R Books

I purchased Jain's "The Art of Computer Systems Performance Analysis" for a 3-month graduate course, and I must admit that, in retrospect, I was a bit daunted by its size upon receipt (we were to cover the entire text). Further, I had my doubts about the relevancy of the text in the current environment, given its age.

But I must say, both of these initial questions proved wholly unfounded.

I've never used a text quite like this one before; it is a significant departure from the standard engineering text that weighs heavily on the side of analytical proof and mathematical equations, while foregoing textual elaboration. On the contrary, this book adopts a conversational tone whereby the author develops all of the book's topics in great detail, relying on substantial insight and experience. Truly, a breath of fresh air.

There's such a richness about this text, that a careful read--while admittedly quite time-consuming--is bound to give the reader a sense that he has just become the beneficiary of a heck of a lot of wisdom.

All of this is not to say the text is overly-subjective; in fact, there is plenty of detailed analytical analysis. It is just to say that the book is different, and one that exudes quality communication: it reads more like a lecture than it does lecture notes.

So, back to my initial doubts. It turns out that the verbose depth of material which constitutes the book's 720 pages is really a foundation of its main qualities: it is a very readable and highly-detailed exploration of the art and the craft of performance analysis. And it's for that foundational reason that its age is irrelevant.

A solid book indeed. It has the right mixture of theory and practical cases well dealt with. The techinques must be tried for performance analysis and implemented in real time projects.

This old book is one of the most valued on my shelf. I was first exposed to it in a graduate class, and I have to say that the book is so good I was not aware that my professor was not a good instructor until I had him a second time in a class where the textbook was less than stellar. Don't judge the book by a quick perusal either. At first glance, especially if you are looking at Part I, it looks like one of those books on Six Sigma that will put you to sleep. In fact, the vast majority of the book is quite interesting.

Part II, "Measurement Techniques and Tools", are where things get interesting. The good part about this entire book is that it uses problems in the analysis of computer systems as the basis of presentation for all tools presented. The graphs are excellent, the mathematics are largely self-contained, and if algorithms are presented they are usually given in numbered steps and an actual computer program shown. This is one drawback of the book - it uses the ancient Simula language for its demonstration code. However, if you are familiar with C, Java, or any of the other mainstream procedural languages, you'll find that Simula looks like very readable pseudocode, so this should not be an obstacle to understanding.

Part III is a section dedicated entirely to probability theory and statistics. Starting with the simple definition of the mean, this handy section not only derives all of the statistics you need in this book, it talks about common mistakes made in applying them.

Part IV is about experimental design and analysis. Using the mathematics developed in part three this section talks about all aspects of designing a proper experiment for the measurement or simulation of a computer system, including common mistakes and the best choice for the size of your experiment.

Part V presents the key issues in simulation modeling. First it discusses simulation terminology, simulation design criteria, and stopping conditions. Random number generation is the subject of three chapters in reference to inputs to your simulation. Finally there is a chapter on the commonly used distributions such as Bernoulli, beta, binomial, etc. that talks specifically about random number generation algorithms for each of the distributions presented. What makes this section so valuable is that although you may have possibly seen the math before, more than likely you don't know the value of each kind of distribution. This section makes that issue clear in terms of modeling computer performance.

Part VI is on queuing models, and is probably the most difficult section in the book. Although it is one of the better written pieces I have read on queueing theory, it is not as easily grasped as previous sections based on reading the textbook alone. There are examples present, and the book does a good job of presenting "the big picture" as to the use of queueing theory in computer performance analysis, but you may need outside material to really grasp how to set up a queueing problem from a mathematical standpoint.

No other book I've found does such a good job of discussing all of the topics covered and clearly tying it into practical issues in measuring and monitoring system performance. I highly recommend it.

I'm a performance analyst. I couldn't do my job properly without this book. It really is that simple.

This is an absolute gem. I really think that this book must be read by every CS/EE engineer. Performance analysis is always something that comes as an afterthought and engineers think that some some "mathematical" guy called a perf analyst will stop by after the product is completed and analyze the product. This is def wrong. PA should be done at every stage of production.

This book has been written assuming a novice reader. Several parts of the book have to re-read to really understand what the author is trying to convey, but trust me you will really appreciate it.

I suggest reading the following parts of the book(in order):

Part I (whole)
Part II (4, 5, 6, browse {7,8}, 9, 10 ) 10 is cool stuff..impress your peers with this
Part III (whole) read, re-read, re-read till you have digested every line..worth it really!!!!
Part IV (whole) read, re-read, re-read till you have digested every line..worth it really!!!!
Part V : You can skip this if you are not into simulation.
Part VI : Not really that easy to follow. I suggest Gunter's book for this.

This was my favorite book growing up. I don't even know how many ties I reread that book.

I absolutely adore this book. The storyline is beautiful, but more than anything it leaves you with a an imagination full of possibilities. I loved this book as a child and I still love it now. It's a great magical book for children. Who didn't pretend that they had magical powers? Love it!

Actually, my 5-yr old daughter and my 7-yr old son really enjoy this story. My daughter asked me just this morning if she could get another copy to donate to her school library. I wish it came in hardback cover!

I read this book when i was 5 or 6 and loved it.My love of unicorns started with this book and i think its a good start for young kids.

I first read this book when i was about seven and in the "fantasy" stage of life. LOL. it struck me as cute when i first read it.
Star the baby unicorn presents the perfect character for a child to focus on.
on the first page it tell about Star's birth, and then goes on to tell about why the unicorns and the dragons are enimies. after, star is requiered to learn about courage so she can be the final unicorn in a spell to make the dragons friendly(it requires eight unicorns but there are only seven). i recommend the book "the cabbage moth & the shamrock" by Ethel Marbach, in addition to this book.

Like one previous reviewer, I discovered this amazing book when I was in junior high. I read an enthusiastic Time magazine review of Jones' surrealist coming-of-age saga in 1974, but didn't actually buy a copy 'til the following year.

Like two previous reviewers, I was struck by the Huck Finn parallels, or anti-parallels. I actually wrote a paper for a high school English class detailing how I felt Jones had used Huck Finn as a starting point, then turned certain aspects of Twain's allegory on end. It was a public high school, so my insights -- indeed my entire topic selection! -- were poorly received. It's just as well that I resisted my initial urge to drag James Dickey's novel/screenplay 'Deliverance,' another allegorical mid-'70s river voyage, into the analysis.

'Blood Sport' is a brutally honest but infallibly entertaining depiction of [male] human nature and the human condition, and it's the last word on what guys are all about. Metrosexuals won't like 'Blood Sport' at all.

Exploring the Hassayampa headwaters is about more than just growing up; indeed, growing up is about more than just growing up! The thematic linchpin of Blood Sport is exposed during Ratnose's discussion of the second law of thermodynamics: Life itself is rebellion, he argues, against the second law, which dictates that energy in a high state tends to become energy in a lower state, all the way down to the inert ...

A terrifically entertaining read. As a military man, hunter and Deadhead (different sides of myself I've often found hard to reconcile) it was a real treat to find a book that included elements of outdoorsmanship, combat, and the absurd (in extrema).

What a great book!! An excellent piece of surrealistic fiction. If you are a hunter, a fisherman or just an old-style libertarian hippie (Your modern tree hugging, gun-phobic, quiche-eating hippie won't like it.), I highly recommend this book.

This novel is without a doubt a classic, grizzly account of manhood and survival, transformation and change. Perhaps if you are one who believes that the spirit of the bear resides inside of you, pick this book up and read it all the way through. It is a magnificent story full of gritty, earthly imagery that will thicken your skin. From gunfights to hemp-laiden philosophy, from sensitivity to utter insanity... Stand up and play the hand god has dealt. Play fair but play to win.

Where's the sequel, Jones?

So glad to see this amazing novel back in print. I read a Dell paperback (with a beautiful full-color cover) when I was in junior high (middle school to you youngsters) back in '75 or so. Blew the top of my head clean off. Broke a bunch of rules and made up some new ones in the process. After I read this I graduated directly to Vonnegut, Brautigan and Castaneda. Blood Sport changed the way I look at writers and writing, and it deserves a spot on the same shelf as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Heart of Darkness and Deliverance. The chapter listing "27 Things I Learned About Ratnose" is itself worth the cover price. Long live R.F. Jones. He has written a true adventure classic.

We've all heard the saying, "Life is a choir and every voice is important." But we all also know that very rarely is this humane principle put into practice. Linda Stout, in her book "Bridging the Class Divide", shows us over and over again where these voices reside and how they represent important views, important values, and important cultures. Through life experiences, Stout identifies and calls out important characteristics that, when raised up and valued, create a truly well-rounded, truly inclusive society. She shows us how fragile and faint these voices are at birth, and how easily and mindlessly dominant beliefs can annihilate them. Her account of how she herself became more aware of the values and perspectives that shaped her, and began to believe in them and communicate them, is moving and illuminating. Knowing how to nurture and strengthen such contributions, according to Stout, is key to bringing them to the tables we all sit at every day, whether they be work tables, community tables, religious, race, gender, or age tables. Such affirmations of inclusion have a powerful effect on the political and economic webs that impact all of us. However difficult, giving voice and action to all our perspectives, not just the ones that reflect "the way we have always done things," is necessary. Only when each of us insists on communicating our unique perspectives will every voice truly be important to the song the choir is singing.

I have been working for social change thirty years now. I can wholeheartedly say that Linda Stout is one of the best organizers and resources there is on issues of overcoming class and racial divisions; so that we can be more effective in our work for justice, peace and a wide range of other progressive issues. I worked with Linda back in the 80's and she is still one of my most important mentors. Her book reflects her unique qualities which all come from life experience and wisdom born from life in the struggle and life in the spirit. It is both informative and inspiring -- a book that you don't want to put down and one that can make you a better person in your personal life and in your work for a better world. Herb Walters

Activists will find this book invaluable. Rev. William Sloan Coffin said it all: "Class may well prove a nut even tougher to crack than racism. With a wealth of wisdom, Linda Stout shows how to organize progressive movements that are genuinely inclusive. Grassroots organizers especially will be in her debt, which is where I have happily been for years."

I used this book as a text for an undergrad class on community organizing. it was easy to read and understand, and gave us so much to reflect on and talk about. it has so many practical tips on organizing, it should be a must read for anyone doing community work. i would love to read further reflections on PPP today, and what the leaders have learned about organizing and surviving as an organization since the book was written

If you care about helping to create a better world, this book will help. Class divisions are one of the most insidious, though least discussed, problems impacting our ability to effectively build movements for change. In an accessible style, with great stories, Linda Stout shares her years of organizing wisdom and makes it clear just what it takes to build effective cross-class alliances.

As the Executive Director of Class Action, www.classism.org, I have recommended Bridging the Class Divide many times. It is a useful resource for activists and non-activists alike.

Felice Yeksel

I don't think that this book should be just limited to mental health professionals.
It's very interesting, caught my attention, and can be used as a motivator but more important it makes sense to me.
It should be used by those who are uncertain of where to go and what to do.

Before reading this book, I thought the best I could do when my emotional buttons were pushed, was to recognize and interrupt the reaction. I never expected that I could possibly eliminate the buttons entirely.
I plan to apply this wisdom to my own life and share the lessons with my patients.

Button Therapy, a 'MUST HAVE' for any mental health professional and/or the lay person. I have found many insights in this book and I have recommended it to just about everyone I know. I think that Dr. Goodwin has hit the 'button on the head', and has loosened it's thread with his insightful, caring explanation of our 'buttons' and how to deal with them. I find myself referring to it regularly in my business. Thanks Lloyd, I am happier, my clients are happier and we all understand ourselves and others better now that we have read your book. We will all be looking forward to your next work!

Suzanne Osborne, Ph.D.,Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist,Forensic Psychologist, Criminal Profiler, Counselor

Dr. Goodwin says what other "Dr's." say in ways that make the information accessible, useful and helpful. Every one of us has felt the pushing of our buttons and not been aware of it or known what to do about it. This book heightened my own awareness from "what? feelings? bah!" to "hey, this is cool stuff, I can actually know what I'm doing with all this emotional stuff running amuck inside me."
Hey, it'll make life easier and better. So where can you spend a few bucks and get such a deal?

The Button Therapy Book has made an incredible difference in my attitude and my life. I am able to relax more and don't get as uptight or angry as I used to. I have always been a person who had my "buttons pushed" fairly easily and now I understand how to identify my buttons, address them in a calm and loving way and most importantly, get rid of them. I've also been able to take the information given in the book and pass it on to my children to help them overcome their "buttons." Dr. Goodwin gives the reader all the tools they need to live happier, healthier lives, starting immediately! I highly recommend this book, it is a must for any person who is interested in improving his/her quality of life and getting rid of those buttons!

I found this story delightful reading. There is a sweetness about George that kept me reading into the next page to learn more of his character.

Booklearner

"Cabbage" is a word that does not bring happy thoughts to my mind. But this book, by R. Paul, is truly delightful. This author is a master of bringing everyday events into life. Though there is not a main plot, one cannot put this book down. Its main character and his neighbors quickly become your real-life friends. This is a book to share with everyone you know and love. Don't pass it by!

It is amazing how much trouble mixed with joy can be derived from the simple act of giving away cabbages in the neighborhood.
George Konert asks his beloved Grace, "Do you think I'm nuts?" while crows mock him from high in maple trees. George is 78 years old when he finds himself walking into a biker's bar wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and a bandana around thinning hair, while all around him are wearing every-day clothing. Gert is a rough and tumble young woman with a wicked sense of humor, and a mother who is as refined as any lady can be. Gert pays for one of George's cabbages, only to find she would get more than she bargained for.
The author of Cabbage Requiem - R. L. Paul - has created such wonderful unforgettable characters. Readers' hearts will be silently gathered by George Konert, who sheds tears from a lonely existence, who longs for the simple pleasures in life- a flourishing vegetable garden, seeing his busy daughters, and having the love of grandchildren to warm him through the long winter season.
Wisdom and compassion are the precious gifts George gives from a veritable garden of sweet harvests. The Cabbage Requiem is a fabulous story. It will leave readers pleading for more of George Konert.
The author R. L. Paul takes the humble cabbage grown from love and tenderness, to reveal the significance of this simple gift from the garden. This story carries insight into the heart that never grows old. Cabbage Requiem is enjoyable reading at its very best.
Rolling Seas Reviews

This book is a must read. Mr. Paul has a very special gift in developing his characters so that they truly become a part of your life! George is such a wonderful and truly extraordinary character that makes you appreciate life and all it has to offer regardless of your age. It leaves a lasting impression on your heart!

As with any good story, I always looked forward to getting back to Cabbage Requiem to read more. However, I didn't consciously realize that something was building steadily in the narrative, until the conclusion of the book when I suddenly had a powerful sense of the journey from barrenness to abudance that had taken place. I have to say it took my breath away for a second,and made me think about how one positive step can turn a life around -- a good lesson for all of us.

This type of book needs to be in every household throughout the world not just the country!

Mark Bryan is my husband's cousin. I saw him on Oprah talking about his book and had to get it. However, it was out of stock. Mark sent me an autographed copy and I read it in a day. It was so helpful to me to learn to deal with some members of my own family, but more importantly with my husband's family. Now that I have the truth on where my husband "comes from", it is easier for me to understand how and why he thinks the way he does...that also goes for the rest of his immediate family. I am going to have my husband read this to help him work out his problems with his parents.

It was very touching and loving to hear about the extended family that I have not ever met. Jim and Mark's grandmother, Minnie, was an exceptional woman, and I can relate to her in many ways. I admire Mark for all he has done and for all he has accomplished.

He has been so supportive of us, but this book has really "tied the loose ends up" for me. The exercises at the end of each chapter are really thought provoking. I began to remember memories that I would have thought that I had forgotten forever. It is nice to know that they are there, and now I can incorporate them in with the "bad" so that the "bad" isn't that horrible. I feel that I have grown and matured, and am ready to Re-Frame and Remake my life. He is right...you can go home again.

This is a great read for anyone having a family or coming to terms with family problems. Bryan came from a disfunctional family and spent a decade of his life blaming his family for the letdowns in his life. Once he saw his family was not the problem and he was, he came to terms with his family and decided to become a member of the family again. This book mainly focused on the interaction between children and their parents, but it can be used with other relationships. This is a great read for any of us who have problems with their family, because it councils us in how to behave in the proper manner. As Bryan himself also states, he even has to work on how to see his family in the proper light. This gives great insight into family dynamics, and is useful reading for anyone.
I plan on using some of Mark's principles with my family. Family matters, and as Mark show, some of us have some pretty heavy baggage. Losing the baggage is a first step in coming to terms with your family. Good read and great advice.

Re-enter your family and find your own true loving nature with Codes of Love by Mark Bryan. Mark uses his own family life and the diverse lives of many clients and friends to help you change your personal family recipes from leftovers to exciting new meals that are deeply nurturing, satisfying and actually possible to enjoy.
Mark's carfully prepared program merges passion with persistence in order for you to digest your past and emerge in the present with new compassion for yourself and the other members of your family.
I personally used Codes of Love to graft into my being Mark's substantial experience in mending families. With Mark's vision by my side, I was able to find the courage, humor and new ways of viewing my past in order to enjoy and reconnect with my precious parents. I had been completely separate from my father (I thought) and almost totally separate from my mother for over twenty years. Mark showed me that they were actually never far from my heart or my mind.
During those twenty years Mark Bryan's wisdom paid various visits to my creative awareness through his books and through a one afternoon seminar in San Francisco. In book form, Mark Bryan and Julia Cameron came into my life first with the amazing Artist's Way and then with the profoundly transformative Artist's Way at Work. In the fall of 2002 my domestic partner came home with Codes of Love for me to use and hopefully help me find a better way to understand and forgive my family and myself.
Mark and his powerful books have brought me back into a full and loving contact with the only parents that I will ever have. Using Mark's words and work to reconnect with my parents has also set me free to engage in my own projects with more confidence, determination and respect for myself.
I sincerely hope that you can also use Codes of Love to further understand your past, free yourself in the present and rejoin your primal pack.
My parents are 80 and 81 and I also have a niece and nephew who are 10 and 13 -- we all needed to come together as an interactive and loving family before it was too late. Mark Bryan and Codes of Love were the ticket that eventually helped us to create the healing, to let go and to make merriment again with each other.
Working with the principles and exercises in Codes of Love gives us the capacity to strengthen our connections with ourselves, our partners,our families and with our worldwide families as well.

I received this book as a gift and it really helped me to see that I was interpretting things my family was saying and doing in a defensive and distorted way. This book has helped to re-examine these things and accept that my family loves me and just wants what is best. I have also tried to stop controlling family members, which has been something I was told and never believed until now. Hats off the the author for writing this insighful book!

As a medical student, I found this book to be extremely useful. It is well referenced and offers some simple, but powerful techniques about how to best interact with patients.

What I liked best about Communicating with Today's Patient: The practical suggestions that can be used often and right away. For example, when broaching a difficult subject, ask "What has been your experience with (topic)?" This gives you a reading on the patient's perspective and prevents incorrect assumptions. Dozens of techniques like this make the reader a better communicator right away. Two thumbs up!

Many doctors take their communication skills for granted, but the sad fact remains that most of us do not do a good job talking to our patients. Learning how to improve your bedside manner is extremely difficult to do, but this book shows you how you can do so. Reading this book is likely to be one of the best investments of your time you can make - and it's full of practically useful stuff you can implement immediately !

I'm not a doctor, but I'm often a patient. This book has shown me how to communicate better with my doctor. In fact, I think it has excellent and helpful information for everyone, as we all try to make others understand our desires and comply with them.

This book is terrific. It zeros in on so many of the problems caused by a lack of understanding the needs for proper communication when dealing with people involved in a usually stressful situation. It presents these problems in a simple and direct manner and then shows in common sense language how to solve them. I majored in communication in college and was involved in the health care industry for over 30 years. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone involved in that industry or in a position where dealing with people is a priority.

I have to say that this is a true classic. It gives a very nice treatment of what is NP-completeness in a fashion that really defends the topic well. It gives nice illustrations to show different situations and how to deal with it. But after the first couple of chapters it does get a little out there with the proofs it does. It is still approachable, but it assumes that the reader is already familiar with the basics of combinatorial complexity, especially in reductions. I would only recommend this book to readers who has gone through such books as Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen et al. or Combinatorial Complexity by Papadimitriou and Steiglitz. Those two books are more for beginners and this book should be one to help anyone interested in NP-complete problems to get more practice and depth understanding. Overall a great book for anyone interested in the topic. The grand challenge is to reduce everything to at least something within the 150 problems listed on your own.

The book is excellent in explaining NP-completeness problem. Take it as a reference if you would like to do research in this field.

This is a rare example of a textbook where the authors actually go to the trouble of considering the fact that the intended reader is a non-expert. Published in 1979 and still the best.

The book arrived in time, in good condition, and adequate packing.

This is among the most eloquently written books that I have ever read in my life. Highly recommended.

Being from Toronto, I have always had a keen interest in Rick James' career. Toronto is where he really started on his musical journey.
I waited a long time for this book and when I got my hands on it, I couldn't put it down.
I liked the honesty, candor of Rick's writing: he put it all on the line, the good and the bad. Great insight and details, along with lots of fab pictures, complete the portrait of the man. Almost.
Some things that the book missed: Rick's embrace of Islam while in prison; it would have been interesting to know how that happened and why. As mentioned in a previous post, I wanted more on Rick's view of rappers using samples of his songs, especially MC Hammer. We don't know how Rick really felt about rappers and contemporary urban / rap music.
In addition to the discography at the end, it would have been nice to see the chart positions of his albums and singles / re-mixes. Maybe a list of awards would have been a nice addition, too.
Overall, it is an intensely personal and intimate memoir of a man who led an extraordinary life. It is bare, raw and real. Totally refreshing.
Thanks Mr. James for the music and the memories. R.I.P.

This was a great book. It's wonderful to read about the life of such a great talent. His life story tells so much about his music and influence on his lifestyle. Then it's NO HOLDS BARRED! He doesn't omit any names in the Hollywood life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Rick was something else. While I enjoyed his music, his writing was concise and entertaining all the way thru and I really enjoyed the pics.
Great insight into a musical genius the likes we may never see again.
DJ
Stockbridge, GA

After doing some (in-store and online) price comparison, Amazon's prices are definitely the better bargain "hands-down".

If you like Rick James this book is highly recommended. It is a book you will not be able to put down.