Consumer Information Books

All I can say is....Excellent book. It made a computer technician out of me. Tnx

If you are tired of all the PC how-to books that can't write a sentance in English, this is the book for you. Easy to follow with screenshots from the PC itself, this a guide even my mom can follow. It covers the basics of owning a computer from Windows 98 and SE, ME, and XP. How to keep them in tune and how to save some money doing it with free programs that are available online. What to take some of the mystery of the beige (black, grey, whatever) box on the desk, The Healthy PC will go long ways towards that end.

The first time I sat down with this book, I couldn't stop. I'm not a PC guru, nor am I a "tin horn." I think anyone who uses a computer from power users to novices will find it one of the most practical, easy to understand texts you'll find.

I also "googled" his name and found his website CareyHolzman.com. What a treasure trove of advice and help.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to use a computer or increase the knowledge they already have.

I absolutely love this book!!! I read about it here on Amazon and ordered it right away. I have been reading through it and using it on my computer for the past three hours... I can't put it down!!! My computer already seems more reliable, and I fixed little problems that I wasn't sure how to (i.e. The annoying send error file reports).
One of the great things about this was how explanatory it was... Although I knew what a lot of computer jargon means, I understood it after reading this book.
I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone looking to take care of their computer!

When you work or deal with young people, talking about computers
is a big challenge and most of the times you feel like a "dummie or an idiot". This forces you to run to Barnes & Noble or the local Library to end up more confused and frustrated not knowing which book to pick.
"The Healthy PC" is not as tedious as other computer books,
on the contrary once you start reading you will not stop, and if you follow the steps Carey recommends you'll feel very comfortable.
This is a great book, to bad he does not have any publications about hardware, but I understand his next book will be about "networking" available next year, I can't wait to buy it.

This Merck home manual is a must have book.. I dont even keep it in the bookcase. i keep it on the table where we can get to it.When ever a test is called for i find itin the book so i know what to expect. when having a few miner aches and pains i have been able to gain information on what is the matter.. This book is jut plain good sense.I plan to get the one for older people. next .since i am a senior citizen i believe it will be even more help to me.. Again you must have this book..hallycatThe Merck Manual of Medical Information: 2nd Home Edition (Merck Manual of Medical Information Home Edition)The Merck Manual of Medical Information: 2nd Home Edition (Merck Manual of Medical Information Home Edition)

This is the best medical book out there unless you are a doctor and even they refer to it!

This book is a great addition to our household. Had the paperback version but now have the updated version for want-to-be doctor wife.

Ray

This book is great for looking up any diagnosis in a patient chart. There has only been 1.. yes ONE that was not in the book.... VERY informative.... gives suggestions as what to do with the diagnosis and what can cause it, etc. I LOVE this book, it quickly became my GO TO book for anything and EVERYTHING!!!

The Merck Manual is a great source of Western medical information. To complement this, I use the Yale doctor's book, AN ELEMENTARY TEXTBOOK OF AYURVEDA by Frank John Ninivaggi, M.D. of Yale University Medical School. Both give practical information about how to stay well and treat medical and psychological problems.

O'Reilly's an up and coming publisher of computer related books. Maybe a kingpin already. This selection is a true quick reference guide. Written by the Thompsons, this selection gives you a thorough look into buying, assembling and operating computers. You do need a basic understanding to get anything out of this book, but if this is the case, you won't be disappointed. I have a first edition copy, and it's still current. That says a lot, a first edition published four years ago is still not too outdated! Think about it. How many computer related books can you think of that's relatively current after four years? Huh?

This book is amazingly concise and thorough, yet also very easy to read. It contains many helpful photographs, and the authors maintain a great website that is tremendously useful and is a great addition to the book. I am not a big fan of the "In a Nutshell" computer books published by O'Reilly, but this book is definitely an exception. It's great for both beginners and experts.

Robert Thompson is a man who doesn't hold back from giving his opinion on why something is good or bad, either on his website or in his books. In _PC Hardware in a Nutshell_, he tells you just what he thinks of what's good and bad about PC components in just about any category you can think of, and backs it up with all the facts, figures and personal experiences you could ever ask for. Every chapter includes historical information on the components under discussion, detailed reviews of what they do and how they do it, and recommendations on what to use (and what not to use). The final chapter walks you through building your own machine step-by-step, though, this being an omnibus book, the chapter is necessarily slightly skimpy in comparison to _Building The Perfect PC_. The writing style is clear and lively, in fact the book is well worth reading as a book even if you don't need any specific information at the time. The only real complaint I have is something the author has no control over - the fact that new PC hardware comes out so fast that it's just impossible to review every single new thing in a paper edition. (Well, that and the fact that Thompson doesn't like Western Digital because he's had bad experiences with their hard drives, whereas I've been using WD exclusively for years and never yet have had one go out on me. I think that can be chalked up, though, more to the fact that there's just so much PC hardware out there that different people are just going to end up having completely different experiences with components from a particular manufacturer. That, or I just got lucky with WD hard drives.) All in all, this book is truly indispensable.

This is a great book that covers every aspect of building a PC. However, as of August 2004, the 3rd edition of this book is a bit dated. For example PC3200 memory is considered the newest memory and both Pentium 4 Prescott processors and Athlon 64 processors were not out when this book was published. If you are buying this book, you may want to wait for a 4th edition, unless you are looking to assemble an old computer.

I would not accept the author's hardware recommendations as the final word. For one thing, the components they review are in many cases no longer manufactured. Magazine reviews and PC hardware Web sites are going to have different opinions on what the best components are.

Let me start out with a huge thanks to O'Reilly. I'm not a big fan of large corporations or publishers - but I have come to trust O'Reilly implicitly wherever technical issues are concerned. Although I'm certain that they are not the "perfect" publisher, nor in the business for wholly (ha!) altruistic reasons, I AM amazed by the remarkable originality, diversity, range, quality, accuracy, and honorable business practices of this publisher. Oftentimes I wonder how they manage to maintain such a level, when their current library is so chock-full of tough-to-follow acts.

That said, PC Hardware in a Nutshell does not fail to meet up to these high expectations. Let me get the review portion of my review out of the way - simply put, this is the book I have been hunting for a couple years. That I did not immediately search the O'Reilly library only shows that I am a bit silly. I should have known better. End of review.

But I would like to carry this a bit further, and go out on a limb to discuss the only complaint prior reviewers have voiced: that the book is too "Microsoft-centric."

Rather than a weakness, I believe that this is actually a strength. Let me offer big kudos to the authors and publisher for realizing that a serious, yet accessible, compendium of computer hardware knowledge was necessary. The folks who register such complaints are those least in need of an in-depth introduction to PC hardware. These are the high priests of hi-tech, who rule the roost by virtue of their knowledge-monopoly on all issues technical. They would have you believe that if it was not hand-crafted from spare parts, duct tape, and copious amounts of solder and configured with the most obscure version of Linux, then it's only fit for a 4-year-old. They are, quite simply, dead wrong. Let them compile their own "PC Hardware for Only the Most Serious Tech Gurus", I say!

Thompson's very first point is that he intended the book to be of the most practical usability possible. The practical reality is that the people who desperately need such a compendium are poor fools, like Yours Truly, who are too technical to be satisfied with tutorials on how to use Microsoft Office, yet are not quite knowledgeable enough to get right under the hood of their PCs (never mind build a Linux box from spare hatpins and Reynolds Wrap). We, the "psuedo-techies", often do not come equipped with enough experience, knowledge, or confidence to take ourselves to the next level. We are the crowd who are using Microsoft products, yet would love to learn enough to understand exactly WHY Microsoft means "mush-mind" and Linux is God - but will never get there without a guide. This book is the guide, and to me it says, "Psuedo-techies unite! Power to the people!"

Please be aware that this book is now published by Square One Publishers and has been since earlier this year. To get brand-new copies of this book, you need to go to the "other" product page for the book HEY! WHO'S HAVING THIS BABY ANYWAY? as listed on this website. It doesn't presently have the "Search Inside the Book" feature at that product page, but the book is immediately available to be ordered over at that other product page. So to paraphrase Dylan (a.k.a. Zimmerman), "This ain't the book you want, babe / Go to the other page." Now go have those babies over at the "other" product page . . .

I wasn't thrilled with this book. I found it a little didactic (albeit in an overly breezy style)--not the book for people who aren't sure about natural birth; it'll make middle-of-the-road moms feel inadequate.

The style is blog-like and too personal to the author at times for an instructive book, in my opinion. The section that's nothing more than quoted emails is interesting for a couple of pages, then becomes overkill; I felt like I was reading a message board.

I noted numerous typographical errors (including a major one in statistics that was corrected with an errata sticker), which detracted from the professionalism of the book.

The section on Cytotec is excellent, with an appropriately firm stance, and the facts and documents to back that up.

I have the pleasure of teaching this course to my clients during their childbirth education class, all are finding this book to be a very easy read with clear to the point FACTUAL information! This is a must have and every one of my Doula clients get it for FREE and must read it by their 37th week of pregnancy!

I had the pleasure of attending one of Ms. Hawk's workshops recently and found it so informative. The information in this book is not new - it's just written in a way that the layperson can understand. Ina May Gaskin and Henci Goer have lots of great information about the unfortunate state of childbirth in the US, but Breck Hawk has "broken it down" for the average expectant mom without condescending. I highly recommend it!

As both a childbirth educator and a labor doula, I find this book has great (and accurate) information, with worksheets that are perfect for discovering what you want as a pregnant woman, good research to help backup all the claims, PLUS it's written by a midwife! I could go on and on, so just put away that copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and get this one instead! Inform yourself and respect your baby!

I give the Merck Manual 5 stars in general but I wouldn't buy this edition because is was written in 1999. Everything in this book is obsolete. It's very important to buy up-to-date medical books for the proper information. If you're looking for a newer Merck, I would buy The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Edition: The World's Most Widely Used Medical Reference - Now In Everyday Language which was written in 2004 but is the most up-to-date Home Edition of Merck. However The Merck Manual 18th Edition was written in 2006 but is intended for doctors. I wouldn't recommend The Merck 18th Edition unless you have a good knowledge of medicine.

This is the most comprehensive guide to health related issues available on the market. There is a more authorative edition of the Merck Manual, but at 1700 pages this edition will keep you occupied. It covers the broad range of illnesses with handy diagnoses. But, what I like most is the children's section, which not only fills you on all the ailments that plague little ones, but the vast array of problems that can occur during pregnancy. While much of this information may provide more anxiety than assurance, it is worth knowing, especially if going through the experience of child birth for the first time. The children's section also has good information on health and nutrition. It quite literally covers the gamut of health related issues and no home should be without it. But, don't get carried away with self-diagnoses It can be frightening!

This is a wonderful summary of general medical information written in simple terms so this is a great addition to the family. It is very current in describing medical understanding of a variety of illnesses, and it provides a solid foundation upon which you can start doing more research on the Internet for the condition that you may be interested in finding about. It even suggests temporary remedies and puts you in charge of how you are treated by the medical profession. This is a must have book to keep around!

This book is cheaper [on] AMAZON than the one I bought at my warehouse club. I'd buy it for twice list price if I did not already have a copy.

The text is marvelously complete, yet devoid of fluff and fillers despite its 1500+ pages. The illustrations are very helpful, as is its exhaustive index.

If I have a medical problem in the house, this is what I grab first, even before logging onto the net. It's that good.

All that being said, it is not a complete medical library, you can get more detailed info by visiting a medical library, buying more specific books on the condition that interests you, and be spending hours researching a subject on the net.

If you want to understand something medical in a hurry, reach for this first.

This Merk Edition is perfect for patients with limited medical background. The explanations are more in laymen's terms but it would be good to have a medical dictionary to help when needed. Most term are explained in the book and it is full of diagrams to help with understanding. Merk recognizes the need for patients to become educated and have confidence that this is not a difficult thing to do. Some doctors have led patients to believe for too long that the knowledge was beyond their comprehension, so nothing that they do is ever questioned. I have met other doctors that explain in great detail and even draw on a bed sheet what they are going to do and why, giving the patient the respect that they deserve. I have a Degree in Early Childhood Education, and one crucial thing that was drilled into us that everybody can be taught anything if you start on the level of knowledge of the subject that you wish to teach. I believe this about children, and I certainly feel the same about every age level. Doctors are just people who went to school to learn. You never know what quality of the knowledge is that they learned or if they have kept up with an ever changing field with updates from research all of the time. If you are particular about who watches your pet, you should be even more concerned about your health care. Whatever depends on you to stay alive and for you to take care of, need for you to be healthy, and the health care of your loved ones should be a serious concern. It is easy to understand. Mrs. Symmington

Excellent information for people of all ages. Very easy to read and understand with helpful examples in a variety of credit situations. I would especially recommend this book to high school students and new college freshmen where bad credit starts all too often.

This book encourages generation x to take stock of their personal finances without references to their being a dummy or an idiot. The approach here is very cordial. The authors encourage shopping for the best fees as well as the lowest interest rates and offer tips toward ,finding affordable health, automobile and homeowners insurance. Gives you an edge so you can limit financial hardships now as you prepare for the future.

Instead it is about getting the most out of what you have by managing your expenditures. Taking the time to understand your financial potential. Every penny counts. If you start paying attention to the pennies and to the interest you are paying on credit cards for the extras in life like movies and pizza. One of the best tips in the book is on a big item don't charge the sales tax, pay cash. Paying interest on sales tax, tips and entertainment costs are the reasons we never get out from under the interest burden.

Especially for anyone trying to navigate the tricky waters of both insurance and employment benefits. including pensions and 401 k's. Knowing what you have now is the key to being able to manage in an emergency. None of us want to think about losing the job we have had for years, but stuff happens. The health insurance that you have may not seem like the best deal but if you lose it completely it could become a major financial burden. Hernan and Schliep are big on having a safety cushion in the event of job loss.

Because they were from people that recognized good writing and people a lot more like you and me than the wall street gurus that constantly advise us and encourage us to cross over from main street to wall street when our interests may not be as well served as the big spenders who make money when we the consumer buys their wares and especially when the employers can cut expenses by cutting jobs and benefits.

If you buy any book about cancer, cancer treatments, anything about cancer, this is the book to buy! The hospital where I had my cancer treatments gave me a copy, doctors recommended it to me, my research on the Internet lead me to "Choices!" Buy it! Read it! Let it guide you through the arduous and complicated path that you will walk when you have been diagnosed with cancer. It truly will anchor your life! And, even better, may even save your life!

This is a fabulous cancer resource book. It offers credible information in plain speak language. It answers so many questions that cancer survivors and those facing a cancer diagnosis may have. It covers the range of cancers offering information on symptoms, staging, treatment, alternatives, questions to ask a health care provider, and so much more. A must-have resource for the book shelf for anyone facing cancer or knowing someone who is.

This book seems to cover just about everything. It was highly recommended by a friend - cancer survivor. Good book to have on hand as a reference guide.

When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 1989, I discovered this book and have been recommending it to cancer patients ever since. Recently, I decided it was time to get a more up to date edition and I am glad that I did. It not only has a lot of additional information, it is still as easy to use as the earlier edition.
'Choices' is the one book that provides newly diagnosed cancer patients with answers to questions that many of us did not even we should ask. Yours in good health, Nora Deane

The most useful tool in fighting cancer is this: knowledge. Knowledge of what exactly you have; knowledge of the latest techniques, clinical trials, meds, etc; and the risk factors. This book gives you that. Cancer is arguably the fastest moving area of medecine there is; analyses and coclusions are regularly formed, reformed, reformed again, over and over and over. Staying on top of the treatment protocols is critical, and for the moment at least, this book helps patients do that. I highly recommend this book to anyone diagnosed with cancer; it gives you an invaluable framework for asking the right questions and could save your life. Do not assume that all doctors are created equal. They are not. For a patient, it is your job to ask the right questions. This book can only help do that!

Dr. Redmond has given me an excellent resource for my hormonally confused electrolysis clients. I am a sixteen year veteran of the field of permanent hair removal by needle electrolysis. It has always been a challenge to help guide my clients to the proper hormonal treatments for their varied causes of hirsutism. Especially in today's climate of managed care, consumers need to go into their physician's offices armed with the information necessary to help their doctor diagnose them properly. I keep several copies of this book available for my customers to borrow. It will help you know what is significant to mention to your physician.

This book saved my life. I live in Omaha, NE, which boasts an impressive medical community, but I can't tell you home many doctors I saw that did not know the information in this book! If you are having ANY type of hormonal disorders, including unusual menstrual cycles, severe PMS symptoms (including depression), hair loss, excessive facial hair, excessive acne, get yourself this book and get yourself to an ENDOCRINOLOGIST, NOT an obgyn, dermatologist, or psychologist. Do NOT let a doctor put you on "the pill" for your symptoms; that will only fix the symptoms, not the underlying problem! In many cases, the pill will only make your problem worse and possibly affect later abilities to conceive. This book will explain it all.

This book is well written for a lay-person to read, but keep your medical dictionary handy. DON'T let any doctor that is unwilling to hear what you have to say from reading this book treat you.

This book was printed in 1995 and I only wish I'd found it then!! Every OB/GYN should have this in their wating room as well as on their night stand. I learned so much from this book. It is organized well to find exactly what you want to know and is written so that a layperson can understand it. A very informative read as well as a great reference book. The Book "Androgen Disorders in Women" (Cheung) sites this book numerous times. "Androgen" is a good start to get your feet wet and then "Good News" takes it even further. A Must read for ANY woman who has concerns about her health!!

I've been asking different types of doctors for years why I don't get my period and they all gave me different -- and unconcerned -- answers. It wasn't until discovering this book that I found out my menstrual problems were actually related to my diet-like eating habits! I was eventually diagnosised with polycystic ovary syndrome, but even the doctor that diagnosed me didn't know how to treat it. When I mentioned the information in Dr. Redmond's book, her and her nurses thought I was crazy! If it hadn't been for this book, I would still be relying on the doctors I've met (which are,unfortunately, mere humans) and their outdated ways of treatment. It's unfortunate that patients often have to research their own problems, but if you must, this book is the perfect guide to women's hormones -- the science of what's going on in there, but written for the average Jane. I've already purchased three more copies to send anonomously to my previous misguided doctors!!!

There are many books on PCOS but very few on adrenal androgen problems, which are less common but not all that rare. This book describes very clearly both problems and how to treat them. My doctor read some passages from this book (which he confirmed with his own book) and this helped me get treatment. I think all doctors should have to read this book so women with androgen problems that are not PCOS could get treated and not swept under the PCOS rug. He also discusses menopause and other hormonal events. The book is well written and zippy enough that I read the 500 plus pages in a couple of sittings.

I have owned the Natural Health Bible for several years and find it to be a reliable source for information regarding herbs, vitamins and supplements. Always answers my questions and keeps me informed.

A good reference book and one of the few I recommend to pet owners who want to learn about natural health care for themselves. This is the text I used and adapted for my own award-winning book. Super job!


Shawn Messonnier DVM
Author, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, and the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats.

(...)

I love this book, it has great advice, warnings and cites good references. It is easily readable by anyone and goes into summary lists of warning and possible drug interactions.

At what this book is selling for, it's very cheap insurance for optimum health. While it is a bit out of date, it still has enough good meat to be very worthwhile.

This book has saved me hundreds of dollars, since I always cross-check claims by commercial companies that sell complementary products--and who usually provide artfully deceptive ways to make it appear as though vitamins, herbs, and other supplements are the "answer" to everything from arthritis to herpes zoster. Clearly presented with an impartial and reasoned conclusion regarding the efficacy of a vast number of natural healing consumables. It provides recommended doses when a product is given the thumbs up, and warns against common assumptions many of take for granted owing to media overexposure. When research is presented that purports to support the medicinal qualities of a product, the authors provide a careful analysis of the strength of the reserach, whether its been replicated, and whether other research has been done that has had less stellar findings. A brief history of natural products is provided whether its an herb used for thousands of years or a current fad that is prevalant in other health care systems, particularly in Europe. I do have ONE MAJOR disappointment, however. Where is the UPDATED edition? This book is now six years old; much has happened in the world of conventional and natural medicine in that time, and without such a reference guide it would require endless searching to learn of newer findings.

I feel it is very important that I have a good source of information aside from that which is available from the company for which I sell natural supplements. I'm often frustrated by the limited acceptance of herbal supplements and remedies in the U.S., especially those which are widely used in Europe, China, and other parts of the world. This book states "principal proposed treatments" (those which have been tested successfully in the U.S.) and "other proposed treatments" (those not tested in the U.S., but are often used in other countries). It gives details about recommended dosages, safety issues, medical interactions, etc. So far, it has provided me with information about almost every ingredient I've searched for, and has made me feel much more confident about recommending the products I sell! There is a section regarding health problems and the recommended products for treating them, then another section of herbal substances and their recommended uses. The information is alphabetized, with shaded tabs on the edges of the pages for quick look-ups. It is so organized and easy to use, it's not only the first book I reach for when I need information, often it is the ONLY book I need!

The authors present a very well structured concept around the discovery of customer value, followed by various strategies to capture that value potential. Great balance between theory and case examples.

Solid book on CS- long read!
Many good points-
Wish there was a cliff notes version

This book provides comprehensive material on Relationship theory and how organizations can move from a product centered setup to a customer focused one. There are lots of very interesting examples. It is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in Customer Relationship management.

The book is voluminous and covers the concepts in about 500 pages. I felt though, that the same concepts were repeated over and over again many times. It could have been more concise to fit it in about half the number of pages.

Yet, if you read through the entire book patiently, you won't forget any of the key aspects of building a successful business that is oriented arounds its customers rather than just its products or services. You will learn how to manage your customers and the building blocks of of any relationship. I perform a Relationship manager's job in an organization that is already customer centric and does most of what the book recommends, and found this book to add very useful additional insights to what I am already doing in my work life.

Also, you may find that some of the material in the book is more relevant if read a few years ago. Today, many companies are already in the type of customer oriented setup with a Customer manager assigned and empowered to make all decisions, so its likely that, like myself, you may be in an organization that is already organized in a customer centric manner. In this case, you'll have to skip or skim through the chapters that talk a lot about how existing organizations can move from a product centric setup to a customer centric setup. In other words, I felt the book is not 100% current given where Corporate America is. Further, there is a heavy dominance of recommendations more suited for a retail or product based organizations rather than services oriented type of organizations.

Regardless, a must read and offers great value to anyone buying it, especially for fundamentals on Relationship theory and management.

This book fills in the empty space of academic books in CRM. Most of the publications and articles I've read deal with research on the subject and companies selling their programs. In this book Peppers and Rogers compiled a comprehensive text with theory, research and contributions from other authors that are a valuable tool for the under and graduate level.

This very extensive text on customer relationship management leaves nothing unsaid or unexplained. Authors and editors Don Peppers and Martha Rogers tackle the subject with admirable organization, clarity and depth. They define every important term and do not lose the reader in marketing jargon - a rare virtue in a book about marketing. The text, including contributions from other well-known experts in the field, propounds a well-developed theory of customer relationship management (CRM) and sets out numerous examples to illustrate, explain and clarify the theory. Useful as a handbook, textbook or reference manual, the book covers - among many other core subjects - customer identification and differentiation, customer feedback, an analysis of retailing and basic tools for CRM. We highly recommend this book to service-oriented managers and executives. To form profitable relationships with your customers, first get friendly with Peppers and Rogers.