Reviews Books

A wonderful guide book for people new to anime. Includes a overview of anime history; year by year breakdown of TV programs released in the States from the 60's to the 90's; a listing of videos released in the states (both in and out of print), and a listing of anime related clubs, retailers, and conventions. Dated now, but still a wonderful resource.

Trish Ledoux is an absolute genius, and it shows in the amount of information held within this relatively short TPB. I have never seen such a vast amount of information in so few pages. The Complete Anime Guide succeeds is giving a very thorough account of the Japanese artform without boring the reader.

With out a doubt the most complete guide I've ever seen. Not only are most of the Anime tities cover with short synopses but history, fan clubs and retailer addresses are included. A superb book

This is the best book on anime released in North America. The section on anime TV series is interesting as well as informative. It just about covers every series that aired on U.S. television. It also covers the vast genres of anime while it gives informative side notes. It also has brief synopses on a few anime titles as well as a listing of all titles released up to December 1995. To sum it up, I believe that this is the definitive source on anime released in North America. The authors really did their homework in writing this book

This is solid an knowledgeable work, and an excellent resource for anyone new to Anime (Japanese Animation). The first half of the book covers the history and culture of Anime, and is thorough and well-researched. The second half gives quick synopses of the Anime titles available on video in the US. This section is slightly weaker: it is dating rapidly (unavoidable in such a work), and the synopses tend to be back-of-the-video stuff and not always too informative. On the whole, though, well worth buying.

How can any little book presume to be 'complete' when it comes to Alfred Hitchcock?

He practically invented a cinematic language, used his commercial success to at once deflate pretense in others and experiment most boldly with cinematic form, and, in the process, scared the pants off us.

What is complete in this book? Each film is given its own section, which concludes with a "Final Analysis" section. Here's a quick cut from the final "Final Analysis" [Family Plot]:

"Hitch's last project was the most important one he ever undertook, for trying to get this spy story to the screen allowed him to entertain the fantasy that he was both still working and well enough to work, despite evidence to the contrary."

Complete? Even in the last sentence, the authors admit that death cut off what could have been even more from a great twentieth century artist.

As a novice Hitchcock fan, I find this book extremely informative. It gives a good summary of all of Hitchcock's movies as well as a good analysis of the films. It also includes where Hitchcock can be spotted in the movies and little tidbits on the actors and actresses who were casted in his movies as well as behind the scenes information. I would recommend this book for those who are starting to discover Hitchcock.

I bought this book sight-unseen, knowing absolutely nothing about it (which is why I'm now writing this review; maybe you'll be more willing to try it once you know what it has to offer). It's a thorough, well-nigh encyclopedic look at Hitch's work, with a brief chapter (averaging about 4 pages) on each major film. The chapters include complete cast and credits --including "uncredited cast" -- plus a synopsis, and sundry comments on each film under such headings as "cruelty to

animals," "mysogyny," "ice maidens," "roots," and a "final word" with a critical appraisal including a rating on a scale of 1-10. While examination of each film is necessarily brief, it's quite thorough and absolutely chock-full of cool trivia. Every now and then there are sidebars on stars with whom Hitch worked; there's also an amazing appendix listing every single episode from Hitch's TV shows (not just the ones he directed -- but ALL OF EM). Only negatives: could use an INDEX, plus I noticed several careless spelling errors (actors' names and so forth) of the type that tend to make one a bit suspicious. On the whole, however, this is THE place to start for the Hitchcock novice, and a real treasure trove for the seasoned fan like me. Highly recommended.

I see that the other reviewers have pretty much said all there needs to be said about this book and I doubt I will say anything new here. All I want to emphasize it that this is truly THE book to get for a quick, easy, complete understanding of Alfred Hitchcock's movies. I have read other,longer, deeper books on his films which were very good, yet this one is nice when you are new to Hitchcock or just do not have the time to devote to much reading. These authors have a good sense of humor as well, and it always is fun to read a book where you can get a few laughs. They have some good trivia in the book, spotlights on certain Hitchcock actors,a few pages of pictures showing some poster art and movie stills, and they tell you where to find Hitch in the movies where he had cameo appearances. Hitchcock's movies are among my favorites, and this book is among my favorites about them. Get it and read it, you won't be disappointed.

After having read this book from stem to stern I would recommend it to new Hitchcock fans and more experienced fans alike. For the new fan it offers a clear synopsis of each film as well as offering many interesting points to look for. For the more experienced it makes for a convenient "turn to" source so as to better avoid the mountains of heavy, sometimes overly self satisfied observations that many resources tend to become, thereby saving wading through chapter upon chapter in order to reach simple facts.

I must respect the authors for their understanding that an enjoyment of film does not require a degree. I always commend a person for having the ability to transfer complicated observations in the simplest of English without the use of parables and without patronizing tones. Paul Condon and Jim Sangster have managed just that and not without the occasional bit of side splitting humour. Even if you are not watching the films in question it is more than a worthy read. That said, it may help to be familiar with some English terms such as "send up" as the average American does not know what it means to send something up so may be left wondering.

However, with the authors sardonic senses of humour being clear I would have liked to have seen further elaboration of the "goofs" section. There are so many Hitchcock bloopers worthy of a mention. I am certain it was a deliberate omission (perhaps for the next book) but nonetheless I was left wishing that they had made note of the obvious ones if only to give the new viewer that added bit of fun and sport.

Despite taking umbrage at the use of the phrase "just a smathering of dull brunettes" ahum, I would gladly purchase any other offerings from either or both authors and very much look forward to a second volume of "Complete Hitchcock," contradiction that it may be. Hopefully with an eye to the slip ups and perhaps more production details (locations, circumstances, first hand anecdotes, etc.) If that isn't a hint to get writing I don't know what is : )

In short I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would not only recommend it but have already bought several other copies for friends and family. Enjoy.

This book was very helpful in preparing for the IBCLE exam. The photos on the included CD were similar to those found in the exam. The questions and review sections were also very instrumental.

Whatever tools you use to prepare for the IBCLC exam, you can never challenge yourself enough. Each time you must think through a situation or analyze the facts presented, you are stengthening what you know. And, how can you go wrong with ANYTHING that Linda Smith writes! She is among the nation's most experienced lactation consultants, whose daily work involves handling lactation questions and concerns from around the globe. She has never responded to any of my questions with anything less than excellence!

This text and tests were very helpful in preparation for the lactation consultant exam. Very good practice exams helped those of us who haven't been in school for a while. The exams help with content and timing. CD Rom was helpful for the picture portion of the exam.

I think this book really did help me with the IBCLE exam! I would really recommend using this as a study guide!!

This book is an excellent preparation and a "must have" for the IBCLC Exam. If you have not taken a board exam in a long time, this book gets you into "exam mode". Sometimes, taking a test of this nature requires good exam skills. This book gives you plenty of much needed practice. The first part of the book delves into the different sections on the exam blueprint. It lists topics to learn and resources to read. The second part is three 200 questions tests. Eighty some questions in each test are based on pictures from the CD-ROM. The answers generally give the reasons for the right and wrong answer, list the difficulty of the question, and state from what section of the exam blueprint it pertains to. Having practiced with these tests, I felt very confident going into the Exam. It also is a great review for LCs who are retaking the certification exam. I heard comments from several LCs who stated the first exam they took they did not do as well as they thought because oftentimes taking exams is all about practice. They performed much better on the subsequent exams when they studied their mistakes. This is a "must have" for everyone planning to sit for the board exam.

The Crane is a nice, interesting story. Behind the story is is the parable of what happens when war comes. It is a great lesson in life and a great classic

A wise and well illustrated (by the author) childrens book, that is well known in Europe, and sadly overlooked in the US. Like "The Little Prince", this book has a charm and quality that transends age. It is about a man and a crane. It is about work,life,...the big questions the big answers. Good stuff. Sadly out of print.

'The Crane' is one of the most beatifully written childrens stories of this century. It is a parable that carries many important questions about who we are and how we live. As a teacher of English, I have found this book a remarkable resource and one that really allows for differentiation of learning with children around 11-12. It is a funny, sad and very touching story and I emplore somebody to reprint it, so that more people can access this wonderfull book. Why it isn't more widely known I do not understand.

I read this every summer at my grandma's. I never quite understood it, and I didn't quite like it but I did keep coming back to it. It's something of a fairy tale and something of a philosophical tale. If I had to describe it now I would call it hauntingly beautiful.

Reiner Zimnik, a former carpenter, was 26 and student at the Munich Art Academy when he wrote and designed this book in 1956. The illustrations, simple black and white sketches, stayed with me all my life. The most powerful one covers two pages with a few black strokes of sky, a fallen over little shoe, a dazed bird und the scribble: "Da war das Land traurig, und die Erde weinte." (The country was sad. And the earth wept.) As an adult I might say that it's a fable about the Second World War - what was there before and what came after. As child I experienced no other book that would speak to me with such immediatness. Though it wasn't that widespread in Germany I would still say that it's our best children's book till today.

I have met Dr. DeCherney. He has done a wonderful job on this useful text.

I used this book to study for my women's health exam and found the book user friendly.

Best choice for medical students who desire an introduction to Obstetrics an Gynecology. Includes guidelines for treatment. The first book at this speciallity for newcomers.

As a busy 4th yr resident, there is hardly any time to read the major OB/GYN textbooks. This text is a good review of major concepts in OB/GYN. It's a very easy read.

I used this book as a supplement to my 3rd year clerkship in med school. It is not a huge text, so it was great for looking up the details that were not found in Blueprints, especially if you are interested in OB for a career. The book is well organized and is easy to read. Too much to read for board review or shelf exams, but an excellent reference book for OB/GYN.

Book is very helpful and should be bought early during med school. It will make sure that you know frequently tested topics. Also great along w/ first aid for board prep. There are a few mistakes as this is a 1st edition book, but the book is well worth $20.

This book is not all encompassing however it does bring back into mind high yield facts that you should know. I would recommend using this book in conjuction with the First Aid

Just be careful when you go through this book, because there are quite a few typos. Usually it's nothing important, but once in a while it may confuse phase I and phase II, for example :). But again, it is not intended to be an ultimate resourse, so just be attentive not to confuse yourself.

Otherwise, this is a truly terrific book, and I still give it 5 stars because I certainly prefer to have it now, with the typos, rather then wait till all the little things are cleared. It helps me to structurize my studies so much, that I really cannot imagine what I'd be doing without it.

2Authors: Great job! Thank you very much!

I used this book as a quick review in the final days before my step I exam and scored much higher than I expected. I found it to be a great resource.

Deja Review is an innovative approach for Step 1 recall. I used this book as my primary resource and did outstanding on boards. Buy this book...you won't regret it!

It contains loads of information on things you encounter in your daily life, yet presents them in a funny and fun way. The drawings by the author are the best part, it's the icing on the cake! It is great for kids of any age, especially good for summer reading, and a fun read for adults as well. Then keep it as part of your reference book collection.

An excellent book!! Day not only displays his knowledge and artistic talent in this book, but puts everything together with humor and wit. No facts were spared, he'll give it to you straight what can happen to you if you don't give creepy critters some space, and the cartoons will make sure you get the picture ;) All ages will enjoy this entertaining and educational masterpiece!

Ok, so my kid (6 yrs old) asked me if he could read this book instead of playing with Legos. Yeah, I'm still reeling from that. If that's not a glowing recommendation, I don't know what is. This book is like a field guide with all the boring stuff stripped out. It dives right into the information that kids really need -- all the things that will make you itch, swell up or scream mommy! And how to identify them, avoid them or treat them if your curiosity makes you "forget" the first two things. And the cartoons scattered throughout? Brilliantly twisted - in a kid appropriate manner of course!

This book is great! Has an enormous amount of information, that is supported by medical information, wonderful drawings, great humor, and is great for children (and adults actually)! I would recommend this book to anyone with children, as it's a fun way to learn about their environment. Mr. Day is an excellent author, and I look forward to seeing more of his work!

As an educator for 30 years, I love every page, every illustration, every humor punctuated in the text!
Every school library should have this book!
Dr. Yu-Lan Lin
Boston Public Schools

Never a dull moment! Rothbard was a loose cannon. A great, crazy, untamed, brilliant, passionate, wide-ranging political philosopher, intellectual historian, economist, and activist. How mant people could talk about anything from the nominal interest rate to Henry George and always make it fresh and fascinating? Read this book and meet the genius who handed Robert Nozick his famous political philosophy.

A "red diaper baby" from New York City, Rothbard must be considered, along with his two mentors Ayn Rand and Ludwig von Mises, a founder of the "libertarian" movement, which is essentially a return to the original, pre-socialist, classical, laissez-faire liberalism of John Locke and the American Founding Fathers.

The book consists of 15 essays: and includes the seminal 1965 must-read classic "Left, Right and the Prospects for Liberty," a delightful little intellectual history of modern times, at once timely and timeless. Like Rothbard, it's a unique and inspiring original which defies description and must be experienced first hand. It doesn't matter what your political prejudices are, you'll still enjoy expanding your mental horizon with this classic book of essays.

The author faces and refutes simultaneously the dogmas of the old left - central planning, collectivization of economic life and State interventionism - and the fallacies of the new left - identity politics, kids lib, gender equality, environmentalism and primitivism, that one the most correct definition I've ever seen being used to characterize the movement of political correctness.

Based on Mises' thought, Rothbard reminds us a truth that is hated by all the left, old or new: our world is ruled by a natural order, transcendent and superior to the man (although perfectly knowledgeable by that one), composed by physical, biological and economical laws; consequently, her existence implies that all human action must be conducted by her strict observance, in order to avoid the disastrous and tragic consequences produced by the opposite behaviour, which is typical of the leftist policies.

This is the first book by Rothbard that I read, although I was already familiar with those of his writings that can be found on the Internet.

Without always agreeing completely with Rothbard - I think he has a tendency to be somewhat too consistent at times - I have always found his work to be very funny and thought-provoking. This collection contains two truly remarkable essays: "Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature" and especially "Freedom, Inequality, Primitivism, and the Division of Labor". Rothbard actually takes the trouble to take Marxists at their word and to examine, not only the means, but also the ends. It turns out even the goals sincere Marxists fight for - as opposed to the cruel realities they have always somehow succeeded in creating - are totally at odds with human nature.

The other essays, if sometimes a tad too "American" for this European reader, live up to Rothbard's usual high standards. The only essay that I found somewhat unconvincing was "Conservation in the Free Market". Rothbard doesn't seem to have thought it important to save areas of unspoilt nature; he doesn't even examine that possibility. But then perhaps there is another essay by him somewhere in which there is an answer to that question? If so, I'm looking forward to read it!

Murray Rothbard was one of the most important thinkers in recent memory. He made substantial contributions to economics, political theory, social theory, history and cultural criticism. Unfortunately, there is no "Rothbard Reader" that gives the reader an overview of his contributions to all these fields.

Nonetheless, this collection of Rothbard's essays - which came out in 1974 - is probably the best place to start if you want to get an overview of Rothbard's contributions, at least in the areas of political theory, social theory, and (some) cultural criticism. (The second edition appears to be identical to the first edition, except that it contains a brief 1991 "postscript" by Rothbard and a useful introduction by Dr. David Gordon.)

The title essay - Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature - is a seminal essay. Politicians love to lecture us on the supposed equality of men; however, as Rothbard shows, it is inequality that is fundamental. The leftist drive for equality is contrary to human nature. Rothbard picks up this theme again in Freedom, Inequality, Primitivism, and the Division of Labor. He shows that the drive for equality is a direct attack on the division of labor. As such, it will only serve to impoverish everyone (rich and poor alike).

This collection also contains two outstanding essays on the state: The Anatomy of the State; and War, Peace, and the State. In the second, Rothbard makes a strong case for peace and against weapons of mass destruction.

There are at least three other collections of Rothbard's works available. The first -- Making Economic Sense -- is a collection of short essays on economics. The second -- The Irrepressible Rothbard -- is a collection of his essays in the Rothbard-Rockwell Report which focus on cultural criticism. So, if you combine these works with Egalitarianism, you get a "reader" that contains 1190 pages - and you still haven't hit Rothbard the historian! That shows the tremendous breadth of his scholarship. The third is The Logic of Action I and II. These were published after his death and contain two or three of the essays in Egalitariansm and some of his later essays. In addition, they are more focused on Rothbard the economist.

But the best advice is that of Dr. Gordon: get everything you can get your hands on by Rothbard and von Mises.

I have long used Rothbard's writing as an ideal in rhetorical mimesis exercises. He presents complicated issues with unrivalled clarity and concision. For example, in his essay "Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature," Rothbard takes on a difficult rhetorical challenge: he seeks to undercut the commonplace belief in equality. This brilliant essay combines logos and pathos in a way few authors can, as when he examines fictional accounts of true egalitarian societies:

"The horror we all instinctively feel at these stories is the intuitive recognition that men are not uniform, that the species, mankind, is uniquely characterized by a high degree of variety, diversity, differentiation; in short, inequality. An egalitarian society can only hope to achieve its goals by totalitarian methods of coercion; and, even here, we all believe and hope the human spirit of individual man will rise up and thwart any such attempts to achieve an ant-heap world. In short, the portrayal of an egalitarian society is horror fiction because, when the implications of such a world are fully spelled out, we recognize that such a world and such attempts are profoundly antihuman; being antihuman in the deepest sense, the egalitarian goal is, therefore, evil and any attempts in the direction of such a goal must be considered evil as well."

Other reviewers do an able job of explaining Rothbard's thinking; my review provides you with some idea of the emotional force of his writing. This is an important collection of essays by an important American thinker.

The book was nice and short, easy to read.

This book is an engaging reference tool. It is more than information on how to pay for college. It is a beginning step to understanding financial literacy and preparing for your financial future.

Chapter One sets the framework for the book and begins expanding the readers world view on money in general. Understanding the basic difference between income and wealth is the first step towards financial literacy.

The insight that is given in terms of how you negotiate and relate for preparing for college and working with financial aid officer can easily be transferred to relating to the bank or any other financial institution.

There is more to this book than is obvious to naked eye.

Dr. LaVeist is using college entrance preparation as an opportunity to introduce his reader to wider concepts on money and basic finances.

I enjoyed this book. The authors are two brothers who weaved a story about getting their sons ready for college into a book about college financial aid, which is usually a very boring topic. Very creative! They managed to entertain AND educate.

I am so thankful to these two brothers. Who have work hard in bring all of this information together. Look forward to here about more in the near future. Again, thank you, my son will benefit from this greally.

This is just the type of book on financial aid that I was looking for. It makes the whole confusing process easy to understand. It's a quick read, intelligent and entertaining. It speaks to black folks. After reading it, I have a better understanding of how the whole thing works.

This book is for my daughter who says it is a great help to prepare her for the Ntl. test.

Great product that has really helped me out alot in class and preparing to take the national registry exam! It comes with a detailed look at the skills you are required to complete as part of the exam, with common mistakes made on them, and a practice exam with answers.

This is the closest to the NR that I've seen (I haven't seen them all) but despite its small size it had the best content.

This book outlines the areas of EMT testing at both State and National Level. It's a sure way to review all the areas that will be covered on the exams. I highly recommend it for anyone just out of school or preparing for certification.

This is an excellent review for the NREMT exam for EMT-B certification. It is well organized, helps you pinpoint areas where you need to study more, and is written very much like the actual test.

The questions in these practice tests are much more difficult than those found in online practice tests, which tend to be over-simplified. Just as important, this book is from an authoritative source; I found some answers in the online sources which were just plain wrong.

The NREMT exam is as much about test-taking ability as it is about subject matter knowledge, and that's where this book really helps. In particular, there are many questions on the actual exam where the choices contain information which looks very simple at first glance, but which in fact contains very subtle differences. The questions in this book give you those types of choices, and train you to read each question carefully looking for those nuances which are the difference between a right answer and a wrong answer.

Your first time through the questions in this book may be a wake-up call if you don't really know your stuff. But it's better to get a wake-up call before the test, rather than during the test. I passed on the first try. Good luck!