Applications Books

This is one of the best math books I've ever seen. The guy who wrote the book is my math prof in college, which also helps because he knows the books inside and out.
This book is very easy to understand when reading it, way easier than any other calculus books!

This is by far the best math book I have ever used. It is concise, yet easy to comprehend. Just by sitting down and reading some of the chapters and doing some of the homework problems, it's not terribly difficult to grasp some of the concepts. The application questions help students relate the mathematical concepts to real-life situations, and help students interpret what is really going on in the problems. I used this book last year and am going to buy it because the book in my current math course is terribly confusing. Bill's book makes calculus a whole lot simpler - and actually, a little more fun! He's a great prof, too! :-D

This is a great purchase for those who really need a foundation in the world of broadcast design. I have purchased other material from rich and glen before and they have really helped me out in alot of directions so once again my hat goes off to them. You get so much more for the price they charge and this book needs to be on your shelf. Great tips and insights!!!!!!!

The latest On The Spot book from CMP Books titled Broadcast Graphics, their very informative and short book of the hottest tips, was very informative with great nuggets of useful information. Not too much in any one gulp yet still gives you the "aha" factor. This book focuses mostly on Photoshop and After Effects in the broadcast arena (hence the title) and they even say this book is for those in television. However, the book also delves into keying, Illustrator, and script automation - so there's a little something for everyone. Let's face it, as a filmmaker you need to have a solid understanding of just about every facet of production and post-production and this book, with it's quick tips, can be helpful in a pinch. It's another arsenal in your toolbox. I only wish they had a quick index listing their tricks so when I'm really in a pinch I don't have to search thru the book trying to remember what chapter I saw the helpful hint. All in all, a great productivity time saver and quick read.

XML,XML,XML everywhere.

Also, there are tons of RE-written w3c XML specs.
but this is different covering all practical subjects with some java codes.

Make sure, if you are a novice at XML, get another introductory book(like inside XML) first.

When I got this book I already had quite a few XML books in my bookcase, all from Wiley, Addison Wesley, O'Reilly and yes, even Wrox... :-|

Being an IBM Certified Developer on XML, I know my way around the topic and this book certainly qualifies as a great addition to my collection. With all the numerous XML books out there that keep covering the same material, this book with its excellent content on the more specialized XML standards for B2B certainly is refreshing. So even if you know XML very well, you can learn a lot in this book.

Despite its average size the book covers a lot of topics, and the discussions are still very detailed while being concise and "to the point". There is little rambling here. The writing style is professional and interesting, and also include those personal insights that I appreciate in computer books. I like books by pros who use the stuff, not just write about it.

If you're a manager, analyst or some other less-technical IT worker who wants to know a lot more about XML itself as well as its B2B uses, you'll love it. It is technical and you'll have to get your hands dirty a little, but you'll finally be up to speed on XML & B2B and understand what people are discussing around you. Not only will it provide you with the much needed knowledge on XML, Internet transports and security, you'll get a lot on the B2B angle and help you in identifying which technologies and standards you should consider for your business.

Developers who know XML will have to expect some redundancy early in the book since there is a whole chapter on XML fundamentals. It can serve as a good recap, may cover some of the XML-related standards you might not know so well, but definitely paints a clear picture of how the whole range of XML stuff fits together in "El Photo Grande" (the big picture).

Unless you're an Internet protocols and transports guru, you'll learn some very valuable low-level stuff here and be better positioned to understand the impact of your designs. The chapter on security - one of the most critical topics in B2B - is very well explained and is an excellent intro to the various concepts, but you'll need a dedicated security book to truly achieve the necessary level of expertise that is required in the implementation of a B2B project.

Unfortunately, since the book introduces you to many topics and concepts but obviously cannot dig as deep as we'd always want (unless reading a 14-volume work), I would have expected the author to refer us to external resources and other books and he almost never does. There is also no bibliography so no help there either. With all the new concepts in there, a glossary would have been nice too, although there is a much welcome "Notes" section at the end with various references to terms and concepts found throughout the book. The companion website ...does offer references but they're mainly W3C sources (quite exhaustive though).

The best value of the book comes in part II with coverage on the various frameworks, vocabularies and standards in B2B XML such as ebXML, xCBL, cXML, RosettaNet, SOAP and BizTalk. Little of this appears in other books so you'll want to buy this one if only for that. You'll have to do more digging on the one standard you'll pick when comes the time to use these technologies in real-world scenarios, but at least here you'll be able to decide which way to go and why, and you'll be able to start prototyping too.

If you're an XML novice, the fundamentals chapter is nice but you'll want at least another XML book to gain any detailed and "hands-on" knowledge on the classic XML standards (XSL, XSLT, DTDs, DOM, SAX, XLink, XPointer, XPath, etc.) Allow me to recommend "Applied XML: A Toolkit for Programmers" and "XML Specification Guide" by Wiley, and "XML in a Nutshell" by O'Reilly as good starting points. Maybe you could even pick an XML book better adapted to your language since the B2B book strictly uses Java.

I don't mind the Java code throughout the book, even though I'm more of a VB developer. I hate books that provide examples in multiple languages since they waste space and end-up being confusing, and I understand how Java can be the best choice for the widest audience of XML developers. Anyways if you can't read Java code yet, you're probably in trouble already.

All in all an excellent book, I highly recommend it. You can expect the high level of quality that is so customary to Wiley books (and which seems to elude Wrox so often). It's cheaper than other Wiley books but still comparable in price to other publishers. Personally I would have preferred a thicker (even if pricier) book with deeper coverage but here you get a very good return on your money. Enjoy!

Building Problem Solvers is a very hands-on introduction to AI systems in general, and truth-maintenance systems in particular. All the systems discussed come fully implemented. In this regard, the book can be viewed as an accessible and detailed discussion of the code. For this reason, the best way to read any chapter is to scan through it first, then, carefully go through it again with the source code in sight.

The authors were PhD students of Gerry Sussman at MIT. Thus, this book is a great way to learn about the classic AI systems and techniques devised and refined at the MIT AI lab.

If you get serious about the book, you'll want to try out a few of the exercises. I found that the exercises are invariably insightful, though I wish some included implementation hints, because elegant solutions are often far from obvious.

In short, I highly recommend this book if you're looking to build some problem solver using proven AI techniques.

This book is very rewarding to study and put into practice. I had a lot of fun immersing myself in the concepts and systems developed in this book. Using the techniques of this book as a base, we've implemented BioHacker, a debugger for metabolic networks.

This book takes you on a journey through the techniques that have been used to build problem solvers, ranging from classical search techniques to Assumptive Truth Maintenance. It is very easy to read, despite the high level of technical detail. The LISP code that accompanies the book is well documented, easy to understand, and it works. It is a must have for anyone who truly wants to understand problem solving techniques.

If you're an experienced SAS programmer that is trying to transition to the Internet, then this is the book for you. I've found it immensely helpful in configuring SAS/Intrnet. Don also provides a demonstration suite that makes everything quite clear.

I have worked with Don for many years and he is the ABSOLUTE authority on SAS/IntrNet. I had a chance to read a number of the chapters and I think this book will be a 'must-have' for anyone who works with SAS/IntrNet.

From the simple to the arcane, this book covers the subject top to bottom.

This is a great guide for PPS2007. Craig Utley has done a thorough job covering PPS Monitoring & Analytics and Sony Jose's section on PPS Planning is very helpful. Solid Quality Mentors distributes this book to students of PPS2007 classroom courses as post-training reference material. Enjoy!
--Douglas McDowell, SQL Server MVP

This is an excellent text if you are looking into moving toward the Microsoft BI platform. The book starts with a nice introduction which includes an overview of data warehousing, ETL, and cube creation. It then moves into quite a bit of detail with PerformancePoint.

Craig has a very conversational style of writing which was very much appreciated. (sometimes these types of books can be very dry)

Overall I would recommend this to anyone looking to purchase or implement PerformancePoint.

Outstanding piece of work. The author really did his homework. It is about time an in-depth book was written about career counseling.

This book applies classic counseling theories for use in career counseling. It is an interesting and innovative look at this often neglected area of counseling.

Reviewed by Lisa Heidle for RebeccasReads (1/08)

In the book "Children and Traumatic Incident Reduction: Creative and Cognitive Approaches," therapists, social workers, parents and educators come together to discuss the approaches and affects of Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) as well as other inventive therapeutic methods.

"TIR addresses traumatic experiences to relieve any traumatic stress the client is carrying from that experience, bringing about a full resolution of the trauma, and often insights as well," explains Marian Volkman, the book's editor, in the introduction. Repetitive verbal reproduction of the traumatic event is used to help the patient address the experience, allowing them to reach a resolution, or end point, to the trauma.

Many contributors to the book have combined Traumatic Incident Reduction, or TIR, with Art Therapy and have experienced positive results. Therapist Anna Foley uses drawing to help the client express the incident that has caused the trauma. "Each piece of paper is a different scene. So that might take 30 pieces of paper, it might take 40 or 50, or as few as 10. But whatever it is, it's right; it can't be wrong. Whatever they have drawn, we map that out so one piece of paper reflects each memory."

Using objects like clay or magnetic sculptures allow the patient to feel comfort and grounded when delving into past events. Patricia Furze addresses the Western cultural approach, "...that contributes to children's avoidance of unpleasant feelings and sensations is our instruction to children to use distraction to move their attention away from whatever upsets them. This works well in the short term. Repression pushes the sensations and feelings out of conscious awareness. They lie dormant, yet in a position to continue to affect the choices the child makes." Because of this, many children are better able to handle future TIR, or imagined future events that resemble the original traumatic event. The benefits of this technique are the child feels empowered and becomes more resilient.

Protecting children from physical and mental injury is something we would all like to do, but the world in which we live can be damaging to everyone. It can be exceptionally devastating to children who have less power and control in the occurrences in their own lives. Although there are many differing opinions on the best method to use when helping a traumatized child, the majority of experts agree that early intervention is key. Parents, therapists, and educational institutions, along with all others who work with children, can benefit from "Children and Traumatic Incident Reduction: Creative and Cognitive Approaches."

Reviewed by Lisa Bullert for Reader Views (4/07)

It is a universal belief that one type of therapy will not work for every patient. "Children and Traumatic Incident Reduction" is a phenomenal array of tried-and-true therapies for Traumatic Incident Reduction for children. This book is a great tool for parents and professionals alike. "Children and Traumatic Incident Reduction" is necessary to have for any therapist or professional who works with children. Marian Volkman has done a magnificent job of collecting and assembling all of the information encased in this easy-to-read and understand book.

The case studies included are creative and innovative. Also in the book are interviews with professionals who work directly with the traumatic incident reduction techniques. Discussions include "TIR and Child Survivors of Domestic Abuse," and "Anecdotal TIR Experiences with Children." There are also detailed figures and sessions for the therapies. Case studies include "Full Head and Empty Head," "TIR and Art Therapy," "Future TIR," and many more. There are techniques used for infant trauma, "empowering the child to get their control back," and "Touch and Let Go" therapy. So much useful and thoroughly researched information packed into this priceless volume in the "TIR Application Series."

There are also chapters for parents including the subjects of "Parents Working with Their Children," and "Parents Success with TIR." This is a good book for parents to read because s/he may take away an understanding of the many different therapy strategies available to them and their children. The parent may find a way to ask questions about their own child and TIR and find ways to prepare them for the part a parent plays in the child's' healing process, if any. Traumatic experiences for young children are often difficult for entire families and "Children and Traumatic Incident Reduction" could help parents empower themselves to seek different kinds of therapy, and know there are several ways a therapist could approach the problem. Please note that this is NOT a "How-to-heal-your-Child-on-your-own" book, more of a tool to use in discussion with a therapist.

Finally there are wonderful chapters filled with memory lists and information on how to get training on TIR, There is so much useful information in "Children and Traumatic Incident Reduction" that this reviewer deems it a must have for parents and professionals alike.

Here are essays on young people that tell of their various ways of seeking God's presence in their ongoing lives--an aspect of faith observed and discussed with intelligence and sensitivity. Here is a book many of us will greatly value--its wisdom an important presence in our effort to understand children.
--Dr. Robert Coles, Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities at Harvard Medical School, and the author of The Spiritual life of Children.

This extraordinary book is a must read for all who teach and practice religious education. It gathers, with breadth and depth, the best current research from an exploding renewal in the study of the spirituality and religious development of children. Teachers, students and scholars dedicated to understanding and nurturing our children's growth in faith will find this rich volume indispensable.
--James W. Fowler, author of Stages of Faith and C. H. Candler Professor of Theology and Human Development Director, The Center for Ethics, Emory University.

Written in the best of the Evangelical tradition, Children's Spirituality is a must read for all those interested in children, the spiritual life and Christian formation. Descriptive phrases include well conceived and edited, clearly written and well documented, thorough and all-encompassing, academically sound and popular, combining research and practical application.
--The Rev. Dr. John Westerhoff, formerly Professor of Theology and Christian Nurture at Duke University, he is Theologian-in-Residence at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia

This pace-setting text considers a wide variety of topics related to the spiritual development and spiritual experiences of children. The chapters grew out of presentations at the first major conference to consider these important topics from a distinctly Christian perspective. The first section considers the important question of defining spirituality and summarizes some of the history of the spirituality of children, as reflected in theology and the Bible. Social influences on children's spirituality are considered, as well as how brain activity relates to spiritual experiences. The second major section highlights children's spirituality in the Christian home, both in history and at the current time. Here the development of the concept of God is considered, as well as how parents and children work together to construct understandings of spirituality. A third section reflects upon the spirituality of children in the church, including alternative perspectives of how spiritual growth and experience are best encouraged in that setting. The distinctive aspects of African American and Latino children's spirituality are given careful attention. Schools and other settings are examined in the fourth section of the book, with an emphasis upon moral learning, encouraging faith development with preschoolers, how spirituality helps children cope with serious medical conditions and the stresses related to being children of missionaries, and best practices in reaching inner city children. The book concludes with a chapter that examines how Christian's views of children's spirituality are changing, and anticipates a follow up conference in the near future.

CHAPTER TITLES AND AUTHORS:

1. Identifying Children's Spirituality, Walter Wangerin's Perspectives, and an Overview of this Book by Donald Ratcliff with Scottie May

2. Children and Mature Spirituality by Jerome Berryman

3. Historical Perspectives on Children in the Church: Resources for Spiritual Formation and a Theology of Childhood Today by Marcia Bunge

4. Biblical Perspectives on Developmental Grace for Nurturing Children's Spirituality by Klaus Issler

5. Unless You Become as One of These: Biblical Perspectives on Children's Spirituality by Shelley Campagnola

6. Christian Perspectives on Children's Spirituality: Social Science Contributions? by Rebecca Nye

7. A Sociocultural Perspective on Children's Spiritual Development by Wendy Haight

8. Exploring Scientific and Theological Perspectives on Children's Spirituality by Eugene Roehlkepartain

9. Children in Wesleyan Thought by Catherine Stonehouse

10. Children's Spiritual Experiences and the Brain by Scottie May and Donald Ratcliff

11. How Shall We Study Children's Spirituality? by Chris J. Boyatzis and Babette T. Newman

12. The Co-construction of Spiritual Meaning in Parent-Child Communication by Chris J. Boyatzis

13. The Child's Concept of God by Joyce E. Bellous, Simone de Roos, and William Summey

14. From Doctrine to Practice: The Influence of the Doctrine of Original Sin on Puritan Child-Rearing by Timothy Sisemore

15. Six Children Seeking God: Exploring Childhood Spiritual Development in Context by Dana Hood

16. Children in Congregations: Congregations as Contexts for Children's Spiritual Growth by Joyce Ann Mercer, Deborah L. Matthews, and Scott Walz

17. Nurturing Children's Spirituality in Intergenerational Christian Settings by Holly Catterton Allen

18. A Narrative of Children's Spirituality: African American and Latino Theological Perspectives by Karen Crozier and Elizabeth Conde-Frazier

19. Narrative and the Moral Education of the Christian Child by Victoria Ford and Esther Wong

20. The Ecology and Social Dynamics of Childhood Spirituality by James Estep and Lillian Breckenridge

21. Using Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Faith-Based Early Childhood Settings by Joyce Ruppell

22. Spiritual Influences in Helping Children to Cope with Life Stressors by Sara Pendleton, Ethan Benore, Katherine Jonas, Wendy Norwood, and Carol Herrmann

23. Ministering to Unchurched, Urban, At-risk Children by Gary Newton

24. Looking Back, Looking Forward: Reflections on the Conference and Anticipation of the Future by Kevin E. Lawson

Appendix 1: Children's Ministry Models by Scottie May and others

Appendix 2: Theological Life of the California Child by Earl Barnes with Miss Ora Boring (published 1892)

I spent quite some time studying this text but have thoroughly enjoyed it. I think that this is the best text for children's ministers to be reading today because it deals with the real life issues of spiritual development in children. Other texts are not dealing with such issues.

I highly recommend that someone read this book who is interested in learning about spiritual development instead of just trends and fads in children's ministry.

The book is a product of a very logical mind , written with remarkable pedagogical talent.
(Or remarkable pedagogical training...).
A worthy reading for anybody who makes a living in IT .
A compulsory reading for anybody who's in Infrastructure Support (LAN/WAN) because it gives you a very clear overview on what "the others" are doing or dealing with...
I wish this book was available years ago; would have made me a better professional.
I wouldn't be surprised if it'll be embraced as Academic Material by some Universities.

Cisco is a leader in the internet infrastructure, Cisco is also a proven leader in knowing how to integrate the WWW with business and provide a solution for their customers. Now they produce the study guide for the CISS exam and become a proven leader their as well.

In over 750 pages the author starts the certification journey with business application models, followed quickly with discussions for design and application requirements, after that you move to learning about Internet business solutions including 4 scenarios.

There are also several other scenarios in the book as well as 5 CISS case studies ranging from e-business to security. There is also 2 practice exams included, 1 for the CISS Applications and 1 for the CISS Solutions exams.

Overall I found the book a very good read and very well documented, the author has certainly given you a first class effort with this one.