Reviews Books

It was fun reading the original, after seeing both movies. Lots of details, inner thoughts not possible otherwise. Very thought provoking. Loved the Gory illustrations.

Ellie Lezak
October 9, 2007

This book was no doubt the best science fiction book I have ever read. H.G. Wells does a amazing job recreating a book that has been done by many authors, into the type of story that has you on the edge of your seat, never wanting to put the book down because you just have to know what comes next. In this book, the main character who stays anonymous by name is a normal simple man, not any really any different from any of the other people in this time, but there is one difference, this man happens to know, how to survive. What to look for and what to stay away from, who to trust and who has to go. And how to rebuild something that was destroyed, so that there was nothing left. One normal night but one twist, what seems to be smoke in space coming from mars? For ten days, at the same time every night, the same smoke appears. And exactly 10 days after he 1st say the smoke a green light heading right for earth not to far from his house. Days. The day after the asteroid land no one really pays attention to it but it is mainly the noises inside that attract them. Even if they new what the future had in store for them. There would probably be no preventing fate from doing what was going to be done. Battling the fate of everyone around him this man manages to live, and start over again just like everyone else.

In H.G. Wells's writing, he does a amazing job to capture the seen, and make it so the reader can actually imagine what the situation would be like. And put them self's in the moment. There were only 2 things that I did not like about this book. At some points it would just go on, about the same thing, just a list of different things, and than it would happen again. And the only other thing that I didn't like was the ending. I've always thought that the ending of a book should be fun and exiting, and wrap up the whole story. But the ending to this book wasn't the best it explained a few things and than there was one food scene and it ended. But over all I would rate this book 4 stars out of five and I defiantly recommend it for all ages.

First thing I have to say is what great scientific imagination for a book written in the late 1800's. I mean they didnt even have cars yet and Mr. Wells is writing about partical beams and biological warfare. 2nd is I was actually surprised at how much the recent movie used from the book. I didnt care for the movie as much as I did the original version but it was much more faithful to the book than I'd ever imagined. If you your a fan of either of the two movies or just want a very good sci fi book to read I highly recommend this book. The language at times is dated being written at the turn of the century but it's still a quick and easy read.

I read this book because I was curious how close or incredibly far the movie had stuck to it. I was quite surprised to discover, that while the movie's main character couldn't be more different, the plot is almost identical in spirit. Spielberg didn't create all those different modes of suspense, he just channelled them from Wells. First we have the discovery, then the initial panic, then the mob mentality, then hydrophobic, claustrophobic, and xenophobic situations that are chilling. Granted all these circumstances are updated into the 21st century. I was impressed by how many details were included (the redweed particularly).

The book is better than the movie in two aspects. First off, the scene in the cellar with the main character and curate. I've talked to a lot of people who felt that the execution of Tim Robbin's character in the movie was not just and unnecesary. The book handles this much better-"with one last touch of humanity"

The ending of the movie is absurd. You don't care that the son is still alive because he annoyed us so much with his whining. Then you are let down when there is no true reconciliation between the broken family. In the book (PLEASE STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET) you barely meet the wife, and deep down, you are just sure she is still alive, but their reunion does not seem fabricated, it seems somehow eerie and almost gives you chills.

I liked this book mainly because it's science fiction. I liked the martions and the detail the writer used. I liked the interesting words used by the writer. It was illustrated well.

EXCELLENT!!! I love this book. I've been waching GH for years now but this book gave me the backstory to alot of plots. The pictures are great and seeing all the old charachters from years back is the best. I love it, love it,love it!

A wonderful compilation of memories from a once-great soap opera. It's a necessary memory tool for Classic GH fans to remember the show before it turned into the poorly produced, poorly written mockery it is today, courtesy of current misproducer Jill Farren Phelps (better known as Dull Darren Delps) and hack writer Bob Guza Jr. (a.k.a. Mob Luza Junior Writer).
It's a fine written tribute to the late, great producer Gloria Monty, who guided GH out of the doldrums in the late 1970s. Monty's best are on parade in the scrapbook --
The love triangle of Luke, Laura and Scott.
The love triangle of Alan, Monica and Rick.
The spy adventures of Luke teamed with Robert Scorpio opposite the wicked and domineering Cassadines.
The expansion of the WSB/spy stories through the characters of Sean Donely, Anna Devane and Frisco and Felicia Jones.
The enduring loving couples that put your faith back in human nature -- Drs. Rick and Lesley Webber, Lee and Gail Baldwin, Steve and Audrey Hardy, Edward and Lila Quartermaine -- are well presented.
The great villains -- Helena Cassadine, Cesar Faison, Grant Putnam, and Heather Webber -- are in the house.
There's also a neat section of GH vets who went on to bigger and better - singer Rick Springfield (GH's Dr. Noah Drake) and Demi Moore (the soap's erstwhile newspaper reporter Jackie Templeton).
Only thing that's needed is an update of the book. The current book only goes as far as 1995. Warner should bring it up to 2002, the year GH began its rapid decline.

Sincerely,
J. Mosher.
(a.k.a. doneleywannabe of ABC's GH Internet message board).

This is especially great for old time fans like myself, because it reminds us of some great old scenes. It's too bad a lot of the newer actors are not in this, but it's a few years old. I love seeing this on my book shelf, proclaiming my love for GH. A great gift for the fan.

Okay, this book goes back, way back, to the beginning. LOTS of great photos and it explains the storyline as well! So if you wonder what Jason used to be like or who's related to whom...this will explain it all!

I bought this book as a gift for a friend so I can't comment on the contents but she LOVED it and is a big GH fan so I'm assuming I did well! My experience was exceptional. Got my book within a few days in mint condition as promised!

This book I will cherish for all my life. I love looking back at the old GH to the present. It just shows you how awesome General hospital is. It has such great stories. Love stories like Brenda and Sonny, Robin and Stone, to break through stories like Allen drug addiction to Stone's AIDS Story. God this book will make you scream in glee or shead a few tears. To All- ENJOY!

I first learned of Mistress Masham's Repose during a game of charades. (Can you imagine trying to act out this title, especially since it's a book so few people have heard of?) I had already read and loved The Once and Future King, and set out to find a copy. I have read this book three times over the past 20 years. Each time it strikes me anew as such a wonderfully funny, sweet and substantial novel. It could be that the title itself is what kept it from becoming a classic alongside Wind in the Willows and A Wrinkle in Time. Read this book! Buy this book for all the book-loving children in your life!

As an American child of about 10, I acquired a battered copy of this book along with a bunch of children's books from a family friend whose children had outgrown them. As other reviewers suggest, I was mystified by much of the book (the poet Pope?) but I still found it a great adventure story and loved the illustrations. It didn't hurt that I resembled Maria myself (a bookish tomboy with glasses--thank God for LASIK). I have re-read the book with pleasure on a number of occasions and now understand the references, but I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to an intelligent American child today. Perhaps it would prompt him or her to learn more about British history and literature. I'm glad to see it has been reprinted.

As kids, both my brother and I considered this one of our favorite books - and we did a LOT of reading. I can't tell you how many times I read it. Our copy was lost at some point, so I am thrilled that it is back in print so I can now read it to my own children. My kids are 3 and 6, so still a bit young for this book, but I'll probably buy a copy now for my own pleasure, and another for my brother.
I have always loved books that lead you to another book, and I just had to read "Gulliver's Travels" after reading this one. As a kid, much of it went over my head, but I still enjoyed it. Now that I think about it, I should re-read that one too...

Although one of White's lesser-known works, to my mind it's easily one of his best (Anne Fine regards it as her favourite children's book). The concept of Lilliputians living in an English landscape garden is superb, and White develops his theme in wonderfully enticing ways - and always with his typical 'feel' for character and setting. There's so much to enjoy in this tale - still a classic after 60 years.

After finishing university T. H. White worked as a teacher in the Stowe School which occupies a gigantic former Baroque stately home: here he conceived of the idea of Malplaquet, modeled after the greatest of all British country homes, Blenheim Palace, where the Dukes of Marlborough have lived and where Winston Churchill was born and raised. Malplaquet, an imaginary dilapidated repository of all its nation's history (we find out the Princes in the Tower were executed in its medieval dungeon, which also contains the ax which beheaded Charles I), would make a wonderful setting for any book, but rather than use it for a Gothic (the obvious choice), here White had the inspiration to make it the setting for a children's fantasy. White's mansion is not only the home of the little girl Maria who has inherited the estate (and not much else) and her warders--some cruel, some kind--but also a group of Lilliputians brought over from their island home during the time of Swift, whom Maria encounters one day. Maria's encounter with the Lilliputians becomes for her a means for learning about the nature of tyranny--both that exercised over herself by her guardian the Vicar Mr. Hater and her governess Miss Brown, but also that she herself can hardly keep herself from exercising over the Lilliputian community hidden on her estate.

This is a children's book that, to be honest, will best be appreciated by adults. White imagined his readers not only familiar with GULLIVER'S TRAVELS but also with some of the history of seventeenth and eighteenth-century England: American children particularly today would be confused as to who Mistresses Masham and Morley were, or what Malplaquet is named after, or even who Gulliver was. And their patience might well be tried by White's love of Wodehousean "types": the bluff Lord Lieutenant with an obsession with horses and hounds, and Maria's mentor the absent-minded and esoteric antiquarian the Professor . But adults (and even older children) should love this book, and its well-structured narrative is a real pleasure.

I feel I can now successfully pass the CMA exam in June 2007, if i can find the time to sit down and study(LOL)

If you buy this book you will not be diapointed. Studing this book for my state test will make the test easy. Even though its a lot to learn you will learn it from this book. Its easy to understand. Some times its hard to put down. Keep up the good work Dr. Moini.

I recommend anyone that is preparing to take the CMA exam to purchase this book. I find the information very helpful and easy to understand. The CD-Rom is also very helpful with over 2,000 multiple choice questions. Thank you Dr. Moini for writing such a wonderful book. Keep up the good work.

I am currently a student of Dr. Moini, and I bought this book while taking his Anatomy I class. I have continued to use it throughout the rest of my Anatomy classes, and it is still very helpful. This book is very helpful; it makes learning even the most complicated things easy. Dr. Moini's book has been an invaluable resource to me so far, and I am sure that it will be just as helpful while reviewing for the CMA exam. I highly recommend this book - it's an excellent way to study!

This book is a must have for all MA students. It helps not only with the CMA exam but as a study guide for all classes. It is clear, well organzied and covers all the necessary information. Thanks so much!

Maybe to that limited set of writers who thinak they are the Homers of today.

But a great american novel would be read by many people with differing levels of appreciation and determined to refelct the CURRENT and essence of America (oh what about south america) not just the mythical past.

THe words may flow as a poem, and cover or expound cleary or lyrically the points of life in this country but that alone does not make it a great story. Or a timeless one.

In preface to my review, I have to say that my favorite writers are Thomas Wolfe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Hermann Hesse, Heinrich Boll, Arthur Rimbaud, etc.
Many of the reviews here have bandied about the name of Thomas Wolfe (whose "Look Homeward, Angel" was brilliant); and the comparison is richly deserved; but the most insightful comparison came from the person who said it reminded him of an American version of Tolstoy's "War and Peace".
I've actually read "War and Peace". Lockridge's "Raintree County" rises to that level--and, in my estimation--surpasses it. I love the Russians--Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev. And I love Walt Whitman and Ross Lockridge for the same reason. They all have what the Spanish call "duende," what the American blacks clamor to express by the word "soul". These aren't weak, spineless, effete Victorians afraid of beauty, passion, shame and awkward emotions.
They cast light into the dark corners of the human soul and throw open man's collective experience for all to see--something rarely achieved in typically dryer Anglo-Saxon literature.
Ross Lockridge's "Raintree County" astounded me. It left me wondering how this great American genius has been ignored, neglected. The only thing I can think of is that Lockridge makes the fatal mistake of being honest, of writing too accurately about the time-period, of not lying and indulging in historical revisionism. As a result, spineless readers wince when the "N" word is used, or terms like "pickannies," "darkies" or various other period vulgarities are employed by despised side-characters.
For this reason geniuses like Booth Tarkington are banned and suppressed.
It's sad. They want to revise the past and make it "acceptable" for modern audiences. But if you sanitize, you gut, you neuter, you destroy the hard edges which give the time-period texture, verisimilitude. (I mean, if slaves were well-treated why did we fight the Civil War?) But modern hacks would have writers keep all profanities out of it, re-write it so that nothing crude or insensitive made its way in.
If you want lies, watch a Hollywood movie, read a trash novel; if you want genius, poetry, brilliant insights and literary talent, give "Raintree County" a try. Maybe, with enough of us protesting, the prude schoolmarms with tenure at universities will be nudged from their slumber and realize that they have neglected one of the titanic achievements of modern American literature.

Raintree County is the anatomy of a fall from Paradise-with all the Edenic metaphors placed in a fictional county in Indiana-and the process by which it is regained. The structure and scope of the book are extraordinary, a system of telling and suspension that turns one day into a hundred years, all hinged upon the American Civil War (and the allegorical death of the principal character). Like another great contemporary American novel, All The King's Men, Raintree County was built upon the wreckage of a failed epic prose poem. Also, like Robert Penn Warren's glittering classic, Ross Lockridge's best-selling masterpiece deals with a gifted primary character caught up in the vortex of human history (though Penn Warren was more interested in the problem of power than he was in the cataloging of the life of Huey Long).

Raintree County should be a standard of 20th Century American literature. It is perhaps the greatest novel ever written. I'm mystified as to why it doesn't make Random House's Top 100 Novels List. I think in all honesty that Raintree County is too straightforward, too compassionate, too wise, too loving, too optimistic, too gently humorous, and too accessible to please the moldy and myopic listmakers. Really "great" books, as everyone knows, are dry game puzzles, smug literary fogs, brutal crayon travelogues, or ancient misanthropic sphinxes that museum directors and tenured professors of the academies alike can dust off occasionally without fear of ever having to update their pamphlets.

The texture style and meter of this work is astoundingly lyrical yet clear. To wit: "The world is still full of divinity and strangeness, Mr. Shawnessy said. The scientist stops, where all men do, at the doors of birth and death. He knows no more than you and I why a seed remembers the oak of twenty million years ago, why dust acquires the form of a woman, why we behold the earth in space and time. He hasn't yet solved the secret of a single name upon the earth. We may pluck the nymph from the river, but we won't pluck the river from ourselves: this coiled divinity is still all murmurous and strange. There are sacred places everywhere. The world is still man's druid grove, where he wanders hunting for the Tree of Life."

As long as I have a mind, I won't forget this profound and wonderful book or the characters who inhabit it: Perfessor Stiles with his pince-nez and Malacca cane, the cigar-chewing bighearted phony senator from Indiana, Garwood Jones, sweet Nell Gaither, the dark lost and deranged Susannah Drake. Carefully researched (it took seven years to write), it is also an excellent freshener on historical events of the nineteenth century, especially the Civil War. Contained within, for all you philosophiles, is the added bonus of cogent and detailed arguments for free will over predetermination, the triumph of spirit over matter, a solution to the riddle of the Many and the One, an explanation of the Word, and many more.

Born four years before J.D. Salinger, who still breathes at this writing, Ross Lockridge Jr. ended his life by carbon monoxide poisoning March 6th, 1948, two months after the publication of his one and only novel. He was thirty-three. He left behind a wife and four children. His second son, Larry, five years old at the time of his father's death, has written a book (Shade of the Raintree) attempting to explain what he calls "the greatest single mystery in American letters." He largely blames success in combination with a "biological (possibly genetic) predisposition to depression" along with "suicide-personality disorder (narcissistic)." It's easy to see why a John Kennedy O'Toole battering his manuscript (Confederacy of Dunces) against the unbreachable ramparts of Harcourt Brace and Get Lost, might do himself in (and then of course win a Pulitzer). But to receive a Harvard scholarship, publish an immediately successfully and lavishly acclaimed book which wins several major prizes including an MGM contract, and then to take your life as a proclaimed lover of life and a protector of four children, is a riddle beyond the ken of my meager imagination.

You may have once wandered through an art gallery and
while walking between images both beautiful and banal
happened upon a painting unlike few you have ever seen before.
It was found placed in a more remote part of the exhibit
and poorly lit thus causing you to give it a brief glimpse.
At first glance, the quaint simplicity caused you to smile yet upon
a second look you noticed the unmistakable quality, the rich
shadings, the subtleties, the emotion upon the faces of the characters,
and within a short time you realized that the artist had captured the
very essence of humanity. Shades of life both light and dark and all
the hues in between, this is what Ross Lockridge has placed upon his canvass for
posterity. This is Raintree County.

Raintree County; a mythical place, a gentle and beautiful tale of an
age and culture that has long since been harrowed under and paved over.
A verdant and pastoral county whose heart is found at the crossroads of
two dirt roads, whose inhabitants are poised at the intersection between a young
and thriving republic and greatest wrong every allowed to fester within
its expanding frontiers. The sunny days of community existence intertwined
with the political complexities surrounding the greatest rift ever to divide a
nation. A portrait of the land and its people in the midst of life and the
trials and tribulations of life's inescapable vicissitudes.

Within the covers of this book are found the joys of love upon the banks of
a river, the excitement and pride of a community during the celebration of
Independence day, the pungent smells and prolific yet depraved lifestyle during
the last days of antebellum New Orleans, and the songs of the slaves in their
agony, joy, and uncertainty. An epic, a day in the life of a ordinary man and
how he came full circle-if that is indeed possible. A reminder of the nation and
her people who were deeply shattered by the violence of a Civil War.

Within the prose are whispers of Plato, Poe, and Shakespeare. Characters
of well developed intellect and humor coexist amid the turgid and the
unlearned. At its core is love, insanity, birth, death, family, war,
and a river that courses through the county to both nourish the smiles and
drain the bitterness. Indeed perhaps the "Great American Classic," and a
sadly overlooked book. Lockridge is of the same ilk as Wolfe, Faulkner,
and Emerson. It has been said that each of us contains a book. To have this
as your only book is a majestic feat. Raintree County can be analyzed at many
philosophical levels and I am sure subsequent readings will reveal a multitude
of lessons. To me, my first time just staying at the surface brought me
the great joy that a masterfully written novel must impart.

I have positioned this book as "The" Great American novel - in reccomending it to a dozen friends. Only one has disagreed. Nuff said.

Absolutely amazing, excellent for anyone who enjoyed watching the west wing, great to read, surprized it was so big when it arrived, but I'm not complaining there's just more to have in there then. I do love the fact that there are quotes from the actors, about the show and there other cast mates. This is an excellent buy! Worth every penny!

The item showed up just as described and within a reasonable time. I was notified that it had shipped. Excellent transaction. Excellent item. I would order from this seller again.

I thumbed through this book in a bookstore and by the time I got home, I realized I had to own it and I was online ordering my own copy. This book is more than just a rehash of the first two seasons. We are treated to a real behind-the-scenes tour of what goes into filming the show. Talk about your West Wing trivia!

The asides from the actors on the characters they play are filled with gems of inside information. For instance, what do Brad Whitford and Janel Moloney think the roles of Josh and Donna are all about; how does Martin Sheen get the cast to treat him like the President and why is this adulation so important; and why is Allison Janney everyone's favorite? We are treated to a tour of the West Wing to fully understand the layout of the staff's offices and the dynamics of the characters in relationship to each other. Then, the decorations in the offices are explained, and nothing is so minor to be included by chance.

Sorkin claims he doesn't have a political agenda. He asks his staff to write a pro-con memo on each episode, and he is most comfortable when two people disagree. If the points are good, he incorporates them into the show's dialogue. You have to be a West Wing fan, and a pretty serious one at that, to fully appreciate this Official Companion, which brings to light the fine points of all that went into creating the first two seasons of this amazingly written and performed show.

Being a newly minted "Wingnut", I recently went out and purchased the first 3 seasons of The West Wing of DVD and then set about finding a good companion guide to go along with them. After sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I settled on this excellent 342 page tome. While only covering the first 2 seasons, this 9" X 11" book is chock full of beautiful color pictures and enough extras to rival the DVDs themselves. Accept no substitutes and add this one to your TV library. I can only hope that a volume II (covering seasons 3 & 4) will be published when season 4 is shortly released on DVD. Plenty of time for us all to brush up on our Latin (post hoc, ergo propter hoc). R.I.P. John Spencer.

I have seen the "West Wing" books that feature scripts from selected episodes. But this book includes every episode from the first two seasons, told in story form. Plus chapters on each of the actors and their characters, the background on the making of the show -- if you're a fan, this is a "must have". I just hope that there will be, at some point, additional volumes to cover the third, fourth and fifth seasons -- and so on.

This is a great book, covering just about everything you could hope to know about the first six seasons of the show. I really enjoyed the writing by Colucci and the actor/producer/director/guest star anecdotes. I don't care for the format of the book, though - the episodes are usually covered two-to-a page, in column format (yecch). Some of the interlude pages are kind of cheezy (i.e., there's a page listing all of Will & Grace's various boyfriends) and some of the pages with behind-the-scenes info (i.e., the decor used for Grace's office and Will & Grace's apartment) have a corny-looking layout. Hopefully by now this book has been expanded to include the last two seasons and the historic Finale, and the aftermath of this groundbreaking sitcom. Incidentally, "Will & Grace" was remarkably consistent - the first five seasons were consistently great. Season six slipped a bit, probably due to the writers having to work around Debra Messing's pregnancy, but Season 7 came back stronger than ever. The last season of most sitcoms is, predictably, never the best, but the earlier seasons more than make up for it. This book does capture the magic of Seasons 1-6. Thanks, Jim Colucci.

"Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored" is a must-have item for every fan of the now-defunct but forever-classic television program, but it will also be of interest to the casual reader who may be curious about the "behind-the-scenes" makings of a modern sitcom. This book is dense with anecdotes, factoids, and gossip; it outlines the fascinating history of the inception and casting of the show, along with exhaustive information on how the episodes are put together, from initial writer's conferences and cast readings, through rehearsals and show tapings, including furious last-minute script rewrites, and, at least in one instance, the firing of a guest star during the performance. I would offer, however, a few words of warning: the book only covers to the end of Season Six (a "W&G" quiz featured in the book's appendix contains a couple of incorrect answers due to further developments in Seasons Seven and Eight); and the proofreader for this tome should be shot -- I stopped counting typos and misspellings after I reached a dozen, and I wasn't even a third of the way through the book. The wary should, of course, be more concerned with the former than the latter, and I offer it only as a cautionary note to avoid undue disappointment. Otherwise I highly recommend this book to all!

This book is great for people who are obsessed with the show. The colorful (and I mean COLORFUL) pages are filled with photos, episode summaries (seasons 1 -6), cast and character bios (on minor characters as well), witty quotes and a lot of behind the scenes articles and tidbits. It makes a great coffee table book to pick up and flip through and relive the laughter.

What more can I say that hasn't already been said in these other 5 star reviews?

If you loved those crazy characters...you'll love the book. You'll learn fun tidbits & laugh as you recall your favorite moments from the show.

I bought this book not expecting much. Maybe a few pictures and a few words from the actors. I had the Friends magazine and it didn't do anything for me. I felt it was just something they put out there to make money and so didn't put a lot of content into it. But being a Will & Grace fan, I figured I must buy it just to complete my collection. Boy, was I wrong!! This provides you with a colorful history of the whole series. It contains a LOT of information. I am sooo glad I bought this! It is worth the price. If you are even a remotely a will & grace fan, you need to get this. You will thoroughly enjoy this!

I will be starting school this fall, and found this book to be a great introduction. It is easy to read, and the highlights and charts made memorization easy. It was easier to read then Baby Barash, as a beginner.

I have to agree with the other 5 star writers. Pound for pound (makes a difference in your backpack) this book is hard to beat. I find it more complete than Secrets of Anesthesia, and more user friendly than Miller. If you want to learn 100 ways to not do something, and read conflicting studies then go for Miller, otherwise "M & M" is king. Besides, I challenge anyone to bring Barash or Miller into the OR with them for a quick reference...

I used the third edition of this book for my writtens and orals. I am fellowed in cardiothoracic anesthesia, and boarded in pain medicine. It is more than comprehensive enough for everday practice, and it is more than enough to get you through the written boards, and will certainly help with the orals. Miller, Barash (is there an etc to these two choices?) are much more comprehensive, but they are highly dependent upon the writers of each chapter: while some are great reading, others ramble on incessantly about studies which show effects on giant squid axons, or how 3-74% of rats will react when their tails are clamped. And who can forget the effects of isoflurane on the livers of salamanders? Morgan-Mikhail is put together logically, it is highly readable, and it is extremely affordable, and while it won't give you every answer, it's a good start.

It is a good basic book that covers the essentilas very clearly in not too long chapters. It is a good entry level book for doctors during their first year of residence in anesthesia.
Also for the doctor that needs to update his knowledge.

My personal experience and the reason for buying the book was that I after 5 years i neuroanesthesia needed an update prior to a period as an anesthesiologist in a not specialised department. In this way the book served its purpose well.

This would be an optimal choice for most medical students with a special interest in anasthesia as well as for anaesthesia residents. It's extremely well-written, neither too detailed nor too simple. The authors write with authority, which is a good thing.

If I had to say something negative about this book, it would be the lack of colourful illustrations (this refers to edition elder to the 2005 edition). But then again, one knows what to expect when buying a Lange medical book. Still, this is a minor drawback, and means nothing in my eyes. I highly recommend this book!

This cookbook is great, I have already cooked several of the recipes and they are wonderful. The tips are great too.

I bought this book for several gifts, everyone is using recipes out of the book. I plan to give 2008 books next year.

I have tried several recipes and they are excellent. This will be a book to "read"/"do" start to finish....page by page. Awesome research. Thanks

We received this cookbook as a gift, and it has been a great addition to our cookbook collection! We didn't have any other ATK books, so the duplication is not an issue as it was for others. We have since received another ATK book which is also good, but not as pretty as this one. I like the photos of the dishes - it makes them even more appealing to try! Honestly, every recipe has been enjoyed - especially the almond sugar cookies, the Shepherd's Pie, and the beef stew. You will not regret this purchase!!

Lemme preface by stating that I am incredibly exacting when it comes to my home, my kitchen and what I choose to serve to my family and friends. And that's why this book is so special and unique. Because I know without a shadow of doubt that anything published by Cook's Illustrated and Chris Kimball (the editor-at-large) is always going to be Perfect!

I suppose it was about 2 years ago when I first got turned on to America's Test Kitchen (the hugely popular cooking series produced by WGBH and the master-chefs at Cook's Illustrated Magazine.) I just got so sick of watching the Food Network dumb-down their programming and otherwise bastardize the domestic arts. And, if I had to watch that little overpaid hog make 1 more ludicrous concoction I was (literally) going to gag. So when I stumbled upon America's Test Kitchen on my local Public Broadcasting Service I was more than eager to soak up all of their valuable information.

Since then, I have purchased some of America's Test Kitchen DVD sets and many of their books. The Best of America's Test Kitchen - 2007 is my very favorite book, though. This book is useful and practical on so many levels.

This isn't just a cookbook, it's a cookbook written by domestic artists who understand who their audience is and who also know the importance of practicality. This is a hardcover, 312 page book that measures roughly 11 X 8. The book also includes tons of full color pictures, diagrams and guides and tips. I also enjoy the smaller pictures included in just about every recipe that shows pictures of what the food should look like as you're preparing it (this helps so much!) The book includes a dust-jacket, but I always remove this simply because it tends to get dirty when I'm cooking. The actual cover of the book is almost coated with this shimmery-type of paper that is resistant to stains and splatters (this also helps a lot.) Oh, and 1 more thing I enjoy about the general make-up of the book is that it nicely stands up on its own, without any additional effort on my part.

The book includes easy-to-understand, step-by-step recipes that this cook can tell were written with care. Because America's Test Kitchen includes the names of some of the best brands (based on their extensive unbiased research) to use with most of the recipes as well. Each recipe starts out with an in-depth description of each dish; describing what could go wrong, what they changed and other points to look for. I have never used nor read any other cookbook that went to such great lengths as America's Test Kitchen! They really go the extra step to make sure their readers prepare only the finest recipes.

All of their recipes are second to none. I read the book cover to cover and I can honestly tell you that there is not 1 single recipe that was thrown in as "filler." This book was not simply slopped together (like so many cookbooks these days are.) No way. The experts at Cook's Illustrated would never stand for that. Every single recipe inside this cookbook has been tested, tweaked, and transformed into a dish that's not just beautiful to look at but also very simple to make.

There are a total of 10 chapters that are dedicated to recipes:
Starters & Salads
Soups & Stews
Vegetables & Side Dishes
Eggs & Breads
Pasta
Meat
Poultry
Seafood
Desserts
The Best of America's Test Kitchen - 2007 also includes a detailed introduction and an entire chapter dedicated to conversions (not to mention a very generous index; which I know is becoming a dying art in the literary world.)

What I also enjoy doing with large books like The Best of America's Test Kitchen - 2007 is to skim them for recipes that I may use. Since the book includes an informative index and table of contents it's easy to find anything that I may be in the mood to make. Next, I will either photocopy the page or just put a post-it on the page (depending on how soon I plan to make it.) Then I store the book in my media center in the kitchen so it's ready for the next time I want to use it. (This saves me time and makes the task of deciding on "what to make for dinner" seem much less daunting.)

These are some of my favorite recipes (that I have made, loved & serve to my family:)
Short-Order Home Fries (this was so easy) pg. 60
Potatoes Lyonnaise (very similar to the recipe above) pg. 62
Sweet Potato Casserole (made this last Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit) pg. 67
Glazed Pork Chips (I made this on my mother's birthday and she loved it) pg. 161
Chicken Kiev (a little bit of work, but it's so worth it!) pg. 161
Crispy Chicken & Potatoes (I make this for my family often and it's always a success) pg. 199

And, these are some recipes that I have marked to make in the near future:
Pan-Roasted Broccoli (note: they have another amazing broccoli recipe with fresh thyme & brown-butter, but that's in another book) pg. 46
Oven-Fried Onion Rings pg. 54
Stuffed French Toast pg. 77
Sloppy Joes pg. 154
Pepperoni Pan Pizza pg. 101

Besides Christopher Kimball, the main experts of America's Test Kitchen are Julia Collin-Davison (my favorite) and Bridget Lancaster. These 2 always have so many great tips. I think it was Julia who recommended (on the TV series) to line your cutting board with foil when you're cutting chicken (this saves me so much time!) And, Bridget turned me on to using Pam anytime I cook with something that may stick; even on those "nonstick" surfaces. I also enjoy the good-natured mean-spirited comments that Chris often makes to Julie and Bridget. They all have a wonderful chemistry together. The book does not include specific credits to any one person (besides the introduction, written by Chris) since it's more of a collaborative effort from the editorial staff at the magazine.

As I have said repeatedly, I especially love this book because everything is so easy and just generally saves me so much time. There are so many commercial cooking experts that claim to be "time sensitive" but I have never found one that really was; other than America's Test Kitchen. And, I think that's because they aren't trying to be anything besides what they are: an informative cooking organization that appreciates the domestic arts! In fact, I would have to say that roughly 80-90% of all of the recipes in this book include ingredients that every American household often has on hand! The basic staples of most of the recipes includes these items: unsalted butter, low-sodium chicken broth, Spanish onions, cream, whole milk, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and fresh garlic.

The only thing that is slightly confusing is trying to find some of the specific recipes from this book on the America's Test Kitchen TV show. Keep in mind, this is not a "companion book." When I finally realized that it was a lot less confusing because I was expecting to be a little more familiar with some of the recipes. The date "2007" does not refer to a season of the TV series; rather it is the date or "edition" that the book went on sale. As a matter of fact, some of the book-recipes (such as the Stuffed Rolled Flank Steak) have not even been on the TV series until the current season (season 8.) At the time this book came out, I believe the TV series was only in the seventh season. The eighth season of the series will come out in July on DVD.

These recipes are also advantageous because they all (at least the ones I have made) either double very easily or half very easily, too. Anyone who cooks for a busy household knows how imperative this is. And again, this is a rare trait.

I look forward to getting the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and their latest best-of DVD set that just came out recently. In the meantime, I am very satisfied with my latest cookbook. I also visit their Web site often in search of more recipes (they include a vast library of extensive recipes online) and most of these recipes are free; there is a charge for older ones, though. ...You cannot deny that America's Test Kitchen is the preeminent purveyor of superior recipes that your entire family will always savor. Remember, everyone can use a little ATK.

Well written, and chock full of excellent information on the making of Combat!, the stars (especially Vic Morrow, who WAS Sgt. Sanders), the story lines, directors, ground-breaking filming techniques, etc. For anyone who understands how far ahead of its time this program was when it aired, this book is a must.

This is everything you could want as a fan of the show. The author does a great job of giving us a reasonable amount of insight to move us from season to season. This blended nicely with the information about each episode.

I wish there had been a bit more room to expand the information about each episode, but, then again, I'd like to have had a bit more information about the participants lives outside of "Combat!". But I do understand the limitations publishers impose.

I would have preferred the author not to attempt to give each episode a rating (0-4 bayonets), or a least put this in an appendix. Critics can give ratings, but fans just really shouldn't try to tell another fan he's wrong (and charge them for it)!

There's nothing like an avid fan to author a great book to an already epic tv show. Jo's affection really lends itself nicely to the anecdotes given by the former cast members.
Also, if you're ever in the LA area, you can still visit Franklin Canyon where a lot of episodes were filmed. There's a road near the corner of Cold Water Canyon Dr. and Mulholland Dr. that takes you right there (can't remember the exact name,sorry). Anyway, the same trees and water still exist that were in the episodes (this is also the same place where the opening of The Andy Grifith Show was filmed, where Opie skips a rock across the water while the theme is playing). It's now a recreation area and is a nice place to hike and stow down a few beers...

This is a great book for all those fans of the "COMBAT!" TV show, produced in the 1960's. I highly recommend it if you have invested in the "COMBAT!" DVD's or if you just want to understand why this series was, and indeed still is, so popular. Ms. Davidsmeyer even included her hand written autograph in my copy!--A wonderful and unexpected surprise!!! Indeed, this entire book is "A wonderful and unexpected surprise! You'll enjoy it without a single doubt!

This publication is a must have for the discriminating fan of Combat! As the title states, it is a true "Viewer's Companion to the WWII TV Series". Author Jo Davidsmeyer provides an indepth and detailed look at what I consider one of THE best television series ever! A perfect addendum to Combat!, the complete series.