Research Books

I want Peter O'Toole to scrible my life story. One of our grandest actors turns out to be a remarkable writer. If he was writing about any other person than himself, this would be a great book; a most enjoyable reading experience; and a primer in how to tell the story of a larger than life person. As it happens, Peter O'Toole, the exceptional writer, is writing about Peter O'Toole, the peerless actor.

And this is Volume Two! Do grab the first book, "Loitering With Intent: The Child." It is not only a fascinating story of the very early years of O'Toole's boyhood in Ireland, it is also a personal account of the world plunging into the chaos of the 1930s that became World War II.

Read them both...preferasbly in order. And pray Mr O'Toole is with us long enough to craft volume three!

Peter O'Toole continues recounting his early years in the second volume of his biography. It has a slightly different style than the first volume (The Child), but is still extremely enjoyable. Highly recommended.

That O'Toole can write is no surprise to anyone who has seen him act, since--although he is saying others' lines on screen--a pulsing intelligence comes through in his performances. (Brando can't write in SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME, and neither could KATHERINE HEPBURN in her autobiography. As good as they are as actors, they don't suggest eloquence on the screen...despite the quality of the lines they say). But O'Toole is not one of the greatest writers alive. This volume shows that. His writing needs to be more linear. He IS one of the greatest actors alive, however. So I wish he would leave his desk and get in front of a movie camera or on stage instead. I don't believe there is such a thing as a genius actor. But if there is, O'Toole is it (and the only one). There has certainly never been an actor as charismatic (well, maybe Cary Grant. But could Grant have played serious drama as well as light comedy? He never played in a drama that I know of).

Who says a great actor has to be a self-absorbed boor with no life or thoughts of his own offstage or off-camera? This second installment of noted actor O'Toole's autobiography brims over with vitality, quirky charm, and loving reminiscences of fellow drama school students, teachers, and a host of other fascinating souls. O'Toole is clearly one of those people who makes his own fun, and naturally finds kindred spirits wherever he goes in life. He doesn't choose his friends based on their status or what they can do for him, he just enjoys their company. And how! The myriad, unorthodox ways O'Toole and his pals devise to obtain lodgings, food, semi-clean laundry and other of life's necessities will have you laughing out loud. One of many highlights concerns the delightful, party given to celebrate the final hours of leaky old houseboat, where guests take turns pumping the sea back out even as it sloshes at their ankles. A rip-roaring good time was had by the artist as a young apprentice, and his mates!

O'Toole has a gift for the English language -- you just want to read whole chapters aloud, to enjoy the sound of the words. There are also scores of laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes sprinkled throughout, all told with wry joy. This isn't a typical actor's memoir -- this is way more fun.

If you practice law and are finding that clients are increasingly demanding you to be more tech-savvy, you'll want a copy of Jerry's book on your shelf. Sharing the same high-quality information that Jerry has put into his presentations for years, he makes this book a superb collection of lessons that will keep you flipping pages through to the end. This book is not one that you'll read once and put away - you'll find it answers just about any question you'll have about using the Internet on a day-to-day basis. Unlike most books about the Internet, this is one whose value will remain for quite some time.

Jerry Lawson's The Complete Internet Handbook for Lawyers (1999), is the standard reference for attorneys who use the Internet or who don't yet but should. Besides providing his own substantial guidance for using the Internet, Mr. Lawson surveys, organizes, and synthesizes data and resources from and about the Internet. If there is one book for attorneys about using the Internet, The Complete Internet Handbook for Lawyers is it. The book is a bargain at $50 given the time it will save and revenue it will help generate.

You could run all over the Web just identifying the opportunies and issues presented by the Internet for your law firm. Then you'd need to evaluate a slough of disparate information to arrive at answers to those questions. Or, you could buy this book and have an astoundingly comprehensive and qualified treatment in one convenient and easy-to-ready package. I had a copy that somehow walked out of my office. I know why it's not coming back. Whoever has it is using it. I bought another copy, which I am now guarding.

T. R. Halvorson, author of Law of the Super Searchers: the Online Secrets of Top Legal Researchers.

The Complete Internet Handbook For Lawyers is comprehensive, definitive, and exceptionally well organized survey and explanation of the Internet specifically designed for law students, practicing attorneys, legal paraprofessionals, and law firm staffers. From the essentials for getting started on utilizing the Internet, to doing legal research on the Internet, to marketing legal services on the Internet, to ethic and security issues involving the Internet, to philosophical and practical considerations for the present and future practice of law and the influences of Internet, Jerry Lawson's The Complete Internet Handbook For Lawyers is a highly recommended, essential, practical reference and guide.

Rarely, law books are published which teach a complex and essential subject effortlessly. This is such a book for Lawyers about the Internet. The author's explanations of relatively new and still arcane subjects are excellent. His section discussing Public Key Encryption is a good example of the style and ease of learning thoughout the book. Other lawyers have tried and generally failed to explain this type of encryption in a way which is comprehended by the average lawyer who barely passed or may have even flunked algebra. Using a 250 word analogy, author Lawson teaches it in a manner that lawyer and layman alike can easily understand. Realizing that the Internet is new and changing in ways no single person can fully comprehend, the author also includes a unique chapter by a number of knowledgeable lawyers and support personnel who contribute their own observations and conclusions. No lawyer who has to practice for the next decade can ignore the Internet. For those who haven't started, or those who haven't yet incorporated the Internet and Email into their practice, there is no better place to begin than with this handbook.

What is the best way to learn and be secure in your learning -- work a problem through with expert guidance. This book provides clear advice about what statistics to choose for what problem and then provides small data sets. You can confirm your capability by working the problem step-by-step with the authors -- that includes understanding the meaning of your result and drawing an appropriate conclusion. Students love it. Me, too.

I cut my teeth in statistics with the first edition of this book in 1968, back before we had computer programs to do our statistics for us. And I have kept the second edition on my shelf since 1977. The book leads the reader step by step through the hand calculations for all the basic statistics, and for some relatively obscure ones as well (such as tests of the difference between two correlations or between two proportions). These days, students of statistics go right to their keyboards, and the statistics come out a millisecond or two later. But if you want your students to see how these things are actually calculated, there is no better reference than this.

I also used the first edition of this book. Several copies of it in fact. The first two editions were true handbooks that were never out of reach from my desk (unless "borrowed") for over thirty years. I cannot recommend this book too highly to anyone who will be using statistics. May it be as true a friend to you as it was to me.

(But did the price have to increase so drasticly?)

Had orginally purchased an edition in 1974; carried it with me for 24 years and then lost track of it. Remembered how good it had served me. One of few places I could find a point-biserial correlation. Step-by-step approach extremely helpful. Examples useful.

I cut my teeth in statistics with the first edition of this book in 1968, back before we had computer programs to do our statistics for us. And I have kept the second edition on my shelf since 1977. The book leads the reader step by step through the hand calculations for all the basic statistics, and for some relatively obscure ones as well (such as tests of the difference between two correlations or between two proportions). These days, students of statistics go right to their keyboards, and the statistics come out a millisecond or two later. But if you want your students to see how these things are actually calculated, there is no better reference than this.

Clifford A. Pickover is a Renaissance man. He may not like the label but for me it is one of the highest accolades of intellectual accomplishment. A quick scan through this book is enough to confirm his standing: mathematics, computer programming, art, medicine, music, speech, biochemistry, electronics, education, biology, aesthetics etc. etc. It's all there.

This is one of my favourite books and is getting quite dog-eared by the constant use it gets. It is a book to enjoy as well as to refer-to, a book to cheer you up and to fill you with wonder. Not that it is perfect mind you. Far from it. It is now quite dated and the illustrations could do with a decent makeover. The treatment is often abrupt and episodic and the writing is sometimes hurried and muggy. But who cares! The overall effect is of frenzied genius and lively enquiry.

My main interest was in Chapter 14. Dynamic Systems. It is not an in-depth treatment by any means but it yields some beautiful ideas. I implemented and experimented with most of the algorithms in the chapter. They work and provide some essential insight into the evolutionary nature of most complex systems.

Get the book. The reference list by itself is worth the price.

Perhaps for the new century the technology is a bit out of date, but this book is a well written introduction to both basic and complex computer graphical ways of describing mathematics and natural phenomena.
An excellent feature of the book is its pseudocoding used to explain concepts and to be used by the reader as stepping off points for the amateur computer programmer to play.

In Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty, Clifford Pickover focuses on how theories of fractals and chaos lead to computer-generated graphics - and how graphics in computers have connections to the unseen world. From how data is processed and displayed to patterns present in complicated data, this provides both artists and scientists with an intriguing set of concepts.

This book inspires and entrances with something for everyone, from the adventurer with an artistic eye, to the most esoteric mathematics devotee. At practically any level of understanding, it provokes the desire for learning, and an aesthetic appreciation for math that is usually reserved for those who make higher math their lives' work. Best of all, this book can be "grazed", i.e., read out of order and sporadically, gaining benefit where one may. A must-browse for anyone who has ever wondered how mathematics could ever be interesting or powerful.

The algorithms presented in the book are simply too fascinating to be true. Each illustration of fractals or the strange attractors are accompanied by an algorithm which I tried with "C" language. They work excellently and it is a visual treat to watch the fractals unfold, strange attractors trace out intricate patterns and the Pascal Triangle rise like a phoenix before your own eyes. Each algorithm you translate into a program gives you immense joy at having discovered a new hidden hand that leads nature and beauty through the illuminating principles of mathematics and reaveals the deepest mysteries of nature in close collusion with the arcane folds of mathematics.

Connecting Online is a fascinating text that explores two worlds--the Internet with its many tentacles and the public relations industry--and how to merge them with powerful results. Sherwin and Avila start off with a well-written explanation of the Internet-not just the World Wide Web, but also ftp, e-mail, Usenet, Internet etiquette. In short, all the various pieces that fit under the umbrella of the Internet. They also explore the public relations world if briefer than they did with the Internet--releases, media relations, crisis communication. Having accomplished the groundwork, they set out on their main objective--explaining how to have effective public relations online.

They demonstrate a variety of interesting, if not necessarily the most innovative techniques. Examples abound, including finding the right consultants, costs, hardware, software, and utilizing websites for maximum advantage. In this, Connecting Online is none too dissimilar to Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, which also covers using the Internet as the means to attain public relations objectives.

Drawing upon their experiences in both the Web and in the public relations industry, Sherwin and Avila provide several valuable pieces of advice. What makes this text even further stand out is the style in which it is written. Deft uses of humor in the technical explanations assure that even those with a layman's grasp of the terminology and technology will have little difficulty in understanding, grasping, and using Sherwin's and Avila's methods and advice.

In Connecting Online: Creating A Successful Image On The Internet, Gregory Sherwin and Emily Avila draw upon their extensive expertise and experience in clearly and definitively explaining the history, demographics, features and benefits of the Internet; show how to utilize email, the World Wide Web, Usenet, FTP, and other Internet tools; explain Internet etiquette, press release, crisis communications, security, and other public relations essentials, reveal how Web pages work and provide some strategies to research, build, maintain, and keep websites current. Connecting Online also covers issues such as costs, hardware, software, hiring consultants, and obtaining proper technical support for establishing and maintaining a website or an Internet presence. Connecting Online is an ideal, informative, comprehensive "user friendly", and highly recommended guide for learning all of the aspects of establishing a an effective online public relations strategy.

This book was exactly what I was looking for. Although, I am not sure I agree that my business isn't ready to jump into online sales... the significance of applying public relations techniques and solid, thought-out strategies online is certainly important to me at this point in my business' life. Connecting Online provided the answers I was looking for on the relationship between the Web and maintaining my company's overall image. The book also offers some great information, data, and step-by-step procedures. Although I wasn't looking for a site management book, this book covered new territory that will certainly help my communications with our Web team...all on terms I understood. In fact, the humor in this book made the most technical areas quite fun!!! What can I say, I just got done reading it and I highly recommend it! What a great read!

Connecting Online: Creating A Successful Image On The Internet explains why it is essential to establish a solid image and a communicative environment with specific Internet audiences. Authors Gregory Sherwin and Emily Avila have collaborated to created a guidebook that will help the most novice of computer users to get up and running with image building strategies, even when they have had no prior experience with, or training in, public relations. Connecting Online covers the history, demographics, features and benefits of the Internet; how to effectively use email, the Web, Usenet, FTP, and other Internet tools; Internet etiquette, press releases, crisis communications, security, and public relations essentials; how Web pages work including strategies to research, build, maintain, and keep them current; costs, hardware, software, the hiring of consultants; the technical support required to establish and maintain a website or an Internet presence; and much, much more. Connecting Online is "must" reading for those new to Internet communications and public relations and a handy reference for anyone needing a refresher in the art and craft of building a successful and profitable Internet presence.

The authors of Connecting Online have chosen to supplement the book with a companion Web site of the same name, which includes a wealth of information for PR people who want to use the Internet to its full advantage. This site contains updated links, organized by chapter, to all of the Web sites mentioned in the book. Connecting Online is the best resource I have seen for online PR professionals.

This book is fantastic! Anyone who is interested in the stem cell research debate from a secular point of view. There is no mention of God or religion or the bible. Just clear, rational thinking about the debate. Smith, I believe, is the pioneer of the "human exceptionalism" philosophy, which I very much admire him for.

I found this book to be extremely informative and learned quite a bit from reading it. Prior to reading this my exposure to the issues inherent in some of the biotechnological initiatives discussed here was what is presented/argued about in the mainstream media. Mr. Smith has done an admirable job in describing the details associated with cloning and stem cell research , embryonic as well as adult. His arguments regarding the scientific and ethical dilmma that these potentially powerful technologies represent are thought provoking and logically presented. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation out there regarding these issues on both sides of the argument. This book lays out the conservative viewpoint in scientific terminology and I beleve that Mr. Smith has made a valuable contibution to the debate that our society is engaged in on which direction to take with these technologies.

Wesley Smith is a leading voice in the public debate surrounding the hottest issues in bioethics and biotechnology. His latest book, "Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World," is essential reading for those who wish to better understand many of these important issues and what is at stake.

Smith makes abundantly clear the ethical dangers involved with embryonic stem cell research (ESC) and human cloning. The creation of human life in laboratories purely for the purpose of destroying it and harvesting it as raw material is a frightening prospect. And Smith makes a strong case for the banning of human cloning.

All the while, he is careful to draw a distinction between research involving ESCs and research involving adult stem cells (ASC). The latter procedure is NOT controversial and to this point has proven the most promising in terms of positive medical breakthroughs. In fact, Smith goes on at length in describing all the many wonderful benefits that we can expect and should actively seek through biotechnology.

Biotechnology is very exciting and quite promising. Government funding for biotech is entirely appropriate and should continue. Private R&D should likewise be promoted. But, like in any industry, there must be at least SOME ethical guidelines that should be adhered to if we value the equality of all human beings. When the genetic makeup of humanity is itself altered--like through the creation of clones or human-beast chimaeras--the equality of all human beings is eroded.

What Smith warns against is scientific research completely unhinged from ANY sort of ethical bounds or considerations. He speaks out against a new eugenics that would allow human life to be treated as a resource for harvesting, as if it were a scene right out of "The Matrix."

Smith also provides insight behind the radical ideology driving many cloning advocates (scientism, elitism, transhumanism, etc.) Very important is Smith's discussion of the PR campaign waged by Big Biotech, which seeks large infusions of cash from governments by making lofty promises about the sorts of immediate medical breakthroughs that can come from cloning and ESC research. Such promises play upon those who find themselves or their loved ones in desperate situations, offering imminent miracle cures, when serious medical progress remains years or decades away.

This book is very readable, highly engaging, and strongly recommended!

(This reviewer works for the Discovery Institute, which the author has an affiliation with. Yet, I had zero input or involvement on the book and these views are my own.)

The title is tongue in cheek: This is the ordinary person's guide to how NOT to end up in the nightmare scenario of Aldous Huxley' "Brave New World." The author is a non-scientist, which actually helps, as he explains terms like "somatic cell nuclear transfer," "embryonic stem cell" and "regenerative medicine" so the generally educated reader is enlightened rather than turned off. Smith's argument is that these new biological powers have implications that are far too important to be left to the scientists, the biotechnology companies, and the tame ethicists who work for them -- they pose dangers to our very idea of human equality and human rights. The book closes with sensible recommendations for things society should oppose, and things it should support, to advance medical progress without losing our sense of humanity. A very timely must-read.

In 1932 Aldous Huxley wrote his prophetic and chilling novel, Brave New World. In it he mapped out a future in which science, instead of being a great help to mankind, becomes the undoing of human nature and personhood.

Seventy years on one has to ask where we now stand. Smith thinks the picture does not look good. While we can all be grateful for advances in science and technology which have extended life, healed diseases, and made us all much more comfortable, there is also a dark side to this progress. It is this negative side, and its potential, that this volume addresses.

Smith looks at many of the recent and controversial issues in biotechnology, chief among them, genetic engineering, human cloning and stem cell research. He does a good job of explaining where we are with these developments, and the various possible shortcomings they may raise.

But of real value in this book is the author's concern to not just focus on the biotechnologies alone, but to look at the bigger picture. Where are these developments taking us as human beings? How are these new advances impacting on our understanding of humanity and human worth? Are moral and ethical concerns being swept under the carpet as we race ahead with scientific breakthroughs?

Smith reminds us that it is all too easy for prudence and ethical interests to be sidelined in the chase for fame and fortune. Careful, objective science can easily be compromised and marginalised when so much is at stake.

Smith notes that we now see the rise of a new scientific-industrial complex, every bit as worrying as past alliances with the private sector. Both academia and the scientific community are becoming increasingly cozy with the profit-making community. While that may not be bad in itself, an unduly cozy relationship may well mean trouble ahead.

Thus the reality of Big Biotech is now a genuine concern as much as is Big Oil or Big Tobacco. As but one indication, in the past quarter century $100 billion has been poured into the biotech sector. As a result biotechnology companies today are largely research and fund-raising machines. And the old adage of `those who pay the piper call the tune' is very much a real concern.

And the money trail flows in all directions. Not only does Big Business drive much of the biotech agenda, but the latter in turn spends billions each year in public relations and political campaigns. The industry has many staff working full-time as paid-lobbyists and PR wizards, actively seeking to influence not only public opinion but the flow of tax-dollars.

Of course many of these biotech companies have ethical advisors who are meant to act as a safeguard against any untoward influences. The real fear is that this is just a case of ethics for sale. Many of these bioethicists are simply putting the company spin on things. Few are genuinely objective, neutral and independent. Most are in the pay of their masters and will happily do their masters' bidding. After all, if the main concern is to get a good return on investment to stockholders, what company will hire an ethicist to work against that concern?

Smith documents numerous cases of such questionable ethical advice, and how financial concerns very clearly determine much of the direction of the biotech industry.

Another major concern highlighted in this book is the transformation of objective science into scientism. Scientism is the idea that science alone, unclouded by any moral and other input, can decide what is best for us. Science is seen as saviour and the sole source of truth. The humility and objectivity needed for good science are jettisoned for an ideology that eschews other considerations.

This of course is a real concern, since much of the new bioscience is dealing with issues that have profound consequences for humanity and society. With so much at stake, other influences need to be brought to bear. Philosophical, theological and ethical input is crucially needed, but is often rejected altogether. Science begins to be seen as an end in itself, instead of a means to an end.

Thus science itself is becoming tainted in this process, and any concerns about how humanity may suffer as a result are seldom discussed. But Smith certainly raises the issues. He knows that the political and financial pressures brought to bear on the biosciences are having a very real negative effect.

One clear negative effect is the return of eugenics. This can especially be seen in the rise of Transhumanism. This philosophy states that any means available could and should be used to enhance individuals and their progeny. A very well funded and organised Transhumanist movement is quite clear about its goals: the transformation of human evolution by means of bioengineering and other emerging techniques. The aim is to create a "posthuman" species, free of the defects and limitations of mere humanity.

But the pursuit of human perfection always comes at a price. We should have learned our lessons years ago. But we are ignoring those lessons and repeating those mistakes. All the warnings of Huxley and others are falling on deaf ears.

Thus this book serves as a wake-up call. There are tremendous goods and benefits to come from the new technologies, and Smith is quick to point those out, but there are very real fears as well.

The future is very much in our hands, and Smith reminds us that it is not enough to have science alone or the marketplace alone determine how we proceed. The advances of science and technology need to be counterbalanced by advances in ethical and social reflection. And this volume very nicely serves that purpose.

A book built from the combined insights of two of the most successful marketers in the world. This is a tremendous resource for building the power brands of the future.

A little over a year ago I found this book while searching for a tool that could help me understand and communicate in my new boss' style. Some doubts had already been expressed about the success of our team, putting my job in jeopardy. I read this book over a weekend. The application of these concepts brought immediate results, particularly because it allowed to communicate a full, long term strategic approach to what had been perceived as tactics. The results on our brand were exceptional and my boss recognized and compensated very well my efforts.

How long has it been since you came across a book that you want to read twice? This book, with its eye-catching cover featuring the title as an embossed leather patch on the backside of a pair of blue jeans, is that kind of book. Authors Richard D. Czerniawski and Michael W. Maloney created this organized guide for marketing professionals and wrote it in a way that lets every reader learn. You are always told what you are about to learn, you're tested on that knowledge and then you are given real-life examples that reinforce the lesson. The authors debunk "established" methods, which they find condescending to marketing professionals. They believe that most marketers are tactically strong, but need to learn more about the strategic requirements of creating brand loyalty. We at getAbstract strongly recommend this book to senior managers, marketers, academics and - if you want to be savvy, too - consumers.

"Creating Brand Loyalty" delivers on it's promise. It offers proven step-by-step advice on how to position brands as well as how to work effectively with creative professionals to manage the expression of brands in advertising. Czerniawski and Maloney have distilled their considerable experience as highly paid consultants to leading consumer packaged goods brands into a practical and highly informed guide to the art and science of positioning.

The guidance, tools, templates and forms provided in the book give you everthing you need to develop a positioning for your brand and to communicate your brand's essential value proposition. Advertising agencies and public relations firms should pay their customers to read this book!

Czerniawski and Maloney developed a great strategic roadmap for brand positioning as well as creative agency management. Everyone in brand/product management should read this book. It provides a strong strategic structure to manage and develop your brands for long term success. I've given copies to everyone on my brand team.

I return to Nigel Slater's cookbook, Appetite over and over again. He give's us great recipes, and then teaches us how to vary the recipes - an invaluable skill in the world of cooking and eating! Bravo Nigel.

Nigel Slater is a real cook. His books are a joy to read. He makes you want to jump-up and cook. He inspires.. A no-frills cook. Comfort food is OK. His traditional recipes are soothing, pleasing, comforting. - Food Porn!

This is an inspiring read. Slater writes about real food the way real people like to eat. His recipes are practical and unfussy. They are irreverent and certainly do not submit to any soul and appetite destroying preoccupation with ersatz low-taste,low-fat food. Worth reading for the description of how to roast a chicken that is almost poetic

`Nigel Slater's Real Food' and `Real Cooking' by Nigel Slater (name above the title, of course) are two great expositions on the real joy of cooking. Slater characterizes his point of view in the motto to `Real Cooking' as `There is too much talk of cooking being an art or a science - we are only making ourselves something to eat.' With this sentiment, Slater dismisses the Shirley Corriher / Alton Brown `kitchen science' camp on the one hand and the Keller / Boulud / Girardet `haute cuisine' camp on the other. In some ways, this also dismisses the high-end culinary magazine crowd as you may find in `Bon Appetit', `Gourmet', and `Martha Stewart Living'. While this seems to dismiss a goodly portion of the modern culinary establishment, it really does not. Slater is certainly in the same camp as his nibs, Jamie Oliver, his good friend, Nigella Lawson, and Oliver's mentors, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers of London's River Café. In fact, if I did not know that Oliver was primarily influenced by Gray, Rogers, and Gennaro Contaldo, I would have guessed that Oliver was a Slater disciple from the word `GO'. I am happy to say that there are plenty of important cookbook writers in the United States who can easily be considered to be in Slater's camp. Leading the list is probably Jacques Pepin, especially with his various quick cooking books such as his latest `Fast Food My Way'. I do not wish, however, to give the impression that Slater is all about fast cooking. He is certainly about simple cooking in the same sense that Richard Olney describes in `Simple French Food', but he is a whole lot more about being in love with the sensual qualities of food and how well those qualities of various foods mix together in the most effective way.

What is certainly true is that both Slater and Oliver represent the kind of cooking I enjoyed on my two trips to England, primarily the kind of cooking I saw at some of the better pubs in Hampshire and in London suburbs.

Both of these books are primarily about recipes and the salient qualities of particular classes of food. For a study of Slater's `philosophy' of cooking in depth, see his recent book `Appetite'. These two books are even organized in very similar ways, in that each chapter presents a particular raw material or class of raw material. The more traditionally organized `Real Cooking' has chapters on:

Fish & Shellfish
Chicken & Other Birds
Pork, Bacon, and Sausages
Lamb and other Meats
Pasta, Beans, Rice & Grains
Vegetables
Cheese, Snacks & Puddings

The later book, `Real Food', which is also the tie-in book for a Television Series (not seen in the US, to my knowledge) is more to the point, with chapters entitled:

Potatoes
Chicken
Sausages
Garlic
Bread
Cheese
Ice-cream
Chocolate

The chapter on bread is a good indication of Slater's point of view, in that he gives us nothing on baking bread, but just about everything you may want (this side of Nancy Silverton's sandwich book) to know about making some really interesting and unusual sandwiches. Similarly, the sausage book says nothing about how to make sausages, only how to make the very best use of them.

True to his word in his `motto' quoted above, you will find not one word about the relative fat content of milk and cream, the emulsifying power of an egg, or calibrating the temperature of your oven. On the other hand, you will find much about, for example, the relative tastes of pork, beef, and lamb fat and the virtues of free range raised poultry. Here is one strong point of contact between the articulate and reflective Slater and the ebullient and emotional Oliver (or our own Emeril Lagasse, if you wish). Both will rhapsodize at length over the qualities of a nice thick layer of fat on a chop from an artisinally raised hog.

For those of you who do not like `chatty' cookbooks, both of these books may be preferable to the very discursive `Appetite', although both of these books do have their share of culinary poetry before the recipe details. Neither book is as extreme as `Appetite' in the direction of teaching us to cook without a book. You can easily pick out a recipe from these books and make them without a lot of background reading or culinary skill. But never confuse `simple' with `easy' or `fast'. While Slater may do the Rachel Ray gig in other books, these books have their share of slow marinades and braises. They also have their share of whisking, filtering, and thickening techniques.

The other side of the coin is that Slater's palate is extremely simple. Aside from his protein or starch of choice, few of his ingredients go far beyond the simple pantry of milk, cream, butter, basic cheeses, parsley, flour, lemon, lime, bacon, sage, thyme, bay, bread, olive oil, rice, stock, garlic, and mushrooms. Unlike Sir Jamie, Slater is about as down home English cooking as Paula Deen is about Savannah cooking.

The biggest difficulty an American is likely to have with Slater's recipes is that they are all make heavy use of metric units for weight and larger volumes in place of ounces, pounds, and cups. Even though I was a chemist thoroughly familiar with the metric system, I had to dig out a good conversion table to remind myself that a pound was about 450 grams. A lesser difficulty may be with Slater's names for common food varieties such as potatoes, although he almost always specifies `waxy' or `floury' potatoes rather than the English varietal name.

The other main difficulty with Slater's recipes is that they are all paradigms of high fat, high sodium, and high cholesterol preparations. They are definitely dishes to be eaten when the occasion calls for serious comfort food.

If you like Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson, you will really like Slater!

In Real Food, Nigel Slater manages to invoke the feeling and quality of comfort food but goes beyond that with some of the bold and certainly delicious flavours he encourages us to explore. Every recipe that we have tried out of this book has been a huge success. It's great to find a book where the recipes are simple without being boring. Don't comb through the book looking for the low-fat gems, instead enjoy these delicious recipes in moderation.

This book is a must have for Baseball historians like myself, chronicling the careers of players who played before the "long ball" was fashionable and at a time when the game was "becoming" the National Pastime! SABR writers have given us a valuable insight into the lives of these players of yesteryear. We cannot appreciate what it must've been like to play baseball back then, when salaries were extremely low and players had to take off-season jobs to augment them. One bad injury could cost you a career and if you strayed off the straight and narrow and put your lot in with the gambling element, banishment was always a possibility, as was the lure of alcohol. The stories of these gentleman are told with affection and with such clarity that we might just as well be reading about a long deceased family member than a ballplyer from the distant past. After reading this wonderful book you will find yourself re-evaluating your thoughts on today's star players, who want for nothing and are able to dictate in what direction their careers take. Such was not the case in the years between 1895-1920. It is sad to relate that we never got a chance to see these fine players in their heyday but thanks to magnificent books like this one, we can at least read about their exploits, some happy and mostly sad but always interesting and entertaining. A glorious book, I can't wait to recieve the American League edition.

I bought this along with the American League version. I like to pick it up and read about an older player or two each week. Interesting stuff. My friends who like baseball like to browse through it as well.

The Society for American Baseball Research rarely turns out a bad book, and "Deadball Stars of the National League" continues that trend. It is an excellent book, with short biographies of the major stars for each of the franchises active between 1901 and 1919, complete with photos rare and common. The book was an enormous undertaking, with a huge amount of people on the "Deadball" Committee of the organization taking part in the writing, editing and fact checking. It's a wonderful book for those wanting a feel of the game in the first decades of the 20th century, and of the players of that time, and I highly recommend it.

Fantastic book chronicling stars of the most misunderstood era of baseball. I really enjoyed learning of some of the lesser known stars like Orvie Overall and Mike Donlin. Great work by the SABR members. I can't wait to get the companion book for the American League.

I've been a member of SABR (The Society for American Baseball Research) for eight years, and I have always enjoyed the publications that they put out and send to their members. Many of the members of SABR work very hard on the projects that interest them, and the books that get put out reflect a lot of love, if not always a ton of quality.

This book is an exception. This is the best book I've ever received from SABR, and it's the sort of thing that makes me proud to be a member. Meticulously researched, beautifully laid out, and compulsively readable, this book offers profiles of over 100 players, managers, and executives from the Deadball Era of Major League Baseball (1900-1920). A few of these guys are still well-known today (Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, Rogers Hornsby) but the majority are players who, despite long, successful careers, have been forgotten by all but the most die-hard fan. I've been a baseball fan all my life, and I couldn't tell you the first thing about Armando Marsans, Howie Camnitz, or Homer Smoot until I read this book.

Thanks to the work of the members of the Deadball Committee, though, now I feel like I know these guys. I applaud the members of the committee for putting together such a well-written book, and I eagerly anticipate the AL edition!

If you've ever asked--or been asked--for a "just give me a number" estimate, this book is for you. It is simply one of the most important texts for Decision Support you can find. This book and supplementary software is an excellent value and a must-have for Program Managers, Project Managers, and Parametricians. Dr. Savage presents a wonderful way to learn a nontrivial subject by integrating concepts into simple learn-by-doing exercises that you can execute in MS Excel (with the included software ad-in). In terms of application, this book is virtually unlimited. If you need to make sound, objective, business-critical decisions, this book will provide you with the tools to do just that. Highly Recommended

Dr. Savage, a second generation statistician and consulting professor at Stanford University, provides a practical and hands-on introduction to analytical decision making. The book is jam-packed with sound theory presented in an easy to read format. The methods presented use the familiar language of Microsoft Excel to crack complicated problems with relative ease! This book & accompanying software helped me better understand 6-years of advanced engineering and business training. Recommended as an excellent resource for researchers, practioners, and educators alike.

I bought this book in 2003 and have learned a lot from it since then. This is not just a book, but a whole decision support system. For starters, just the software on the CD would more than justify the package price. The accompanying Monte Carlo software XLSim (an Excel add-in) is good enough for real applications - it will make you think twice before buying a premium competitor at a much higher price.

According to his website, author and Professor Sam Savage discovered that an Algebraic Curtain separated the bulk of his management students from management science. Prof. Savage has successfully dedicated much effort to removing that curtain. He has extensively used Excel, Monte Carlo, and resampling techniques to that effect. This book is an outstanding example of his work.

What is really great about this book is that it teaches you potentially complicated techniques through simple and straightforward examples that you can replicate using only Excel and the software included in the CD.

The 8 book chapters cover spreadsheet modeling in general, random variables, Monte Carlo simulation, queuing theory, discrete event simulation, Markov chains, forecasting (exponential smoothing, trends, and seasonality), decision trees, linear programming (including the Excel Solver), stochastic and non-linear optimization - all with clear and simple examples in a single book.

The author's writing style is informal, easy to read and sometimes even funny. A great learning (and teaching) resource. Highly recommended.

In his book, Decision Making with Insight, Dr. Savage really does lift the algegraic cloud that hinders the learning of management science and modeling. I second the above remark, I wish I had this type of text when I was in MBA school. The examples are truely enlightening.

I am actually reading this book for plan fun!

I wish we had this book at Wharton. This is an excellent book on Monte Carlo modeling and optimization, among other things. You just can't beat the value of the book + software, and I personally like XLSim better than Crystal Ball because it gives you the EXACT SAME result, but in a much faster time frame and with far less complicated programming. Dr. Savage teaches you while you do the examples in the book. It is truly a great way to learn a complex, but very rewarding subject. You'll never do an IRR or NPV proforma analysis in the same way again.