H Books

The edition of "The Theory of Money and Credit" from Signalman Publishing was specifically formatted and published for the Kindle. This specialized version enhances the readability and allows the reader to better focus on and understand the thoughts of von Mises. The Signalman edition will help students navigate through the text using the hyperlinked Table of Contents, unlike the Evergreen edition, which was not formatted specifically for the Kindle.

This is a transformative work by von Mises. In the short time since I began reading I have come to a deeper understanding and appreciate the function and nature of money.

This is NOT light reading, but all the same it is fascinating. I found myself wanting to be back in school again, for no other reason than to have a professor and classmates to explore these ideas with, and to better develop my own understanding of the subject.

I have only two complaints, neither of which might really qualify as a complaint, since the original was written in German these is to be expected: first, most of the citations refer to the original German works. This makes it difficult for the English reader to cross-check citations and expand the reading list. However, thanks to the magic of Amazon, many of the cited authors are available in English. Second, von Mises assumes a very high level of understanding from his readers. Many of his ideas are built upon the work of others, and generally I found the background explanation a bit lacking (hence my want for a classroom environment). In all fairness, this book is so weighty that if he had ventured to give appropriate background for each element of support, the publishers might have been compelled to split the work into multiple volumes. The author rightly expects his readers to achieve a deep understanding of each supporting subject and and to research its origins on their own.

The Theory of Money and Credit is the foundation of modern Austrian Economics. The central contribution of this book is its application of marginal utility theory to money. Mises takes a micro-analytic approach to money that differs from the Hume-Fischer-Friedman Quantity Theory significantly. Of course there is some truth in the Quantity Theory. The Quantity Theory also teaches some lessons against inflation.

Mises set the groundwork for Austrian Business Cycle theory, as later developed by Hayek and Garrison. Both the Quantity Theory and the Mises-Hayek theory of trade cycles point to the same root cause: inflation. However, the Mises-Hayek theory explains trade cycles in terms of intertemporal dis-coordination. Hayek owes his Nobel Prize the groundbreaking work of Mises.

The Theory of Money and Credit also served as the basis for the calculation critique of socialism. Mises began to see the significance of monetary calculation in this book. The Austrian theories of the trade cycle and monetary calculation are the two main lines of modern Austrian research. These were the two critical debates of the Interwar Years. Also, Mises formulated his `Regression Theorem' in this book. Without this book, the modern Austrian paradigm would differ beyond recognition. Anyone who wants to learn Austrian economics should read this book.

Von Mises' "The Theory of Money and Credit" is a great work in theoretical economics. Its key insight is that money has an influence on the real economy.

Monetary financing of deficits leads to inflation, but this inflation is never proportional, that is variations in the money supply produce variations in relative prices and therefore have distributional consequences.

MV = PT is an identity. The 'V' reflects the money demand of individuals for whom a $ has a subjective value. What happens to PT is dependent on who how the new money will ripple through the economic system. Every change in the amount of money is different. Apart from subjective factors the velocity of circulation will depend on trends in population growth, the division of labour and financial innovation all of these tending to accelerate it over time.

A key price in any economy is the real interest rate. Within a stable monetary framework these would reflect time preference and the (perceived) profitability of investments. By artificially reducing the rate of interest investment booms are provoked by making longer processes of production seem more profitable than they are and when finally because of a intolerantly high rate of inflation the monetary growth is halted a sharp recession occurs, in which firms go bust and the some investments are liquidated. Hence business cycles.

In essence it a manifesto for sound-money which in Mises' view amounts to adopting the gold standard. Inflationary deficit finance is dishonest and arbitrary on people's incomes and should be replaced by explicit taxation.

Murray Newton Rothbard has been quoted as saying this book is THE best book ever written on Money & Credit. So having found Rothbard's writings to be outstanding in their own right, I moved on to this Mises classic!

The first thing to note is that this book was first published in 1912 and in German, and although the translation has been accomplished superbly, the style of writing has somewhat of an antequated feel to it; not quite the same free flowing prose you get with Rothbard. Once you get into the feel of it though, this in no way detracts from your understanding of the theory presented.

It has an excellent new Foreward by Rothbard himself, extensive footnoting and index and is hardbound beautifully by the Liberty Fund Press, with dust jacket. There is also a nice Appendix: On The Classification of Monetary Theories, that is very useful and informative.

The book itself is divided into four main Parts:
Part One: The Nature of Money.
Part Two: The Value of Money.
Part Three: Money and Banking.
Part Four: Monetary Reconstruction.(This part was added in 1952).

For me the book really took on a story of two halves. In the first half of the book, Parts 1 & 2, the bulk of the theory is really laid out. It can be slow going as it is extremely in depth but I highly recommend you stick with it as this pays off in the second half of the book!

In Part 3 Mises really starts putting flesh onto the theory when we get into Money & Banking proper with discussion of demand for money, credit, fiduciary paper, rate of interest etc. But towards the end in Chapters 19 & 20 things get MUCH more interesting as equilibrium rates and interest are discussed in detail and he finally talks about gold, the gold standard and banking freedom.

Part 4 is where my heart lies. Here we have the discussion of the principles of sound money versus contemporary currency systems. There's then an excellent discourse on the Return to Sound Money, ie the Classical Gold Standard.

The second half of this wonderful book certainly flowed better for me, but that may also be just because I am more of an investment manager/trader and less of an economist! You feel like you have had Mises teaching you in fine detail and that he has left no stone unturned in your understanding. Mises doesn't read as easily as the prose of Rothbard but that does not detract from the excellence of the material. Superb!

It really IS a truly outstanding work and if not the best book ever written on the subject, it surely has to be at the very least, one of the very best, and as such is certainly a "must-read"!!!

This wonderful, beautifully bound, classic is an absolute "steal" at $20. I still cannot believe it is sold for so little. My recommendation is to buy it while it is still available in this beautiful hardbound edition!

Enjoy!

I HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK YET. CAN YOU GET BACK TO ME IN A FEW WEEKS?

For many years Doctors have ignored the role that one's faith, regardless of what religion or church, plays in our ability to live with pain and illness. Why don't more Doctors recognize that prayer or some kind of spirituality can be as essential to our wellbeing as taking our medicine as prescribed?
This book has so many interviews with people who are living with long-term illness and who use their faith (Christian, Moslem, Jewish, Buddhism etc) to sustain them in addition to their sense of humor and a supportive network of family and friends.
Thank you for beautifully illustrating that faith, family and friends really do help.

Every once in a while, if we are lucky, something comes along that reminds us of the quiet courage of regular people. We remember the dignity and bravery of individuals who through their suffering have taught us so much about what it means to be alive and to be human. One of my colleagues has recently published a book that celebrates the lives of many such courageous people who have much to teach us about living joyously.

Jeffrey Boyd, M.D., M.P.H., has published Being Sick Well, a collection of interviews with people who suffer with long-term, life-changing illnesses. Through their intimate conversations with Jeff, who is an ordained Episcopal minister and Chairman of Behavioral Health at Waterbury Hospital, they share the depths of their suffering, the strength of their faith, and the ways that they have chosen to cope with their illnesses. While they endure unimaginable suffering, they have chosen not to give up. In fact, one of the gifts that they give us is their strategies for living satisfying lives.

Several of the people interviewed for Being Sick Well are from our communities: Fr. John Cockayne of Thomaston, Charlene Stephens and Bette Fern of Woodbury; Mary of Cheshire; Eileen Clark of Middlebury; Shiquirye Silvia Krosts of Waterbury; Sue Luchs of Milford; and Placido Mastroianni of New Haven. At some point during their diagnoses--or in Charlene's case in the diagnosis of her child--they decided that life still had its blessings. In many cases, they chose to use their illnesses to help others. Some have turned to humor or spiritual resources to maintain useful, meaningful lives.

Jeff's book combines his thorough research into the emerging epidemic of chronic illness with an interesting view of how the successes of medical science have failed to make us better. When doctors say that they will "cure" cancer, they mean that their goal is to turn cancer into a manageable chronic illness. We might live longer with cancer; however, this doesn't necessarily mean that we will be healthy.

Jeff also provides insights into the repercussions of chronic illness: how it will affect the rising costs of health care, the tough medical choices we will face, and the effect this epidemic has on so many people who have become caregivers to the chronically ill.

This book is compelling on many different levels. Jeff demonstrates the practical implications of strategies for coping through each individual's story. Diverse religious beliefs are represented, showing the critical role faith plays in one's ability to live with illness. This book addresses numerous approaches to managing illness, including taking charge of one's illness, taking the medicine as prescribed, and humbly doing the work of a caregiver. In our effort to bring comfort and meaning to those who are suffering, we will find Being Sick Well a vital resource filled with encouragement, hope, and inspiration.

I wanted to share with you about a fantastic book I just finished reading. "Being Sick Well, Joyful Living Despite Chronic Illness," is probably one of the best books I have ever read. As someone who is a care giver of a chronic illness sufferer and the Founder & President of two chronic illness support & awareness organizations, The Invisible Disabilities Advocate and Where Is God Ministries, I was moved with a wide range of emotions and challenged with new ideas and wowed by the insight of the author, Dr Jeffery Boyd.

In "Being Sick Well," Dr Boyd states "When I talked with people who had chronic illness but remained upbeat, I discovered that they developed methods to help them get through the day." These methods which Dr Boyd gleaned from case histories are mentioned throughout the book and are insightfully turned into 20 strategies for joyful living despite chronic illness. The book is full of stories of sufferers and their care givers. There are even detailed statics and conclusions surrounding the continuing rise of chronic illness in America despite the notion we are getting healthier. Dr Boyd tackles these issues surrounding chronic illness with experience, intelligence and compassion.

Far from being dry, I cried and cheered and laughed. The stories are moving and what they teach in regards to "Being Sick Well" are practical and inspiring. Since my organizations do not target any specific chronic illnesses or disease, I wondered how they could have an greater impact on our world. Most people are drawn to a particular organization that deals with one specific disease or chronic illness such as the Arthitis Foundation or the MS Society. Dr Boyd addresses this issue by stating the following:

What is lacking is a sense of common cause among the different disease constituencies. If the families afflicted with diseases X, Y, and Z would cooperate instead of competing with one another, there would emerge an advocacy group representing a majority of the public, and suddenly the healthcare finance system would be forced to change so as to recognize and treat chronic illness. That would make life with chronic disease much more tolerable for everyone.

I was not only moved by his book, but I was also encourged and energized to rise to the challenge he set forth. Since currently "At least 45% of all Americans have a chronic condition" there is a lot of work to be done and I thank Dr Boyd for leading the challenge in "Being Sick Well."

As a medical practitioner who treats patients with kidney disease, diabetes, and many other chronic illnesses, I have found Dr. Boyd's book tremendously helpful for me, my patients and their families. He creatively and lovingly engages a group of people who have found their own way to live well with their chronic illnesses, and then brilliantly distills their stories for us. Dr. Boyd gives both knowledge and inspiration that all of us, and those who we care for, can use to improve the way we live.
This book reminds us that as physicians we must treat illness on many different levels besides prescriptions, tests and hospital stays. I know that many of my patients could minimize their need for medications and hospitalizations if we could find a way to follow the lead of these courageous people who shared with Dr. Boyd the wisdom they have found in adapting to some of the most difficult trials any of us can face. With this book, Dr. Boyd gives us the opportunity to learn from some of the best. Not only do I encourage patients with chronic illness who want to live well, and doctors who want to help them, to read this book, but I encourage anyone who wants to find inspiration for conducting a better life to read it.

Basic bridge at its best presented in a fun and easy to read format, order both of her books together!

Bid better play better is the most concise book to learn and understand the new bidding methods. Her original book was my guide to bridge playing and a teaching tool for many years. Now I use this edition as a bridge manual to bring intermediate players to the modern system. I only wish that there was a teaching manual to accompany this book.
Marty Johnson, Suttons Bay Michigan

Dorothy Hayden Truscott's BID BETTER, PLAY BETTER has been in print for over twenty years, and no surprise. This is a generous and well-explained guide to correct evaluation of the hand, with an emphasis on "reading" what your partner and opponents are holding; Ms. Truscott excels in making us read the context of the bidding process. And this book offers sound strategies for the playing of the hand as well.

This is not my very favorite book for rank beginners (in my opinion BRIDGE FOR DUMMIES by Eddie Kantar is actually quite good and more comprehensive), but it is really meant for developing players -- advanced beginners and intermediates. Those who would forego Ms. Truscott's no-nonsense prose style might instead consider S.J. Simon's WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE. Like BID BETTER, PLAY BETTER, it deals with how not to form bad bridge habits or how to chuck them a-borning, but its take on bridge-playing is more social and Simon's prose style is appropriately quite droll.

I was looking for a book without a lot of blather. This is it. It's straight forward and simple. I can sit down and read a particular section and get the idea quickly. No cute stories or long-range examples covering 50 years. I'm happy.

Thank goodness Dorothy Hayden wrote this classic BEFORE " for Dummies" became the obvious title for any non-text book one might read to learn ANYTHING. Yet, that is really what this book is about. Reading (and practicing what you learn by reading) will indeed develop "card sense" where once there was very little (or none). After you have the basics of our amazing game in hand, this book can help you take another step toward mastery.

If you're up on modern bidding methods, you'll feel a temptation to skip the "old" material on bidding. Don't do it. Unless you're expert enough to design a complete bidding system from earth, air, fire, and water; the presentation of the fundamentals herein will help you improve both your understanding of Standard American (or 2/1) biddng methods AND your grasp of the foundation of your own bidding methods (even if you bid differently). That foundation will help you intelligently incorporate (or reject) new methods as your personal biddng methods and style mature.

I used this book for my college biology I and II classes. My favorite part of the book was animal structure and function. Although the writing in this book is on a pretty high level, nothing was left out--very complete. Sometimes it was hard to understand the chapters on genetics. Then again genetics is a hard topic. I used additional sources to clarify on what I learned in Raven's book.

I used AP Biology by Beck. This book was a helpful study guide. This was easy to comprehend. Made biology easier to learn.

However, what really did it for me was Patrick Leonardi's:
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations
This study guide comes in 3 volumes, make sure to get all three if you take biology I and II. If you are only taking Biology I, you can probably get away with only getting volume 1 and 2. These study guides had very good questions on every topic that is tested on in college biology. It was organized into specific sections, making it very helpful for exam preparation. It was so complete that it had the kind of questions that were asked on my exams. Don't go blind into an exam. These books are very helpful.

This is a great biology book. One of my favorite things about this book is the diagrams. I also like the sections on human origins and the individual sections on different organisms. This book is as good or might even be better then the Campbell biology-that speaks for itself

This is definitely the best intro to bio books out there. As a graduate student I got the chance to read lots of bio books and this one by far is the best. The chapters are well organized and easy to follow and gives you the depth needed to pursue any area of biology. When it was time for me to student teach this was the book of my chose. It expensive but definiely worth it to any biologist. The CD-ROM is also very good!

This is by far the finest Introductory Biology textbook I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Biology teachers, do yourselves (not to mention your students) a favor--make this the required text for your Biology I (and II) Class! Special Thanks goes out to Dr. Michael Hoefer...for requiring this textbook!

.....or if you had to travel back in time. I had this for my textbook in Biology back in 1987 and even then, .... well before the human genome was anywhere near being charted, let alone completed, this was a spectacular acomplishment. This book isn't riveting like say Druyan and Sagan's SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESOTRS is, but it is as good as any biology textbook can possibly be. It has EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about biology; from modern cell theory to ecology. All you have to do is look this over and you'll see why I highly recommend it. Does any other bio textbook even compare?

The story is believable. The characters are alive and real. There are no times when the story drags as it holds your interest all the way through. When I had to stop reading I always looked forward to when I could pick up the book again.

Dr. Goodson gives the reader the setting in a very detailed and descriptive manner. Once all the details are in place the story begins to unfold. Not a predictable story, I was suprised and captivated throughout the story. I could not put it down as the story began to unfold. If you are interested in Thomas Merton, or suspense and drama, take a look at this book. I think you will enjoy it.

Well done! An easy to read, captivating tale that is definately worth it. I highly recommend Bossuet Conspiracy.

This was a who done it with a twist. The historical perspective added to the interest. Well written. I hope he brings the central characters back for a sequel or even a series. It was and excellent first novel.

The author has taken real facts and real settings and woven them into a fascinating story. Dr. Goodson takes several items with which he is very familiar (a dysfunctional family relationship, the Catholic Church, the Thomas Merton story, and local and national politics) and fashioned an intriguing tale which is fast-moving and extremely believable. Living in Nashville and having visited Gethsemani, I found this a true page turner. For his first novel, the author has set a high mark. This book is an easy read and will not disappoint.

The book contains good overview information and good sample cases. The sample for future CRT sections seem to disconnect from the current CRT. This is very strange. Overall is good.

"Breaking the Constraints to World-Class Performance" "Can this book really tell me how to do that, Man that would be great. Well yes I believe it does.

So what is stopping your company from getting better? Do you know? The body of knowledge called the Theory of Constraints says there is usually only one constraint stopping you from making progress toward your goal, maybe two. Well, if you want a way of finding out what it is, it is in this book. But more can be done than just finding it. This book will teach you how to eliminate or manage the constraint to your advantage.

This book explains in general and in specifics how to change. You must answer, what to change, what to change to, and How to cause the change. These are the beginning thoughts. But think of it if you knew the answers to these questions.

If you want to learn HOW to do Theory of Constraints, no matter what level of experience you may be, this book is a must have. It is one of the most valuable resources on TOC that exists. It shows you step by step how to do things and also why they work. It is easy to use; Mr. Dettmer has a remarkable talent for clarity

How long do you stay on top as a world-class performer if you are just sitting back enjoying it. Not very long these days. This book is about making dramatic improvements with simple solutions. But it is more correct to say it's about a continual improvement process. I recommend you read this book and give it strong consideration. You just may find a Gem for your company, a whole new culture of winning.

The short and sweet is that I have read many books on TOC and this is at the TOP of the heap. It covers the whole range and makes for one stop shopping.

As someone who read the entire series of Goldratt's books and as someone who has been practicing TOC in project management for a few years, I rate this book '5 stars' only because six is not an option.

Step-by-step and in a didactic manner, Mr. Dettmer takes the reader into the world of TOC. If you read Goldratt's books and left with the test but without the 'know how' then this is the book for you.

Mr. Dettmer explains the basic building blocks and the terminology of the 'Thinking Process Toolkit' and he then, step by step, explains the 'how'.

How to build a Current Reality Tree - The tool for understanding the one core problem (few root causes) preventing your organization from achieving its goal.

How to discover and solve conflicts that cause your company to stagnate.

How to systematically verify that the solution you want to apply will actually lead to the desired effects, without causing other adverse ones.

How to systematically understand what conditions should be fulfilled in order to reach the company's goal, and how to build a 'winning plan' to achieve the goal.

I also read the first book of Mr. Dettmer on the subject (Goldratt's Theory Of Constraints) and I liked this one better.

At last, I think that every executive who wants to do something beneficial to his company should get this book.

Tip: Read Appendix D first and then go back to page one.

Contains an step by step general methodology for analizing problems by identifing the chains of causes and effects. It can be applied to solve business problems and analize personal situations. It is a very practical thinking process that you can use in a diversified variety of situations. Really powerfull. The book is very well written with examples of the use of the different tools of analysis: the current reality tree, the future reality tree, the conflict resolution diagram, the negative branch, the prerequisite tree and the transition tree.

After a recent visit to Bremen in Germany, and souvenir t-shirts for the grandkids, I decided to purchase copies of the "Bremen Town Musicians" as Christmas presents. I am very pleased with my purchase. I am impressed with the quality of English used, which would surely be of benefit to young ears. Also, the text included some lesser-used words such as 'hound, lute, minstrels', great for vocabulary building. Young minds absorb so much, so let us give them worthwhile things to soak up. The text also lends itself to reading aloud with lots of expression and drama, always enjoyed by children. The illustrations are simple but superb, plentiful and complements the text beautifully - a great help for young readers. I can't wait to read to them on Christmas Day!

The illustrations and text aren't very compelling, and neither my nieces nor I are very interested in this book. We'll swap it away soon.

The illustrations are delightful for this traditional story. A great gift for any child or adult.

My children and grandchidren love this story. I bought the book to read to my youngest grandchild, who is 2 and a half. We love both the story and the pictures. We also have fun braying, barking, meowing and crowing like the heroic animals in the story. When her dad was her age we lived in Germany and visited Bremen and saw the statue of the animals.

Some animals were going to Bremen Town to be musicians. On the way they saw some robbers. They kicked them out and the animals never went to Bremen-Town.
The donkey kicked the robber with his hind legs, that is why I liked the book.

I recently finished reading the book, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind and Body Harmony, by H. E. Davey. The book is excellent. I am novice (hardly even that, actually) when it comes to Shodo (having only recently begun studying Shodo), but your book provides a very smooth introduction, and does a great job of getting across the relationship between it and the other Japanese cultural arts (chado [tea ceremony], budo [martial Ways], kado [flower arrangement], etc).

It is written in a very positive way and contains many beautiful pieces of artwork. I very much enjoyed the "four experiments toward a positive mind," these are great examples of introspection. Though I am far from an expert in budo, I have spent many years training and researching this topic, yet several of the explanations, provided for terms such as fudoshin, hara, and ki shed new light on these concepts, beyond just their relationship to Shodo.

Chapters three and four provide a very gentle introduction to the physical techniques while also providing an overview of the relationship between good posture and the proper state of mind. The importance of the coordination of mind, body, and spirit is presented in a way that should be easy for someone that is new to the Japanese cultural arts to grasp and understand.

I am again impressed with Davey sensei's ability to communicate a complex subject in an interesting and informative way that maintains the readers interest, while still capturing the subtleties of the topic.

From a beginner's perspective, this is an excellent reference, and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (4/07)

Once in a while I find it very helpful to venture outside of the realm of things that normally interest me and that I have some knowledge about. Learning about new things is a very stimulating experience and it seems to me that it keeps my brain in good working order. As far as the Japanese art forms are concerned, I am vaguely familiar with the flower arranging, but that is where my knowledge - and even real awareness - of such art forms end. Picking up H.E. Davey's "Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony" was a real eye-opener.

The author begins this book with explanation and history of shodo, continues with the complex connections of mind, body and brush, and finishes with simple step-by-step exercises for the basics of shodo. The illustrations and the photos would certainly be very helpful for anybody who intends to try their hand at this ancient art form.

Mr. Davey's writing is fluid and engaging. He does not get overly technical and is easy to understand. The book kept my attention and made me wish for more balance in my life. Let me give an example of Mr. Davey's writing here:

"The kanji, or written characters, used in both Japan and China have transcended their utilitarian function and collectively serve as a visually stirring piece of fine art. Shodo allows the dynamic movement of the artist's ki ("life energy" or "spirit") to become observable in the form of rich black ink. In great examples of shodo, you can sense both the rhythm of music as well as the smooth, elegant, and balanced construction of refined architecture. Many practitioners of this art feel that the visible rhythm of Japanese calligraphy ultimately embodies a "picture of the mind" - and accomplished calligraphers recognize that it actually discloses your spiritual state. This recognition is concisely summed up by the traditional Japanese saying: [...] If your mind is correct, the brush will be correct. "

Although Mr. Davey stresses several times that one needs to find an instructor to truly begin the exploration of shodo, I found "Brush Meditation" to be an interesting book for anybody who would like to learn at least the basics of shodo as well as anybody who just wishes to become more familiar with the traditional Japanese arts and way of living.

After reading several books on the technique (really a NO technique) of Zen brush work, this book really dealt wll with the emotions and feeling underlying this incredible art. A very good read.

I recently finished reading the book, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind and Body Harmony, by H. E. Davey. The book is excellent. I am novice (hardly even that, actually) when it comes to Shodo (having only recently begun studying Shodo), but your book provides a very smooth introduction, and does a great job of getting across the relationship between it and the other Japanese cultural arts (chado [tea ceremony], budo [martial Ways], kado [flower arrangement], etc).

It is written in a very positive way and contains many beautiful pieces of artwork. I very much enjoyed the "four experiments toward a positive mind," these are great examples of introspection. Though I am far from an expert in budo, I have spent many years training and researching this topic, yet several of the explanations, provided for terms such as fudoshin, hara, and ki shed new light on these concepts, beyond just their relationship to Shodo.

Chapters three and four provide a very gentle introduction to the physical techniques while also providing an overview of the relationship between good posture and the proper state of mind. The importance of the coordination of mind, body, and spirit is presented in a way that should be easy for someone that is new to the Japanese cultural arts to grasp and understand.

I am again impressed with Davey sensei's ability to communicate a complex subject in an interesting and informative way that maintains the readers interest, while still capturing the subtleties of the topic.

From a beginner's perspective, this is an excellent reference, and I highly recommend it.

For any person that practices shodo (meaning `way of calligraphy' ), sumi-e or any form of art that requires full concentration, I highly recommend to read this book. I practice sumi-e and shodo and I have books that cover the techniques in detail, but none of them goes beyond and get to the heart and true reason of this art, which is to achieve a state of mind and body harmony that led us to a form of spiritual realization.

The book talks `briefly' about the history of calligraphy, the Japanese aesthetics and principles (wabi and sabi), it's relation to the Zen philosophy, and it includes a chapter on how to make the first moves with the brush by practicing `the enso' (a zen character).

However, the main theme of this book is the meditative aspects of shodo. How to get a perfect posture to practice, how to use the mind with full concentration, how to `educate' our body, all this to become one with the brush and transcend in a spiritual way.

I do not know if this is the best book that deals with this aspect of shodo (I haven't seen more), but is a very good one, I can assure that.

I agree with everyone else, if you are a grad student or new researcher you need to buy and read this book. BUT BEWARE: This book refers to turbo pumps as a new innovation, and ignores magnetic charged particle optics. Discussions of topics are fairly through but lack the depth of schematics, however many of the references are now considered seminal letters on their topics. The references alone will save you a lot of time.

The physics covered is accurate and usable, and the references, clear presentations of topics, and lists of suppliers make this book essential for any serious experimental scientist to be.

Buy it! :)

This book is an invaluable reference source for anyone whose work requires them to become involved in unfamiliar (physical science related) technologies. Though it would certainly be useful to laboratory researchers, it is equally valuable for the scientist or engineer who needs to apply these disciplines. As a physicist involved in design of commercial instrumentation, I have often had to become involved in various disciplines which were outside of my area of formal training and this book has commonly been my point of entry into unfamiliar terrain. This isn't just a "how to do it" book, but also provides a solid grounding in the basic theory. Over the years I have used this book as a primer/refresher for: (a) vacuum technology; (b) light optics; (c) charged-particle optics; and (d) mechanical drawing. In each case, this book provided me with the fundamental concepts, equations, and techniques to become productive, often without access to any other source of expertise. Though I do, of course, employ other sources as my knowledge advances, I still find myself regularly referring back to this book.

I know of no other reference that manages to pack so much useful information into so few pages. And yet, it remains easy and enjoyable to read. Part of this may be due to the abundant drawings which have a certain charm of their own -- echoing the style of the famous C.S. Stong illustrations in the "Amateur Scientist" section of Scientific American.

This book is so good that I own two copies: one for my office at work and the second for reference at home.

Have never seen a book which was able to pack so much practical information into so few pages, and able to explain complex concepts so simply.

If you have to work with any type of laboratory equipment you would be insane to NOT have this book on your shelf.

I would like to cast a somewhat dissenting view of this book. It is certainly a good place to start for information on various projects but comes up short on construction techniques. Perhaps an older source, Procedures in Experimental Physics (Lindsay Pubs), is better. Of course, it was written in 1938, so materials cited might be out of date, but the construction techniques aren't bad. I recently decided to build a good sized water tank (40" by 6" by 3") of acrylic and found nothing about construction tips. I was thinking of building something that probably required casting, and found a paltry two pages on the subject.

It would be good to see it updated every 5 years or so. I see the pub date is 1991. Things have changed a bit. It has a very good list of references, but with the advent of the web, it would be good to see some the reference material cite the web.

This is a _great_ book! I buy a copy of this for every student who starts work for me--which I consider to be a fine investment. Practical, hands-on information is given on a huge variety of skills needed by those working in Physics labs. From glass blowing to vacuum systems, to instruction on attaching BNC connectors, it's all in here.

Exactly as I said in the title. We completed Calculus 1, 2 and 3 on this. Great for beginners.

My son is currently at Harvard where he is taking Calculus II. He called home, requesting we forward his Larson textbook that he used for AP Calc in high school. It helped him tremendously with concepts he just wasn't getting at one of the top schools in the nation--and he has shared this textbook with his professor at Harvard!

Kudos to the author of this wonderfully written book.

First things first: If there was a ten star rating it would apply
to this book. Secondly, I found these authors through another of
their books, "Precalculus With Limits - A Graphing Approach". That book was just as well written. Truth be told, I would buy any of their books, sight unseen. They are a students
teacher and a teachers teacher. They don't sacrifice rigor, nor do they forget the mathematical maturity of their student audience. Using their books alone, and self-study (no classes,
tutors, or the intellectual diet pill category of "Calculus Made
Simple" or "Calculus The Easy Way" silver bullets I filled a forty year gap in math studies in 1-1/2 years to the point of
acing the AP Calculus and AP Physics Exams. Knowing calculus prior to beginning physics with calculus is an absolute necessity. I am no genuis. I do not have exceptional ability. I simply had the advantage of two textbooks written by teachers who
really care and take a mentoring approach to writing. All of this
has really been a long-winded way of saying that with this book
and a healthy dose of strong motivation and perserverance you will succeed in your calculus courses.

The best book about Calculus I ever seen. Read it and you will know all about you need to love mathematics.

This is no doubt the best textbook I have ever owned in any subject. I've never been able to actually read through a math text untill this book came along. The analytic graphs are colorful (and the 3-D generated ones are simply astounding) which is totally different from the dull, dreary, and nightmarish math texts from my past. This math book is unlike any other I have seen before -- in a class of its own. There are plenty of examples, charts, and many many exercises(some especially challenging). I went through Calculus I and have taught myself Calc II within a matter of weeks. Highly recommended.