Bryan Books

Once you've learned the basic principles of statistics, how can a biologist learn more advanced techniques? Many books focus on math rather than on understanding concepts. Other books are too narrow -- discussing only a single method. And books that focus on multiple regression and ANOVA tend to have examples from psychology and social sciences. Glantz and Slinker do a great job of explaining the principles of multiple regression, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance. The focus is not on mathematical proofs, but rather on making sense of the results in the context of biological and medical research.

This book also has excellent chapters on linear regression, nonlinear regression (curve fitting) and logistic and proportional hazards regression (regression when the outcome is an either-or binary variable).

New to the second edition are a chapter on analysis of covariance, more extensive discussions of multiple comparisons methods, and a discussion of Cox proportional hazards regression for analyses of survival data.

The title is a bit misleading. This is not a "primer" of statistics. But once you've learned the basic principles of statistics, this is THE book for biologists to learn about various kinds of ANOVAS and regressions.

Like all advanced stats books, this one has mathematical rigor and plenty of examples. But unlike the others, this one is written from the point of view of a biologist. You won't just learn the math, you'll learn how to make sense of the results. The title is a bit misleading. This is not a "primer" of statistics. But once you've learned the basic principles of statistics, this is THE book to learn about various kinds of ANOVAS and regressions.

I looked at several options for a regression textbook that would be both understandable and relatively complete for my introduction to the topic. This book won hands down. The authors keep it simple and use a wide variety of examples to get the point across. I felt that the sections on logistic and Cox regression could have been a bit better, but these subjects are best learned by dedicated textbooks such as Hosmer and Lemeshow and Collett.

I think that this may be the best introductory regression book out there.

This book is a testament to the importance of textiles and the power of dreams. In 1994, Esther Bryan (who is not a quilter) went to Slovakia with her father who was returning to the village where he grew up for the first time since WWII. This trip profoundly affected her art, and she created an exhibition entitled "Return" made up of the stories and of the textiles that she and her father were given while they were there. The response to her exhibit by other immigrant families led her to realize the universal nature of her family's story, and she conceived of the Quilt of Belonging as a way to express her concept that every person is "an equally valued part of the tapestry of life." I had the privilege of seeing this 10 foot tall by 120 foot long quilt at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last year, and it was both incredibly beautiful and incredibly moving. Containing 263 squares representing 71 aboriginal groups and the 192 nations of the world, this quilt contains an incredible parade of textile gifts. The book describes the story of the making of the Quilt of Belonging, completely through volunteer efforts, and then devotes a page to each of the squares, telling the story of the maker of each one and the symbolism of the textile techniques that were used to represent that nation's people. It is an amazing project. Sales of the book support the travels of the Quilt so that more people can experience it in person.

I saw this actual quilt at the Houston Internation Quilt Show. When you see it you can't possibly read all the stuff on each peace, so I was really glad to find out that I could purchase this book through Amazon. It was also less costly and I did not have to carry it back all the way from Houston. I also bought this book for my mother.

I had the joy of seeing this 120-foot long quilt in Houston last week and I got to meet and speak with the artist/author. I bought the book. The book is wonderful. The story of how this project began and the many amazing things that happened along the way will touch your heart. The idea that we all come from some place and that place is deserving of honor is expressed in quiet dignity within each block of the quilt. In the book you see the faces of the people who created the quilt. Just Wonderful.
Catherine

I got this book as a textbook for a class that I subsequently dropped, but I decided that as long as I had it, I might as well read it. I'm glad I did! This book is a wonderful overview of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Each section begins with a few pages recounting what is known about each philosopher covered and what their central beliefs are. In addition, the actual texts are heavily footnoted with explanations of the language, pertinant cross references, and other little facts that make the reading both more informative and more enjoyable. This is a wonderful book for anyone who's looking to get a decent understanding of the 'big name' Chinese philosophers, and will help anyone looking to show off at parties ;) Even if you're not taking a class, this is a wonderful book.

Being interested in Chinese philosophy, I recently purchased this anthology, edited by Drs. P. J. Ivanhoe and Bryan W. Van Norden, which contains excellent translations of the selections of seven classical Chinese thinkers: Mozi, Han Feizi, Kongzi, Xunzi, Mengzi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi.

Despite being a beginner when it comes to Chinese philosophy, I find all the translations to be very readable and the notes and interpretative material, generally, to be sufficient. (more on this later)

The appendices--Important Texts, Important Periods, Important Terms, Important Figures--are also quite helpful if you need further information/clarification on a particular term or figure.

The only two things that disappointed me about this anthology are as follows:

(1) The use of "filial piety" as a transation for xiao (hsiao). The term filial piety was first used by James Legge back in the 1861. And, as scholars such as Dr. David Li have pointed out, Kongzi (Confucius) never in his life spoke about religion. So, why Dr. Slingerland, who translated the Analects section of the book, continues to use it (see Analects 2.7, p.5) mystifies me. (Dr. Van Norden, I believe, in his translation of selections of the Mengzi, also translates xiao as filial piety.)

(2) The notes accompanying Dr. Slingerland's translation of the Analects are, I think, somewhat banal. For example, he points out in 1.9 that Zengzi is a disciple of Kongzi; yet, he does not point out that 2.1 is the Analects first statement regarding government. However, his notes increase in frequency and quality as the translation continues.

I HIGHLY recommend this anthology; it is probably the best anthology and sourcebook of early Chinese philosophy currently available. This book is not only valuable to students and scholars but also general readers because never has there been so many great translations of so many thinkers in one reasonably priced paperback.

The anthology contains the complete "Daodejing of Laozi" which Dr. Ivanhoe has published as separate book, which makes it a even better deal because not only do you get very scholarly and readable translations of all major classical Chinese thinkers, you also get an entire book included within it.

Hopefully, in a future edition of the book, the editors will consider expanding the volume to include translations of selections of Zhu Xi's works (a very important Neo-Confucian), Dai Zhen (whose translated writings have never been published), and the writings of other Chinese philosophers.

- Jeff McCausland

I got this book as a textbook for a class that I subsequently dropped, but I decided that as long as I had it, I might as well read it. I'm glad I did! This book is a wonderful overview of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Each section begins with a few pages recounting what is known about each philosopher covered and what their central beliefs are. In addition, the actual texts are heavily footnoted with explanations of the language, pertinant cross references, and other little facts that make the reading both more informative and more enjoyable. This is a wonderful book for anyone who's looking to get a decent understanding of the 'big name' Chinese philosophers, and will help anyone looking to show off at parties ;) Even if you're not taking a class, this is a wonderful book.

This is a classic book on wingshooting and will remain as one forever. It should be a part of the collection of any wing shooter.

Excellent book, If you are just starting to shoot shotgun this is the Book to get.

If Robert Redford was going to make a wing-shooting movie in the genre of A River Runs Through It, Bagger Vance and the Natural, it would be based on Robert Churchill. No one in wing shooting is more the equal of Bobby Jones in golf, Charles Ritz in fly-fishing or Babe Ruth in baseball than Robert Churchill.

All of these people modestly taught their sports as a natural result of instinct. There have been changes in equipment in all areas since the 1920s and 1930s, but there has been no change in fundamental techniques.

Finally, if you read anything in this book more than once, be sure it is Chapter 11 on the Rules of Shooting.

Always find out if you are "standing on ceremony" for the day. In sophisticated company it is again like golf. It matters far less how well you shoot than how well you behave. Hunting is a universal pleasure. Regardless of social class, shooters are true gentlemen.

There is always variation in the local rules, but these are the universals in Churchill's eyes:

1. Safety is always first.

2. Keep your gun broken.

3. Never ever shoot over your hunting partners.

4. Always shoot pest birds and rodents for your host.

5. Get close to your game for a clean, instant kill.

6. Never shoot a grounded bird.

7. Don't be a whiner! If you miss take your medicine.

8. Be a real sport. Operate with style, be a pleasure to be with.

9. Always keep the trigger finger to the side of the gun.

The Churchill methods is based on proper fit, mount and shoot. The shooter prepares the gun in a proper ready position for the game, sees the target with both eyes, then raises the gun to a solid shoulder/cheek mounted posture -- firing occurs at the instant the gun is mounted.

Aiming is discouraged in the Churchill technique. At wing-shooting schools, serious skeet shooters, on average, perform more poorly than novice shooters coming to the intuitive method for the first time.

When you go to practice, go to a sporting clay facility such as the Orvis Schools in Manchester, VT, Sandanonna, NY, West End in London, or Purdy in London. There are also fine schools near Paris, Madrid and Lisbon. In Spain or Portugal live birds are the most common practice targets.

Read this book from cover to cover then sign up for a wing-shooting school and spend a day or two on sporting clay courses. Then reread the book at night.

Good shooting.

I don't like to read non-fiction, but the author weaves humor and information together in such a way that this book is enjoyable to read. Never dry, and certainly not boring, I would recommend this book to anyone!

It's like Marcy knows me personally! There is so much that I could identify with! I love the way she presents the material! I have struggled with much of what this book covers for many years and have discovered that I'm not alone and that there are healthy ways to deal how I feel. I also thought about many other people who could use this book. I'm buying more to share! Marcy has a great sense of humor and I encourage everyone to read this book; if not for yourself, to better understand someone you know. There's something for everybody!

This is an amazing book for everyone who is holding back in their life due to fears of any shape or size! Marcy Bryan is witty and amazingly insightful. I recommend this book to anyone who thinks there is more to life than the way they are living (or not living) today! Odrer one for yourself and go ahead and order 5 more - you will want many to be set free from the incredible insights Mrs. Bryan presents!

Excellent little notebook; covers are made of the same material used on the trailer outside walls, some vintage photos inside, and lots of space to document the things you've seen and done while enjoying your Airstream!

This super-cool journal has a sturdy aluminum cover, just like the camper that inspired it. The sheets are lined and unobtrusively decorated with a subtle-yet-hip 60s motif. The introductory and dividing pages feature photos from Airstream caravans of days gone by. Through these photos, Airstream travel is presented in the same glamorous, adventurous way air travel was presented before the Jet Set had jets to jet on. Very road-trippy romantic. It's perfect for those of us who do a lot of our traveling on the road, and due to the journal's compact size, it's also good for those who aren't too terribly long-winded. There is also a section at the end for addresses, should you want to share your travels with others in the form of a postcard from the road. The thick, smooth paper is a joy to write on, and the aluminum cover will prevent it from getting too beat up as you "see what's over the next hill, and the next."

Great journal. Perfect ot place in your retro trailer. Keep close. Great phots inside and nice alumiunm outside binding. Wonderful!!

'sendmail' is one of those classic O'Reilly books that have undertaken legend status. Now in it's 4th revision, there really isn't much new that can be said about this book. With editions having been released in 1993, 1997, 2002, and now 2007, this book is required reading for anyone that is in charge of mail routing responsibilities at their company. With 26 chapters, 1200+ pages and content that is spot on, this is a must buy for anyone that is using sendmail on a daily basis.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

For years O'Reilly has been the last word in exhaustively explaining Unix utilities, and the first edition of this book goes back to 1993. The reason to upgrade to this fourth edition is that it covers version 8.14 of sendmail, which is now the current release. This new edition looks much like past editions, but it also contains in Appendix B the many improvements of sendmail since the previous edition and in which section of the book you can find each improvement covered.

Even though sendmail is an old program, it is still useful. It is mature, reliable, and scalable. Unfortunately, its ability to be configured for all kinds of uses and users has made it much more complex. Sendmail is capable of transporting mail between a wide variety of machines. Consequently, its configuration file is very flexible, allowing a single binary to be distributed to many machines, where the configuration file can be customized to suit particular needs. This configurability contributes to making sendmail complex. This book does a good job of sorting out just about all of the possibilities and questions you might have. The following is the table of contents, not currently shown on the product description page:

Chapter 1. Some Basics

Part 1: Administration
Chapter 2. Download, Build, and Install
Chapter 3. Tune sendmail with Compile-Time Macros
Chapter 4. Maintain Security with sendmail
Chapter 5. Authentication and Encryption
Chapter 6. The sendmail Command Line
Chapter 7. How to Handle Spam
Chapter 8. Test Rule Sets with -bt
Chapter 9. DNS and sendmail
Chapter 10. Build and Use Companion Programs
Chapter 11. Manage the Queue
Chapter 12. Maintain Aliases
Chapter 13. Mailing Lists and forward
Chapter 14. Signals, Transactions, and Syslog
Chapter 15. Debug sendmail with -d

Part 2: Configuration Reference
Chapter 16. Configuration File Overview
Chapter 17. Configure sendmail with m4
Chapter 18. The R (Rules) Configuration Command
Chapter 19. The S (Rule Sets) Configuration Command
Chapter 20. The M (Mail Delivery Agent) Configuration Command
Chapter 21. The D (Define a Macro) Configuration Command
Chapter 22. The C and F (Class Macro) Configuration Commands
Chapter 23. The K (Database-Map) Configuration Command
Chapter 24. The O (Options) Configuration Command
Chapter 25. The H (Headers) Configuration Command
Chapter 26. The X (Milters) Configuration Command

Part 3: Appendixes
Appendix A. The mc Configuration Macros and Directives
Appendix B. What's New Since Edition 3

Bryan Costales, George Jansen, and Claus Afsmann with Gregory Neil Shapiro provide the 4th updated edition of SENDMAIL, a top pick for any advanced programmer's library, especially those featuring books solid on networking. SENDMAIL first appeared in 1993: this version covers 8.10 and 8.14 of the email routing program and is a 'must' for programmers who would keep up with the latest.

The artwork captures the artists love for the area and gives a visitor this insight. I find myself transported every time I look at my book.

Of all the books on the Monterey Peninsula that we have seen over the years, your is the most unique documentary of the area presented in such fun- filled and a beautiful format.

R.denzil Lee,AIA

I live in Carmel and know the artist. It is a "must have" souvenir and useful guide to this lovely place.

Well worth with money. A stunning book.
I'd recommend really any book from this publisher. World class art books.

Excellent prompt service of a great book at a great price. Thank You ET

Nothing is more lovely or inviting than a spa, and the best mimic pools and lovely outdoors environments. Whether you're a traveler seeking the ultimate spa or a homeowner seeking ideas for reproducing paradise in your own backyard, Spa is the book of choice for locating both ideas and destinations. Spas around the world, from resorts and hotel spas to, are profiled and packed into a lovely book filled with photos and ideas. Spa prices and services will appeal to destination-oriented travelers, while the extensive color shots of spa surroundings, both interior and exterior, offer plenty of ideas for homeowners who would create smaller versions of paradise.

I recently moved to Eugene OR where the mighty Ducks reign supreme and Mac Court is an institution! I really appreciate having Bryan Jones's SportSpectator brochures to give me instant "Cliff Notes" on court sports. I found the Basketball guide very easy to understand and fun to read. For me, the glossary was invaluable; I hear these terms used by sports announcers; but the game moves so quickly that I often can't pick up what's happened before it's over. This guide, like the others in the series is a great boon to the newbie! Thanks, Bryan Jones!

I recently started dating a basketball fanatic so I bought the SportSpectator guide to learn more about the game. I found the glossary and the section on common referee signals especially helpful, because I no longer have to drive my boyfriend and his friends nuts with "stupid" questions ("What does that mean?" "Why did he do that?" etc) So, for a mere five bucks, I gained a greater appreciation for the sport AND improved my relationship... priceless!

This most excellent, informative and easy to use pocket guide concisely explains the essentials of the game of basketball in direct, easy to understand language. I found the section explaining foul shots awarded by the referee after blowing his whistle and stopping play most helpful. I never understood the difference between team fouls and personal fouls, shooting fouls and not-shooting fouls, all made clear by Sport Spectator. I also found the description of player positions helpful in understanding the game, and now understand what the term "power forward" and "point guard" mean, and can follow developing plays with interest. I highly recommend this guide. SportSpectator is this "fan's best friend".