Reviews Books

I bought this with "Q's" On the Art of Reading. I'm halfway through this one and can't wait to start the other one. I'm constantly going back to review my old Latin/Greek HS and university readings and have enjoyed the process immensely.

This slender volume is the book that began Helene Hanff's journey -- a path that led eventually to her writing the 84, CHARING CROSS ROAD series. Because I loved her books, I wondered what the master who taught her might have had to say. All I knew of him was what I had learned through Ms. Hanff.

This series of lectures, delivered in England more than nine decades ago, sparkles with a dry wit that is utterly endearing. No wonder his students loved him. Still, for someone who is the product of a late-20th century education, I must admit I was appalled by my ignorance of the classical references he made, expecting that his students would follow them with ease. Not a light-weight book, despite its compact size.

His challenge to his students, put forth in the first lecture, was to become a person [he said a man, but the statement applies to all of us] "of unmistakable intellectual breeding, whose trained judgment we can trust to choose the better and reject the worse." Not a bad goal for anyone, is it?

A word of warning. He quotes in Greek here and there -- and does not translate it, since all his students were expected to understand that language. Ditto Latin.

If you can manage only two chapters, try the first "Inaugural" and the last "On Style."

This book is a classic on the subject of writing.It was a favorite of Helene Hanff, author of 84 Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. In a third book, Q's Legacy, she relates how studying this book became the core of her writing education.She found Q to be both articulate and humorous.I find I agree.

I have been using this book for so long that it looks really bad. I can't wait for peguin to release an updated version of this book!

I have used this book for years and find it very helpful in selecting Opera recordings on CDs. These are critics who know and care about what they write, listing the many different recordings available (as of 1993 anyway!). However,MUCH has changed in the opera-CD world since then. Just as an example, all the legendary Maria Callas "live" performances of some of her greatest roles have been "officially" released by EMI after many years available only as "bootleg" versions, with a bunch more to be released this November 5th!. This is where the book shows its age and is not an acurate representation of opera on CD circa 2002. However, the selections included and reviewed are quite impressive. Until a newly up-dated edition shows it's face, this book is the one to go with.

I purchase an average of 6-8 complete opera CDs per annum, and find this book very valuable in their selection. These authors "know their stuff" -please let them know how much we opera buffs appreciate their book and how about an update? Lots of new recordings(not to mention singers) in the last eight years!! Please keep a good reference going....

This guide got me through organic chem, I only wish I'd bought it earlier in the semester and I might have four-pointed the class. Great idea if you're having a hard time studying by lecture alone. Gives very simple, concise summaries of concepts with lots of examples and diagrams.

This was a great help to me as I prepared for my finals. The last few pages are especially helpful in summerizing the numerous reactions in organic chemistry. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a concise review before a test.

This book simplifies the many aspects covered in "Fessenden & Fessenden" book, and the rxn's at the end are extremely helpful to study for exams. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really get into nucleic acids, but it does a great job covering all functional groups synthesis & rxns! A key book for reference as well as explanations regarding intermediates for rxns. A+

In "Organisation Design: Fashion or fit?" Mintzberg discusses five distinct organisational configurations namely the simple structure, the machine bureaucracy, the professional bureaucracy, the divisional form and adhocracy. Each configuration is made up of five component parts namely the strategic apex, operating core, technostructure, support staff and the middle line.

The author explains how coordination is achieved in the five organisational configurations. For example, in the simple structure, it is through supervision; in a machine bureaucracy (such as a vehicle assembly line), it is through standardisation of work; in a professional bureaucracy (such as a university), it is through standardisation of skills; in a divisional form, it is through the standardisation of output; and in the most complex organisational structure, the adhocracy, coordination is achieved through mutual adjustment. The author explains the pros and cons of each configuration and where it is most suitable.

According to Mintzberg, these configurations are effective tools for diagnosing the problems of designing organisations.

This is a very enlightening article in organisational design which is a must to read by managers who need to understand how to design their organisations for effective performance. Those studying management, business studies or an MBA will find the article very useful, easy to follow and understand.

The best book to understand the nature of any organization in business or no business world. Henry Mintzberg give us the elements to detect the sick part in the structure and the way to keep in control every part through parameters.

That's the best tool to use when you want to see your company focused in the structure analysis, to take the actions to align the model. This article is old, but is actual too, then you want to know it.

Henry Mintzberg is Professor of Management Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a Professor of Organization at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. This classic article was published in the January-February 1981 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

In order the discuss and distinguish the five distinct organizational configurations, Mintzberg first discusses the five component parts which make up the whole organization: strategic apex, operating core, technostructure, support staff, and middle line. He then continues with describing how each of these elements cluster into the five configurations. Each of these five configurations (simple structure, machine bureaucracy, divisional form, adhocracy) are discussed in detail, with both their strengths and weaknesses. So how do we need to use these configurations? "... this set of five configurations can serve as an effective tool in diagnosing the porblems of organizational design, especially those of the fit among component parts." Mintzberg uses four basic forms of misfit to show how managers should use it as a diagnostic tool. He emphasizes that especially fit remains an important characteristic. There are excellent graphs, tables, and a great appendix explaining the organizational configurations and component parts. The author concludes that "the point is not really which configuration you have; it is that you achieve configuration."

Yes, this is one of the best articles I have read. It provides a great introduction/framework into organizational structures and design. Mintzberg does not want us to see his introduction as a framework. But I disagree. This article is thorough enough to use as a framework, keeping in mind that larger organizations (can) consist of a mixture of the discussed configurations. For people interested in a further discussion of organizational structures I refer to Henry Mintzberg's 1978-book "The Structuring of Organizations". This article should be compulsory reading for managers and MBA-students. The author uses simple business US-English.

Ariel Roth is a scientist with a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Michigan. He taught at Andrews University and Loma Linda University, both Seventh-day Adventist institutions, and was for several years the director of the Geoscience Research Institute at Loma Linda, a sort of scientific think-tank established by the Adventist Church in the late 1950s to do origins research and apologetics. Roth is obviously very well qualified to write a book on the creation/evolution debate. Although Roth is an Adventist, this book scrupulously avoids any sectarianism or intra-denominational discussion that would leave non-Adventists out of the loop.

Although written for the educated lay reader, the book is extremely scholarly; numerous endnotes follow each chapter, and cite the relevant scientific literature. The tone of the book is not overly argumentative, but very calm, reflective and respectful. Darwinist scientists wanting to know the views and opinions of a well trained creationist scientist may read this volume without fear that their views will be misrepresented, distorted or ridiculed.

The book covers the usual and customary topics of a book of this nature: the origin of life, the development of, and the problems with, Darwinian theory, the fossil record, the geologic column, questions about past geological processes and the speed with which they occurred, questions about the age of the earth, the uniqueness of the Bible and its witness on the issue of origins, and why the young earth model is to be preferred over compromising long-ages creationist or gap theory models.

If I have a criticism, it is that the writing fails to sparkle. Stephen Jay Gould wrote (in the process of explaining how Lyell carried the day for uniformitarianism) that the scientific profession self-selects for poor writing skills. Gould himself was an exception to that rule, but Roth . . . well, his writing is serviceable and readable but usually not inspiring. The writing style seems to betray a certain weariness of the controversy. Roth relates some of his arguments as though he is reciting them to an audience very familiar with them, rather than explaining them to a reader genuinely new to the controversy. It is like a comedian telling only punchlines, assuming that his audience has heard the jokes many times, and hence only the punchline is necessary.

There are instances where the less than crisp writing is indicative of sloppy thinking. In chapter 12, for example, Roth writes, "Major world catastrophes are extremely unusual, and we have difficulty incorporating them into our thinking." Really? What about the asteroid theory of the K/T mass extinction? Scientists seem to have had little difficulty incorporating that into their thinking. Roth knows this, of course, and carefully explains that strict uniformitarianism is out of fashion with geologists, and that catastrophism is once again openly embraced. And what is meant by the term "major world catastrophes?" Do we know enough to form an opinion as to how unusual they are? That sentence should have been deleted in the editing process, as both boring and inaccurate.

Later in the chapter, Roth writes, "a flood covering the entire surface of the earth is highly unusual." Unusual? It either happened once, as the Bible teaches, or not at all, as most scientists believe. Roth should make his arguments and convince us that the Genesis Flood really did happen, since that is what he believes, but to say that the flood was "highly unusual" seems patronizing.

But these are minor quibbles over style, not an attack on the substance of this work. On the whole, the book is careful and scholarly, and the arguments are sound.

This is the best general introduction to creation/evolution -question which I have read. Roth's approach is careful and totally without furious attacks on people who disagree with him. It is written in an excellent manner so that reading it is a pleasure. The content of the book is interesting with lot of new information (in comparison with often repeated old arguments for creation). There are about 990 references in the book. Reading this book is absolutely a good choice when discussing about creation/evolution -question in serious forum. No matter on which side of the fight you stand - read this book!

Ariel Roth's book was highly recommended to me and after reading it I agree that it is an excellent introduction to the creation/evolution discussion. I think that this book will have universal appeal regardless of the position you hold on Origins.

An important distinction that he makes that is helpful for the highly polarized debate among Christian readers regarding the Age of the Universe is the difference between the age of the biosphere and the age of the universe. He remarks,

"Time poses one of the most contentious questions between the commonly understood scientific and scriptural viewpoints. We should expect this, because the marked differences are firmly entrenched. The Bible speaks of a recent creation most likely less than 10,000 years ago, while evolution suggests the development of life for many thousands of millions of years. The difference need not be as broad as often surmised, since little in the Bible precludes a very old universe. However, according to Scripture, the creation of life on earth is a relatively recent event" (p. 233-234)

He is open to a Soft-Gap theory (not the ruin and reconstruction gap theory) interpretation of Scripture which can allow for an ancient universe and an ancient earth, but requires that the earth's biosphere be young (p. 316-318). This view has also been referred to as the "Biosphere" model by author Gorman Gray. The value of the Biosphere model is that it does not have the distant star-light problem that a young universe model has nor does it have the problem of millions of years of animal suffering and death prior to the Fall of Adam and Eve that the theisic evolution and progressive creation models have. I think the Soft-Gap/Biosphere model is the best explanation that I have seen proposed by a Christian author attempting to harmonize the truths of science with the truths of Scripture.

I also agree with other reviewers of Ariel's book that his presentation was attractive because he makes his case while retaining a respectful spirit toward those who do not share his view.

This text is a must for Orthopaedic Registrars and trainees about to sit the FRCS(Tr & Orth) / Boards examination . It is a credible alternative to the Miller textbook ; Review of Orthopaedics. For those tired of wading through longer texts it is easy to read and easily digestible. It should be a readily accessible tome in Orthopaedic Departmental libraries

This excellent tome is aimed at those sitting the boards examination or the UK FRCS(Tr & Orth). It is highly readable and concise and constitutes an excellent alternative to Miller's textbook of Orthopaedics. however it is more expensive but should be obtained in the year leading up to the examinations. Highly recommended.

This text is a must for Orthopaedic Registrars and trainees about to sit the FRCS(Tr & Orth) / Boards examination . It is a credible alternative to the Miller textbook ; Review of Orthopaedics. For hthose tired of wading throgh longer texts it is easy to read and easily digestible. It should be a readily accessible tome in Orthopaedic Departmental libraries

I couldn't put this book down. Suspense and foreboding permeate the tale. The characters are tantalizing. The sometimes painful story is reminiscent of the style of Virginia Woolf where thoughts, feelings, introspection and observation reign supreme while action is secondary. Ms. Deal, don't stop writing.

This is a beautifully written novella by a first-time author about a modern couple negotiating the delicacies and repressions of a relationship. I read it in one sitting and was utterly captivated. It casts a spell.

You don't see one of these stories very often. A scattering of detail, conversations that happen, or not, like spiraling into a found shell to find what's finally in the center. You get a picture of a couple, or two, exploring the eternal questions that couples try to answer in order to become, or stay a couple.

Beautifully written in a tight style that explores the ambiguity of putting thoughts into words, wryly examined through the characters' relationship to their own written materials. Echoes of the classics of modern English literature make this a must-read for lovers of literary fiction.

I am a repeat customer of Peoples Choice Guide Cancun and the new 2008 edition is fantastic. There are many helpful improvments, such as you can now search by Food Category and the Proximity Guide where you can quickly locate Restaurants and Clubs close to your Hotel. The locations for the hotels, restaurants and clubs are pinpointed to 1/10 of a km, which makes it far easier than saying "between km 9 and km 10. When you are driving, riding or whatever in a foreign land you don't want to be in busy traffic looking for a km to find a place.

I live in Cancun and even as a resident this book is most helpful. Locals have to eat out too. When I travel I always try to find a Travel Guide before I plan my trip. It would be great if this guide was available for other travel hotspots.

I imagine it is hard to keep any travel guide current, with name changes, business closings, new places, etc. but the author states that he makes frequent trips to Cancun to allow for the most up to date information at the time the guide goes to print. This travel guide is a good as it gets for Cancun.

Well, I've just read the new and improved People's Choice Guide and I have to say that it is a must have for travelers or tourists to Cancun. The guide covers almost everything Cancun from hidden gems to the glitz of the club set.

Unlike other prominent guides, the PCG covers almost every hotel, most restaurants and other points of interests. When I first started going to Cancun some twenty plus years ago, nothing would tick me off more than buying one of the so called major guides and not seeing a resort I was thinking about booking, in it. With the PCG that's not likely to happen and best of all many of the reviews are based on people whom have actually stayed at the Hotels or eaten at the Restaurants, and of course, the author who has managed to track down and keep regular tabs on the Cancun scene. The book is loaded with travel tips, recommendations, and up to date, concise addresses and phone numbers of everything the typical visitor to Cancun may need.

In my opinion, this is the most worthwhile guide to Cancun published and is more extensive than any other guide on the market.

This is definitely the most accurate book out there, as the others don't like Frommers and Fodors don't list every restaurant or hotel. This fantastic book doesn't only list restaurants and hotels, but also clubs, bars, great information about transportation, and many other great things. It is definitely worth a lot more than the price you're getting it for. It's a must have book! I highly recommend this book for both any first timers and even the experienced Cancun traveler.

The Pharm Phlash cards do a good job of breaking down the drug information and giving you what is pertinent.

I can never look at these cards enough! They are so colorful and the pictures help identify the systems for each medication. A person can never know enough about medications. As a nurse, you are the patients advocate and it is important to know what you are giving them and what to watch for! Safety is "A" number one! Great box of cards.

I am a second year nursing student, enrolled in a RN program which to say the very least is very challenging. Pharm Phlash is such a helpful tool that I use during my clinical rotations. The information is easy to read and understand. The pictures really help you remember the area of the body the drug is targeted for. Pharm Phlash is much quicker than using a traditional drug reference book. I will continue to use Pharm Phlash after I graduate. I would suggest every nursing student invest in Pharm Phlash and instructors and educational instutions should put Pharm Phlash on their "recommended book" lists. Thanks for publishing such a helpful tool!!!!!!!!

A must have textbook for medical students. Written in a Q&A format, it's an easy, entertaining read.

Physical Diagnosis Secrets is an excellent book that really complements many Internal Medicine textbooks. Many of those books do not really cover diagnosis in a user friendly way but Dr. Mangione's book offers an amazing amount of information concisely. He even offers the historical background for many of the eponymous terms like Korotkoff sounds.

One of the best examples of how wonderful is the secret series for medical studend and for the experienced physician.
I especially appreciated how the book tries to eliminate traditional but useless examination maneuvers and tries to clarify sensitivity and specificity of the usefull ones.
You will indeed discover dozens of usefull examination hints and secrets you absolutely don't know (unless you are Mangione).
It is also written in a pleasant and amusing way.
I will never sell mine.