STATE OF THE HEART : The Practical Guide to Your Heart and Heart Surgery

The heart is a fascinating organ. Many of you are curious about learning more of it. Dr.Larry Stephenson's new book, "State of the Heart", is a good starting point.

Targeted at the non-medical reader, "State of the Heart" does a good job of introducing one to the mysteries of the heart and its disorders, and explaining heart surgery in terms that are understandable and reassuring. If you have had, or are facing heart surgery, this book will help calm your fears and anxieties.

Beginning with a historical overview of heart disease treatment, the book goes on to describe the structure and function of the normal heart before embarking on a voyage of discovery about heart disease - its causes, diagnosis, treatment and most important, prevention. All kinds of heart disease are covered - congenital, coronary, valvular, heart failure, arrhythmias and aneurysms.

Each section is generously illustrated with excellent, full-color pictures and photographs, and is written in a credible and authoratitive fashion - not surprising, as the author of each is an world-reknown expert in that specific area!

The list of contributors to this patient guide on heart disease and surgery is a veritable who's-who in the fields of cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. The book is edited and compiled by Dr.Larry Stephenson, one of the pioneers in heart surgery and a researcher into heart-alternatives for heart failure patients.

A foreword by Dr.Everett Koop, former Surgeon General, kicks off this all-star cast with articles by Drs.Denton Cooley, Michael DeBakey, Walton Lillehei, John Kirklin, Dudley Johnson, Christiaan Barnard, Delos Cosgrove and many more.

Especially enjoyable are the sections on "How to select your cardiologist / cardiac surgeon?", and the overview of "Advanced Heart Failure : Transplants, Heart Assist Devices and the Future". All content is current, up-to-date, and includes even promising research that might soon become clinical reality.

If the book has a drawback, it is in the focus being overwhelmingly American. The healthcare system discussed is the one in effect in the US. But this apart, the generic content provides much of value to the reader looking for reliable, recent heart disease information - wherever in the world s/he is from.

When my mother had a heart attack a few months ago, my first impulse was to try to understand what was going on. Purchasing this book was a huge help in that matter. It guided us through all of the various tests, procedures, and surgeries she ended up needing. When we found out a valve replacement would be necessary, we were able to ask informed questions of the surgeon, having read this book. He even asked if I was a doctor!

When faced with frightening, complicated medical issues this book will help you understand your situation. We found ourselves passing it around the cardiac ward waiting room, and using it to help other families as well.

Equally impious and improbable, Percival Everett's story of Craig Suder's sacrificing his baseball career to (inadvertently?) end up pursing an unacknowledged life-long dream is likely to disturb respectable folk. Those with delicate sensibilities need not open this wonderfully instructive and sometimes comically funny work. Nevertheless, Everett's finely detailed chronicle of a slumping professional third baseman's journey to self-awareness is an affirmation in the best sense of the word. Bringing in a diverse cast of characters- -including a taxidermically-obsessed baseball manager, an abused run-away sub-teen, and a long-suffering elephant who finds happiness in the Oregon hill country- -Everett leads the slumping pro ball player to an epiphany of the soul which concludes with a satisfying Icarus-like journey that is also a moving tribute to the jazz of Charlie "Byrd" Parker.

Have fun!

This book has a main character, Craig, who's a professional baseball player who has hit a major slump in the major leagues and takes some time off. While soul searching and trying to maintain some semblance of sanity, Craig takes the reader through his abnormal childhood and reflects on the antics of his mother who was mentally insane. Although the ending leaves much to be desired, the content of the book will make you laugh, and say, "WHAT!" several times. Craig and his mother will stay with you long after you've finished this novel. The most memorable scene for me was the baseball game with the mother being an unofficial coach to Craig by showing him how to run the bases while wearing a full length mink coat. Happy reading.

I brought this book for my 5 year old, and it has quickly become her favorite. She loves to sit a create pictures following the step by step illustrations to create a cat, a pig, a wizard, a dragon, a rocket, etc.

This book was perfect for my 5 year old. The step by step drawings were easy enough for her to do. There are many different drawings to choose from. It is a favorite of hers.

I originally read this book in eighth grade, and recently had the desire to reread the book. The book was just as I remembered it. However, with a greater understanding of the world, I have learned to appreciate this classic even more. While an American may not agree with that the United States does, a perfect country or government has yet to be created. Philip Nolan made a statement in which he disowned his country in his younger days. It was a statement that he would quitely regret for the rest of his life. Even in exile, Nolan reflects loyalty to his country in his behavior. On his death bed, Nolan only wants to learn of what has happened to the country since he was exiled. He was able to die a happy man knowing how the country he loved had prospered.

The story is intended to made readers appreciate their country. Sometimes it may be difficult to agree with the government. In the end, one realizes that they love their country like a parent or their own child. Nolan had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Philip Nolan, a man who is sentenced to remain at sea for his entirelife, with the punishment to never hear nor see of the United States again. Hale captures patriotism and heroic efforts in one man as Nolan bravely tries to hide the fact he still loves his country, but shall never see it again. It makes you proud to be an American and live under the glory that our forefathers fought for. So many times have I read this story, and each time I can barely get past parts that bring a tear to my eye. Ultimately a great and powerful book for any reader who enjoys a story of love, agony, and pride.

I can't believe the reader from Allentown didn't care for this book. I first read this story in high school and remember how choked up I got over Phillip's absolute and total love for a country he hasn't been able to see or hear about for over half his life due to his impassioned, yet stupid youthful declaration that he "never wanted to hear his country's name again!".

I hope other would-be readers listen to the other reviews and try this book. You WILL NOT be disappointed. You will be fighting back tears by the end of this story. As I said, I read this book while in my teens and still enjoy re-reading it. You will cherish what you have after you finish.

This is a good book. It is long, but so are most comprehensive books and the style is conversational and easy to read. The chapters are independent, so readers can read just the parts they are interested in.

The book covers just about every aspect of a gui including design and testing and is full of practical advice.

I am using a very useful section entitled 'Sample User Interface Guidelines' as a checklist for testing gui's. And, of course, I keep it nearby as a handy reference.

Developing User Interfaces for Windows should be within reach of every Windows developer who will have some UI developing to do. Along with the Windows User Experience, also from Microsoft Press, this book is an invaluable aid.

Each chapter is short and precise, but, avoiding any cliché's, explains the Windows UI and developing for it in great details. The Book is relatively long, but it needs to be in order to cover in detail the task of developing Windows UI applications, which it does well.

The book is slightly geared towards 'C' developers, but I am a VB developer and find it easy to convert and 'C' idioms into VB. The book is in a real-world 'hands-on' style. Not too much theory and analysis exists (unlike other books on UI design), which lends it to being excellent both for reading and for reference afterwards.

I Highly recommend this book.

This is by far one of the most interesting and informative books on creating effective user interfaces. It offers real world examples on the "right way" and the "wrong way". My favorite thing about this Microsoft book is that they spare no detail on how each Microsoft product has incorrectly done a user interface. The author then explains how it could have been done better. A great section in the book is on Q&A, giving suggestions on what to look for concerning the UI. As a Windows developer, this book has helped me correct the most subtle of mistakes in my programs. If you want to make a good program better, buy and read this book.

The author makes some very valid and helpful points to be aware of when purchasing an RV, new or used, and in deciding if you should use it for the occasional trip or go full-time. He does, however, seem to focus entirely on the negative aspects of rving. He mentions that he and his wife enjoyed their rv trips at the beginning of the book, so I think it would only have been fair to have shared some of his enjoyable experiences with rvs as well as the unpleasant ones. Still, overall, it was not a bad book; I found it quite easy to read, and again, it does bring up some very important Buyer Beware warnings. Perhaps he would consider writing a less one-sided sequel?

I can understand that the book might ruffle a few feathers of "High Pressure RV sales people" as they do not want the buyers to be well informed when checking out an RV. I do not feel that the author wanted to evaluate all RV manufacturers, just his OWN experiences. I found the book "My 20 years of RV Adventures" very informative! The book is about the author's 20 years of adventures. Also, maybe Tennessee should do a spell check before submitting reviews!

The book, "My 20 Years of RV Adventures" has had many terrific reviews from QUALIFIED reviewers of popular RV magazines and newspapers. (One magazine has a circulation of over 1.2 million.) the book is about the author's experiences only and not meant to to be an evaluation of all the manufacturers of motorhomes. The second edition has 64 pages packed with many tips on what to look for when buying a motorhome. When starting the RV lifestyle, do you sell you home and all of your collectabels to go full-time?

The author is sorry if a reader is not happy and will be glad to replace the first edition with the second edition free of charge, if you send the first edition to the author. The second edition was edited by an editor from the UNR press.

This is one of the best books you would ever find on dynamic flash that is if you find any other book on that topic.First there are very limited books on individual topics like generator or asp-flash but this books goes a step ahead and collaborates all the aspects of dynamic studio .chapters like ultradev,generator,asp-flash and Flash-turbine .A must read for all those people who are interested in making dynamic websites.They should refer to this book as it would make their work very easy.The book starts off by taking into consideration that the reader is a beginer and then graduates to more advanced topics.

Hats off !! to all those who made this book possible as this book is goin to be there for a long time to come.

An excellent book! Well worth the investment! It transitions well from more basic concepts to more complex topics -- With lots of substance for people at all levels of experience. Even those with more expertise can learn a thing or two from the different conceptual approaches presented. The book is not just about "here's how to do the same old boring X, Y & Z, just in the updated version of Flash", it also says "here's some different ways of thinking about solutions that takes greater advantage of new features of Flash". I also really enjoyed the mini math and geometry lessons... it's good to know that years of high school algebra and geometry could be put to some use!

The interface design chapters were particularly outstanding; judging by how awful so many Flash sites are at integrating interactivity, PLEASE!! I BEG YOU!!! everybody read the chapters on designing interfaces! They are a "must read" for anyone who wants to improve their site's interactivity.

The game design chapters are also incredibly helpful as well, and I think are some of the first useful explanations of game design I've ever seen for Flash. Even if you're not designing games in Flash, using a familiar game like Asteroids as a vehicle for explaining some pretty clever design elements works very well. Not to mention, it's very cool to be able to make your own video games! Flash isn't just for dull corporate websites anymore!

I'll be incorporating the lessons learned from those chapters into all the stuff I do... even though I only get to do very boring stuff for a corporate site. And if I use what this book teaches, maybe someday I can get hired to make games and do cool interfaces!!! :)

I've been looking for a books for backend for over a year now. This is the PHP, ASP, PERL, JavaScript, Generator, PHP Turbine dream book! 1000 pages of MUST-KNOW knowledge for the serious flash designer/developer. The PHP section is what I've been searching for for months as I've been stumbling through integration for a month now.

This will become the "BIBLE for BACKEND" (sounds sexual, I guess) Flash. Flash IS the future. This is the book I will refer to most for the next year... guaranteed. my "most advised purchase" to date for Flash Developers. Better than Flash 5 Magic at describing Backend application integration.

This will set you apart from the hacks.

Filled with colorful characters, funny situations, and a surprisingly strong narative thread, "Hello Darling" is a real treat & a great summer read. There's a sick joy in watching a newly broke character still having to mingle with his still high-in-the-hog living friends. Great concept! Great characters!

I didn't find all the drug use THAT disturbing because these characters are hardly role models in any way shape or form in the first place. My ONE critique came at the end, where I feel that Everett kinda wimped out...any book that ends with a question mark is well...questionable.

I've had this book for 4 years and have read and re-read it over again. The dialogue is wonderfully funny and the story moves along at a quick pace. Ideal characters and you can really sense that this book *is* semi-autobiographical. I wish Amazon would carry his other books!

This is my absolutely favourite book ever and I've read it a million times and plan to read it again. It's hugely entertaining and hilarious and it's so true to life (although my life is, thank God, never that chaotic all at once!). It's a must-read for anyone with a good sense of humour and the absurd!

I like a lot of mere mortals entertained ideas of 'going to Hollywood' and reading scripts and moving and shaking deals. However, after 3 chapters of this book all this changed.

Although the author had a bad experience, well actually, a lot of them, I was nevertheless glad that it wasn't me. I've read over and over that unless your relatives work in this industry you have a snowballs chance to make it there - no matter how good your qualifications.

A quick and entertaining read with a lot of black humor. Future wannabes will be enlightened.

Having seen a spread about "Wannabe" and Weinberger in People Magazine, I was anxious to read this book. I was not disappointed--it was side-splitting funny! Unlike other unabashed "Kiss-and-Tell" books about Hollywood, this one subtly made a point about the so-called "glamour" world of Hollywood. The helicopter lovemaking scene was worth the price of admission alone.

Mr. Weinberger's book should be a "must read" for anyone contemplating a career in the entertainment industry. As head of development for a major feature film production company, and having worked with some of the people detailed in this book, I can honestly say that WANNABE is painfully accurate. From the copy room, to the board-room, Hollywood is filled with people acting richer, more powerful, and bigger than they really are. It's a fun, informative read.

'Antony and Cleopatra' is a great tragedy about two personalities who were larger than life, and therefore shared a love fitting to their stature. Anthony is torn between the high seriousness & order of the Roman Empire (embodied in Caesar) and the sensuality & licentiousness of Ancient Egypt (embodied in Cleopatra)- worlds which are perfectly evoked by Shakespeare as he chronicles the political wheeling & dealing of the time, which ultimately led to the suicides of the two lovers. I don't think Shakespeare favours one world view over the other, and to read the play moralistically and say Rome = virtue = good and Egypt = vices = bad is to to do it a disservice.

The language in this play is often romantic and lush, a grand language suited to rulers of the world. Cleopatra's "O, my oblivion is a very Anthony,/ And I am all forgotten" has to be some of the most erotic stuff that the Bard ever wrote.

Cleopatra is a very passionate woman and a great role-player, but she is always herself, never inauthentic. What she feels may change from moment to moment, but while she's feeling it, it's REAL. I find her to be the more mature one in her and Anthony's relationship. Notice how she never yells at him for marrying Octavia, which is certainly a terrible betrayal. She accepts that he did what he had to do and is only glad that Anthony is again united with her. Her love for him is beyond judgement.

The relationship between Anthony and Caesar is a very complicated one, and one that fascinated me almost as much as that of Cleopatra and Anthony. Caesar admires Anthony, but he betrays himself as having contempt for him in the way he expresses that admiration. Dodgy man, that little Caesar.

Anthony and Cleopatra is one of Shakespeare's difficult plays, and so I suspect the ratings on the play are low because it's a more mature play than Romeo and Juliet. Here we have two middle age lovers who part of the time are foolish with lust/love and the rest of the time are tough minded heads of state. The "tragedy" is that they can't be both and survive. This is not a play for the young folks, I'm afraid. But if you want some heavy drama where the characters are spared nothing and given no slack, read Anthony and Cleopatra (hint: Cleopatra's suicide is more political statement than a crazy wish to die with Antony). Better yet see it performed by some real actors some time.

Cleopatra may be a somewhat ambiguous female character, but I totally loved her, and Bill's portrayal of her. I don't know if he expected the reader to judge her, but I suspect not. The harshest criticism of her comes from Octavius Caesar, who himself doesn't do a single noble thing throughout the whole play. She is fully aware of the fact that she is a sensual, passionate woman- which has no negative effect on her ability to rule Egypt. Her biggest faults are her violent temper (which I suspect is just part of her passionate nature) and her tendency to lie when it suits her (either for sport or for serious politics). Antony (I feel) is actually kind of a loser compared to her. His insincerity runs deep- he marries Caesar's sister in a political move, although he had repeatedly pledged his undying love for Cleopatra. She forgives him, because she truly loves him, even though he doesn't do anything to deserve forgiveness. Antony never fully allows himself to love Cleopatra. He constantly is overreacting to the slightest indication that she might be betraying him or whatever. It is one of these overreactions (combined with an ill-timed lie on Cleo's part) that ends up destroying them both. Even in the end, Cleopatra's death is more dignified and better conceived than Antony's messy and fumbling suicide.