Z Books

This book was written by Neil Miller, the author of the classic Vaccines: Are they really safe and effective? This book is more up to date, as many new vaccines have been introduced which were not covered in his earlier work.

It has a chapter on every major vaccine that addresses:
* What the disease is
* How it is contracted
* How it is treated
* The history of the vaccine
* Research regarding the vaccine's effectiveness
* Research on the vaccine's safety

He has a chapter on autism that is 60 pages long that contains charts that shows the dramatic increase in autism after the introduction of the MMR vaccine. His charts are one of my favorite aspects of his books because they make the statistics so much more powerful when you can see them illustrated visually, and he includes over 90 in this book. The autism chapter has congressional testimony given by parents of vaccine injured children that will make any parent want to do more homework on the subject prior to vaccinating. He also goes through the studies that claim there is no link between the MMR and autism. I found this particularly helpful, because I'd heard of such studies, but never knew the details. He presents a response to both studies by Dr. Andrew Wakefield. He also has a paragraph on the Homestead Health Services, which is an alternative medical facility in Chicago. The children in the practice aren't vaccinated, and of the 30,000 children they've treated, they've never seen one with autism.

One of the most disturbing themes that I saw throughout the book is that children who get a vaccine are more likely to develop a more serious case of the disease than the unvaccinated. I didn't like the fact that he used vaccine and immunization interchangeably. While a vaccine may confer clinical immunity by creating antibodies, it does not necessarily give the person immunity to the disease.

At 467 pages long, this is an excellent reference book, but it's not one you will blow through in a day. This is a book that I will recommend to my peers. If you are new to the subject, you may want to start with his previous book, Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective as it is shorter and probably less intimidating, then refer to this book for a discussion on the newer vaccines such as the hepatitis A vaccine.

If you are interested in the vaccine debate, I also recommend Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal. It is an excellent DVD created by a mainstream ER doctor who stumbled across the vaccine debate, and became obsessed with it. I like it because there are some people who simply won't take the time to read a book on vaccines, but they will watch a DVD. Hopefully, you will do both.

...you need to give their parents this book, or tell them about it. I am now giving this book at baby showers. It is indispensable information for research before taking your child to a doctor.

Don't believe doctors who have become pawns in the pharmaceutical corporations. Research what they are selling you, you might find it is not what it has been advertised to be.

This is a very good book, that every parent should read it before they thake their kids to be vaccinated. It is a very good resource of knowledge regarding how the vaccines are made and what are the side effects on human body. The testimonies are very touchy, and I think that every parent will think twice before they vaccine their child. The book is forward by a neurosurgeon who explains what happens in the baby's brain right after the vaccination. Please read this book, to be informed before is too late.

I was not vaccinated as a child. With the sparse information on vaccines that was available at the time, my parents did their research and elected to raise me without medical intervention. I always seemed healthier than my vaccinated peers, who were sick many times each year. I rarely became ill, and when I did get sick, I healed quickly, always without allopathic medicine. Of course, non-vaccination is a choice that should be made only after ample research. Today, I am a well-educated, healthy adult, and soon I will have children. My children will need to know that their parents, like mine, did their due diligence prior to birth, or shortly thereafter.

When I came across the Vaccine Safety Manual, I immediately realized that vaccine research has entered a new era. This is no ordinary book. Although it is a scholarly guide, it is well organized and well written so that average people (and avid researchers) can quickly gain the knowledge they seek on any vaccine. You don't need to read this book from beginning to end, but can use it as a reference for the vaccines that you are most interested in learning about. For example, I wanted to know why babies are given the hepatitis B vaccine, so I started with that chapter, which begins on page 261 (and ends on page 312). This chapter begins with a thorough definition of the disease, who is most likely to get it, how many people get it, etc. All of the information is taken directly from official sources, such as peer-reviewed studies. There are sections in that chapter on safety and how well the vaccine works, and the safety section breaks the studies down into sub-sections, such as studies that link the vaccine to a) arthritis, b) autoimmune/nervous system disorders, c)visual/hearing problems, d) blood disorders, etc. You get the idea: this is a very thorough and very organized manual. (It does explain why babies receive this vaccine. You may be unhappily surprised!)

I highly recommend this book. It helped me to realize that my parents were wise in raising me, and you, too, would be wise to read this manual before you make your decisions.

Probably the most readable introduction to the Z formal method that I have seen. Jacky does a great job of showing the reader why Z might be useful, gently introducing the concepts, and showing how they can be translated into real code. While this book is not a comprehensive Z reference, it is certainly a wonderful introduction that will give the reader most of the tools they might need (and a great background for learning any of Z's more obscure corners).

This book is the first book I've read on Z or formal methods. It's very easy to read and understand, and replete with Z examples. I recommend it to anyone who's interested in learning Z.

The thing I found most helpful about this book is that the author presents Z in comparison to things that we are already (probably) familiar with: data flow diagrams, state charts, etc. He shows the difference between Z and these things, and walks you through a comparison of one system using all 4 different methods.

There are many good books on how to construct, verify, and establish actual program code using Z. I have read bits and pieces of many in an attempt to gain a general understanding of the whole development process and a breadth of approaches taken to it. I cannot say that I have come accross a book even approaching The Way of Z in both clarity and completeness. Dr. Jacky has left nothing out of this text and it reads extremely smoothly (without the sacrifice of complexity). I recommend it to any Formal Methods student, programmer and anyone interested in the formal specification, verification, and implementation process.

I believe the truest test of a good children's book is when the adult enjoys it as much as the children. I truly enjoyed reading "Welcome To The Bed and Biscuit". As with "Charlotte's Web", I found myself identifying with the animals, cheering them on, and laughing out loud as I read this wonderful story. Truly a "must read" not only for your children, but for you as well.

I wrote this book hoping that my readers would find at least one laugh on every page--and enjoy the mysteries, too. They'll recognize Ernest, Gabby, and Milly as kids like themselves, despite their animal "disguises." Being part of a blended family isn't easy at first, but it can be awfully funny, as it is here. If I'm not laughing as I write the book, something is wrong, and with this manuscript I had many happy days. I hope my readers will, too.
---Joan Carris, 2006

Grampa Bender can't run the Bed and Biscuit animal boardinghouse without the help of his three wise animals, who have always thought of themselves as his 'family'. But when he stops paying attention to his old friends in favor of something new, they begin to wonder about his loyalties. Black and white drawings by Noah Z. Jones brings a winning, engaging tale to life.

The Bed & Biscuit is run by Grampa Bender, with the help of a small pig named Earnest, Gabby the mynah, and Milly the cat. As a family, they see to the comfort and care of other furry and feathered guests.

When Grampa goes to help neighbors through a devastating fire, he returns with a mysterious bundle in a basket. Ernest gets worried when Grampa's devotion to the bundle causes young Milly to withdraw out of jealousy. Still, he makes sure Grampa's Bed & Biscuit continues to operate smooth as can be, even when Grampa is very tired from staying up all night with the bundle.

Will the animals ever find out what's wrapped in the bundle, and will Milly see that Grampa's love is bigger than she imagines? It's a stressful time, but if the family at the Bed & Biscuit works together, they'll learn that love can cure just about anything.

This is a gentle story that addresses very real concerns children experience when faced with big changes. There is enough humor to offset the sadness felt by the animals when they become worried about their places in Grampa's life. WELCOME TO THE BED & BISCUIT is a wonderful story to introduce to children when real-life changes occur, especially in cases of new babies and adoptions. Kids will learn that it's okay to be worried or even a little jealous, because those feelings are natural, and their families' love will see them through.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
11/20/2006

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the basics of food and nutrition.

This useful book provides detailed nutrition information, preparation tips, storage tips, etc. for a huge variety of foods. For instance, after finding persimmons on sale at the grocery store, but not really knowing how to tell if they are ripe or how they are best eaten, I consulted this book and found all the answers! The book also explains what phytonutrients are present in the different foods and what health benefits they may provide. I highly recommend it!

Everyone should own one! Makes a great gift as well. I was fascinated by the information on phytochemicals.

This book has TONS of information on an enormous range of foods. It lists and describes varieties, health benefits/myths/concerns, nutritional information, history, and serving suggestions for everything from apples and asparagus to flour and sweeteners. I bought pasilla peppers at farmer's market today, and looked them up to see how they compared to anaheims in terms of flavor and heat. It's a very convenient resource.

I was recently diagnosed with type I diabetes, and this book has become absolutely essential to me. I can look up how many calories are in an avocado and how many carbohydrates are in a persimmon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to control their diet, or is just curious about their food.

Having had probably 8 cat books, this is a keeper. It may have saved the life of my beautiful Tortie-Tabby. At the age of 11, she had a Petit Mal seizure and miraculously it was described abundantly in the book. I took her right in and rec'd some Rx that I gave her for several months. Gradually, her seizures diminished and she has lost her fear of them and has smoother reactions.

I've referred to this book dozens or hundreds of times. I totally love it.

This is a great book for any cat owner; it has every possible symptom and possible reasons for that symptom. Since I own an older cat, this book is a great reference for me when I see a change in his behavior. This book is well worth purchasing!

I found this book very useful in spoting the possible symptoms in my ailing cat ERNIE. Most cats are very quiet when they're hurting and they need our help to look for signs that WE can attend to ourselves before calling the vet. I strongly recommend this book.

If our cats could tell us what's wrong or where it hurts, it would be easy to diagnose and treat their illnesses. Since this isn't the case, this book is a must have. Written by a veterinarian, this book offers help in an easy to use format. The first chapter discusses emergency situations such as bite wounds and heat stroke, while the second chapter describes abnormal behaviors such as aggression and lethargy. The following eight chapters tour the animal's body from head to toe, discussing symptoms, diagnoses, possible causes, care, and prevention. At the end, there's a checklist for good health and information on performing weekly home exams. If you don't have a copy, I highly recommend picking one up.

Susan Dawes concisely summarizes day to day strategies for enhancing personal and family life. As she says "When mom's happy, everybody's happy". She presents a variety of suggestions for fulfillment whether one works outside the home or is a stay-at-home mom. She makes wonderful suggestions regarding dealing with demands and pressures facing American families. Each chapter is chocked full of great ideas that I have used over and over. These include topics from taking care of yourself to discipline. Her social work background is evident but the book is presented in a very readable fashion. As a woman's health nurse I recommend it to expectant moms as well as moms who are already experiencing parenting. It is a must reading!

Susan Dawes is a joy to interview. Her down-to- earth book is a must for Mom's and Dad's everywhere. Well written and entertaining. It will delight your audiences!! Darcy Blake, KUDL 98.1 FM

"When Mom's Happy, Everyone's Happy" is a brisk and lively read, but more importantly, it is also an excellent and insightful resource for modern Moms (and their husbands and families) in a stressful world whose demands compete with the good and enjoyable family life. Written in a light and highly readable manner, the first section provides valuable, very useable tips and ideas for Mom; the second, for the whole family. I highly recommend this book for Moms and Dads and Children seeking more from their lives and relationships with each other. I have found it useful and recommend it to new mothers and learners of all ages and types. "When Mom's Happy, Everyone's Happy" is a happy and helpful read for Mom and her whole family.

Charles RB Beckmann, MD, MHPE, FACOG, Chief, Women's Health / OBGYN, Samuel U Rodgers Community Health Center, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Missouri at Kansas City

Susan Dawes wrote a wonderful book. It's very easily followed and very easily applied. She has some wonderful suggestions in her book including but not limited to: ways to take a holistic approach to your life, things to do to improve your relationship with your husband, ideas for giving yourself a break and creative ideas for shortening your days (when you are at home with children). I read this book from front to back several times and still reference it periodically. I agree when mom's happy, everyone's happy and this book brings me one step closer to happiness.

When I went to introduce my preschooler to Winnie-the-Pooh, I bought the big book with the complete stories and poems. It didn't take long for me to figure out that it wasn't quite right for my 3-year-old. Reading a story out of the original works takes a good 15-20 minutes, which is more than one can really expect from a preschooler or toddler. Also, the original Pooh is a bit like Sesame Street, in that there are phrases and indeed entire sections of the stories that adults will find amusing but which will just go over a child's head.

And yet, I didn't want to break down and go the route of the Disney-fied Pooh books, with their cartoonish illustrations and watered-down plots and characters.

That's why I was so pleased to find the Easy-to-Read series. There are six easy-to-read titles from two publishers. They are:

Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees
Pooh Goes Visiting
Eeyore Has a Birthday
Tigger Comes to the Forest
Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition
Pooh Invents a New Game

Each book is based on one chapter from the complete works. These little books are divided into four chapters, although it should be no problem to read one from start to finish in one sitting.

The print is large and well spaced, and there are ample illustrations (the original drawings by E.H. Shepard) on every page spread to keep little eyes engaged in the story. Most important, the editor has removed most of the passages that aren't so kid friendly and has simplified the stories without giving them a Disney style candy coating. One could read the original story and then the easy-to-read version and get the same basic plot; when going from the Milne works to the Disney versions, the same is certainly not true.

I didn't give these books five stars because the editor retained some language and dialogue that may be a bit confusing for children in the intended age range. Nevertheless, these books are a wonderful introduction to a classic cast of characters for the preschool set.

I love eeyore he is my favorite charter. I loved his book. It was neato.

When all the characters in the imaginary world of Winnie the Pooh go on their day to day mischiefs, forgetting a friends special day, it makes one see how cartoon characters really portray real life situations. The full page of colors allows one to sit back and get the satisfaction of a children's book. Yet this book not only addresses a child's awareness nor is it an entertainment instrument but as well as a joyful piece of literature for any age group to admire

This little book is an exact reproduction of a chapter 6 in the original book, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, with the original illustrations by Shephard enhanced by judicious watercoloring. All the charm of the original, in a perfect size for reading to littler kids, who can feel satisfied at having been read "the whole story." Also good for children just starting to read all by themselves.

Beautifully bound and illustrated, this little book is part of a series of 10 such Pooh books published by Dutton. Don't confuse these 10 "storybooks" with the even smaller and abridged board-books for infant/toddlers.

This book has given my three children confidence in dealing with other kids at school. They have learned new respect for themselves and others. We have learned so much from the other three books. I'm hoping she plans to continue to write more books on this topic.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

I gave a copy of this book to my two grown daughters, to read to their children. The whole family has decided this is a group effort - and really good information. The examples and illustrations are very attention-getting, and the wording is friendly and easy to understand.
This is a book that will help a lot of children and adults feel better about the way they communicate with others.

This book addresses the way children can be courteous to each other, considerate of their friends' feelings, and respectful to their friends and to the adults they come in contact with--parents, teachers, parents of friends and others. The lessons, however, are good for all of us. If adults practiced them more often, there would not be as great a need for the children to learn them because they would parrot our good conduct. As a retired teacher and grandmother of five children, I encourage parents to start reading Respectful Manners (and all the preceding books by Ms. Elerding on manners) to their children as early as possible, to instill in them the polite way to act with parents, friends, teachers and other adults they encounter in life. The book is timely and ageless.

This book is simply amazing, but I certainly wouldn't advise letting little kids get ahold of it, it could give nightmares!!
HAHAHA!!!
But it's perfet for the freaky, punk, goth, metal-head, or any dark soul in your life who needs an interesting coffee table book!
:-D

Z Is for Zombie is just what it sounds like: a (loosely) Halloween-themed alphabet book. Featuring eerie illustrations above a related couplet ("Zombie: From the earth the Zombies rise./Walking corpses terrorize!"), this book will appeal to the kids who love ghosts, horror stories, and anything icky. It will also appeal to ghoulish parents, and those who are growing tired of alphabet books.

However, caveat emptor: the illustrations are not comic, nor do they pull punches. The giant tarantula picture, which spans two pages, will not be even remotely fun for the arachnophobic (even adults can get geechy looking at this one). And the illustration for E, a sink lined with jars full of eyeballs, might be over-the-top for the young or squeamish types - the sink has blood dripping down the sides, and some of the eyeballs have visible stalks.

Definitely review this before you read it with children, and know your audience. This book is best used with utterly unflappable kids (you know who they are), and probably shouldn't be read in story times or to other large groups - there's always going to be at least one kid who will be terrified. Still, for the right people, this book will be delightfully horrible fun - perfect for Halloween night.

This book is fun and spooky at Halloween or anytime. My favorite monsters are wonderfully illustrated and I love the poetic clever text. This is a book you can almost never get tired of re-reading. As this is the author's first book, I can't wait to read her next one.

From well-coined verses to menacing illustrations, Z Is For Zombie is destined to be many a child's favorite picture book choice for shivers and chills on Halloween or any other time.

All my friends at school want to borrow my copy of The A to Z. Its cool and its also funny and we all enjoyed the characters especially the ones from the PE Departments cos theyre SO TRUE and SO REAL. I like the story under "Art Department" best and the funniest is the one about "Ban". Seriously wicked.

Chris O'Kalan is not the real name of the person who wrote this book but I think I know who did write it and I am afraid lots of other people do too and so it wont be long until someone tries to get this book banned. They may well succeed. That, I feel, would be sad because it is filled with useful information. I would recommend it to anyone, even if they are not directly involved in Education and I wish I had a copy when I was still at school in Liverpool but I suspect that 'Chris O'Kalan' taught me and if I am correct, that was quite an experience. Good luck Mr O'Kalan.

Bought this crazy book on impulse and never have I laughed so much. But it is also crammed with useful info... I suspect the reason why this guy Chris O'Kalan wants to stay anon is because many of the characters in his (her?) anecdotes are probably real. I'm not a teacher by the way but I do have young children and the stuff about drugs in the book will hopefully give them a clear understanding of the problems without making them paranoid. I'm dipping into the book not reading it through and constantly find myself laughing out loud. A gem.

I'm a busy Mum as I look after my twins aged 11 and have just returned to work as a teacher. My brother bought me Chris O'Kalan's "A to Z of Education" and I dipped into it yesterday but it keeps drawing me back like a magnet. The information it contains is absolutely essential to me both as a Mum and as a teacher and the anecdotes are side-splittingly funny. Although I give it 5 stars I would hesitate to let my children read it just yet as in parts it is just a wee bit near the knuckle. But for me, as I said; absolutely essential, I suspect I will need another copy fairly soon as this one will wear out quickly due to my constantly referring to it. Invaluable. Absolutely Essential.