If you did, then you wouldn't need a review to sell you on this one. So I have a piece of advice for you: buy both books. If you have a place in your heart for Firefly, then make a place on your coffee table for these books. Each one is overflowing with behind-the-scenes information about every episode of Firefly. There's sure to be something to interest every fan. I particularly enjoy all the prop info. You get detailed views of props and weapons, along with insight from the prop team as to how they made or modified each item. Fascinating stuff, and indispensable if you're a gamer.
Treat yourself to these books. You won't regret it.

Great resource for the true Firefly fan. The show scripts are fun to read, especially with the chinese words translated, so you know what the gorram they were really saying. I loved the section: Jayne's Weapons, with a detailed look at Vera, one of the most notorious guns ever to grace the small or big screen. They discuss how they designed Vera, where the original gun came form, and how they added the special touches to make it unique to the Firefly 'verse.
A plethora of inset comments from the actors, and production crew, throughout the book, add insights into the action behind the scenes of making the show. Floor Plans of Serenity, and displays of various prop models of the ship, and many other props used make a nice addtion to the wealth of information.

This is the follow-up and completion of companion books to the cancelled-but-still-growing-its-fanbase Firefly television series. It provides the shooting scripts ans photo stills from the remaining episodes, as well as numerous sidebars featuring backstories and insights into the actors, crew, props, and the inner thoughts of series' creator, Joss Whedon. This glossy volume is heavily laden with color photographs, costume concept designs for the various characters, and pre-production sketches. If you have a love for the series and the Big Damn Movie ("Serenity"), you will feel compelled to buy this book.

I missed Firefly, the first time around, and didn't discover the series until after I'd rented Serenity. I can't call myself a confirmed browncoat, though I really *really* liked everything about the show.

But when I saw this book on the library's New Books stack, I grabbed it. I think you should grab a copy, too, even if you're no die-hard fan. Because this book is _fun_.

Most of the book is episode scripts (half of them; the other half are in Volume One). That's worth the price alone, because the scripts are immensely readable. Like other intelligent shows, the dialogue is both fast and thoughtful, and you might not have caught everything when you heard it the first or second time around. In particular, the scripts include the translations from the Chinese expletives, and most of them are _very_ funny.

And the "stage direction" is not the dispassionate descriptive sort ("Man enters, wearing a hat"). It reflects the entire mood of the show:
INARA walks towards them, heading for the stairs up to the shuttle catwalk. She's dressed with stunning elegance.
KAYLEE: Hey there, 'Nara. Heading off for some glamorous romance?
Simon turns, momentarily stunned by her elegance.

If you're a screenwriter, this is absolutely a must-have.

The book is also peppered with cast interviews, stories about the creation of Firefly's theme song, production explanations on how, for example, they created Niska's Skyplex. In this book, you can spend an enjoyable few hours investigating how a show can be done *right*...even if the network screwed it up.

Just to let future buyers be aware....this book (and Vol. 1) are basically just the scripts to the (REALLY FUN) shows. As my husband put it, "It's just the lines, without the wonderful delivery the actors achieved in the shows." I thought it would be more like the various other "about" books that exist about popular movies/TV shows - full of pictures and other fun "about" stuff. In my opinion, these two books were not that.

Rooted in both vigor and simplicity, this chemistry text will amaze you. Pauling is very mindful of how the student ought to recieve information and in that he carefully picks the order of topics. Too often people disreguard the importance of the presentation of information. It's a shame because they are being willfully ignorant to techniques that catalyze and promote learning. Our brains are more responsive to associative learning because biologically that's what goes on in neural circuitry. Anyways, it's best I don't spur off into a tangent. Buy this book. It taught me chemistry.

Nothing to say about this well known book as a hi level introduction to general chemistry.
What it's amazing is to buy such new book at such price !

This book will never look old. Its still much more clear than many (college) chemistry books. In my opinion this volume should be suggested as a reference for a general chemistry college course.

This is an interesting, if somewhat dated and eccentric textbook by the man who was probably the leading chemist of the twentieth century. It is full of interesting insight, and written with real flair, so much unlike the typical textbook today produced by the textbook publishing machines.

Let me give a couple of examples, good and bad, of what makes this book interesting, but also exasperating.

The book is the only freshman chemistry text I know of that has a derivation of the Boltzmann distribution P ~ e^(-E/kT), a very basic relation in the kinetic theory of gases and in fact in all of statistical physics. The derivation is simpler than most, which makes it a real jewel especially at this level, where most people would think it doesn't belong.

On the other hand, the section on chemical bonding, which is actually where Pauling made his reputation, is very eccentric, like the author, so much so that it makes the book unsuitable as the sole text for a course. It is all based on sp3 hybrid orbitals. As far as I can tell, sp2 and sp hybrids are never mentioned. With the sp3 story, Pauling is able to account surprisingly well for some systematics of bond lengths. Whether this is fortuitous or not, I don't know, but it is interesting. On the other hand, without sp2 and sp hybrids, he is completely unable to give the standard, very simple, beautiful account of bond angles. A student learning introductory chemistry from this text who then went into organic chemistry would soon be at a disadvantage without knowing the theory of hybrid orbitals that everyone else would get from any of the standard contemporary texts.

My recommendation: use this text as a very insightful, quirky supplement. The price is certainly right.

The text that comes closest, in my opinion, in seriousness, if not eccentricity, is the contemporary text by Oxtoby and coauthors. It is too highbrow though for most college introductory chemistry courses.

This is by far the best introductory book I have seen so far. It is very concise and thorough. There are no flashy pictures or cool sidenotes with the practical applications of the concepts. But the basic concepts are very well explained with lots of helpful diagrams. Also, the price of the book is very good. Hooray for Dover Publications for publishing this masterpiece as such reasonable price!

I enjoyed reading this book. God is using us through his various callings and vocations -- the world of sociology just calls them "roles." According to Veith, faith gives our calling or vocation "meaning." Also, as Christians we do not do sinful work, nor do we desire to harm others while pursuing our calling (thus, we would not engage in office "back stabbing"). He stresses that the Lord God Almighty is using us where we are -- in the office, as parents, as children, etc. We are uniquely positioned by God Himself to carry out His purposes. We know what our duties are, and carry them out according to Biblical principles of personal conduct.
Part of me, however, is asking the questions: what about our Christian witness? What about interceding for our co-workers in prayer (he speaks more about praying for ourselves and bearing our cross in vocation)? What Christian qualities are essential for manifestation in the workplace? I have these question, yes, but at the same time I think that Prof. Veith has hit on the essentials: bearing one's cross, prayer, and resting in our vocation.
A Christian friend of mine who is perennially "between jobs" now is working in a place where sometimes he's on the front desk, sometimes he's laying tiles, sometimes he's witnessing to people and sharing the gospel message. He likes to talk about irons in the fire, and how in the days ahead he hopes to be doing 'more.' I told him about vocation (having just read Prof. Veith's book) -- that he was serving the Lord in the here and now by these various activities. His various duties TODAY are his vocation. He was immensely encouraged when I said that. His outlook immediately brightened. My conclusion: Prof. Veith's work provides us with essential understandings for pastoral encouragement. Amen.

This book is excellent for showing the relationship between vocation and how God works in the world. It gets to the point in multiple ways, allowing the reader to clearly see that vocation is an important doctrine that Christianity has seemed to put in a drawer and forget. Veith's writing is clear. The book moves and does not become bogged down in what could be a ponderous subject. I was reading this book based on a group review of the book and was very surprised at how useful the book is and how well Veith coverd the topic. This is a msut read for anyone who is wondering about their role in life or has to answer the question, why did God put me here?

Veith, as in his other books, does an excellent job of expressing theological concepts and their applications for the lay person. This book pulls a lot of things together for the lay person who struggles in finding meaning in 'love your neighbor' outside the context of the church setting. We rarely hear about how we can serve the Lord outside of the church organization. This books researches and applies the doctrine of vocation, as understood by Luther and our reformation fathers. It gives new meaning to 'love your neighbor' in everyday life. A good read for those who want to see how God works through us and for us through the mundane tasks of everyday life.

My nephew is a missionary. I do all of the finances and paperwork for him, but somehow that seems pale compared to the work a missionary does. It is so easy for those of us who desire to serve God to see that those 'in ministry' - those who are pastors or missionaries or evangelists or music leaders - somehow have a more important role in God's Kingdom then the rest of us. Gene Edward Veith reminds us that there is no role more or less important in the Kingdom. Further, no matter what job field we are called to, that is our place to be serving God, and in that place we are serving God! A good read for anyone who has the struggle of restlessness about their vocational place in the Kingdom.

Well written, a little slow but full of usefull information

I have just joined the N.E.D. University of Engineering and Technology, Electronics Eng. dept. (2002-2003 batch). I almost finished the book before the classes started.I just wanted to have a knowhow of what I'd be studying in the next 4 years (B.E.), and picked up the book after having a look at this very page.

I must say that this is a wonderful book. It is very easy to understand b/c it has very basic maths involved (which i knew, even when i was in 10th class). It explains quite a hell lot, and i've increased my knowledge very much. I'm sure I'll be a step ahead of my class mates all year long.

I has the best explanation of A.C. circuits, capacitors, inductors, time contants, Diodes, BJTs, FETs ..... which is helping me very much...

It comes highly recommeded, from me, for the complete newbie (although i skipped the first 7-8 chapters.... b/c i had some knowledge from my 12th Physics). MUST BUY

Basic Electronics, 8th Edition, was a big dispointment. I used an earilier edition of Grob in high school. I hardly recognized the book that I received in the mail. Half of each page is given over to pictures that have little or nothing do with the text, and at more than $80 it is over priced. I would recommend "Practical Electronics of Inventors" by Scherz instead.

This is a classic for giving the basics of electronics to anyone interested in entering the field. I would classify it as a college level freshman or sophomore level introduction. It is simply one of the best! I personally purchased a new/old book, 4th edition. While some might think this means the material is dated, they would be wrong. The basics of electronics remain the same. A great supplement to Grob is the Tony R. Kuphaldt free e-book. The basics are what these books teach. If you want something shallow then get a book like "Horn's Basic Electronics Theory!" If you really want to learn something, get Grob.

This text leads into Malvino's "Electronic Principles." In this case, I would suggest you get the most recent edition of Malvino's book, which is what I did. If you go through both of these books, you will be more than ready for practical application knowledge.

Lou

You don't need to go further than this book for a thorough introduction into electronics. The table of contents says it all. It's a must read for anyone needing an understanding of electronics and it serves as a good refrence as well. The presentation is excellent, with the copious use of colour, diagrams and photos. I especially like the little side bars highlighting some of the people whose names are used for units of measurement like Ampere, Marconi, Joule etc. and those whose pioneering work made our current understanding of electronics possible - Millikan etc.

If your're a newbie in the electronics world, this is the book you need to begin with, trust me. One can only go so far without a solid foundation and this is just what this book will help you master! I am a college physics major and I will start my BE in september 2007. The thing is that I allready write electronic articles and I feel very confident about my abilities. Again, a solid foundation is paramount and if you buy this book, you will need to buy Dr. Malvino's Electronic Principles after. This book is more about bridging the gap between electricity and electronics wheras Malvino's book is more about electronics (i.e. talks mainly about semiconductors). But i'm amazed at how these two books complement each other as they weren't written by the same author. With these two books you will have all the confidence in the world about the subject!

I have been a fan of Steve Arterburn's non-fiction books for several years, so I bought this book as a gift for a Christian therapist friend. However, I just had to read it before I gave it to her, and for those few days, I could not put it down. Healing Stones has a great, realistic story line and characters, plots under the main plots as we learn the "stories" of various characters. There is a well-balanced combination of human sinfulness, compassion, the mercy and grace of God and healing. Toward the end of the book, some exciting twists and turns lead to the climax, and there is justice and forgiveness displayed.
I highly recommend it as a thought-provoking, yet entertaining read.

I haven't even finished this book yet and already is, in my opinion, one of the best Christian fiction books I have read. It seems that the ones I manage to find are all flowers and butterflies with the Christians always making the right decisions and living the happy side of salvation.

This book is so much more realistic as it throws you into the world of sin leading to the wrong choices made by openly Christians from the get go. And the sudden downward spiral of their lives. I would recommend this book to all my friends, beleivers and non-beleivers alike. I would love to see more books by these two authors working together.

It makes me feel like there are Christians out there, besides myself, that make mistakes and have to go on with life.

This is a great book on recovery from a broken marriage. The authors take you on a healing journey in a realistic fashion. It is not the atypical Christian answer of praying harder and just "give it to God." The book is of course a work of fiction, but the recovery themes are real to life and the book doesn't whitewash the difficulty of rebuilding a broken relationship. It is a must read for anyone who is struggling in their marriage and for those in denial who think they have it all together!

This is the first Christian fiction book that I have read. The story is realistic as well as the characters. I recommend it highly.

Healing Stones is one of the most riveting, realistic, and intelligent books I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it, and I can't wait for more books in the series.

Very good review book for Step 1 neuroanatomy section - since this is very high yield. Cover all you need to know to tackle this field on exam. Covers more than FA but is not as exhausting as Kaplan notes.

First Aid is money for most subjects, but it's weak on neuro. This book is a very good balance between too little and too much for this overwhelming subject. The High Yield series keeps improving in quality, and in the newest edition is even better at showing clinical scenarios and integrating other subjects like pathology or physiology (I used an older version and it's still pretty good, though).

I would like to say this is great for course work, but at least at my school they tended to test on obscure minituae hard to find anywhere.

This is all you should need for Step, which does feature a decent dose of neuro (about 10, more like 20 questions). It's also very good at developing as essential foundation of knowledge applicable for future use, which sometimes gets lost when scrambling to cram for course exams.

My big qualm is the pricing. It's a thin book, not a main text. Use the library, borrow it from a friend, split the cost, etc. High Yield makes a nice line of books but they need to trim prices for medical students.

Getting confused with studying anatomy of the brain? This is a book for you! It is far better than dozen of other neuroanatomy books! It gives you a lot of details and it's easy to read, too! I'm studying for the USMLE step 1 exam and I will keep it handy all the time!

The USMLE has become increasingly focused on neuro over the past few years, and First Aid has become more and more inadequate with respect to neuro. This book is a great way to prepare for the neuro questions on Step 1. It's a slender book and is thus a very quick read --- heck, I'm a slow reader and finished it in 2.5 days. At the beginning of the book are several images of brain sections, with arrows pointing to the most important structures. The book also has radiologic images (MRA, MRI, CT) which were very helpful for me when I took Step 1 --- actually, I remember having 3 distinct questions with an accompanying MRA image. The book does a good job of explaining the basic function/organization of the different parts of the brain in a concise manner. There were a few sections that I thought were a little too detailed for Step 1 --- especially the cerebellum section. Overall, though, it's a wonderful book and it will help you to nail the neuro questions on the USMLE.

This is an excellent book and it's really all you need to prepare for your step 1. I used this book and answered every single question on neuro correctly.