Research Books

I received the book quickly and enjoyed reading it. I even had an opportunity to email the author. It was a hard book to find, other than through Amazon, and I love having it, as this baseball player, though rather unknown, is a favorite of mine.
I'm very appreciative.
Paul Francis

I hadn't heard of Addie Joss when I first picked up this book. It's a small, thin book. It looked to be a pleasant way to spend an evening.

In fact, it was more than pleasant. I found myself riveted to the book. A well told story about a fascinating man of the early 1900s. I liked this man I had never before heard of.

I met and admired one of the great sports stars of his day, well loved and talented, easily matching the talent and skill of the greats of yesteryear I knew well.

Why, then did I not know him previously? Tragedy took him early from baseball, from his family and from the American consciousness.

The game is what we come to see. The players are people we hope to meet. And when we meet, we hope not to be disappointed. Addie Joss did not disappoint.

Scott Longert skillfully gets out of the way and lets the story tell itself.

A very solid and nice effort by Scott Longert. Having myself researched Addie Joss in past, I find Longert's effort even that much more impressive. There honestly is really not much information available on Addie Joss. For the collection of research materials alone, this becomes a solid effort.

Now to the gristle of the book's content...I found that seasons moved along very fast, too fast. I never really got a good feel for Addie Joss the person, but certainly Addie Joss the player was defined reasonably well. Addie's teammates were mentioned but not really made to be a part of the overall storyline (cast of characters, almost faceless). Before I knew it, the book had ended. Addie's death was truly as fast as anything else in the book, blunt and final.

I'm not sure if the speed of the book had more to do with what little information actually existed, or whether it was Scott Longert the SABR-Metrician who, although statistically as sound as they come, just could not piece it all together with a sustained storyline. In the end, something honestly was amiss, and I can't quite place it.

To see a book on Addie Joss rates a four star alone. Scott Longert should be commended on a spirited effort of bringing back one of the games classiest and greatest players. Joss in time!

Following the premature death of Cleveland pitching sensation Addie Joss, Hugh Keough of the Chicago Tribune wrote "He pitched good ball..."

On October 2nd, 1908, precious few games remained on the schedule. The American League pennant was on the line. Confident Chicago spitballer Ed Walsh dueled Cleveland sidearmer Addie Joss in a baseball tilt for the ages. Befuddled by Walsh's sopping wet deliveries, Cleveland scored but one unearned run. The lanky Joss, pitching in front of the delirious hometown faithful at League Park, allowed nary a loud foul ball. Result: a 1-0 Cleveland victory and a perfect game for Joss. All the more remarkable is Longert's poignant description of Walsh and Joss sitting on a wooden bench, chatting before the game. (Cleveland and Chicago narrowly lost out in the race to Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers).

Baseball historian and Cleveland native Scott Longert faithful recreates this masterpiece and other remarkable pitching feats in the brief life of Adrian Joss. The versatile pitcher was also was one of the very few baseball players to have regularly penned a sports column. Felled by tuburcular meningitis at the age of 31, Joss eventually made the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So loved was Joss that a special benefit "All Star" game was staged to support Joss' widow and family.

However, Hugh Keough's assessment doesn't stand the test of time. Joss pitched "great" ball.

In "After War," Christopher J. Coyne offers the best explanation of any current writer about how foreign policy works -- and how it doesn't work. Professor Coyne argues that the logic of economics -- critically, that people respond to incentives -- does not cease to apply in the international context, as much as we might try to wish it away. The building of a liberal democratic international order is not a matter of forcing people to bend to a great power's will, but of helping mold incentives in a way that enables endogenous creation in totalitarian, illiberal, and failed states of the institutions and habits of a liberal democratic order.

This is no simple matter of theory or conjecture. Pulling together quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of sources, Coyne examines empirically the US's successes in nation-building over the last century and explains these miserable results in a logical and thoughtful fashion. Coyne also effectively demolishes the argument that post-World War II rebuilding of Japan and Germany is a blueprint for other conflicts.

Too many writers and commentators focus on the problem without identifying a solution; Coyne avoids this trap magnificently. The book concludes with a chapter that explains clearly even to non-economists the power of trade and non-interventionism to help build a freer, more prosperous world.

While a breakthrough work interdisciplinary in social science, "After War" is highly accessible even to non-specialists and laymen. Anyone interested in a serious, thoughtful exploration of what's wrong with America's current foreign policy -- and how to make it right -- should read this book.

In my opinion, After War is simply the best book on democratic nation building out there. Coyne's economic approach clarifies the essential elements behind a complex and often confusing area of foreign policy. His penetrating analysis provides a much-needed, coherent framework for understanding US military intervention and its consequences.

With rare clarity, After War reveals why American attempts to export democracy have occasionally worked but more often have failed. A must read for anyone who wants to think seriously about US foreign policy in the Middle East or anywhere else. This book is a 10.

Chris Coyne's new book is very clearly written and very accessible to the non-specialist, not to mention that it offers an excellent political economy analysis of post-war reconstruction. Coyne uses tools from across economics and political science to argue why attempts at such reconstruction are normally likely to fail. He makes particularly good use of ideas from Austrian economics (Hayekian knowledge problems and the Misesian dynamic of interventionism), public choice theory, game theory, and the new institutional economics.

His last chapter provides an alternative vision of US foreign policy, where free trade in goods, services, and ideas (unilaterally if necessary) is the path to economic growth and democratization, rather than military intervention, occupation, and/or reconstruction. As Coyne puts it, we need to model our commitment to liberal goals by using liberal means to get there. If we really do value societies of free trade and peace, how credible is that commitment if we continually try to enforce it at the point of a gun? Such attempts are both empirically bound to fail and ethically problematic.

Coyne's last chapter points to a new vision of US foreign policy and should stimulate further work by other scholars in the classical liberal tradition.

A highly readable look at an urgent topic of current concern.

If one is seeking an answer to the nagging question of why the U.S. led missions to export democracy were successful in West Germany and Japan, yet were anything but, in Somalia, Haiti, Iraq, and Afganistan one needs to read After War.

Chris Coyne marshals historical evidence in order evaluate U.S. led efforts to export liberal democracy through occupation and reconstruction. Coyne's benchmark is based on the "Polity IV Index" that ranks the political institutions of a country on (1) checks to executive power, (2) institutionalized procedures for citizen feedback of government activity, and (3) political participation. A +4 is needed for Coyne to concede that the reconstruction effort was successful. Iraq, Somalia, Afganistan, nor Haiti reach this benchmark. In order to recognize that Coyne gives reconstruction efforts "the benefit of the doubt," one needs to bring to memory that Bush claimed, in 2003, that Iran was a member of the "Axis of Evil." And Iran's "Polity IV Index" score is +4.

However, Coyne does not provide an index score in order to argue that the reconstruction efforts in Somalia and Haiti have not been successful. He gives an historical narrative of these efforts. These narratives bolster the understanding of the reader by having her appraise the reconstruction efforts herself through the analytical windows of public choice economics, game theory, Austrian co-ordination, social capital theory, institutional theory, etc.

Coyne's research reveals that the major aspects of reconstructing weak and failed states comprise two things. Foremost, finding and establishing a set of INCENTIVES that gives rise to the preference of liberal institutions. Secondly, occupiers must recognize, and pay due attention to, the CONSTRAINTS (e.g., time, public opinion, informal and formal rules, culture and history, just to name a few) of pursuing their goals of reconstruction.

What should be taken from this book is not that the economic way of thinking (i.e., the recognition of incentives and constraints) is the only method of appraising reconstruction efforts. Coyne, himself, references a number of scholars from Alexis de Tocqueville to Francis Fukuyama to underscore that diverse empirical and theoretical approaches are necessary. What is significant is that there are two methods that will assist the United States in exporting liberal institutions that may not have to comprise peacekeeping, bold force, nor humanitarian aid: Non-Intervention and Uni-lateral Free-trade. While the book details that markets are no panacea for exporting liberal institutions, Uni-lateral Free Trade and Non-Intervention will obviate accusations of U.S. "isolationism," and "imperialism."

I needed this book for a class I am taking, however, I would have read this book just for pleasure, I finished it before the class even started

This is a comprehensive analysis of the threat without being alarmist.

It is far too easy to find shocking explanations of the biological weapons potential that do not describe some of the difficulties in their procurement and delivery. This "sexy" approach captures our attention and makes for good entertainment, but the `Chicken Little' approach doesn't help us develop rational methods for dealing with the issue.

Read this book if you want a levelheaded examination. It also contains a good description and solid recommendations for a national strategy.

In a very good way, I got more than I bargained for by reading this book. While seeking a solid source to inform myself on the "nuts and bolts", policy implications, and development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), I continued to come across this title. Expect some dense and intense reading; there is not a wasted word here. The book focuses exclusively on the covert delivery of a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon against an American target, exploring possible methods, limitations, locales, preventive measures, and consequences. This book will considerably broaden the knowledge of any first-timer looking into WMD and likely provides substantive material for discussion among policy makers and experts in the field.

I picked up this book as a research tool for a paper. Not only did I find the book to contain everything I needed, I became so enveloped in the reality of what I was reading that I couldn't put it down. A fan of Tom Clancy novels, this book describes the harsh reality that we live in, while detailing both the strengths and the weaknesses of the US response to bioterrorism. A must read for those with an interest in national security issues.

This book is personal for me. It mentions by name or by anecdote, my friends, my classmates, my squadron mates. For 35 years, I neglected reading about the war I was in, as a C-130 co-pilot. This book was exactly what I was looking for, to fill in the gaps of what I knew. In any history of Vietnam, it is good to assess its bias. This book is factual and does not try to promote or debate the politics of the war. It does make a few assessments of the capabilities of the South Vietnamese army, air force, and marines, and the role of American air force and advisors on the ground. It factually describes instances when South Vietnamese army units surrendered with little or no fight, would not go out on patrol, and dropped wounded comrades to clamor on board a med-evac helicopter. Some of the strongest criticism is directed at some South Vietnamese officers who were corrupt, cowardly, or incompetent. It also tells of soldiers who bravely and effectively took on North Vietnamese Army (NVA) tanks with Light Antitank Weapons (LAWs), and who bravely fought the NVA soldiers. Some of the South Vietnamese officers are described as courageous and effective. It tells of the NVA atrocities, such as firing artillery and machine guns on civilians attempting to leave An Loc and other battlegrounds.

The stories are told mostly from the point of view of the American army advisors and, to a lesser extent, the South Vietnamese officers who were their counterparts. Andrade describes the NVA maneuvers and attacks and the South Vietnamese response, then zeroes in on the American advisors so that you get acquainted with them and become emotionally attached to their survival and success. By January 1972, almost all American combat units had left Vietnam. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and South Vietnamese Marines were doing the fighting, with American advisers at the upper levels of command. The advisers helped the ARVN officers deploy their men, and their most essential role was to direct the air force and army helicopter support. (Also naval gunfire in I Corps.) Hue, Kontum, and An Loc all survived the NVA attacks, but would have been overrun if it were not for the B-52s and the close air support of fighters, gun ships, and helicopters. Supplies delivered by the C-130s of the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing were essential to Kontum and An Loc. Andrade does not give a lot of details on the fighting done by individual ARVN soldiers. He generally does not personalize the ARVN by introducing you to the soldiers.

Two dominant factors were the NVA artillery and American air power. The ARVN had fire support bases scattered around the enemy objectives in all three areas, and the NVA artillery was able to destroy the ARVN artillery, then pound the ARVN infantry. The ARVN artillery were in fixed defensive positions, and NVA spotters were able to direct accurate artillery onto them. The NVA concealed and frequently moved their artillery, and the ARVN did not have spotters in position to direct counterbattery fire onto the NVA artillery. American air power (plus, in I Corps, naval gunfire) filled the void of ARVN artillery. NVA anti-aircraft artillery was significant only at An Loc. On May 17, 1972, my C-130 crew delivered 15 tons of 105mm howitzer ammunition to Kontum. But on May 24, NVA artillery neutralized all of the ARVN 23rd Division's artillery (page 301), and on May 27th, the ammunition dump near the airfield was struck by mortar fire, destroying ammunition.

I have three minor criticisms, which do not significantly detract from the excellent quality of the book. It attributes the failure of the peace negotiations in December, 1972, to North Vietnam secretly inserting 17 changes into the document on December 13. (Page 479) Other accounts I have seen attribute it to South Vietnam's President Thieu rejecting the treaty, which is not mentioned here. Second, its understanding of air power is somewhat limited. It describes Combat Skyspot (Page 75) as "a high-tech method of delivering bombs using laser beams." Skyspot did not use laser beams, it used ground radar, the AN/MSQ-77. After mentioning laser beams, Andrade vaguely but more accurately mentions that Skyspot involved aircraft dropping bombs on command from a radar center on the ground. We also used Skyspot to accurately direct C-130s to the release point for air delivery of cargo. Third, better and more plentiful maps would be helpful.

Andrade has eloquently captured the details and meaning of the final campaign involving US Forces. In particular, he wonderfully details the herculaean effort of John Paul Vann and his outstanding Deputy, BG George Wear, USA. I served at Pleiku under these men, and sincerely appreciate Andrade's superb tribute to them--well done, Mr Andrade.

Mr. Andrade places you right in the frontline with South Vietnamese and US adivsors trying to stop the North Vietnamese "Blitzkreig" of 1972. If you still believe that the US and her allies in Vietnam fought mostly a communist peasent guerilla force armed with flintlocks and a few bags of rice, you're saddly misinformed unless you read this book!
This is one of a VERY few books which deal mostly with ARVN ground combat and about the bravery of individual South Vietnamese troops fighting NVA armored forces.
After you read this book, you will know what most ex-ARVN and many US Viet-vets have known for a long time-The North Vietnamese employed tactics and weapons which would've been more familiar to Guderian or Zhukov, not Che' or Mao.

A terrific book that covers the heroic efforts of the remaining US advisors and their ARVN compatriots to resist the North Vietnamese invasion of '72. The narrative is thrilling and Andrade's mastery of detail is marvelous.

This book has helped open the way for revisionist understanding of what actually happened to South Vietnam after the US withdrawal, two years earlier. The simple assumption that the ARVN was incompetent, which was in part used to justify the US pullout, needs reexamination.

The heroism of the ARVN and the remaining US advisors is finally brought to light. Perhaps Andrade in the future can bring us an account that focuses on the role of the ARVN during this same period--and how it performed without adequate support from the United States. It would be interesting to find out how much of the "incompetence" myth remains.

Thank you Dale Andrade.

I bought this at the recommendation of one of my professors and I'm so happy that I got this as my first Bible reference software. Not only is the content absolutely fantastic, but the Logos system works great, even though I consider myself a beginner user so far. I keep my notebook with me in class and can very quickly find supplementary information that is related to topics being discussed. It is also great to have at my fingertips while doing homework when I run into a new idea in my reading and want to get another explanation for it. I also love the links to the Unabridged Theological Dictionary of the NT. I currently use the books in my seminary library, but am looking forward to getting that on CD-ROM as well.

There are many bible dictionaries available on the market but the Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD) is probably the most comprehensive and represents the finest of biblical scholarship. There are more than 7200 pages, 6000 entries from 800 leading international scholars. Having it available through the Logos Library System is an enormous advantage (if you want something even better than Logos, check out the Accordance for Mac version of this dictionary). You can do quick searches, easy cross-referencing and also sorts of other fun stuff. If you are going to invest in a Bible Dictionary, you can't do wrong with this CD-ROM version of ABD.

First this is in reality more like an Encyclopedia than a Dictionary. While it is more "Liberal" in its perspective you also have conservative author's as well. Like anytype of of book you need to think for yourself. Where it is helpful is in giving a lot of archeological data and excellent bibliographies. I am currently a seminary student working on an MDiv degree. Having it on computer is a life saver. My school's library only has one set for a lot of students (our seminary has over 400 students and that doesn't include the undergrad students). In a class I took on the book of Acts and the General/Catholic epistles we had two sections of the class with 45 students all needing the same volumes of ABD. However having it on computer solves that problem. Also it makes doing research and adding quotes to my research/exegesis papers a synch. This is a really great resource. It should not be your only resource. There are a lot of good Bible dictionaries out there, so don't just depend upon one. God calls upon us to think for ourselves, Paul said to his young friend Timothy "To study". Logos/Libronix has some great titles available, check them out.

There's not much that needs to be said about the quality of the scholarship in the Anchor Bible series as a whole and the Anchor Bible Dictionary in particular - world class. This review is simply to recommend the digital version of the dictionary. I live in the UK and its pretty hard to get the disc version so I bought from Amazon in the US and paid the import duty (17.5% - outrageous!) The shipping costs on the hardback were prohibitive
The product loaded easily and immediately interfaced with other digital versions of book I have on my machine which uses the 'logos' system. The system allows a range of 'bookmarking' across the 'logos' library which really helps with research. The disc does not just reproduce the pages of the hardback work but provides links to other parts of the book which are relevant to the article you're reading. It also enables you to read bible references mentioned in the text by hovering your mouse over the reference.
The ability to seach against individual words or strings of words is magnificent. Also 'copy and paste' facility means it's really easy to export text to other documents.
In short, unless you really love the feel of books, (and who doesn't) and value that above convenience (and this is a reference/research resource not 'furniture' after all) then there's no contest - buy the disc not the book. That said the physical books are lovely to have ....No! I made the right choice!

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to a hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This set as a whole is divided into eight sections:
1. Career and work
2. Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3. Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4. Structuration theory
5. Time-space in structuration theory
6. Theory on nation-state
7. theory on modernity
8. extensions and application of structuration theory

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to a hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This book is divided into eight sections:
1. Career and work
2. Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3. Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4. Structuration theory
5. Time-space in structuration theory
6. Theory on nation-state
7. theory on modernity
8. extensions and application of structuration theory

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to a hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This book is divided into eight sections:
1. Career and work
2. Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3. Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4. Structuration theory
5. Time-space in structuration theory
6. Theory on nation-state
7. theory on modernity
8. extensions and application of structuration theory

This is a collection of outstanding articles on Anthony Giddens. Like other collections of this kind, large proportion of the articles is reprinting of already published ones on a variety of journals. But some are taken from several books and some unpublished materials are included. All amount to hefty number of 93.
With those materials, you could grasp how Giddens is evaluated and assessed in circle of his colleague. If you want to be oriented to Giddens¡¯ framework, this is not the right one. But if you want to build your own opinion about Giddens, this is definitely ready to lend a hand. Various writers attempt to dissect Giddens¡¯ grand fabric to hit upon the weakness and develop alternatives.
This book is divided into eight sections:
1. Career and work
2. Influence of other writers like French structuralists and German hermeneutic school
3. Giddens¡¯ epistemology in the view of philosophy of science.
4. Structuration theory
5. Time-space in structuration theory
6. Theory on nation-state
7. theory on modernity
8. extensions and application of structuration theory

2004's "Anticipating Surprise" is a distillation of a much larger, and classified, study on the challenge for the U.S. Intelligence Community of providing strategic warning. Author Cynthia Grabo's working experience covered the Cold War from Korea to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This condensed version, put together by the Joint Military Intelligence College, alludes to some later examples of warning problems.

Those looking for quick and easy solutions to the conduct of analysis for strategic warning may be disappointed. As Grabo notes in a summary chapter, "Nothing is going to remove the uncertainties of the warning problem." Anticipating surprise is hard work; Grabo explores the topic in clear simple language, pointing out some reliable methods and some obvious pitfalls. After explaining the basics of the warning problem, Grabo devotes several chapters to the use of indicators of pending enemy action, whether military or political. She notes both the difficulty and the criticality of providing the decision-maker with a coherent, positive judgement on a warning problem.

Grabo includes a remarkably lucid discussion on the problem of deception, the discouraging conclusion of which is how often deception is successful. A follow-on discussion on assigning probabilities to various outcomes is unusually accessible for what is often an arcane topic. A final chapter sums up the discussion and offers some take-away points for the professional practioner.

"Anticipating Surprise" is very highly recommended professional reading for the intelligence officer. Persons in the academic community or the decision-making business may find this short book to be invaluable preparation for understanding more focused studies such as the report of the 9/11 Commission. This reviewer recommends reading it in conjunction with Roberta Wohlstetter's outstanding "Warning and Decision" dissection of the Pearl Harbor disaster.

Just a note to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the book arrived. It was as-described in the posting. Many many stars to the dealer.

JCG
Washington, DC

This book is great on several counts: first, it was extremely readable without the jargon that usually comes with these types of books; secondly, this is a textbook that teaches you how to do intelligence analysis for forecasting; thirdly, it is realistic and the author's 30 years of experience comes through in the telling of examples and instruction; and finally, although the book was previously classified and sat on the shelf in the intelligence community for many, many years, it seems like it could have been the predecessor for the 9-11 Report. Overall, a real gem of a book for anyone interested in doing intelligence analysis or knowing how it is suppose to be done.

If there was an intelligence failure associated with the 9/11 disaster it was a failure of intelligence warning. Yet in all the calls for intelligence reform that have been made since that disaster none have seriously addressed the issue of the analytic techniques for identifying and warning of potential threats to U.S. security. Cynthia Grabo took the concept of intelligence warning as deadly serious and, in the early 1970's, wrote down her observations on the best analytic practices for developing warning intelligence. She was, until her retirement in 1980, considered the final authority on warning intelligence. This book is an abridged and declassified summary of her work and her thinking on warning intelligence and is as valuable today as it was thirty years ago.

Although the Cold War is long over the analytic techniques required to identify threats and build warning information are just as relevant today as they were in the 1970's. Unlike so many of the books and other documents on intelligence `reform', this book addresses the basics of analysis and actually deals with realistic processes of intelligence production. More importantly, it recognizes that analysis of warning intelligence is a unique set of skills and crafts that represent a specialized and relevant career field. If the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) were actually a functioning organization this book should be read by DNI executives and its lesson applied to create a dedicated `intelligence warning' center as the principal center reporting to the DNI. Warning intelligence is no less relevant today than it was when Cynthia Grabo attempted to codify the methodologies of producing it.

On a personnel note, this reviewer never had an opportunity to meet Ms. Grabo, but can testify to the fact that she and her writings were considered the definitive word on warning intelligence by many of us both during and after the Cold War.

Pain should not, and cannot, be separated from anger, anxiety and depression. This is the message of an excellent monograph by Dr Fernandez. The book is comprehensive (800 references to the primary literature) and argues succinctly that emotions are an integral contributor to the concept of pain. Aside from an excellent review of the literature and an excellent treatise, the book offers methods of clinical treatment and assessment.

This book is timely and deserves a place in every University Library and on the shelves of clinical psychologists that deal on a daily basis with people suffering pain.

Highly recommended

This is an excellent book not only for medical and psychological professionals involved in the treatment of pain and associated mood disorders, but also for members of the public who wish to keep informed about the latest state of the art research into pain and emotions.

The book is comprehensive in scope, and goes considerably beyond anything that has previously been written on the subject, with over 800 references to previously published work in the area.

A range of clinical treatments are discussed including hypnosis, biofeedback, cognitive reappraisal, cognitive behavior therapy, systematic desensitization therapy, muscle relaxation, and so on.

The significant role of anger in pain is highlighted, as well as its treatment via cognitive behavioral affective therapy (CBAT).

This book also elucidates the dynamic interrelationships between pain and emotions such anxiety, depression and anger. In doing so, the book examines both physiological as well as psychological variables.

Furthermore, the author's discussion of the diathesis-stress theory of pain and disease is very illuminating.

This is the first book to comprehensively address the important role of affect in pain, and Dr Fernandez has clearly established himself as a leading pain researcher and clinician. This book is a must for all those interested in knowing more about the complex interrelationships between pain and emotions.

I've been waiting for this release! Fantastic! It's not for the simple-minded but it sure does elevate your understanding of how these three emotional disorders interact with pain. The answers in this book are based on hard evidence and expert opinion. The information will be appreciated by health professionals, but it's not off limits to anyone who wants scientific backing for claims made about pain, anxiety, depression, and anger.

I have read books on pain and suffering but this one is especially refreshing. Dr. Fernandez points out why anxiety, depression, and anger cannot be ignored any longer when trying to figure out a person's pain and medical illness. He goes through great depths to explain exactly how emotions can interact with physical problems -- and it's not just about simple cause and effect but much more. Importantly, he provides options for the treatment and assessment of these problems, and I feel confident about these because they are backed up with scientific evidence. It is reassuring to know that the conclusions in the book are supported up by extensive research in the field.

This is the only AP Art History Review book the Art History teacher recommended. It is the best test prep book on the market and if you're taking the AP exam, you should really consider buying it. We're waiting for the AP exam results and hopefully it would prove its worth.

Students in the Atlanta area have found this book to be very helpful for preparation on the AP Art History exam. Adult friends with an interest in art history have bought the book and found that the book along with the 400 picture CD is a great resource.

These dedicated authors have produced a book that is a superior study aid and a reference for those who appreciate art history. Details regarding the classics are impressive and sample tests are well written. A must for all AP Art History students.

This book includes so much information and the tests are great because they give you a detailed description of every correct answer! I bought the book because my teacher wrote it but I'm reading it because it is a great review!

I cracked this book open about a month and a half before my AP test. And I think I partly owe it to this book for getting a 5 on the test.

This book is great for assessment. Its pre-test and 3 exams are very difficult. I was consistently scoring around 50% on each test- but I find that I learn best from my mistakes. I'm glad that the practice tests were very difficult rather than very easy, for I improved because of it.

I would recommend that you buy this book simply for practicing. If it's April right now and you just started thinking about buying this book... DO IT. In my french class, we didn't practice listening or speaking very often. This book gave me an opportunity to make up for what was lacking: 32 listening questions x 4 tests and 2 speaking exam sketches x 4 tests + 19 additional sketches... That's plenty of practice right there. The book is accompanied by a CD, which has the listening portions of the practice exams and sample student responses to the speaking exams.

If you happen to bomb the practice tests (like me), it helps a lot to look at the answers: the book gives you each answer choice translated into english (so you can see just how ridiculously wrong the answer you chose was), a detailed explanation of which answer choice is the correct one, and a transcript of everything said on the CDs (because they speak so damn fast).

Of course, the book has a review section. A very extensive one: page 17 through page 306 are devoted to review. I didn't use this book for review that often, but my honest impression is that some of the review section was material we hadn't even covered in class (when to use plaire vs. manquer... the pluperfect subjunctive...) But erring on the side of too much information is better than too little information.

This review might seem laudatory, but I really wanted to express my gratitude to the authors of this book and help other students. I was expecting a 3 or a 4 on this AP test, since only native speakers get 5's. Well, at least that's what I thought.

After struggling with other French prep materials, I was delighted to see an alternative on the market. I was more delighted that the book was decidedly more useful. Bravo! Specifically let me say that:
1. The grammar is more thoroughly reviewed and the explanations are much clearer for high school students.
2. The readings are imaginative, engaging and filled with challenging vocabulary.
3. The author includes 3 full practice exams and the voice quality is wonderful on the CD's
4. This book is more affordable for my students
Bon Apetit!

In conclusion, this is without a doubt the BETTER review book.
Lynnette Lang
French Teacher
Wheaton Academy

As a high school student planning to major in French in college, I knew the importance of succeeding on the AP French Language exam. About a month before the exam was scheduled to take place, I purchased Ellen Knauer's AP French practice book, and I found that it really helped me prepare for the test. I practiced for about twenty mintues each day, by simply going over the sample exercises and listening to the various dialogues included on the book's CD's. By the time I took the test, I felt well prepared and confident in my abilities to express my knowledge of French while taking the exam. Since the formats of the practice tests are exactly the same in the practice book as the real exam in early May, each section was easy to complete and I even had time remaining before I was required to stop after each section of the test. Although I have not yet received my scores, I feel very confident that I earned a five as my total weighted grade on the AP French exam. I would not only recommend the book to anyone who plans on taking the exam in early May, but I would also recommend it to anyone who would like to practice or "brush up" on the different materials it covers before entering at the college level. The book showed me the areas I was weakest in, and it made me stronger at the subjects I already knew fairly well. I would recommend this book without reservation to anyone.

This book breaks down categories very well and the CD is beneficial also.