Reviews Books

The best money I ever spent on something about Doctor Who. Great reading and packed with info. You won't be dissapointed.

great book ,well written great pictures and inside information on how the new series is made.I can't wait to receive the Doctor Who encyclopedia which i just ordered and hope to be receiving next week.

Now that the new Doctor Who series has established itself as something of a success, one can expect a wave of books to come out cashing in on that success--novels, monster guides, glitzy reference books, and so on. And after all, why not? But while "Doctor Who: The Inside Story" at first glance appears to be part and parcel of this wave, in fact it's quite a bit more substantial and informative as well as thoroughly enjoyable.

It's the "Inside Story" on two levels. First of all, it covers the making of the show (first two series/seasons and a foretaste of the third, that is) in great depth and detail. The deliberations behind the show's revival are revealed, the responsibilities of the many people responsible for the show's creation are described, and the manner in which the show is actually produced by this team--both overall and episode by episode--is fleshed out enough to satisfy all but maybe the most fanatical fan's curiosity. The rationale behind certain aspects and characteristics of the show in general as well as particular stories is also touched on in a satisfying manner. All of this comes complete with facts about cast & crew, studios & filming locations and all of that good stuff as well as superbly lavish illustrations, the most interesting of which (for me, anyway) are the early concept designs. Some the initial ideas for the new Cybermen, for instance, are particularly arresting, some very much anime-inspired and some much more cybernetically ghoulish than the final version. Anyway, the book is very much enjoyable and informative both visually and verbally.

Secondly, though, all of this is told through the words of the insiders themselves. The author himself (Gary Russell) is on the script-editing team, and he pieces together the whole story through extensive interviews with and quotes from the producers, writers, directors, actors, and the many brilliant folks in charge of costumes, sets, and make-up, to say nothing of the special effects artists/technicians/magicians. All of this is weaved into a comprehensible narrative (though keeping track of all the names gets a bit daunting sometimes), certainly, but make no mistake, this is no unofficial guide. A few tense, snippy moments are alluded to and the account seems honest enough rather than contrivedly PR, but the overall tone is extremely celebratory and enthusiastic. Which also means that all the heart and soul, the loving care that goes into the creation of this wonderful show is unashamedly, unabashedly indulged in, and it's a bit infectious, actually--a few times I started feeling a bit petty for nitpicking this or that episode. Well, colder and more objective analysis will be the task of others all in good time, but the initial joy, wonder, and fun of the show is captured right here, and that in a manner that only contributes to the documentary quality of this fine book as a whole.

I confess that I never cared for Dr. Who during its first twenty five years that ended fifteen years ago. It was only shown in segements on PBS in this area and frankly being a hard line Star Trek and science fiction fan there was nothing that appealed to me.

I once asked Englsih friends about this and they excused the show by saying "When Dr. Who began we didn't have Star Trek, Twilight Zone and all your great shows. It was all we had." I know there were big Dr. Who fans even then, in this country, and had students who dressed up as "The Doctor" at science fiction conventions.

Then a few months ago BBC-America began showing the first of the two new seasons and the Sci Fi Channel showed some from the second season. My wife, grandkids and I were blown away and I have since bought the DVDs from the two new years and eagerly await the third. I have even bought some of the new novelizations for the kids and myself as well as toys from England. A friend over there also secured for me an authentic Billie Piper autographed picture.

That brings us to this very excellent book, Dr. Who: The Inside Story. It is very well crafted with the story about how the show came about and has beautiful pictures. It also covers the first two seasons with details on each episode. The latter is so well done you will have to see the shows even if for the third time (as it will be in our case). The book has everything a fan would want and more.

I must mention that as a Christian and a teacher there is so much I can use from the DVDs and this book to teach some great lessons. That may not have been the purpose of those who put the show together, however as C.S. Lewis has advocated, writers do not have complete control over their art and God can find a way of using even the most offbeat material. C.S. Lewis himself wrote science fiction and fantasy and not just books on theology. J. R. R. Tolkein also was a theologian, but is best known for his Lord of the Rings series. Yes, there is a lot or religious significance in Dr. Who whether intended or not.

I highly recommend this book for all whether they have seen the show or not.

A great insider view. The book covers initial thoughts by the BBC to bring back the show, Russell T. Davies vision, outlining the stories, the casting process (John Barrowman was cast in 12 hours - an unheard of time), the mockups for sets, how the shows were made (each director did his/her block altogether) and at the end of the book (probably the last third) covers both seasons episode by episode.

The book covers issues like why did Davies get rid of the Time Lords? The TARDIS is alive? Why anchor the stories with recurring characters on Earth?

All in all, a great find. It's a fascinating glimpse into how a show gets up off the ground.

EZ -Solutions GMAT Math Series Books

The overall content in the EZ-solutions set of nine GMAT books is very good. When I started studying for the GMAT I couldn't answer so many questions. But now that I have used the EZ -solutions books I can answer a lot of them. I still need to practice on my speed but they have helped me come a long way. The EZ-solutions books break down each subject covered in the GMAT with a step-by-step system.

The EZ-solutions set of nine GMAT books were extremely helpful considering I haven't had a math class in over six years, and I couldn't remember simple things such as integer properties. Like I said I had taken a GMAT practice exam and I couldn't answer many questions, but now I am getting a lot better.

The format of the EZ-solutions set of nine GMAT books is very good as it breaks down each topic in different books.

The text of the EZ-solutions set of nine GMAT is perfectly clear and precisely to the point. After going through each of the nine EZ-solutions set of nine GMAT books more than once and taking them with me where ever I have gone, they hold up nicely.

I believe that anybody studying for the GMAT should have the EZ-solutions set of nine GMAT books in their collection. They should also get the Official guide, with the Kaplan math review as well. The math lessons in the EZ-solutions GMAT books are much better than the Official, Kaplan, and PR. They have a lot more examples, with a lot more instruction as well. The Official GMAT guide isn't a good book for instruction but just for extra problems. Kaplan and PR have a decent math review in their book but the EZ-solutions GMAT set of nine books really bring it home.

I would recommend the EZ-solutions GMAT set of nine book series to anyone studying for the GMAT. Especially those individuals that who need a math review, and just not practice problems. This set of nine books breaks down each subject covered on the GMAT, and gives detailed expiations of each one.

The EZ-solutions GMAT set of nine books are a little more pricey then those currently on the market. But if you are serious about taking the GMAT and getting a good score I believe they are worth the extra money. As I mentioned earlier some of the other books on the market don't have as good a math lessons as the EZ-solutions GMAT books. Highly recommended!

After going through all the GMAT books, here is my honest opinion about some of the most popular GMAT books:

Official Guide:
Pros - Excellent source of GMAT questions. Very well organized with real test like questions.
Cons - No review of any math content or test-taking strategies. Not enough explanations of practice questions.
Overall, the Official Guide is a must have for all test-takers. It will give you a good idea about the type of questions to expect on the GMAT; however, if you need more than just a bank of questions, you need to look at some other source.

Kaplan:
Pros - Good for additional practice questions as a supplement
Cons - Review of math content is not thorough but just the very basics. Not enough explanation of test taking strategies. Full of guessing techniques with no real mathematical solutions. Not good enough explanations of practice questions. Unrealistic questions.

Princeton:
Pros - Good for additional practice questions as a supplement
Cons - Review of math content is not thorough but just the very basics. Not enough explanation of test taking strategies. Full of guessing techniques with no real mathematical solutions. Not good enough explanations of practice questions. Weird sense of humor.

Barrons:
Pros - Good math review. Big list of questions. Good test taking strategies. Very well organized. This is by far the best of the all-in-one kinds of books.
Cons - Although the book has a good math review, it doesn't go deep enough into each concept. Not enough explanations to practice questions. Does not have a good section for logical reasoning (permutation, combination, probability, etc) questions, which is one of the most important question-type. Does not break down the concepts/questions step by step.

EZ Solutions (set of 9 books):
Pros - Thorough math review from A to Z. Effective test taking strategies. Abundant solved examples. Numerous practice exercises. Great practice question bank in basic and advanced workbooks.
As with most books, you are expected to already have a good knowledge about the various match concepts, but with these books, you can literally start from scratch and reach the most advanced level of the GMAT.
Cons - To get the best result from these books, you have to invest in buying several books (set of 9 books), but if you compare the cost and benefits, the benefits outweigh the cost, or you can buy a few not all. Missing the verbal section. This is not a good option if you are looking for a mediocre score or just looking for a very basic brush-up. Recommended for serious test takers only.

Some of the other books has no real content; whereas, there are some other books that I haven't yet had an opportunity to review, but may be some of them are good supplementary aids.

I hope my review will help some of you in making the right decision.

I bought the series of EZ Solutions for the GMAT and found them to be very helpful. After going through GMAT books from Kaplan, Princeton Review, and others, I needed something more in-depth to tackle all type of questions. The EZ books cover a broad spectrum of content and practice questions with detailed explanations. These are great books for those who are seeking to perfect their score or need something more than just the basic review provided in regular study guides. They are also a good review for those who have been out of school for a while and need to refresh their math skills to score higher on the GMAT . The EZ books are very detailed and comprehensive, far more than any other book that I have seen. I would highly recommend using the EZ Solutions GMAT set of books to improve your scores!

I bought the series of EZ Solutions for the GMAT and found them to be very helpful. After going through GMAT books from Kaplan, Princeton Review, and others, I needed something more in-depth to tackle all type of questions. The EZ books cover a broad spectrum of content and practice questions with detailed explanations. These are great books for those who are seeking to perfect their score or need something more than just the basic review provided in regular study guides. They are also a good review for those who have been out of school for a while and need to refresh their math skills to score higher on the GMAT . The EZ books are very detailed and comprehensive, far more than any other book that I have seen. I would highly recommend using the EZ Solutions GMAT set of books to improve your scores!

I bought the series of EZ Solutions for the GMAT and found them to be very helpful. After going through GMAT books from Kaplan, Princeton Review, and others, I needed something more in-depth to tackle all type of questions. The EZ books cover a broad spectrum of content and practice questions with detailed explanations. These are great books for those who are seeking to perfect their score or need something more than just the basic review provided in regular study guides. They are also a good review for those who have been out of school for a while and need to refresh their math skills to score higher on the GMAT . The EZ books are very detailed and comprehensive, far more than any other book that I have seen. I would highly recommend using the EZ Solutions GMAT set of books to improve your scores!

In writing a review of this book, I must first state that I am probably not one of the greatest fans of the 1960s TV series. With that said, I also confess that I didn't exactly hate it either. It was an entertaining show produced more than forty years ago that was initially hard for me to remember. What I like best about the book is the enthusiasm of its reviewers, and their skill in thoroughly describing and reviewing the good and not so good elements of this old series. Also admirable, is their successful rekindling of my interest in the show. Proof of this rekindling is the fact that after reading Volume I of the series I readily bought the first season DVD offering and have been regularly watching the shows. Volume 2 is probably even better written than Volume 1, and I recommend both books to fans of the series, and anyone wanting to know more about the series. When the episodes for Season Two get released on DVD this book will become even more valuable. For the record, I think the old series was superior to the 1990s movie starring Harrison Ford. David Janssen was very well cast in the show. He was a much underrated actor.

A must read for all Fugitive fans. What is unique about this book is that each episode of season two is reviewed in detail and given a poll rating on a scale of 0-10. Follow Richard Kimble and Phil Gerard along with Bob, Kitty, and Ken. Season two has many classic episodes including World's End, Nemesis, Escape into Black, The End is But the Bginning, The Survivors, and May God Have Mercy. This book will be an excellent reference guide to the DVD collection when released.

Volume II of The Fugitive: Views And Reviews, picks up where volume I left off, with more insightful and fact filled reviews and debate of the second season of "The Fugitive" one of television's greatest dramatic series. Also contains viewer poll results for each episode.This volume covers the second season which ran from1964 to 1965, including many classic episodes like "Man In A Chariot", "World's End", "The End Is But The Beginning", and the all time classic "Escape Into Black" from which the cover photo is derived.A perfect companion piece to Volume I which is currently available and a must have for true Fugitive fanatics.Bobbynear

This is the best episode guide yet on The Fugitive. The authors go into such detail and raise points I would never have thought of. I'd recommend it to all Fugitive fans. I hope another three books will follow, for seasons 2, 3 and 4!

The authors of this book put in painstaking effort to review each episode of The Fugitive starring David Janssen. They personally watch each episode more than once, research background information, and blend in their views stemming from what they have gathered from the characters and storyline before each episode, as well as real-life parallel history to either confirm or deny plausibility of plot.

I recommend this book very much as a companion to any Fugitive fan who is going through one or all of the episodes.

Mitch

I keep this book under my coffee table along with my copy of Psychotronic and Maltin, and find myself picking it up virtually every week for reasons that range from trivia to enlightenment to even "toilet seat treat" and my only wish is that there was an updated edition or sequel covering TV since 1989! This book is a must for any 'scholar' of television and as cheap as it appears to be in the Amazon Marketplace, there's no excuse not to have one! Harry....Wally....please come back and make us a new one! We need it for the 21st century!!!!

An absolutely great reference book. Its sequel was long overdue. They do underrate 'Car 54' a little, though... (!)

This is one of the best reference guides ever written for all those classic tv enthusiests! It not only has information on shows that had successful runs but those shows that didn't last more than one season or possibly not past the pilot show. It is light easy fun reading and a great book to have in my collection when I ask myself "what was that show..you know with the guy and the girl and that whachamacallit", and you can usually find your answer. If you can find this book used,(since it is out of print and hard to find), grab it and enjoy! Thanks Harry & Wally!

Why is it that that "Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows" is now in an 8th edition, while "Harry and Wally" has been out of print for years? The "Complete Directory" is nothing but a dry, boring recitation of shows' premises, whereas "Harry and Wally" is like a roundup of well-written short essays on whether some obscure show would be worth your time. (I refered to it recently when Trio did a special run of "East Side/West Side.") The more classic the show, the better and longer the write-up, too. They also score extra credit with me, as an original series "Star Trek" die-hard, for a great write-up on my favorite series.

I've hoped for years for an updated edition of Harry and Wally. C'mon guys, where did you go? What gives?

It's a shame this book isn't in print anymore. It's an even BIGGER shame that there was never an updated edition. The book came out in the late 1980s, and so much has happened in television since then. Harry and Wally, if you're out there, how about writing a sequel?

Even though it's more than a decade out of date, "Harry and Wally's Favorite TV Shows" is still a valuable reference work for students of pop culture or just fans of classic TV. It covers a great many series that other TV books skip over, including series on PBS and shows imported from the UK. The idea of giving each series a rating from zero stars to four stars also sets "Favorite TV Shows" apart from other similar books. Better yet, the reviews are usually right on the money.

I discovered this book in the library. I read the first few pages and was captivated. Christopher Priest will introduce you to an impossible world - and make you believe it.

Years later, the book was out of print. I searched the internet to find a copy. When I got it, the book did not let me down, though I already knew its secrets.

Probably the finest sci-fi book I have ever read.

Hey you guys that loved Ringworld, Dragon's Egg or A Mission of Gravity, you will be HOOKED by this one! A REALLY original alternative world, VERY nicely hidden under a bulk of myth and a secretive guild system. Sociology - B+; Mathematics - A; Physics - B. The ending is the only minor flaw, but after all the real thinking starts after reading...

I was looking for The Glamour and noticed unfortunately that most of Priest's books are out of print...how sad, as most are truly original. I then noted that The Inverted World had only been reviewed 4 times and wanted to add my thoughts. READ IT. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

Imagine an encapsulated city trying to survive in a strange world where mysterious "optimum" is moving and the city has to keep moving on it's tracks trying to reach it. Every natural obstacle in this unfriendly environment has to be solved and the city has to keep moving or else... People in the city refer to the landscapes ahead as "the future" and to the landscapes behind as "the past." Everybody is working hard, for the optimum must be followed at any price... Is the ending of the book (which is one of the best endings in SF) going to reveal the real truth? What is the real truth anyway? The one you perceive? Or the other one, the one you can't see...

This book is listed among David Pringle's top 100 sci-fi novels, and deservedly so. The story immediately captivates, as Priest introduces us to the large moving vehicle-structure called "city Earth". The vehicle is continuosly moved upon rails, through a series of winches and cables, and the tracks are laid as the vehicle progresses. The permanent residents who live inside are organized into many guilds, each responsible for various functions vital to the community's survival. The reader is only gradually given hints about the seemingly strange world that is the setting, and only gradually learns the reasons why the vehicle must continually move. A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable book, this story keeps you guessing about the nature of reality until the very end.

My daughter loves cats so I got this to give her for her 6th birthday. The characters in it are a hoot.

Another sweet story involving that shy, black kitty named Jenny Linsky. I can't imagine a little kid not loving this story and wanting to read it again and again.

I was delighted to find these books again. For years I have been searching for the books about the little black cat, Jenny.

Recently, I was at Books of Wonder and was jokingly testing the salesperson's knowledge. She knew! I couldn't believe it.

These books were a pleasure to me as a child and spurred my love of reading. I intend to buy all of them for my daughter.

I first read Jenny's Birthday Book as a shy kindergartener. I picked it out of the school library based on my love for cats, the wonderful colors on the cover and because my birthday happened to be coming up. There was no way to know the impact of that library visit.

The following Septembers spent at Berkeley Street School, I would take out Jenny's Birthday Book as a special birthday ritual and read it slowly and mindfully, taken by the gentleness of the language and illustrations. The book was not only a comfort at the time, but shaped my sense of aesthetics and love for language. Even as an adult I am taken by the beauty of the scene where Jenny and her rambunctious friends "... danced the sailor's hornpipe in the moonlit park."

Anyway, never forgetting this book, I had been on fruitless search for it for the past 15 years (I thought it was titled Jenny's Birthday Party and didn't know the author) and happened upon it in a friend's shop. With a little girl on the way, I can't explain how thankful I am that it has been republished and now own it with the plan to read it to my own daughter.

Well Oct. Is not only my Fav. month.
Buuut also my friend Jenny J.J.I.'s
Birthday! For those of you who know
Mrs. Fab. She is really GREAT! She is
a New Yawker and a loving wife/mother.
She gives WONDERFUL reviews on all
sorts of books and film with her
own,own....pizazz! So Jenny girl
from the bottom of my heart hope
you and your family are enjoying Friday!
Stay who you are and never change!
Your friend Clint!
By the way Jennys Birthday book
is a fantastic read for youngsters!
Thank you.
p.s. Oct. 5th what a SPECIAL day. I remember when
I turned 23 yrs.old Take care J.J.I.

I gave my granddaughter who is an avid "Lucy fan" this book for Christmas and she loved it because it focused on Lucy's movie career.

This book is very well written and has wonderful pictures. The write up about Lucy gives even the biggest fans new insight into her life. It is a great way to find all the movies she was in.

To start off this is a great book and not being much of a reader myself I really love this one. It has great large pictures, hard to find pictures and the words are fairly large in this one also. Not being overly large like a kids reader but being the perfect size! But not only this, it has a lot of informative info aobut all of Lucy's movies that she has appeared in and also a despription of each movie. This is great because if you have never seen any of Lucille Ball's films you will get a thrill out of reading about all of the movies as well as jotting them down and looking online to buy them on DVD. This book has so much more also as well as the biography of Lucille Ball and a whole lot more! This is not a boring book but a nice fun book to read and to also make you want to read as well as some great info about the bright and talented star. The book itself is very large and very well made, as well as being thick. It looks like it costs about $50 it is so big and thick but I bought this through a book store in my local town for $29.99 which on the back of the book is the retail value so Amazon has a GREAT price!

Great large and loaded coffee table book. The photos are gorgeous! Lucille Ball had a real long career. I am in awe of the volume of work Ball had already experienced before "I Love Lucy". She was no doubt a workaholic. From Chorus girl to extra to supporting role to leading lady!
My all time favorite lady of Hollywood did it all. The author of this affordable book, Cindy De La Hoz deserves an award for putting this mother load of Ball's cinema work. Good job!

"Lucy at the Movies" by Cindy De La Hoz is a coffee table sized visual treat displaying the varied movie career of America's beloved red headed comedienne. It spans Lucy's 5 decade career in movies. The text is easy to read and gives the full cast and credits of all her movies. It includes the synopis,notes and comments, and even the reviews of each movie. There are many pictures from her movies dispersed throughout the book. Also, to the delight of her many fans, there are numerous behind the scenes and other personal pictures of Lucy and her castmates.
This book is worth every penny and if you're a Lucy fan it belongs in your collection. Buy it. You'll treasure it always.

The book was such a great help to me during OB rotation. It is written by the same people that wrote my textbook.It highlighted every thing needed from each chapter and it was like my Professors lecture was the outlines in the book it is a good tool to have

Good study aid! Outlines and practice questions and rationales for the NCLEX are helpful and easy to understand.

I like the book and i use it. What more it there to say.

I began my 6 week summer o/b class 10 days after giving birth to my baby girl. Of course a newborn takes up a lot of time, and fortunately someone recomended me this book. This book is so excellent that I hardly read my lecture book. Everything you need to know is clearly explained and straight to the point. If it wasn't for this book I might not have passed my course. I was nursing my baby with one arm, and the other holding this book and reading. I read and read... and I passed my class. A++ book

Great review book. I think it's a must for any student in mataernity nursing. This book gives you the 'meat and potatoes' of what you need to know. Very thorough. Good in depth descriptions on rationales.

Wonderful book , very well written , very well organised based on disease affecting a particular organ with pattern analysis & at the end of each section there is a summary picture thats very good.I have not read a book so well written & organised. I think publishers must be taking a note of that they need to have similar books in different subspecialities. The pictures are big , very high quality & have all the imaging studies combined pertaining to a disease entity. One single book covers everything. Outstanding contrubution to radiology litreture.

This is an excellent book, wonderful images, to the point material, nice flow, good schematic summary pictures !!

This is a great review book. It seems lengthy at around 700 pages, but is actually a very pleasant and quick read. This is all that you need for boards, meaning if you know this book for GI you will easily be fine. There is nothing negative that really can be said about this book, from the images to the discussions to the high quality medical illustrations. Excellent review text.

Case based book, sorted anatomically (esophagus, stomach, liver...). Each case has great quality pics, findings, DDx and discussion. The ddx are particularly useful, most case review series books miss it. Nice DDx tables at the end of each chapter and a great pictorial review. Best case book I've read so far.

This was the only book I read for the GI section of the oral boards. I found this book to be very helpful with over 700 cases, good quality images, a pattern approach to diagnosis and a short text. I would highly recommend it.

The book introduces one to the content of the N-CLEX testing you will be confronted with, it makes one a little less nervous,by giving you tips as to how to figure out answers to questions, the author is funny at times while discussing difficult subjects I am sure I will be using this book throughout my study to become and after I am a registered Nurse.

Easy to read. Packed with info. The CD NCLEX mock test has been very helpful to me in identifying my weakness. I'm an RT in a bridge program to nursing. I just started the program. I took 150 questions of the CD mock test so far. I got about 70% correct. My weakness seemed to be mostly in non respiratory pharmacology. I'm hitting that topic hard now.

This book has a totally different approach to the NCLEX than any of the other books. It does not consist of endless questions and long comprehensive explanations...it focuses on the NCLEX Exam itself and how to dissect a nursing question quickly and accurately. I would definately recommend this to anyone that wants another perspective on the NCLEX!

This book provided information that no other review book has provided. It answered my questions about the NCLEX and now I have a better idea of what is to come! The review questions covered all the different areas without separating them. This book is a must have for your NCLEX prep collection.

I took a chance when buying this book 2 weeks before final exams and it helped my pass my exam. Although I'm just a 1st year nursing student I love this book and have found it easy to use and easy to understand, it helps break everything down. This book is a MUST have for Nursing students and I'm glad I took a chance!!