T Books

This book was an eye-opener for me. The discussion about our "shadows" was so important because for the first time in my life I understood my own behavior and what kinds of things trigger shadow behavior for me. The only thing that seemed unrealistic is that of all the examples Dr. Kantor used regarding relationships with couples he had worked with, the results were almost always positive if the couple was married; rarely did the couple actually split up and I remember one of the only couples who did split up were only engaged, not married. That's great if that's how this has really worked, but I suspect he left out stories about couples who ended up deciding not to stay together.

Turn off your phone, cancel your evening and grab your bright yellow highlighter...get in a comfortable position, fire up your itty bitty book light because you cannot put this down. You have been "put down" enough, or you would not be reading this...get real. This will do it!
How glorious the truth rang. Each theory is followed with actual couple stories. I felt like I knew these people...their stories are your stories, and my stories. David Kantor passes no judgement, and eloquently and calmly reports what he has seen and heard--- really points out how important "your life story is" when relating to an intimate other. It all makes so much sense...in these times of war, it would be lovely to dissolve the 'wars' between those who claim to love one another...this shows and tells. This book is the "bones" for any further relationship books you read---it will haunt you.
My bible...

This book is a must buy for anyone who is, or wants to be, married. The truth is this: everyone gets married twice, the only question is whether it is to the same person. This book gives couples the best chance to rediscover (or discover) true love.

You know as well as I do, that every author in this field has the magic "phrase", "touch", or "plan", even to the point of describing men and women as coming from different planets. And in these works, a lot of blame is foisted on environment, upbringing, etc.

What is refreshing about Kantor's explanation and experiences, is that the truth seems nothing more than what YOU feel and what YOU expect to feel about YOUR life and the relations YOU make within it. Face it, you've been betrayed as a child, you have expectations on how to recover from that betrayal, and you want your partner to represent that Hero who will rescue you from that situation so it never happens again. Unlike other works, he doesn't dwell on the mysticism of it all. He gives his diagnoses in frank, straightforward prose. I appreciated this approach.

I really liked Kantors questions on how to start to reveal your betrayals and your expectations to yourself. To get you thinking about your distant past, your relationship with your parents, he has you remember not only what your parents did or said to you, but how you remember them smelling. Wow, this is powerful stuff.

Having written that, I believe you have to be in the right frame of mind to get anything out of this book. I mean, a closed mind is closed and reading this work won't open it.

For those suspecting that they can do better with their partners or even the people around them, and needing a new path to explore, dive in to this pool. The water is fine.

"The couples to whom I have recommended this book all had a similar response after reading it: they identified with the couples and the issues described in the book, went through an initial crisis, and as a result of that crisis had a major breakthrough in their relationship leading to a much deeper understanding of each other's myths, more compassion for each other, a renewed commitment to their relationship and a more satisfying, passionate sex life. I will certainly continue to recommend Dr. Kantor's book to the couples I am working with, my students, and my colleagues. -Ulrike Dettling, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Arlington Reiki Associates

Lee Kennett brought the March through Georgia to life with letters by the men in Sherman's Western Army and the civilians in the area. This book even brings some of the Southern conceptions about what had taken place to be more along the lines of true stories being twisted to a point where the truth couldn't be found. Certainly there is some truth to some of the stories, some of the things that would be blamed on Union soldiers was the work of Wheeler's Cavalry and by some Civilians themselves.

This book did very well to keep a neutral tone and to let the reader come up with their own decision on whose side they would agree with, seeing as my father says there is no such thing to stay absolutely neutral on Civil War topics... and he appears to be right... to a degree. I would say this is a must on the shelves of any Civil War Historian or buff.

A very enjoyable book about Sherman's march through Geaorgia. A story of personal experiences of soldiers and civilians of the time.

Lee Kennett has made a major contribution to the literature of "The March." He has drawn from a huge number of little known sources; private correspondence, diaries,and eyewitness accounts. The book has a good "feel" of the history of the period. His writing style is informal and allows the reader to see the events as if through the eyes of the participants.
I have researched & written extensively on the history of Milledgeville, Georgia and can say that Kennett covered the Milledgeville period as well as it has been covered by anyone.

Hugh T. Harrington
author of: "Civil War Milledgeville, Tales From the Confederate Capital of Georgia," "Remembering Milledgeville, Historic Tales From Georgia's Antebellum Capital" and "More Milledgeville Memories."

Lee Kennett's Marching Through Georgia could easily be mistaken for a "popular history", the kind of work that scholars will occasionally endorse, but usually dismiss. Marching Through Georgia is certainly as readable as any so-called popular history but this work is a gem of historical scholarship, to be compared with the studies of such authors as Bell Irvin Wiley, James Robertson, Reid Mitchell, and Earl Hess. The number of primary sources consulted is positively staggering. Kennett understands, and communicates the character of Civil War soldiers and soldiering in the Western Armies (North and South) better than any author I've ever encountered with the possible exception of Larry Daniel. An outstanding book!

If you're looking for a tactical study of Sherman's Atlanta campaign, this isn't it. If you're looking to delve into the human aspects of a massive Civil War campaign, this definitely is it. If you're looking for a well written book of interest to a broad range of readers, this is also it. No need to be a "buff" to enjoy Kennett's fast paced work that is full of interesting stories and insights into a broad range of topics. His writing keeps the pages turning. It is a unique combination of "beach" book and reference. I have two quibbles with Kennett's writing and they are technical: 1) Stop separating full sentences with semi-colons. Use periods. It aids in reading. 2) Stop using French terms where they aren't necessary or translate them. The book is too good for that to matter much.

This excellent commentery on Mark's gospel gives new insights as it helps to place us at the scene of Christ's earthly ministry.

This book is being used as the basis for a men's bible study on the Gospel of Mark. All of the men in this group are very pleased with the way the author paraphrases the sections of the gospel to be covered as well as the way he provides some insight to the cultural and historical background of the various times and regions. Tom Wright provides a very thoughtful and original commentary on the Gospel of Mark without being so bold as to insinuate that his opinion is the only correct interpretation of the text. I am looking forward to reading other bible commentaries from this author.

This book was tailor-made for a bible study group. I used it in law school for an inter-denominational group that included Catholics, Baptists, LDS and various other protestants. We all got a lot out of it. The book is divided by short passages from Mark interspersed with longer commentary (usually 2-3 pages) from Tom Wright. I can sincerely say this helped me on my faith journey and deepened my knowledge of Jesus and the New Testament, particularly the Gospel of Mark. For beginner and intermediate-level bible students, I highly recommend it for group-study.

I found this devotional commentary to be a refreshing personal devotion resource as well as a comptetent commentary on the uniqueness of Mark's gospel. You will find it easy to read and a very helpful resource for prompting small group discussion if used in that setting. You need not be anywhere near a scholar to benefit.

This guide really does what it sets out to do: Make the gospel accessible to all. Wright's prose is easily read and his analogies move the Word into a modern context. At the same time, he correctly points out that Mark was recording what was occuring before a first century audience. As such, it is just as important to be aware of their perspective.

This book has proven to be a briliant study guide for our men's group and church community. I recommend you start here and move on to other works as your community sees fit.

"This major survey of mathematics, featuring the work of 18 outstanding Russian mathematicians and INCLUDING MATERIAL ON BOTH ELEMENTARY AND ADVANCED LEVELS,....."
[from the book of the back cover]

This is a huge brick of a book. As other reviewers have pointed out, it is comprised of three volumes on pretty much all undergraduate math, bound into one. Other reviewers have correctly pointed out that the material is exhaustive, and although one or two chapters are a bit dated, reading this work and studying it carefully is a very rewarding endeavour. I am a social scientist, and studying this book in depth has made me conversational in pretty much all the math an engineer would be expected to know at the end of his undergraduate studies. This is to stress that although this book is accessible to the motivated amateur, the knowledge you can gain from it with dilligent study carries quite a bit of weight.

Although I think the content of a book is more important than its physical composition, I would like to point a few things out because they have not been mentioned by other reviewers and may be useful if you are considering buying this edition, or the separate three volumes.
Like I said, it's quite a tome, and not something you can easily carry around in a backpack on a day to day basis. In this sense, or if you are only interested in particular topics, you are better off buying one or all of the separate three volumes.
However, note that this edition has an index which covers ALL three volumes, which makes looking things up and using this book as a reference text very useful.

I know keep this book handy, precisely to use as a reference texte. The index makes it easy to find what I am looking for, and the treatment of the topic always strikes a nice balance between being accessible and yet in enough depth to have practical value.

Dover has released all three volumes of the original in an affordable single volume paperback.

Although the book is necessarily uninformed by developments since the 1960s, it is a solid and challenging introduction to mathematics useful to the motivated high-school student.

It is consciously informed by a Marxist philosophy of mathematics which may be unfamiliar to some readers. The authors believe that mathematics is less about an ideal world of forms and more emergent from daily work. For this reason they reference their examples to practical examples of the sort popular in the Soviet Union in the 1960s taken from heavy industry.

The section on computer technology, of course is useful primarily to the antiquarian.

Because the authors are not excessively formal in the Western mode the student has to do extra work to derive results they illustrate with physical metaphors in some cases.

There's also a certain motivation here to sing the praises of Russian mathematicians which is fortunately subordinated to the truth. As such, the book is a document from a period when Russia's greatness was based on its prowess in science and mathematics, prowess based on a universal availability of public education. This resource has been sold to Western investors for pennies on the dollar with no plan to reproduce it for the next generation, which is rather sad.

This books is an amazing summary of almost all undergraduate math. It is definitely a mathematical masterpiece of all time, written by some of the most prominent mathematicians of all time.

This book gives a nice overview of the various fields of mathematics (no pun intended ;-)). Famous Russian authors have pooled their talents to come up with a book that summarizes the majority of the mathematics available the time. It's basically a dictionary for mathematicians! Covers topics from number theory, calculus, analysis, topology and even higher up subjects such as functional analysis and differential geometry. There are interesting theorems, and examples throughout.

excellent reference material has been invaluable to me in the last week and has steered me into making some difficult choices easily

This book, especially if used in conjunction with the author's web site (see ASIN B0000C7RBX), is one of the most valuable additions to the IT security profession that I've read. My reasons for making this bold statement include:

- The book provides a coherent and focused approach to developing and implementing a security plan. You can find numerous books on writing and implementing policies and procedures, or establishing a security posture, but this is the first book I've read that steps you through the process of conceiving, implementing and keeping alive a viable security plan.

- By separating the process into three distinct domains (referred to as 'stacks') you ensure that your plan encompasses and integrates the technology, process and business elements into a coherent strategy.

- Artifacts in the form of a complete set of worksheets provide a set of tools that give a framework and speed up the planning process.

The planning approach set forth in the book is straightforward and realistic - you're led through the preliminaries, which includes conceiving a plan that matches your needs, and selling the plan to sponsors (an often overlooked, but essential activity when fighting for budget). The next step is to perform an impact analysis, and this is where the book shines, because the author focuses on business issues instead of technology. This promotes awareness and goes a long way towards getting buy-in and funding, as well as laying a solid foundation for a long-term security plan. Next the author shows how to select the correct security model and avoid common pitfalls. These lead to building organizational consensus - buy-in from all stakeholders. The difference between this step and the preliminary step of selling to a sponsor and obtaining funding, which is vertical, you need to promote the plan horizontally as well. The final steps are to implement and continuously refine the plan.

Of course, the overview above only describes the approach contained within the book. There is much more to commend it, such as clear writing, superb page design that portrays information in graphs, illustrations and tables, and the details the author provides. There is not a single statement or recommendation that is unsupported, and the material is both sensible and accurate.

The truth is, hackers and other attackers won't take no for an answer, and while there is absolutely no way to stop attackers from trying; there are ways to stop them in their tracks.

With that, Mission-Critical Security Planner is a surprisingly good book, aimed at someone looking to start developing their information security infrastructure. Rather than having to reinvent the wheel, the book provides planners with the framework and tools they need to create their information security infrastructure.

One good feature of the book it is large collection of templates and worksheets on various security elements. .../

The book is not overly technical and is quite good for those who need to get their security group up and running in a short timeframe.

For those that are serious about security, they will find that Mission-Critical Security Planner is like a cookbook. They can use it to prepare their security as needed.

Overall, Mission-Critical Security Planner is a very readable and useful book. Those who have an imperative to get their security groups up and running will find huge value in the book immediately.

In Mission-Critical Security Planner, Greenberg lays out all the security elements that should concern you and what questions you should ask about them. With this book, half the battle is won because you at least know how to do the planning. You still have to do the planning, but with the worksheets and tips provided in the book, that will be much easier than it used to be.

I read the book twice: once to get an idea of what all the worksheets were about and once to really read them with all the technical and practical details provided by Greenberg.

Greenberg identifies 28 security elements, including 15 fundamental elements, (six of which are core elements), and 13 wrap-up elements. Core elements include things like authorization and access control, authentication, encryption, integrity, nonrepudiation, and privacy. Those may seem obvious, but Greenberg has a lot of useful things to say about them that others haven't said.

Perhaps the most valuable part of the book is all the other elements, which we tend to forget, including addressing and routing (with tips on how to get those right from a security point of view), configuration management, directory services, time services, staff management, legal issues, and so on.

I'd be interested to see some projects get implemented with Greenberg's methods. I think it should work quite well, although due to entropy, laziness, over-worked engineers, and other such factors, I would guess that some of the numerous worksheets will fall by the wayside. But I think Greenberg would be OK with that as long as most of the worksheets are maintained and the company adopts security as a way of thinking.

In summary, this book is definitely worth reading, probably numerous times!

It is very rarely, that you'd see a good high-level security book nowadays. There are lots of great "worm-eye view" books with nice detailed descriptions of attacks, defenses, secure configuration options, tools and tricks. However, many of the high-level books resolve to quoting some outdated CSI/FBI survey, blabbering about security policy and giving out piles of outworldly advice on how to "mitigate risks".

This visionary book proves the opposite: you can have a high-level security book, which is not just practical, but actionable. "Mission Critical Security Planner" delivers a portion of the security process, packed into one toolkit. Make no mistake - this book is about planning how to do security, not how to tweak your scanner or configure a firewall. However, planning is indeed a critical (and, as the author points out, often missing) piece of security conundrum, and the book delivers on that.

An awesome component of the book is a large collection of templates and worksheets on "selling" security measures, planning the implementations, organizing security team, dealing with various business people and many other occasions. The book has the printed versions while its companion website criticalsecurity.com has the download.

The main part of the book is organized around "security fundamentals", large domains of security (such as authentication, encryption, integrity, privacy, etc), which are used to structure the security planning process, described by the author. For each of the fundamentals, the content is organized in sections: summary, security stack (covering various aspects from physical to application level), life-cycle management (from technology selection to response), business (on dealing with various categories of business people, such as suppliers and customers) and selling security (to execs, managers and staff). All of the above contain various templates.

Among the more fun parts, the section on negotiating with hackers is just exclusive and of the never-seen-before kind. Section in hacker profiling is also of interest, since it seems to originate from author's experiences (and not in just reading about it on the news). The book also demystifies such elusive notions as "impact analysis", "security ROI". PKI also has a prominent role in the book. While PKI (as it is defined today) might or might not fly, the book gives a great example of large-scale production implementation, running for many years. Another great feature of the book is author's "future 10 attacks list" with his predictions on threat landscape.

Overall, the book seems indispensable to those responsible for securing networks. Security managers and CSOs will likely gain maximum benefits from using it (due to the book targeting), but other security professionals will benefit as well. Notice, that the benefits can be derived from "using" it as opposed to just "reading" it, although even the latter will prove highly enlightening. The "selling security" templates alone are likely worth their weigh in gold. The book is well-written and, while not possessing the lively style of some recent security books, will beat some of them hands down in real-world applicability. After all, even if you very well know that IDS is valuable, who will help you to "sell" it to the CIO? This book just might!

Anton Chuvakin, Ph.D., GCIA, GCIH is a Senior Security Analyst with a major information security company. His areas of infosec expertise include intrusion detection, UNIX security, forensics, honeypots, etc. In his spare time, he maintains his security portal info-secure.org

A strong step by step approach that illustrates how necessary it is for a company of any size to identify and focus on those customers that will add to company's efforts to grow sales and profitability . Mr Gordman makes us think about the 'right' questions and then through specific examples offers processes and tools a company can use to position its own 'Sweet Spot' business strategy.

If your business needs a tune up this book is a must read. Well written and fast paced.

Powerful ideas, backed up with practical guidance and fascinating case studies. The "Must-Have Customer" reads like a good novel - it's that hard to put down. And unlike many business authors, Gordman clearly knows what he's talking about.

The Must-Have Customer: Seven Steps To Winning The Customer You Haven't Got by Robert Gordman (President of the Gordman Group) with the assistance of professional author Armin Brott provides a powerful and persuasive understanding of an expertise developed through over thirty years of business consulting and executive management for retail companies. Introducing readers to the tactics and wisdom from Gordman which helped dozens of companies improve their sale range from about ten million to eighty billion, The Must-Have Customer comprehensively provides readers with "user-friendly" and persistently informative guide to productive and securing utilization of the business and consulting process for any company. The Must-Have Customer is very strongly recommended for all business executives, consultants, managers, and productivity assessment officers for its exclusive and complete mapping of the entire system.

[...]! After 35 years in Retail, finally a simple, step-by-step outline that teaches you how to add more customers that behave just like your best customers. No more beating your head against the wall trying to convert infrequent customers into core customers. IF you follow ALL the steps (and you're honest with yourself) ... IT ALWAYS WORKS!

Steve Rosen
Managing Director, Retail Marketing Solutions

Few veterans describe themselves as "heroes." It's a painful word - filled with aspiration, horror and loss. Many veterans who write memoirs avoid the most devastating echoes of war - their own perceived culpabilities. It's understandable. Who wants to poke a finger into a festering wound?

Douglas Bergman is a brave man. Using a magnifying glass, he focuses a scorching sunbeam onto his own soul - allowing the reader to see his demons in great detail. It is unsettling in a world where few want to accept responsibility for their mistakes - where confessions are whispered litanies of shame washed away with a few penitential rosaries. My initial reaction was to look away but I soon found myself examining the author's broken heart like a curious onlooker drawn to a fiery car wreck.

This book is many things - a memoir, an adventure, a tribute, a confession and a sob. From the shiny hearse-white cover to the imagery-dense prose, Mr. Bergman's tale perplexes and intrigues. Vietnam was a conundrum for everyone. For the men who fought there, growing up was like peeling a scab off a half-healed wound. Boy soldiers drawn to the service to resolve other problems found new sorrows to occupy their nightmares. "Names I Can't Remember" is a close up view of a Vietnam Veteran's reaction to war - and a description of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that still torments many who were mere babies in the 1960s.

The author plunges into his story with profane vigor. He amuses and shocks with an almost adolescent glee - as though he has returned to his rebellious, angst-ridden youth and is set on taking the reader with him. He uses literary flourishes that complicate the read like a translucent veil draped over lovers laboring together for their love. You can see the movements, hear them moan - but their faces are dim behind the silken sheen of the fabric. Mr. Bergman peoples "Names I Can't Remember" with garish characters that touched his life but have now faded into ghostly symbols - a motherly whore, a man with a cat on his shoulder, a doofus unable to function in the jungle, an alcoholic CO who confuses courage and foolhardiness -- a nun and a Vietnamese child trying desperately to survive. Despite this distance - or perhaps because of it, this book is powerful and literate. I found myself lingering over the pictures the author created in my head - almost as if this was a novel. It was easier to appreciate this work on that level than to acknowledge the reality of Mr. Bergman's anguish.

The Vietnam War was not a Disney Movie -- neither is this book. However, if you are a student of psychology, a poet - or someone who wants to understand the warrior in your life, this is a wonderful read.

"Names I Can't Remember" is a tough, brilliant read of one man's journey into Dante's Inferno. All human foibles and flaws are put out for display. Mr. Bergman dares the reader to forgive him as he hasn't been able to forgive himself for thirty years. A piece de la triumph! 5 military gold stars - Lillian Cauldwell

"...there is something Keseyesque or Hunter Thompson - like about Bergman's prose: often profane and at the same time, image rich." - Daily News, Clem Richardson 7/8/05

This is not a book filled with words on a page, it is a capturing of a mans inner guts spewed upon pages from his tortured memory. We see the ramblings of a young boy yanked from the unsafe world of his home and the bottle, to be immersed into the world of drunking decisions, adult behavior expected from a still nursing infant. You need to digest every word and feel his feelings. Some of his experiences will fill you with disgust, horror, the need to nurture, but your diet will never be the same after you digest this meal of feelings.
Devour it...chew it... spit it out if you need to... But dont just sit there and read it........

"You'll be on an emotional roller coaster ride while reading this work. The author has given us a very raw look at a young life destroyed by a dysfunctional family drowning in alcoholism and how he carried that with him during his No Slack tour. Doug was in the same company as I was and we walked the same villages, but never met, the places he describes are familiar to me as they will be to others who read him. I wasn't ready for the constriction I felt in my chest as parts of this book made me wonder how he slipped through the cracks as he performed his duty as a platoon leader in an alcoholic fog. Read the book, it's a raw look at a personal battle with a life almost destroyed by abuse, mingled with war. Names I Can't Remember will shake your senses and make you ill but you will find that once you start reading it you can't put it down."
"Yankee Jim" Simchera - A Company 2/327th Infantry,101st Airborne Vietnam: 1969-70

It's so useful, especialy with me, a young I/O psychologist in Vietnam. Thank so much.

I get the feeling that some of the comments by readers suggest that managers cannot understand academic books. We can, if we buckle down and read them. Sure, the quick one-liners of a Covey or a Blanchard are cool and easy to understand. After a while, though, those books become a bit empty. Too much of "how too" and not enough of "why".

I kind of liked the challenge of reading a book that is written by researchers. All of the chapters (14 in total) were quite easy to follow except for the second chapter (about definitions of leadership), which I skipped, and also the last part of the third chapter (on using science to study leadership). The other chapters were very applied. I liked the chapters on traits, information processing, contingency models, transformational and visionary leadership, culture, and ethics. The Bennis chapter is pretty good too.

The Nature of Leadership is a book everybody claiming to speak about Leadership has to read. This book does not provide any easy method to be used to become a leader; instead, it demonstrates with scientific evidences what are the attributions of a leader. It will help any students interested by this field of research better understand what this matter is about.

Some of the reviewers below are bit too excited about this book. Okay, it is a good book but a bit heavy (I got a hard cover)! For the almost 500 pages you do get good bang for your buck ($50/500=$0.10 per page). What I liked about the book is the way it's laid out. It's pretty well organized and covers leadership from many angles. That's an advantage of this book. It doesn't have one message but many messages. The authors of the chapters know what they are talking about. The editors are psychologists/leadership specialists and have good credetials from Yale University. The downside (for some an advantage) is that it looks more at leadership models and says a lot about the state-of-the-art regarding leadership research but not about practice (well the book is not about that and the authors don't claim to do that).

This book will help you if you want to know what leadership model to invest your money in. It's a bit like a consumer car guide. Tells you what's good and what's not so good. If you have this book then you know how to spend your money wisely on other leadership books.

The reviewer that refers to this book as being "painful" is partly right. This book is difficult to read, that's for sure. However, leadership, as a topic is not simple. There are no quick fixes. To learn about leadership you will have to read a lot, particularly what the researchers have written. The topic is not simple and certainly cannot be summarized in simple graphs or charts. You'll need some level of intelligence to understand "The nature of leadership"

Managers or students, who have some basic education will be able to understand this book. If you are looking for quick stories, this book is not for you. Reading "Who moved my cheese?" or "Good to great" will be a better fit for you--these types of books are certainly easier; however, these kinds of books are very simplistic and not well researched (even though they pretend to be).

If you want to get fit, there is not simple way to do it. You have to watch what you eat, you have to exercise, you need persistence, and you need to work hard. If you are the type of person that believes in working hard then this book is for you. You are the type that likes to take the straight and narrow way. You believe in "No pain, no gain."

I had the pleasure of not only using this text for my neural network design graduate course, but also taking the course from one of the authors (Professor Howard Demuth).

This book is extremely well written. Being a PhD student in computer engineering, I have read many math books and advanced engineering books. Most of these books are informative, but difficult to read. Much of this is understandable because the topics are complex and explaining them in a very simple manner requires significantly more time. More diagrams, more examples, rewriting paragraphs to improve clarity, etc. This book tackles all of those issues perfectly!

Right now I am reading one of the other "classic" math texts and while I am already familiar with the topic, the reading is extremely difficult. Due to this, I recalled how easy it was to understand the neural network design text and wished my current author wrote more like them.

If you are interested in machine learning, in particular, neural networks, this is a superb book to get you started. Even the most complex mathematical topics in linear algebra and network design are explained so almost anyone can understand. Even if you do not have a strong mathematical background, you'll be able to understand almost all of the math.

Excellent book - (5/5 stars)!

I knew the very poor Matlab Neural Network Toolbox User's Guide by the same authors and I was kind of expecting the same, and boy was I wrong!

This book is simply brilliant, a miracle of pedagogy. It is intended for undergrad classes, but it is so clear that graduate students will benefit enormously from reading it before any other material. Plainly put, this book makes you UNDERSTAND this difficult topic, more than any other book that I know of (Zurada, Smith, Hassoun, Haykin, Duda-Hart, Caudill, etc)

A selection of worked out problems are included at the end of each chapter, a practice that is highly beneficial but alas too rare in books of the kind.

I very much appreciated the very clear exposition of backpropagation, and optimization methods such as Levenberg-Marquardt.

A note to Matlab users: funky demos are available for free and illustrate the main points of the book.

I purchased this book while looking for an appropriate textbook for use in my class on neural networks. This book is excellent for both beginners and experts. It is a rare book in that it demonstrates complex mathematical manipulations and principles (that are difficult to grasp and visualize - and explain) using examples. The review on mathematical principles is very useful. The book makes it easier to teach the subject now. Given the way everything is presented, this book will also help those that want to code their own networks. I recommend this book to everyone.

Very useful book to have if you plan to use NN (specially in matlab environment). The theory is very well covered and explained, along with graphical examples. The book lacks however, more insight into how to implemen NN in real world problems (for that, I would suggest seeing Fundamentals of NN by Laurene V. Fausett).

I have been studying neural network design for almost 30 years now and I have never found a more enchanting text book than this one. From day one I could not put it down. In fact, I bought a copy for each member of my extended family. Beale is brilliant in the way he demostrates the design and capability of neural network systems. No one has ever captured the public's imagination and heart the way he does in this compelling work. He has taken the study of neural networks to the next level. Hence, the world will be a better place. H2BurBabes4Ever.

A unique book that contains great principles and insights into building strong relationships... It is well worth the read.

Such a smart book! Marriage counselors married to each other, Maurice and Seanna are two unique people who have managed to craft a solid, lively relationship for themselves without giving up their individuality. In The New Couple they pass on their experience, strength, and hope to their clients and readers in an interesting and entertaining way. The material is beautifully organized into ten "new laws of love" that make wonderful sense. The book is intellectually compelling and emotionally sensitive...almost too much to ask of any book. (I could not get through the Mars/Venus stuff.)

I found The New Couple so upbeat and full of good advice that I attended a workshop presented by the authors. I left their presence feeling that a relationship is possible, and I've started dating again after ten years of terror at the prospect of repeating my past mistakes. This is nothing short of magic! Read this book, you won't regret it.

I am an avid but sceptical reader of relationship / couple books but it's hard to find anything to criticise in this one. I purchased this book when I decided I needed to clarify exactly what I wanted and needed in a relationship and it has literally become my relationship "bible".

If you want a very clear, simple and complete map for the route to a healthy relationship with both yourself (most important!) and a partner then click purchase now. It could just be the book that should be mandatorily handed to all people considering starting a relationship.

I was having problems with my husband and this book saved our marriage. The rules they present are so simple and clear. They make sense for today's relationships. I recommend this book for every single person and couple. Priceless!!!

Among relationship self-help books, this is one of the better titles of the moment. Taylor and McGee write in a breezy style and sow their text with a large number of example couples, which make their story readable if uninspired. Their forte, however, is the comprehensiveness of their list of rules and the reassuring common sense they must have used in developing them. While none of the rules are new and different individually, listing them in this comprehensive fashion is useful, and makes this book stand out as one of the better examples of the genre.