Reviews Books

This nifty paperback covers many common problems encountered in the pediatric emergency department. Each case starts with a clinical vignette including rich color photos demonstrating visual diagnostic findings. Turn the page and...voila!...there is the diagnosis with a brief review of salient features that aid in arriving at the correct diagnosis. I heartily recommend this book to medical students, house officers, fellows, and clinicians preparing for board certification.

Be led on rounds by Drs. Fleisher and Ludwig! I honed my skills more with this book than I did on weeks of my pediatrics rotation. The authors include both common and uncommon conditions that one could expect to see in the community. "Common things are common" was reflected in that there were several examples of common conditions such as chicken pox, herpes, impetigo, etc. You will definitely feel more confident with pediatric diagnosis after reading this book.

An excellent review of pediatrics. Case based examples with crisp, clear photos. Clinical vingettes help with evaluation of the photographed child. An EXCELLENT tool for board and test review, as well as general learning purposes.

most practical and huge boost for pediatricians at all levels who seek better clinical skills and knowledge.
Highly inspirational and 'Seeing is believing!'

Know these Vignettes! Nothing more to say. They will be tested over. Period :) Terribly boring subject, but points are points.

Using this review source helped me sleep better before the exam, because I felt ready for the "case-based" style of the boards that everyone kept telling me about. This is a great series, but I don't think it should be used as a stand alone review source. Case-based coverage of topics means that some topics are missed/not covered. However, the topics covered by this volume were very high yield for my exam. Definitely worth the money!

Not a big fan of behavioral science, but this book makes it bearable by focusing on what you'll be tested on and helping you distinguish similar conditions from each other. Good biostatistics section also included. Great information and great figures to help you understand the info. Strongly recommend - the rest of the series is also outstanding.

I'm not much for writing reviews, but this book and series helped me so much I felt obligated to let people know about it. I'm very interested in psychiatry, which is why I applied to medical school, thus I wanted to write a review on this particular volume of the series. This book is composed of 50 case presentations with questions at the end of each case, followed by the explanations/answers to the questions.

The cases and explanations are superb, concise and get right to the "meat and potatoes" of every subject. After taking step 1, I can recommend this format without hesitation. I also thought the BRS Behavioral Science review book was very good.

Know these Vignettes! Nothing more to say. They will be tested over. Period :)

There was a lot of material in the books in this series, yet I found myself getting through them quickly and retaining a lot of the information, I think because the material is so well presented and explained. Great cases and the format is tailor-made for current USMLE format. This author really understand what the board question writers are into. For me, this type of review was the best way for me to get ready for Step 1.

This is wonderful review books. Excellent writing and informacion. Great pictures and examples. I do much, much better on exam from this books.

After studying like crazy for a full month for the USMLE, I needed a break from reading textbooks. I decided to check out this case-based review because a friend recommended it. I am still thanking him for this recommendation. This book and the other books in the series really prepare you well for the USMLE, because they get you used to the long clinical vignettes that made up most of my exam. The cases and explanantions are EXTREMELY high-yield and very concise but thorough. I recommend the whole series for anyone who wants to do well on the Step 1 exam.

I used this book along woth my PMP study guide, and found it very comprehensive and useful. Lot better than Rita's Hot Topics because this one is very self contained and covers more. Unlike Rita's book, It's not tied to a specific study guide. Helped me a lot in passing the exam. However, it's not an alternative to a study guide.
Highly recommended.

I used these Flashcards in a Book to pass my PMP exam. I love this approach of Flascards in a Book; they serve the same purpose as the loose flashcards, but these are easier to manage and carry around than the loose cards. I used these for a quick review of the concepts that I learned from the Study Guide. It saved me lots of time.
Plus these cards by Dr. Sanghera are very comprehensive and self contained.

I found this flashcard book the best among the two such books available in the market. It presents the quick review of your PMP exam preparation in a self contained, comprehensive, and logical way. As a companion to the PMP Study Guide, this book really helped me in passing the exam. Of course you cannot expect it to be a substitute to the Study Guide.

This book is a great tool to pass the PMP Exam. Use it as a qucik review tool and not as a study guide. That said, it's very comprehensive and self contained. Simply excellent. I recommend it, highly.

Mason's collection of essays is a wide-ranging and overall pretty good collection of essays. The title essay is sort of a 'literary memoir', and while I expected it to be one of the better essays, it really isn't. But there are some excellent essays on Auden, Tennyson, Frost, Heaney, Louis Simpson, J.V. Cunningham, Anne Xexton, and Irish poetry. And then there are the essays meant to further the cause of the New Formalist movement. They almost sound like propoganda, but they are well written, enjoyable essays that make sense. And my favorite essay is "Other Lives: On Shorter Narrative Poems." Mason is a phenomenal narrative poet, and anyone with an interest in narrative poetry should read this essay.

This book is a collection of essays and reviews by poet David Mason, who thinks that contemporary poetry and its professional readers have neglected "nonacademic readers" like "the educated common reader." Through a critical style that incorporates the anecdote and that admires Louis Simpson's "refreshingly personal criticism," "as if we were hearing after-dinner opinions," Mason's text follows the goal of his Preface: "I have in mind that audience of grown-ups arguing about books even while they discuss . . . the latest political tremors or a new movie coming to town." Mason's taste for life in poetry criticism, whether communicated through autobiographical or biographical techniques, doesn't mean that he remains uncritical of self-absorbed forms of art. In the title essay, for instance, Mason acknowledges "the useful legacy of Eliot's ideas" in support of "the self so distanced from itself." Of the book's sixteen sections, five open with personal anecdotes. These anecdotes quickly become relevant to their subject matter (whether regionalism, self-indulgence, sentimentality, Tennyson, or Yeats). Given Mason's opposition to self-indulgence, one might argue that Mason develops contradictory attitudes toward forms of expression, or that he is critical of the personal in art, but then makes self-absorbed statements like, "Nowadays close reading often bores me," or, "I have sometimes felt that I was part of a story, and that I had a sacred duty to transcribe as much of it as I could." Yet such personal statements have relevancy to the larger poetics/rhetoric of the essays. Besides, wouldn't it seem odd--and bad writing at that--to claim that "poetry helps us live our lives" without then providing here and there a few examples from life when it has? Mason claims, "People do quote poetry, or refer to it--some do, anyway--and they connect it to their lives." He then supports this claim with the example of when his mother once remembered six potent lines by Yeats. Yet Mason's theory about why "people remember poems or songs or key phrases at surprising moments in life" is questionable. He says that "the best forms of expression are often those we most want to remember." But he suggests that these best forms of expression are those that are so large, so universal, so full of matter, that they "convey 'a general truth'." "Universality is suspect in some quarters, I suppose, but I submit," Mason says, "that we cannot have great art without it." When Mason then quotes from W.H. Auden's New Year Letter, he means to show how such poetry that conveys truth makes things happen because, as Auden once said, it survives--in the memory, among other places--as a way of happening, a mouth." Yet the section he quotes, like so many Auden lines, might seem to some less like a memorable poem and more like lineated philosophical text. What are the best forms of expression for poetry? This is an important question for Mason. On the one hand, there is the often difficult poetry of magnitude, and on the other, that of locality, which is less difficult. Mason proposes that the former is usually formal, whereas the latter is typically free verse. He worries that the latter is generally practiced by poets who "ought to hold themselves to higher standards than they sometimes do." These standards are the focus of Mason's important essay "Louis Simpson's Singular Charm." A New Formalist and one of the editors of the anthology Rebel Angels: 25 Poets of the New Formalism, Mason believes that meter "is . . . a kind of compression that, in the right hands, lends language a supercharged memorability." He finds that Simpson, with his rejection of meter, "has courted danger, choosing a slighter technical range that often highlights his lackadaisical diction." Mason's essay is good at providing us with passages--from articles by and interviews with Simpson--about this Jamaican-born poet's reasons for this rejection. The reasons involve Simpson wanting his poetry to be more accessible and direct for an audience like the one Mason advocates. Simpson believes free verse better lends this accessibility and directness. Mason disagrees, making some convincing arguments; one is that Simpson "comes to that tired solecism that meter is un-American." Readers need only digest what is arguably the most important essay in The Poetry of Life, "American Poetry in the Nineteenth Century," to be reminded of the great American poets who worked sometimes accessibly and gorgeously in traditional forms. But in arguing that Simpson's stylistic change toward accessibility and directness "leaves disturbing implications for the art," a change which sometimes lends Simpson's poetry what Mason calls "deliberate banality," Mason may not be true to his aversion to the Twentieth-century critics who have prized difficulty in poems. Perhaps Mason, who from time to time in this book reminds readers of his career as an English professor, is more on the side of J.D. McClatchy, "accustomed . . . to respect the authority of difficulty," than he is on the side of Dana Gioia, to whom Mason devotes a chapter, desiring neither anti-intellectualism nor a ban of difficulty in art, but, instead, a popular audience for poetry? Accessibility, difficulty, formality, memorability, popularity, universality--these are the interesting buzzwords of The Poetry of Life. They are perhaps defined and discussed with the most clarity and precision in Mason's superb "Robert Frost, Seamus Heaney, and the Wellsprings of Poetry." Though this essay has as its primary concern a comparison of Frost and Heaney, it draws this definition and discussion in, and in very enlightening ways. Though different in many ways, both poets, Mason asserts, "have made use of colloquial speech in their poetry" and "refreshing rhythm and idiom with materials that are at least partly extra-literary." Mason demonstrates this use, rhythm, and idiom through focusing attentions on and drawing connections between each poet's images of work, play, and water. No doubt, these images are universal. And Mason knows precisely when and from what poem to quote, showing that Frost and Heaney often image the world without either that magnitudinous air of Auden and Eliot or that more banal, informal language of Simpson.

Mason is a rarity in this day and age--a poet-critic who writes in a public idiom. He is clear in his aesthetic criteria, but not so dogmatic that his work lacks room for surprise (I was surprised to see him so enthusastic about John Haines, for instance). What is most important about his writing, though, is that it is elegant as well as insightful; these essays are as much a pleasure to read as the poets he discusses. My own efforts at poetry criticism lack the warmth and elegance that allow Mason to wear his erudition lightly. The elegance, direct tone, intelligence, and accessibility of these essays give me hope that poetry criticism outside the university is not in critical condition. Cheers to Story Line Press for supporting this important poet's work.

This is a brilliant book. His analysis of contemporary poetry is astute, learned and, above all, readable. I urge everyone who is interested in poetry to read this book. His explanations of the new formalism are as sound and enticing as any offered by other critics. For poetry lovers, this is a must have book.

This is the most comprehensive and concise medical text that I have ever used....so reader friendly. It has over 70 contributors from all over the country.

This is a superb book for any practitioner working in primary care. It covers all important subjects completely and concisely. I used it to review for my boards with the review book that goes with it and I was very prepared. I highly recommend this text.

This a tremendous effort on the part of the editors and multiple contributing editors. The format is subsystem based with extensive attention to standard formatting for each subject area. The major primary care maladies in each anatomical subsystem are covered in a clear, concise and easy to read format. Excellent reference for any practitioner. The contributing author list reads like a who's who in Physician Assistant education.

I found this review book an excellent source of knowledge and simple to understand. This book by passes all the intricate biochemical details and present the meat and potatoes so to speak. The wisdom of the pearls make this book unique. I recommend this book to any professional in a primary care setting.

I highly recommend getting this book, it provides an excellent review-- trust me because I got a 5 on the AP test.

I bought AP chem prep books from Barron, Cliffs, and REA, but Princeton Review was the best at giving all the basic highlights in an easy-to-understand way. Because I was panicked over the exam that was only one week away, the info presented in the other prep books was just too much to memorize in a week's worth of time. Not only did the other books have too much information, but the way the calculations were done were all the more confusing. Although Princeton lacks details, it does gives you basics that'll get you through the exam as long as you have some background knowledge from class. All you need is to understand all the material in the Princeton Review book and do a little review in your own textbook on the history. The chapter on chemical reactions was great, but I found the Acid/Base chapter a little confusing. All in all, I think this book is worth buying...especially because it helped me get a 5 on the AP exam! =)

I'm an AP Chemistry high school student and after working hard all year, this book offered a pleasant alternative to an arduous review of hundreds of pages of notes. The material was concise and easy to understand. The only let down, however, was in the difficulty of the multiple choice questions on the practice tests. They were ridiculously easy compared to the actual AP test, and provided me with a false sense of security as I walked into the test. The free responses are very "AP-like" and offer a good preactice to the actual AP free response questions. Overall, though, this book is probably the best out there. (A word to the wise: Learn Kinetics (Rate Law) before you take this test!! Its a mandatory free response every year.)

I am an AP Chemistry teacher, and after pouring over all of the major review guides (Barron's, Arco, Cliff, & REA) I have recommended this book for my students. The 1999-2000 edition is a major improvement over the first edition: lab section, extra practice exam and an AP scoring guide.

Easy read and right to the point! Very thorghtfully written.

Psychiatry has been always a hard to grib subject. You thought you understand it, yet you miss the questions. This is the first book I found that is really helpful. It lists the easy to miss facts in an easy to memorize format. You can have a quick yet through review of psychiatry 2 days. A great book.

I love it. Really helps.

I wholeheartedly recommend this excellent book. If you want to buy a single book for an enthusiastic yet comprehensive review in a short time, this is the one. The authers are all active practicioners, mostly work in academic settings, and know very well what is needed for a board-style test. The questions are all high yield. The aswers are short and to the point. A must read for all residents and junior practicioners preparing for board or just a quick update of your knowledge. Well worth the money.

The flexibility of the English language lends itself to lots of fun stuff as veteran teacher, writer and lecturer Richard Lederer knows so well. Kids love funny jokes and play on words--why not introduce them to the fun side of English.

The "Tairy Fales" shows how Spoonerisms or reversing sounds on pairs of words can yield some madcap results. (And don't forget, Butterfly was once Flutterby, but we just couldn't get it straight.) Riddles are great for long car rides--rhymes will tempt even the most lackluster reader to stretch their abilities. This is a must for homeschoolers and reading to the kids in the evening--fun, too.

My third-grade daughter couldn't put this book down! Absolutely loved the "Pun Fun" section and the "'Let's play a Game' said Tom Swiftly" section. The booked is marked up and dog-eared.

In this highly entertaining book, punmaster Richard Lederer reveals the tricks of the punster's trade while challenging readers to create original wordplay of their own. In sixteen chapters, with titles such as "Calling on the Homophone," "Puns That Babylon," and "Tairy Fales," the author explains how to use homophones, homographs, and spoonerisms for comical effect while exploring knock-knock jokes, Tom Swifties, and other types of jokes and riddles based on the deft manipulation of sound and meaning. The author presents a clear and simple explanation of each form, provides numerous examples, and then invites readers to create original jokes, rhymes, and puzzles of their own. Language-lovers of all ages will appreciate the wealth of wit and humor presented on these pages.

To me, puns are the stars of the wordplay world, and Pun and Games is Sirius fun. Legendary verbologist Lederer has packed this 100-page upper and lowercase suitcase with tons of puns. Illustrations by Dave Morice dance with (and throughout) this logophile's dream, and the pun never ends. No irritable vowel syndrome here.
- Michael Kline, author/illustrator of WordPlay Cafe

A very helpful guide for managers who have the task of doing Performance appraisals , with ready to use appraisal forms! Very helpful for the always busy Manager.

This book is great. If you are just starting out writing appraisals or just want something fresh and new, this is a great book to use. With this book it was a time saver for me because it addresses pretty much every area that I needed for my associate reviews. Best of all, it's user friendly. I highly recommend this book.

This is an excellent book, and contains both good advice and practical applications. Readers of this book gain access to online tools that they can begin to use immediately, and which will not only boost the efficiency of their performance reviews, but also their effectiveness.

This is a great tool for managers who are responsible for writing performance reviews for their staff. It provides an actionable outline for the performance review process (if your company doesn't already have one). Most importantly, it provides pre-written paragraphs and text to help you articulate how employees exceeded or didn't meet expectations. (Great for those who don't have much experience writing reviews or those who just need some fresh ways to express their thoughts.)