Biology Books

The pictures are wonderful in this book. I remember my mom having an earlier edition when I was little and now I have an updated edition of my own!

I haven't read this book. I purchased the book for my son and his wife, who will be having their first child in January 2009. It will also make me and my wife grandparents for the first time! They love the book! Thank you for the rapid delivery! Susan and Billy Thompson

I bought this book 27 years ago when I was expecting my first child and when my daughter told me she was planning a family, I immediately purchased the updated version for her. This book remains a classic! The pictures are unbelievable and so beautiful and vivid. Because it's a European book, the childbirth pictures may be more graphic than what we are used to here in the States, but look beyond that to see the beauty and wonder of childbirth depicted in this amazing book. I highly recommend it!

A+ new edition of a book that I originally purchased when my son was born 29 years ago. I purchased the updated version for him and his wife. It is excellent! I recommend for all new parents and/or grandparents to give as a gift to their children.

Wonderful book amazing to see detailed pictures of the baby. Great for showing your children what is going on in your body. Other pictures are dated and need to be updated to this decade.

I must say this is one of the most light-hearted, hilarious books I have ever read. The story is of a world that one really may not get to see these days.. Go ahead and buy it..

In todays day and age of Steve Erwin and Jeff Corbin who go around hunting for animals, it is easy to forget where it all started. With people like Gerald, and the London zoo. In this book, he collects animals, deals with his demented siblings and his long suffering mother who has to raise four kids and fend off the advances of a really persistent Colonel who gets increasingly vulgar and `grabby' when he drinks. This is a rare story that combines a humorous story with humorous writing and I once caused passengers in a flight to turn around and give me strange looks, so hard was I laughing.

My Family and Other Animals is a bare-bones story in terms of plot. The Durrell family goes to Corfu, lives through what could be termed as a soap opera, and leaves. It's humourous, but not particularly challenging.

However, the older Gerald Durrell utilises vivid vocabulary over and over when describing the setting and people of Corfu. Fifteen-letter words that paint a crystalline picture are used frequently, relieving the never-ending roller coaster that is the life of the Durrells.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining book that will keep you engaged for the week or so that you will spend reading it every spare second you have.

Gerald Durrell was not only a naturalist and a gifted writer about his beloved animals, but a loving brother and son whose descriptions of his family and their foibles will keep you laughing all the way through. This is one of those books which I've reread so many times I've lost count, and which I've given to many friends who needed cheering up. Always works, too!

This book is absolutely, brilliantly funny. The wit and unique characterizations are woven with great descriptions of the animals and plants of Corfu. That Durrell can hold the attention of readers who have no interest in biology simply demonstrates what a fine work this is. Gerald's depiction of a larger-than-life expatriate family on a larger-than-life Greek island is a tremendous celebration of life. The variety of different Greek characters parading through this book rivals the variety of Corfu's flora and fauna. Absolute great read!

The book had a lot of concepts that really helped with my learning of physio throughout the course and later with prepping for the physio shelf exam. My only beef with the content was with the impertinent discussions of molecular similarities between some hormones, but overall, I was pretty satisfied with the book.

This book is an amazing tool for my Medical School Physiology class, it will be a vital piece of my USMLE study regimen.

This book is an excellent resource to supplement boards study. I have been very pleased.

I decided to purchase this book as a supplement to the textbook we use in class. You know, you read the complicated textbook and then the supplement next. Not so any longer. This guide gets right to the point. Reading it before class has facilitated my understanding of lectures and comprehension of the required readings.
You don't have to be a medical student to derive value out of this book. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

I think this is the best BRS there is. I used this book for course exam prep as well as board review. It is a great tool to highlight important concepts, and it explains things in a simple and effective way with the right amount of information.

This book is amazing! The photos are mind-blowingly detailed and beautiful. Aliens do live on this planet--they are deep under the ocean.

Unbelievable pictures. I never thought that such creatures even existed. The image and print quality are excellent and the concept itself is breathtaking.

I read this book from cover to cover and was completely enraptured by the images and descriptions of the various species. What incredible beauty lies in our ocean depths! I became fascinated with this stuff after watching one of the Blue Planet episodes. I also bought a copy and sent it to my brother. What an awesome book!

Words really can't describe this book. It's just page after page of astonishing photos of creatures from the deep sea. All the photos are of the highest technical excellence, and the creatures displayed seem like they must be from another planet. The most exotic land animals you've ever seen come off as quite mundane in comparison to what you'll see in The Deep.

XXXXX

Where would you find these?

(1) Gorgon's head
(2) Fangtooth
(3) Pigbutt worm
(4) Black medusa
(5) Radiolarians

Possible answers: In outer space? On the Earth's surface? In a horror movie? On a farm? In an electronics store?

Correct answer: these are the names of creatures found in the abyss. (Technically, the abyss is a particular zone of the oceans extending 3000 to 6000 meters in depth. This term is also used to designate the deep oceans overall.)

You will find photographs of the five creatures indicated above and the pictures of many more deep ocean creatures in this stunningly beautiful book by Claire Nouvian, a journalist, producer, and film director who has travelled the world for more than a decade, filming wildlife for French and international television.

The book has photographs with captions (its main feature) interweaved with text. The contents of the book is divided into two parts:

(I) Life in the water column (meaning life in the water above the seafloor)
(II) Life at the bottom (meaning life on the seafloor or just above it).

The colour photographs are, in a word--astonishing. All the creatures (that look like they're not of this planet) imaged are marvels of evolution and adaptation. Rare and unidentified abyss-dwellers are even photographed.

Each photograph has a caption made up of several pieces of information: (1) the abyss-dweller's scientific name (2) its descriptive name (not all photographs have this) (3) its size (4) the depth at which it's found and (5) known information about the creature. As an example, I will give an actual example of such a caption for the creature found on the book's jacket cover (displayed above by Amazon):

(1) Teuthowenia pellucida
(2) Googly-eyed glass squid
(3) SIZE 20 centimeters
(4) DEPTH larvae and juveniles 0-900 meters, adults 1600-2500 meters
(5) Three sentences of known information about this abyss-dweller.

The number of pictures in this book is almost 210.

In the copy of the book I have, at the beginning the reader is alerted that there are "four computer-generated illustrations." When these illustrations are actually encountered, the caption for these illustrations states "computer-generated image."

The text that's interweaved with the photographs consists mainly of two-page essays that begins most chapters, factoids, and quotations.

There are a total of fifteen succinct essays indicated in the table of contents. Each is written by a researcher at a prominent research facility. Examples of such facilities include the USA's Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, France's French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

There is also an excellent five page introductory essay (not indicated in the table of contents). Be sure to carefully read this so as to orient yourself to the rest of the book.

Quotations from prominent people permeate throughout. One of my favourites was uttered by Jacques Cousteau in 1976:

"Under the sea, it seems my every gaze is as stolen from some forbidden world; and it triggers an emotional shock that never flags, no matter how many times I dive."

Revealing factoids also abound throughout the book. Here's an interesting fact:

At 150 meters depth, 99% of sunlight has been absorbed by water. Below 1000 meters, it's total, inky blackness for all.

(It is from this factoid that I came up with the title of this review.)

Based on the photographs and text, this book deserves a solid 5-STAR RATING.

Unfortunately, there are some problems with the book. The majority are minor (for example, the first two pictures found at the very beginning of this book have their captions on the credits page--the very last page), but the major problems primarily deal with the table of contents and index. (Note also that the credits page is not indicated in the table of contents.)

The table of contents is incomplete. For example, why isn't the introductory essay's (see above) title not mentioned in the table of contents? This introductory essay has four sub-sections. Why weren't these sub-section titles not mentioned? I feel that a ground-breaking book of this type should have a detailed table of contents.

The index is also incomplete. All it does is give the scientific names of the known species in this book and what page to find them on. That's it!! Why wasn't, for example, all the important information found in the fifteen chapter essays and the introductory essay appropriately indexed? Again, a grounding-breaking book of this type should have, I feel, a detailed index.

What is Nouvian's function with respect to this book? If you look at the book's cover, it seems that she is the author. She is NOT. If you look at the credits page, she is in charge of "photographic research." Amazon thinks she is the editor, but according to the credits page, she is not. Very confusing.

Based on these major and minor problems, this book should perhaps be given a 3-STAR RATING.

Finally, my final rating is an average of the two RATINGS given above.

In conclusion, this is a mesmerizing book giving us a glimpse into an alien world--the abyss.

(published 2007; preface; introduction; 20 chapters; main narrative 245 pages; appendix; glossary; index; bibliography; acknowledgements; credits)

<>

XXXXX

This book is the perfect example of a good "Computer" book: It teaches what it needs to teach in a way you understand.
It covers all the important stuf like BSTRs, Smart Pointers, DCOM, TLBs, IDLs and other buzz-like acronyms.
I used it as an only reference for learning COM and I was doing complex COM projects within weeks. Andrew Troelsen is 'the man'!

Best regards,

I NEVER write reviews; however Mr. Troelsen for this effort has earned it. He has written by far one of the best written tech books on C programming I've ever read, and for COM/ATL this book makes writing interfaces for VB both understandable and accessible. Coverage and background is sufficient, and equally important for those who don't do this every day for a living, the depth in setting up projects in Visual Studio is also there so one unfamiliar with technical setup issues involved in setting up an ATL COM project are enabled to create their own. All I can say is well done, please keep up the good work, very much appreciated. Looking forward to your next releases.

Sincerely,
Dr. Mathew G. Pelletier, Research Engineer

Describe low level COM and then ATL internals and interfaces which can let reader easily understand such complex mechanism. Though the book is a little bit old, it can still be served as a good reference.

Apart from the fact that so many customers gave 5 stars to this book, there's another indicator of its value: it looks like nobody wants to resell it after they are done reading it. I, for one, intend to keep it for reference...

I've been programming in C# for a few years, and now I needed to learn COM. This book was the best tech manual I've ever read.

My recommendation is: if you need to learn COM, do not waste your money on any other book until you've read this one.

My current project at work required me to learn COM. I purchased several books to assist in the learning, and I must say that this book is absolutely indispensible, both as an instructional medium and as a reference. I highly recommend this book to anyone needing to learn about COM.

What's inside? It starts with a basic intro to COM, useful (dare I say it) for managers as well as the developer to get the big picture. Then it goes into a discussion of ATL and design patterns. This second section is incredibly important since ATL is for COM as STL is for C++. It finishes off with some of the more advanced areas of study in COM. Only a few advanced topics are not covered (custom marshalling for one), but considering it starts from an assumed ignorance of COM, it does reach a good level of detail.

Who am I? I studied computer science in University. However, I had never previously developped on Windows. I am primarily a C++ programmer, with some experience with Java. Knowledge of C++ (I would say more than just a familiarity) should be a prereq. to reading, but that's about it. It introduces most OO topics you need in the first chapters that most experienced developers can probably skip.

"Parasite Rex" is great science writing. For readers familiar with evolutionary and ecological theories, they will meet these theories in a new guise. For readers not familiar, Zimmer has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a very simple fashion. In only one case did I detect a minor oversimplification: there is more to generating novel antibodies than shuffling genes. My only complaint about style is that Zimmer sometimes tries to make the reader horrified at what parasite does to prey, and when the prey is a lower order animal like a caterpillar, I am doubtful that having its insides eaten is as horrible as it sounds. I say this as a person who only eats free range meat. As regards content, fewer case histories of individual parasites would suffice to illustrate the ideas, and for me at least, make for an even more interesting book.

I was very surprised to learn of the strong environmental component to such autoimmune diseases as Crohn's: while once thought to be characteristic of a few ethnic groups, e.g. Jewish, it has become much more common in other groups as sanitation has improved, and the immune system has fewer parasites to fight off. Zimmer suggests parasites play a critical role in ecological balance, and points to some compelling case histories. Parasites are often able to control behavior of their hosts, and thus are a potentially important source of new behavioral drugs.

I bought this book quite a long time ago and forgot to review it until now...I am a parasitologist and this is one of my favorites. Zimmer is funny and engaging and scientifically accurate--I HAVE GOT TO READ THIS AGAIN SOON.

Another excellently-written work from Carl Zimmer. This book will give you a bad case of the creepy-crawlies in parts. It will also completely change your outlook on the nature of life, because you will learn that parasites are not really the gross, "devolved" hangers-on that most think of them as, but rather a vibrant, important part of the web of life...

... that is sometimes really disgusting.

Still, an outstanding book, one that give parasitology a much-improved face. Written in Zimmer's usual clear, very readable style.

Luckily I had already learned about some of these parasites before reading this book because the narrative made a lot more sense than if I hadn't. I could have used more pictures or drawings to help me visualize the parasite life cycles.

I really enjoyed the new perspectives given about parasites--how they fit into the ecology of an area, what determines their sexual versus asexual reproduction, how they evolve along with the host, how multiple parasites exist for every species, etc. Fascinating. I would have liked to hear more about bacterial parasites (viruses?). Also, do parasites have parasites?

I don't know why, but I find parasites interesting. However, I wasn't exactly looking for a book on this particular subject; rather I merely stumbled upon it. When I go to the book store I typically peruse my favorite sections, one of which is science. On the shelf I came across the title "Parasite Rex"... so I picked it up "King Parasite...huh." Then I made the mistake of reading the back of the book and found out what it was about. I had to buy this book immediately!

I'm always reading, so I had to finish up a couple other books before I could start reading this one, so I waited patiently in eager anticipation. I'll usually read two or three books at a time, and when I finally got freed up, I started this book. I didn't read another book until I finished this. It is one of the most engrossing scientific books I have in my collection. Carl Zimmer is actually a phenomenal writer. I'm not a scientist, but I enjoy reading about it and it's written in a manner just about anyone should be able to understand. It's like a science report that flows, but doesn't sound overly scientific, yet it's still science!

Parasite Rex doesn't just deal with one specific parasite, like the title might suggest, rather it's a veritable tour of the parasitic world. The reader finds themselves enthralled with each creature. It really changes your perspective on the world as a whole, realizing that the major importance of sex is so that we can vary up our genetic code to better defend against such parasites. It also makes you realize that for all intents and purposes the fetuses of mammals would also be parasites as well because they force the mother to change her chemical reactions to support the fetus. Also the mother treats the fetus initially as a threat to her system. I personally found all this very fascinating and made me realize that perhaps Agent Smith in the Matrix, when he assessed the human race as a virus, probably should have identified them as a parasite.

The book is also terrifying in some regards because there are parts where it explains where parasites go wrong. Parasites are essentially programmed to thrive in specific locations in your body (or some other creatures). So a parasite that gets lodged in your brain, but it's supposed to be in your stomach could end up killing the host. Or screw up which species it attaches itself to. From what I gathered, the parasites main focus isn't to kill the host, but to feed off of the host's life, so when a parasite is in the wrong spot it executes its program, but it ends up having terrifying affects on the host.

In the end this was a phenomenal read and I can't recommend this enough. In fact I will probably read this a second time because when I read it the first time through I read it pretty quickly. One other thing this book made me not want to do is visit any location that's in the central area of the earth, such as the Amazon. Considering there have been 2,500 different parasites identified in one small location. Carl Zimmer is seriously the kind of writer we need in science to help transfer complex knowledge to the lay population.

In the summer of 1977, eleven-year-old Sarah Richardson is filled with trepidation and resentment when her father's new job forces her to leave her home and best friend in Wyoming to relocate in the remote town of Bamfield on Vancouver Island. But these feelings fade when she sees her gorgeous new home overlooking the ocean and befriends and Indian (a term commonly used for First Nations people in 1977) girl named Goldie. Of course, her idyllic summer with her parents and Goldie doesn't last. Once school begins, Sarah endures long, painful lessons about bullying, racial hatred, and family tragedy.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif's WHALE SONG is an unusual mystery. Although the story opens with an adult Sarah reflecting back on the summer that changed her life, she eases into eleven-year-old Sarah's point of view as the story unfolds, turning the book into a young adult novel. But then grownup Sarah slides briefly back into the story with ominous foreshadowing about events she wished she'd seen coming.

The other unique aspect is that the mystery doesn't occur until two thirds into the book. Certainly, the reader feels tension building among main characters and a grim situation inevitably spiraling out of control. But death, a police investigation, and murder charge don't occur until the reader knows the Richardson family so well that we feel their anguish. Some mystery fans might loathe the pacing of events, yet it's important to understand that mystery is only one facet of this multi-layered story. Crime might not be center stage in WHALE SONG, however, it's essential to the story.

Cross-genre novels are hard to pigeonhole, and this one will be a challenge for librarians and booksellers. WHALE SONG is an elegantly written, heartbreaking blend of friendships lost and gained, family tragedy, spirituality, death, guilt, punishment, and forgiveness. This is a lot to incorporate into one novel, but Tardif does it beautifully in a mere 199 pages. If you want something different in a mystery, WHALE SONG is a compelling story you won't forget any time soon.

"Whale Song" is a poignant tale that asks difficult questions - ones that challenge us to look deeply into our own hearts. This is a very well written novel about Sarah, a young girl who moves to Canada from Montana. It's about her family and friends who love her so very much, and the difficult choices and sacrifices that have to be made by them all. Set on Canada's breathtaking Vancouver Island, the whales and other wildlife are as beautiful as the story itself. This is Ms Tardif's "heart book" - the book closest to her heart - and after reading it, it's easy to see why.

Haunting and sensitive, Whale Song is a compelling read, leaving an impression long after the story ends. I loved it. Five stars

Only child, star in her parent's crown, Sarah's fairytale life takes a startling and sad turn. Whale Song is beautifully written, and though not an action novel, it is a page turner. The novel is emotionally evocative (I shed tears for Sarah and her companions) but there are many, many heartwarming and encouraging aspects. You quickly become embroiled in the narrator's life, and Sarah's voice is so strong you could believe you are reading a true story. The characters are convincing, engaging and memorable. I found myself thinking about the novel and its "lessons" while driving to work, often in fact. The Native American mysticism was particularly well done and interesting.

The story begins when 11-year-old Sarah, her mother and father move from Wyoming to Vancouver--from the mountains to the sea. Her father is a marine biologist, her mother an artist. Sarah is devastated by the move but soon makes friends with a Native American girl named Goldie and is accepted by Goldie's family and her wise woman grandmother Nana but at school another Native American student teaches Sarah about discrimination and cruelty.

Whale Song follows Sarah as she matures--her tragedies and triumphs--to a satisfying end.

I haven't read a young adult novel since my son was in Middle School and quite honestly I didn't even realize that Cheryl Kaye Tardif's story of a young girl living in Vancouver with her artist mother and marine biologist father fell into this category until I was half way through it and checked out the author's item page on this website. After all Harper Lee's masterpiece "To Kill a Mockingbird" uses the voice of the pre-adolescent Scout to tell her tale set in the American South in the 1960s in the same way that Tardif speaks through her main character Sarah Richardson.

Not that Tardif's novel rivals Lee's classic. That's not to say that it isn't a good coming-of-age narrative, but where Lee's portrait of Articus Finch suggests the noble hero fighting a battle larger than himself for the greater good, Tardif formulates a smaller world which centers not so much on a brave father figure but on the pain of a young girl adjusting to a new school where her race sets her apart as a social pariah. Sarah's angst increases when her beloved mother falls ill and she must come to grips with the potential loss. Whereas Lee communicates a daughter's pride in her father's courage, Tardif goes for the same feel, and if she fails it is only in achieving the overall tightness of the older story. For indeed Sarah's father commands respect too even if his issue focuses on a individual choice rather than a universal failing of society.

Bewildered by a series of events leading to a personal train wreck, Sarah wallows understandably until certain facts become clear. Utilizing a first person narrative technique, the reader experiences Sarah's initial acclimation first-hand under Tardif's very skillful voice. We enjoy her discovery of the mystical Indian legends of the whale and the wolf and await her comprehension of her specific mission.

The younger Sarah successfully emerges as a girl on the brink of her teenaged years. Tardif relays her sense of uncertainty and the ups and downs of triumphs and failures in an adept way that cements her ability to capture the sensibilities of this burgeoning adolescent with great credibility.

Driven by Tardif's strength in creating such a believable character, the story moves along with great readability. Somehow I thought it stalled a little once Sarah's greatest fear becomes actualized but perhaps this lull in the action was meant to illustrate Sarah's confusion over a situation with implications larger than the world she knows. Likewise, the endgame of this novel seems to be rushed, but this seems indigenous to young adult novels where the resolution takes place under the auspices of adulthood.

Bottom line? Cheryl Kaye Tardif writes a most satisfactory story about a young girl's coming-of-age amidst a background that is simultaneously beautiful, mystical and bittersweet. Recommended for all young adults.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

With so many helpful reviews, what more could I possibly add? Healthy at 100 is much more than a book about longevity. It's a challenge to not only change your perspective on your own health, but to make a difference in our own communities, and our family. John Robbins will take you into the seemingly heavenly world of the Abkhasians of the Caucasus Mountains, the Vilcabambans of Ecuador and the Hunzans of Pakistan, and then jerk you down to earth with a mission. Haven't read about the China Study or the Okinawa Study? John will get you up to speed.
A must read for anyone he is even remotely concerned about a better quality of life.

I'd give this title 5 stars if he wasn't so darn wordy and repetitive. Very useful information and lots of data to back everything up.

The supposed mainstream medical professionals have us all hyped into believing that a pill here and there will cure everything that ails us, and that many of the diseases we suffer from in this day and age are a result of it's just "the way it is". John Robbins, from analyzing those populations who have an extraordinary number of elders shows this is just not true. Over and over he documents cases whereby these elder populations suffer from none of the common diseases such as heart disease, cancer, etc. but, when the Western world knocks on their doorsteps in the form of unhealthy foods and ideas, the number of disease-free occupants takes a nose-dive.

It is very obvious it is our diet and lifestyle that causes these diseases, not the "it's just the way it is" and attack it with a pill doctrine.

A whole section of the book is devoted to feel-good things such as family and friends and purpose making a difference in how long people live as well.

Nothing complicated about the ideas in this book - just common sense once you've read the data. Ignore the almost daily studies that espouse this or that being good for you with contradictions galore. Time to get back to basics and use your head. Read this book and you'll be convinced.

The first part of the book dealing with nutrition and exercise is unobjectionable, if a bit repetitive and rambling at times. Many people in the West could adopt a much more healthy lifestyle without too much trouble. But the part of the book dealing with love and happiness is straight out of the 1960's. Simply put, in the societies Robbins studied, where people live in isolated mountain and valley enclaves, people probably had little choice but to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Furthermore, in their isolation they were able to live in relatively peaceful and simple societies, where love and fellowship were common. But the rest of the world does not, can not, and will not operate this way. The second half of the book contains simply too much politically leftist, feel-good gobbledygook. Good book on diet and exercise but four stars overall.

John Robbin's book Health at 100 is one of the finest books I've read on living a healthy, vibrant life. Based on his own life experience and more particulary on the extensive research around the longest lived and healthiest, happiest people on the planet it is a must read for any person, at any age and stage of life, seeking sound,commensense input on living a healthy life. Very well written and engaging I was truely reinspired the whole book through. I have purchases copies for family and friends.

John's watershed book "Diet For A New America" was the catalyst, 20 years ago, for me becoming a Vegan Vegetarian. This is every bit as profound and compelling. John A Wood, Darlington, Western Australia

Although there is much to like about this book, there are also some glaring inconsistencies. While it may well be true that the healthy societies presented in the book live on plant-based diets with little animal protein or fat, other societies in which the population eats high proportions of fat from animal sources are similarly healthy but not mentioned. Robbins set out with his own prejudice and excluded research that did not coincide with his hypothesis. To conclude that a low-fat, plant based diet is optimal for everyone based on these few examples is by no means conclusive proof. Even in Okinawa, the population eats plenty of pork and uses lard in their cooking, something Robbins conveniently omits from his discussion.

Additionally, Robbins praises the Okinawa diet and the Asian diets in general for their high intake of whole grains. Yet he never gives us an indication of what these whole grains might be and how much is consumed. Actually, Asians eat white rice, often three times each day. There is a saying in Japan that "white rice is easier on the stomach." But Robbins makes no mention of the high intake of white rice in the typical Asian diet. So when he can't explain something that blatant, he ignores it.

I think it's time for Americans to stop looking for the magic bullet answer to their diet woes. We only need to look at our own history to see where we made a turn for the worse and correct our course. A mere century ago, we did not have an obesity crisis or epidemics of modern chronic disease. And at that time, we were NOT consuming a low fat, plant based diet. What's changed? Plenty.

If you want a very thoughtfully written, well-researched book that busts the low fat myths wide open, read Gary Taubes' new book, "Good Calories, Bad Calories." Robbins is one who has bought the low-fat myth hook, line and sinker, even when faced with his own contradictions.

The portions of "Healthy At 100" devoted to exercise and lifestyle are quite nice.

Here is a standout presentation of the ins and outs of contemporary Spanish. Examples of idiomatic usage are generously supplied, but fine points do not get in the way of the basics. Altogether an exemplary text--well-orgnized, lucid, and thorough.

When a Spanish teacher reccommended this book to me, I was reluctant to purchase yet another grammar book. However, this book is extremely detailed and is great for the advanced student. It is more than any college textbook. Keep in mind it is a book of explanations and not a book of exercises, but it does answer a lot of questions that an advanced undergraduate, or first-year grad student has.

If you are beyond the beginners level, then this is the equivalent to a Grammar bible. everything you need is in this book. Contrary to the opinion of a previous reviewer, I HIGHLY recommend that any SERIOUS student read this book in its entirety. I did it and probably will do so again.

This book about Spanish grammar is very comprehensive, but I don't recommend it to beginners. This book is aimed at advanced students. The explanations are a bit technical, but the author provides "real world" examples on how each piece of grammar is used. When I say "real wordl," I refer to the newspaper articles or the speeches the author cites.

I especially like the chapter on the subjunctive. This book provides an entire chapter to it, very important. Although, I don't like how the information is organized.

For beginning Spanish students, I don't recommend this book at all. It is too advanced. I recommend "Side by Side English & Spanish Grammar." I used it when I started studying Spanish, and it taught me a great deal of Spanish grammar.

Brandon Simpson

If you were stuck on a desert island teaching Spanish for the next year, this would be the one book to have with you. There is no close second. Even if you are not the geeky, I-love-grammar type, this is the kind of book that you open to check one little detail and 45 minutes later you find yourself still poring over other bits of information. The authors' style is completely professional, but unlike so many other volumes of Spanish grammar they manage to keep explanations interesting and clear.

This colorful guide book to the reef fish of Florida, the Bahamas, and the Carribean is an excellent reference. Fish are shown in beautiful color pictures with information on size, shape, where to find them,and how they are likely to react to divers.
All the usuals are of coures here but so are many less commonly seen in guide books. Written information also includes descriptions of common variants.
An all around excellent book for the semiserious to serious snorkeler or diver who enjoys identifing what they see.

As book reader and Diver, I just love this book, It gives me all the pictures and characteristics for an accurate evaluation of the creatures I found under water. Great pictures, and outstanding charcterization of fishes.

At one time I was the head of a volunteer organization in WPB, Florida that assisted Palm Beach County with their artifical reef program. Part of the qualification was to get training in a variety of related subjects (like fish identification) sponsored by the Florida Oceanographic Society. This book served as our fish identification "bible." I no longer live in FL, but when I go diving in the Caribbean I stil take this book with me. If you need to (or just want to) know the fish of the Caribbean, buy this book.

This is a fabulous resource, and I wish we had bought it before to take with us on our trip to BVI

This is a reef fish identification book. This sounds obvious, but that really is the focus here. It's not a book to teach you about fish behavior, biogeography, community ecology, or population trends. Author, diver, captain, photographer, and attorney (!) Paul Humann took most of the 670 photographs in this book, a real accomplishment for any diver, since the result of a blurred or indistinct photograph of a fish is to... go get another.

The organization of this ID book is by fish shape. He's got 12 "identification groups":

- disks and ovals (colorful)
- silvery
- sloping head and tapered body
- small ovals
- heavy body and large lips
- swim with pectoral fins, and with obvious scales
- reddish and big eyes
- small, elongated bottom-dwellers
- old-shaped bottom dwellers
- odd-shaped swimmers
- eels
- sharks and rays

Any fish watcher would see the "logic" of this organization, although it could make some ichthyologists squirm with these sets of artificial groupings.

The book is spiral-bound so that the pages, when opened, stay open. And the clay content in the paper makes it more resistant to water dripping from your wetsuit or your hair. Just make sure you wipe it off, pronto.

Now the photos... They are very high quality, and Humann is to be commended for taking, or selecting from other photographers, pictures that really pull out the details of the various fish . For example, the Sergeant Major has the delicate yellow along the base of its dorsal fin, and those frogfish must be viewed in both a camouflaged condition and in a setting where they are contrasted with the background.

Any amateur photographer will soon discover the difficulty in getting a full, close-up and lateral view of a fish. They tend to swim away from you as you get close, giving you a great view of the tail sweeping away. These photos are the result of a truly amazing amount of patience.

In an appendix, he throws in some sea turtles and dolphins or good measure, as well as a checklist for keeping track of the reader's sightings.

My ocean diving has all been in the Pacific, and it was interesting seeing species related to my own "friends." If I get the opportunity to dive in Florida, the Caribbean, or the Bahamas, this will be the book I throw in my dive bag... in a zip-lock bag, of course.