Barring none, MACWORLD MAC SECRETS is the best Macintosh book I have ever read, and there have been many:

•Macs for Dummies

•The Little Mac Book

•My iMac

•iMacs for Dummies

•Programming the Macintosh for Dummies

•The Mac is not a Typewriter....

Yet this book combines the information in all these books and adds some more. Some of the book's secrets aren't secrets just plain old useful knowledge. It goes through each item in the Apple Menu, the Control Panel, and the System Folder and tells what each is for (and what you can Trash).

But it does contain secrets. Lots of secrets never before printed. It also contains a plentiful amount of Easter eggs, and highlights some computer of Macs programing anomalies.

It also contains a CD which is worth the purchase price alone. While some of programs included on the CD are well known to veteran Mac users (the Ambrosia Software shareware games), others are not and some like author David Pogue's Holiday Spoofs are to be found only on the CD.

I regret to say that I would not order the previous editions because MacWorld Mac Secrets is a tad bit pricy & I am extremely frugal. Oh, alright, I'm a tight-fisted cheapskate. But after being told by so many people that I HAD to have the book, and with the overwhelming customer endorsements on amazon.com, I bought the book. I don't regret it.

This has become the most helpful & valuable of all my computer books. It's exceptionally well organized & written, and covers everything:

Hardware-- Every Mac & Powerbook from the beginning to the first generation G3's & iMacs

Operating Systems-- Each Mac operating system through 8.5 dissected and explained.

Software-- Lost of shortcuts for popular titles like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

Peripherals-- Printers, CD-ROM drives, ADB, USB, SCSI--you name it!

I purchased this book when I bought my first used Mac and had to be my own Tech Support person. It's got a GREAT troubleshooting section and has helped me out even more than the "Mac Upgrade & Repair Bible." The included CD is exceptional--full of useful stuff, including the 4th Edition of Mac Secrets in its entirety.

If you own an older Mac, don't be without this book. Newer Mac owners would definitely benefit from a 6th edition--this one does not cover the Blue & White G3's, G4's, iBook or operating systems 8.6, 9 or OSX. And some of the included software, though useful, has become a little dated.

However, if a 6th Edition comes out--I"ll be getting that one as well!

As a teacher who is the computer support person at our school, I use "Mac Secrets" constantly in supporting our eclectic herd of Macs. Just getting a working copy of the MacLink translators made the book worthwhile, not to mention all the great trouble-shooting tips and other software. It was a wonderful idea to put the text of the 4th edition on the CD-ROM as well, for those of us with older Macs, who need information on System 7.5 and earlier.

Written in the 15th Century and directed towards monks, this is a devotional for Christian living and Monastic life. While noting the time period helps give depth to the historical backdrop of when Thomas was writing this book, it is perhaps more important to know the audience. The intended audience for The Imitation of Christ was monks. This is obvious in the text and it should be kept in mind while reading this work.

This highly influential work has a very simple message: live like Christ. Presented in this book, it is a very strict message. Thomas takes a very strict interpretation of following Christ and the message is very much rooted in the idea of works. It is the actions that one must perform, and not so much the inner state (though he does stress that the inner state is important). This would be a difficult message to take or to give, but again, we must consider the audience: monks living in a monastery. They must live a harsher life and because of their vows, this devotional makes perfect sense.

This can be read as a historical document in Christianity or as a devotional. Either way, one can find great value and and some illumination of the words of Christ through this volume.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

When any medical student is studying, they usually end up with a copy of this book.

It's BIG - over 1200 pages of the tiniest possible readable writing, and covers vitually every disease in clincal medicine.

You'll find yourself referring to this one a lot, as it's the de facto medical bible, it's a wonderful reference text.

However, I'm not sure you'll want to learn from it directly, as the writing is disjointed from chapter to chapter (it was written by many authors), and it just doesn't "read" well. I certainly find an entire chapter at a time too much to bear in one sitting.

That said, you'll still want this book - the breadth of chapters is amazing, and it's hard to argue with its authority!

This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

This book is the Bible of Internal Medicine. Anyone considering a career in medicine should have this book in their library. Comprehensive and well written, it is the gold standard of medical textbooks.

When I obtained a copy of Crucial Conversations, I had very high expectations of this book having read the authors' outstanding earlier work, The Balancing Act. I must say I wasn't disappointed; in fact, I was delighted! Crucial Conversations is an extremely insightful and very practical book. Indeed, it is a very rare combination to find a book that contains profound ideas as well as provides actionable tools and Crucial Conversations delivers both.

The book addresses a topic that is largely misunderstood and vastly underestimated: high stakes dialogue. The authors define crucial conversations as those where 1) stakes are high, 2) opinions vary, and 3) emotions run strong, or in other words, much of both our professional and personal lives. We're all involved in crucial conversations at home and at work but most of us are not very aware of the interpersonal dynamics at play and/or we're unskilled in how to respond differently. The book helps the reader first understand the principles involved in "crucial conversations" but then also helps the reader develop real skills and abilities to choose or change their communication patterns. The end result is remarkable. The book's impact is a much bigger idea than simple communication--it's all about effective human interaction and getting results with and through people.

The book is highly readable, extremely engaging and actually quite fun. It is filled with illustrations and stories from all walks of life: business examples, personal examples and family examples. The fact that the principles and skills the authors teach can be applied in all dimensions of life--work, home, personal--is very appealing to me and made the book extremely helpful on many fronts.

I benefitted most from this book from a business standpoint and have found that applying these skills has made a real difference at work. I'm more courageous and more considerate at the same time. I understand people better but I especially understand myself better. I'm far more conscious and aware of my dialogue with others and I've greatly improved my skills and abilities to lead effectively. The bottom line is, I'm helping my company get better results and I'm far more effective personally. If more people in business were to apply these principles and skills in the frequent crucial conversations they have at work, they would make better decisions, achieve better results and do it all in a way that would build the trust and strengthen relationships. I couldn't give a book higher marks. Outstanding!

Crucial Conversations offers a well organized approach to examining those very select conversations that we all have where the stakes are high, there's a difference of opinion and there is an emotional investment. How these conversations are handled truly separates the good from the best. A friend of mine, who read this material revealed to me that they wished that they had understood (in the early years of marriage) that "it is possible to be both honest and kind". My friend believed that this would have potentially saved the relationship with their spouse.

These are the conversation in which we find ourselves responding in the grip of our style under stress, inevitably behaving in ways that lead us farther and farther away from our deepest-held objectives. The power of recalling what we really want in a crucial conversation that has moved toward silence (withdrawing, attacking, avoiding) or violence (labeling, contolling, attacking)offers transforming potential for sharing tough content honestly and respectfully.

The format of this book offers the reader a nicely structured set of 7 principles, associated skills and easy to use key questions and anecdotal examples for practical application. All together Crucial Conversations has all the makings of a communication bible for those interested in expanding their influence, leveraging the wisdom of a group and enriching their relationships.

I am a Financial Planner and I am always interested in works that help me to communicate with all types of people. I learned a great deal reading Crucial Conversations that I have already put to practice. It was an easy read with an abundance of information. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to improve upon their communication skills. You can't help but enjoy yourself while you do it!!! Great Job. Chuck

I am not questioning the amount of effort that has gone into the book, but some foundations upon which the book makes many of its claims are fundamentally flawed. For example, it is widely accepted (and has been conclusively proven) within the Oracle community that worrying about cache hit ratios, multiple extents, etc is a flawed methodology for tuning an Oracle database which will serves simply to misguide the novice.

Leave this book on the shelf...

In his book, Rich has merged his many years of Oracle performance tuning expertise with advanced insider techniques in an easy-to-understand way. Hundreds practical topics, undocumented references, experts tips and real life examples have made this book a must have for DBA's and any Oracle performance tuning personnel.

This book covers the tuning tips and techniques in using newest features in Oracle 8i as well as the original features in Oracle 7 or 8. As Rich's first sentence indicates, "Oracle is a symphony and you are the conductor, with an opportunity to create a world class performance", his book will help you to achieve this opportunity and to become a great tuning conductor of Oracle performance.

The first chapter of the book serves as highlight notes, which sets up five quick goals to instantly improve performance. Through the rest chapters of his entire book, readers will gain detail tuning knowledge about disk I/O, init.ora parameters, OEM, Explain Plan, table joins, hints, PL/SQL, parallel query, using V$ views, accessing x$ tables, new features and many more tips and techniques for reaching the best performance. After reading this book, be sure to share your thoughts with others in your review.

I was happy with this book and it can help u find orcale tuning problems and find results fast.

What a wonderful book this is. I probably have over 25 books related to various aspects of web technology. This is the one I keep by my computer. To help the newcomer, the author takes the time to explain now only how to use Dreamweaver to obtain a desired result; he takes the time to give a brief explaination of the technology that is being implemented behind the task. You are likely to find yourself using this book as a reference for more than just the Dreamweaver software. I know of few web professionals who use DW that would dream of not having this book by their side. Additionally, you can frequently catch the author, Joseph Lowery, in the DW newsgroup answering various reader questions. When was the last time you obtained support from an author like that? The quality of the writing, the comprehensive nature of the subjects covered, the ease of use for newcomers, and the author's support earn this book a hands down rating of 5 stars.

I have read this book. This book will help you become a professional. It covers everything that you can imagine, after all Macromedia is great at delivering professional tools, but lacks comprehensive reference materials. If you purchased Dreamweaver, this Bible will take weeks off the learning curve. Finding what you need to get work your completed is made simple with the extensive cross-reference index. The CD was lacking as many different contributors addressed the same problems over and over, but for a beginner it's a great jumping off tool. This book reveals many secrets that will save you countless hours in understand why things work they way they do and provides many type along examples. But if your really clever go to the on line sites referenced and simply cut and paste. Soon you will have animated pages that play RMF (rich music formats by Beatnik) that load in less than 13 seconds and everyone will think you're a genius.

I bought this book because I was trying to learn Dreamweaver and needed a good reference...little did I know that it would also help me with other aspects of web programming. This book has become my first reference for all things HTML and DHTML, and it answers most questions in an easily understandable fashion. Unlike many software training books/manuals, this one is neither too complex nor too simple. I STRONGLY recommend it to anyone trying to learn Dreamweaver 2 or 3. The spine of the book declares it's 100% comprehensive, and that's not far off (the only things I've not be able to find are certain JavaScript aids and information regarding database integration (this book has a whole chapter on integrating Cold Fusion, so if you use that, then Woohoo!...but if not, you're SOL). Buy it! I will definitely look for more books by the same author, whenever I need HTML or Macromedia help.

As a Pilates instructor I found this to be a very thorough and informative book. I have recommended this book to many of my clients for home study and to aid in their repatterning process. This is a book that has kept the original matwork as its backbone and enhanced it with current physiotherapy ideas and neutral body placement. I felt the first section of the book was clear, concise, and really guided the student through the journey of body awareness. The second section which covers the exercises themselves was uniquely thought out. The pictures are excellent and the cues and corrections are structured in such a way as to aid, rather than distract the learner. I have read many of the books currently on the market and I feel that this is one of the best for students of the Pilates method - from beginner to advanced.

My excurison into Pilates was also by accident. It started by looking at a means to help an injured shoulder, and led to finding what I believe is a lifetime aid to good health. The book by Allan Menezes was selected from several others because it provides both a basic but necessary understanding of the human muscular and skeletal anatomy, and has clearly explained and illustrated exercises, which allows the users to visualise the body action as the exercise is being executed, adding to the overall benefit. The layout of the individual and graded exercises, and numerous help notes is excellent and provides for a very positive approach to using this method.

I became interested in pilates from a short abs workout that I have on one of my video tapes. Wanting to learn more I ordered this book and Brooke Siler's. I looked through both books, but as a beginner I found this is the book I can follow. Pilates is not easy to learn. But this book is well written and organized so that you can understand it and do the exercises. I have been doing the routines in the book twice a week since. Although I have a lot to learn, I can say that I have already gotten results in terms of improvement in back pain and less stiffness..and my abs are already stronger! I highly recommend this book if you want to learn pilates.

I purchased both "Advertising Secrets of The Written Word" and "Triggers" at the same time. Unfortunately I read "Advertising Secrets" first and was very satisfied with it.

Once I started reading "Triggers" it was like reading it all over again, word for word. Sugarman has taken entire chapters from the first book and inserted them into "Triggers".

"Advertising Secrets of the Written Word" covers all of these triggers and a whole lot more, therefore it is a much better book. I love Joe Sugarman's work and enjoy reading his books, but I believe you'll be much more satisfied with the first one.

Hope this helps!

I have read Mr. Sugarman's book and found it to be both helpful and insightful. Once I started reading it, I found it hard to put down. My company operates in the high tech arena and after reading "Scotts (no E-mail)" comments I couldn't disagree more. Mr. Sugarman, one of the nation's most respected authors in sales and advertising, offers no trickery but powerful techniques. My company has effectively used Mr. Sugarman's teachings from his other books, and speaking for myself I think this one is the best.

Before I read this book, I didn't have so much expectation on it. However, after I read the first cheapter, I realized that I could learn a lots on it. As a salesperson, it is necessary for us to understand our prosepcts, and use some methods to sell our products. After I read the book, I learn a lot of triggers to understand the prospects and use different ways to sell the products. Of course, some of the triggers in this book have been used by ourselves, but we couldn't find that we have used such triggers. In this book, some of the triggers can be used together so as to make the result better than just by using one.
Psychological trigger is a powerful concept, it can help us to understand more about our prospects and have ability to improve in our selling

In "Adoption Healing...", Joe Soll takes the reader deep into the soul of the adoptee and brings to light, the pain and damage caused by separation. The author teaches ways to get in touch with the feelings often hidden in order to survive, and shows that if we are to heal from the trauma caused by adoption, we must learn to deal with with all of these painful and scary emotions. Definitely an educational tool to well being. As an adult adoptee, I was able to understand how my life was drastically affected and as a mother separated from her child by adoption, I was able to prepare myself for a successful and loving reunion with the child I lost. Not light reading but a MUST for all touched by adoption.

Adoption Healing...a path to recovery, more than anything else gives HOPE to those of us who have traveled the adoption path, particularly adoptees and birthparents. Having been told in 1966 that by giving up my infant son to be adopted by people who could give him what I could not...a two parent home, a name, even legitimacy; I tried hard to believe when they told me I was doing the most loving thing a mother could do for her child in my circumstance. I was an 18 year old student with no husband in sight. I don't know if they really believed when they said I would get on with my life and I would forget this whole unfortunate experience and that I would go on to have plenty of other children.

Joe Soll's book speaks to the fact that THEY were really, really WRONG! You never forget and you really can't even totally get on with your life on some levels. Giving a child up for adoption is a very deep trauma and tragedy for a woman, and many can't even survive it. It's a form of soul-rape. While Joe gives exercises, tools and rituals to adoptees to understand their experience and even begin to heal; he also validates and acknowledges the pain and deep sense of grieving and loss the birthmothers live with. And although I have read several women authors who have written very eloquently about birthmother pain; this is the first male author that I've read who has deep understanding, wisdom and empathy for US. My heart was in my throat during much of this book, but I also felt that Adoption Healing should be required reading for Adoptees and Birthmothers, AND those who love us. This is an excellent and very well written book.

Of all the adoption books I have read, Adoption Healing goes to the heart of the matter....The truth hurts and Soll pulls no punches. He has taken John Bradhaw's Inner Child work and modified it to help adopted people heal their wounds. He explains the mother/child bond that begins before birth in a very clear fashion and goes on to show how the effects of separation from one's mother at birth radiate through the psychological development of the adoptee and what can be done to help the adoptee deal with the pain of this loss.

I've gone to many adoption support groups over the years and heard many adoptees argue that they had no loss, become angry at those who do acknowledge the loss. Adoption Healing thoroughly explains why so many adoptees deny their pain, just as victims of sexual abuse have to deny the existence of their experience to survive.

If you have been affected by adoption and want to really understand the psychology of the adoptee, this book is for you.
It validated my adoption experience and has helped validate the experience of many of my adopted friends as well.

While there are numerous bits and pieces that don't quite add up in Mormonism, the Book of Abraham is where Joseph Smith gets scaught red handed in his fabrications. Unlike the Book of Mormon, where the Angel Moroni spirited away the Golden Plates once Smith had finished his "translation", here is the documented proof that Smith was no "prophet, seer and revelator."

Larson does an excellent job of tracing the controversy from the time that Smith first acquires the papyri through the first French translation by Champollion's students until the amazing discovery of the papyri in the late 1960s. His evangelical Christian agenda is apparent, but doesn't get in the way of his research until the last two chapters, when he presents his own religion as an alternative for disenchanted Mormons. Other than that, this is an excellent work.

This is a must read for any Mormon or anyone curious about Mormonism. I have a hard time seeing how anyone could believe in Smith's tales after reading this damning book.

I really liked this book. It explains the history of the Book of Abraham, and how it came about, within the context of LDS church history. There are beautiful pictures of the papyrus (this is the original document Joseph Smith used to translate and write the Book of Abraham) and many useful captions for explaining what the figures and characters mean. Larson has done a really great job as far as explaining what the original papyrus really says and how LDS members have avoided confronting it.

This book will be of interest to anyone studying Mormonism, Mormon history, doctrine, or if they are looking at the role that Egyptian culture has played in American history. It is very honest, accurate, and for the most part is well-written.

The reason I gave it four stars is because of those two darn chapters in the back. He basically says, (in so many words) "Now that you've been exposed to the errors in Mormonism, become a Christian!" Which may or may not be a bad idea, but the problem is that hardly anyone who reads this is going to agree with him, based purely on these few chapters. The falseness (or truth!) of Mormonism doesn't affect the truth (or falseness!) in mainstream Christianity, and I wish Larson had realized this. Instead, it may give Mormons a psychological reason to make ad hominem attacks on the writer and thus ignore the good, logical arguments he made. And that's a shame, because Larson's conclusion on the Book of Abraham is right.

But I still think it's a good book and I recommend it. It's easy to read and very clear, and this makes up for the shortcomings.

Larson has done a masterful job of presenting the full history of the JSP and its origins, up to the time of it's rediscovery in 1967, and the scrutiny that has followed in the last three decades. He quite clearly brings to light the correct translation of the document by many independent expert Egyptologists and the numerous fallacious responses by Dr. Nibley and other LDS apologists. After reading this book, the conclusions are right there in front of any intellectually honest person, plain as day... Joseph Smith did not come anywhere near a correct translation of the JSP in writing the Book of Abraham, and by extension his credibility has, at the very least, been seriously compromised. Despite what many church leaders endorse, i.e. faith takes precedence over all other things including facts, I strongly endorse the philosophy of "truth takes precedence over all other things (including long held beliefs)", and truth obviously includes facts. Facing truth is sometimes very difficult, but self deception is not an acceptable alternative. Regarding the final chapter that many here have complained about, I just want to point out that Larson's son, who has written a review here, claims that his father did not write this chapter and that he had to include it to get it published. This is very easy to believe as the last chapter takes on a completely different tone and while it may have some value religiously, it is totally out of place for this scholarly piece. It was most likely entirely written by Mr. McElveen mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, who is also very likely associated with the Inst. for Religious Research, which is not so sublty promoting itself at the end of this book. Hopefully future editions will be printed without this chapter as Mr. Larson's son says is likely.