Reviews Books

I received my package quickly and I saved money by purchasing the 4 volume set.

I am a Course Director for CPA review in Dubai. We recommend to all our students to follow this book. This is the best book not only to pass the exams but to score high marks.

This is truly a great set of preparation tool for the CPA exam with a minor caveat. As someone who has bought the 2006 edition and finally got around taking the exam, these booklets were instrumental in allowing me to pass the exam the first go-around. It has more than enough multiple choice questions to help you prepare for that part of the cpa exam. I truly encourage anyone taking the exam to visit the cpa-exam.org site to practice the simulation portion of the exam as these booklets are not as helpful for that portion of the exam, as you may have surmised. While it does have questions that are found in the simulation section, you won't know how to navigate around the simulation portion of the test until you actually try one. It is just matter of learning how to look up various accounting principles as well as how to cut and paste the relevant sections to the answer section. It helps if you already know how to navigate around the simulation section beforehand and that experience, this book will obviously not provide.

Going back to the review of the booklets, these books are not for you if you learn better in a group setting. However, if you are inclined to independent study, I wholeheartedly recommend that you buy these books. As someone else had mentioned, I found the the multiple choice questions in the books to be much harder than the actual exam questions. Therefore, do not get discouraged if you find that the questions in the books are challenging because they are. However, it will be more than enough, in my opinion, to get you ready for the test. Ultimately, the best way to prepare is to do as many sample questions as possible,and these books have more than its fair share of them.

In summary, if you are inclined to independent study and do not have the financial wherewithal or just plain too cheap (like myself) to take the courses that are offered -such as Becker - these books are definitely the right purchase

I had sat for the CPA exam 30 years ago and passed 2 of the four parts. A job offer came along and I went into a different career. Now in retirement I decided to finally get my CPA. I found the Wiley system has a comprehensive and systematic approach for preparing, studying, and sitting for the exam. I expect I'll be sitting for each of the parts over 4 to 5 month intervals, (there are 4 parts to the exam). A major drawback to the Wiley method is a poor index and cross referencing system between various topics. Also the Wiley system uses many acronyms such as SSARS which are typically only defined once. When they are use elsewhere in the study - it is most difficult to find their definitions. All in all it seems like the CPA Exam Review is worth the money.

Wonderful for history buffs of all ages. Approiate for younger readers, filled with activities to spark dialog about War and sacrifice.

This book generally delivers on its purpose, which is to introduce young readers to the important topic of World War II. In my estimation, if your child isn't already interested, this book may not necessarily awaken him or her (Ambrose's "The Good Fight" is better), but for your interested son or daughter, ages 8 to 13 or so, this is a useful resource. As a history it is pretty light, but it is not a bad overview, and provides some great insight into the Home Front and other non-traditional perspectives on the War. There are a few WW-II themed crafts and activity ideas, all of which are pointless and the very type of things that children and their parents ignore the world over.

My 7 year old son is a WWII fanatic and loves this book. It discusses not only events in the war itself, but also the impact of the war on life in the U.S. The activities encourage kids to think about far-reaching effects of war, not just the exciting battles.

"World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities" really has three key components. First, there is a history of World War II from Hitler's rise to power in 1933 to the surrender of the Japanese in 1945. Second, Richard Panchyk provides excerpts from actual wartime letters written to and by troops on both sides along with personal anecdotes from people who lived through the war. Finally, there are 21 activities that can show young readers how it felt to live through World War II, both on the battlefield and on the Home Front.

Actually, the first function is the least impressive part of "World War II for Kids," although Panchyk provides a solid history of the war. It is just that the personal writings and recollections, along with the activities, are where Panchyk goes beyond what you would find in your standard American history textbook, which is why this is an excellent supplemental volume. Teachers can certainly use the activities and quote from the letters found in this volume to give students more of a sense of what it was like to live during that time.

The 21 activities are fairly interesting and cover a variety of subjects. Some are fairly complex, such as substituting a potato for an incendiary bomb and following the instructions on how to extinguish it, or staging a radio adventure program, while others are relatively simply, such as drawing a recruiting poster. There is an exercise in code breaking, learning how to camouflage, making a ration kit, going on a reconnaissance mission, figuring oat a coastal defense, the physics of dropping bombs, and a game that helps demonstrate the difference between mortar and howitzer fire versus anti-tank and anti-aircraft fire. There are also "Home Front" activities like making a bandage, putting together a care package, growing a Victory Garden, sending V-Mail, and extending butter, as well as a couple of activities having to do with the Holocaust by making a Jewish star and trying to find good hiding places in your home for the student and an adult helper.

Obviously some of these activities are going to be more practical and more beneficial than others, but Panchyk has made an attempt to come up with different ways of giving his young readers an idea of what it was like for kids and adults during World War II. Again, while young readers can certainly read this book and try the activities on their own, "World War II for Kids" is even better suited as a resource for teachers to use when teaching the pivotal events of World War II. Comparing what life was like for their grandparents during that war as opposed to the rather limited impact on their lives today during the war on terrorism could be quite an eye opener for young readers.

If you actually follow the instructions in the book and *take your time* going through the program - it works! I feel so relaxed when I use the routine in this book. It shows you a deeper face of yoga - not the superficial exercise class at the gym - but how to slow down and tune into your inner self.

I agree, this is the best yoga book on my shelf. It is very easy to follow the poses and the plan. I would recommend this book for any yoga beginner.

I thought it was going to be a little hard to follow a Yoga book, but this one makes it easy for the anyone to understand the postures and the mental state behind them. In an easy to do 12 month program, this book introduces the reader to the oldest form of spiritual and physical training. Suitable for young or old people, Yoga made easy has been a great daily program in my life and has balanced my energies for good.

This is one great Yoga book. I've looked at them all. No question this tops the others. It color photography is excellent, showing each move in detail. Easy to read text and well designed pages makes this easily the most informative and helpful guide I've used. Bravo

If you were ever interested in any silent film comedies, then you must have this book. Besides profiling the major comedians like Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Langdon, and Laurel and Hardy, this book has large articles on W.C. Fields, Raymond Griffith, Lupino Lane, Colleen Moore, Larry Semon, Mabel Normand and others. One "classic" film from each is discussed in detail. Just about every obscure comedian that ever appeared in their own series or as a supporting player. There are also sections on topics such as different types of comedy, European comedy, etc. There are also plenty of illustrations. This is one reference book that a silent comedy fan will always want to have near.

As in his previous books on Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin, British author Glenn Mitchell has brought his unique insight and wonderful writing style to this encyclopedia on silent film comedy. This book will delightfully jog the memory of almost anyone who had ever enjoyed a silent fun fest. Everyone is here from legends such as Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd and Langdon...to the more obscure such as Lloyd Hamilton, John Bunny, and even the Ton of Fun! You too can have a ton of fun within the pages of this bit of must reading for any film comedy fan.

When you are a silent film comedy enthusiast, a book like this one is a must. There are very few reference books on silent film comedy, making this book essential for one's collection. Many books cover information about the stars, but very few cover the rich and varied history of the film studios famous or otherwise, another big plus for this book. Praise to Mr. Mitchell for his meticulous and massive research. The only improvements to this book would be a larger format and filmographies. And now Mr. Mitchell, when will your Keaton encyclopedia be coming out?

British film historian Glenn Mitchell has once again produced a most welcome paperback dealing with silent screen comedy. This time, Mr. Mitchell covers the entire spectre, from Jimmy Adams to Tammany Young, thus succeeding where others in recent years have utterly failed. There are plenty of places where to look up pertinent information on Keaton, Chaplin, Lloyd, etc.; even Charley Chase now has a biography on the market. But where can you read about the careers of Dee Lampton, the fat boy in "A Night in the Show," or George Ovey, of the long-ago "Cub Comedies"? Only in Mr. Mitchell's fine -- and thankfully! -- reasonably priced book. The "A-Z of Silent Film Comedy" is a must-have for any serious film scholar and highly recommended even for the casual fan.

Plenty of Billboard-type guides provide chart lists of hit albums and many a music book discusses key albums; but this is the first to select 100 albums with lasting influence on popular music trends, and should be considered an essential reference for any collection strong in popular music history. Analysis includes notes from critics, insights on music history, release dates and notes, and clear surveys of why the albums are to be considered groundbreakers.

Chris Smith takes what could have turned into a self indulgent top 10 list and instead manages to tell an insightful and witty narrative with Music as the main character. It is captivating for fans of music and academically rigorous for those who really want to use it as a "reference guide". In any case, it is entertaining enough to never be demeaned to a door stop and you will no doubt find albums listed therein you never thought you would want, but now suddenly find you need. I highly recommend it.

What a great book! I love music but don't know all that much about it, and this book told me just what I wanted to know about my favorite albums of all time. The book devotes 2-3 pages to each album, providing fascinating details about the album's historical context, creation, musical style, and long-term significance. All of the entries are written in a clear, engaging style that made me want to keep reading. In addition to covering classic albums by figures like Elvis and Miles Davis, the book covers more recent albums by current stars like Eminem and the Dixie Chicks, which i found particularly interesting. Highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in music!

I bought this book for 99 cents figuring I had nothing to lose. I was shocked at the reading pleasure it brought to me!

This book is extremely entertaining for readers of all kinds. It provides basic information for well over 100 different television series as well as little-known facts and a look at how the television programs influenced culture.

Also not to be missed are the photographs included. While many of the photos are well-known, they are all beautifully displayed with vibrant color. Most intriguing were photographs of Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore, although there are great photos from shows such as The X-Files, Star Trek, The Simpsons, and many others.

I also like how, in addition to the "100 Greatest Shows Ever," the reader is also treated to the top 10 shows in other various genres. The book really makes you rethink the entertainment that television can provide. Buy it -- you won't regret it!

I totally love this book! It is so entertaining, and just a terrific way to spend time. You can see everything you want to know about the top shows, and it's just terrific to read through, especially if you want to know about the top shows.

If you love TV then this is the book for you. Contains beautiful color and black and white photos and just enough information on all of the shows featured. All sidebars contain: Years on the air, top nielsen charting, and # of emmys won, as well as other interesting goodies like quotes from critics trashing great shows like Seinfeld, All in the Family, The X-Files,and Everybody Loves Raymond when they first aired. Go buy this book!

I love the pictures! This is a must for 24 fans, or anyone who likes Kiefer.

This is such an Awesome Show, It's nice to actually see what's behind the cameras and this book does it well

If you are a fan of 24 then this book is a MUST BUY! Tara goes very in depth for each season, hour by hour. It is put together perfectly and is LOADED with information on the show and the behind the scene stuff as well. GREAT book for the 24 fan in your life! Tara also wrote a companion guide for Seasons 1 and 2 also and again...you must get that one also. She interviews all the stars of 24 on a regular basis and that, along with her gift of writing, makes this book stand out. Again, you HAVE TO BUY THIS BOOK if you are a 24 fan!

IT TELLS HOW THEY PUT THE SHOW TOGETOTHER AND TI ALSO GIVE A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO THE SHOW. BUT IT STILL LEFT ME A LITTLE CONFUSE AND IAM A FAN OF THIS SHOW AND I STILL DO NOT GET WHST THE HELL THEY ARE DOING TO THE SHOW.

Terry J. Erdmann has chosen a great direction for exactly what he discusses in "The 4400: the Official Companion Seasons 1 and 2" that places this and his previous work for the official "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion" well above episode guides for any other series. This guide has all the right stuff. No offense to the crew, but it didn't waste time on technical details like special effects, stunt coordination, or location shoots. It just focussed on the writers' inspirations and difficulties, the actors' experiences, and the studio and network producers' thoughts. My one complaint about it was that there wasn't enough of what it already had. I just wanted more -- more stories and funny anecdotes from the actors and writers, more discussion by the writers about how they came up with certain ideas, who exactly came up with what, and who wrote what.

One aspect that either wasn't covered or was barely touched upon was the political exploration of the show. In Seasons 1 and 2, The 4400 discusses issues of religion, identity politics among a minority, and the conflict between freedom and security. Just as with Ira Steven Behr's guidance of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," we increasingly find here serious and fair illustration of historical issues that have only come to the fore of the mainstream US media's focus (and only superficially so) in the post-9/11 world. There are certain thematic links between that pre-9/11 series and this one. Later seasons of The 4400 additionally delve into the nature and causes of terrorism, torture, religious fundamentalism, religious and political revolutionary movements (including rarely-expressed doubt among leaders), the complicated nature of faith (because religious motivations are always complemented by pragmatic concerns), and conflicting visions of the good society between socialist equality and hierarchical, unfettered capitalism. (I've written some Season 4 reviews on tv.com and other sites in an effort to bring to light these themes and connect them to historical and present-day issues.)

Unlike most TV fiction that formulaically posits a conflict between our absolutely good heroes and some inherent evil in "the other," The 4400 increasingly succeeds in mimicking the real world by avoiding absolutes; all the heroes are fallible, and all adversaries have the potential for kindness. It shows quite brilliantly that conflict comes from varying perceptions and interests and not between good and evil, as some world leaders would have us believe. It might be a good idea to explore the political nature of The 4400 in future guides, especially for Seasons 3 and 4, and -- hopefully -- seasons beyond.

It's definitely as much a testament to the show as to Mr. Erdmann's wonderful work that he has written a guide leaving me starving for even more insight into this dramatically-realistic and increasingly politically-insightful series.

When I purchased this book I thought it would just be an episode guide and maybe a character summary. I was wrong. This book is complete with developing the show, hiring the actors, episode guide, character summary, and story line development. This is an absolute must for any 4400 fan.

This a very well presented book. It's legible, atractive and concise. It's very usefull material in reviewing differents and importants subjects in the surgical area for rounds, discussions and presentations with my medicine students and surgery residents.

How many times have you taken a written exam, an oral board type test, or been bombarded with questions while on hospital rounds that simple textbook consultation failed to prepare you to handle? This book is great for medical students doing surgery rotations as well as general surgery residents trying to improve their knowledge base. I read it twice during my surgery residency and found it quite helpful. Shell out a few bucks and buy this book. It's worth it.

This book is like having all the best advice one might hear during a 6 week clerkhsip condensed into a few dozen hours reading. Not to be missed

Sophie Aldred was the last companion for the longed lived Doctor Who program. She and special effects wizard Mike Tucker give their thoughts on the last three seasons of the show. The book is filled with pictures from the show and behind the scenes. It also contains quotes from various people including Sylvester McCoy, AKA the Seventh (and final of the series) Doctor. It really is a good read, whether you like Sophie or just like Doctor Who in general. It also contains mainly behind the scenes antics, even the infamous tank scene, where Sylvester became an actual hero.

This really is a perfect companion book to go in any collection.

This book has it all; full colour pictures, many from the private collections of Sophie and SFX creator Mike Tucker, the technical working of the show, and witty, genuine commentary from Sophie herself. By reading this book you get a real understanding of how episodes in the Ace era were produced, what the cast and crew thought of them, and what they got up to on set. Sophie is full of information, and you'll want go back and watch all your videos again and go "Ah! i know how they did that!"

If the cover of Sophie Aldred having dealt the Black Dalek with her aluminum bat doesn't convince Who fans that she's the toughest companion since Leela of the Tom Baker era, nothing will. Sophie is well-placed to tell her experiences in Doctor Who, as she was the series' last companion. She came in the wake of a tough transition in Doctor Who's history--following the dismissal of Colin Baker and the installing of Sylvester McCoy, Sophie was chosen to succeed Bonnie Langford as the new companion.

Mike Tucker, her collaborator of this work, was the visual effects designer during Doctor Who's dying days. He too provides his point of view and remembrances with equal aplomb.
In each of her nine stories (Dragonfire, Remembrance Of The Daleks, The Happiness Patrol, Silver Nemesis, The Greatest Show In The Galaxy, Battlefield, Ghost Light, The Curse Of Fenric, and Survival) she provides vivid commentary and detail from her diary of her experiences. There's lots of behind the scenes photographs in B&W and colour, early design sketches, listings of the cast and production team, director, story number, number of episodes and date broadcast--it's pretty comprehensive.

And yes, the famous incident of her while shooting Battlefield is included. Basically, she was in a water-filled tank and was to be pulled up. Sylvester McCoy noticed the glass bulging and then... CRACK! Sylvester shouted for the crew to lift her out, which they did, before anything happened to her. She also tells about this in the More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS video.

Considering how she was one of the few ex-alumni of Who to come out in the More Than... video, it shows how much she loved the show. She was very heartbroken when Sylvester McCoy told her that there wasn't going to be a 27th season, and that too is included in the book.

At the end of the book are photos and text of some of her post-Who efforts, including More Than A Messiah, an episode of the Stranger, the short-lived Colin Baker series, and Shakedown, a Who-spin off that not only featured the return of the troll-like Sontarans but paired her with Carole Ann Ford, Dr. Who's first ever companion. Then there's an interview where she tells what her favourite story was, plus her favourite Doctor. I have to commend her on her answer--she has good taste.

This is a splendid companion-piece after watching any of the 7th-Doctor/Ace stories. If you can find this book--get it. Break through hoardes of Daleks to get this treasure.