Systems Books

I was amazed at what an excellent writer Michael J. Fox is -- his story was candidly written with insightful accounts of his incredible journey. I was also impressed that the proceeds from the book all go to research for a cure for Parkinson's disease. Way to go, Michael!

I bought this book on the recommendation of my Medical Terminology teacher. We were discussing neurological diseases and when we got to Parkinson's Disease (PD) she mentioned that she had read his book and how much she enjoyed it. So I got it. I was not a huge "Family Ties" fan but I have paid attention to Michael J. Fox's career especially of late since his disclosure of having PD. In the last few years he has been on a show here and there as a guest. He was on Boston Legal and I thought he was superb! You could clearly see that the camera did not stay on him very long but his acting was top-notch nonetheless.

That said, his book is written with extreme openness, heart and humor. He has such a wonderful outlook on life especially in the wake of learning he has PD. He writes from a place that we wish more stars would be able to go - the very sincerest depth of his being - so much so that I found myself in tears a few times as I read. He writes as if he were telling you, the reader, the story in person. He is himself more in this book than I've ever seen him in an interview on TV. This is a very true, revealing, heart-warming story that definitely gives the definition of what it takes to be considered a Lucky Man today. I highly recommend the book.

Michael J. Fox opens his 2002 memoir in late 1990, in the moment he first notices the pinky-finger tremor that leads, a year later at age 30, to a diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Then he backs up for a hundred pages to describe his growing-up years in Canada and rising-star experiences in Hollywood -- including an interesting theory of "celebrity" (that it is a gone-haywire extension of the suspension of disbelief/emotional connection that are required of an audience during a performance). He devotes chapters to his PD diagnosis and treatment (including his concealment of it) and to his descent into career and personal crisis. Though it seems PD would top his list of problems then, he notices it doesn't even make the list which includes alcoholism. Fox finishes by describing his redemption, his "coming out" about PD, and his work toward PD research.

The memoir's structure and writing exceeded my expectations and I wondered about a ghostwriter -- until I read Fox's acknowledgements, where he mentions the writing of it and thanks his writing-mentor brother-in-law ... Michael ("Omnivore's Dilemma") Pollan! Lucky Man is an informative, engaging, and insightful memoir.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Would it be just about Michael J Fox's life or would it center too much on his Parkinson's disease. I'm not usually big on reading celebrity autobiographies and memoirs.
This one is definitely worth reading! Mr. Fox shares his story with humor and humility and a wonderful honesty. He speaks honestly about his struggles with Parkinson's and trying to hide it in order to continue working. He also speaks honestly about his personal struggles with alcohol and depression. But the struggles don't dominate the book. There are many fun anecdotes about his years growing up in Canada and about the world of acting.
In the end, what made the biggest impression on me was his gratitude. Gratitude for the life he was able to have as an actor, for his family, and ultimately, even for the disease that changed his life.
This is a book that I would recommend for anyone who is interested in celebrity biographies. And I would especially recommend it for anyone who has Parkinson's disease or has a family member or friend who has this disease. When you have a disease such as this, it can be difficult to articulate to others just what it is you go through without sounding sorry for yourself.
Now when I need to explain this to someone, I can just hand them this book and say, "READ IT. NOW."
Thanks, Mr. Fox!!

Michael J. Fox's memoir "Lucky Man" is a great and inspiring read. One thing I admire about Fox is that he's basically an average guy who was dealt some wild cards and has managed to thrive in life - including, not in spite of, his circumstances. One thing I found consistently striking and inspiring is Fox's courage throughout all of his life experiences to be true to himself. In some instances, this meant following his natural instincts in his career, and in others it meant hiding his disease from the public as a delicately-timed and balanced lifestyle. His honesty and lack of pretension is also refreshing; he talks not only of the Hollywood lifestyle he had when his career took off, but also of his self-doubts and fears.

If you were also inspired by this honest perspective on enjoying life to
the fullest, I highly recommend the books Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, as well as Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Can Instantaneously Transform Your Life, by Ariel & Shya Kane. The Kanes talk specifically about living in the moment as a way of discovering magic in your life - how to do it, how to not do it, and how it is easy and effortless. In his book, Fox talks about how "his 'job' is whatever he happens to be doing at the moment - whether it's giving a speech, changing a diaper, writing a book," etc. If you'd like to discover a sense of truly being here for each moment and living your life as wholly as possible (without having to experience a major tragedy or disease), look no further than these wonderful books.

Book was in said condition, very nice. It arrived in a timely manner.
I am happy to have purchased it as the content is very meaningful and helpful.

I have been an Oswald Chambers follower for many years. I had been reading a tattered copy that belonged to my dad. For my birthday today I got this copy for my birthday and it is so very special. The leather cover is so soft and beautiful. Two shades of purple and liliac. Soft and comfortable to hold.

The dovotions are still current today. They make you look deep within your heart to what God is saying to you.

Highly recommend.

This book has been a profound daily devotional for me for 15 + years. I have read it every year. The insights this man of God had are some of the most relevant, authentic, and remarkable devotions I have ever read. I continue to be amazed.

Oswald Chambers gives the awesome truths of the Bible and God's character in this easy, daily study.

If I had to make a choice of only one book that I could have in addition to my Bible "My Utmost for His Highest" would be it. Next to the Bible, this book has had the greatest impact on my understanging of what is means to walk with Jesus.

There is so much in this book that I can relate to, having started my own company around the same time in Silicon Valley (although in software). John and Kyle made the same mistakes that many entrepreneurs thankfully make - they followed their passion instead of their senses, and didn't buckle under the pressure and the unknown. One other valuable lesson from this book -- document your process. This is a great way to share your successes and your mistakes with others. I wish we had more stories like this when I was working on my MBA - something more than the dry, non-applicable case studies stuck in front of us. And John and Kyle also provided one other important gem: how to save a few bucks a month at the neighborhood gym. Thanks guys.

I was in a book store and I was attracted to the title and the cover color. I picked up the book and read the jacket and I was hooked. I hardly ever buy non-technical books -especially non-fiction. But I was hooked after reading the jacket so I bought the book and assiduously read and enjoyed it. Also I am a Wharton alumnus. I also took classes with Len Lodish.

Eric Ericsson

The book spells out tips for starting a business (use credit cards instead of banks) and the mistakes the authors made along the way (when do you enter the market). You can even contact them after reading and talk to them about your ideas. The encouraging aspect of the book is that while they are starting their business, they spoke to their classmates who were making $200,000 on wall street and working for the dot-coms, but John and Kyle were not discouraged. I am happy that they were able to take an idea like a computer mouse shaped like a gold club and turn it into THEIR company. Congrats guys!

The Mousedriver Chronicles is the story of 2 Wharton MBA's who take a business plan developed on their entrepreneurship course at Wharton and decide to make a go of it. In 1999 they turn away high paying jobs at investment banks and over funded dot.com startups to go it alone.

Their idea: to make and sell a computer mouse that looks like the head of a golf driver.

They fund the venture themselves, find a manufacturer in Hong Kong, move to San Francisco (to be part of all the start up vibe in The Bay area) and run the business from the kitchen of their rented flat.

Their story is brilliantly relayed as they grapple with manufacturing, marketing and distribution hassles. The single product focus of their new company, named Platinum Concepts Inc., makes for a wonderful entrepreneurial story with excellent lessons about what it takes to succeed as a self funded start up. The two founders quickly learn that they need more than the theoretical knowledge acquired on their MBA at Wharton; they need to be street wise. They experiment with different mechanisms to make things happen and end up categorizing their execution strategies as follows:
Plan A: Make use of their business school network and contacts
Plan B: Hit the streets and the shops to find a creative solution
Plan C: Work the Yellow Pages

More often than not, plan B and C worked far better than plan A.

One of the founders, John Lusk, began sharing their entrepreneurial adventure with friends and family via a monthly email called "The Insider". The Insider was a real, often humorous, sometimes highly insightful newsletter about their adventure. The insider subscriber list grew and grew. MBA lecturers began distributing The Insider as prescribed reading. In 2001 Inc. Magazine featured a cover story on the company and its two founders. The Inc. cover story entitled "An American Start-up" focuses on the impact of The Insider e-mail newsletter. The email newsletters were used as the foundation for the book published in 2001 entitled The "Mousedriver Chronicles".
The company has since been shut down but the Mousedriver website still serves as a portal for entrepreneurs and copies of The Insider newsletter can be found in PDF format on the website: www.mousedriver.com

MouseDriver is about two guys who graduate from Wharton with MBAs in 1999 (the heart of the internet boom) and start a business manufacturing and selling a computer mouse that looks like the head of a driver golf club, turning down high paying jobs at dotcoms, investment banks, consulting firms etc.

As a small business consultant (Transcendence Consulting, LLC tcllc.net) I can tell you right now that if you are looking to start a busines, buy this book TODAY. It is an amazing look at the entire process of starting a business, from the ability to jump head first, manage yourself during
the highs and lows, deal with self doubt and solve an endless supply of problems. It is an easy read that will take you no time at all to complete.

the product was good,the delivery was on time.
The book was in good condition

I bought this because it was highly recommended as a must have for the software engineer. I browsed through it and I'm not sorry I bought it. It has some good stuff.

Besides agreeing with the other reviews all I can say is that this text has made me a better programmer. Truly.

Though this book is filled with debatable opinion and redundant information, it's an important read. Read it if only to keep software engineering topics fresh in your head. Otherwise, if you are already experienced, it's kind of elementary.

There is probably not a whole lot to say about this book that has not been said already, but it certainly deserves another positive review nonetheless.

I bought this book thinking that I did not have a whole lot to learn from it. I was certain I had read enough 'better coding' material in the past to know what good code was and how to produce it. I am sure you will not be surprised when I say that I ended up having a great deal to learn from this book.

Almost all of the coding advice, design strategies, and debugging techniques are backed up with real research data. At the very least, this means that even if you know the advice is sound already, you can more easily introduce the topic to other programmers, or even to management, and it has a greater chance of being taken in to consideration.

After reading this book, my code quality has definitely increased. I discovered that even the good practices I knew of before were not being put to effective use.

The book is very specific. It does not typically give you vague advice that sounds good if you don't think too hard about it. It gives you very specific, concrete advice, with examples and data to back it up.

The author seems to have put a great deal of effort into writing this book for every type of programmer (and even for people in software management positions). Every chapter introduction describes who should definitely read the chapter and who might benefit from simply skimming it over. He will also direct the reader to other chapters or specific sections of the current chapter based on the reader's knowledge and experience levels.

Finally, as others have said, I consider this a must read book for any programmer.

I have recently been studying Feng Shui, which has introduced me to Macro Biotics, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese medicine and the eastern philosophy of Taoism. If I hadn't learned about the 5 elements and yin and yang, I don't think I could've comprehended much of what has been written in many of the books that are out there- and I've ploughed through several. This book, however, not only gives a much better and more complete explanation than many of the other books that I've read, but I think that someone new to eastern medicine and philosophy could very easily understand this. Having been actively involved in nutrition for the last 12 years, I am familiar with many of the options that are available in alternative and natural medicine. This nutritional plan, however, makes the most common sense of any I have read about or tried. It just "feels" right to me. I bought four copies to give to family members for Christmas. And I just gave one to my clinical nutritionist for her birthday. She hadn't seen it and was overjoyed. I have been talking to her for months about "stuck qi" and "summer heat". Now we will be on the same page. She mentioned that she's interested in studying acupuncture after her kids get a little older. I think that maybe I had something to do with her decision. That and the fact that she saw incredible results in me when I visited my TCM doctor. Spread the word.

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern NutritionExcellent reference material. Easy to understand, you don't have to have a PHD.

It is the best book on nutrition ever! Yes it is heavily biased towards TCM, but it is perfectly fine with me. I thoroughly enjoy reading this book. It has good information, research and insights.

With so so many books on food, diet and nutrition, if I was to recommend just one book, this would have to be it.

This book was recommended to me and has come in handy for reference. It's really like a bible for people who are open to eastern and western medicine but prefer to use food rather than pills to help the body do its thing well.

I had studied Barbara Brennan's "Light" books years ago. Donna Eden made the information so simple and direct, it immediately changed my outlook on quite a few of my life's issues. The results were dramatic and I'm still reading this book on a daily basis to confirm and enhance these changes. I've even talked friends and family into ordering their own copies. This is the most impressive book that I've had the pleasure of reading in many years.

Bottom Line: Buy it
This book is FANTASTIC. Why? Well, because it is written for those who want to take their health into a more alternative direction, but are at a loss maybe what to do. In a word, self empowerment.
It explains kinesiology, and how you can muscle test with a partner to uncover what's going on in your body (and you don't need to go to medical school).
Plus, it's loaded with energy exercises you can do. From working with magnets, to the chakras, to clearing out each organ's neurolymphatics, clearing and tracing the meridians, to spiritual exercises when you need help realigning your energy, to a dental chart and what tooth corresponds to what organ, and the list goes on. This has more exercises littered through the pages than any other book I've ever come across.
I reference this book a lot, and highly recommend it, would also recommend the Touch for Health book by Thie.

The energy exercises in this book are easy and once you learn them, you can do most of the them without anyone even knowing. I was able to learn them by reading and looking at the pictures but when I saw the video, it was even more helpful. I highly recommend this book. Donna Eden shares wonderful stories of patients and even her own journey about how she got started. This book has encouraged me to seek an education in Touch for Health. The only downside for the lay person would be the meridians. If you haven't studied acupuncture, you will have difficulty trying to follow/find the meridians. It will definitely take some practice and memorization. Most of the exercises can be done alone or with a partner. It's fun to practice on others and see how changes occur after energy testing. Most of the people I taught have experienced immediate changes and felt lighter or more alert. It was interesting to witness first-hand someone who is stressed tell you that they feel a difference in their body, just by tapping on an area of the body and breathing.

This is a must read and a valuable reference even if you are new to the subject and not involved in a specific healing modality. An astonishing compilation that includes insights and practical applications for a variety of disciplines.

I originally read this book when it came out about 10 years ago. I found it interesting, but didn't do the exercises. However, it stayed in the back of my mind, and I knew that someday I wanted to take a class from Donna. I recently had the opportunity to do so, and now I'm hooked on energy medicine.

When you see Donna in person, you realize that she is her own best advertisement for what she teaches. She radiates vitality, health, and joy, and you just know that it is possible for you to feel this way as well.

I am now practicing my 5 minute routine twice a day, and am working with an energy medicine practitioner to fine tune my energy. As someone who has suffered for years with adrenal fatigue, I'm amazed at how my energy level is improving. I'm actually coming home from work with energy to spare, instead of feeling absolutely wiped out. That in itself is a miracle.

Also, anyone who works with the public knows how exhausting some people can be. Some of my customers and coworkers are "energy vampires", and I would get totally wiped out around them. Thanks to Donna, I now use routines to protect myself from undesirable drains on my energy, and I am feeling so much better. I lock myself in the bathroom for a bit of "Expel the Venom" and "Zip Up", and I'm good as new.

I highly recommend this book, along with the Energy Medicine Kit. In 5 minutes a day, you can start to turn your life around. Thanks, Donna!

I bought this book as an additional material to study for the CISA exam. However it didn't help me with the exam at all. Furthermore, in an attempt to cover many things, it did not cover anything in detail. This book is just an endless recollection of bullet points. On top of that, it misses very sensitive topics like disaster recovery planning.

Audit is not the most exciting topic in the world, but this no fluff book really sets the standard. The care the authors took is obvious from the start, the table of contents is one of the most detailed I have ever seen, it allows the book to be used as a reference.

My favorite chapter was Quality Management, best job of making quality approachable I have seen to date. My least favorite was Project Management, it seemed to lack the application and lean to theory a bit.

I am not an auditor, but as an auditee, this book really helped me understand how they think. Recommended!

Not having much experience in the IT audit field, this book was a great resource and was easy to understand.

This book has some material relevant to the CISA examination based on the 2003 content areas, although it is not organized or focused as a CISA examination guide. If you are looking for CISA review material for the test, I would strongly suggest to stick with ISACA's combination of review manual and questions CD. I also searched everywhere for study aids for this grueling test and ended up using ISACA's expensive material, but it proved to be the best choice as I passed the Dec 2006 test.

However, as owner of a copy of this book, I assure you that this is an excellent reference of IT management, planning, implementation, risk assessment and control procedures for anyone in the IT business. Most of the material is still relevant as of 2007.

This is a huge book but spends no more then 1 page on any topic. In my opinion the authors only have financial audit experience and little understanding of IT controls. This book shows the failure of the 'integrated auditor' as the authors are tyring to be IT auditors with little IT experience. They touch on some very good points in a few instances and, in general, the book is decent. The authors do not know much outside of the CISA, IIA and financial based certifications as they seem to think that the ISSA (Information Systems Security Assoc.) is sponsored by ISC2/CISSP's (it is not). Overall, I have not been impressed with this book.

Master Sha influenced my life much more than words can express. I want to share with you one extraordinary thing I have found, with you. My illness has as a symptom Acid Reflux Disease. I don't treat it with Tums or GasX but with the co-operation of the soul of my energy. When I feel indigestion I in an authoritative tone of voice I ask it to take the excess energy in my throat and digestive system and send it to my Lower Dan Tian. It has worked repeatedly for me. I Am sure the book Soul Wisdom will put a heavenly spin on you life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I absolutely LOVE this book. Dr. Sha teaches you how to heal yourself and others by using various chants, affirmation-like sayings, and by using various positions of your hands. He's a great writer and the techniques are easy to grasp and use in daily living. I recommend this book to everyone with an open-mind and desire to heal.

from the other 1 star review:

Has anybody noticed if you start with page nine of all eighty-some reviews that the majority of the reviewers have only reviewed Master Sha's books?

Has anybody noticed on Dr. Sha's website that he offers the services of "Karma Cleansing" for $1,000 and a Divine Protection Package for $1,200.

Has anybody noticed that most of the reviews for his books are regurgitated descriptions from the back cover or in the introduction of the book?

Has anybody noticed that out of eighty-some book reviews most are romantic reflections about the book's philosophy as if it were a novel instead of a how to get results book on self-healing?

Has anybody noticed that there are only approximately five reviewers out of eighty-some reviews that cite any reduction or elimination of specific, chronic, physical conditions?

I wrote a review called "Missing the Obvious" for another one of his books. In that review I made the honest observation that if Master Sha's soul healing methods work, and he includes specific techniques for healing the eyes, why does he wear glasses?

OK ,,TO ELABORATE ON MISTER SHA.......I WALKED OUT ON HIS LECTURE..his students were doing healings and talking/channeling...it was unbearable..
as far as the book goes if the exercises help you GREAT,,....
but he seems to be a very slick businessman....

I have read this book and four of Master Sha's other books. I would say that it is a clever and eclectic marketing mix of new age, psychic and traditional qi gong techniques. The techniques for healing specific ailments seem to be congruent with similar healing techniques which fall under "energy work".

The leap of faith for me is ignoring the inconsistencies in his seemingly virtuous intentions. Some things just send up a red flag for me.

Has anybody noticed if you start with page nine of all eighty-some reviews that the majority of the reviewers have only reviewed Master Sha's books?

Has anybody noticed on Dr. Sha's website that he offers the services of "Karma Cleansing" for $1,000 and a Divine Protection Package for $1,200.

Has anybody noticed that most of the reviews for his books are regurgitated descriptions from the back cover or in the introduction of the book?

Has anybody noticed that out of eighty-some book reviews most are romantic reflections about the book's philosophy as if it were a novel instead of a how to get results book on self-healing?

Has anybody noticed that there are only approximately five reviewers out of eighty-some reviews that cite any reduction or elimination of specific, chronic, physical conditions?

I wrote a review called "Missing the Obvious" for another one of his books. In that review I made the honest observation that if Master Sha's soul healing methods work, and he includes specific techniques for healing the eyes, why does he wear glasses?

Since then, I looked for contact information on his website. I called the contact phone number and spoke with one of his representatives. The representative I spoke with assured me repeatedly that Dr. Sha does not wear glasses. I told the representative that I have five of Dr. Sha's books and in all his photographs in the books and often on the book covers, he was wearing glasses. As we spoke I was staring at the website's homepage where Dr. Sha is smiling with glasses on. The representative said, "Oh it's because, like many other healers and guru's, he's so busy taking care of others he hasn't taken the time to heal himself."

Is it just me? Since when have we become so gullible or so helplessly in need of a medical cure or warm hug that we'll believe anything we're told?

My intentions are not to take away any hope for any readers involved; however, I would like people to make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to invest their money, time and energy on the newest spin in snake oil, even if it does tout of being on the N.Y. Times Best Seller list or come recommended by another best selling author.

Dr. Sha's concept of healing the soul first, then the mind and body healing will follow will make tremendous sense to anyone who has done any serious level of self exploration and soul searching, and will be quite eye opening to anyone suffering from illnesses that western doctors cannot explain. Dr. Sha's style of combining prayer, meditation, positive intention, visual imagery, and energy healing is revolutionary.
The exercises he describes which I have I tried provided amazingly powerful results.

It is a very good book for understanding TCP/IP protocol suite. It has lots of tools explained in detail to explore the different protocols on unix/linux based systems. Most of the protocols are presented well. It is a must have book for learning networking concepts. I highly recommend this book.

Either if you're a pro or a student, this book is a MUST-HAVE. "Buy it NOW, don't waste more time" is the best advice I could give to you.

This is a good book that covers all the fundamentals of TCP/IP networking. Good illustrations. Seperate chapters for each common application protocols.

This is THE BIBLE. This is the gold standard for the exposition of the TCP/IP protocol stack. Every other TCP/IP protocol book must be measured by the yardstick of this book. This is simply the most comprehensive book ever written on the TCP/IP protocol stack. It's crystal clear and utterly lucid. Stevens tome leads the reader logically, methodically and effortlessly through all of the layers of the TCP/IP protocol stack: the Link Layer (ethernet frames), IP layer, Transport Layer etc. All nuances of TCP/IP are discussed: Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), RARP, ICMP, IGMP, User Datagram Protocol, Transmission Control Protocol etc. In particular, the 135 page exposition of the transmission control protocol is a masterstroke. Application level protocols such as DNS, NFS, FTP, SMTP are discussed at length. TCP/IP Illustrated is Unix-centric. Given that the roots of TCP/IP are in Unix, every serious appreciation of the protocol requires at least a basic understanding of Unix philosophy. This book is a masterpiece of technical writing in Computer Science. Do not be mislead by the one negative review of this book on the spurious grounds that it is outdated. The TCP/IP protocol has not changed since the publication of this book in 1994. I have two copies of this book and will probably buy a third copy. I very, very highly recommend TCP/IP Illustrated Volume I.

This book has very well detailed TCP/IP information, unfortunately some of the information is outdated. The book is easy to follow, and would make an even better learning tool if updated. I bought the book since it was required reading for a class, but I would opt out for a younger publishing on this topic if I had a choice.

Thick Oracle book which is intended for developers who might need to understand the Oracle internals and administration parts besides writing SQL. It's useful for them working in other database also as the general database concept is simlar. Developers can now have more DBA knowledges after reading before on-going performing some DBA task.

Gr8 stuff for all the Oracle ppl.

A true masterpiece, and a great way to learn Oracle concepts. No more to say.

I have been an Oracle DBA for about six years and this book is still the one I turn to when looking for deeper insight into tough Oracle problems. The author recently published a new book on 9i and 10g and that one is also quite excellent. When it comes to analysis and clear writing style, no one can beat Tom Kyte for excellence. Highly recommended.

I bought this book on cheap clearance after the original publisher went out of business -- the best $12 I ever invested. Remembering even 10% of this book makes you better than 90% of Oracle developers, modelers and architects. Mr. Kyte's real world experience and reliance on solid examples instead of folklore makes this light-years ahead of any other Oracle book; it's the only Oracle book I re-read regularly. If you can afford only one Oracle book, this is it. And you may not need any other.