Reviews Books

An excellent book for USMLE Step 1

An must buy for medical students and foreign medical graduates taking USMLE . I'd recommend to buy the whole set of five books!

This [...] book is loaded with a ton of numbers and a lot of data analysis. All this analysis is very unique as writers split a lot of data into individual segments so that it can be easily applied to a lot of people. 60 Interview answers are good and give you a method of thinking which is very unique. Overall a very comprehensive book!

In past 3 years, I have purchased multiple books on medical school admissions. This book is undoubtedly the most extensive and detailed book I have seen on the subject. Writers are out on a mission and expose exactly what different cogwheels of medical school admissions are doing to restrict the supply of doctors in the US and then they empower you with information to beat the system in its own game. 50 Interview answers are in-depth and essays are multiple as well as articulate. Strongly recommend!!

I found this book to be an incredible compilation of poetry, if time is taken to read each work slowly. Each reading of In Cisco reveals something new to me, whether an image or a thought, and can stop me in my tracks for a moment. The author shows himself in each poem and by the end of reading them all, you want to seek him out because he feels like an old friend. I suggest this book to those who have time to consider each word, each line, each poem.

The Border showcases the poetry and lyrical style of Cleatus Rattan, a former academician (he recently retired from the English Department at Cisco Community College) and a Texas rancher (a hundred miles west of Fort Worth near the small Bible Belt community of Cisco). Rattan writes with a robust imagination, a compelling sense of humor, and an artist's eye for detail that readers will find as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought provoking. In Cisco, Texas: Here, no one comes to visit/to see the sights. In San Francisco,/well scrubbed guests arrive at the door,/bags in hand, sheepish smiles/on their faces, with plans to scamper/in well known directions. Fewer friends/arrive now, but those who come/have no plans, their hands reach/for the dog's head. They see sheep,/mesquite, scrub oak, the smile/on my face, and stars meandering/to nowhere known.

Reading my way through this book was like walking through a hall of mirrors at a fairground. Every turn revealed a new reflection of an aspect of my own childhood. Some were distorted more than others, but the story of the life of Jimmy Rova, told in the first person singular, evoked many poignant memories.

Jimmy tells the story of his difficult early life, and the interactions with those around him. When he progresses, against the odds, into grammar school, life gets even tougher for him. The descriptions of the highs and lows in his life cannot fail to stir the readers' emotions. This is a gripping read and it is so obviously wrapped around the personal experiences of the author. Having been previously so deeply moved by "Skallagrigg," I should not have been at all surprised to be just as deeply moved by this book by William Horwood.

I am sure that there are many who, like me, will see reflections of their own lives as they read The Boy With No Shoes. However, there has got to be something here for everyone. I would not hesitate to recommend the read to anyone, and I am confident that my friends will thank me for doing so.

Footnote: If this sweeps you along on an emotional roller-coaster, you should definitely read SKALLAGRIGG by the same author.

This memoir of an abusive childhood is raw, and uplifting. Jimmy has his heroes as well as his demons and manages to find a place of safety in an alien and horrific world.

This book is 'fictionalised biography', loosely based on Horwood's own childhood. In this book, I could recognise some of the imaginative writing evident in Horwood's other works.

I recommend this book highly. Not so much because of the recounting of a childhood filled with deprivation and pain, but because of the triumph of spirit and power of imagination that have enabled hope not to be overwhelmed by despair.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is the best biochemistry book I have ever seen and a well-kept secret for USMLE Step 1, in my opinion. In fact, I couldn't stand biochemistry and dreaded the inevitable Step 1 prep for it, memorizing all those pathways, etc. All that changed when I bought this book. Perusing this book actually made for a nice break in test prep and made me like Biochem. The book is fun and interesting, digestable, and clinically relevant. I recommend it to any student for usmle step 1 prep, especially those who may find medical biochemistry distasteful - it might change your mind like it did mine!

This biochemistry review book is excellent. Not only does it compile the most important biochem facts but it makes them relevant. Usually acquiring knowledge from a textbook involves bridging a gap between theory and it's practical relevance. This little book was such a bridge for me. It is actually interesting to read. I strongly recommend it for the USMLE Step 1 preparation.

Since it was originally written in the early 1900s, I don't imagine too many people nowadays have read this book without having heard of it through the 1985 Richard Pryor movie adaptation. But if you enjoy the film, as I do, then I'd recommend the novel if you can find it.

About all I'll say in comparing the 2 versions is this: the one and only similarity is they both center around a man named Montgomery Brewster having to dispose of a certain sum of willed money within a specified time period, without telling anyone why, in order to be eligible for a larger fortune. That's it. The novel's amounts are different, Mr. Brewster's profession and friends are different, and even the reason for the whole game is totally different - more complex and interesting in the novel, I thought. So it follows that Monty's methods of spending his money and the adventures, setbacks, and romances he experiences along the way make the novel a completely different story. Without giving away the book's ending, I will say that's different too, but equally satisfying.

Basically, if you're hesitant about tackling the novel because you're afraid it's just an outdated version of a story you already know, don't be. Read the book and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The 1985 movie was great, but Brewster's methods are far more diverse and humorous in the book. Notable highlights:

-Brewster befriends a pair of muggers by insisting they steal everything, even the $300 they overlooked in his right pocket.

-He hosts a luxury cruise for 50 to Europe, and the guests stage a mutiny to curb Brewster's inexplicable generosity.

-An Arab sheik tries to steal Brewster's fiance in Egypt, but is shot in the head while absconding.

A possible detractor: the book has far more dramatic content than the movie. This is not simply a comedic vehicle. It is thoroughly absorbing, nevertheless.

Steward spent 16 months working on this book and it shows. He takes the reader from "I" Day (Induction Day) to caps in the air graduation with the permission of the Navy. The photos tell the story. If you or anyone you know in interested in Annapolis, buy this book used.

This is one of the best books I have ever invested in this is great if you are ever interested the life of the midshipmen. The book is very insitefull. You recive an in-depth view of the traditions and expectations of the Academy and the Midshipmen. It is worth your time and money to purchase this book.

If you are teaching children's literature to prospective teachers, Head Start staff, librarians, or others who make vital decisions about acquisition and use of appropriate books for kids, you have got to own this book. If you are teaching Native American kids, you must own this book. It critically reviews and assesses the cultural authenticity and historical accuracy of hundreds of wellknown and otherwise highly regarded children's titles of the past ten years with a particular scrutiny for the taint of misinformation, cultural theft, and lack of balance.

I am glad to see that today, 1/31/06, this reference book is in the top ten best selling books about American Indians at Amazon. It is filled with critical reviews of classic and popular books that fall short in their portrayals of American Indians, but it also has many powerful essays written by Native men, women, and children, and their experiences with books and schools that relegate Native people to a monolithic and long-ago existence.

As a professor in American Indian Studies, I highly recommend this book.

Great charts - all I needed for my Psychopatholgy course and definitely all that's needed for Boards.

I've had the privelege of having the author be my professor at UMDNJ. Knowing Dr. Fadem personally, I can see the kind of care she puts into teaching students. It is with this same care that this book is written. This book is a great review of the material and is very useful for the Behavioral Science shelf exam (and Step 1 review)

I became obsesses with this movie when I heard Bruce Campbell speak at his book signing. It introduced me to the world of the Mojo story-telling of Joe R. Lansdale. I rushed out and ordered Writers Of The Purple Rage which included Bubba Ho-Tep. This volume not only includes the original story but also the screenplay to the movie. It is amazing how faithful Don Coscarelli has kept the script to the original. As an added bonus there is an inttroduction by Lansdale and Coscarelli plus their autograph to this limited 970 editions. The retail price is $40.00. Truly this is a bargain at $28.oo. If you see the movie, you will definitely want this fine companion piece!!!

Once upon a time, Texan writer Joe R. Lansdale was forced to put his ailing mother in a rest home. The writer found the place both sad and creepy...and a wonderful setting for a story. Combining two fallen heroes from his youth (Elvis Presley and President John Kennedy) with an interest in archeology (i.e. mummies) Lansdale drafted the story Bubba Ho-Tep, wherein the eldery men who may or may not be who they say they are (the aforementioned misters Presley and Kennedy) battle a soul sucking mummy that is feeding on the frail residents of the rest home they live in. Lansdale's story is sad, spooky, funny, and ulitmately heartwarming as the two find themselves vitalized by the battle with a nemesis that only they can see and touch. Ironically, Lansdale did not care much for the story and was surprised when it became a fan favorite. He was also stunned that Phantasm writer/director Don Coscarelli wanted to make the story into a movie. Considering how oddball the concept was, it is no surprise that financing Bubba Ho-Tep would prove problematic. But Coscarelli stuck to his vision and snagged Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis to star and managed to make the movie he wanted to make. When no one would distribute it, he distributed it himself and a bona-fide cult classic was born. In this book are Lansdale's story and Coscarelli's respectfully faithful shooting script. Whether you are a fan of Lansdale, Coscarelli, or Campbell (or all of the above, like me) this book is required reading. Highly recommended.