Sherman Books

This is not a good starting point on Thalamus. Start with a good Neuroanatomy text first to get structural information. Then look at The Thalamus Jones, Steriade, and McCormick by Elsevier Two Volume Set. The new Jones The Thalamus (2007) by Cambridge University Press is detailed for research but has many cross-sectional anatomy slides which can confuse the unsophisticated or junior scientists. The authors make many generalizations from previous research which is not reviewed. The cellular aspects of the book are the strongest I think and the functional aspects discussed. There are none the less holes and gaps which are not filled in so one is left with the impression that a complete and thorough job has not been done. In summary, there are no ideal single volume textbooks which are available now and this is missing from the scientific literature at the present time.

This book was the fifth in the series, and is very good. AND FUNNY!!!! Raven tries getting her dad's job back by pretending to be a pop star, and is horrified when her mom becomes her school's English teacher. Plus, 8 full color pages of photos and an exerpt fron the next book "2 good to be True" . If you like this, I reccomend "In Raven we Trust". And for fans of the show, GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

As someone who has lived all my life in Eastern Iowa, I certainly was pleased to find a collection of poetry written by people living in that area. I was even more pleased when I read them, for although the poets are from my area of the world; their thoughts range much farther than that. The topics are about the feelings that people all over the world experience, from the simple sense of aloneness when someone walks out a door, to a man who murdered his family and then went and ordered chicken at a fast food place.
My favorites were about unborn children, in particular about the ultrasound picture of a fetus and a mother's expectations for the future. There is loss in the form of a pair of children's shoes lying in the street, joy in the birth of a child. There is the sadness of the passing of friends and family, and the simple actions of a farm boy building a fence with his father. Joy and sadness are present, which is of course the way life is.

Very detailed account of political corruption in Ireland. Clear explanation of theory and accurate use of examples. Useful in broadening my understanding of the subject. A small book but precise enough to leave reader satisfied.

There's a wide range in this collection of seventeen essays by gay Jewish men. From young to old, from previously published to new for this book, from established writer to beginner, "Found Tribe" has something for almost everyone, even the non-Jewish. Sometimes humorous, but always poignant and informative, these essays explore how these Jewish men blend their religious lives with their personal lives when many would use that same religion to condemn them. Schimel is an amazing writer and anthologist who continues to bring thought-provoking works to the public, and this book (despite its minor plague of editorial misprints) surely enlightens. Even those who are not Jewish or even gay can benefit from the honesty, humanity, and self-liberation contained in these essays.

After "From Ritual To Romance" caused a sensation (positive and otherwise) among grail scholars in the early part of the 20th century, much scholarship relating to Arthurian myth relates to the discourse over its origins. In "The Grail: From Celtic Myth to Christian Symbol," Roger Loomis convincingly argues (as the title might suggest) that the idea of the Holy Grail has its roots not in apocryphal Christian eschatology but in the Celtic myths of the British Isles. From the knights of the round table to Indiana Jones to Heinrich Himmler and everyone in between, the Grail has been a much sought-after artifact. The only question is "what is it?"

According to Loomis, the Holy Grail is not the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper, but rather a mistranslation of the archaic compound word "sankgreal," meaning "royal blood" rather than "holy grail." This will sound familiar to anyone familiar with the novel "the Da Vinci Code," but this is more or less where the similarities end. Loomis does not view the Grail as an essentially literal object and says that it refers to a mythical bloodline. He further objects to the characterization of the grail as a cup, showing that before it was identified as a chalice, it had previously been portrayed as a flat dish and even a rock (!). He says that myth of the Fisher King lay in Celtic mythology and that Christian symbolism was later attached to it when the Grail myth hit continental Europe from a French monk and scholar living in Wales. The concept of the grail as an ever-replenishing source of sustenance is based on another linguistic misinterpretation that has an archaic Welsh word for "cup" being mistranslated into French as "body," as in the body of Christ (i.e. a communion wafer). Loomis illuminates a consistent series of parallels between the circumstances of Arthurian legend and Celtic myth and shows how overlapping stories in the former are based on archetypal forms from the latter.

Why 4/5? While Loomis presents a compelling theory, it is complex and at times difficult to follow despite Loomis' effort to make his book as accessible as possible to the average reader. Likewise, there is a fair amount of redundancy in this book that might turn some people off. Finally, the theory is so complex and each part is so dependent on the assumption before it that if one aspect is successfully refuted, the whole theory would be in jeopardy. Still, it's a fine book that advances an intriguing hypothesis about one of Western Civilization's most enduring symbols and deserves a thorough examination.

Useful book. very detailed taxonomy and identification guide. The guide does not cover Egypt. It covers the area from Red Sea thru persia and southern turkey to yemen. venomous snakes special annex. nothing on captive care. the book is for scientist/herpetologists, but I, as a normal guy, also find it useful in identifying species and habitats.

The Horse of Flame is actually a sequel to The Shining Falcon, though it stands up pretty well on its own. Based heavily on Russian folk-lore and mythology, it contains plenty of magical trials, court intrigue, and (as always) True Love. It seemed slightly less fresh than The Shining Falcon, though, and I did not find the protagonists, Princess Marya and her consort Emelian, to be nearly as delightful as Finist and Maria. The title also seemed inappropriate, as the horse in question was not a terribly major character.

Despite its few faults, The Horse of Flame is a very fun fantasy adventure book and a decent sequel to The Shining Falcon. Those who liked the first will probably want to read it (though Finist and Maria are given less attention), and it is also recommended to fans of Lackey's The Firebird.

I found "How Not to Get Pregnant" to a thorough commentary on how conception occurs and how it can be controlled. The focus of the book is on preventing pregnancy, but I found that it educated me on the workings of the human reproductive system in such a way that I understand how to avoid pregancy or how to become pregant quite well. The explantions appear to be accurate and educational (although I admit I am not professionally qualified to comment on the accuracy).

The first chapter explains the human reproductive system in great detail, and although I am a father who has been married for many years, I learned the subject in a more detailed and useful manner than I had previously. Subsequent chapters investigate every method of birth control I have ever heard of, including "natural" methods of birth control and those enabled by modern medicine. Topics were covered in such a way that the needs of people with differing values, religions, and livestyles are addressed. Every topic was fairly treated with pros and cons discussed.

This was a great book and I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about human reproduction and how they can control it. My only reservation is that it was originally published more than a decade ago, and I am certain that new information is available. However, I question whether a book as readable and understandable has been written in the last decade.

The book is a great source of information on hydroponic gardening (forgetting the < $20 part). Even though some of the pics are dated the info is still current. Having started a hydro garden, this book could have saved me many false starts and I could have avoided many problem areas.

I highly recommend the book if you want to give indoor gardening a shot.