same old pattern and lacks indepth knowledge and descriptions.Pj Kumar is easy to read,contains current and up-to-date info and correlates Disease process,diagnoses and management.

.
THIS IS BAR NONE THE BEST INTERNAL MEDICINE TEXT YOU CAN GET.

Easy to read, chock full of photos, color pictures, graphs, tables, and beautifully illustrated diagrams. even the most difficult concept can be grasped with ease.

ACHILLES HEEL - the spine - do not lay completely flat during the first week or so of use or when it is cold; it will pop.
I am on my third copy(despite the annoyance I keep going back b/c this book is so completely superior).

This last copy has lasted w/o problem for over a year so maybe the glue issue has been fixed.

Also -- british spelling -- a minor issue.
Hope the come out with an international ed.

having read a multitude of medical textbooks including harrison's, current medical diagnosis and treatment, cecil essentials i can honestly say that this is perhaps the BEST clinical textbook i have seen so far in my experience!

the book is a beautiful one to behold, complete with EXCELLENT diagrams of the clinical presentations of many diseases and fantastic charts of differentials as well as evidence-based medicine all in COLOR!!! i can't tell you how much easier this is on the eyes than slogging through page after page of grey text!

every chapter is organized in a similar fashion with the first two pages going over all the relevant parts of an exam in a specific specialty like cardiology, gastroenterology, etc. davidson's reviews some basic pathophysiology, pertinent studies within the field before launching into the various disease entities.

although the book is not nearly as comprehensive as harrison's principles of internal medicine, it's structured much better for those with limited amounts of reading time (i.e. medical students cramming for the next shelf exam, residents trying to catch up on their sleep, and even newly dubbed attendings who are expecting children!!!).

this book will SURELY help you prepare for those annoying attending stumper questions like: who can tell me all the extra-pulmonary manifestations of sarcoid? what are the exam findings in a dialysis patient?

no respectable internal medicine library should lack this book!

If diabetes has entered your life because of your own health or the health of a loved one you need to get a lot of information in order to control the disease as best as you can. This book is a GREAT place to start.

The book provides a good overview of what diabetes really is and why it is so destructive. But MUCH MORE important is the help it gives us in understanding how the disease impacts the way one lives. If the diabetes is responded to constructively the situation can be improved. Depending on the severity of the condition it can be improved a little bit to, in a mild case, something like normality. Most are somewhere in the middle.

The danger is to ignore the condition. This book can help make clear all the good things that can come from responding positively to the condition and gives helpful information on how to do that. And you can find specific information very quickly because the book is so thoughtfully organized.

An excellent basic reference and a recommended pick for both public and school libraries, the large print edition of Dr. Christopher Saudek, et.al.'s Guide To Diabetes assures that audiences who need it will be able to read it. From handling psychological problems to dealing with daily maintenance routines, this is packed with practical information. The large print edition of Dr. Cassel's will reach a wide audience and will prove a listing contribution to libraries. All eye disorders and health issues are covered here, with treatment options and symptoms thoroughly surveyed in an easy-to-understand manner. Highly recommended.

I can not say enough about how wonderful this book is. As an individual recently diagnosed with this chronic illness I found this book to be an invaluable resource of very factual and practical information for anyone who is looking for a comprehensive guide to understanding their illness. It is presented in a very easy-to-understand format. The authors provide detailed information about practical solutions in which to understand and deal with the many issues surrounding living with a diagnosis of diabetes. I also found the psychological emphasis of the book very refreshing and helpful. Out of all of the self-help guides available for diabetes this is the one book no diabetic should be without. Full of timely and up-to-date reliable information. It is the best guide you can spend your money on.

But is this the end -- or only the beginning? This book, the 12th in "The History of Middle-Earth" series, wraps up the final loose ends of Christopher Tolkien's 25 year labor. Unlike many of the other titles in this series, "The Peoples of Middle-Earth" does not concentrate on a single "Age" or storyline. Instead, it attempts to answer remaining questions, correct errors and misimpressions, and provide extra bits of information about the lives and histories of the many peoples populating Middle-Earth. Of special interest are the two fragments of unfinished stories: one, dealing with the coming of the Numenorean ships to the shores of Middle-Earth (told from the perspective of the men living in desperation under the tyranny of the Dark Lord), two, dealing with the return of evil in Gondor, some 100+ years after the downfall of the Lord of the Rings. This hobbit wishes that these two stories had been finished. This book is a delight for all lovers of Middle-Earth -- Elves, Dwarves, Men and Hobbits will all find something of interest. Highly Recommended.

Christopher Tolkien takes the reader back to the years 1950-1952 when his father was preparing the appendices and prologue for The Lord of the Rings. So much that had been written for publication was lost because the book was so big it simply couldn't all be used. So the appendices we have today were created by condensing the material originally intended for publication.

What we learn from the lengthy source material is that Tolkien really did anticipate many fannish questions and tried to answer them. A great deal of information concerning Hobbits, Elves, and the Edain (and Dunedain) was to be included. The essay "Of Dwarves and Men" also provides a fantastic study of early Second Age culture in the lands beyond the Misty Mountains. Unfinished Tales had led us to believe there was nothing more to be learned about the Second Age, but at the end of the History of Middle-earth series Christopher Tolkien unloaded a bombshell.

Peoples of Middle-earth also includes the previously unpublished opening pages for The New Shadow, the sequel J.R.R. Tolkien almost wrote to The Lord of the Rings. It begins after Aragorn has died and hints at a dark plot to overthrow King Eldarion. Sadly, Tolkien felt no passion for the story, which he deemed would be no better than a thriller. So he abandoned it just as the first taint of evil arose.

Tolkien researchers will also find that "The Shibboleth of Feanor" sets out the final and complete genealogy for Finwe's descendants, and several accompanying essays explain minor details alluded to throughout the History of Middle-earth books.

In this volume, Christopher Tolkien brings his quarter-century labor of love to a close -- and what an ending it is. All of these books (The History of Middle-Earth series) have provided Tolkien fans with tantalizing bits of information, glimpses into new characters and new perspectives, and bits and pieces of other story-lines. This book continues that trend -- and provides us with the opening (and only) pages of "The New Shadow", Tolkien's begun but abandoned sequel to "The Lord of the Rings".

Thank you, Professor (Christopher) Tolkien for making these books, stories, essays, and notes available. And thank YOU, Professor (JRR) Tolkien for sharing with the world, your world of Middle-Earth.

May your soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

This book had a very well played out story line and it explained alot about the other books

The War of the Jewels is one of the most misunderstood and underrated volumes in the History of Middle-earth series. Although it is primarily a scholarly work which explains precisely how Christopher Tolkien brought together the various sources to produce the published Silmarillion, this book also opens up new vistas into First Age Middle-earth that readers never imagined could exist.

Casual readers will enjoy "The Wanderings of Hurin", which Christopher has editorialized to some extent. The story of what Hurin REALLY did after he left Morgoth's domain is an eye-opening experience, and it explains why the sons of Earendil and Elwing were the last heirs of the heroic chieftains of the Edain. But "The Wanderings of Hurin" also gives us the only detailed view of the Folk of Haleth, the mysterious woodmen who figured so prominently in "Narn i Chin Hurin", the tale of Turin Turambar.

Another fantastic gem lies between the covers of this book, however. Accompanying the very scholarly essay "Quendi and Eldar" is a short Elvish nursery tale which provides the only account of how the Elves awoke at Cuivienen, and who the eldest Elves actually were. Their names will surprise everyone. "Quendi and Eldar" itself is filled with a great deal of historical and cultural information although it is primarily a linguistic work. It may represent the last significant contribution Tolkien made to his mythology, even though he later changed his mind on a few details.

Since J.R.R. Tolkien's death in 1973, a substantial effort has been made by first Guy Gavriel Kay working with Christopher Tolkien, then Christopher Tolkien but also a host of only marginally acknowledged Tolkien scholars such\ as Taum Santoski, John Rateliff, Doug Anderson, Richard C. West and possibly others unknown to us, to make the body of J.R.R. Tolkien's lifework available to those of us wishing to watch the creative process of architecture of Tolkien's world unfold. Early on in the process, there was a parting of the ways between Guy Gavriel Kay and J.R.R. Tolkien's son, Christopher, over the form that J.R.R. Tolkien's posthumously-published lifework would be presented. G.G. Kay opted for a posthumous collaboration format which would allow for the presentation of much of the work in a finished form. Christopher Tolkien chose a more scholarly option. Each approach has its advantages and audiences. While The History of Middle Earth in its currently eleven volumes (projected for twelve) is perhaps a unique event in publishing history, useful to the scholar but also prized by a wider group of readers, one wonders what the effect might have been of presenting this body of work as works of fiction. Phil suspects that it may have supplanted a whole generation of bad imitators of the works, style and subject matter of Tolkien. Especially if the themes were handled at a level of artfulness consistent with the will of J.R.R. Tolkien. We can only speculate whether that would even be possible without Tolkien's own hand - a core question in any discussion of individual creativity. However, since J.R.R. Tolkien thought of himself as a chronicler rather than a creator, it might be argued that a writer such as G.G. Kay who has so effectively used other historical sources as themes for his own work (e.g. A Song for Arbonne), could have achieved results that even the master would have approved. This particular volume of the History also includes the second part of a set of Tolkien's notes and commentary on the Later or Quenta Silmarillion, an unfinished MS. that appears in Volume V of the History (The Lost Road and Other Writings, 1987, p. 199-338) as well as J.R.R's background notes and annotations on The Lays of Beleriand (Volume III, 1985) and a few other similar texts from J.R.R. Tolkien's papers, with contextual commentary by Christopher Tolkien. As with most of the other works in the History, this one requires a good memory or a good library of Tolkien or both. Nevertheless the scholar or the Tolkien enthusiast will want to own the book, complete with its (typically) excellent indexes to help in establishing both the illusion that Middle Earth has an intense level of validity (almost reality) and to trace the complexities of Tolkien's creative process. The history in its entirety is a demonstration of both J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien's textual/scholarly training in language and literature, translation and Anglo-Saxon textual studies, and the wonderful sense of play with these topics that could give rise to the entirety of Middle Earth in fictional and 'historical' detail. (Index, p. 425-470).

Philip E. Kaveny Reviewer

This is truly a magnificent compendium on meat: from beef to pork to lamb and veal.

They do a thorough job of explaining where the cuts come from and the proper cooking techniques to use on each individual cut. On top of this, there is just an outstanding section on how to communicate with one's butcher, be it from a supermarket or specialty butcher store. Also, pictures on given on each cut so that one can know what you're looking for when shopping.

The recipe sections are by cut, and they are plentiful and very creative. I would not describe the majority as requiring the "too hard to find ingredients or techniques that are difficult." These are unique, solid recipes, such as the ones tried so far: a Basil-Crusted Meat Loaf with Brandy, Walnuts and Spicy Wine Tomato Sauce (this is superb, and makes heavenly sandwiches);Lazy Sunday Pot Roast with Caraway and Green Apples; Fennel-Crusted Flank Steak with Orange=Black Olive Relish and Spicy Mint Honey;Grill-Roasted Bone-In Leg of Lamb with Grilled Peaches and Red Onion-Cilantro Salsa;Hoisin-Glazed Grilled Pork Blade Chopes with Spicy Korean Vegetables.

What is unique also is that with each recipe there is included: "Other Names," "Other Cuts You Can Use," "ButcherSpeak" and my favorite: "Cook Once,Eat Twice" which provides advice on the delicious leftovers.

This is so well thought out, researched and presented. On top of all this, the recipes are so creative and excellent and turn out as listed. Not every recipe has a color photo, although there is a sufficient number of color shots in the middle insert.

Just the best resource on these meats I have found. All chefs really into it will enjoy using this reference.

I've done a lot of cooking, but stayed away from big, scary cuts of meat because I didn't know what to do them. This book is changing that -- great explanations of the treatment of all cuts and types of red meat (if you don't eat red meat, don't bother ordering this one)with basics that you can use with any recipes. The sage-rubbed loin roast with bourbon sauce was so good, I can't believe it came from MY kitchen. Not many pictures of the food dishes, but a useful photo layout of the meat cuts.

How to Cook Meat is written for the home cook who isn't sure how to buy and prepare cuts of meat: it provides over 250 recipes for meats and includes guidelines on how to use a variety of cuts from everyday meats to more unusual features. An excellent introductory section discusses the cuts, meat grading, and storage and preparation while the bulk of the book is packed with recipes. If only one meat cookbook were to be in a home collection, this should make the grade.

This last book is the crown jewel in a trlogy that is a hidden gem for pre-teens. Containing that English play within a play (or book in this case) the story hooks the reader with adventure and ends in a Shakespherian twist.

This book is by far the best I have ever read. I read The Prince in Waiting for a school book report and found myself totally intrigued. I then found Sword of the Spirits and decided that I had to read it. This book was even more exciting and ironic than the first! The twisted love story and unexpected betrayal between Blodwen, {Luke's fiancee and daughter of a king} Edmund, {Luke's best friend} and Luke {prince of Winchester} is ironic and entrancing. I found this book hard to put down and it is HIGHLY recommended!!

This series is perhaps one of the darkest young adult sci-fi stories available. That is probably why it stands out so vividly in my memories from adolescence. At last having achieved Winchester's throne, Luke proceeds to unravel everything he has gained with his frustrating single-mindedness and stubborn pride. The ending so shocked me in its sadness and resignation that I can clearly recall rereading the final chapter over and over. This series, along with certain Robert Cormier novels, taught me that all stories do not end well, and in fact might be more resonant and thought-provoking if they don't. This one stays with you for quite a while.

First, the weapons Batman designed that were used against the other heroes were incredibly complex. There is no way he would have had the time, expertise, and facilities to build all those intricate weapons. I know it is science fiction, but each of the super-heroes are defined by their own limitations, that's why you have a story. Otherwise Superman could just fly around and save everybody and Bruce Wayne could just finance reparations and they would live in a perfect world. This one pushed even comic book credibility a little too far. Also, the Lazarus Pits are used to regenerate Ras Al Ghul when he is nearly dead or recently dead, they should not have been much of a threat to Bruce Wayne's parents bodies. Other than that, the concepts of trust and betrayal made a thought provoking story. I do like stories that show Batman as the preeminent member of the JLA.

Grant Morrison, who? Now Mark Waid is a man who knows how to write comics! After over 40 issues under the helm of Grant Morrison, this book collects the first issues written by Mark Waid. With the talents of Mark Waid, the stories are more personal and smaller in scope. Gone are the masses of JLA members. (No Zauriel, no Steel, no Huntress, etc.) Mark Waid uses the main members, and we get to know them a bit better. (Wonder Woman is finally put to good use again!) The stories are not wild nonsense. They don't ramble on just to sell more issues. Each incident is there for a purpose. This tightly told story tells of Batman's fall from grace from the JLA. It also includes a few one-off issues, the best of which features only Aquaman and Wonder Woman. My favorite line is by Aquaman to Wonder Woman while he's holding her lasso, "Actually, I think you're a little vapid and boring -- and often more than a little Pollyanna-ish. I hate it that people keep assuming we have anything in common simply because we're both royalty. And for the life of me, I can't find any rational reason why I want you so badly."

If I wanted to be chintzy and point out all the logical flaws, etc that plague this series, it would only be three stars. But I believe that given the fact that I've reread this story 20 or 30 times,means the overall story overcomes those inadequacies.
So much spoiler information has been given away already, I won't contribute further. Let's just say that this is one of the most important Batman stories anyone's EVER done. We receive more insight into his mind's inner workings, and get a hint that he's not that far removed from a guy named Frank Castle. Except for the "no killing" thing.
This story is also important because it both sets up and is influenced by Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The reverberations continued through to JLA Divided We Fall and in other DC books in months to follow. This is an indispensible book.

This work is nothing more than the attempt to make money off his fathers work. It is sad that he would go to this length to captilize on the popularity of the Lord of the Rings. Im greatly dissapointed. His father was a good man, a good christian, and a great writer. His son is none of the above.

Once more Christopher Tolkien has done a valuable service for literary historians and anyone interested in the craft of writing in his elegant overview of his father's struggles in creating the Lord of the Rings. His recounting of his father's writing is a fascinating saga in its own right, chronicling his father's subtle changes in the personas of characters as diverse as Boromir and Treebeard. Of special note is how significant Boromir's role might have been if he hadn't died in battle at the end of "The Fellowship of the Ring". I was also intrigued with Tolkien making numerous changes in his depiction (and indeed, names for) of Gondor and Lothlorien, among others. There is a excellent overview on Tolkien's map of Middle-earth, noting its significant changes over the years from the 1920's until it assumed its present form for the Rings trilogy. At the end of this lengthy tome is a fine introduction to runes and how they underwent their own transformation while Tolkien was at work writing the Rings trilogy.

. . .to the History of Middle Earth Collection.

"The Treason of Isengard" is the seventh volume in Christopher Tolkien's masterful "History of Middle Earth" series, and the second volume in the subset within that series dedicated to the history of "The Lord of the Rings". As I've suggested in a previous review, all those prospective authors out there should "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" what Christoper has done in these volumes. He has provided an in-depth, graduate-level seminar in the process behind writing a novel. For this reason alone, the book is valuable.

But the book's value far exceeds its mere literary merit for those who truly love Middle-Earth. (Although I disagree with much of what Peter Beagle has written about "The Lord of the Rings", I can sympathize with his desire to go to Middle-Earth! I wish I could, as well!

This book details the material that eventually became the end of "The Fellowship of the Ring" and the first part of "The Two Towers". In it, we see the earliest forms of the visit to Lorien, the fall and repentance of Boromir, and the events leading up to the fall of Isengard (which is related in the next volume). Of particular interest:

Tolkien still struggles with how to portray the Ents. Originally, Treebeard was Giant Tree Beard -- and an enemy.

The numerous illustrations provided throughout the book. I found particularly interesting the various stages of development that

Orthanc underwent.

The Appendix on runes. Apparently, the runic inscription on Balin's tomb in Moria led Tolkien into an elaborate description of runes and their types, who used what, etc. Some of this material made it into the Appendix of "The Lord of the Rings" -- but not all of it.

Altogether, and enjoyable read. I fervently wish that more effort was concentrated on Tolkien scholarship than on fandom -- but such is the way of the world, I suppose.

Five Stars -- and well worth it.

Well, I liked the idea of how they lived up on the moon, and how they lived. It was neatly written and everything was good. But I didn't understand one part. I can't say it, but it didn't make sence. Still, this is a good book, and if you can find a copy, see if you can read it!

Life on the moon is boring. People live in a constant, artificial environment called the Bubble, where nothing can afford to be wasted. Marty was born on the moon, and he had never been to Earth. He makes friends with a misfit called Steve. They steal a crawler and go joyriding outside the Bubble.

When the crawler crashes through the moon's surface they find a very strange world indeed...

This is an interesting book about life in the future, but it wasn't as action packed as the Tripods Trilogy. Maybe because there aren't as many characters, or there isn't as much variety with location.

The book was published the same year Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. The Lotus Caves is set nearly 100 years after that event.

It's an interesting idea that verdant beauty could exist beneath something so arid and featureless. But recently scientists discovered water beneath the moon's surface, so maybe John Christopher wasn't so wide of the mark with this story.

I've lost count of how many times I've read this book. Before I went off to college, I used to read this to my little brother and sister, and everyone I've shared it with loved it. It really leaves you a lot to think about, long after you've turned the last page. The book explores a theme that is common in many of JC's books: what is freedom, and where does one draw the line between freedom and pleasant captivity? The issue is more complicated than it initially appears, and the reader is forced to ask where (s)he draws the line in her/his own life -- and, more importantly -- is this line correct in principle? It is this issue, as well as the very engaging storyline, that has kept me thinking about the book and reading it over again. I highly recommend this book to all people of all age groups. Also, if you like this book, you will most likely enjoy "The Guardians" by John Christopher, which further explores this issue of freedom.

The Return of the Shadow

In the novel The Return of the Shadow by JRR. Tolkien, it is an excellent history to The Lord of the Rings. It gives you the original ideas and thoughts of the author being a manuscript. It is a tough book to read with a lot of different things about it such as names and places. The book also gives you notes so you can reflect on the finished version of the books. It is a very detailed book with a lot of description and adventure. It revolves around the life of "Hobbits" which are little people about half the size of humans. They go on an adventure, which has a lot of scary parts where the characters are in peril. They are eager to go on the adventure and will not give up. The book also tells you a lot about the older family that have passed away and the relations between the characters.
This book is for people who have a lot of time and patience. It is a great book but is a little confusing in the beginning until you get the hang of the context. It has a lot of complicated and confusing ideas and concepts. I suggest this book to older kids and adults. People who like the other Tolkien books would like this book. Have fun reading.

In the sixth volume of The History of Middle Earth, Christopher Tolkien begins to show us the developement of The Lord of the Rings. This volume reaches the point where Tolkien himself stopped his writing for a long time--the Mines of Moria. Although most of the basic themes remain the same throughout Tolkien's creation, one difference in the early version certainly stands out. Not only is there no mention of the Dunedain, but Aragorn himself is now a hobbit called Trotter whose real name is none other than Peregrin. Also, many of the hobbit names were different and continued to shift back and forth until the present names were finally accepted. I recommend this book to all Tolkien fans, but especially for those who loved LOTR.

Of the thrilling and informative History of Middle-Earth series, this is perhaps the most interesting part. Normal Tolkien fans will get the rare chance to see how the germ of an idea can explode into the most complex cosmology ever created. Although it may seem boring, as it is not a novel per se, it is an insightful analysis of a very beloved book. The Lord of the Rings was initially conceived as a sequel to the Hobbit, growing into something incomparably more vast. We see Bingo in the character of Frodo, the name Frodo applied to another character. Aragorn is named Trotter and the idea emerges that he might be a long lost Hobbit who has had many experiences on the road. Somehow, with many footnotes and comments in the margin, we see the evolution of these ideas into what we know today as LOTR. Fascinating and useful for the Tolkien scholar, the devoted Tolkien reader, or even an aspiring writer.