Reviews Books

Living It Up At National Review is a memoir by Priscilla L. Buckley, who spent forty-three years as an editor at National Review. The exploits of her brother William F. Buckley among many other "brilliant but highly combustible" characters come alive in this engaging and folksy collection of true tales of daily life amid a national icon of conservatism. An index allows for quick reference in this highly readable and enjoyable reflection on the highs, lows, and weirdness present in the author's remarkable and vivacious working life.

Living It Up At National Review is a memoir by Priscilla L. Buckley, who spent forty-three years as an editor at National Review. The exploits of her brother William F. Buckley among many other "brilliant but highly combustible" characters come alive in this engaging and folksy collection of true tales of daily life amid a national icon of conservatism. An index allows for quick reference in this highly readable and enjoyable reflection on the highs, lows, and weirdness present in the author's remarkable and vivacious working life.

Living It Up At National Review is a memoir by Priscilla L. Buckley, who spent forty-three years as an editor at National Review. The exploits of her brother William F. Buckley among many other "brilliant but highly combustible" characters come alive in this engaging and folksy collection of true tales of daily life amid a national icon of conservatism. An index allows for quick reference in this highly readable and enjoyable reflection on the highs, lows, and weirdness present in the author's remarkable and vivacious working life.

What will we do when the Buckley clan is gone? First John Wayne, then Ronald Reagan, now the Buckleys, WFB and his sister, Priscilla gradually recede from our consciousness, followed ineluctably in time by Paul Harvey we tearfully conclude. Giants all. This book is to be cherished, as with brother Bill's memoir of last year ("And Miles Gone By"), like a strand of hair from a saint; to be pulled out every now and then and pressed to one's heart in longing remembrance of the grandeur that humankind can produce so resplendently every now and again in individuals(as opposed to collectively). Read the book and weep, but with a smile on one's face mirroring the same that radiantly graced it's author's lo these many years.

Vicente Aleixander was part of that great Generation of '27 - famous for such members as Lorca, Cernuda, Alberti and Salinas. He was the least political and this perhaps explains how he survived during the years of the Civil War. Lorca was executed by Franco's troops and the peasant-turned poet, Miguel Hernandez, who fought for the Communists, died in prison in 1942. Many of the Generation of '27 fled the country. Alberti didn't return until well after Franco's death, having lived abroad in Italy and the United States, often a visiting professor. Salinas, too, taught abroad. Aleixandre opted to stay in his native land.

Aleixandre's poetry is darker than his peers. Where Alberti and Salinas celebrate music, beauty, love, and painting (especially Alberti), Aleixandre's is a celebration of loneliness, of isolation. His early poems are quite deep and almost unreadable at times, so fraught with esoteric meaning (like Hernandez's early poems) that it might turn the reader off when first presented with this book. But the further one travels into this great collection, the greater the beauty and more universal the themes of love, loss and sadness. One feels the ocean, the waves, the sand but also a woman's body, the world destroyed but renewed. There is an organic quality to his poetry, it is human but also detached and poignant.

I prefer Aleixandre's work to many of his contemporaries. He reminds me to some degree of Georg Trakl in Germany - the darkness, the silence of the world, the pulse of life in nature surrounding humanity.

This selection features translations by Lewis Hyde (also editor of the book), Roberty Bly, W.S. Merwin, Willis Barnstone and many others...

"Her hand given over" is the sweetest, saddest, truest poem I've read about a woman from a man's point of view. I'm so glad to know about Aleixandre.

No matter where I open this book, time stops. Gentle as an uncle I once knew, his words carry forward, linger on, and I find myself nodding affirmatively in of all places, this world

"Destruction of Love" and "A Longing for the Light" are the best poetry in Spanish I have ever read. Perfect language, perfect idea... The best.

I just received this book from Amazon, and read voraciously for several chapters until it became too frightening, and I had to put it down.

You see, I, too was an outsider and victim of a conspiracy in Bangor,Maine, and as I was reading, would have seen what was coming, even if I didn't already know.

(I won't belittle Amazon with a link, but you may Google Bangor, Maine scam to find the Outsiderr222 blog.)

Don't think that things are getting better. Bangor has generations to go before the people see the light and put a stop to their manipulation by power brokers.

Even 25 years later, Maine still has the highest tax burden and one of the lowest per capita incomes in the country. Things seem to be upside down in northern Maine. (Southern Maine is farther ahead, but Augusta is not in southern Maine).

Drugs, booze, and xenophobia are rampant, and some areas are still controlled by kingpins who can best be likened to Jabba the Hut. Maine's Attorney General is selected by secret ballot by the legislature. (The only state in the USA that does this. He cannot be voted out).

In places like Bangor, Maine, an outsider will never win.

If you think that these small town scams are only limited to places like the Ozarks and could never happen in New England, just read Dr Greenwald's book. (And my blog)

Maine's a beautiful place. But be VERY careful there.

This book is a must read for any doctor, or American. The Government is not always on our side. The things Dr. Greenwald went through are a real eyeopener to sham peer review, and how real conspiracies occur right under our noses.

I couldn't put this book down once I started to discover the facts. It is truly amazing reading. You won't be sorry...

Mark K.
Philadelphia

this book is a real eye opener as to how people can abuse their power to burry the little guy. it is simply amazing!!!!

I found this book to be very useful and thorough with its detailed solutions. The layout is well-organized, easy to refer to, and everything is straightforward and instructive. Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to progress quickly with their GMAT preparation.

I got the entire 4 book set. Heard great things from my colleagues about this series. They really lived up to my expectation though the book covers could have been laminated to make them sturdier! The solutions are very details. In the back, it also sorts all the official guide questions by type and by number. Studying using both Turbocharge and OG is very effective for me.

Awesome explanations! Sometimes even eye-opening solutions. Good to know there's more than one way to skin a cat. I think we should all try to use the shortest cut to solve any problem to gain valuable time on those ones we are unsure about.

A very good solutions book for those tough math questions in the Study Guide! Many different ways of solving the very same problem is laid out. I also like the tables in the back of the book. They re-sorted all the OG and Study Guide questions by type and topic. Very useful if you want to tackle one major math topic at one time in a progressive manner!

Medessentials is a great book. Slightly more detailed with better charts compared to First Aid. Both books though have information not contained in the other, while a large majority is in both. I would recommend any first years considering books for studying for Step 1 for their second year to consider buying this and using both First Aid and Medessentials together (annotating 1 or both of them) as you go through your courses/review throughout the year making the 4-8wks/study before boards easier.

I have to disagree with the reader who gave this book one star review. This is a REVIEW book, not a text book. It's true all the tables, diagrams and illustrations come from Kaplan lecture note(the note alone sell for $600, you may get them used from ebay for $300), but medessential picked out only the highest yield material from these notes to include in this comprehensive review book. I only studied Kaplan and Goljan patho and got 234(98)(I will try to upload my score sheet here). I didn't like FA myself, b/c it's too boring and it's just piles of disorganized facts, there is no comparison like Kaplan did.

I suggest you visit your local Barnes and noble to read this book first before making the purchase and see if it suit your style.

I graduated from medical school 13 years ago from another country, just passed my step 1 last year, Kaplan and Goljan definitely are critical to my success.

Good luck for your boards!

The book was wonderful for a quick Anatomy, Embryo, Histo, Phys and Biochem review. Basically it's good for everything but Path. And lets face it - most of us use Goljan Rapid Review for that. If you have used or like the Kaplan lecture series books, this will work for you. Its a high yield review of lecture material in Kaplan mainly in chart format. Its main advantage over FA is the use of pictures that help to illustrate the anatomy and embryology. I love it and have pushed FA2008 aside in favor of this book. In quick review - you WILL need a different Path review book, but this is more detailed and better as a high yield review of general info!

THIS IS THE BEST AND MOST COMPLETE BOOK YOU WILL EVER NEED TO PREPARE FOR USMLE STEP 1!!! FOR THOSE WHO NEED A GRRRREAT REVIEW BOOK FOR STEP 1. YOU ARE GOING TO SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT IF YOU DON'T BUY THIS..IT SHOULD BE WITH YOU WHEN YOU ARE IN BASICS!! IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE BOOK LEARN IT LOVE IT UNDERSTAND IT!!! I GUARANTEE YOU WILL RAISE YOUR SCORE!!!!
I AM 100% CONFIDENT ABOUT THIS BOOK AND HOW GREAT IT IS!!! BUY IT!!!!
ITS A MUST!!!!

Yes first aid is there but it doesn't cover the depths of Medessential..The uniqueness about KAPLAN MEDESSENTIALS is that it goes by organ system. IT starts with the Embryo, and finishes up the chapter with Pharm and Path!!!

It is the complete thing!!! And No I don't work for Kaplan, I just had the pleasure to use this book for step 1. I was blown away with how it fit the real style of USMLE!!!

I wish I had it when I was in basics, because it helps draw out the most important facts that are a must for step 1 instead of bombarding your head with useless facts.
Thank you KAPLAN!!

I have found this book to be quite informational on different aspects that will be covered on the certification exam. I continue to use it as in my studies and as a reference.

This is the best product I have ever used. It is excellent to have a guide that gives you rationale for an answer.

Medical Coding Specialist's Exam Review Hospital is a wealth of information for anyone planning on taking either one of the hospital exams. It contains challenging coding activities and explanations to the answers. It also has mock exams that really get you thinking! The book also pinpoints the importance of preparing for the exam, test taking tips, and what happens after the exam. A great book!!

Sylvia Gonzalez CCS, CCS-P

This is a MUST have book if you are studying for the CCS or the CPC-H test. It is clear and to the point, and easy to understand. Each Chapter has invaluable information that you need to know for the tests, and then it is followed by a quiz and then the answers after that. There is a CD that is included that is VERY helpful, because it has mock tests for both the CCS and CPC-H. After finishing the test then it is automatically scored so you know how well you did and what you need to study more.

Rita Montierth CCS-P, CPC-H

THIS BOOK MADE ME THE BEST STUDENT IN MY CLASS, TRUST ME IT WAS NOT ME IT WAS THANKS TO THIS BOOK. ITS USER-FRIENDLY FORMAT MAKES BE VERY MOTIVATED AND FOCUS. ITS CONCISE STYLE HELP TO COVER A LOT OF FIELDS IN FEW HOURS AND TRUST ME STILL YEARS LATER YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU LEARNED. IT GETS TO THE POINT IN A LIGHT WAY.

This book is an excellent source for the boards. It reviews important topics that are important to know and gives you an advantage. I liked the format of the book and it made studying painless and more enjoyable. I also used the following:
Microbiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers
(ISBN: 0971999635) by Patrick Leonardi
I used both books for the USLME and it defintely helped me pass the USLME with ease. I felt both books gave me an advantage over other students taking the test. Both books are a must for passing.

I used this book primarily during my microbiology course. I did reference it while I studied for Step 1 also. The end of this book that contains "Summary of Medically Important Bacteria/Virus/Fungi/Parasites" is a great resource to have. Get this one early and read it, then reference it as needed for your board prep.

Warren Levinson is a genius! This book is absolutely brilliant. I would recommend it to almost anybody who doesn't like dumbed down books like Lippincott. Levinson's Microbiology is clear and comprehensive. It tells you exactly what to focus on, and cuts out extraneous details. The immunology section is even better! You'll love this book. The questions are even fantastic in helping you remember all the bugs, and the quick summary reviews at the end make this book worth your while. One recommendation for the next edition is to add more clinically relative laboratory perspectives. Make tables and keep reviewing until the day boards comes.

Very helpful study guide.
During my 2nd year of nursing school, many of the test questions were from this book. Has helpful rationales with each questions that helped me to understand the concepts.

Here is the lowdown. Medical-Surgical Nursing is alot of material. This book puts the Data in Outline Form and highlights critical and key points. It comes with a diskette, I find most helpful in verifying my level of understanding. I bought the Lipincott's series as well but this is the book I use. I rarely refer to my textbook, because the narrative sometimes gets to be too much, leaving me swimming in facts. This book will NOT do that to you.

Remember going through nursing school and the MOUNDS of reading to be done? This book is the best thing since sliced bread! Very to the point, great to do care plans by. A short sentence on patho, obj and subj signs and symptoms, tests related to illness; medical, pharm, and nursing care, I could go on and on. Great job on this one. I wouldn't do without it.

This book and disk together form an invaluable aid to nursing students. The book is written in a clear, quick and easy to follow note type format. It includes teaching tips, nursing notes and nursing interventions as well as critical thinking questions. The disk has a series of NCLEX type questions that can be accessed in either study or test mode. One of a series of worth-the-effort to own books.

This is book is awesome! It gives you pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of the different disease states, but in an understandable way. The book is so well written that you will retain most if not all of the material upon reading the whole book. You develop a platform of knowledge that will allow you to add details to the different diseases are your training progress. Unlike Harrison's which is a reference book you will find yourself going back to this book for refreshers on many topics and concepts of medicine. Great book, great purchase! Would highly recommend it to everyone who really wants to learn medicine and have a firm knowledge base.

Very good review book of medicine. I would recommend it to anyone-whether in med school, residency, or private practice. Easy to understand and all you need to know is right there.

This version is even better than the version I had 8 years ago. It has become required reading when I precept medical students.

This is a great book for medical students, residents, and even attending physicians, who wish to have succinct description of key medical syndromes and their therapies. It is perfect for getting an overview; this might be all you need in a particular instance, or else the discussion in this text will provide a great framework for further, more detailed, study from one of the standard large textbooks of medicine or a journal article. I have found that my understanding of an advanced treatment of a topic is greatly improved by having a simplified overview first, and this book is unbeatable at that.If you take a weekend and read it cover-to-cover, you will find that on Monday morning, your knowledge and confidence in internal medicine is greatly improved.

it was shipped to the wrong address, and when it finally did arrive at the correct destination the covers had been damaged. For a few more bucks I would have rather picked it up at the bookstore.

I must say this book is great. MedMaps will truly guide you through pathophysiology! Loved the price, too! I've found it hard to come by inexpensive books this good that I will be able to use throughout my training.

MedMaps helped take a lot of subjects and compressed each subject into one page.
I used the book and added information,like pharmacology and more pathology and then used it to review for exams.Its like making your own review book while your studying.
The format is easy to use with a note page and the material is perfect for second year med school.It is accurate and up to date.

Wow, what can I say, this was a really brilliant idea. All the maps and charts you get from different lectures compressed into one book-- AWESOME. In fact I'm using it right now to go through hemostasis. Love the format, love the blank pages for writing. Love everything about this book. Buy it and there will be no regrets!