V Books

For every case am presented with, I use this book to prepare my 20-page OR report. Am learning a lot from it. Because of it my grades are high.

Buy this book if you want to learn the surgical process. It sets the standard for surgical textbooks.

I own this book from school. It is a must for any student of surgery or nursing. It contains information vital to the understanding of the patient and the process of surgery and recovery.

Many years ago I bougt this book. Now I have a new version. This book is very helpful to me. I would recomend it for everybody who work in operating room.

This book really helped me though out my preceptorship in the operating room. I was thrown in to this unit as a nursing student. the facility had never taken on senior nursing students in a long term segment (7 weeks) and didn't have any idea what to teach me or what to do with me. My preceptor handed me this book and by the end i was able to circulate and scrub on minor cases with complete confidence in what i was doing. it is concise in some areas, and detailed where it needs to be, gives great explinations and rationals. the only problem i found was the different tools. The west coast and the east coast have different names for the instruments, and the ones named in the book are more consistant with the names in the west. but other than that. love love loved it

This was an excellent read. Although I really enjoyed Vol. 1, Vol. 2 mainly deals with the All-Star Squadron series, which is the series I read growing up. It was a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of one of my favorite super-hero teams. Highly recommended.

This book follows up on the All Star Companion, Volume One, and is a collection of articles and recollections of DC's golden age heroes (namely the Justice Society of America, and The All-Star Squadron). There are some unique insights and interesting stories about these classic characters, and the book is filled with some rare and intriguing art. The wrap-around cover by Carlos Pacheco is fantastic.

For me, the most interesting feature was a complete synopsis (issue by issue) of the All-Star Squadron comics, complete with cover reproductions and background notes. There were also supposed to be notes on the Young All-Stars comic, but space constraints pushed this material out of the book (though it will appear in volume three). This is nothing short of a phenomenal read for fans of comicdom's golden age.

Collections strong in comic book artists and art will find this history of the Justice Society of America and friends to be moving: it provides more secrets of the comic characters from the 1940s through the 1980s, surveying major issues and events, providing black and white reproductions of pages, and detailing behind-the-scenes influences on adventures and character appearances. An excellent companion for any who have followed the strip and seek more information on historical progression.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I have always been a huge fan of the JSA. In my younger days, I collected every issue of All Star Squadron. As I got older and married, I sold my collection to younger enthusiasts. Now, I can revisit my former passion in this book that describes all the issues of All-Star Squadron as well as interesting articles about the history of All-Star Comics and the JSA. If you are interested in greater understanding of the history of JSA, I heartily recommend this book.

If you liked All-Star Companion vol.1, you'll enjoy vol.2. More info on the Justice Society, plus an issue by issue review of The All-Star Squadron. I'm looking forward to vol.3!

I've never read any Alpha Flight comics before, so I figured this was a good place to start. The way John Byrne writes and draws the series makes me wanna go to Canada. I think my favorite stories were the ones with Northstar and Aurora.

It seems like Marvel's Classic series is like the Essentials but in color and on a smaller scale. I'm looking forward to the second volume that comes out in a few months and will get it not long after. My guess is it'll include #9-15 and their first annual.

During Chris Claremont and John Byrne's revolutionary run on Uncanny X-Men, the duo introduced Alpha Flight: Canada's premiere superhero team that has a connection to Wolverine. Byrne would write and draw Alpha Flight during it's original run, and thankfully, the same success he brought to X-Men and Fantastic Four translated here. Byrne's talent for team dynamics and dynamic action really helped Alpha Flight shine, as he gives heart and soul to characters like Vindicator, Sasquatch, Northstar, and Puck. Byrne's artwork is wonderful as always, but it's treatment of the characters as a whole that sets Alpha Flight apart from many of Marvel's typical secod-rate hero teams, and nearly propels them to the top. This, along with many appearances from familiar faces in the Marvel universe, make this first volume of Byrne's run on Alpha Flight worth picking up for new fans and old readers alike.

Alpha Flight has been through many iterations since it premiered years ago, but the orginal series (at least Byrne's run) is still the best. This volume collects the 1st 8 issues of the series, and what's good about it is that it isn't like many other comics that you'll read that bring together groups of superheroes. Basically, everyone on the team has some sort of issue, and Byrne crafts great back stories for each character.

The artwork is dead on, and it's a great read.

Whats better than Alpha Flight?
Can't wait for Volume two to be released.....
until then I'll be Curling and drinking a beer

John Byrne has gone on record saying that his heart was never really into "Alpha Flight", that they were basically created as a team that could successfully battle the X-Men. Despite all this, Byrne's run on AF (he did 28 issues total) are an example of his mastery of the form and yet another look at how much the comics medium has fallen since the 80s. There's never been another book like "Alpha Flight." The team had been created four years before the book came out, but Byrne was faced with the task of instilling each character with a personality and origin, which he painstakingly did, bit by bit.

Included here are the first 8 issues of the book presented in a nice new format. Some people have said the new format is a little too bright, but I think it works well and doesn't take away from the stories at all. We get the classic battle with Tundra, Snowbird's battle in a blizzard which has to be "seen" to get the full effect, the troubled twins - split-personality Aurora and gay Northstar - as well as the development of James Hudson's cyber helmet that started the whole mess. My only complaint is that there should have been more issues included because it will take us that much longer to get to my favorite part of Byrne's run: issues 18-28.

It's so much fun to revisit these characters and adventures again but those discovering them for the first time will have just as much fun. Thanks to all who finally put this book together.

This book served as the foundation of a recent course offered by MIT - Sloan Business School for the technical manager.
Excellent content of important financial concepts, always keeping focus on teaching the implications financial analysis can have on managers, executives and companies.
The references to useful URLs, as well as the real life access to S&P Market Insight web are an additional bonus.
Torsten K. Gessner

I was asked my a corporate finance professor to purchase this book along with our school required text book. This book was a fraction of the size of our text book and packed a much greater punch. Just read this book and skip out on your textbook because the text teachers you nothing that can be applied to real life situation.

After dealing with fat hard-cover textbooks with hard-to-find answers, this book is refreshingly concise and useful. It sounds strange, but I could actually call this a "readable" textbook-- i.e. sit down and read it cover to cover-- which is an accomplishment for a textbook. Highly recommended.

This book has been around for a while and is useful even for people without a Finance background. As you proceed further in the book, the chapters get in to complicated issues in finance. Nevertheless its important for a manager to understand the financial implications of every decision. Strongly recommend.

I have to say, I normally wouldn't consider writing a review for a text book. But this one is good.

In most of the financial classes I've attended, I am usually left scratching my head when introduced to new concepts because the text is so dense and the examples provided very rarely explain it enough. This textbook is so well-written that, although much of the material builds upon concepts introduced in earlier chapters, reading the earlier chapters isn't entirely required to understand the subject matter: each chapter stands on its own.

Also, Higgins's style is reminiscent of those fine classic textbooks from the mid-20th century, such as Elements of Style by Strunk & White and The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, interjecting dry, and at times belly-laughingly funny, humor into the text.

This book deserves to be a classic.

Very inspirational and thought provoking. Nice book to meditate on from time to time.

Anthony DeMello is so truthful and real in his writings. Pure spirituality is from within. He speaks in the way Jesus would. It is how you are as a person;the love you show, the compassion, the open heart with no screens on it , pure open to God. Rules and different religions are not the way. Your belief may not be mine but we have one goal move forward in God's love and then you will be the person God intended you to be. I loved it so much I ordererd two more books by him!

I highly recommend this series and especially this introduction to the work of Anthony De Mello. A fresh approach to Christian Spirituality is presented that allows one to see beyond the trappings, though well-intentioned, of organized religion. As a Jesuit priest, Anthony De Mello was not against organized religion but helped spiritual seekers to wake up to the reality of themselves and of the Divine Presence around them. At a time when many voices are calling out for our spiritual attention, this book presents a great guide for navigating turbulent waters.

I highly recommend this book to those who are not familiar with Anthony de Mello, and to his fans and critics. The editor provides an excellent introduction to help us to have a better understanding and appreciation for de Mello's numerous writings. The selections give us a potential experience of personal awakening or freeing encounter with "God" or the Self of self. I hope there'll be an audio book edition with excerpts of deMello's retreat talks so that his mellow voice and hearty laughter can be captured while we read his writings. (Please cf. my review for Walking on Water for more background.)

Whenever you set out upon a task such as capturing the spirit of a life span's worth of spiritual writing from a particular author, it's a sincerely fragile matter. The idea behind this Spiritual Masters Series is to do just that; provide us readers with a general overview of a career's worth of work from an author. In Anthony de Mello's case, they serve us the merchandise. Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest who died a somewhat untimely death, but nonetheless someone who unquestionably had also lived a rather fulfilling and spiritual life, too. He was well known for the fascinating and mesmerizing retreats he often gave, making audiences worldwide fall in love with his charisma and style. Anthony seldom spent time teaching much on systematic belief and dogma, a trait the Roman Catholic Church at times resented. No, Anthony de Mello brought the Bible alive for many Christians. He had enabled people who otherwise felt pretty disconnected from the spiritual teachings of Jesus Christ to come open up to and enjoy his profound teachings. He transmigrated religious barriers, attracting audiences from practically all of the major religious sectors. I cannot believe that the Catholic Church today, namely the Pope, feel that his writings went away from the teachings of Christ as the years voyaged onward. I mean here was a person with an open mind and a devotion to his faith like no other. It is a shame we do not recognize and endorse his wonderful teachings, as opposed to turning our backs and criticizing him. I of course am indicating the church's hierarchy, not necessarily you the one reading this review. Anyway, I'll end by letting you know what books by Anthony de Mello are covered here in this work:

Sadhana - A Way to God

The Song of the Bird

One Minute Wisdom

Taking Flight

The Heart of the Enlightened

Awareness

The Way of Love

This is a fanastic topics book in approximation algorithms. The problems and proofs are challenging and concise, but written in a very accessible manner. It is a great reference book, and also a convenient place to grab a lecture from if you need something to fill our a course. I have found it extremely useful, and even fun to read. I highly reccomend it for any person interested in theoretical computer science.

Vazirani's book seems well suited for a computer science researcher who has had a rigorous background in pure maths. The level of difficulty can be quite advanced. Also, it is not the sort of book that gives algorithm examples in an actual programming language. Not that this should be a handicap to a skilled reader. The algorithms are usually described in high level pseudocode. You have to manually instantiate these in the language of your preference.

The 30 chapters span a wide variety of computational topics. Some are simpler than others to understand. Like the chapter on finding the shortest vector from the integer lattice made from a set of linearly independent vectors. That requires only a year or so of introductory linear algebra.

There are exercises for each chapter. Some exercises are formidable. Essentially like little research problems in their own right. Another plus for the book.

Very good, it is easy to read the book if you have a good level
of knowledge and the experience to think some details in the
proofs of the theorems.
I think it is a very good book for a graduate student.

I have been looking for books related to solving NP-complete and NP-hard problems approximately. There is another book by Hochbaum and I have that too. Unfortunately, that book is more of a research oriented book as it is written by several researchers. It's like reading several research papers within two hard covers. This means that one needs to have a sort of intermediate level of experience with approximation algorithms.

For a beginner, one would expect a book that starts from ground-up and that has been written as a textbook rather than as a set of research papers. The book by Dr. Vazirani, is the only book that is written by one author with a step-by-step evolution of concepts and ideas related to approximation algorithms.

This is a quite nice book by an author who is well-known in the field. The book is not thematic, instead it presents certain problems in each chapter along with the main approximation algorithms and correctness proofs. Yet, each new concept is well introduced with the problems. For instance, the author presents LP-based techniques on the same problem (set cover) in the second part of the book. This makes it quite easy to compare and understand different techniques. The last part of the book is a little bit advanced compared to the first two parts which uses combinatorial or LP-based analysis of the algorithms. The presentation of the PCP theorem- arguably the deepest theorem of computer science- and its consequences are also in the last part.

A warning though: The book is quite terse at times, which enforces a dense reading. This may not be suitable for an undergradute study. My only complaint is that the PCP theorem might well be introduced with a little more intution.

Overall, I rate this book as excellent. If you are interested in algorithms, you should definitely buy it. Also, buy the "Complexity and Approximation" by Ausiello, Crescenzi and others. They provide a more comprehensive and thematic treatment. It also has an excellent bibliography and list of NP-hard problems. These two will make a great couple. The book edited by Hochbaum (Approximation Algorithms for NP-hard problems) on the other hand presents detailed information on the algorithms.

For those who wish to take the hobby of scrapbooking to the level of fine art, this book will provide plenty of inspiration. Covering everything from numerous ways to create and bind a scrapbook from "scratch" to techniques for making your own decorative paper, it's all within the covers of the book.

Many different methods of bookbinding are presented in thorough detail moving from simple to more complex. Paper making and decorative paper techniques, such as batik and various print or collage techniques are presented as well.

Very innovative ideas for ways to display your special photos are shown as well. Samples of pages are unlike any I've seen elsewhere, and are always eye-catching. This book is not one for those who wish to speed scrap, but if you want to create a one-of-a-kind album, or a unique layout for special photos, look to "The Art of the Scrapbook" for ideas.

This book is a beautiful, artistic work on book making/binding. It's thorough, beginner-friendly, and has attractive projects. I only have one problem with it: the title. I would think that the title would more prominently announce something about bookmaking, and not use the word scrapbook (since these days, scrapbooking has grown in popularity, and is a completely different hobby).

That said, this book is an excellent introduction work to bookbinding. It has instructions on many different types of book bindings (from simple to more challenging), as well as much info on decorations for your book covers (marbling, quilling, and more). The book is written in an encouraging, informative tone, with the emphasis on craftsmanship and artistic expression. The text is accompanied by full-color pictures of handmade books by various artists around the country.

This book is an excellent introduction to bookbinding, and will certainly whet your appetite for all sorts of exciting artistic expression.

This book isn't just a book that shows some examples and gives you some templates and says "go do this"... This is a book that any true artist would love to have in their collection. It gives complete instructions on construction of paper arts and all facets of the craft. There are more projects in this book than I have found in any other book on the subject. The projects are explained with clarity and I learned how to do things I would have had to take a class to learn. The author is a real artist not just a craft person. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to take this craft to another level.

I own quite a few scrapbooking and bookmaking books, and this is the one that got me hooked. I absolutely love this book. The tools and materials needed lists were extremely helpful in getting me started. The author also shows some terrific and easy techniques that I haven't seen in other books. The gallery sections are incredible -- beautiful without being completely way out there. Lots of practical ideas for projects. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

As a long-time rubber stamper, I began making books earlier this year. This book has great instructions for all different book designs, as well as decorating techniques. I found the instructions easy to follow and well detailed. This is a much used resource in my craft book library.

This I by far my favorite out of the four books in this series. Not only is it the funniest one, it has a perfect ending. I can't tell you much more, but I can tell you that they all live happily ever after. That is, if it were a fairy tale. I suggest you read them in order though. You want to save the best for last!

Me being the impatient person I am, I bought this volume first and ruined most of the story for myself ;_;
...but you probably really don't care.
By this time, through 3 books, you'll have picked out your favorite character, related to them in some way, figured out who in your life relates to Mr. Kimura (keep him away from me), and what the heck Azumanga Daioh's come to mean to you. This is the last volume of this story. That's right, go get a hankerchief, I don't want you smearing up the pages. The ending is really meaningful, because the author doesn't go into the whole epilouge thing that leaves you wondering even more. Also, the first few color pages contain some of the funniest moments in the whole book. *sigh* I can't say much else, but that if you like the whole random, really about nothing, overly charming and funny pages Azumanga's been, you know to get this book as darned fast as you can type in the search word and buy it.

This was such a wonderful purchase. I would recomend this book to any Anime or Manga fan.

I have had the awesome pleasure of reading the last volume of Azumanga Daioh (the manga version). By now, everyone who follows this series (that should be a reasonable majority of those with a good taste for manga) will have been familiar with all of the characters in the story. However, the third year, and in effect, the series, begins to come to an end.

Some highlights that I want to point out to all include:

* The story of Maya, in which Sakaki finds the young Iriomote cat, and relishes in having someone to play with.
* Nyamo at the study session in Chiyo's home, where she begins to literally unravel.
* Chopsticks: Osaka seems to have been a bit clairvoyant in corrolating chopsticks with Center exam success.
* Graduation. A wonderful ending to this volume.

With all the manga volumes out for sale, I encourage everybody (you know who you are) to purchase these four treasures, or at least browse through them at your local store if you can. Azumanga is a classic, and if you though the manga was good, wait till you see the anime!

ADV's manga translation team is to be commended. Their cultural notes section is without flaw - except in two cases. I'll get to that.

By now, Osaka has dropped most of her Osak... Italian accent. (why did they make her a mobster in the manga and a hick in the anime?) Chiyo's changed her hair. Sakaki is able to touch a cat without being mamed. A wind of change comes through the world of Azumanga Daioh.

This final volume crams in more funny than the previous three. Along with a good dose of comedy, you learn more about the characters and their lives.

The highlights of this book lie in the shiisaa, the sata andagi, Yamapikaryaa, Osaka's good luck charm, and the final summer vacation... Where, unfortunately, Yukari is awake already.

However there are two problems with the translation. When Tomo buys souveniers, she picks up two notable things: "Chinsuko" and "ukoncha." The cultural notes didn't tell us this, but Tomo was being dirty - thus Yomi's flustered reaction. "Chinsuko," when pronounced a certain way, kinda sounds like one of the terms for the male.. Y'know. "Ukoncha" kind of sounds like "poop tea." I am not making this up. I suppose I can understand why ADV Manga didn't translate this (or maybe they didn't get it), but with the 13+ rating you'd think they would.

Despite the two errors (yay only two!) this fourth volume is a great end to a great story. It makes me cry every time I read the end, and I've read/seen Azumanga a bajillion times.

Two years ago, a staff writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote about biking the Skyline Drive in Virginia and my interest was peaked. My son turned 16 so I wanted to plan an unique summer trip for the two of us. We decided to bike the Blue Ridge from Afton Mountain (MP 0) to Blowing Rock NC (MP 302). We bought the Skinner book and searched the Internet for ideas.

The Skinner book proved to be exceptional; every page was "dog-eared" by the trips' end. I discovered the book contained more information than the first couple readings revealed. A few things, the Skinners give detailed advice on the location of stores, and unfortunately, due to recent hurricane damage a couple shut down, so did a restaurant we relied on for a stop, but found a new one further down the road. I plan to offer the "findings" to the Skinners for the next edition. Second, reserve your lodging in advance. A motorcycle convention in the Meadows of Dan took up all the lodging for a 15 mile radius, ten days prior to our trip. Third, the Blue Ridge ride is extremely demanding. The Skinner's sound like seasoned riders, but it was a struggle for me. (I had to walk a portion of the steep grades.)

Much can be said about the wonderful resource the Blue Ridge is. My best advice is to take a couple day trips to learn your limits and and develop realistic expectations. Then bring a good camera and enjoy!

It's so easy to pass facilities, accomodations and attractions along the Blue Ridge Parkway! This book lists them all, campings, B&Bs, country stores, and more, along with the best way to get there. A real must for anyone planning to have a great trip on the Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive. And the elevation maps are a great help too.

I just returned from a weekend riding the 105 mile Skyline Drive in VA. The Skinners' book was an invaluable resource to me in preparing for & executing my trip. The advice is practical, the information invaluable as you plot out your journey. I am already planning my next weekend trip (Afton Mt to Roanoke) using this as my Bible! If you have any interest in cycling all or part of the BRP/SLD, this book will first whet your appetite, then serve as your guidebook/Bible.

There are many cycling guides, but this is one of the most practical and well-organized. As other reviewers state, the real value of the book is its collection of information on camping, nearby hotels, access points, points of interest, etc. The authors also have a wonderful "you can do it" attitude in their narrative style. Their encouragement inspired me to ride the Skyline Drive last fall, to my great enjoyment. I would quibble, by the way, with their elevation profiles. I certainly discovered hills that they don't tell you about! Supplement your planning with one of the fine topographic map products for a better sense of what awaits you.

I have been a long distance cyclist for about 40 years on and off -
since long before I could drive. Though I've lived in Virginia for
20 of those years, for some reason I never thought about the Skline
Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway! Amazing - since I've ridden up and
down parts of the East and West coasts, to the midwest, and through
parts of Europe and Australia.

My brother suggested I ride the lengths of the two parkways, and I bought
Riding the Blue Ridge, plus several other books, to help my planning.
I just returned from riding 550 miles on those two roads.

Though my riding style is different from
the Skinners', I travel on a racing bike carrying minimal equipment
plus credit cards, I found their book by far the most helpful, and
its pages, which I tore out and then discarded after passing through
various sections, became the Bible of my trip.

The descriptions of the ride and places along the route were accurate
and brief enough to fit into a portable and readable book. A good
example of how the brief descriptions were so apt is the small hotel
and store at Benge Gap: the book mentions it's easy to "zip by" -
and given that the rain and wind were fierce as I approached, I
really did not want to miss that stop. Those few words of caution
did the trick - I found it no problem but otherwise would definitely
have zipped by! Like all the places they mention, the description of
what was there was 100% reliable and accurate.

Besides my background in long distance riding, I have also raced and
I am still a strong hill climber. I found the greatest inaccuracy of
the book that it does not adequately describe the difficulty of this
ride. I appreciate that the book is written by people who are
accomplished riders, and that a mission of the book is to introduce
this ride to a wider group of people. But, for instance, the book
might leave the impression that riding from, say, Front Royal to Big
Meadows is a reasonable stage on the bike for the average tourist who
takes her time. While that may be true for some, I would suggest
it mention explicitly that this ride includes over 5000 feet of total
climbing, most of it at grades greater than 5%, and should be considered
difficult.

As another example, the ride going South from Volunteer Gap to Peaks
of Otter is among the most challenging anywhere in the East including a single climb of over 3300 feet at a steady 6% grade. There is no mention in the book that this segment is difficult even for highly capable cyclists.

I feel the book could be improved by, for example, adding a separate
section describing the level of challenge involved in the rides, as
is done in many hiking and cross-country ski guides. Not to scare
the reader or create some elitist idea about riding, but so that
people are prepared both in their training and in their daily
planning. Any rider is advised to plan fewer daily miles along these roads than
they are accustomed to.

I used the book to engineer each day's ride, and to make reservations
for each evening. It was immensely helpful and I'm truly grateful
to the authors and for the book - it made my trip possible and
enjoyable.

A very informative book, for finding out information on Stars. The illustrations are excellent, a thumbs up to the illustrator, he should go far with his abilities. Keep up the good drawings.

This is a great book to sit back, relax and read. I found it to be a great stress reliever, and my time passed so quickly as I couldn't put the book down. Hope everyone enjoys this book as I did.

The birthday directory is an amazingly fun and interesting. I found it informative and hard to put down. It's full of interesting tidbit's.I highly recomend it for schools and student's and a must for libary's! It's worth the pick up.

The illustrations in this book are great

Are you one of those people who constantly forgets to send birthday cards to those you love? What about people you don't even know (the famous, near-famous, and infamous)? What about people who no are longer capable of celebrating their birthdays (i.e., the dearly departed--hey, it's the thought that counts). Yes, dates can be tricky to remember, especially if you find calendars and clocks to be offensive. THE BIRTHDAY DIRECTORY is your answer to all of these problems. It includes names, dates, and background information for thousands of people. Athletes, musicians, movie stars (adult and legit), writers, artists, and politicians are just some of the character types you will find between its covers. A large number of strange b&w illustrations have been added to spice things up. Entrees are listed by month, making it easy to see who was born on the same day as you. I was pleased to discover that Abe Vigoda (A.K.A. "Fish") and I share the same birthday. Abe Vigoda!!! Now, that's what I call trivia. Could anyone ask for more?