Reviews Books

Last year I had an online AP World History course during first semester, and by the time May arrived, I had forgotten the small amount of history that I learned in the class. My friend and I skipped school about 5 days during the two weeks before the exam to study from the book, and I looked through it every night to review. We just received our scores from the 2008 exam today and she made a 4 while I made a 5! I simply learned the history in the book and emulated their advised test-taking strategy. This book is a must-have, and is far more interesting than your enormous World History textbook!

This book really helped me do well on the AP Test.I got a 4! It's concise and really amusing. It is a great alternative to reading from long and tedious college level textbooks with like 10 font. (Ugh...cornell notess...).I noticed that a lot of the information my teacher used when he lectured came directly from this book. I can not recommend this product more to any student who is or is going to be enrolled in an APWH course!!!

This is the best review and APWH test preparation that exists!! You will enjoy the style and the voice of the author, and this review will not be dry or boring like your textbook may be ;-)... The sample tests are very similar to the real APWH exam, which is NOT true of any of the other review books. This is not to say that you should substitute this review book for studying your notes and reading your text, because that will not work well for you, but it is a great memory jogger and maybe a great way to help you understand the most important trends and relationships that your textbook covers in more depth. Buy it if you plan to take the AP Exam!!!

I took the 2008 AP World History exam. To study for it, I read Kaplan's, Barron's, and Princeton Review's AP World History review. Of the three, I'd say Princeton Review offers the best history review. Kaplan's was skimpy, and Barron's was more of a textbook than a review. Not only is the Princeton Review book really organized, it also contains numerous compare and contrast essays (e.g. fall of Han empire compared to fall of Roman empire). The review is still lengthy, so this book may not be your best night-before-test cram. The practice tests more accurately reflect the actual test questions than most other prep books. The only downsides to this book are that it doesn't give you review questions at the end of each period and doesn't give you sample essay responses to the essay questions in the practice tests. I felt that the AP World History exam wasn't easy or hard. I just got my grade, a 5.

I goofed, I really wanted cracking the US history exam - we had to get it locally, but will save the World history book for next year.

The Crane is a nice, interesting story. Behind the story is is the parable of what happens when war comes. It is a great lesson in life and a great classic

A wise and well illustrated (by the author) childrens book, that is well known in Europe, and sadly overlooked in the US. Like "The Little Prince", this book has a charm and quality that transends age. It is about a man and a crane. It is about work,life,...the big questions the big answers. Good stuff. Sadly out of print.

'The Crane' is one of the most beatifully written childrens stories of this century. It is a parable that carries many important questions about who we are and how we live. As a teacher of English, I have found this book a remarkable resource and one that really allows for differentiation of learning with children around 11-12. It is a funny, sad and very touching story and I emplore somebody to reprint it, so that more people can access this wonderfull book. Why it isn't more widely known I do not understand.

I read this every summer at my grandma's. I never quite understood it, and I didn't quite like it but I did keep coming back to it. It's something of a fairy tale and something of a philosophical tale. If I had to describe it now I would call it hauntingly beautiful.

Reiner Zimnik, a former carpenter, was 26 and student at the Munich Art Academy when he wrote and designed this book in 1956. The illustrations, simple black and white sketches, stayed with me all my life. The most powerful one covers two pages with a few black strokes of sky, a fallen over little shoe, a dazed bird und the scribble: "Da war das Land traurig, und die Erde weinte." (The country was sad. And the earth wept.) As an adult I might say that it's a fable about the Second World War - what was there before and what came after. As child I experienced no other book that would speak to me with such immediatness. Though it wasn't that widespread in Germany I would still say that it's our best children's book till today.

I have met Dr. DeCherney. He has done a wonderful job on this useful text.

I used this book to study for my women's health exam and found the book user friendly.

Best choice for medical students who desire an introduction to Obstetrics an Gynecology. Includes guidelines for treatment. The first book at this speciallity for newcomers.

As a busy 4th yr resident, there is hardly any time to read the major OB/GYN textbooks. This text is a good review of major concepts in OB/GYN. It's a very easy read.

I used this book as a supplement to my 3rd year clerkship in med school. It is not a huge text, so it was great for looking up the details that were not found in Blueprints, especially if you are interested in OB for a career. The book is well organized and is easy to read. Too much to read for board review or shelf exams, but an excellent reference book for OB/GYN.

Book is very helpful and should be bought early during med school. It will make sure that you know frequently tested topics. Also great along w/ first aid for board prep. There are a few mistakes as this is a 1st edition book, but the book is well worth $20.

This book is not all encompassing however it does bring back into mind high yield facts that you should know. I would recommend using this book in conjuction with the First Aid

Just be careful when you go through this book, because there are quite a few typos. Usually it's nothing important, but once in a while it may confuse phase I and phase II, for example :). But again, it is not intended to be an ultimate resourse, so just be attentive not to confuse yourself.

Otherwise, this is a truly terrific book, and I still give it 5 stars because I certainly prefer to have it now, with the typos, rather then wait till all the little things are cleared. It helps me to structurize my studies so much, that I really cannot imagine what I'd be doing without it.

2Authors: Great job! Thank you very much!

I used this book as a quick review in the final days before my step I exam and scored much higher than I expected. I found it to be a great resource.

Deja Review is an innovative approach for Step 1 recall. I used this book as my primary resource and did outstanding on boards. Buy this book...you won't regret it!

It contains loads of information on things you encounter in your daily life, yet presents them in a funny and fun way. The drawings by the author are the best part, it's the icing on the cake! It is great for kids of any age, especially good for summer reading, and a fun read for adults as well. Then keep it as part of your reference book collection.

An excellent book!! Day not only displays his knowledge and artistic talent in this book, but puts everything together with humor and wit. No facts were spared, he'll give it to you straight what can happen to you if you don't give creepy critters some space, and the cartoons will make sure you get the picture ;) All ages will enjoy this entertaining and educational masterpiece!

Ok, so my kid (6 yrs old) asked me if he could read this book instead of playing with Legos. Yeah, I'm still reeling from that. If that's not a glowing recommendation, I don't know what is. This book is like a field guide with all the boring stuff stripped out. It dives right into the information that kids really need -- all the things that will make you itch, swell up or scream mommy! And how to identify them, avoid them or treat them if your curiosity makes you "forget" the first two things. And the cartoons scattered throughout? Brilliantly twisted - in a kid appropriate manner of course!

This book is great! Has an enormous amount of information, that is supported by medical information, wonderful drawings, great humor, and is great for children (and adults actually)! I would recommend this book to anyone with children, as it's a fun way to learn about their environment. Mr. Day is an excellent author, and I look forward to seeing more of his work!

As an educator for 30 years, I love every page, every illustration, every humor punctuated in the text!
Every school library should have this book!
Dr. Yu-Lan Lin
Boston Public Schools

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.

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

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.

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!

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.