This book is recommended by many medical schools in Australia as well as Australian Medical Council. I was disappointed after I started to read it. There are many grammar mistakes and, much worse, the author frequently used complex structure of sentences to describe many different and unrelated things. I wasted lots of time trying to understand the meaning. This really drives me crazy.

The books gives an easy description of obstetrics and gynaecology, but it does not give much information on the subjects. It is difficult to find answers to even easy questions which arise at the ward during clinics. But you can read the whole book in two days, and that is an advantage before the exam. But if this book is all you read, you might not pass it.

This book is very stimulating and clear. The concept is explained very clearly. The amount is 'just enough', not too much, not too little. It does not go to too detail for each topic, but gives you a very clear framework. The pictures are very good.

I took a course taught by the 3rd author (Tudor Ratiu) at UCSC using this book; I found both good and bad in it. Much of the bad for me was overcome by the inspiring and energetic presentation by one of the authors. One may view this book as basically a detailed elaboration of the "preliminary" chapters of the book "Foundations of Mechanics" by the 1st 2 authors. The strengths of this book are (a) the treatment which is general enough to include infinite-dimensional manifolds and not just the finite-dimensional case (most books just talk about the finite-dim'l case) and (b) the attempt to cover all theorems "full strength" (in the greatest generality obtaining the strongest conclusions from the weakest hypotheses). Neither of these (not counting the many typos) recommends this as a first or even second text for students, but it's hard to find any other books that treat the material at the same level of generality and precision, which is a must if attempting "hard" global analysis in areas such as fluid mechanics (from a geometric point of view). Correction of the many typos could make this an indispensable reference book for those requiring the techniques discussed. More discussion of finite-dimensional examples before jumping to infinite-dimensional ones (e.g. discussing finite-dimensional Grassmannians before jumping to the infinite-dimensional Banach manifold version) could make this into a tolerable text.

As it is, it's problematic, aggravating, and not for the faint of heart, but not without its virtues.

Possible alternatives for the infinite-dimensional point of view are Lang's manifolds book or some volume of the expensive multi-volume treatise on analysis by Dieudonne.

I actually read this entire book--it is quite long and dense. Actually I took the course from the author Jerry Marsden at Caltech and Tutor (Jerry's friend and co-author) gave a guest lecture while visiting. We flew through the entire thing and ch 9 on lie groups of his mechanics and symmetry text in a short 10 weeks! My background in math was relatively weak when taking the course so it was a little hard to keep up; i.e. I came from an engineering background. Anyway, it is probably the most complete/diverse text I've come across on the subject. Of course, it's actually more of a monograph than a text. Since I've read the whole thing, I have to admit there are "several" typos. But as it is that most people can't even write a damn email without a typo or two, the book really does a good job considering it is 800 pages of mostly dense mathematical rigor. I imagine that if I wrote 800 pages of mathematical symbols in latex, that I might forget a tilde or put something as subscript that should have been superscript here or there! None of these errors really matter too much-they should not hinder one's understanding. All and all I think that this book is a great ref, although I've never seen the index, if one exists. For the beginner, also check out Boothby's book, which covers a lot of the same material but tones it down a bit.

Students of mathematical physics in general, and general relativity in particular, face a formidable challenge in attempting to find coherent, readable references on manifold theory and tensor analysis. I think it fair to say that for every well-written work on the subject, there are ten that do more damage than good. Very few texts can claim to (1) be clear enough to assist the person who is studying alone, (2) offer valuable PHYSICAL insight into the subject, and (3) pass the standards of rigor that mathematicians would impose. Abraham, Marsden, and Ratiu manage to accomplish all three of these goals in this profoundly useful text. I studied from the first edition and I have taught from the second. The two chapters on differential forms, Hodge star duality, integration on manifolds, and the generalized Stokes' Theorem alone are worth the price of the entire book. I am unaware of any other reference which which treats differential forms with the same combination of clarity, physical motivation, and mathematical rigor. The concluding chapter on applications offers one of the clearest introductions to the relativistic form of Maxwell's equations to be found in any text. For students of physics who want to see the mathematics "done right," one would be hard pressed to do better than Abraham, Marsden, and Ratiu.

Although this book has wonderful facts and figures, and should be used as a reference material, it is awfull for reading. The only way you will finish reading this book is if you have to for school or you are very motivated. It is slow and does not keep your attention.

This book stands apart from the other comparative pol. books because of its lengthy introductory unit (almost 150 pages in 7 chapters). Some of it is very deep analytical material which is appropriate for very advanced students, but most high school readers will die of confusion if boredom doesn't finish them off first.

For the country chapters, they are very thorough, and each is 40-50 chapters, quite a lot of material. It's pretty dense, too. One good thing is that the book includes the usual "big" ones (G.B., France, Russia, China) as well as Germany and Mexico, but also India, Nigeria, Brazil, and Egypt, giving much material for the often overlooked less-developed countries.

Received the book right away and book was in good condition.

This book had a catchy title and I picked it up. It was a great read from the start but was so twisted near the end.

The main character Roy seemed so clueless. The author's constant uses of "What?", "I don't know what you mean", and Roy's constant state of bewilderment was almost laughable. He had no clue of what people were saying around him. In fact, a whole page is dedicated to someone trying to clue him in. For example when Roy was told his whole department was let go he didn't get it. Even though all of the furniture, computers, and cubes were gone Roy was still wondering when he was going to start his new job as the boss of a department that was missing. The conference call with NY was classic, Roy ripping his shirt off because he couldn't breathe... correction Curtis's shirt, because Roy forgot he was wearing a UGA Football T-Shirt. The ending made no sense. I should write a book if they publish this junk.

This book was a great read at first, and very interesting,was hard to put down. but the last part of the book started draging then just ended all of a sudden leaving me to wonder,,what the hell just happened!!

If you love history and understand what the War between the States was really about, then you will love the Last of the Dixie Heroes. Peter Abrahams takes a simple idea and gives us a little mystery in why Southerns had it right. Finally, someone has the ability to put into words the meaning of Dixie and to the people who still hold to the culture of what America could of been. The book reveals the truth that War between the States was not about slavery or even Northern aggression, but about those who fought for a way of life.

As a professional geologist, I use this reference often but I have found numerous errors. An example is that the mineral Pentlandite, an important ore of nickel, is not listed in the index. A German website is compiling an errata list on this book and it is many pages long of spelling, locality, formulae and indices errors. Other complaints are: The information concerning the economic use of the minerals is too sketchy and incomplete; and the page paper is too thin and fragile.

I can't believe that John Wiley & Sons (the publisher) actually tries to sell this book as "compact". It's 1100 pages! The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is a much better "compact" guide. This thing should really be on CD-ROM.

I use the book almost daily while working on a large mineral collection. It is up to date and comprehensive with valuable references to localities. The book is fragile with thin pages so must be used with care. It should be published as a CD ROM.

. . .from an author (Balsiger) whose own "unbiasedness" has been repeatedly called into question -- not only by skeptics, but by fellow Christians as well.

Don't bother.

Frankly I have never understood why there is such a big question about why John Wilkes Booth killed Lincoln. Isn't it obvious? Abraham Lincoln violated eleven constitutional rights and civil liberties over the course of the Civil War, including but not limited to having his troops burn southern crops, forcing families into starvation and attacking citizens on southern streets. If we are so eager to execute people like John Walker Lindh, why not the president of the United States for a much more serious crime than that one Lindh committed? This book is, for the most part, hogwash. The writers present no decent evidence that Booth was part of a larger Confederate/Union conspiracy. As for this David E. George nonsense, the fact that a birth certificate was found among George's posessions in Enid saying that he was born in 1844 should be enough to discount this little theory. The simple fact of the matter is that John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln for crimes against the Constitution, he made good his escape, and was eventually shot by federal troops outside of Bowling Green, Virginia two weeks later. Books such as these portray Booth as a weak-minded, misguided youth. There is no great mystery here.

Some people find a lot of faults with the theories contained in this book. I agree with ever word! Lincoln was basiclly murdered for the same reason Kennedy was- too many greedy politicians and businessman were making money off of two wars 100 years apart,and they didn't want the money flow to end, and when these greedy [people] saw that these two great presidents were going to end these idiotic bloodbaths, they arranged to have them killed; purely and simply! This book, once you read it 2 or 3 times, will horrify you because you will see what a truly great man Lincoln was, and what wonderful things he could have done for this country, very possibly with a third term in the white house;. But as hard as it is to find, try anyway-it's well worth it; it's fascinating reading!

I expected more out of the cliff notes ap us history book. Upon opening the covers of the book, There were key terms and definitions, HOWEVER, the review itself was not helpful (no real review)! The only reason that i could ever imagine why anyone would buy this book is for the 4 practice tests at the back of the book.

Dont Buy this Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However, If you are an ambitious student and are hoping to earn a '5' on the exam, then listen to my advice...

While this test prep book was helpful in that there were many tips on how to write the DBQs and FRQs, there was next to no information on actual terms, or concepts in history, although the 4 practice tests in the back were helpful. I'd use this in conjuction with Peterson's or the Complete Idiot's Guide to U.S. History... it may sound stupid, but it was really helpful.

Although this book lacked depth of information when reviewing history, the tips on the multiple choice section and how to write the essays was fabulous. The practice tests were very helpful to me because I used this book to skim through the material, to look at the terms and to make sure I knew what those terms were (even though they were not defined). The tests will help you know how to deal with the real test. I used this review book with the one by REA and the Princeton Review, and found it very helpful.

Like I said, get the 501.

The 201 is way out of date. Get the 501 instead.

Hey, my name is Jeremiah Johnson. I'm doing a book review for Abraham's Battle. The book is about a freed black man named Abraham Small. He escaped from the South, and now he works for a nice white family in Pennsylvania. Their young daughter, Ladysmith, loves Abraham and wants to spend all her time with him. One day, a young Confederate soldier by the name of Lamar Cooper walks up to the fence asking for food. He and Lamar become friends, even though they are complete opposites.
When the Civil War began, Ladysmith's father had to go off to war. Abraham decided that it was the manly thing to do. He is black, so no one wants him in their regiment. He becomes an ambulance driver. An ambulance driver picks up wounded souldiers from the battlefield. One day, Abraham finds Lamar on the Union side. Abraham takes him to their makeshift hospital.
When the war is over, Abraham Lincoln comes to Gettysburg and makes a speech. Lincoln uses Small's mule and gives him his hat. Abraham in honored and very happy.
This is a good book, but it is only 88 pages and is made for kids. I reccommened this book for anyone who needs to do a book review for a project in school. It's short, easy, and has plenty of information about the life of and old black man during the Civil War. Otherwise, stay away from this book.

Abraham's Battle, by Sara Harrell Banks, is about the Civil War, more specifically, The Battle of Gettysburg. But that is only skin deep, it is a novel about equality, about hate, and about love. The story centers around a white northern girl, Ladybird, and a runaway slave man, Abraham, the best of friends, despite the time in which they are living, which may frown on such friendships. They are perfectly happy together, and enjoy walking with the mule, Charity. But their simple existence is complicated when a soldier for the south arrives at the farm, asking for food. Abraham, despite himself takes a liking to this homesick young man and is almost sorry when they part at the end of the day. Later on, Abraham saves his life. Throughout the entire book, Banks is constantly reinforcing the message that all men are created equally but in such delicate and subtle methods that the flow of the story is never once interrupted. For example: Ladysmith's friendship with Abraham, Abraham saving a man fighting on the opposite side in the war, and Abrahams conversation with the president that shares his name. Abraham's Battle is a flowing and poignant tale that is subtle and yet a still powerful narrative that should be enjoyed for generations to come.

"Moonlight" by John Walsh is an embarassment to honest Lincoln scholarship. It is a book with enormous potential to illustrate one of Abraham Lincoln's most famous legal cases, but instead it weaves a narrative feculent with specious logic; the factual assertions of unknown, unknowable and unproveable theories; and assumption after assumption after assumption. Walsh proves some important points, and makes good use of some primary and secondary sources. He offers a detailed account of the murder, the trial and the outcome that cannot be found elsewhere. However, the positive attributes of the book become overshadowed by Walsh's outrageous assertions of supposition as fact, his assertions without qualification or citation, and his complete reliance, as unassailable proof and fact, on the second-hand interview of a trial juror 50 years after the trial. More than once Walsh makes unknowable and unproveable assertions, then admits he can't prove them, then dismisses this serious circumstance as unimportant. For example: "That the charge was levelled during Lincoln's senatorial campaign of 1858 is stated in many sources but I have not been able to document it." (p 155) "Moonlight" is a lost opportunity. The frighteningly childish writing quality, the fanciful indulgences, suppositions, specious logic, appearance of questionable sources and Walsh's own obvious insularity in his investigative objective, make this book a sham, and an insult to the field of historical research.

I think this book is an interesting evocation of the ethical scruples of Lincoln as lawyer. Contrary to the conclusion drawn by the author, the sources he relies upon demonstrate that Lincoln was ethical in the zealous representation of his client, an accused murderer. Even under today's legal standards, Lincoln would have been correct to instruct a witness that he was only interested in the witness's ability to testify on a single factual aspect of the trial and to instruct the witness to tell him nothing else except the truth about that single fact. During his preparation for trial, when the witness tried to stray from his instructions and inform Lincoln of other observations, Lincoln would have been within his right to interrupt and remind him that he mustn't offer additional observations beyond the fact requested.

Even today we instruct juries that they may believe all, part, or none of a witness's testimony. Lawyers are held to no different standards in their use of witnesses at trial except lawyers may not offer a witness whose testimony the lawyer believes would commit a fraud upon the court. Lincoln never placed this witness on the stand to elicit any testimony other than what the witness stated to be the truth. Thus the claim that Lincoln "suborned perjury" is naive and insulting. For all that, I enjoyed the underlying research, and the author's exposition of it. It does strike me that consultation with an attorney would have vastly improved the history and dampened the sensationalism.

Walsh provides a great service by re-examining the best-known case in Lincoln's law career, and shows how it has often been misunderstood. But his thin book draws conclusions far beyond his ability to support them. And Walsh doesn't help his criticism of historians by misspelling every occurrence of the victim's name as Metzger (it appears as Metzker in his reproductions of the original handwritten documents).

In the almanac trial, Lincoln supposedly showed that a key witness could not have witnessed an assault by moonlight because the moon had already set. Walsh corrects the record: the bright moon was simply lower in the sky at the time of the attack. By having the witness confidently repeat, a dozen times, that the moon was directly overhead, Lincoln "floored" the witness when the almanac showed that the moon was on the horizon.

Walsh is at his best here, showing Lincoln's skill in taking a fact that actually helped the prosecution and making it appear that it helped the defense. But beyond discrediting the main witness, Walsh shows that Lincoln had two other important arguments. A doctor testified that another man's blow to the back of the head could have caused the frontal fracture, attributed to Lincoln's client. (The judge thought Lincoln won the case with this testimony.)

Lincoln's other defense involved the weapon, and this is where Walsh falls into his most specious reasoning. Walsh's claims are based on a letter from a juror some 50 years after the event. The juror had by then himself forgotten the gist of the moonlight argument and in the letter also gets it wrong (p.113-114). Walsh ignores this part of the letter, but extrapolates wildly from another sentence in the letter to claim that Lincoln suborned perjury. It is not persuasive.

Just to give you a flavor of his standard of proof: Walsh claims that he can prove that Lincoln *never* talked about the almanac case with law partner Billy Herndon. He then analyzes the few sentences about the case in Herndon's Life of Lincoln, where Herndon makes the common mistake, and from this Walsh concludes that his own assertion is "sufficiently proved" (p 79).

This would be a better book without the chip on Walsh's shoulder, criticizing historians and accusing Lincoln of nefarious wrong-doing. But just ignore the occasional shrillness. This book is well worth reading for the wealth of detail on a fascinating case that ties Lincoln, on the brink of national celebrity, with his humble Illinois beginnings with Jack Armstrong and the Clary Grove boys.