Works Books

visually stunning and excellent coffee table book. if you are looking for a picture book of the universe for casual purusal this book will more than do. provides very brief, non-technical descriptions of what each photograph is of. not for heavy duty research. recreational reading only. once again, the photos are...wow!

++++++

"Astronomy is one of the sublimest fields of human investigation. The mind that grasps its facts and principles receives something of the enlargement and grandeur belonging to the science itself. It is a quickener of devotion."

The above is a quotation uttered by American educator Horace Mann in the 1800s. It eloquently sums up my feelings when I viewed the images (the majority of which are taken from our Galaxy) and read their accompanying text in this fascinating book by M. K. Baumann, W. Hopkins, L. Nolletti, and M. Soluri (with astronomy consultant R. Villard).

Stephen Hawking, who wrote the book's forward, tells us that "the [spectacular] images in this book represent some of the most up-to-date and high-definition data available." Yes, the more than 180 images are truly spectacular and were selected because they were judged to be the "most important" examples to highlight a particular topic. (The earliest image was taken May 1967 and the most recent was taken Jan. 2005.) Each photographic image has a standard data area that gives key information about the image. For example the data area of the image that's on the front cover of this book (shown above by Amazon) might be as follows:

(1) Identification icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. (I will explain more about these icons below.)
(2) Saturn with its moon Enceladus appearing near its south pole
(3) Visible-light image (metallic color added)
(4) Cassini orbiter (Note that this spacecraft consists of this orbiter and the Huygens probe)
(5) 16 May 2004
(6) 12.5 million miles (20 million km) from Earth

Each topic is presented alphabetically with a brief, easy-to-understand, descriptive, and interesting text to explain a topic. The letters covered are from "A" to "W" (excluding "K," "O," and "Q"). Topics under each letter range from one to several. For example, under "A" are two topics covering four pages but under "C" are six topics covering ten pages.

Thus each topic generally has three pieces of information. For example, the first topic under "A" is "Asteroid." Then there is:

(1) a descriptive text of an asteroid
(2) an actual image of an asteroid--in this case asteroid Eros
(3) a data area for asteroid Eros (which, as shown above, has (i) an identification icon (ii) image description (iii) image type (iv) image source (v) date image taken and (vi) distance celestial object is from Earth).

At the end of the book are three sections. One section lists with a brief description the mechanical and human image-makers that made the images in this book possible. Another well-written section explains the science behind the images used in this book. The last section is a glossary of important terms.

The section regarding the image-makers is one I found especially interesting. Over forty image-makers are listed and well described. These image-makers are divided into four groups:

(1) Earth-based (like observatories)
(2) Near-Earth (like space-based telescopes)
(3) Spacecraft, probes, & cameras
(4) Individuals (who work with accessible and mobile equipment).

The identification icons I mentioned in the sample data area above are in this image-makers section. Any icon that appears in the book can be matched with the same icon in this section. For example, the icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft mentioned in the sample data area above can be matched with the identical icon in the above-mentioned third group. Then below the icon is a brief description of this spacecraft that I found quite interesting.

Finally, I did find some problems with this book. I should emphasize that these in no way affect the book's readability but I found them to be irritations:

(1) There is no introduction. There is a four-paragraph blurb on the inside front jacket flap that promotes the book and at the same time tries to give some indication of what to find in it. It does not do the latter very well. For example, how to use the icons is not explained at all. There should have been a good introduction included within the book itself.
(2) Three astronomical images located on the first two pages are not explained at all. Why?
(3) There are no references for the text. True, we are given the names of almost sixty scientists and space professionals who shared their knowledge. But throughout the book's pages are certain figures that must have been looked up somewhere. These sources are not given credit.
(4) The glossary is somewhat redundant. For example, the first word in the glossary is "asteroid." But as I mentioned above, it's a topic in the main section of this book! Why include it in the glossary? I found this for several other words as well.
(5) Right after the index of this book (that is, on the very last page) is a description of a newly discovered phenomenon that is "a telltale trace of other Earth-like planets out beyond our solar system." I found this VERY interesting. Why was it on the very last page of the book? It should have been included in the main narrative.

In conclusion, if you're an armchair astronaut like me, you'll appreciate this visually stunning and informative book that reveals the awesome beauty and mystery of the cosmos!!!

(first published 2005; forward by S. Hawking; the Milky Way; celestial phenomena from "A" to "W;" science behind the images; the image makers; main narrative 175 pages; glossary; index; picture credits; acknowledgements; Earthshine)

+++++

Splendid images, combined with descriptions of what you're viewing, abound in this book, available for less than $20.

It's arranged alphabetically, so you can either browse from page 1 onward, or go to your favorite subject, such as "galaxy" or "black hole." And, it runs from our backyard to the edges of the universe, so whether your interests are planetary, interstellar, or deep space, there's plenty here for you.

The text material greatly adds to the value of the book (if that is possible).

For instance, under the pictures of different types of galaxies, readers will get an explanation of how barred spirals or ellipticals are believed to develop. But, that's not all.

In the caption for each photo, the authors carefully note what satellite, explorer craft, or telescope took the picture, what wavelength it was used, how it was filtered, etc. and otherwise brought to "normal" visible light, etc.

And, that's not all. There's more for backyard astronomers with telescopes.

In all pictures of nebulae, M or NGC numbers are provided for nebulae so identified.

Not many things in the world can literally take your breath away. Maybe it was your first kiss, or maybe when your son or daughter finally became part of the living. But this book cannot be excepted from that category, because these pictures seem to live and breathe just as we do. Light years and light years away.

Mars is viewed up so close, you feel like you're actually breathing in the dusty storms of the planet and you're surrounded by barren red wasteland, where life might once have existed. Jupiter's moon, Europa, has so many stunning pictures, as each one depicts its greenish-blue hue cracked with red lines and ice that fit in with the satellite so icily, but coolly. And don't get me even STARTED on the nebulae! They are so unbelievably beautiful - swirls of reds tingling with blue and a shiver of yellow belting down an orange, with sparkles and beauty outlining every inch of it. I think the nebulae deserve fifty chapters just for themselves.

All the pictures are arranged alphabetically from their title, from A for Asteroid to W for WMAP (check the book if you don't know what that is ;D), this book has it all. All the pictures are high-definition and just a frightful wonder to look at, staring at the deep, stellar field of space.

But as another reviewer said, don't miss out on the captions! There's an universe of information to be read, and they just can't be ignored because the pictures are so gorgeous. They're extremely factual and faultless, and only glorify the images with much information, unlike other space books where one-liners just dismiss the true meaning behind the pictures.

This book is highly recommended. I can't imagine a better source to start a lifelong interest in space, or to simply indulge in the beauty of space.

Stephen Hawking provides the foreword to WHAT'S OUT THERE: IMAGES FROM HERE TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. Here are nearly two hundred of the most important images ranging from close-ups of Mars to views of the most distant nebula. An alphabetical arrangement allows for quick and easy reference and topics which lend to commentary by experts as they accompany striking color photos. Photos have been culled from archives and astronomical sources from around the world and beyond the planet and provide an amazing A-Z picture record of striking images. Very highly recommended; especially for college-level astronomy holdings.

Perhaps if I knew the life story behind the author I cold rate this book higher. He authored over 240 books and in this one he takes a very authoritative tone. Yet he cites not a single example, from personal experience, to back up his bold claims about the power of prayer. If, in the course of time, I come to learn that Murray actually realized in his own life the power of prayer he insists is available to every believer, I will come back and revise my ranking for this work.

I have been reading this book by Andrew Murray, in several different editions, since 1981. I read it over and over each year. Each reading brings a new discovery in Murray's wonderful epistle on prayer.

this is good stuff with a mix of some exegetical insight and of course his own personal experiences with prayer, it gave my faith a boost in that i have greater confidence in seeing God answer prayers.

"With Christ in the School of Prayer ..." is a wonderful classic to read and enjoy.

Don't let the second part of the title put you off ... this is a book for everyone. Really.

Second to the bible, this is my favorite book of all time. I believe it will open your eyes to what prayer and intimacy with God can and should actually be like (as well as how far we've fallen/ how distorted our view of prayer tends to be!). Other than the Word, there are few books (at least of those that are not so sophisticated as to be beyond comprehension) that I can read over and over and never fail to discover something new each time. But this one I have been reading for years, and it NEVER grows old.

Anybody who's interested in how we write the world over would do well to pick up this book. It's awfully costly, it's true, but if you're patient and you poke around a little, you can find it used for a third or less of what it's listed for.
Serious linguists specializing in writing might read it through, but amateurs--like me--will just pick it up and leaf through it, stopping here and there, reading this chapter or that, or will use it to look up some specific thing they might want to know about, say, Bishop Wulfila's Gothic script's roots in the Greek alphabet or the origins of the Georgian or Armenian alphabets.
It tells about scripts found all over the world, big ones--Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and so on--and far less well known ones, like Berber, Cherokee, Ethiopian, Deseret and some found in Indonesia and islands in the Indian Ocean.
It tells the historic backgrounds and--for lack of a better word--genealogies of the scripts, then shows how they work.
One thing that irks me no end is a shortcoming not with the book itself, but rather with the publishing business as a whole: the font used in the book is inadequate. It is appalling that in a book about writing systems, there are characters that have to be set in other fonts from the main book forn--sometimes even within one word--and characters that show up as composite characters with diacritics off center from the letter they modify. It is a fairly simple thing to edit a font and add characters as needed. It is a shame that major publishing companies seem unwilling to make the small investment in typography that would let them set a book like this in one font, with all the characters needed, so that it reads smoothly, without distracting inconsistencies throughout.
Now, this is indeed a niggling compalint, and it in no way reflects on the beek itself, the writers or the editors. It is the fault of the publisher, and should in no way dissuade anyone interested in this admittedly esoteric subject from getting this book.

It seems that this book is not intended for a general reader, judging both by its price and by multitude of unexplained linguistic terms plentifully sown in the book. I bought this book becuse of many positive reviews and because it was drastically reduced to USD45. The book scans many dozens of wrining systems, as good as it's possible to squeese into ten-some page article, but unfortunately, many of the systems, especialy the ancient and the modern Oriental are too complicated and extended to be fully accounted in a limited space, so you can get acquanited with some 30 Sumer pictograms and never know the other 550, or you can see the 200 Chinese chanacters and just recall there several thousands more or look into Devanagari alphabet but then keep in mind there is a multitude of amalgams that are not easily recognized and so on.
It is also very helpful if one knows like what exactly sounds a linguolabial or a laminal or a voiced epiglottal fricative, otherwise he may be at lost..

The "World's Writing Systems" is a rare event for in one tome it covers all the ways of writing known to us at present. As a professional graphologist this is an absolute boon not only for what it is but because it is also on special offer. While there are other tomes of similar ilk and implication this work has no equal. Until now the study of written language has had no clearly defined reference work.

It has now. Thoroughly recommended.

Peter West

This a detailed survey of the systems that have been used for writing the world's languages, going far beyond the most familiar ones to encompass ones normally known only to specialists, ranging from the ancient Turkish runiform script to the Vai syllabary of Liberia, invented in modern times. Although it was written by experts for experts to read (and priced accordingly, but see the last paragraph below) most of it is well within the understanding of interested non-specialists. The authors assume a knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet, but it would have been almost impossible to avoid that, even if the book had been intended for the general reader. Even there it is perhaps an exaggeration to say that this is assumed, because the IPA is set out (albeit without much explanation) inside the front and back covers.

In a book of this kind the quality of the printing is a major consideration, as the samples of text need to be large enough and black enough for the individual characters to be read, and ideally should harmonize with the surrounding text in English. Before the age of computer-based typesetting it would have been impossible even to approach this ideal except at enormous price, but now it has become realistic. In general this book comes very close to the ideal, with a very high level of typography.

At more than 900 pages the book goes far beyond a mere listing of scripts with samples. It also includes a great deal of historical and cultural information, explaining how the different scripts evolved to their present state. In addition there is information about how the more successful scripts, not just Latin but also Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, Aramaic and so on, were adapted to languages different from those where they began.

At its published price the book is probably beyond the pockets of most general readers. It is worth mentioning, therefore, that on at least two occasions in recent years it has been available through Amazon with a very large discount, and one can probably expect this to happen again. I bought my copy at 40% of the published price, for example, and with that sort of discount it need not be restricted to libraries and specialists.

...it's missing many language script tables that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, this book is amazing and filled useful information and language tables - just not all of them. I was hoping for some representation (optimally in an alphabet table format) of the usage of the Arabic-based script for Hausa, Swahili, the Central Asian languages, and some complete detail of which languages have (ever) incorporated an Arabic-based script, when they did, when it was withdrawn or changed (if applicable), comparative texts with the modern scripts, etc. In conclusion, a treasury of information (a lot of which might be quite difficult to track down on your own and would be very time-consuming), marred only by my high expectations. I definitely recommend this book to language lovers and for those who can appreciate the diversity of human expression.

This book of domestic essays by Michigan journalist Cindy LaFerle is a major delight. The rich topic of LaFerle's family life, from delivering newspapers on dark Sunday mornings with her son to remodeling her historic home and baking bread for peace, is comfort food without the calories. The essays pair especially well with a warm cup of tea on a cold afternoon. LaFerle's calm and compassionate humor will remind readers to be grateful for the many blessings of home.

From the preface: "At a writers' retreat I attended several years ago, author Madeleine L'Engle posed a question, "Why do all of us want to share our stories?" Her answer affirmed what each of us knew but couldn't express as elegantly: "We share our stories because we have faith--faith the universe has meaning and that our little lives are not irrelevant." I found this profound and wanted to read deeper.

Cindy has put together some wonderfully arranged thematic essays. The essays are funny, poignant and show a slice of life. The essays are fun reading them in book sequence or skipping around (Sorry Cindy. You probably wanted them read in the sequence published.). I enjoyed reading them.

Cindy's writing style in this book is like a conversation between friends. There is a sense of humor mixed with plain down to earth speech and common everyday situations that anyone can relate to. Most essays are short, easy and fun to read.

The Christian Science Monitor, Reader's Digest, Country Gardens, Writer's Digest, The Oakland Press and The Royal Oak Daily Tribune have all published Cindy's essays and columns. Cindy lives in her home town, Royal Oak, Michigan, with her family.

I found this book easy and fun to read. I don't know when these essays were first published, but they just a relevant. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting something entertaining to read. Since there a re a series of essays, there is no real need to rush, reading from cover to cover. You can pick up this book at anytime and read one or more of the essays when you have a few minutes to spare while relaxing. I would rate this book as a great read and worthy of consideration by readers.

Bob Medak, Allbooks Reviews

Cracking open Cindy LaFerle's debut collection of columns and essays is the equivalent of chatting with your best friend at a coffeehouse. She talks about everything under the sun -- from the love of her deceased tabby cat to the ubiquitous mean mommy syndrome we all face at the PTA. Her steady, flowing writing lulls you into the comforts of her world. It's not all rosy, however. Her discussion of the Iraqi War or Martha Stewart's decline are timely issues to be taken seriously. Nonetheless, you feel you are in trusted hands with Ms. LaFerle. She won't let you down. In every one of her 294 pages, she never does.



The book is a compilation of over a decade of newspaper columns in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, Michigan) and essays which have appeared in notable magazines such as Readers' Digest and Better Homes and Gardens. Since her background mirriors that of many work from home mothers, she is a highly relatable writer both in intention and in content. Her tone is never preachy. It is truthful and without pretense.



This nurturing scribe has stopped her column. Her local readers in Michigan must mourn the loss of their regular commentator. As she recently sent her only child off to college, she may have been concerned that her home life would not yield a full column's worth. She quotes Aldous Huxley at one point (page 64):



"Everyone who knows how to read has it in their power to magnify themselves, to multiply the ways in which they exist, to make their life full, significant, and interesting."



Cindy LaFerle does that with her writing. She magnifies her own world to make it our own. We can only hope she will be inspired to continue the quest with her pen. Her obvious talent to weave honest, yet striking tales is definitely something to write home about.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends WRITING HOME as a lovely bouquet of womanly thoughts about things little & big, sad & funny, & topical to today's modern life.

Cindy La Ferle's essays are grouped together by subject rather than eras: first she welcomes us into her House and Garden, & then introduces us to the muggy swamp of Child Care; to her Social Life (such as it is being a work-at-home-parent & spouse); to the philosophies of Kitchen Duty, & to her Creature Comforts.

Then she gets as serious as she can about Work Ethics before opening the Family Album. She also shows us how she's Keeping Up Appearance & Keeping the Seasons, & as with all things, she gets Older and Wiser & into Soul Caring.

Oh, & she's into organic produce, herbs, overnight retreats at a Jesuit monastery, walking with her women friends, & a life of prayer & peace. & she likes to laugh!

WRITING HOME is for everywoman who thinks about her world, & would make a perfect reading group selection, & gift, no matter the season!

"The sacred is in the ordinary. It is found in one's daily life - in friends, family, and neighbors; in one's own backyard."

The above quote comes from a thank-you note Cindy La Ferle keeps in an "altar" above her kitchen sink. Its simple observation pretty much sums up the philosophy expounded in her book, Writing Home. A columnist for a Detroit area paper and freelance article writer, La Ferle writes about what she knows best - home - and how our home life shapes and colors who we are.

My personal favorite essay is "Quit Picking on Barbie." The big-breasted fashion doll has been getting a bum rap for years... Most little girls just enjoy dressing her up and designing homes and careers for her. She doesn't scar our sense of femininity at all. Another column, "Recovering Perfectionist," stirs up many familiar emotions as well. Women do seem especially susceptible to perfectionistic behavior, La Ferle observes. Our "people-pleasing" impulses prevent us from attempting many worthwhile endeavors because we're afraid we won't be able to do them perfectly. We need to let go of this need to "be right or look good" all the time. In the humorous "Seeing Red" we learn about the pros and cons of being a redhead - or at least the Miss Clairol version of it.

From "Baghdad and Banana Bread"- finding security from the horrors of the world in simple baking - to "The Lost Art of Loafing"- an art I really need to take advantage of this summer- Writing Home wisely reminds us that truly there is no place like home. -- Cindy Appel for the FEARLESS REVIEWS

I had another flash drive for 3 yrs and it literally broke down. Kingston is great! It has more memory and very easy to use. Just put it into the USB drive and open. I am storing all kinds of documents for each project I am working on.

I love it!

Share your love, and show everyone a little bit of Christ! You may be the only kind touch a person receives, and it could be something that opens doors to a different perspective on life. Jesus is an example we should all follow, and this book shows simple ways of performing tasks that will brighten the day of strangers, who will be curious as to why you're doing it. Break the ice with a bottle of water, a smile and a bit of happiness. Let Jesus' light shine!

This book contains great ideas for outreach events! Our outreach team has done several of the ideas mentioned in this book and are excited to try more!

This not only can be used to grow a church or organization but also your affiliations and Businesses. Success God's way. Too Easy, Keep it Simple.

This is a great "brain-stormer" for ideas on successfully reaching your community. While every idea wont work in every community, the book is full of practical ideas.

As an educator of preschool age children I am always looking for a new, fresh take on the basics. Joanne Dugan's books "123 NYC" and "ABC NYC" have wonderful, colorful pictures of things we see everyday. Although these books can be enjoyed by all children, I think children who live in New York City in particular can really relate to them. My students love both of Ms. Dugan's books and visit them over and over again.

What a delightful approach to the world of numbers; our little boy loves to read through it with us, and now by himself. It's terrific, charming, and highly imaginative - and, also, a great idea for that kiddie birthday gift when you're wracking your brain for the kid that already has everything.

You will be delighted by Joanne Dugan's 123, A Counting Book because
1) It is a fun way to teach little ones basic counting skills
2) Whether you are a New York native or just love to visit, you'll enjoy identifying the locations of the images (my favorite: the 12 clocks)
and
3) Dugan strikes just the right blend of tribute to the city and with wry humor (check out the shoes.)

You can count on this to be the perfect gift!

123 NYC is lush; it makes for a perfect gift for any child with an interest in the city, in art or with an inquisitive nature. Keep your eyes peeled; some of these locations are pretty recognizable! If you are a Manhattan resident, it's always fun to try and find where each letter comes from. Highly recommended for children (of all ages).

Not only a New York City feast for the eyes, but a lesson in the art of seeing.

If you want to write for kids, there's two things you need to do (i.e., other than writing your book!): join SCWBI and get this book. The book is full of great advice and contacts. A must-have for all children's writers.

This is a highly informative book that no household should be without. Held within these pages are countless words and expressions for every aspect of writing. From A to Z you will find references for everything. Fundraising letters, personal letters, query letters, sympathy notes, email, business, thank yous, etc. It is all found in this highly recommended book! Don't write without it!

This book gave me a good perspective on what it takes to "try" to get a children's book published. I really feel like I have a better grasp on the reality of writing children's books...it's not as easy as I had first expected!

This is well-organized and has all of the information one would need to access publishers. Agents and publicists, as well as writers, need to have this "encyclopedia" of resources. There is a wealth of information needed for sending book proposals and manuscripts. Just excellent!

Professionals in the children's book genre have been relying on the yearly Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market for 18 years. This guide covers everything writers and/or illustrators would ever need to find a home for their work.

The 2006 edition contains more than 800 listings of opportunities. Book publishers, magazine opportunities, literary agents, contests and conferences are just a few of the numerous types of listings you get in 400+ pages.

Each listing is updated yearly to make sure the contact information, pay rates and specific publishing needs are accurate. Editors of the guide generally work all year long to ensure the listings are up-to-date.

What makes this guide even more valuable are the articles, interviews and also help for those just getting started in the business. The guide could simply be a compilation of listings and it would be a great investment but the fact that these other resources are added make it a powerful tool for any writer or illustrator's career.

If you're searching for markets on your own, you're wasting precious time. The 2006 Writer's & Illustrator's Market does the tedious work for you so you can simply choose an appropriate market and find a publishing outlet for your work.

I have purchased this book for about twelve people and had it shipped as a gift to them (one advandage to having the 2 day ship option). Susan gives alternate answers for problems, as well as, medical reviews. At times, she is very frank in her comments when it comes to sex and that sort of thing.

However, as stated above, I think that she has done an excellent job. So much so, that I want everybody I know to have a copy.

The 24 Hour Pharmacist is the perfect pill for anyone seeking insight on overall health from a resource that is thorough and fun to read. With chapter titles such as "Frazzled, Frustrated and Freaked Out: Coping with Anxiety and Stress" to "More Jiggle, Less Joint Pain: What You Can Do About Arthritis" you get the sense that the author well knows what course to recommend but also truly enjoys educating others. One feature I found especially enlightening were the sections in each chapter entitled "Suzy's Secrets From Behind The Counter". Here is where she (Suzy) offers great little insights to live by with a perspective that only a pharmacist can give. One good example of this is in the chapter about weight loss where she explains that some drugs can make you hungry. Included in her list are sedatives and tranquilizers, antidepressants, allergy pills, female hormones and diuretics. Wow, who knew?

As the owner of an enzyme company and the author of two books on enzymes, I was especially interested in the chapters dealing with Digestion and Enzymes. Chapter 4 is entitled "Do You Have the Guts to Throw Away Your Antacids?" and enzymes are discussed on pages 201 and 202 in a chapter she calls "Lose Fat While You Sleep...When Pink Elephants Fly". I must say, the information was extremely valuable yet easy to follow. I was so impressed with this book that I bought one for each member of my technical education team and asked them to become well acquainted with this excellent resource.

I just got this book yesterday and could hardly put it down last night. I am about to order a few more copies for my family. I consider myself pretty well-versed in many of the topics she discusses, but it's so nice to have the information organized the way it is. It's just very easy to read and understand. You don't need a science degree to apply what the author recommends. I earmarked so many pages in the first parts that I read last night - and I can't wait to get back to it. This is money well-spent.

Suzy Cohen tells it like it is. Her advice and opinions are right on. We both recommend the book so that others can be better informed on their own health care. If you are not pro-active in your own health care, you are asking for trouble. This book will help.The 24-Hour Pharmacist: Advice, Options, and Amazing Cures from America's Most Trusted Pharmacist

The 24-Hour Pharmacist is a book written by a professional who understands the chemistry of drugs and how they interact with the body, but who has also taken the time to learn about herbs and natural remedies. The great thing about Cohen is that she gives readers these natural alternatives to deal with their health issues, instead of just advising them to rely on pharmaceuticals.

Another thing she brings to the table that we don't find very often is solid knowledge about interactions between drugs and supplements, so that her readers don't get caught up in the storm of taking one drug to ease the symptoms of another. She advises readers not to mix certain drugs, and which drugs cause particular symptoms.

Cohen has a unique blend of expertise - she is fluent in pharmacology as well as herbal medicine. Her final product is far more useful than the advice of medical practitioners who are only familiar with one method of treatment, or whose scientific education has been underwritten by the pharmaceutical companies themselves, which, sadly, is more and more often the case.

The 24-Hour Pharmacist is a great reference book to keep on hand to help deal with sickness in the family, and it's a fun cover-to-cover read - Cohen is a talented and entertaining writer who delivers valuable information that's hard to find elsewhere.

Thanks, Suzy, for bringing this vital info to us!

This book is awesome! Does not go indepth, but has ALL the pertinent information related to specific diseases/clinical signs (definitions, Physiology, symptoms, lab work, treatment, follow up care)all on one page! A VERY useful book so far, especially from a tech's point of view!

Just replaced my 3rd edition, the 4th addition is a bit better has some new information, doseages for new drugs and a CD with Client education handouts.

I needed this item ASAP and I received it on time which was excellent since I paid for fast shipping. The cover of the book though looked a little worn. The book was supposed to be new but looking at it I wasn't 100% sure. If I had time I probably would have returned it for another copy. Besides that I was satisfied with my purchase.

very helpful in learning details about diseases and drugs we use.Easy to use the book and easy to understand.Thank you for the opportunity for me to receive this book to Turkey.

Whenever I encounter a new disease, or need to refresh my memory about one I haven't seen lately, I reach for this book first. I find it to be concise, informative, and useful. While other medical texts make for good fireside or bedtime reading, this one cuts to the chase, and is useful in the midst of a busy veterinary schedule.
I use this book as my "nerd book", jotting notes in the margins when I learn something new about a disease from reading journals. Overall I am quite impressed at how up-to-date and complete the information is vis-a-vis JAVMA, the Compendium for Continuing Education, etc. I also appreciate that this book comes out in new additions often enough to keep up with the rapid changes in veterinary medicine.

Often times, the problem involving in getting organized is where
to start . . . you may be like me and have many projects going
at the same time, accompanied by even more pieces of paper.

So where do you begin? One approach is to get hold of Jeff
Davidson's book, THE 60 SECOND ORGANIZER . . . Davidson, an author and professional speaker,
presents many useful techniques--60 in all--that don't
take a lot of time to implement . . . but do pay powerful
dividends when utilized.

Many you've probably heard before . . . however, the problem
is that you may well never have put them into practice . . . the
author shows you how, for example, when he says:

* You can fight junk mail by saving all of it for weeks. Then
hire a high school student at minimum wage to send a
form letter to every party who has sent you mail more than
once. Explain carefully that you have no interest in their offer.

When it comes to seeking perfection in everything that you do,
I really liked this bit of advice:

* Studies show that the additional time you spend to take a
project from the 95 percent mark to the 100 percent mark
is, in most cases, not worth it. Striving for perfection, i.e.,
ensuring that the final 5 percent is correctly done, often
takes as much time as the initial 95 percent of effort
required! Gosh, no wonder it felt so difficult!

Lastly, when it comes to writing a book or completing some
other task that will take a good amount of time, Davidson
almost makes it easy when he advises how to do this:

* I have written 32 books, but I wouldn't have finished book #1
if I tried to "write an entire book." Rather, my goal in approaching
each book is to write one chapter at a time. Since most chapters
are made of two or three subsections, I simply aim to finish one
subsection, then another, then another until I finish a whole
chapter. The rest of the day seems like a vacation.

The next day, I go back and start another chapter, approaching
one subsection at a time. All the while, I acknowledge that I
have a contract to honor and that a publisher is breathlessly
waiting for my material. We pick a date in advance, and I agree
to turn in the manuscript no later than that day.

Now that I've finished THE 60 SECOND ORGANIZER, I'm all
set to read another book the author wrote: THE 60 SECOND
PROCRASTINATOR . . . all I have to do is stop procrastinating,
then I'll be ready to begin it.

Jeff Davidson is an achiever who writes from an authoritative stance. Anybody who has published more than 3,300 articles, been featured in 68 of the top 75 newspapers in the country, had his speeches published six times in "Vital Speeches of the Day", and has been a professional speaker to numerous well-known corporate clients definitely has something worth listening to.

This book is refreshing reading in that it brings you back to the basics of maintaining focus. In arguing that it's worth the effort to stay organized, Davidson notes, "If you think getting organized is time consuming, try disorganization."

By nature my tendency has been to be a saver, i.e., hold on to things because I may need them someday. Davidson and other writers are causing me to see it's time for a paradigm shift. In the information age, updates occur regularly and with the Internet such data can be acquired online. Collecting materials in this generation takes a new twist when the new realities are considered. Notice I'm cautious in the way I phrase this. I'm still a saver at heart, but I'm learning to eliminate clutter. I think the point is valid. It takes time to change.

This segues perfectly into his sixth point which discusses growing beyond what you've experienced in the past. Be open to possibilities you've never known before. Chapter seven examines the cliche "work smarter." He tells you how to do it. The discovery Vilfredo Pareto made in 1897 is the topic of point 8 in this book. I'm intentionally not revealing what it is to make you curious.

Through reminding us of the basics of getting organized, such as "divide and conquer" various tasks, we're encouraged that the goal is reachable. Overall this book is packed with solid insight that can be applied.

In the never-ending quest to be more personally productive and organized, I got the chance to read 60-second Organizer: Sixty Solid Techniques for Beating Chaos at Home and at Work by Jeff Davidson. For those who aren't ready to commit to a "system" of organization, this is a perfect place to start getting things done...

Contents:
Part 1 - Embracing Powerful Perspectives: Relax - Organizing Is Not So Bad; Learn Your ABCs; Capture Your Best Thoughts; Determine "Who Created That?"; Make Profound Choices; Live and Actually Learn; "Work Smarter" for Real; Heed Pareto and His Principle; Forget about the "Right Mood"; Reward Thyself
Part 2 - Enveloping Provocative Practices: Forsake Excuses for Not Becoming Organized; Defeat Perfectionism; Start Simply; Organize According to Your Milestones; Handle Tough Things First; Immerse Yourself for 60 Seconds; Ask Yourself "Will It Be Any Easier Later?"; Organize Based On Your Priorities; Stake Your Claim
Part 3 - Listing and Charting Your Way: Recognize Fallibilities; Mark Your Calendar; Separate Long-Term and Short-Term Tasks; Develop a Clarifying Checklist; Map It Out; Chart Your Path; Plot Your Way; Add Subtasks to Your Chart; Organize with Flow Charts; Track Your Progress
Part 4 - Reclaiming Your Places and Spaces: Start from Scratch; Conquer Your Desk; Make Your Shelves Work for You; Win the Paper Chase; Face Files with Smiles; Establish Rotating Tickler Files; Pile It High; Pare Down and Win; Reduce Junk Mail; Read with Aplomb
Part 5 - Organize Travel, Meetings, and Online Activities: Manage Your E-mail; Organize Online Research; Create More Organized Meeting, Really!; Maintain Effective Meetings, the Whole Way!; Meet to Achieve Results; Organize for the Road; Handle Commuting and Travel Contingencies; Be Productive on Public Transportation; Fly Friendlier Skies; Book Your Flight Right
Part 6 - Making Your Home Your Castle: Destroy Enemy Outposts; Pick a Regular Day and Time; Approach Spaces Strategically; Adopt a Replacement Policy; Improvise When Storage Space Is Limited; Organize Your Gift Shopping; Organize Your Purchases and Related Paperwork; File Taxes on Time and Without Grief; Hire an Organizing Professional; Divide, Literally, and Conquer
Summary; Bibliography; About the Author

It seems to be all the rage to follow an organizing system these days, a system that presents a complete package of how to get and stay organized. But realistically, it takes a lot of effort to overcome that inertia, and often the system ends up gathering dust on a shelf. Davidson's book is great in that it gives you a number of tips to get organized, and it's not an "all or nothing" thing. You can start in any area that is a problem in your life, such as your workspace or your storage/junk piles. The 10 tips in that particular area of the book are quick to read, easy to understand, and you can quickly try out the recommendation. For instance, if your filing system is broken (or nonexistent), Part 4 of the book gives you plenty of ideas on how to clean up the existing mess as well as keeping it cleaned up. Rotating tickler files, single location for file, and questions to ask before filing all help to keep the important stuff, throw out the trash, and keep the process going.

If you've read any books on organization before, you'll probably recognize some of the material presented here. But it never hurts to review great ideas, and what didn't strike you as important a year ago may be exactly what you need now. Well worth the time commitment to read and review...

This is one of two "60 Second" booklets written by Jeff Davidson that I recently read, the other being The 60 Second Procrastinator. With all due respect to how much can be accomplished in one minute, most (if not all) of those who need to get organized are procrastinators and most (if not all) procrastinators need to organized. In my opinion, few (if any) of them will read books such as these and then apply - and (key point) continue to apply -- what they have learned from them. (Davidson is also the author of more than a dozen other books, including seven Complete Idiot's Guides.) He may not share this opinion. However, here's another opinion with which he presumably agrees: On occasion, a single insight ("tip," "secret," "key," etc.) can help to elevate one's standard of living and/or improve one's quality of life.

In this volume as in the other 60 Second booklet, Davidson offers "sixty solid techniques" for "beating chaos at home and at work." They comprise a series of thought-provoking statements and direct questions that can help many readers to gain new perspectives on the micro and macro dimensions of their lives.

Obviously, there are many reasons why people have problems completing getting and then staying organized, and those reasons vary from one individual to the next. That said, self-improvement initiatives must be anchored in a strong faith in what can be accomplished. Henry Ford was right: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." It would be a fool's errand to attempt to act upon, immediately, all of Davidson's sound advice. He correctly suggests selecting a few especially troublesome areas and concentrate on them. In this context, my metaphor of preference is locating and then picking "low-hanging fruit."

Of course this booklet could conceivably be helpful to almost anyone but I think it can be especially valuable to those now enrolled in schools, colleges, and universities as well as to those who have only recently begun a career. Davidson thinks clearly, writes well, and is by nature a pragmatist rather than a theorist. How to rate it? I realize that there are dozens (hundreds?) of other sources that provide more fully developed ideas about how to avoid or overcome procrastination. However, for chronically disorganized people, any advice given is probably best presented as clearly and as simply as possible, and I do not damn Davidson's booklet with faint praise when saying that. His is not a definitive source nor does he make any such claim. If each reader finds only one suggestion that helps her or him to become - and then remain - better-organized, Davidson will have achieved his primary and indeed worthy objective.

I hate paper. And nowadays, the stuff that comes in the house can't just be sorted to be dealt with or thrown out, you have to SHRED a lot of the trash. Holy hell, what a pain THAT is. If you let any of it sit, you have a huge pile in no time. And online billpay is not really reducing any of this mess. In fact, I find that the mix of paper payments and online just makes a confused mess.

The author has sixty ideas to get organized. I've incorporated quite a few of them (pare down email is one: I now unsubscribe to anything I don't want to read regularly and another is pare down; 1 magazine subscription.) He suggests a calendar and how to organize your desk for action. All these things really work.

Excellent little book, no fluff.