B Books


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B Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

B
Neural Network Design
Published in Paperback by Martin Hagan (2002-01)
Authors: Martin T. Hagan, Howard B. Demuth, and Mark H. Beale
List price: $80.00
Used price: $170.90

Average review score:

A fantastic book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-17
I had the pleasure of not only using this text for my neural network design graduate course, but also taking the course from one of the authors (Professor Howard Demuth).

This book is extremely well written. Being a PhD student in computer engineering, I have read many math books and advanced engineering books. Most of these books are informative, but difficult to read. Much of this is understandable because the topics are complex and explaining them in a very simple manner requires significantly more time. More diagrams, more examples, rewriting paragraphs to improve clarity, etc. This book tackles all of those issues perfectly!

Right now I am reading one of the other "classic" math texts and while I am already familiar with the topic, the reading is extremely difficult. Due to this, I recalled how easy it was to understand the neural network design text and wished my current author wrote more like them.

If you are interested in machine learning, in particular, neural networks, this is a superb book to get you started. Even the most complex mathematical topics in linear algebra and network design are explained so almost anyone can understand. Even if you do not have a strong mathematical background, you'll be able to understand almost all of the math.

Excellent book - (5/5 stars)!

Hands down the best introduction
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-20
I knew the very poor Matlab Neural Network Toolbox User's Guide by the same authors and I was kind of expecting the same, and boy was I wrong!

This book is simply brilliant, a miracle of pedagogy. It is intended for undergrad classes, but it is so clear that graduate students will benefit enormously from reading it before any other material. Plainly put, this book makes you UNDERSTAND this difficult topic, more than any other book that I know of (Zurada, Smith, Hassoun, Haykin, Duda-Hart, Caudill, etc)

A selection of worked out problems are included at the end of each chapter, a practice that is highly beneficial but alas too rare in books of the kind.

I very much appreciated the very clear exposition of backpropagation, and optimization methods such as Levenberg-Marquardt.

A note to Matlab users: funky demos are available for free and illustrate the main points of the book.

Good book. Period.
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-17
I purchased this book while looking for an appropriate textbook for use in my class on neural networks. This book is excellent for both beginners and experts. It is a rare book in that it demonstrates complex mathematical manipulations and principles (that are difficult to grasp and visualize - and explain) using examples. The review on mathematical principles is very useful. The book makes it easier to teach the subject now. Given the way everything is presented, this book will also help those that want to code their own networks. I recommend this book to everyone.

Very Useful
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-10
Very useful book to have if you plan to use NN (specially in matlab environment). The theory is very well covered and explained, along with graphical examples. The book lacks however, more insight into how to implemen NN in real world problems (for that, I would suggest seeing Fundamentals of NN by Laurene V. Fausett).

Beale is brilliant!!!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-11
I have been studying neural network design for almost 30 years now and I have never found a more enchanting text book than this one. From day one I could not put it down. In fact, I bought a copy for each member of my extended family. Beale is brilliant in the way he demostrates the design and capability of neural network systems. No one has ever captured the public's imagination and heart the way he does in this compelling work. He has taken the study of neural networks to the next level. Hence, the world will be a better place. H2BurBabes4Ever.

B
Nicholas Sparks TravelPak
Published in Audio Cassette by B & B Audio (2002-09)
Author: Nicholas Sparks
List price: $34.95

Average review score:

Nicholas Sparks, A National Treasure!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-25
A masterpiece is defined by the Websters dictionary as "a work done with extraordinary skill." Both The Notebook and Message in a Bottle exemplify this definition. A Walk to Remember, his latest publication lives up to these standards as well. Nicholas Sparks is an innovative writer, who personalizes his stories to the extent that the reader is not the same after reading. The love he portrays is something I only wish I will have the opportunity to experience!

The Notebook
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-10
I really was moved by this novel. I usually am not a reader, but when I read this book I became entwined in novels, espeacailly by Sparks. I would like to write my own books someday, and the way that Sparks writes is very moving. If he ever reads this I would just like him to know that I have read all his books. Also, that he has become my idol for many books I hope to someday publish.

Both Masterpieces
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-17
A masterpiece is defined by the Websters dictionary as "a work done with extraordinary skill." Both The Notebook and Message in a Bottle exemplify this definition. A Walk to Remember, his latest publication lives up to these standards as well. Nicholas Sparks is an innovative writer, who personalizes his stories to the extent that the reader is not the same after reading. The love he portrays is something I only wish I will have the opportunity to experience!

Miraculous Romance.
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-14
Nicholas Sparks is amazing! The way he describes every romantic detail with such Imagery is unbelievable. The Notebook has a unique side of poetry to it that everyone would love! It is the best book I've read in a long time! The 200 sum odd pages go bye way TOO FAST!

life changes too fast
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-23
this book walked me through my dad's last couple of years with alzheimers, i only wish he had a spouse who loved him that much. i wonder how my husband would cope in that situation, or if he even remembers how it all began and everything that has happened. it was hard to read through my tears but i could not put it down.

B
The Once Upon a Time Map Book
Published in Paperback by Walker Books Ltd (2004-09-06)
Authors: B.G. Hennessy and Peter Joyce
List price: $10.35
New price: $15.00
Used price: $19.99

Average review score:

Perfect book at Perfect Time
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-21
This was one of those books that we happened to introduce our daughter to at the perfect time. She is 5.5, loves fairy tales, and has recently been very interested in Peter Pan, and we are teaching her about maps. She loved the book right away! She loves to have an adult read her the directions while she moves her finger around on the map. She also loves finding interesting items/people in the busy map pictures (think "Where's Waldo"). From an educational standpoint, with this book she was able to quickly understand how to use coordinate grids, keys, scale, cardinal and ordinal directions, and geographical vocabulary, all without the book being overtly didactic. Rather, it was just a fun story she could be a part of (and learning these things was an inherent by-product). I would guess most 4-8 year olds, but especially those who like fairy tale and pretend play, will enjoy this.

Great fun, helps broaden the imagination
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-21
This is a great book that the whole family enjoys. It's fun to pick a map and since everyone knows the fairy tales already- to make new endings or stories and characters based on the wonderful maps. I've bought more of these as baby shower gifts to add to family libraries.

I have as much fun with it as my daughter!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-11
This book is great, it really brings life to the fairy tales like Snow White and even Peter Pan with big colorful maps of everything you read about in the stories. We have a lot of fun going over the map, and I really think for a youngster 4-7 or so it is perfect for their age and imagination. It really puts a picture to the story, and makes the fairy tales all the more real.

The maps are very colorful and vibrant, and really took some imagination and time to put together. There are a lot of fun things packed in, I really enjoy it as much as my daughter. Haven't reviewed many things but HAD to write one for this because every parent needs this on the bookshelf.

Great Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-16
I'm so glad I found this book on Amazon. Beautiful illustrations with wonderful detail. My son and I both love this book!

Who loves it more-- the adult or child?
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-10
We bought this book for my daughter when she was 4 and heavily into the world of princesses (especially Snow White) and fantasy. She had the book for months before she ventured off the Snow White page. There is so much to do and see with this book, and it can be easily adapted for multiple ages. This book is an especially good companion to reading some of these classics for the first time (Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, and others). While the older child will memorize the maps and whiz through the hidden pictures rather quickly, all kids will enjoy the creative process of studying the map and imagining what else happens. We have fun asking questions about where other scenes from these books could happen on the map and making our own maps from there.

B
One of a Kind: Learning the Secrets of World Leaders
Published in Hardcover by Syracuse University Press (2005-12-25)
Authors: Walter H. Diamond and Dorothy B. Diamond
List price: $24.95
New price: $14.50
Used price: $13.58

Average review score:

An Authentic Voice
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-07
Walter Diamond played a significant and enduring role in international finance in the latter half of the 20th century. Now with his wife and partner Dorothy at his side he tells the inside and exciting story of the role he played in establishing today's world trade system. The author also provides valuable insights on our international trade program and sage advice on how it can be made to work for world peace. In this book one hears an authentic voice.

"White Space" canon
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-08
This reference canon about the activities of the authors identifies and initiates discussion about many of the otherwise undiscussed, unreviewed activities of the US Treasury in protecting and enhancing America during World War II and American business through 2006. The book includes insights that will clarify the thoughts of future researchers in US economic "policy making" in our new globally competitive commercial working environment. It becomes a book that must be read by the individuals who want to understand the practical implementation of American expropriation of non-allied assets during World War II and the advancement of American business after the war through the creation of tax-free commercial trade zones. It highlights how the "rubber met the road" through the identification of world leader's expectations. We should all be very thankful that the authors got these thoughts down on paper in an autobiographical format.

One of a Kind: Learning the Secrets of World Leaders
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-05
I read One of a Kind: Learning the Secrets of World Leaders by Walter H. Diamond. This book was fascinating. I couldn't put it down. As an elected official in Greenburgh, NY I also was inspired by the book -- and learned alot about leadership and what it takes to be a good leader. The book should be required reading for everyone who holds a leadership position. PAUL FEINER Greenburgh, NY Town Supervisor

Service to Offshore Jurisdictions
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-16
Dorothy and Walter Diamond have been friends of mine since 1985 when I returned to New York from Liberia and was introduced to their work in signficantly helping advance the Liberian corporate program. Subsequently I was involved with the Nevis jurisdiction, and the contribution of Walter and Dorothy to this program was exceedingly worthwhile. Apart from these personal business connections, Walter's post-war assignments make compelling reading and would have an appeal to anyone interested in how foreign assets were dealt with after WWII. The book is fascinating and very relevant today to anyone interested in the global economy and the extent to which offshore jurisdictions play their legitimate part in our world economy.

A winning pair: Dorothy and Walter Diamond
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-27
The free world is so fortunate to have Walter and Dorothy Diamond. For the last 50 years or so, they have traveled the world at the behest of foreign leaders to help advise them on how can they better help their people. The countrymen of over 100 nations now can live better, more productive lives because of the tireless efforts of the Diamonds in establishing Free Trade Zones around the globe. This book, "One of a Kind" is an interesting, detailed account of the Diamonds youth, people they have met during their life, and their global travels. A fascinating read.

Bill Pearson Neiman-Marcus,White Plains, NY.

B
An Operators Manual for Combat PTSD: Essays for Coping
Published in Paperback by Writer's Showcase Press (2000-11)
Author: Ashley B., II Hart
List price: $12.95
New price: $8.09
Used price: $8.09

Average review score:

Very helpful
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-18
I have just started reading this book, but I can already tell I love it. I work with Vietnam combat vets doing individual and group therapy as a Social Worker with the V.A. I try to read many different books about PTSD and working with Vietnam vets so that I can improve my skills and be better at helping my vets. I have already recommended this book to my PTSD combat group. I really like how the book is set up as a collection of essays and chapters are kept short, sweet, and to the point. I think that it will keep the attention of some of my vets (as well as my own!) better than some of the "drier" texts I have read!

I thought my book was good
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-08
PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door I thought my book was good. This book is one I wished I'd written. Like the book I wrote it is more in an essay form. Found even more solutions in (Operators Manual) this book. I wrote mine for my sanity. I read this one for even more strength in knowing my "triggers" and "anchors". Changing our references and changing our state is crucial in our recovery.

PTSD
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-24
THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST BOOK WRITTEN AND MANY VA DOCTORS AND MSWS ARE USING IT. WONDER INFORMATIN.

Excellent and Practical PTSD book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-31
I read this with a certain skepticism but I have to say this is an outstanding book on PTSD for military folks. The author gives you short, readable content with practical suggestions. From one who has suffered PTSD and gotten few answsers since my days as a Marine sniper in Nam this was such a pleasent surprise. I passed it on to my team of aging snipers and they love it. Actually has stuff you can do - well worth the read. We can tell the guy who wrote it has been counseling vet's, its not academic, its actionable. Great book!

Amazingly perceptive
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-25
I was in denial about having PTSD after my tour in Iraq until I read this book. When I read the first couple of chapters it felt as if he had written the book about myself.

The book emphasises that PTSD is a combat injury that it is nothing to be ashamed of.

I have recommended this book to other veterans and feel that this is the first book somebody who has (or suspects they may have) PTSD should read.

B
Pathology: Implications for the Physical Therapist
Published in Hardcover by W.B. Saunders Company (1998-01-15)
Authors: Catherine Cavallaro Goodman and William G. Boissonnault
List price: $79.95
Used price: $38.00

Average review score:

Beautiful book, very knowledgable
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-02
Once I started reading, realised that all the contents in the book are explained according to the needs of a Physical Therapists. Whoever is giving NPTE, this is a must review book. It definitely helped me a Lot. DO not have 2nd thoughts abt buying this book. Cheers !

Very in depth book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-01
I purchased this book for my PTA program for Penn State early before the fall semester. I started reading this in early June and the book goes clearly in depth into potentially all Pathological conditions you can encounter in a PT clinic.

Excellent book, a bit wordy and a little more along the doctoral level than PTA level, but great nonetheless.

Pathology: Implications for the Physical Therapist
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19
The book came in perfect condition and was exactly as I ordered it. I received it in a decent amount of time, and have good experience with my orders on Amazon.

Great book for a student going into PT!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-06
I have read about 5 chapters of this book so far. I am extremely happy with the text, the authors give a good description about the various pathologies throughout the chapters and also give a section after a topic on how to apply the information listed to physical therapy. I am sure this will be a book that is frequently visited to refreshen my memory on a specific disease/illness and will rarely collect dust.

Excellent Reference
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-08
Great pathology book...very comprehensive. Excellent review of systems for this PTA in acute care.

B
Peace, Love and Healing: Bodymind Communication and the Path to Self-Healing : An Exploration
Published in Hardcover by Harpercollins (1989-05)
Author: Bernie S. Siegel
List price: $18.95
New price: $0.49
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $18.95

Average review score:

Peace, Love and Healing: Bodymind Communication & the Path to Self-Healing: An Exploration
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-02
Peace, Love and Healing: Bodymind Communication & the Path to Self-Healing: An Exploration was a book for myself when I was battling Lymphoma. It was a great deal of help and support for me. Since then I have given it to others diagnosed with cancer.

Great book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-09
This is a great book for anybody but especially for cancer patients like myself. The book was very inspirational and uplifting. I highly recommend this book.

Bernie, you're great!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-03
I just love Bernie Siegal, and admire his openness and willingness to speak out and risk the ridicule of the traditional medical community. It seems his ideas really are important in healing!

Change the mind, change the body--and get well!
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-08
I've submitted essentially the same review for Love, Medicine and Miracles as for Peace, Love and Healing. I read Love, Medicine and Miracles first and then Peace, Love and Healing and also recommend that others read them in that sequence: Peace, Love, and Healing is very much a continuation of the earlier book. Having said that, the most important thing is for anyone facing a health crisis to read them both. The sequence in which they're read is less important than that they be read--and absorbed.

I was introduced to these books shortly after having been diagnosed with cancer by another person who was (and still is, unfortunately) dealing with some major health issues. Although I've read tons of stuff relating to cancer and, especially, treatments of various types and stripes, I can't think of anything that provided greater value and (even) guidance to me during those challenging days, mainly because getting the "head" right is half the battle--and the half of the battle that far too many completely neglect. One of the things that Bernie makes imminently clear to the reader is that he/she, the reader, has a great deal of influence over the course of his/her illness. That's an important message to someone feeling powerless. Plenty of powerful examples, thought exercises, etc. The messages are uplifting, hopeful, life-affirming, empowering, and above all, realistic.

Although I was vaguely aware of the mind-body connection before reading these books, I now understand that psychoneuroimmunology (if that is an unfamiliar term, you will become familiar with it by the time you've read Peace, Love and Healing) is real and can potentially be harnessed to the patient's great benefit: change the mind, change the body.

Naturally, I can't do justice to these books with a few short sentences here. But here's the bottom line: these books should be read by anyone facing a health crisis who sincerely wants to get well. But they should also be read by anyone who has a friend or loved one facing a health crisis. Read them yourself before you send them on to the friend/loved one. You'll find them valuable both for yourself and also for helping your friend/loved one deal with it. The books should be read by anyone facing a life-threatening illness, but their value transcends cancer (or other serious illness) self-help by a long shot, valuable as that is. Even if your present health seems to be good, you should still read these books. They will help you live more effectively even if you never get sick. And they will surely equip you to deal with a major illness if you ever have to face one.

Essential reading for everyone's health
Helpful Votes: 22 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-28
Bernie Siegel writes in a very conversational-easy-to-read style in a book packed with information, facts, and understanding which is helpful for everyone regarding the connection between mind-body healing. Bernie Siegel helps us to take responsibility for our own health and to work as a team member with medical professionals in a co-operative style of relating.
Having fairly recently been diagnosed with an advanced cancer this book helped me to see cancer in a new light.
Everyone would bemnefit from reading this book for their health in general.

B
Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy
Published in Paperback by Touchstone (1991-12-15)
Author: Donald Kagan
List price: $12.00
Used price: $3.49
Collectible price: $12.99

Average review score:

The First Citizen
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-19
Kagan's Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy is an extremely well-written book on a remarkable statesman who lived nearly twenty-five hundred years ago. The historian Thucydides called him Athens's `first citizen'. During his thirty years of near dominance as that city-state's leader, Athens enjoyed great wealth, a democratic form of government, and gloried in the arts and building projects that reflected that city's heightened status. Kagan's defense of Pericles (though not without criticisms) and the form of government he helped implement are admirably and ably argued.

Kagan's sources are fairly limited, which is to be expected. He relies mostly on the famed account of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, the later writings of Plutarch, and the works of some of the famed literary figures of the day. Perhaps the greatest surviving symbol of Pericles's influence in Athens is the Parthenon. Democracy in Athens began under Cleisthenes, as Kagan mentions, but Pericles advanced this system by opening political participation and voting to more of that city's citizens. He also promoted a paying system for public service. It is tempting to try to compare our political system with the system in Athens (though quite different) and say that ours is more inclusive, which though true technically doesn't mean that the political system in Athens is any less deserving of a certain amount of admiration.

Athens was also an empire, though Pericles could persuasively argue its merits despite the seeming contradictions. Athens's wealth and prestige did not come without costs. Sparta and various other Greek people were suspicious and resentful of the growing influence of Athens. The Spartans, as Kagan claimed later in the book as the Peloponnesian War began, would claim the mantle of liberators of the Greeks. Pericles's policies were seemingly always guided by an intelligent, rational way of thinking. He tried to pursue the moderate course between the extremes, as Kagan states. This seems to become most evident in the opening scenes in the war against Sparta.

I find that moderation to be very admirable, even if his policies could be wrong on occasion, as the Peloponnesian War would prove. He was perhaps too stubborn in adhering to certain strategies, but he did what he believed was right for Athens. His ability to influence his fellow citizens was indeed quite remarkable. But even Pericles had enemies and for a while even he was cast out of office when things weren't going well for Athens in the early stages of the conflict. Pericles died in 429 BC, only two and a half years into the war that would last twenty-seven years. His military strategy had not worked, though very clearly thought out and believed by its architect. But one thing was sure, after his death, Athens would sorely lack that high-minded and able leadership that he represented so well.

This is the second book by Kagan I've read and he doesn't disappoint. He makes a strong case for Pericles and Athenian Democracy, though he can be critical, especially of Pericles's strategy for fighting and winning the war with Sparta. Then again, what if Pericles had lived longer? Makes for a great what if, but then again maybe it wouldn't have changed the ultimate outcome of the war. A fascinating period, but a tragic one.

The Churchill of the Ancient World
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-21
When I was just a youngster I remembered reading about the "Golden Age of Pericles". What was this "golden age"? Who was Pericles? What impact did he have on the world today?

To begin with, the "golden age" marked the beginnings of the Athenian Empire. Athens became the Mecca for the world, attracting the greatest minds. It became an important trade center. With this, Athens became one of the greatest cities in the mid-Fifth Century BC world. At the center was Pericles.

Pericles rose to prominence under less than favorable circumstances. He came from an old family that was involved in a sacrilege to the gods about one hundred years earlier. His family was cursed and expelled from Athens. When Pericles came of age he neglected politics, as the Athenian aristocracy was firmly entrenched. When his opportunity finally came Pericles was able to win over the citizens to his way of thinking by the power of his oratory.

Pericles didn?t invent democracy but under his leadership democracy flourished. He firmly believed that when the opportunity for power belonged to all the citizens, instead of only a few, that the best people would rise to leadership roles. This was democracy?s strength. The critics?and there were many?feared mob rule. For that reason it would be a long time before democracy rose to prominence in the world again. Even our own founding fathers feared mob rule, but representative democracy would prevent that while preserving democracy?s strength.

The legacy of Pericles was that he was a true statesman. He understood the ramifications of the peace with Sparta and what would happen to Athens if she caved into the demands of Sparta. The result was a great Peloponnesian war that would eventually cost Athens her empire. It was faulty strategy, wrong assumptions, and a lack of strong leadership after Pericles died that did Athens in. Donald Kagan mentions the connection with Winston Churchill, who found his country facing a great danger from Germany because its prime minister backed down. Like Pericles, he knew Great Britain would have to stand and fight. One can only wonder what the world would be like if Pericles? Athens had won as Churchill?s Britain had?

Getting to know Pericles
Helpful Votes: 22 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-11
Donald Kagan of Yale university is perhaps the foremost authority on Periclean Athens in the world today. As such, it is only natural that he should write a treatise on the life of the great man known as Pericles.

All of the major facets of Pericles' life are brought together in this edition, from his rise to prominence to his scandalous affair with Aspasia to his strategy of fighting the Peloponnesian war against Sparta and her allies. The latter topic, of course, will gather the most interest to modern readers.

While I have read Thucydides, I felt that Kagan did a wonderful job of elaborating on a lot of details of the Peloponnesian war that were a bit unclear in primary sources. The problem with historical primary sources is that they many times take as a given the reader knows all the background information behind specific events. Kagan makes no assumptions and walks the reader through the various political and social aspects that underlie sundry events of 5th century Greece.

One of the more surprising elements of this book is that Kagan is not reticent in his criticisms of many Periclean policies and war strategies. While moderation is typically seen as a positive thing (just ask Aristotle!), Kagan points out how Pericles could over-rely on human reason and be moderate to a fault. In short, this book is NOT an encomium on the Greek leader. Rather, it is an open an honest examination of his life & times. Kagan disinters both the best and the worst in Pericles' character and foresight.

This book is highly recommended to all persons who are interested in Greek history. For those who wish to become more acquainted with Athens in the turmoil of war, this book is a can't miss.

A Companion to the Peloponnesian War Series & A History of Athens
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-13
Donald Kagan's knowledge of the subject is likely unequaled. Having essentially written the premier history of the war Pericles hoped to avoid, The Peloponnesian War, Kagan was in the unique position to write a similarly authoritative biography of this classic statesman. And that he has.

The book is well-written, thoroughly readable, and tells the story of Pericles better than its predecessors. That said, those who've read Kagan's four volume series on the Peloponnesian War will find that most of the text in this book has already been covered. This is not to say that new insights and clever evaluations are not to be found, for they are, but only that the author is, unfortunately, a victim of his own superb and exhaustive account of Pericles' life in prior works.

Also note: this is an excellent history of the political framework of early Athens. If you require an introduction to Athens' early democratic structure, including a wonderful description of the Assembly (a fusion of legislative and judicial branches into an open forum), this is the book.

Those who are new to the author and/or the subject will not encounter an issue with the text and, indeed, could not ask for a better biography.

A worthy book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-10
This is a good biography of a great man. Kagan not only distills a great deal of information into a very accessable book, he also manages to impart understanding and insight about Pericles and his Athens. This book is valuable to anyone interested in classical Greece. With particular emphasis - anyone contemplating an attack on "The Peloponnesian War" by Thucydides would do well to get "Pericles" as a companion. Even if you already have Thucydides under your belt, you will probably gain fresh insight into that famously difficult work through Kagan's lucid exposition.

B
Pete Cassidy's Cookbook for Oracle SQL*Plus
Published in Paperback by Chef Pierre (1995-10-01)
Authors: Pete W. Cassidy and Carole B. Cassidy
List price: $29.95
New price: $39.95
Used price: $9.50

Average review score:

Pete Cassidy's Cookbook for Oracle SQL*Plus
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-08
It contains all that you need and nothing you don't for using SQL plus utility effectively. It also has lot of examples.

Cooking with Oracle Cookbook
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-06
I have used Pete's book for over a year now, and I find it a strong sourcebook. Unlike many of my other source books, this book gives the actual text of the commands that are necessary to accomplish the job.
I place this text at the top of the Oracle books I have.

Developers will learn/produce alot by using this cookbook
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-29
Pete's cookbook is an excellent resource which I highly recommend. What makes the book 'work' for me is there are many superb examples of both simple and complex practical SQL and SQL*PLUS problems and solutions. In addition to being humorous, it is easy to follow and to understand. When I am trying to get a task done by a certain deadline, I don't have time to wade through miles of explanation. I need the answer YESTERDAY and the SQL COOKBOOK does that for me. I also teach Oracle courses and my students really love the book too.

What, specifically, is in this book?
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-24
If you're thinking about buying this book, you might want to know what's in it. This book is about 250 pages, and each page contains one example of something you can do in SQL*Plus. There is only a small amount of explanation about what the example does, often only a sentence.

The examples are all things that people who work with Oracle might want to do from time to time, but might not know how to accomplish.

So this book will be most appreciated by someone who already has a certain amount of experience with Oracle. If you use the Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced categories of Oracle knowledge, I'd say the people who would most like this book are those who are at least half way through the Beginner stage, up to people who are just entering the Advanced stage.

If you are a rank beginner to Oracle, you will not understand many of the examples. For instance, the page for Using Array Processing merely demonstrates, for SQL*Plus, the command SHOW ARRAYSIZE. That's all! If you already know what array processing is, and just want to know how to determine what arraysize is currently set to, then the command shown will be helpful. But if you don't know about array processing in SQL*Plus, what's the use of seeing this page?

Most of the book is like this. In fact, imagine for a minute there was a SQL*Plus expert in your office, and every day several people came over and asked, "I'm stuck on one point and was wondering if you could tell me how to...." Now suppose that expert typed a few commands, showing the person how to do the specific thing they were asking, and then saved what he typed. After he had 250 commonly asked questions, he put what he typed in a book, one per page, adding a title to the page and maybe one sentence of explanation.

That's exactly what this book is. It assumes you already have a certain level of knowledge about Oracle in general, and about SQL*Plus in particular. If that's true for you, then great, you'll appreciate these 250 techniques and tips, because they're things you'll probably want to know how to do. But even if you have a year or two of experience with Oracle, you'll probably find you have to look in the Oracle documentation for a fuller explanation to make sense of some of the things in this book.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. It could be a great way to learn. In fact, if you're a rank beginner, you might still like this book if you're the type of person who likes to dive right in and start typing commands to see what they do. Just be aware that you better have the Oracle documentation CD-ROM handy, because virtually none of the great commands and techniques shown in this book are accompanied by any explanation other than the occasional sentence.

If you are the type who likes to read complete explanations, I'd suggest the SQL*Plus book by Gennick. Whatever, this is a good book, it's just that you'll probably need some background before you can really appreciate and make use of it.

Pete Cassidy's Cookbook for Oracle SQL*Plus
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-04
Got to be the worst cover ever - even though its his daughters idea sorry! I cover it in brown paper at client sites. Its an excellent dip in and read and contains solutions to many commonly experienced problems both for experience and neophytes alike. For me its a MUST HAVE. I can give it to very inexperiened developers rather than explain for the n'th time how to define your editor in SQLPLUS for example.

Howard Latham Editor Oracle Scene.

B
Play Your Best Straight Pool
Published in Paperback by Billiards Press (2001-01-01)
Author: Philip B. Capelle
List price: $24.95
New price: $15.51
Used price: $14.38

Average review score:

A Rare Find!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-11
I've looked everywhere for books or video's that would provide instruction on the proper way to play Straight Pool. There were dozens of players that offered dozens of home-spun versions of the game, but until now, I have been spinning my wheels. This is the best and most comprehensive book that I have ever seen on ANY game of pool. I'm well aquainted with Mr. Capelles previous publications, but none of them even come close to this one. I think the knowledge that a Player gains in Straight Pool is vital to his/her overall growth & skill potential. This book gives more and better information than many Instructors provide. It's worth every penny!

straight pool bible
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-11
I have skimmed all of the book, have read parts of it carefully, and will continue to consult different chapters from time to time. I seldom play straight pool but practice it quite often. This book showed me some things I didn't know and pointed out some things I knew but hadn't paid enough attention to. It's detailed and thorough. I may not reach my lifetime goal of running 100 balls but this book will put at least a few balls on my occasional high run. It's a good book to read just before going out to hit balls.

Your Pool Reference
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-10
This reference guide for pool will show you every possible shot you may have to take. Your game will greatly improve with the tips in this book.

The best book on straight pool available today
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
If you want to improve your game, no matter what you play, this book will
greatly help you. This is the difinitive book on straight pool. It leads you through every possible situation you could run accross and shows you how to deal with it. The book can be used as a reference for
any pool game. This book belongs in any serious pool player's library.

excellent book on pool
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-04
i am a above average pool player, this book covers everything. if your looking to excell at pool get this book better than any video you could watch. excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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