The book is broken down very nicely into sections. The topics are introduced clearly and briefly in understandable terms. Following the introductions are some examples that apply the concepts and/or equations. Each example has the step by step solution which is easy to follow and prepares the user for the practice exercises. There are sufficient practice problems with answers to the odd numbered problems. This allows the user to check his or her answer and correct any mistakes.

It's great and easy to understand. It's broken into many different lessons that are really easy to comprehend.

Hmm, I never realized that TSR killed off this line of acessories. As far as I know, it is no more than two years old, and it's still fully viable on the webs ( heck, even Amazon carries a large selection of all things Birthright!). Nevertheless, Birthright is a unique setting, and it can be easily enjoyed. This book is a very good work on the nature of priestcraft in the world where this campaign is set ( and if it IS killed off, I advise you to get it quickly - out of print products don't linger too long on this site). It is also a very good work of AD&D priestcraft in general, and although it isn't as likely to help players as it will help DMs, but take my word - this book will ease the life of DMs immensely (remember that player whose priest would constantly stop to cast healing spells on everyone? Well, this book will stop that overconfident character dead in his tracks...)

TSR's only misstep since its revitalization is cancellation of the Birthright line. This book details the religions and priests of Cerilia, and is a very good supplement. Why more people didn't get into Birthright and keep the line alive is a mystery to me.

This short story collection is a worthwhile read, and I will be looking up some of the authors featured. In particular, Andrew Sean Greer's story is heartbreaking; William J. Cyr's story has an interesting conversational, matter-of-fact tone; and the curiously named author "wormser" has a short but sweet entry. The best part of this collection, for me, is the interview with author Richard Bausch. I found it thoroughly inspiring, as it touches upon such problems as writer's block and having the confidence and determination to live a writer's life. The best part about Glimmer Train collections as a whole is that they give unpublished writers their first break, in addition to publishing established writers. More literary magazines of this caliber and spirit of inclusiveness are sorely needed!

This is an enjoyable collection of short stories; although, as with other collections, there are a couple of weak links in the chain. Nevertheless, it's worth buying for Andrew Greer's story alone. Others are also quite good, such as Karen Outen's fictional debate on whether to have a baby, Wormser's story about a childhood friend, and William Cyr's original and witty (and, at the same time, chilling) story of a bad stepfather. I also enjoyed the whole presentation--with baby photos of the authors (as well as current shots) and their personal comments. Established author Richard Bausch talks about writing, racism, and life in general in an engaging interview. Definitely worth a read!

For a long period when my older son was 2, this was his favorite book. It's very simply done---kids wait for a bus, all kinds of buses pull up and are not the right bus for them, and you can open the flaps to see what they are the right bus for---for example, a bus for the dog show driven by and filled with dogs. I think my boys like the fact this book is predictable and is about buses---they are bus lovers!

I started reading this book to my 8 month old son during my pregnancy (last trimester). He absolutely loves this book; it's his favorite. He anticipates what's going to happen and knows when to lift the flaps. I really think he knows when the right bus stop. He loves for me to read in a different and exciting tone.

As a scientist that uses MRI on a daily basis I have often wanted to write a book for introducing the subject to the many students, technologists, and other interested parties that wish to use MRI in their work. Fortunately, Brown and Semelka have written it for me (the royalites would be nice though!). The book is excellent in presenting the complexities of magnetic resonance imaging in a straight forward intuitive physical picture. The authors then proceed to descibe most of the main MRI techniques leaving the reader with a firm understanding about each imaging sequence. The book addresses in short but nonetheless satisfactory fashion such issues as image contrast, prepatory pulses, imaging artifacts and methods to reduce artifacts. The authors include a chapter covering the main components of any MR imager which should reduce the bewilderment that most novices have when they must walk into the equipment room. Finally, the authors cover several areas of application in the last few chapters reviewing the main topics of each. A list of leading references and suggested readings are included at the end of the book if the reader desires more in depth information. The book is compact, inexpensive and should be the first book for anyone looking to MRI as a tool for their work.

Although I am only in the chapter 2 right now, I can't wait to share my feelings. Compare to other books that I've read before, this book is easier to understand. The author didn't use some beautiful words or unmeaning words. He just got the point. For further reserching, this might be insufficient, but for technician like me or anyone who wants to know about MRI, this book will be the best choice to the avenue to understanding.

This genre, the slave narrative, created by fugitive slaves, is one that I knew nothing about, but was one that fascinated audiences and often made celebrities out of their authors. Narratives written by escaped slaves were very popular in the mid 1800s as they recounted stories of abuse, cruelty, escape, and their lives as free people in the north.

None of these slave narratives was as curious and compelling as that of Henry "Box" Brown, who actually boxed himself up and shipped himself to freedom in 1849, from Virginia to an abolitionist in Philadelphia. Risking death and/or suffocation to be free showed the desperation of the slaves even in a state like Virginia, where cruelty was purported to be less than in other parts of the south. Brown's story showed this not to be true. His escape was motivated by the sale of his wife and children, sent to parts unknown and never seen again.

His book was originally written by a Charles Stearns, described as a radical, argumentative ideologue and was written in an overwrought style.

Brown fled to England in 1850 when the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. He was a controversial figure, criticized for revealing how he escaped (and profiting from this) rather than sharing it with other slaves who might have used the same method.

When Brown got to England, his book was re-written in a more honest and simple style, and the edition that I am reviewing is the American version of that book. The difference is that this book is said to be written in Brown's voice and the lack of turgid prose makes it 20+ pages shorter.

I have my doubts if this was Brown's voice...it seems to be the voice of a well-spoken, educated person with a large vocabulary, capable of complex sentence structure and high levels of organization. For example, he writes: "I might perhaps have dragged my chains of quietude to the grave, and have found a tomb in a slavery-polluted land; but thanks be to God I heard the glorious sound and felt its inspiring influence on my heart, and having satisfied myself of the value of freedom, I resolved to purchase it whatever should be the price."

Despite this, the book was an incredibly interesting account of Brown's early life, his life as an adult slave, his escape.

We may be thankful that we are no longer producing a particularly American form of literature, the slave narrative. Hundreds of slaves told their stories in the nineteenth century, making some money thereby and striking a blow against slavery when their stories were used as abolitionist tracts. One of the most incredible was the _Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown_ (Oxford University Press). That "Box" as a middle name was adopted by Brown in commemoration of the method by which he gained his freedom. He had himself crated up and shipped from slavery to liberty. His audacious plan worked, and this is his story.

Remarkably, this is the first time this edition has been printed in the US. Brown writes in his preface, "The tale of my own sufferings is not one of great interest to those who delight to read of hair-breadth adventures, of tragic occurrences, and scenes of blood - my life, even in slavery, has been in many respects comparatively comfortable." Of course the telling word there is "comparatively." The torture worse than any was worry about his family being sold away, and eventually they were, and he never saw them again. The other main theme in his pre-box narrative is the involvement of the church in supporting slavery, a hypocrisy which revolts Brown, a religious man. The loss of his family convinced Brown to make his remarkable escape: "The idea suddenly flashed upon my mind of shutting myself up in a box and getting myself conveyed as dry goods to a free state." He arranged to have himself nailed into a wooden crate, 37 by 24 by 30 inches, lined in baize. He was shipped by dray, railroad car, steamboat, and horse cart, 350 miles from Richmond to Philadelphia in 27 hours. The box bore the label, "THIS SIDE UP WITH CARE," but shipping agents back then paid as little attention to those directions as they do now, and Brown had to survive some jostling and spells upside down. Philadelphia's Anti-Slavery Committee sent for the box, and opened it nervously at their office. Brown emerged calmly, said, "How do you do, gentlemen?" and fainted. Upon awakening, he sang the fortieth psalm.

Brown's narrative ends with his emergence from what could have been his coffin, but the useful introduction by Richard Newman explains that Brown went on the lecture circuit, telling about his slavery experiences and of course his curious escape. He had to flee to England to avoid recapture, and prospered on the stage telling his story. His eventual fate is unknown. However, we have his book now, in as near to his words as we can get, finally published in the land he chastised for restricting it's grand freedoms to slave-holders. His stark account of slave life makes a poignant memoir, and of course his brave (or foolhardy) and novel way of escaping it is thrilling. Students of the Underground Railroad already know of Brown, and this new edition of his book should enlarge his merited fame.

Very enjoyable. Fascinating plot line. As a CPA who does governmental audits, it was exciting to read about standards in a murder mystery format. I would recommend it to accountants and certainly to students who are considering going into accounting. It is informative as well as entertaining.

I found this book to be an interesting way to explain some of the governmental accounting issues that auditors face. The story line kept my interest the entire time I was reading. Also, the outrageous plot made the technical material easier to remember. This book made for interesting reading of a not-so-interesting topic. Thank you Dr. and Mrs. Brown.

Professor Clucas's book is really the first scholarly look at the Assembly Speakership of Willie Brown, now the mayor of San Francisco. The book was published before the end of Brown's tenure as Speaker, but nonetheless is still highly valuable. Clucas's book builds a solid, well documented argument showing the link between Brown's power and his extraordinary ability to raise and dispense campaign contributions to his political allies and Assembly colleagues. The book contains considerable data that should be of interest to any serious observer of legislatures or politics in general. Clucas's writing, while not flashy, is clear and readable. I only downgrade the book because Brown's force of personality counted at least as much in his amassing power as his ability to run an election machine; Clucas did not address that element of Brown's power. Still, his book is a major contribution. -- James Richardson

Legislative leaders now have as one of their principal jobs raising funds for their party's legislative candidates. None mastered the art of campaign finance like Willie Brown, the subject of Richard A. Clucas' ground breaking contribution to our knowledge of legislative leadership. Theoretically based, methodically analyzed, and cogently argued.

You need an ego to build a company as large and successfully as Sir Richard has put together and that ego are captured by the author. The author gives us a view into the career of Mr. Branson from the start - the standard biography structure. The author did try to sneak in one or two items that are a bit on the tabloid side, but overall it looked to be a fair and complete review. I was most interested in how he structured his companies and moved from one to the next - I assumed he continued to own them, but that is not the case. Overall and interesting book that is enjoyable. If you are interested in the man then this would be a good starting point.

This book covers all kinds of Branson adventures - he's had more near death experiences than most people and lives life to the full.

Much is about the growth and transformation of Virgin - from music to airlines. There's also the relationships that propelled Branson from his family to his business colleagues.

If ever I'm shipwrecked I'll remember how Branson survived in Mexico by swimming behind an ex-wife for 2 miles when he had little experience. His persistence is a constant theme in this book.

It is unfortunate he was not the first man to circumnavigate the world in a balloon, but one cannot say he did not take the risks to try. The writer's description of his ballooning trials places you right in the scene and changes one's perception of the sport.

Mick Brown writes lucidly and energetically to create a really inspiring portrait of this extraordinarily talented entrepreneur.

Unlike many journalists who have written about the man who is arguably the most innovative entrepreneur in Britain Brown manages to be supremely balanced: he describes Branson's rise, and pays tribute to his drive and ingenuity, but he is also critical, of Branson as a person and as a ruthless businessman. As Branson stands on the brink of taking over Britain's National Lottery this book deserves to be re-issued. supporter nor a cadoes not is neither a supporterot satdoes not is both adarthe most remarkable entre Branson Brown the