Hall Books

Having experienced the power and wisdom of traditional African healers, I was glad to see that Yaya took great efforts to convey the potency derived from following ancient traditions. His life story, like many other traditionalists living in the west, is one that is inspiring given all the efforts he and his tribal elders make to keep their old ways alive in the face of pressures to modernize.

As a student of cross-cultural and shamanic traditions I found this book provides clarity into the use of music and sound for enhancing and stimulating healing, as well as the need to gain sufficient mastery before using this healing modality.

"The Healing Drum: African Wisdom teachings" by YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall offers an introspective view into the Minianka culture of Mali. As an African-American student, this book helped me to understand a lot about myself. For example, YaYa explains that in his culture, musicians have a responsibility for the affect that the music has on it's listeners. "In my culture, art is allied with morality." (94)We in the West have debated the issue of the artist's responsibility for some time now. As an aspiring actress and writer, my belief has always been that we have are responsible for the messages we send through our art. YaYa explains that music can not only heal, but also can hurt. This is evident in the complacent attitude of many of today's rap artists and it's consumers. YaYa also expounds on some of the differences between the value of time and structure in Minanka culture vs. the same concept in the West. Understanding this element of an African culture allowed me to realize that I am not as crazy as many of my peers and professsors would have me to believe. YaYa's description of the late-night festivals helped me to understand why I can stay up all night and sleep all day sometimes.
I was offended by one review which stated that YaYa's book describes Minankas as drug addicts. His description of the Minianka's use of herbs and medicines to heal is no different or worse than the Western philosophy of popping pills to make troubles disappear, i.e, prozac, ridalin, sleeping pills, etc. YaYa also emphasizes the importance of music in the healing process, and his descriptions of instances in which music was used to heal in his culture are both moving and sincere.
In light of American's recent "liberation" of Iraq, it was also interesting to read YaYa's description of the French colonization of Mali. "The French glorified their colonization of large parts of Africa as a 'mission civilsatirce', a civilizing mission...The textbooks spoke of Africa rarely enough and then only referred pejoratively to the 'natives', not the human beings who belonged to our continent." (120)
It has been long understood in the elevated members of my own culture, that Africa and America are inextricably connected. I believe a closer look at the statement above could easily be related to the reluctance of many Black youth in America to take an interest in formal education. The teachings in this book are, in many cases, universal and, in most cases, interesting and inspirational. YaYa Diallo tells his story with simplicistic eloquence,humor, and wisdom. The book offers much in the way of history and parables, without beating you over the head. Mitchell Hall has done an excellent job of translation.
I was required to read this book for an African Dance class I was taking at the University of Louisville. For any person who is interested in learning more about music, Minianka culture, or the world, I would highly recommend YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall's "The Healing Drumm", and for anyone in Louisville, I encourage you to take Harlina Churn Diallo's African Dance class. Bring out the Drums!

Over the years of owning this book I have returned to "The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings" again and again. As a person of African descent I find it incredibly enriching to read the stories of Yaya Diallo as retold by Mitch Hall regarding his upbringing in the musical culture of the Miniaka (Bamana) people. We are all lucky that Diallo's words are preserved by Hall in "The Healing Drum" because a great deal of healing wisdom of Africa is oral, passed through families, thus it remains secretative. I welcome this open-hearted effort and openminded collaborative work seeking to contribute to international healing through authentic sound, as such I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking knowledge of alternate ways of healing inspired by West African spirituality.

I wanted to read this book because I have recently started learning African drumming and I wished to find out more about West African culture and how traditional music is used to heal. This was the perfect book for both aspects.

The author helps us to appreciate the culture of his village through his own experiences. We read about his struggles to follow the customs and teachings of his village as he is educated in French culture and taught to embrace the Western way of life.

We also gain an insight into the secret societies and social aspects of life in his village. Suspend disbelief at some of the awesome sights that he relates, I only wish that I could see them for myself! The sociological, psychological and religious knowledge that he reveals about his community is fascinating.

Yaya shows us that a musician in this culture does not just "play" music, music is a vital aspect of life which sustains the society and heals lost souls. The musician is a healer and a protector of the people. Each piece of music has implications, positive or negative, and the musician has a responsibility to the community to play well and appropriately.

This book has helped me to gain an insight into African culture and music; from now on my djembe playing will have more significance for me and I feel inspired by the healing potential that I now hold in my hands.

This book is about music, healing, indigenous view of life and above all, it is about harmony, which is achieved when life is lived with respect and with generosity.

Diallo is a member of the mainly agricultural Minianka/Senufo tribe living in what today is Mali. The Minianka have been able to resist the depredations which occur when Islam or X-ianity enters African societies; they are animist, that is, they still observe and follow ancient laws that emphsize the interdependence between humans, nature and the transcendent realms. Music to the Minianka music is much more than entertainment. It is used for work, celebration, ritual, inititations, funerals and healing; each activity (as well as each profession and each person) has its own special rhythms and harmonies. The MInianka understand music as a bridge between the visible and invisible. As such, it is used to establish harmonious relationships between an individual, his community, his ancestors and the Creator. Every night there is dancing at the village square - and EVERYBODY dances. Minianka musicians learn to transpose the essence of their fellow men's characters into music, so that when a villager gets to dance, he is greated by rhythms which match his/her character and emotional configuration. By observing closely, the musicians can adapt the music to the needs of the listener and thereby lead them to health. In Minianka villages, says Diallo, "musicians are healers, the healers musicians.... Music...amplifies to our sense the unheard tones and unseen waves that weave together the matter of existence. The beat, the rhythm, the timing, the orchestration, the flow, the balance between action and rest must all be within well-defined limits...and the music becomes a healing art that helps restore emotionally and psychologically disturbed people to harmonious human functioning. "

THe book is well written and brings us a close -up of Fienso, the village of Diallo's childhood. I found the descriptions of initiation ceremonies, daily work, secret societies very interesting. It made me see the Minianka society as an extremely sophisticated - where there is place for everyone and where everybody is interconnected in a web of mutual obligations between people, spirits and God. Unfortunately, the interdependence on mutual obligations makes the African society also fragile; when reciprocity inherent in such webs is interrupted, as during incursions of oil and diamond money, radical X-ianity or Islam, the African society collapses and we get what we see today in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia or Sudan - lack of harmony and lack of peace.

Still, we would be fools to pass the opportunity to learn what Africans have to teach us. Music is one of the keys that can open the door of the gilded cage in which the giant of industrial nihilism has imprisoned us and Yaya Diallo shows us in this wonderful book, that it is possible to open one's body, spirit and destiny to the amazing world of harmony and beauty where true healing occurs.

I have to hand it to Mr. Comer and Stevens, they have done an excellent job writing a book that explains everything clearly with very well defined (and actually working) examples.
If you are interested in learning TCP/IP programming on Unix platform this is the only book you need.
It does assume that you have knowledge of some C programming, but it does not assume that you are an expert.
Excellent Book.

I have been using Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume III for almost ten years now to teach a graduate course on client server programming. I think it is perhaps the most perfect textbook ever written. Comer's code is exquisite and can be used to teach clear and efficient coding in C. His explanations are perfect. He says everything that needs to be said, and no more. His presentation about the foundation of all distributed computing is clear concise and on target. Students require some reminders about the fact that this book can't be read like a novel, or like any less competent textbook. They need to read and carefully consider each line. Comer includes everything that is needed in the book and its appendices. In every case, you see very careful and concise statements of how things really work. I just reread his chapter on NFS this morning and was reminded about how he can take the complex and invisible and make it completely understandable.

Professor Comer's books are wonderful, but his contributions don't stop there. If you pride yourself on writing and are new to the academic realm you might find it useful to go to his website and read his advice on writing a dissertation. If you are a PhD student, or a master's student writing a thesis, this should be a mandatory stop. If you are simply a person who takes pride in writing clearly, you will learn important things.

This is a great book and I see why some teachers chose it for grad students. I didn't do well in networks last semester because I had to learn BSD TCP/IP sockets from sources like book snippets my teacher gave me, man pages, and various Internet sources. The textbook I had to buy for class has almost no C code or any explanations about BSD sockets. So, I invested into this and the Richard Stevens (UNIX Network Programming) book. Both are excellent assests.

Pro (This book): I like how it explained what each important function did (like read/write)

Con: The example code could be a little better.

This book is well-written and will be a good reference once I'm through with my class. I bought all 3 volumes since I could get them at a great price. What especially helped: sometimes books would take up to 50 pages explaining a topic. The "Internetworking with TCP/IP" series are excellent at giving the bottom line and at times makes it easier to understand the details within the longer-winded pages of other books. In a way, to me, it's like a set of cliff notes to my textbook.

If you're baffled about network programming, these books might be worth a try.

Get all three volumes. There is no better way to learn TCP/IP. The read is excellent. The examples are very excellent. Definiirly, a classic for years to come.

I used this book from cover to cover in a Unix Socket Programming class. A few good points about this book: 1) The sample do compiled on Linux with no problems. That's a plus. 2) The author emphasized good client-server design principles. 3) The introduction is gentle and very readble. 4) The code sample is directly,simple and not riddled with unnecessary details to "show off" like some authors do.

You don't need much Unix to do exercise in this book.About the only System calls you need to know are fork(),Select(),sigalarm() and execve(). The book could have been expanded to cover HTTP,SOAP and some other protocols to give it a 5stars.

The book doesn't teach you Java. It is assumed that you already know Java.
doesn't cover all of Numerical calculus and not all of mathematical proofs but great if you are looking study practical programming with Java.

I recommend this book only if you know Java and have basic numerical knowledge.

This book is an introduction to numerical computing that is both comprehensive and fun. It is not a textbook on numerical methods or numerical analysis, although it shows many key numerical algorithms all coded up in Java. The book examines these algorithms enough that you get a feel for how they work and why they're useful, without formally proving why they work. There are also demonstrations of many of the algorithms with interactive graphical programs. Overall I enjoyed this book a great deal. It is not a beginner's book on Java - you should be a pretty good Java programmer already. Also, you should be at least somewhat mathematically mature for the material past part one. That is, you should have had some Calculus and some Linear Algebra prior to reading the last 3 of the 4 parts of this book. I further describe this book in the context of its table of contents.

Part 1: WHY GOOD COMPUTATIONS GO BAD - Simply copying formulas out of a math or statistics textbook to plug into a program will almost certainly lead to wrong results. The first part of this book covers the pitfalls of basic numerical computation.

Chapter 1 discusses floating-point numbers in general and how they're different from the real numbers of mathematics. Not understanding these differences, such as the occurrence of roundoff errors, and not obeying some basic laws of algebra can lead to computations that go bad.

Chapter 2 looks at the seemingly benign integer types. They don't behave entirely as the whole numbers of mathematics do. Arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication take place not on a number line, but on a clock face.

Chapter 3 examines how Java implements its floating-point types. The chapter examines the IEEE 754 floating-point standard and shows how well Java meets its provisions.

Part 2: ITERATIVE COMPUTATIONS - Computers are certainly good at looping, and many computations are iterative. But loops are where errors can build up and overwhelm the chance for any meaningful results.

Chapter 4 shows that even seemingly innocuous operations, such as summing a list of numbers, can cause trouble. Examples show how running floating-point sums can gradually lose precision and offer some ways to prevent this from happening.

Chapter 5 is about finding the roots of an algebraic equation, which is another way of saying, "Solve for x." It introduces several iterative algorithms that converge upon solutions: bisection, regula falsi, improved regula falsi, secant, Newton's, and fixed-point. This chapter also discusses how to decide which algorithm is appropriate.

Chapter 6 poses the question, Given a set of points in a plane, can you construct a smooth curve that passes through all the points, or how about a straight line that passes the closest to all the points? This chapter presents algorithms for polynomial interpolation and linear regression.

Chapter 7 tackles some integration problems from freshman calculus, but it solves them numerically. It introduces two basic algorithms, the trapezoidal algorithm and Simpson's algorithm.

Chapter 8 is about solving differential equations numerically. It covers several popular algorithms, Euler's, predictor-corrector, and Runge-Kutta.

Part 3: A MATRIX PACKAGE - This part of the book incrementally develops a practical matrix package. You can then import the classes of this package into any Java application that uses matrices.

Chapter 9 develops the matrix class for the basic operations of addition, subtraction, and multiplication. It also covers subclasses for vectors and square matrices. The chapter's interactive demo uses graphic transformation matrices to animate a three-dimensional wire-frame cube.

Chapter 10 first reviews the manual procedure you learned in high school to solve systems of linear equations. It then introduces LU decomposition to solve linear systems using matrices. An interactive demo creates polynomial regression functions of any order from 1 through 9, which requires solving a system of "normal" equations.

Chapter 11 uses LU decomposition to compute the inverse of a matrix efficiently and reliably. A demo program tests how well you can invert the dreaded Hilbert matrices, which are notoriously difficult to invert accurately. The chapter also computes determinants and condition numbers of matrices, and it compares different algorithms for solving linear systems.

Part 4: THE JOYS OF COMPUTATION - The final part of this book covers its lighter side of numerical computation.

Chapter 12 covers Java's BigNumber and BigDecimal classes, which support "arbitrary precision" arithmetic--subject to memory constraints, you can have numbers with as many digits as you like. This chapter explores how these classes can be useful. You compute a large prime number with more than 3,000 digits, and you write functions that can compute values such as the square root of two and e^x to an arbitrary number of digits of precision.

Mathematicians over the centuries have created formulas for computing the value of pi. Enigmatic Indian mathematician Ramanujan devised several very ingenious ones in the early 20th century. An iterative algorithm supposedly can compute more than 2 billion decimal digits of pi. Chapter 13 uses the big number functions from Chapter 12 to test some of these formulas and algorithms.

Chapter 14 is about random number generation. A well-known algorithm generates uniformly distributed random values. It examine algorithms that generate random normally distributed and exponentially distributed random values. The chapter concludes with a Monte Carlo algorithm that uses random numbers to compute the value of pi.

Mathematicians have mulled over prime numbers since nearly prehistoric times. Chapter 15 explores primality testing and investigates formulas that generate prime numbers, and it looks for patterns in the distribution of prime numbers.

Chapter 16 introduces fractals, which are beautiful and intricate shapes that are recursively defined. There are various algorithms for generating different types of fractals, such as Julia sets and the Mandelbrot set. In fact, Newton's algorithm for finding roots, when applied to the complex plane, can generate a fractal.

I have got hold of this book just recently. This is an excellent book on numerical computing using Java that covers many important aspects in numerical computing. I have been writing numerical methods in Java back in graduate school as well as in my professional career for mission critical programs. I must say this book has addressed many issues that must be taken into account such as machine epsilon, choices of numerical methods for different problems, limitations and precautions in using different data types, etc in Java in which if taken for granted, would produce disastrous results.

Ronald Mak has taken the trouble to explain IEEE floating point standards in a fun and easy-to-understand manner.

Another thing about this book that is worthy of a mention is its great OO programming styles. Codes are also well commented and reader friendly. Overall, it is a great source to learn not just on how to program numerical methods in Java but how to write good OO programs.

The only two bad things I could say about this book is that I should have gotten of this book much earlier and if only Amazon allows a Six Stars rating.

As the author says, last time I looked Java still had the +, -, /, * and % mathematical operators.. though most programmers end up forgetting it lost as they are in the boring, vulgar and repetitive coding of boiler-plate "enterprise" (read "sell sell sell") applications. This book does a very good job of introducing a Java programmer to one of the most fun and interesting powers that Java can offer ... that is playing with numbers and exploring the world of mathematics. Forget (at least for a little while) Servlets, JSP, EJB, and database massaging... and give a look to how you can use your JDK to study functions, solve differential equations, integrals, system of equations, discover prime numbers and admire the beauty of fractals. The treatment of the various subjects is done is sufficient detail to be clear and sound, but without burderdening the reader
with detail and depth best left for more specialized and hard-core texts that the curious reader can explore after this one. Refreshing.

At one time or another, most of us will likely have to write code performing some amount of numerical computation beyond simple integer arithmetic. As many of us are neither mathematicians nor intimately familiar with the bit gymnastics our machines must perform in order to manipulate numbers, we can get ourselves into trouble if we're not careful. Luckily, "Java Number Cruncher" comes to the rescue.

This book is an introduction to numerical computing using Java providing "non-theoretical explanations of practical numerical algorithms." While this sounds like heady stuff, freshman level calculus should be sufficient to get the most out of this text.

The first three chapters are amazingly useful, and worth the price of admission alone. Mak does a fine job explaining in simple terms the pitfalls of even routine integer and floating-point calculations, and how to mitigate these problems. Along the way the reader learns the details of how Java represents numbers and why good math goes bad. The remainder of the book covers iterative computations, matrix operations, and several "fun" topics, including fractals and random number generation.

The author conveys his excitement for the subject in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand manner. Examples in Java clearly demonstrate the topics covered. Some may not like that the complete source is in-line with the text, but this is subjective. Overall, I found this book educational, interesting, and quite enjoyable to read.

Mr. Ulrich has delivered a framework with which IT areas can effectively leverage their existing applications and data to meet the ever-changing business environment. Bill's chapter on Case Studies provides real life examples of how to use his methodology. We face rapidly changing business drivers, including the need to make our businesses internet-ready. This book provides the materials to allow companies a fighting chance to succeed.

I read Bill Ulrich's book and was delighted to see that he was clearing laying out strategies that we were dealing with as we worked with our clients. We now make Mr. Ulrich's book part of our mandatory reading for our consultants and have purchased copies for distribution to some of our key clients. This has helped both our consulting teams and our clients in planning and project executiion.

Mr. Ulrich understands how businesses have a tremendous reliance on legacy systems. Pressure is always on the IT staff to meet the demands of the business cusomter. The IT community is asked to bring products and services to the consumer through the internet while managing the internal demands to keep expenses under control. Bill's book lays out a framework in which the business community can build company-specific plans to leverage their prior investments while striving to meet today's business drivers in a manner that is cost effective.

Bill has filled this book with tremendous value for any one working with existing systems of any kind. He builds in the flexibility of approach by mapping many common and not-so-common methods and strategies through his exploration of specific case studies. Chapter 3 is a valuable item on its own - rarely have I seen such a thorough and clear examination of all the different 'movements' in IT in the last 10 years. Nice job, Bill.

Corporations have been trying to retire legacy systems for the past couple of decades. Each new technology (be it client/server, ERP packaged apps, etc) were supposed to put the nail in the coffin for legacy systems. Yet, legacy systems continue to thrive despite attempts to retire them. One reason why they continue to exist is that in many instances, they support business processes in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. Bill's book views this area more as a transformation effort (evolution) rather than wholesale legacy replacement (revolution). This book is a must read for IT departments as they struggle to remain relavent in an era of outsourcing.

The strategies outlined in this book will help the IT department become a partner with functional business units in delivering solutions that address burning business problems. The focus shifts to providinig measurable value to the business as opposed to implementing unified and elegant technologies.

Jack Peckham shares so much valuable knowledge in this book you are crazy if you don't buy it. Jack is one of the special people in the commercial real estate industry. He is always trying to share his vast knowledge and skills to make people better. Thank you Jack.

There is no doubt that Jack knows commercial real estate and Jack knows the Internet. So if you want to improve your knowledge about Income Property Brokerage and Online Marketing, do not hesitate to buy this resource. When you can learn from someone who has walked the path before, you know you are getting valuable information directly from the horse's mouth. This is one of those rare events. Jack's steps and tips worked for him and they can work for you.

Stefan Swanepoel
Thirteen time author including
Real Estate confronts Reality (1997) Real Estate confronts the Future (2004) and Swanepoel Trends Report (2007)

Mr. Peckman methodically and clearly outlines the details and keys to make the move into Income Property Brokerage a success.

It's always nice when you learn from someone who has gone through the steps to reach success and isn't reluctant to share them with you and can do so in a mentoring kind of way.

Highly recommended.

I had the opportunity to preview this book just before its publication. If you are either running or starting a commercial real estate brokerage, this book is a must-have! I personally am using much of this book to take my relatively small real estate brokerage to a new level. Great ideas go along with many pragmatic and practical tips. I refer to this book often in my staff meetings.

Couldn't put this one down. An absolute must read for any realtor considering commercial real estate. Its chock full of great information. I read this cover to cover in one day!!! I highly recommend this one...its fresh, its current for today's industry, and you'd be foolish to miss out on the information inside!!! Mistersold!!! says A+++++

Jani is saved from a life in Tibet by Mister, a man she loves as a child. Once in England, Jani saves the life of Mr. Lambert and is invited to become one of his family. Years later, Jani's beloved Eleanor becomes ensnared by a strange man, and Jani is determined to save her. This brings Mister, Adam Gascoyne, back into her life.

This was the first novel by Brent that I read, and it remains my favorite.

These is the only book of MB I have found in french. I have read it almost 20 years ago and I was very happy last year when I discover that there are some over title even if there are in english. I have read this story a lot of time and I like it every times ! A very good one.

Agnes

This story is great adventure and romance with a plucky heroine, the child of tragedy. She's grows up where she doesn't belong near Nepal or Tibet but a time comes when she and her cockney-speaking caretaker have no choice but to leave. They are pursued on their arduous journey through mountain passes. Jani, the heroine, helps them make good time since she is able to communicate with yaks, mules, etc. But Jani has a mysterious past which we gradually learn about as she does. There are mystics and monks and Shangri-la-type temples, future prophesies and evil in wait. Meanwhile Jani finally makes it alive to England but broke and alone. She soldiers on, stays positive and good despite daunting circumstances and finally gets a lucky break. And where's that manly, mysterious fellow she can't forget?

I love Madeleine Brent and wish there were more books out there like hers! This one is especially good. While a little slow to start, the story picks up and I could not put it down. I was so sad when it ended. Jani and her friends are such loveable characters and the novel really made me feel good, as cliched as that is. There were times when I laughed and cried while reading this book. Highly recommended!

Before I discovered Madeleine Brent's books, my favorite author was Victoria Holt and I absolutely always said that I couldn't imagine another author ever topping her in my favorite's list but I have to admit that I was wrong, wrong, wrong!! And I am hardly ever wrong, just ask my husband!! Anyway, you can't go wrong with any of the Madeleine Brent books and my two favorites (and it is very, very, very difficult to pick a favorite)are Merlins Keep and The Golden Urchin, the Golden Urchin being my favorite book of all time!! How I wish Hollywood would wake up and make some movies based on these books by Madeleine Brent - I know they would become beloved classics!! Read all of the Madeleine Brent books and you won't find better prices than those on Amazon.com Happy reading!!!

For Civil War and Naval History buffs, this telling of the Monitor's creation and her campaign against the South's Merrimac is spellbinding.

Alot of detailed information well put together and very readable.

Monitor skillfully holds the reader spellbound about the ship, and her irrascible genius inventor. I also came to realize just how technically advanced this ship was compared to her contemporaries. This book is a quick and powerful read that you don't want to put down, and it conveys the depth and level of accomplishment achieved by John Erriccson in getting her built in the short time he did. An outstanding history replete with circumstances and entertaining anecdotes as well. A highly recommended book.

This slim volume recounts the history of USS Monitor which, in its famous engagement with the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) on March 9, 1862, rendered all wooden warships obsolete and initiated a naval arms race among world's navies that climaxed 80 years later in the Pacific battles of World War II.

Monitor's creator was a Swedish engineering prodigy named John Ericsson who had supervised 400 men as a canal engineer by age 16. For an 1829 railroad design competition built a steam locomotive that established a land speed record by covering a measured mile in 57 seconds (63 mph). But the contest sponsors changed the rules to defeat foreigner Ericsson and his attempts to provide innovate designs to the Royal Navy were also rejected. In frustration Ericsson emigrated to the United States and in 1837 invented the first practical screw propeller to drive steamships through the water.

In 1861 Union intelligence indicated the Confederates were rebuilding the scuttled former Union warship USS Merrimac as a heavily armed ironclad. If that ship (rechristened CSS Virginia but generally called simply "Merrimac"), broke the blockade of Hampton Roads then US coastal cities, including Washington, DC, would be vulnerable to attack. The Union needed an ironclad quickly, and Ericsson already had a plan!

Monitor's keel was laid in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1861, and Ericsson and his numerous subcontractors worked 108 days and nights until on February 9, 1862 USS Monitor was turned over to the Navy. Exactly one month later Monitor faced Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Objectively the battle was a tactical draw, but strategic victory went to the Union. The Union blockade was preserved, the Confederates remained bottled up and Britain and France, who were leaning toward supporting the South, decided to remain officially neutral.

This book tells the story of the design, construction, combat history, demise and legacy of USS Monitor in a well-written narrative format. It provides enough details for general readers interested in naval, engineering and civil war history. It may be too general for the serious buff, but I recommend it as an amazing tale to everyone else who wants to know more about this important historical event.

There are some small reproductions of period etchings and photos and a good map of the Hampton Roads battle area. The only thing missing are good schematics of Monitor's interior design.

....Like the Monitor itself, this book is short and concise and yet it packs quite a wallop. In a little more than two hundred well-written pages, Mr. DeKay manages to cram a lot. The book is all about the first ironclad warship of the U.S. Navy and its duel in Chesapeake Bay with the Confederate vessel Merrimac. The book starts with a biography of the ship's cantankerous Swedish inventor John Ericsson and his efforts to get the government bureaucracies of two continents to show interest in his his prophetic ideas for naval warfare (propeller engines, armor plating, torpedoes, revolving gun turrets). The book then talks about the labyrinthine maneuvers of Ericsson and his financial backers through the government contract process to get the ship built. Finally, the author describes in blow-by-blow detail the epic battle between the "cheesebox on a raft" Monitor and the vastly larger and better-armed Merrimac. Every page crackles with factual gems (e.g. The Civil War really was "brother against brother". The Merrimac's commander rammed and sank a Union ship while his brother was on board). Landlubbers and civilians need not be discouraged from reading this book. Engineering and naval concepts are presented in jargon-free language. The book can be finished in two or three days of casual reading. Great for the bathroom-er, uh, excuse me, head.

I have read several books about Vitamins and Herbs. By far this is my Favorite Book. This book has a break down of each item and how it can help and works in the body's system. I found out several interesting facts I did not know. I have poor health and this book has helped me to find vitamins, and herbs that really help. Not just throwing my money away on things that do not work. This has also helped a friend with Lupus, Heart problems.

VERY HAPPY I ORDERED THE BOOK.....ONE OF THE TOP 2 BOOKS I HAVE READ ON
HERBS & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE....I AM AN AVID READER OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE LITERATURE AND FINDING & READING THIS BOOK WAS LIKE DISCOVERING A GOLD MINE..WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ENTHUSIAST.

I purchased this book for a relative since I already own a copy. It's a great book! I have many
similar Natural Healing Resource books; however, I find that I use this one the most. It's
written well, and has practical advice & suggestions for just about everything imaginable!
Well worth the price! No home should be without a copy!

A very clearly written guide for "alternative medicine" [which is in fact part of medicine which every doctor should use, as the only purpose in medicine is to try to heal or to bring relief]
A lot of information,written in a modest style, nothing "blown up".
Highly recommended.

Excelent book. recommend it to anyone

Wow. I was in my school library with my best friend Gisselle (which is a coincidence since a girl in the book is named Giselle) picking out a book to keep. I came across this book and it looked so interesting so I kept it. She had the same book. We both absoloutely love to read. Ever since that day Diane Hoh has been my favorite author. I read the book and I loved it! It's so mysterious. She makes me think something like that could happen to me.

I would not want to be Jess, the girl who gets haunted by Giselle.

I really like this book it was one of the most awsome books I've read in a while. Diane Hoh is a great author i think she's better then R.L. Stine! I don't understand why this books are out of print? Can anyone tell me?

This book is about a girl name Jess, she is student at Salem Universitiy, but she is in a off-campus dorm, but, a very strange one. Her room is very cold and there rumors about a girl that comited suicide in that same room are intimidating... No one in the campus likes to pass near it, everybody that knows they are there and is awere of what happened there, looks at Jess and her mates with petty in the eyes and comments that they hate passing by that place, it's freaky and weird. Who the wrote letter? Did Giselle really comited suicide?
Have a try to know the answers to the questions above, because it's worth it. It's very well written and the book totally absorves you since the begining... Diane Hoh, makes a perfect mix of suspence, horror and romance in a very thrilling way.... DO NOT MISS IT. YOU ARE THE ONE LOSING IT ANYWAY!

This book is about a girl name Jess, she is on a dorm off-campus. Her room is very cold and there rumors about a girl that comited suicide in that same room... Who the letter? Did Giselle really comited suicide?
Have a try, because it's worth it. It's very well written and the book totally absorves you since the begining... Diane Hoh, makes a perfect mix of suspence, horro and romance in a very thrilling way....

The Silent Scream strats the ball for Diane Hoh's Nightmare Hall series. The Silent Scream is a good way to do this> It tell's you of this beautiful girl who committed sucide but is that really true? Diane Hoh tells the story brilliantly and I love her books however I feel the ending was disappointing and unbelievable!

One of the many neat features of studying at Cornell University is that, even if you're not enrolled in its famous School of Hotel Administration, you can attend one of the cooking and wine tasting classes organized especially for non-Hotel School students, and get at least a flavor of the five star culinary instruction provided by the chefs teaching at that school. (That is, you can do so if you're willing to get up an extra hour or two early on the morning of non-Hotel School student enrollment, and if you're lucky enough to beat the crowds or at least slip in as a substitute participant.) In addition to numerous recipes and pieces of valuable advice, information and memories -- particularly of the last night, on which we had to put together a four-course meal, fine dining style, complete with menu, garnishments and perfectly laid table -- Cornell's "cooking class" has enriched my kitchen by two items I have since found it very hard to do without: A professional grade chef's knife, and Sarah Labensky's and Alan Hause's "On Cooking," which we used as our textbook.

Much more than that, however, "On Cooking" is in fact a near-complete reference on everything related to the culinary arts, from the history of cooking to new foods developed in the 20th century, from sanitation and safety to nutritional values, from recipe writing to menu composition, from knifes and other pieces of equipment to edible kitchen staples, from the principles of cooking to various techniques and food presentation -- and of course, on every conceivable kind of food, from coffee, tea, spices and condiments to dairy products, stocks, sauces, soups, red and white meats, charcuterie, fish and shellfish, eggs, vegetables, potatoes, grains, pasta, salads, fruits, sandwiches, hors d'oeuvres, canapes, breads, pies, pastries, cookies, cakes, custards, creams and frozen desserts. Along the way, numerous tables, diagrams and pictures illustrate and exemplify the given information, making it easy to digest and memorize. The book concludes with an extensive bibliography and recommendations for further reading, and a detailed glossary of essential culinary terms.

Recipes are chosen to match individual chapters, and provide both a practical application and a more profound understanding of the respective chapters' subject matter. They include everything from American and international classics (assorted muffins, scrambled eggs and eggs benedict, focaccia, club, Reuben and other sandwiches, minestrone, French onion soup, gazpacho, New England clam chowder, Cesar, Roquefort, Thousand Islands and other dressings, various mayonnaises, coleslaw, cobb salad, Asian chicken salad, salade Nicoise, potato salad, Thai noodle salad, spanakopitta, grilled portabella mushrooms, carpaccio, lemon curd, hummus, various salsas, guacamole, pesto, hollandaise, bolognese, barbecue, bordelaise, bearnaise, Madeira, mornay, tartar, bechamel and other sauces, various stocks, broths and consommes, polenta, various kebabs, pilafs and risottos, paella, falafel, quiche lorraine, pizza, cannoli alla siciliana, macaroni and cheese, fettuccine Alfredo, clams casino, gravlax, oysters Rockefeller, fillet of sole bonne femme, matzo balls, duck confit, chorizo, chicken cacciatore, coq au vin, chicken curry, pico de gallo, chicken and veal fricassees, osso buco, chili con carne, Swedish meatballs, assorted burgers, meatloaf, T-bone, pepper and other steaks, cassoulet, chateaubriand, tournedos Rossini, beef Stroganoff, entrecote bordelaise, boeuf bourguignon, Hungarian goulash, ratatouille, baked beans, spaetzle, gnocchi, hush puppies, roesti potatoes, gratin dauphinois, baked potatoes, crepes, applesauce, New York cheesecake, sabayon, frangipane, assorted pies, tarts and tortes, various meringues and sorbets, creme brulee, chocolate mousse, chocolate angel food cake, sponge cake, brownies, ladyfingers, Madeleines, toll house cookies, gingerbread cookies, buche de noel, and spiced cider) to more unusual dishes such as:

Chilled cherry soup
Perfumed shrimp consomme
Beet vinaigrette
Shallot curry oil
Walnut pesto
Nopal cactus salsa
Pink peppercorn beurre blanc
Crayfish butter
Zucchini bread
Potato cheddar cheese bread
Salmon and sea bass terrine with spinach and basil
Salmon croquettes
Grilled red snapper burger with mango ketchup
Tex-Mex turkey sausage
Sauted pork medallions with red pepper and citrus
Marinated loin of venison roasted with mustard
Roast pheasant with cognac and apples
Stuffed wontons with apricot sauce
Wild rice and cranberry stuffing
Goat cheese ravioli in herbed cream sauce
Spicy sweet potato and chestnut gratin
Grits and cheddar souffle
Potato-ginger puree
Cilantro puree
Grilled seckel pear with sherry bacon vinaigrette
Balsamic raspberries
Figs with berries and honey mousse
Kirsch mousse
Pistachio citrus cheesecake
Chocolate flourless cake
English muffin loaves
Oatmeal stout ice cream
Quince jam

At 1100+ pages a veritable brick, despite its size "On Cooking" has become as much a key part of my kitchen as my chef's knife, my tea infusers, and various other pieces of equipment. I don't harbor any intentions of becoming a professional chef (nor any aspirations to even remotely that level of culinary skills), but I love to cook, and this is one of the cookbooks I'd be least likely to part with -- ever.

"Cookery is become an art, a noble science; cooks are gentlemen." -- Robert Burton, British author (1621).

This was my first textbook at culinary school and it is by far the most comprehensive collection of culinary information I have ever come across.

It references everything from Nutrition to proper knife care, from meat cuts to the proper way for handling an array of ingredients. If you are serious about cooking, you will find the answers to all of your questions within this book, not to mention a great collection of recipes from restaurants around the US.

This is the Basic Skills text book at the Culinary Institute of Las Vegas, and it is GREAT! It breaks down the basics of cooking by food item (poultry, starches, breakfast, etc.), but then each chapter is subdivided into cooking methods (braising, roasting, etc). There are handy tables for cooking times, properties and suggested cooking methods as well. The recipes are tried and true, but they also work extremely well as the foundation for anything you want to create! The beginning of the book gives good information on the history of chefs that have molded modern cuisine as well as kitchen equipment, knives, basic knife skills and seasonings.

Highly reccomended by this die-hard culinry student!I often refer back to this book when looking for alternate recipes in my current classes as this is, by far, the most outstanding book I've purchased for school.

While this is essentially a textbook for culinary students, On Cooking is still very accessible. I would reccommend this book to any amateur wanting to learn more about the concepts behind cooking, rather than just reading and following a recipe.

No doubt, any food lover will continue to reference this book time and time again. Worth its weight in gold!

This book is a huge help for anyone seeking more knowledge in the culinary arts area. It provides you with many tips on how to cook in high quanity. It also has many wonderful recipes!