Book Description

This book is the "bible" on the subject of Reef Aquarium keeping, covering the biology of coral reefs and relating it to the biological, chemical, and physical parameters considered when creating a reef aquarium. The book details how to successfully cultivate corals in captivity and also features the identification and care of numerous coral and giant clam species. Diseases and parasites, and methods for controlling algae are also featured. The book finishes with an exciting section of photographs demonstrating successful reef aquariums. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The Best Reef Reference Book there is!
As a reef aquarist I am always looking for good resources on how to be successful in this rewarding and very challenging hobby. This book covers all of the methods of reef keeping and allows the reader to decide which method is best for them. It also contains extensive chapters on the care and propogation of stony corals as well as giant clams. This is the best single resource a reef aquarist can add to their aquatic library. The authors have a tremendous amount of experience as reef keepers and both contribute regularly to such magazines as Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine, and Aquarium Fish Magazine. It's an expensive book, but it's well worth the price. Reviewed by Brian Fox

The Reef Aquarium Vol. 1
I keep a 30 gallon reef aquarium in my apartment and I am blessed with having a considerable amount of success for my first attempt at the hobby. I have purchased a couple of clams in the past, both of which turned out to be failures. Through word of mouth this book was recommended to me for the animals that I currently keep and the animals I would like to keep (SPS corals and clams). This book is full of information ranging from algea control to water quality to even identifying different species of SPS corals and clams. My only dissappointment was that I was hoping for a very detailed list of compatible organisms. I understand that certain corals tend to send out stinging tenticles that can harm recessive corals. Although this phenomenon is mentioned in the book it fails to give the specific list that I was hoping for. But don't let this negativity dissuade you from this purchase. There is so much other information in it I feel that it is critical for everyone who is new to the hobby to regard this book as their bible. Even the experienced may have something to learn from this literature.

Helpful books
In some reviews the two volumes of "The Reef Aquarium" have been named "the bible of reef aquarists". This makes you expect a lot, but my expectations have not been disappointed in any way. Describing the natural habit at in the coral reef, explaining the established reef aquarium systems or introducing the suitable aquarium inhabitants - in these two books I found it all. Even here in Germany those two books are known as a German translation, and they're successful.

The Questions Are Answered
This book should be an example by which all other marine and reef aquarium books follow. Current and relavant information from cover to cover. This is the stuff you need to know if you are serious about being successful in this hobby. Great book but a great group of people.

A Must
This book is a must if you are serious about doing it right. Full of excellent, hard to find information. It is heavy reading, but even the beginner can benefit from the tank set-up instructions that will help you do it right the first time. ... Read more

Book Description

First published in 1925, Willis Linn Jepson's Manual of theFlowering Plants of California has been a standard reference for teachers,students, and naturalists. Since that time, hundreds of new species have beenidentified and botanical investigation has become more sophisticated. NowJepson's philosophy of making such information available to all is againrealized in this new volume, which includes a wealth of material accumulatedover the past decades. With contributions from two hundred botanists across North America, this is themost comprehensive resource and identification guide to nearly eight thousandvarieties of native and naturalized California plants. The means to identifyplants (using key traits and illustrations) is accompanied by specialinformation such as horticultural requirements, endangerment, toxicity, weedstatus, and notes on the management of sensitive species. Identification keyshave been designed for ease of use, and terms have been simplified andillustrated, making the new Manual the most authoritative field guide for theexpert and amateur alike. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Best Technical Review of California Plants
There is no easy way to identify a plant to species, but if it is in California it is far easier to use this volume than the others. Although it was written in 1925, the line drawings are for me priceless. Be advised that names change in 75 years even if plants do not, you will need a modern flora to reference the old name. HIGHLY recommended, but technical.

Good Reference and Learning Guide
This is an excellent guide. Very comprehensive, however you must have formal education in botany and plant ID in order to effectively use the guide to key plants to genus and or species. Not recommended for the average person. Just people who are plant nerds!

Not for the uninitiated
This book is an excellent botanical key listing a huge number of plants. It is not your average "audubon" guide, since it requires you to key out the plant in question using botanical systematics. Definitely a good reference book, but hard to use casually to find out what that tree is in your front yard!

Excellent, but not for beginners
This is an excellent book covering thousands of species of flowering plants of California. The book does contain a brief introduction to keying plants and a glossary of plant terms, but despite these features, I believe that the beginner would find this book difficult to use. It's size and complexity can be intimidating, and without color pictures (which aren't always accurate, but helpful for the beginner) it can be a frustrating experience for the novice.

from what i've seen of this book i would like to buy one.
I really haven't had a chance to read this book, but what I've seen so far it is very informative. I work for USDA FOREST SERVICE and this book is here at work. The problem is I would like to have one of my own, so I'm now in the process of looking for it at our book store in town. If they do not have it, possibly they could order it for me. If not I will travel to the next larger town to accomplish my mission. I will get this book one way or another. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jared Diamond states the theme of his book up-front: "How the human species changed, within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conqueror; and how we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight." The Third Chimpanzee is, in many ways, a prequel to Diamond's prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel. While Guns examines "the fates of human societies," this work surveys the longer sweep of human evolution, from our origin as just another chimpanzee a few million years ago. Diamond writes:

It's obvious that humans are unlike all animals. It's also obvious that we're a species of big mammal down to the minutest details of our anatomy and our molecules. That contradiction is the most fascinating feature of the human species.

The chapters in The Third Chimpanzee on the oddities of human reproductive biology were later expanded in Why Is Sex Fun? Here, they're linked to Diamond's views of human psychology and history.

Diamond is officially a physiologist at UCLA medical school, but he's also one of the best birdwatchers in the world. The current scientific consensus that "primitive" humans created ecological catastrophes in the Pacific islands, Australia, and the New World owes a great deal to his fieldwork and insight. In Diamond's view, the current global ecological crisis isn't due to modern technology per se, but to basic weaknesses in human nature. But, he says, "I'm cautiously optimistic. If we will learn from our past that I have traced, our own future may yet prove brighter than that of the other two chimpanzees."--Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (57)

A fascinating and important book...
After trying to read _Guns, Germs, and Steel_, I found this book, surprisingly, easier to get interested in and understand. Not that it's simpler or dumbed-down!

The book tries to answer the questions of what it means to be human, and how we are different from other life forms. This might sound like a cliché, but as Diamond delves into ethics, sex, history, evolution, and drug abuse, and comes out with his grim but guardedly optimistic conclusions, it seems apparent to me, at least, that what he is saying is of utmost importance to everyone in the world.

Having read the book _Ishmael_, by Daniel Quinn, a few years ago, I wonder if Diamond's thinking could actually be improved by being combined with Quinn's. Diamond suggests that, when prehistoric societies drove certain animals to extinction, they were acting out a human tendency to be destructive to our local environments that is simply horribly intensified today. Quinn suggests that some of those prehistoric societies were not particularly more destructive than other animals, and for the same reasons; while other, more civilized societies had the tendency to be destructive because of their cultures' inclinations, and passed this tendency on to us, their cultural descendants.

Of course, if Quinn is correct, our culture must be changed, a daunting task; while if Diamond is correct, the solution is unclear. He suggests that we may in fact be learning to change our behavior, in our own self-interest. I don't see much evidence of this offhand. (Although recent books by Paul Hawken and Ray C. Anderson suggest that business can be reformed in a way that's good both economically and ecologically; they're next on my reading list!) Quinn and Diamond alike offer a very cautious hope for our ecological future: that we may learn from the errors of the past and change our behavior accordingly.

But how easy it is to sit and type platitudes about the fate of all human life! Read the book; I'm going to reread it myself, in order to thoroughly take in its meaning. If anyone is interested in discussing these topics, please email me.

A Captivating Work
I read this book just after I finished GGS and at some aspects, I liked it even more than the much celebrated GGS.

At each chapter of the Third Chimpanzee we learn a totally new subject in the Jared Diamond style: a well-thought synthesis, a simple and organized presentation. Every other twenty pages was a new adventure for me.

Obviously, this might not be the case for other readers that are more acquainted with evolution readings, and obviously I need a lot to learn before I can decide their authenticity but I found his ideas on subjects like extraterrestrial life and evolution of drug abuse very original and provoking. I also found his narration of the issues of Indo-European Languages spreading, mate selection, animal art and genocide very moving and comprehensive.

A surprise for me was that this book tells the main concept of GGS thoroughly in just two chapters. Given the occasionally criticized redundancy and large volume of GGS, I might humbly suggest a prospective reader of Diamond who has limited time to read this book instead of GGS. For sure, GGS gives a much better and extensive treatise of the concept and it is also a must read book for anybody who wants to put a perspective to human history. Third Chimpanzee also gives a perspective to human psychology and I sincerely recommend it to anybody interested in these two subjects.

Thought-provoking
This is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in how man differs and does not differ from the rest of the animal kingdom (particularly the great apes). Since the book is already over ten years old, it is a bit weak on new advances in genetics and does not seem to be up-to-date on the Clovis debate about the peopling of the Americas (new genetic data showing that the entrance was probably earlier than the assumed 12,000 years ago). However, the bulk of the book is a very mind-broadening, timeless view of homo sapiens and this species conquest of the entire planet. The history that Diamond portrays does not augur well for mankind: habitual destruction of the environment; mass extinctions of other species; increasingly limited genetic diversity in the human species; the propensity for genocide. In short, Diamond shows that man has a history of selfishly expanding its population to the detriment of the very environment upon which he depends and that this proclivity could someday spell the end of the species as our numbers continue to rise. Some sobering facts are offered here; and open minds should recognize them and heed them.

I only give the book four stars for two reasons:
1) As mentioned, the part on genetics is partially out of date and should be made current in a further edition.
2) Diamond has a number of annoying tendencies that are sometimes frustrating: I grew weary of his "Outer Space" perspectives (i.e., the paleontologist from Outer Space, the archaeologist from Outer Space, the biologist from Outer Space), as if the reader were incapable of standing back and gaining perspective on his own species without this trick. Also, he piqued my curiosity on a number of subjects that he promised to cover in detail later. When thse subjects finally came, there were often more questions than answers.

Absolutely FASCINATING!!!
Jared Diamond has to be one of my favorite authors. I could hardly put this book down! After reading "Guns, Germs and Steel," and "Why is Sex Fun?", "The Third Chimpanzee" has also proven to be yet another brilliant work by the author. He asks questions and looks at angles that are fascinating and provide almost endless food-for-thought. He approaches his subjects with open-mindedness and a true desire to uncover the truth.
Human evolution and early human history is a mysterious subject with much of the pieces missing, simply because of how long ago it happened and the lifestyle of those early humans. Yet it is such an important subject-- to understand WHAT homo sapiens really are, how we fit in with the other members of our family tree, how we got to be the way we are. Mr. Diamond applies his experience with hunter-gatherer New Guinian peoples to try to fill in these gaping holes. For thousands of years, all humans lived as hunter-gatherers, yet today it is a lifestyle that is becoming increasingly rare. He also provides insight into our physical evolution, sexual and reproductive evolution, the evolution of language and communication, and how our closest current relatives --the chimps and gorillas-- differ from and are similar to us. He also discusses what he terms "our Great Leap Forward"-- the point were we stopped being pre-human and started being (mentally and behaviorly) modern.
If you are at all interested in early human history and the "whys" and "hows" of many of our "human" characteristics, then this book is for you. You'll find Mr. Diamond's open, honest approach refreshing and easy to follow. Excellent book on understanding what it means to be human, and how we got that way.

An amazing puzzle of a book
Challenges the intellect and provokes deep thought. ... Read more

Book Description

Now fully updated and revised, the new Fourth Edition of Cell and Molecular Biology not only offers you and your students all of the latest research, it also gives students the tools they need to understand the science behind cell biology and ultimately succeed in your course. This text is ideal for sophomore/junior-level courses in cell biology offered out of biology or molecular and cell biology departments.
Cell and Molecular Biology provides an alternative for faculty looking for a text that concentrates on core concepts without sacrificing coverage of experimental evidence. Karp explores core concepts in considerable depth, and presents experimental detail when it helps to explain and reinforce the concept being explained. This edition also continues to offer an exceedingly clear presentation and excellent art program, both of which have received high praise in prior editions. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Concise story of cell biology
Another introductory book in the biology of the cell. I would say that the book is divided into mainly two sections, Cell structure and DANA, DANA replications etc. Second part takes almost two thirds of the book. I would prefer to read other Gene books when it comes to that point but for the cell structure, it is not bad. Some colored pictures, computer animations makes it easy to visualize things. Sections called "experimental pathways" scattered throughout the text takes you into current issues related to the subject. They are also quite sophisticated issues rather than practical problems. I think this book requires considerable guidance when read alone. I could not call this book as self sufficient or easy to read one compared to books by Alberts or Baltimore.

He's got it all here in a nutshell
All biology, biochemistry, and premed students will find this text an indispensible source of information for anything there is to know about cells. This is one text that can't possibly be read and fully understood overnight; just take a little bit at a time at any convenient moment and it will all come together in your mind before you know it!

THIS BOOK IS GREAT BUT NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT
I think that this book is simply great ,but it needs some improvement such as mentioning more about the diseases in the((HUMAN PERSPECTIVE))part.In addition,it should have more of the realastic figures about diseases.

Basil Numan((MEDICINE STUDENT 1ST YEAR)).

Biología molecular y celular de Geral Karp
I want to know about this book in spanish, it is posible, price and cost of send me.

Thanks you very much ... Read more

Reviews (10)

good review if you have a good foundation
This is a good book for people who need to review for the boards and have a good foundation of neuroanatomy. If you don't have solid footing the lack of explanations might confuse you. On the other hand it is quite concise so it is easy to get through.

Ideal for USMLE review
This is the book for Step 1 USMLE review. It covers all the essential details of this heavily tested subject. Must be coupled with an atlas since recognizing gross pictures and as well as comfort with imaging is vital for the USMLE. For coursework, it is advisable to use a more substantial book. Neuroanatomy is a tough subject that cannot be crammed. It is essential to lay down a strong base during the semester.

Must have
This book has all the neuroanatomy and associated clinical scenarios that I was tested on for Step 1. The mini atlas of brain anatomy is a guaranteed question. The clinical info about brain/brainstem/spinal cord injuries is also covered very well in this book.

Concise review of neuroanatomy
This is a great little book! I used it in medical school, and now that I'm a neurology resident, I *still* use it. Has enough depth to be useful, but not overwhelming. Easy to read. Tends to cover the pimpable/testable highlights. Good summary tables.

Understanding the incomprehensible neuroanatomy
Yikes !!!! When they start talking about neuroanatomy you get a marked sympathetic reaction ( your skin gets cold and clammy, you start sweating and start feeling your heartbeats ). That, and " what the hell are they asking for and how is it that thing clinically important " matter, do have a solution.
High Yield neuroanatomy is written in a superbly comprehensive way ( a lot to ask for from a science such as neuroanatomy ) and with a lot of helpful illustrations that help to consolidate written concepts. Finally, loaded with certain clinical applications of the concepts reviewed, this book is good not only for the USMLE step1, but for the clinical wards as well. During rounds, my fellow students just kept saying " how did this guy know that answer ? ". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Collecting contributions from 100 distinguishedhorticulturists, the handsome and lavishly illustrated AmericanHorticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is a trulydefinitive gardening reference. With its 1,092 tiny-print pages, thismay not be the book to tuck into your pocket as you weed and mulch, butwhat this encyclopedia lacks in portability, it certainly makes up forin scope. Hardy and tender plants, heirloom varieties and the latesthybrids--they're all accounted for here, with growing tips andbackground information about native habitats and ornamental features.You'll also find a fascinating section about botany, as well asinformation about basic gardening techniques such as mulching, staking,pruning, propagating, and protecting plants for winter. But theencyclopedia's main attraction is the individual plant entries--morethan 15,000 of them, embellished with 6,000 full-color photographs andillustrations. From the visual glossary of leaves to the map of growingregions, The American Horticultural Society A-Z of Garden Plantsprovides an unsurpassed wealth of botanical information, making it theyardstick by which all other gardening references must be measured. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

A Comprehensive Guide to Plants
This enormous reference book is exactly what an avid gardener needs - with entries covering perennials, annuals, woodland plants, trees, shrubs, and just about any other plants available both commercially and naturally. The individual entries contain information about cultivars, propagation, problem pests and diseases, as well as a concise description of the plant's appearance and growth requirements. Most, though not all, include a small photograph of at least one specimen. Plants are listed by their botanical names; if you do not know the genus, you'll have to look up the common name first in the index.

This volume also contains a visual glossary (inside the front cover), and excellent sections on general botany, the garden environment, and propagation techniques. The only drawback to this otherwise excellent encyclopedia is the near-impossibility of identifying unknown plants. The entries are not listed (or cross-listed) by type, requiring the gardener to page through nearly one thousand pages of pictures to identify, say, a particular woodland plant. And forget leaf identification since most photographs are taken from a distance to capture the whole of a species.

This would make an excellent gift for any gardener. It is hefty and comprehensive. Especially for those interested in non-mainstream plants, this book is a must-have.

The best compilation for plants out there yet!
This book is absolutely wonderful with all the quick information you would ever need for plants in North America. It does cover propogation, cultivation, and common pest for a particular plant very well, and the color pictures are superb. The common names for plants found in your stores are are easily found by doing a cross reference at the back of the book. It's not at all difficult to find what you are looking for. Ofcourse, you cannot expect to find every single hybrid names that are being churned out everyday covered in here 'cause thats not practical. I found that pretty much all the plants i reasearched for with names from hardware stores and nurseries were covered in here. You do need the sister book for identifying and controlling pests and diseases. Nevertheless, this is a superb book for a resource and the best out there yet. It's worth the weight! Get the sister book for pests and diseases and you'll be all set!

Useful, but...
The variety of plants contained in this volume is comparatively remarkable and I have successfully found information on quite a few things.

That said, the descriptions and other details on the varieties within the genera are uneven and illustrations used are often too small for identification, particularly if the foliage is not shown in the cases of flowers which appear nearly-identical.

Some varieties of plants such as calabrichoa (million bells) which are very popular, at least in my own area, are not there; some which are included, such as bacopa, only mention two colors when there are several in circulation.

These sticking points are relatively minor compared to my principal and ongoing complaint about nearly every plant book I have read or purchased: there is no pronunciation guide. This is a huge handicap when one is attempting to ask for, or for information about, plants such as Heuchera, Weigela, Clematis, Corydalis and a multitude of others with multiple possibilities.

It makes no sense that such an obviously huge undertaking as the compilation of this book could not include how the name should be said in the heading (not some section in the back which would require constant turning).

plant lovers might need an education
I ordered this book in hopes that it would give me information on plant heartiness, when and where to plant, diseases, pests and cures. It does that, and so much more. Too much more. It really is more for the horticultural enthusiast/expert, and less for the weekend gardener. The information is vast, the pictures are wonderful, but the "lingo" is a bit professional. I do feel rather cool having it in my collection though! PS, this book weighs a TON! Beware!

A BOOK FOR EVERY GARDNER
THIS BOOK SHOULD BE A MANDATORY, MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO PURCHASES A HOME, ALREADY HAS A HOME, OR IS THINKING OF DOING ANY GARDENING AT ALL......... ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers an in-depth treatment of insect biology and classification, covering all insect orders and providing keys to over four hundred families of insects. This second edition is enhanced by new chapters on population biology, insects and microbes, and methods for developing an insect collection. It is illustrated with numerous line drawings and photographs, including color plates. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide is an excellent tool for use by itself or with any human anatomy and physiology text. The author's unique approach promotes and reinforces learning on many levels through a wide variety of visual and written exercises. In its review of the human body, from microscopic to macroscopic levels, the workbook covers the most important and useful aspects of human anatomy and physiology, and offers clinically oriented activities. "At the Clinic" questions help readers apply what they've learned to real-life clinical settings; "Incredible Journey" visualization exercises in each chapter summarize chapter content, allowing readers to apply what they've learned; the many written exercises include completion from a selection of key choices, matching terms or descriptions, labeling diagrams, true/false, and definition questions. Elimination questions require readers to discover the similarities or dissimilarities among a number of structures or objects; a clear design, along with Marieb's hallmark friendly writing style, make learning more enjoyable; and more than 100 coloring exercises reinforce concepts through active learning. Designed to engage the introductory allied health reader. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very good study guide.
I found this book to be a good study guide in the following ways:
It helped me to learn hard topics of anatomy and physiology in an easier way. The visual learning aids stayed in my head more. This is a much easier way of learning A and P then listening to long and dry college lectures. I also used the following study guides which are also on amazon:
Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
These study guides had the type of questions I encountered on my college A and P test. I advise getting these books.

Newer version
This book is good but there is a newer version already out which is better. If you have the Lab manual that goes with the text, this doesn't really offer anything new to you and your money would be better spent on the resource book.

Great learning aid
This book is wonderful for visual learners. I am a visual learner and it helped me remember very important facts for my college anatomy and physiology class. ...

GREAT
THIS BOOK WAS GREAT IT SHOWED THE YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT THE BODY AND THE OLDER ONES! ITS GREAT FOR ALL AGES...I RECOMMEND IT DEFINITLY!!!

This book was great, easy to follow, full of information.
As a mother of three changing careers in mid stream, it was hard to find focus sometimes. I found this book easy to follow, a great study guide. Also it has been a great reference book in the years since I have been licensed to practice massage. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (20)

This is the BEST bird book out there!!
The Golden Guide to Field Indentifcation of Birds of North America is a handy, not to mention effective, guide to the birds. Accidentals, rarities, stragglers, and casuals are all covered, along with the common birds. This guide includes full color illustrations of birds were and how they are most often spotted, whether gliding over the ocean or perching in dense underbrush, as well as winter, summer, eclipse, immature, chick, juvenile, adult, male, female, breeding, non-breeding, molting, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winter plumages, if need be. Any bird spotted can quickly be indentified quickly and easily with this guide.

The definitive North American Bird Guide
I first purchased this guide as a 13 year old back in 1971, graduating from the introductory Zim/Gabrielson "Golden Guide" and the Chester A. Reed classic on eastern birds. This book became my birding companion for years to come, and successive copies became dog-eared and worn out with extensive use. As a teenager growing up in southern Ontario, I used to marvel at the "Carolinian" species - those species which reached the very northern limit of their distributions in the area I grew up - on the pages of this wonderful book. Singer's renditions of Orchard Orioles, Carolina Wrens, Cerulean and Blue-Winged Warblers, amongst the other 700+ species illustrated with such precision and described in exquisite detail by Bruun, Robbins and Zim are painstakingly accurate, and not only defined my youthful birdwatching days but evoke many memories of growing up in the Canadian countryside. I have lived in Europe since 1983, but this guide accompanies me on every return trip I make to North America.

great buy
This guide is wonderful. The pictures are very descriptive and make it easy to identify different birds.

One of the best
I actually have the 1983 expanded, revised edition. I like photos more than a book with drawings but these drawings are almost photo quality. What I like about this book is that simular birds are pictured together on one page. Diane

Absolutely Great Book but this Edition Needs Improvement
No one has captured the real look of birds the way Singer has. Singer's paintings are really a major creative event.
HOWEVER, St. Martin's doesn't seem to have the reverence for these illustrations that it should. Instead of remastering the originals and providing the book with the best reproduction of the paintings, St. Martin's has cheaply reproduced them in such a way that colors are noticeably faded and washed out -- to the point of possibly affecting identification in a few places. Also, terns and other white birds often seem to vanish into the page.
When the original edition came out many years ago, it changed the look of all field guides for the better. People were also impressed with the value they got. Even the cover was not some rehashed illustration from the interior of the text, but a specially-painted scene of three buntings. That piece of art has now been tossed out entirely and replaced with a rather dreary and photographic-like illustration of two bald eagles perched together with an immature -- obviously their offspring (except that they are both males).
My copy has the birds' wing tips, tails, feet, and sonagrams cut off at the bottom of many pages. This is very annoying.
Also, the broad-billed hummingbird is mistakenly labeled "broad-bellied" on page 191. I spotted the broad-billed the other day and couldn't figure out what was going on in the text!
Where are the check boxes in the index? That's a huge omission!
I still highly recommend this book. No other captures the look of birds in the field as well.
St. Martin's would be well advised to never throw out any of Singer's art. That's kind of a crime and they need to appreciate that fact before they diddle with this great book anymore! The publisher needs to lose the current cover and replace it with the old -- or a redesigned cover with the original art. The edition should be redone with improved reproductions of Singer's fabulous paintings.
If you don't have this book, buy it anyway! It's great and the price has always made the book a steal. ... Read more

Book Description

Marcello Pagano and Kimberlee Gauvreau's PRINCIPLES OF BIOSTATISTICS, Second Edition is a concepts-based introduction to statistical procedures that prepares public health, medical, and life sciences students to conduct and evaluate research. With an engaging writing style and helpful graphics, the emphasis is on concepts over formulas or rote memorization. Throughout the book, the authors use practical, interesting examples with real data to bring the material to life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Better than nothing...
This book helped me (a non-biostat person) pass a advanced biostats class. It was a good suppliment to a fast-paced course, as it gives the same info, but somewhat easier format.

On the other hand, it occasionally skipped steps and made confusing leaps.

So it was better than nothing.

another good introductory biostatistics book
Like Rosner's book by the same publisher, this text is an introductory text by Harvard professors who teach medical students. It seems to be in competition with Rosner's book which makes me wonder why the same publisher is publishing them both. The style is different but the market and level of the two books seem to be the same. Both texts include diskettes with data for PCs. Both books are well written and cover mostly the same topics. The Pagano text seems to go into a little more detail on contingency tables and survival analysis. Both contain lists of valuable references. ... Read more

Book Description

A tale of obsession so fierce that a man kills the thing he loves most: the only giant golden spruce on earth.

As vividly as Jon Krakauer put readers on Everest, John Vaillant takes us into the heart of North America's last great forest, where trees grow to eighteen feet in diameter, sunlight never touches the ground, and the chainsaws are always at work.

When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited island, they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. Five months earlier, logger-turned-activist Grant Hadwin had plunged naked into a river in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, towing a chainsaw. When his night's work was done, a unique Sitka spruce, 165 feet tall and covered with luminous golden needles, teetered on its stump. Two days later it fell.

The tree, a fascinating puzzle to scientists, was sacred to the Haida, a fierce seafaring tribe based in the Queen Charlottes. Vaillant recounts the bloody history of the Haida and the early fur trade, and provides harrowing details of the logging industry, whose omnivorous violence would claim both Hadwin and the golden spruce. 16 pages of illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

John Vaillant, The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madn
On January 20, 1997, Grant Hadwin cut down a conifer (see pp. 127 ff.). Unfortunately, this was not just any tree, but a near unique golden Sitka spruce in British Colombia's Queen Charlotte Islands, some 165 feet tall and over three hundred years old. The tree was sacred to the Haida tribe, who believed that it was a transformed youth(see pp. 155-57). Hadwin, who subsequently perished while crossing Hecate Strait- or disappeared before his court date, depending upon which story you choose to believe (see pp. 159-81)- was ironically an environmentalist who wished to draw attention to the destruction of the region's forests.
My pet peeve first. Where is a picture of the tree? It is inconceivable that no view of the book's subject, either before or after its felling, is available, and yet (with the doubtful exception of the picture on the cover) none of the sixteen pictures in the book deals with the object which "stands" at its epicenter. In a way, this absence is a fitting symbol for the larger work. There is no question that Mr. Vaillant can write; he brings logging alive in a way that lesser craftsmen could not. We find out why the Queen Charlotte Islands are termed the "Canadian Galapagos" (at p. 28) at the same time that British Colombia is referred to as the "Brazil of the North" (at p. 100). We are introduced to a specialized argot, with terms such as "nurse logs" (at p. 8), "spruce flats" (at p. 16), "logger's smallpox" (at p. 76), "highballing" (at p. 77), "widowmakers" (at p. 129), and "pig's ears" (at p. 132). Vaillant, not content with this "forest" of information, discusses ecological problems, Haida culture, and intercultural relations. The void left by the fall of the Golden Spruce, however, is paralleled by a lack of in-depth information about Grant Hadwin. While Vaillant appears to have made, well, valliant efforts to interview those connected with the incident and indeed acknowledges "those members of the Hadwin familywho shared their memories and insights with me" (at p. [xi]), no specific citations appear to be listed in the Endnotes (see pp. [243]-50). This lack of information prevents us from more fully understanding Hadwin and his motive, and that in turn leaves only a gap in space where the real object once existed.
The Golden Spruce should be read both for the information it imparts and for the quality of Vaillant's prose. Ultimately, however, it does not break the log-jam of facts and speculations surrounding this hopefully unique (but see pp. 140-41, 213) occurrence.

Samuel Pyeatt Menefee

COMPELLING AND VISIONARY
John Vaillant conjures the mystery of the Pacific Northwest coast where hundred-foot waves wash fish into the limbs of trees and diving birds fly underwater, a land where the Haida people collaborate in their own near destruction through exploitation of the otter trade, a place where an indestructible and brilliant logger becomes a zealous, misguided environmentalist.The rainforest is a place of myth and transformation.If you dare to enter, you will be changed.And if you enter the world of this magical book, where trees grow 300 feet tall and live 500 years, you will be transfigured by what you know.John Vaillant has exposed a compelling story, a murder mystery where the victim is a rare spruce with brilliant golden needles.Without sentimentality, with complete reverence for the tree as a tree, Vaillant illuminates the terrible loss, and the deeper loss it represents: the desecration of old growth forests.Mr. Vaillant has done his research and rendered his tale with suspense and energy, with great beauty, in a language that approaches poetry. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The indispensible Tropical Pacific field guide.
Pratt, Bruner, and Dickinson have produced a superb field guide completely covering all the islands of the tropical Pacific from Hawai'i west through Micronesia. This is a true field guide: it gives the field marks of every species, notes problems in identification with special emphasis on distinguishing similar species, and wastes no space on matters not related to identification. (The exception is that Pratt, a significant ornithologist as well as an expert in identification, summarizes controversies in classification whre appropriate.)

The text is organized by order and family, not by region, so the flycatchers of Tahiti appear next to the flycatchers of Palau rather than near other Tahitian birds. But the illustrations are grouped by region: Samoan land birds appear together, regardless of relationships. This greatly facilitates use in the field.

The illustrations are paintings, not photographs, which allows the authors to show similar birds in identical poses as well as eliminating the accidental marks which appear in even the best photographs and can confuse the user.

The authors have chosen to include the extinct birds of the region as well as the living ones. This puts a certain amount of "deadwood" on the illustration pages, which may be detrimental. But, considering that more than one "extinct" bird has been found after being missing for nearly a hundred years, it is probably worth the minor inconvenience.

I have used the book extensively in Hawai'i and believe it to be the best guide Hawai'i's birds. I would not consider being without it anywhere in its area of coverage. ... Read more

Book Description

High-quality illustrations with stepped-out art to help readers visualize complex processes.
* Human genetics and the role of the geneticist highlighted throughout.
* Two new features in each chapter: introductory "Key Questions" and closing "Basic Exercises." ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The best introductory text broadly covering the field
I would rate this as one of the best (if not the best) introductory texts in genetics. Comparing this to various other material that I've come across, Snustad and Simmons definitely exhibit superior aptitude in educational skills in this work. They have a firm grasp of what their target readers can understand and know how build up the readers' progressive comprehension while keeping the interest level high. This is the true mark of a well-constructed textbook. We all know how boring some texts can be, but I found myself always itching to read on and even go backward to review some of the concepts. The authors' use of simple language (unlike some other "introductory" texts) makes reading somewhat "light and fun" in contrast to some others who seem to not be as adept in communicating to "pre-PhD" students.

Another characteristic that makes this work stand out is it's sheer beauty. The illustrations, photographs, charts, and even the layout are absolutely gorgeous! Hey, I'm not one who judges a book by the cover, but even the cover is beautiful! The artwork is well thought out and easy to understand. Many parts of the text can be reviewed plainly by looking at the pictorial descriptions without necessitating too much re-reading of the sections.

The authors also include well-placed "sidelights" throughout the book to help the reader get a "real-life" connection to subject. And the sidelights are mostly about what we care about most...ourselves. Thus, in addition to constant reference to medical applications here and there, the sidelights help the reader appreciate what genetics is all about.

Another important aspect of this text is that it is up to date. The authors have taken into consideration the exponential advances in the field and documented it here. That is just one more plus to this already fantastic piece of work!

i want to review this book again
i have read this book once but i am very keen to read again this book so i want to read this book and for that i want to see the review of this book.

good introductory genetics textbook
It is a good written book. It explains things very well in general. It is not as complicated as other genetic textbooks

A very up-to-date genetics text
If you are looking for a book that describes classical genetics in great details, this book is not for you. To me, the main effort of the authors is to focus on the modern idea of how geneticists think and work. The organization of the text is nicely arranged so that readers can understand the concepts in one chapter that lead to the more advanced one in the next chapter. The materials presented are not too "introductory", and it is not too difficult for a typical undergraduate student to understand either. Also, It can properly serve as a good reference for a graduate student, like myself, when a time of need in some genetic concepts!

Good introduction to modern genetics
As the authors indicate, this book is meant to be an introduction to genetics. It should, therefore, be judged as such. My academic background is physics, not biology, and I can testify that this book presents a comprehensive overview of basic principles, historic info about classical experiments and important persons, and intros to modern topics. The pictures in the book illustrate the various processes and schemes quite well. In short, the book provides what it is meant to provide. More detail would blow up the size of the book, only to discourage readers new to genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

This revision brings the reader completely up to date on the evolving methods associated with increasingly more complex sample types analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, or HPLC. The book also incorporates updated discussions of many of the fundamental components of HPLC systems and practical issues associated with the use of this analytical method. This edition includes new or expanded treatments of sample preparation, computer assisted method development, as well as biochemical samples, and chiral separations. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A great book - information overload
This is a very useful reference to have if you work extensively on HPLC. I find its of more use to understand concepts ...there is a lot of information here.

Which means - if you are looking for a solution to a problem and you want to research separation theory - a great book.

If your looking for a quick fix to an HPLC problem - not as good. This is a detailed, extensive and well written text on HPLC Method development - wish there was more on validation here though.

Plactical and Rational method Development!
Rational Method development for HPLC is resented. Instruction of rational development of 3-solvent separation system is excellent. This book also has useful know-hows and tools in practical laboratory experiments, such as strength of hydrogen bonding of base silica and nomograph for estimation of "solvent strength" for reversed phase HPLC.

an excellent book on pratical HPLC
The book is useful for gerenal operator who are both novice and expert. It do is pratice. It's better give another chapter for troubleshooting and maintence. ... Read more

Book Description

• 2 full-length practice tests
• Diagnostic test with personalized feedback
• Detailed answer explanations
• Powerful strategies to help you score higher
• Focused review of important concepts and terms for the Ecology and Molecular tracks
• Practice questions in each chapter, covering all tested material, from cellular and organismal biology to evolution and diversity
• Chapter highlights at the beginning of each chapter and end-of-chapter summaries to help you find what you need quickly
• The most up-to-date information on the test

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions has helped more than 3 million students achieve their educational and career goals. With 185 centers and over 1,200 classroom locations throughout the U.S. and abroad, Kaplan provides a full range of services, including test-prep courses, admissions consulting, programs for international students, professional licensing preparation, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Bio E/M Reviewer, but with minor Limitations
I used the 2003-2004 edition when I was prepping for my own Bio E/M SAT. Overall, I was pretty pleased with what I got.

This is definitely a pretty solid 'workbook', runs through all of the nuts & bolts of everything from physiology to molecular bio. I had my bio teacher helping me prep back then, and it definitely worked better.

Sometimes, this book can get a little overwhelming with all the terms and functions to understand and memorize. A key example would probably be the parts on physiology. However, it does a pretty good job of breaking the material down to a summary in the end. Sure, I did get to read through the whole book, but it would not have been possible without anyone else nearby who I could have asked about confusions that may have arisen from this book.

I would have given this book 4.5 / 5. But considering that there's no 4.5, I'd have to settle for a 4. ... Read more

Book Description

This highly regarded comprehensive guide provides an up-to-date overview of the variety of methods used in field archaeology, from research design to excavation strategies to conservation of artifacts and record-keeping. The contributors to the volume bring a wealth of expertise on diverse subjects and offer practical advice on their areas of special interest. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good book for a student
This is an excellent book for a student of archaeological methods. If you are looking for light reading, as some of the earlier reviews must have been, then look somewhere else.

Fantastic Book
Fantastic book! Very clear and very comprehensive. If you are serious about archaeology, you'll enjoy this book. If you're a hobbyist or have comprehension issues, you might not enjoy it. Highly recommended.

An archaeological field school in a book.
This is a comprehensive text book, not of the "Archaeology for Dummies" variety. More than a couple universities use this book as their standard text for senior level courses in archaeological field methods. Be prepared to learn rather than entertained...it's a serious work. As for the writing style, most text books could stand to be re-written by some best-selling author, but had to give this one five stars just to bring its score up from the absurd two and a half it is currently rated at.

Great book for people interested in learning on own time.
As a person interested in learning more about archaeology field methods, I found this book had good explanations of some very puzzling processes. It also makes a great textbook and was used to prepare students for a field school by professors at UT Dallas. Good book - but you may have to read it over a couple of times in order to fully grasp all the knowledge presented.

Some comments from the senior author
The three recent comments on FIELD METHODS, 7th ed. need some clarification. Yes, the book is long, very long. I didn't know we had any statistics in it (reviewer #1)! It is not comparable to Joukowsky, as her book, like our 6th ed., Hester, et al. l975, is now badly out of date. The 7th ed., l997, is designed as (l) a text, especially for field schools (2) a reference on contemporary approaches to field archaeology. It is not a trade book, especially since Mayfield does not discount to bookstores. The long-winded aspect comes from an effort to review contemporary archaeology, which is changing rapidly and covers a broad area of inquiry. The academic review cards received by Mayfield after publication were overwhelmingly positive. Thus, the book appeals largely to professionals and active avocational archaeologists. It is not a "light read" on the glorious discoveries of archaeology. ... Read more

Book Description

Here, at last, is a lavishly illustrated manual for ready identification of 299 common and economically important weeds in the region south to Virginia, north to Maine and southern Canada, and west to Wisconsin. Based on vegetative rather than floral characteristics, this practical guide gives anyone who works with plants the ability to identify weeds before they flower.A dichotomous key to all the species described in the book is designed to narrow the choices to a few possible species. Identification can then be confirmed by reading the descriptions of the species and comparing a specimen with the drawings and photographs.A fold-out grass identification table provides diagnostic information for weedy grasses in an easy-to-use tabular key. Specimens with unusual vegetative characteristics, such as thorns, square stems, whorled leaves, or milky sap, can be rapidly identified using the shortcut identification table.The first comprehensive weed identification manual available for the Northeast, this book will facilitate appropriate weed management strategy in any horticultural or agronomic cropping system and will also serve home gardeners and landscape managers, as well as pest management specialists and allergists. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Weeds of the Northeast
I help identify weeds in Texas and this is one of my most used books to check an ID after Keying out a plant or for taking a quick look through a recognized family. Very few books concentrate on weeds so this type of book is much needed. Excellent photography and good information. This is so well done, I wish the authors would do it again with 175 different weeds. Thanks for a truely great book.

Weeds of the Northeast
Great book for the homeowners and horticulturalists. Great pictures and descriptions. The weed "Bible".

Certainly one of the best "weed" books ever!
This book is a treasure. I own and use many dozens of "weed" and plant books and this is one of the most comprehensive and useful. The written presentation for each plant includes information on its propagation, seedlings, roots, flowers and fruits and habitat, and more. The photographs are excellent and show the habit, seedling, leaves, flowers/fruits and seeds. Some grasses are also included.

I hope that the authors will eventually expand the geographical coverage and the number of species. I'll be first in line to buy a new edition!

Recommended!
Very fine, with great pictures and identification tables in the back that help you tell the difference between similar varieties of weeds. In fact, it's the best book I've found for identifying weeds. My only complaints are that it's a bit scientific and dry, and garlic mustard - a very destructive weed - is not included.

Awesome weed book!
This is one of the best weed books I have come across. It has very clear descriptive text and the photos are all clear and crisp. But what really thrilled me is that in addition to this the authors have included photos of seedlings and seeds of each species! Who hasn't been out in the field only to be stumped on a plant's identification because the plant is only in the seedling stage? Me, for one... lots of times. The book even has a section on common weed tree seedlings. Wow! I would recommend this book to any professional or amatuer botanist. I hope to see more from these authors. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Simplifing A Complex Field Through A Consistent Approach
Having read the reviews thus far, I can't find anything I disagree with. It's the best technical text I've ever read. Many of the strengths have been mentioned already: intuitive approach, clear and concise, wide range of interesting illustrative examples, etc.

In addition, the consistent use and discussion of trajectories, phase space, stable points, etc. throughout the entire text allows the reader to incrementally build from each previous lesson. Though other books on nonlinear dynamics use these same tools, the vivid explanations and repetitions with incremental differences greatly enhanced the comprehensibility of these topics. I especially appreciate these consistent methods applied to the consolidation of the material in this text after reading books and papers from various authors using different jargon and methods of illustrating the same concepts.

Perfect introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos
If you have read about Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics and you wish to delve deeper into the mathematics behind the theories then this is the book for you. Strogatz is an excellent writer with an uncanny ability to make advanced concepts seem amazingly simple. The exercises and examples make this book perfect for the motivated self-learner. I must warn you however that you had better be at least somewhat familiar with ODE before you dive into this text. I strongly recommend this book!

Chaos on a plate
Strogatz's approach to Nonlinear Dynamics is suitable for anyone equipped with a good basic understanding of ordinary differential equations. He allows the reader to gradually build-up their understanding through a series of illustrations and examples - this is the sort of book that will be indispensable the night before a final year undergraduate Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics exam. Not excessively mathematical, contains solid explanations and encourages the reader to learn more about this fantastic area of physics.

thanks to Dr. Strogatz!
It is an essential book for everybody who wants to learn nonlinear dynamics. It is writen by the master in the field in a very clear and understandable language.

Great book but...
This is a great book - clear explanations, lots of examples and exercises and helpful references and index. However, answers to selected exercises is really annoying - when will publishers insist on a full set of solutions?

Having programs to plot the figures in the book would have helped in understanding the material. If you want Mathematica programs - see Wolframs "The Mathematica Book". For Maple and MATLAB programs, see Lynch's Dynamical Systems books.

Strogatz's Sync book is a marvelous read. ... Read more