Reviews Books

Never a dull moment! Rothbard was a loose cannon. A great, crazy, untamed, brilliant, passionate, wide-ranging political philosopher, intellectual historian, economist, and activist. How mant people could talk about anything from the nominal interest rate to Henry George and always make it fresh and fascinating? Read this book and meet the genius who handed Robert Nozick his famous political philosophy.

A "red diaper baby" from New York City, Rothbard must be considered, along with his two mentors Ayn Rand and Ludwig von Mises, a founder of the "libertarian" movement, which is essentially a return to the original, pre-socialist, classical, laissez-faire liberalism of John Locke and the American Founding Fathers.

The book consists of 15 essays: and includes the seminal 1965 must-read classic "Left, Right and the Prospects for Liberty," a delightful little intellectual history of modern times, at once timely and timeless. Like Rothbard, it's a unique and inspiring original which defies description and must be experienced first hand. It doesn't matter what your political prejudices are, you'll still enjoy expanding your mental horizon with this classic book of essays.

The author faces and refutes simultaneously the dogmas of the old left - central planning, collectivization of economic life and State interventionism - and the fallacies of the new left - identity politics, kids lib, gender equality, environmentalism and primitivism, that one the most correct definition I've ever seen being used to characterize the movement of political correctness.

Based on Mises' thought, Rothbard reminds us a truth that is hated by all the left, old or new: our world is ruled by a natural order, transcendent and superior to the man (although perfectly knowledgeable by that one), composed by physical, biological and economical laws; consequently, her existence implies that all human action must be conducted by her strict observance, in order to avoid the disastrous and tragic consequences produced by the opposite behaviour, which is typical of the leftist policies.

This is the first book by Rothbard that I read, although I was already familiar with those of his writings that can be found on the Internet.

Without always agreeing completely with Rothbard - I think he has a tendency to be somewhat too consistent at times - I have always found his work to be very funny and thought-provoking. This collection contains two truly remarkable essays: "Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature" and especially "Freedom, Inequality, Primitivism, and the Division of Labor". Rothbard actually takes the trouble to take Marxists at their word and to examine, not only the means, but also the ends. It turns out even the goals sincere Marxists fight for - as opposed to the cruel realities they have always somehow succeeded in creating - are totally at odds with human nature.

The other essays, if sometimes a tad too "American" for this European reader, live up to Rothbard's usual high standards. The only essay that I found somewhat unconvincing was "Conservation in the Free Market". Rothbard doesn't seem to have thought it important to save areas of unspoilt nature; he doesn't even examine that possibility. But then perhaps there is another essay by him somewhere in which there is an answer to that question? If so, I'm looking forward to read it!

Murray Rothbard was one of the most important thinkers in recent memory. He made substantial contributions to economics, political theory, social theory, history and cultural criticism. Unfortunately, there is no "Rothbard Reader" that gives the reader an overview of his contributions to all these fields.

Nonetheless, this collection of Rothbard's essays - which came out in 1974 - is probably the best place to start if you want to get an overview of Rothbard's contributions, at least in the areas of political theory, social theory, and (some) cultural criticism. (The second edition appears to be identical to the first edition, except that it contains a brief 1991 "postscript" by Rothbard and a useful introduction by Dr. David Gordon.)

The title essay - Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature - is a seminal essay. Politicians love to lecture us on the supposed equality of men; however, as Rothbard shows, it is inequality that is fundamental. The leftist drive for equality is contrary to human nature. Rothbard picks up this theme again in Freedom, Inequality, Primitivism, and the Division of Labor. He shows that the drive for equality is a direct attack on the division of labor. As such, it will only serve to impoverish everyone (rich and poor alike).

This collection also contains two outstanding essays on the state: The Anatomy of the State; and War, Peace, and the State. In the second, Rothbard makes a strong case for peace and against weapons of mass destruction.

There are at least three other collections of Rothbard's works available. The first -- Making Economic Sense -- is a collection of short essays on economics. The second -- The Irrepressible Rothbard -- is a collection of his essays in the Rothbard-Rockwell Report which focus on cultural criticism. So, if you combine these works with Egalitarianism, you get a "reader" that contains 1190 pages - and you still haven't hit Rothbard the historian! That shows the tremendous breadth of his scholarship. The third is The Logic of Action I and II. These were published after his death and contain two or three of the essays in Egalitariansm and some of his later essays. In addition, they are more focused on Rothbard the economist.

But the best advice is that of Dr. Gordon: get everything you can get your hands on by Rothbard and von Mises.

I have long used Rothbard's writing as an ideal in rhetorical mimesis exercises. He presents complicated issues with unrivalled clarity and concision. For example, in his essay "Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature," Rothbard takes on a difficult rhetorical challenge: he seeks to undercut the commonplace belief in equality. This brilliant essay combines logos and pathos in a way few authors can, as when he examines fictional accounts of true egalitarian societies:

"The horror we all instinctively feel at these stories is the intuitive recognition that men are not uniform, that the species, mankind, is uniquely characterized by a high degree of variety, diversity, differentiation; in short, inequality. An egalitarian society can only hope to achieve its goals by totalitarian methods of coercion; and, even here, we all believe and hope the human spirit of individual man will rise up and thwart any such attempts to achieve an ant-heap world. In short, the portrayal of an egalitarian society is horror fiction because, when the implications of such a world are fully spelled out, we recognize that such a world and such attempts are profoundly antihuman; being antihuman in the deepest sense, the egalitarian goal is, therefore, evil and any attempts in the direction of such a goal must be considered evil as well."

Other reviewers do an able job of explaining Rothbard's thinking; my review provides you with some idea of the emotional force of his writing. This is an important collection of essays by an important American thinker.

The book was nice and short, easy to read.

This book is an engaging reference tool. It is more than information on how to pay for college. It is a beginning step to understanding financial literacy and preparing for your financial future.

Chapter One sets the framework for the book and begins expanding the readers world view on money in general. Understanding the basic difference between income and wealth is the first step towards financial literacy.

The insight that is given in terms of how you negotiate and relate for preparing for college and working with financial aid officer can easily be transferred to relating to the bank or any other financial institution.

There is more to this book than is obvious to naked eye.

Dr. LaVeist is using college entrance preparation as an opportunity to introduce his reader to wider concepts on money and basic finances.

I enjoyed this book. The authors are two brothers who weaved a story about getting their sons ready for college into a book about college financial aid, which is usually a very boring topic. Very creative! They managed to entertain AND educate.

I am so thankful to these two brothers. Who have work hard in bring all of this information together. Look forward to here about more in the near future. Again, thank you, my son will benefit from this greally.

This is just the type of book on financial aid that I was looking for. It makes the whole confusing process easy to understand. It's a quick read, intelligent and entertaining. It speaks to black folks. After reading it, I have a better understanding of how the whole thing works.

I'm going into EM so I read this even though there isn't an exam at the end of the rotation. It really fills in the detail gaps that you just can't remember when they are listed out in textbooks.

Good questions in USMLE format and a fair number of questions with pictures, EKGs, x-rays, CTs etc. Good explanations of correct and incorrect choices. Overall, very good review of emergency medicine for Step 2 CK.

This book served as an excellent study guide for me! Will definitely recommend to others in need!!

Finally the PreTest Emergency Medicine gap is filled. With the soon-to-arrive EM shelf exam, this book will be an excellent resource.

Just bought this book...glad to see it's in USMLE format. One of the few books that give you explanations for the incorrect choices. Highly recommend!

This book is for my daughter who says it is a great help to prepare her for the Ntl. test.

This is the closest to the NR that I've seen (I haven't seen them all) but despite its small size it had the best content.

This book outlines the areas of EMT testing at both State and National Level. It's a sure way to review all the areas that will be covered on the exams. I highly recommend it for anyone just out of school or preparing for certification.

This is an excellent review for the NREMT exam for EMT-B certification. It is well organized, helps you pinpoint areas where you need to study more, and is written very much like the actual test.

The questions in these practice tests are much more difficult than those found in online practice tests, which tend to be over-simplified. Just as important, this book is from an authoritative source; I found some answers in the online sources which were just plain wrong.

The NREMT exam is as much about test-taking ability as it is about subject matter knowledge, and that's where this book really helps. In particular, there are many questions on the actual exam where the choices contain information which looks very simple at first glance, but which in fact contains very subtle differences. The questions in this book give you those types of choices, and train you to read each question carefully looking for those nuances which are the difference between a right answer and a wrong answer.

Your first time through the questions in this book may be a wake-up call if you don't really know your stuff. But it's better to get a wake-up call before the test, rather than during the test. I passed on the first try. Good luck!

Great product that has really helped me out alot in class and preparing to take the national registry exam! It comes with a detailed look at the skills you are required to complete as part of the exam, with common mistakes made on them, and a practice exam with answers.

When the news got out here in Australia that Fierce.com had finally landed in the "real" world, I raced out and bought a copy of "The Exclusive Book for Web Elitists" faster than you can say "Happy Hour at Sizzlers". Being a Fierce fan for longer than I care to remember, these guys have made me laugh over and over. And continue to do so now offline as well as on.

Tor and David are two of the craziest, abrasive, outspoken and out-of-control guys (with no particular quality attributed exclusively to either one) it's ever been my pleasure to come in contact with. And Matt is just plain unhinged. But all are hilariously funny and do the best "baffling with bulls**t" routine I've ever come across.

Just buy the book - it'll make you laugh, it'll probably make you cry and it will certainly make you look at the Web as it should be viewed - with one eye on the screen and the other on just how crazy and unreal (in the true sense of the word) this virtual reality world called the "WWW" really is. In other words - cross-eyed. (Well, it's worked for them!)

An excellent resource for "The best of the best", websites on the Internet. I will be visiting all of these websites and utilizing this book for quite some time to come. It was this book that brought me to Badpuppy.com, which I find to be the biggest best Gay & Lesbian Portal on the Internet. At the very least I now have a home on Badpuppy where I'm with many others who go through the trials and tribulations and the lifestyle questions the Gay & Lesbian community have come to expect.

Thank you Fierce.com for bringing all of these fine sites to the surface. I will be purchasing your book for years to come.

The Fierce-sters have been there, done that, and are eminently qualified to direct us to the ultimate best of the Web. Follow their advice without hesitation. You'll waste less time and find more quality in your Internet surfing. Not to mention enjoying their fascinating reviews.

These guys are incredible. They write about websites, but you hardly have to go on the web to enjoy this thing. It's really about the twisted lives and relationships the author's lead. That's what makes it funny.

I actually got the book as a gift from my mother because she knows I use the internet. She saw the book in the store and decided to buy it for me. I was nonplussed at first when I saw it. I mean, after all, who wants a book about the web for a present. I put it in my bathroom and took a gander one fine day and I could not stop laughing. These guys are so funny. And there're these fake parody type articles in each chapter of the book that are really bizaare and didn't really know what to make of but they're pretty damn funny, too. Anyway, it might be a shameful thing to say, but I know about a lot more sites now so, really, they make surfing fun. Thanks, Fierce.

Fine book - will become even better once the entire set of films is released by Warner Brothers.

If you are a fan of the Bowery Boys,this book is a must buy.

One fond memory I have of growing up in the early 70's is that every Saturday afternoon, one of our local TV stations used to play a Bowery Boys movie. My brothers and I loved the boys and their antics and we were blithely unaware that these "boys" were actually pushing forty by the time they were making their last few movies in the late 1950's. Long panned by critics, the Bowery Boys/East Side Kids were never setting out to compete for the Academy Award. They were merely trying to make wholesome, innocent fun, and at that, they were wildly successful.

From Broadway to the Bowery by McFarland Books, chronicles the career of the group from the earliest appearance in 1935's gritty drama "Dead End" to their final picture, "In the Money" released nearly 25 years later in 1958, 91 films in all. For me, the book was quite educational. I wasn't aware that the Kids first few pictures were also crime dramas. Films such as "Crime School" and "Angels with Dirty Faces" showed the East Siders at their youngest, and most abrasive, still several years before they would develop into the lovable bunch of delinquents I knew and loved.

Another fact which came as a surprise to me was how the group split, with one faction becoming The Little Tough Guys for a series of films at universal, and the other group heading to the low-rent district of Monogram Films as The East Side Kids. This included the separating of Leo and David Gorcey. Interestingly, it is the Monogram films that seem to be better re-called today, in part due to the teamings with horror star Bela Lugosi in "Spooks Run Wild" and "Ghosts on the Loose".

This fabulous book features a complete filmography of all their films with complete cast & credits, release date, running time, synopsis, and commentary by author Leonard Getz. In addition to the filmogrpahy, we get bios of all the group's stars including Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, and more. Nearly 200 rare photographs accompany the text. You'll probably be amazed as I was at how few of the Boys' films are available on DVD, or even VHS for that matter. A true tragedy for baby-boomers like myself who cut his teeth on their antics.

As I read through the filmography I was also quite surprised at how many films I haven't seen, particularly the Little Tough Guy series. Hopefully Universal will fix this atrocity with a box set of all the films.

Simply a magnificent book from start to finish! Oh how I miss those Saturday afternoons!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

From Broadway to the Bowery is a book long awaited for any Dead End/East Side Kids and Bowery Boys fans. Getz's book finally fills in the missing pieces and gaps of these boys to men lives through out their humble beginning on broadway to their turbulent years in Hollywood to their tumultous lives after the spotlights have all grown cold. Getz's book opens us to their world not only personally but professionally as well. We also find out about the secondary characters such as Billy Benedict and Hally Chester. we are transformed back into a time when Boys/Men honored a handshake, fought with their fists, honored their friendships and families and learned to overcome hardships thrown onto them because of their placement in society, after all not everyone can be rich. We see their life struggles, failures and triumphs. We see them as human beings and not just celluloid heroes of yesteryear. Len Getz's book is a great addition to anyone's library and especially fans to the saturday matinee.

Leonard Getz shares his affection for these early movie tough guys in this throughly researched book. Filled with great photos and lots of facts, this books is a must read for any fan of the Dead End Kids, the Bowery Boys and films of that genre.

Mr. White describes his experiences with training a goshawk for falconry. He has no guidance beyond an ancient manuscript and things go horribly awry. An outstanding book, a pleasure to read. Also an example of why current US regulations require a falconry apprenticeship period.

In 1952 T. H. White was the author of The Sword in the Stone (Essential Modern Classics) and Mistress Masham's Repose. White's researches for "Sword" inspired him to learn the art of falconry.

Gos was an untamed tiercel (male) of the largest European species of the short-winged hawks with a wing spread three inches shorter than a golden eagle. White lived in a cottage in Buckinghamshire wood, and he ordered the bird from a dealer in Germany.

White spends hours trying to dominate Gos, and eventually the endeavor ends in tragedy for Gos. Along the way, White describes the appeal of this ancient sport. It can be very instructive to compare White's experiences with those described by Tim Gallagher in Falcon Fever: A Falconer in the Twenty-first Century. Another useful book on the subject is A Rage for Falcons by by Stephen Bodio; Bodio's insights on the Goshawk are particularly interesting.

Marie Winn has written the introduction. She is a wonderful observer of wildlife, writes an excellent blog called "Marie Winn's Central Park Nature News", and is the author of the enchanting Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park (Vintage Departures).

I share other reviewers's concerns that Winn was not entirely fair to White. As a non-hunting observer of wildlife I empathize with her point of view, but can "Sha-hou" ringing down the centuries be entirely wrong?

I've attached a favorable review that appeared in "Time" when the book first appeared in 1952. I was delighted to find this new and well produced edition of White's classic book.

Robert C. Ross 2008

As a fan of The Once and Future King as well as falconry, I couldn't wait to start reading this book. It is an absolute gem. White's descriptions are extremely vivid. No one should be daunted by the fact that this book was penned in '51 or that it is about falconry; his story is immensely (and enjoyably) readable.

Thanks are due to New York Review Books for putting back in print this wonderful book. The edition is well produced. A quibble is that Marie Winn who writes the introduction is clearly not familiar with ,or comfortable with ,"field sports". T H White (and many modern writers and followers of fishing,falconry and related actities) would take issue with her distinction between being a natural history lover and a practioner of fishing,shooting,ferreting etc. More seriously, she writes that White "blithely snagged salmon". White fished for salmon and caught them fairly using a fly. He wrote many fine passages about his salmon fishing and the pieces are still found in anthologies of fishing literature. To "snag" a salmon means ,to those who fish ,that he took salmon illegally and unsportingly, by jerking a hook into the body of a salmon.There is no evidence that I have heard of that he would ever have done this.To suggest it does his memory a grave disservice. The introduction by Steve Bodio,himself a falconer, to the 1996 Wilder Places edition of The Goshawk is,to my mind, far better at exploring and explaining the reasons why this is a much loved book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, even those with no interest at all in falconry. The author is so skilled and talented that I'd say that he could write an entertaining piece about paint drying. Enjoy!!

This book is a sketch of what would become, a couple of years later, the author's masterpiece: Das Kapital. It was written in an intense effort during revolutionary agitations in Europe, such hard work had as goal to show the inherent contradictions of capitalism and the way it would soon collapse. Well, capitalism did not collapse then and did not so far, but this book remains a classic in the critique of classical political economy. It is indded shorter than Das Kapital, and in parts not as mature as, but it has the advantage of providing discussion on themes not discussed elsewhere in marxian works. Thus, the most famous part of Grundrisse are its Introduction and the part on "Pre-capitalistic modes of production". A must for anyone who wish to get acquainted with marxian thought.

Unlike many other works, the Grundrisse exposes in more obvious ways Marx's dialectical thought. The Introduction should really be read as a great antidote to the 1859 Preface to a Critique of Political Economy, which gave us the base-superstructure analogy. The weakest link in Marx's though may very well be found there. The Grundrisse Introduction starts from the point of view of class struggle, whereas there is no place for the class struggle as the driving force in the base-superstructure schema.

Also, Grundrisse starts in a different place from Capital. There is a reason for this, and a good discussion of this can be found in the writing of Raya Dunayevskaya and a counter discussion can be found in Roman Rosdolsky. The choice to eventually shelve the organization of the Grundrisse for the organization of Capital flows in part from the changes in the intervening years, most notably the U.S. Civil War.

Real life constantly shaped Marx's thinking, hardly fitting the representation we commonly get of him from ideologues and capital's priests (economists). As a result, Grundrisse also has serious limitations in its understanding of the logic of capital. Basing the entire understanding of Marxism and capital on Grundrisse leads to the kind of mistakes made by Italian Autononmist Marxism, esp. Antonio Negri, who find themselves engaged in a very subjectivist understanding of capitalism. A useful, but sympathetic, antidote can be found in Werner Bonefeld and John Holloway's writings.

This economic political classic sets the stage for Marx' masterpiece ,'Das Kapital'.It presents the Marxist view of economic labor theory and other radical issues concerning the public socialization of capitalistic economies.After reading this interesting monetary classic,I felt as if socialism can only compliment capitalism and never completely replace it.There needs to be a constant flux of balance between the two systems.During the days of the Industrial Revolution,the shift and focus was on absolute capitalism,unrestrained by indifferent royalists.After the the Russian Revoltion,the emphasis was on a centrical labor socialist oligarchy,with no blue-blood royalist tax restrictions.Under the reforms of Boris Yeltsin ,Russia moved to a more capitalist system ,in which some business gamblers lost everything.Putin has moved Russia back to a more centralised economy and perhaps refining the previous economic blunders of the Soviet Era.This book will help nuture a budding economics thinker by offering more philosophical avenues of free-thought and political choice.

The Grundrisse is perhaps one of the most important additions to Marxian scholarship in the last fifty years and stands as a true Rosetta Stone for deciphering Marx(ist, ian, oid) thought. Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy stands as a bridge between the early humanist writing such as the Manifesto and the later scientific Marx as seen in the three volumes of Capital. In this text we see the very beginnings of the scientific critique as well as a brilliant display of Marx as the dialectician that forces the astute and serious reader to rethink the engagement between Marx and Hegelian thought. This work has seriously challenged what I thought I knew about Marx and has sent me into a deep reflection on Hegel. This work is a must read for those serious about engaging critically the works of a Karl Marx.

A collection of seven notebooks on capital and money, drafted during the winter of 1857-8, exploring the themes and theses that dominate his later writings, including Marx's own version of Hegel's dialectics, and thoughts on alientation. While not as sophisticatedp--or lengthy--as Das Kapital, it remains a "must read" for anyone interested developing a sophisticated understanding of Marxist philosophy.

Excellent source for parents of teens transitioning into adulthood and independence. Great tips for school meetings.

Learning Disabilities do not have to be a giant neon sign blinking "I can't" over ones head - they can be overcome just like any other disability. "Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood" is a comprehensive guide for guidance counselors and others responsible for assisting these individuals onto the next stages of their life. Advice on understanding the transition planning process under the IDEA of 2004, how to accept these individuals more, and how to prepare them for their life long careers. "Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood" is a must have for any educator in charge of these special needs students and for community library education shelves.

Dr. Roffman has thankfully written exactly the guide book I needed as my Down Syndrome son turned 16. As a parent, I had no training in how to think about transitioning my son to adulthood. He has been in an inclusion school environment all his life, from infant day care to high school. But the transition to the wide-open space of adulthood, when the structures of schooling were gone, was a complete mystery to me. How could I prepare? How could my son be best prepared during his final few years of secondary education?

Roffman's guide is a step-by-step roadmap for parents, of what to do, what to ask, who to ask, and when to ask. It is also useful for anyone on the service side of transitioning learning disabled teens. The book seems most specifically addressed to the parents and service providers of children with more common learning disabilities than Down Syndrome. Yet it helped me to raise my hopes and standards of what to expect for outcomes of my son's transition as well. For example, with proper preparation, perhaps my son could attend a community college or build a more advanced skill set toward future employment than I was thinking previously.

When I attended his 10th grade IEP review meeting, I felt completely prepared, and for the first time, I knew what I wanted to have happen during the meeting, and it did! This book made the difference. I have recommended Roffman's book to everyone in our school district's SPED PAC, to those who work with my son in the high school, and to members of the school committee. I no longer feel like "the blind leading the blind." Instead, I feel confident that I will be able to support my son's transition with confidence, even if I don't know all the answers yet. Now I know how to ask the questions, of both my son and his service providers, in time for us to figure out the best answers together. If you are parenting a learning disabled teen, or providing services for ld teens, I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. You'll be glad that you did.

This book is organized well. It explains what you need to do in a step by step fashion. It has tables, and checklists. It pulls in essential information that you need in reference like style that is easy to go back to.

Other books on this topic, which I've obtained, review, and returned because they read like a story book because they were difficult to reference later on. This one is not a story book, by an emotional author. Its written with facts, objective recommendation and suggestions that you can apply to your own situation as you see fit or as you need.

This is a concise, well-written, very understandable guidebook for parents and teens with LD facing a challenging time in their lives. Most delightfully, this book is very positive (while realistic) in its tone and suggestions. For a small book, it is simply packed with practical strategies (with emphatic finger-pointing bullets!) and guidance. The timetable is an easy to use resource for those with attention challenges! Dr. Roffman intersperses case vignettes to show the human side of these issues, and she shows what the individuals can and did do to deal with the challenges. Very good role models for success! All in all, an excellent book. I'll keep this copy on hand to show parents and will certainly recommend it to staff and patients. It's a must read roadmap for families who find themselves at this intersection.

Jerome J. Schultz, Ph.D.
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Director, Center for Child and Adolescent Development
Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School

I recommend this book both to medical students who are studying histology for the first time and to doctors. I, as a pathology resident, found this book very helpful for studying the normal structure of organs because of its great pictures (including special stains and electron microscopy) and its easy-to-understand yet detailed text. Also the clinical, physiological and cell biological correlations (presented as text boxes throughout the book) help you a lot in getting a more clear picture about the presented organ or tissue.

This is the best histology book I have seen. Good for molecular biology researchers as well-better then many standard textbooks. Very good discussions of development of cell types as well as structural histology.

A very detailed book with fantastic photographs and diagrams throughout.An excellent reference book for anyone studying histology.

The photos are very good in this book. If you are taking histology I do recommend this one. This is a complete text. Each subject area is expertly done (example) muscle tissue, bone, skin etc.
If you want also a great studying tool to help you prepare for your exams, I recommend HISTOLOGY STUDY GUIDE: KEY REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS author Patrick Leonardi. This helped me!!!

This is a very well produced book wilth many illustrations which make histology, a topic I've taught but never mastered, make more sense. While the book is very approachable, it is still very much in-depth and if you are looking for a more introductory text, you may want to consider getting an atlas to begin. However, medical and graduate students would do very well with this text since it bridges the molecular mechanisms active in cells to the microscopic structure of tissues and organs. It also brings the microscopic structure and function into view regarding the gross anatomical perspective as well, giving a top-to-bottom appraisal of histology. This would have been a five-star rating if only the pages were not so whispy that my highlighter bled through to the other side of the page repeatedly. Students, buy this book with confidence, but underline rather than highlight!