This book is made up of several different authors and gives a multi-faceted view of dealing with Aspergers and High Functioning Autism. The most helpful section of this book for me was when a parent made a book for his Asperger child's class. It gave me the inspiration to make a book with my own AS child to give out at his IEP mtg. (which was a huge hit.)I also found the discussion of the special relationship difficulties AS kids have and how important it is to fascilitate friendships between them. It reminds me constantly that although getting AS kids together is really tough sometimes it is really an important and valuable experience for all involved over the long run. I also LOVED the chapter called Humor Imagination and Empathy in Autism. The author of that chapter made simple stick figure cartoons for her AS and High Functioning Autism sons as a regular tool to help them understand their daily lives. I have adopted this technique (and believe me I am not artist) and found it VERY effective with my AS son and my "normal" son as well. Overall, I liked this book and would recommend using it as a tool for your child's future. Knowledge is power!

This book is a very readable collection of individual families' methods of coping with their own experiences of children with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome. The authors are all parents who have been coping with a child who fits one of these categories. Their stories offer both specific activities and approaches to aspects of socializing and educating children with autism or Asperger's, and the valuable perspective of seeing what problems other families have and how they deal with them.

What fascinated me was the glimpse these stories offered into the variant function patterns of the minds of individuals with Asperger's. However, I believe the creative and useful teaching techniques described throughout the book can also have much wider applicability than merely within the world of autism. For instance, the cartoon approach presented in the chapter, "Humor, Imagination and Empathy in Autism," would work well to teach these traits to any children--and all the better on children whose brains are hard-wired to learn them more easily.

As I have a background in publishing myself, I once used short, hand-drawn picture books to teach my preschool/early grade school-aged sons what to expect when I traveled on business. Therfore, I fully appreciated the hard work and imagination that went into the creation of the interactive, autobiographical "book" produced by the parents of Max to ease his entry into second grade, described in the evocatively titled chapter, "Making Friends with Aliens." This technique would be equally applicable to the introduction of any child, but particularly one who is noticeably "different," to a new social milieu.

An Appendix, "Thank You for Trusting Me," rounds out the book with collection of comments by the children themselves: how they see themselves, what helps them, what upsets them. I am impressed by their awareness of how they differ from other kids but also by their willingness to try to overcome the habits and patterns that will get in the way of their ability to function well in a world of people whose brains work differently than theirs.

I thoroughly enjoyed "meeting" these creative and intelligent people, and getting to know a little more about how else the human mind can work. I think these insights would be of immense value to anyone teaching, caring for, or friends with someone who has to struggle with Asperger's syndrome.

I own parrots, I have friends who own parrots, and I have a brother who breeds parrots. I feel I can knowledgably say that this is not a good guide to parrots. It is full of mistakes both in the text and in the illustrations. I was very disappointed when I went through this book and, fortunately, I did not buy it but got it through the library. If you want info about this group of birds buy the standard, Forshaw's Parrots of the World, and just realize that the information about ranges and scientific names might be out-of-date but overall this is the better book by far. It deserves no stars.

This is got to be one of the best guide books I have ever seen featuring over 350 different species of parrots on our planet. Being the bird lover that I am, and that includes domestic as well as wild birds, I own almost every book out there on birds, and I really love this edition by Tony Juniper & Mike Parr. It should really be called an encyclopedia because there is just so much information in these almost 600 pages. The 88 superb color illustrations of all the species by 5 different artists are so beautiful & true to life. As you already know by reading the editorial & other reviews, this book includes range maps of the species locations, their vocalizations, life expectancies, and much more fascinating information.

Remember, this is not a book about parrots in captivity, its information about birds in the wild. If you don't own a parrot and are thinking about one, this book is a definite help in learning about all the different species that are out there. The more knowledge you have the better it will be when you do decide to pick out that perfect companion parrot for yourself & family. Owning a companion parrot is a lifetime commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly. I know I researched many months before I found the perfect parrot for us. The love you receive in return from your parrot will amaze you. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. Highly recommended!

This is the first book I bought on Parrots and it is the only I would ever need to learn about the different types of Parrots in the world. It contains information and pictures on every type of Parrot from the African Grey to the rare Kakapo. I only wish they had an indication on the price range of each bird on the market for those who breed and sell. I would definitely recommend this book to the serious Parrot collector. A definite must on a Parrot lover's bookshelf and worth every dollar.

Sons and Lovers, while a good book, is not, in my opinion, great. The ending left me unsatisfied. I don't know whether the reader is supposed to sympathize with Paul Morel, but I didn't. I found him to be - what did I find him to be? - he is arrogant and - what were his qualities? - I don't know, just arrogant. In fact, I did not find any characters that I liked. Although you don't have to like the characters to like the book, I didn't even like the plot. It was bland. You're probably wondering why I gave it three stars. There were some parts of the book that were excellent at showing human nature and how people relate to each other. For instance, Paul was attracted to Clara because at first she was indifferent to him. It just shows you that The Rules were at work even nearly a century ago! In conclusion, I like the book, I just don't loooove the book. I also did not quite feel the relationship between Paul and his mother.

In reading any novel you bring a certain amount of yourself and your experiences with others to the table, which helps you to understand the characters you meet. For me it was difficult to comprehend the relationship between Paul and his mother; it is unlike anything I've experienced before, and I can't imagine the feelings he had or how they affected his relationships with his lovers.

Paul and Miriam were a trifle difficult, as well, though I was closer to getting it with them. One fo my problems was that I kept projecting personality characteristics onto Miriam as I grew to know her (sometimes verging on stereotypes), only to understand later that that wasn't who she was, that she too was unlike anyone I had met before, though similar in some respects. I would like to read Lawrence's account of the real person whom Miriam was based on.

The characters in Sons and Lovers are people that will ultimately expand your understanding of human nature, but for me, their motivations were so foreign that I didn't entirely grasp them the first time around. The best I could do was recognize that Lawrence was depicting very real people in a very detailed and compassionate way. I, however, remained out of the loop for most of the book.

The most I gained from Sons and Lovers was a detailed sketch of life in early 20th centurey England. It was interesting to note that, despite the stereotype of the proletariat during the industrial revolution, being a coal miners family did not automatically relegate you to a lifetime of poverty. Not only did the miners make decent enough wages to afford a house, furniture, good food and several pints of beer a week, but for a man (at least) of other talents, the sky was the limit as to how far he could go.

This is a perfect book for anyone who enjoys reading twentieth century British literature. I like the fact that D. H. Lawrence is able to realistically portray the emotions of the many characters in the book. I did not only learn Paul's side of the story, but I also gained insight into Gertrude's, Miriam's, and Clara's thoughts and feelings towards Paul and towards each other. This omniscient narration makes the story a more interesting study into human emotions. Lawrence deals very heavily with psychological motivations for each character's actions, making the characters more human and believable. This is a great story that goes far beneath the surface. Sons and Lovers is a thought-provoking tale of love, death, possession, vulnerability, and heartache. I would recomend it to anyone looking for a good book to read.

Pearl Harbor 1941 is graphically very appealing. If one ignores the first 35 pages and the final few pages, one might even call this an excellent summary. For readers with only a general interest in the Pearl Harbor attack, this volume will suffice, but historians will probably only appreciate the excellent maps and order of battle information. Particularly troubling, given the immense primary and secondary sources available on this subject, is the author's tendency toward misleading and erroneous facts.

The opening introduction and background section is totally inadequate. While the author takes time to mention Hawaii's historical background, he makes less effort to paint the immediate causes of the attack. There is no mention of either the Chinese invasion of China in 1937 that led to the deterioration of US-Japanese relations or the Russo-Japanese border fighting in 1939-40 that shaped Japanese strategic conceptions away from further Eurasian entanglements. The statement that the "US Pacific Fleet was a deterrent" is misleading; that was how FDR viewed it, not the Japanese, who saw it as a threat to their expansionist ambitions in the Pacific. Even Admiral Kimmel, who commanded the Pacific Fleet, felt wholesale transfers of men and vessels to the Atlantic undermined its deterrence value.

The section on opposing commanders is more than a bit rambling and has odd choices of individuals, some of whom were not military commanders involved directly in the campaign. The US section has Kimmel, Short, Stark, Marshall, Hull and FDR. The Japanese section has Yamamoto, Fuchida, Genda, Nagumo and Nomura. Certainly politicians and diplomats such as FDR, Hull and Nomura do not belong here. Noticeably absent are the US air commanders in Hawaii, Bloch and Martin, who certainly bore some responsibility for the defeat. The entry for Nagumo is misleading, implying that he committed suicide at Saigon in 1944 "when the inevitable result of the war became clear." Instead, Nagumo was commander of the naval base on Saipan and committed suicide when US troops overran the island. The entry for Yamamoto that claims he was, "a man who fought but wanted peace" is nauseating. Just what did he ever do for peace? The chronology section, although detailed, is also marked with misleading or erroneous entries, further complicated by the fact that the author does not specify what time zone he is using. For example, he states that the Japanese fleet sailed on 25 November, but local time was actually 26 November. The crucial 27 November "war warning" is falsely delivered as advising Kimmel and Short that negotiations had failed and to "be prepared for any eventuality." It said no such thing.

Although there is a section on the Japanese attack plan, there is no section on US defensive plans or the Rainbow War Plan. The author should have mentioned the Martin-Bellinger studied which addressed the vulnerability of Oahu to air attack. In the Japanese section, there is no mention of the vociferous opposition to the raid and how Yamamoto had to threaten resigning in order to get the operation approved. The whole approach to Japan's strategy is euphemistic: "Japan expanded into Asia..."and the US "thwarted every Japanese attempt to extend Asian influence," instead of, the US sought to contain Japanese aggression. There are many other errors in this section, some so mundane, like claiming that the Japanese task force sailed from "Tankan Bay" instead of Hittokappu bay, that it is a wonder that the author even bothered to peruse secondary sources.

Amazingly, the sections on the actual attack are quite good. To be fair, they are better than Gordon Prange provides in his long-winded At Dawn We Slept. Smith provides excellent maps and graphics for the attacks on each air base and the naval facilities, as well as a decent textual summary. Three-D maps are provided for the first and second wave attacks, as well as the attack on Hickam Field. There is even a map depicting US naval movements in Pearl during the attack, which is most unusual. Several excellent illustrations and many photos complement the text. Overall, these 36 pages that cover the attack (one more page than Prange) are excellent.

Unfortunately, in the aftermath section the author reverts to his misleading tendencies. He claims "all eight [US] battleships [were] sunk or heavily damaged," which is totally wrong. The USS Maryland and Pennsylvania were only slightly damaged and soon available for service, USS Tennessee was moderately damaged. His follow-up conclusions are overly generalized and ignore the immediate affects of the raid.

Overall, this a handy, colorful summary volume, but it should not be used as a substitute for serious history. Unfortunately, the author has taken far too many liberties with the historical record for this to be considered a reliable summary.

An excellent review for the novice as well as the reader well read about the Pearl Harbor attack. Maps and diagrams reveal the placement of each aircraft and ship. This book also does a good job about detailing how severe this battle hurt the US military. Shocking to realize how little strength the US had in the Pacific on Dec. 8, 1941. Highly recommended.

RAND, as usual, produced a first-rate study here. In this text, they looked into commercial SATCOM for Department of Defense use, what roles it should fill, and cost comparison between DoD-owned satellite versus commercial satellites. Many graphs adorn the text, adding useful information to make conclusions clearer and vivid. Anyone interested in commercial satellites and the role they should play for the DoD should buy this book. No hyperbole or propaganda here, RAND's text is useful text and solid conclusions that layperson and communicator alike can understand.

All of Carl Hungness' Indianapolis 500 or Brickyard 400 yearbooks should be considered as must-have books for any serious memorabilia collector. These books are invaluable to my collection. The photgraphs are superb in all of the books.

VERY INFORMATIVE BOOK, A MUST FOR EVERY INDUSTRY SUING POTENTIOMETERES

Reading some of the hysterical attacks on this book amuses me more than a "Fawlty Towers" marathon. Examples:

"Which country has put forth more of a concerted effort to adopt Marxist ideals, which country has tried its level best to adopt economic policy more in line to that espoused by the Communist Manifesto: U.S. or Russia? Japan or China? Kenya or Tanzania Puerto Rico or Cuba? Namibia or Angola? Hong Kong or Viet Nam? West Germany or East Germany?" Guess what? NONE of those countries even TRIED to adopt "economic policy more in line to that espoused by the Communist Manifesto" (which is fundamentally not a treatise on economics -- that'd be "Das Kapital"). Each of these countries adopted backwards, reactionary regimes based on the nationalist system of "socialism in one country," directly contradicting Marx and Engels' vision of an international workers' movement.

"Let's look at the results: over 100,000,000 killed and countless imprisoned, and an ideology for the Democratic Party." Hmm, so by that logic, Christianity is an evil system of thought because of the countless hundreds of millions killed in its name, if not its actual beliefs. And anyone who thinks the Democratic Party is "communist" must lie somewhere to the right of Mussolini on the political spectrum.

"Communists should ask themselves why only murders and tyrants have espoused their ideology." Gee, I espouse communist ideology. I guess I'm a murderer and a tyrant, then. Thanks for clearing that up -- my mind had been so damaged by this evil, deceptive swill that I didn't even realize I'm one of history's great villians!

As for the book itself......well, I have to be honest, it's not that great. It was written in a hurry and it shows, not only in its brief length but in its severe disorganization (there is much overlap between the various sections) that makes reading certain parts of the book an exercise in patience and concentration -- an exercise that is quite simply not worth the trouble when there are plenty of other works out there on socialist/communist thought espousing the same ideas as Marx and Engels but in an eminently more readable fashion. The best example, I think, is the writings of Rosa Luxemburg, who maintained a relative fidelity to Marx and Engels' theories but also grappled with the practical implementation of an international workers' movement -- which she unfortunately did not live long enough to lead. (Which raises the question: if a socialist state is such an unworkable and unreasonable goal, why did they bother killing her in the first place?)

The Communist Manifesto was among the most feared and banned books in the 20th century. After reading it, I wondered why. What could cause so much fear in less then a hundred pages? The book, though short, is a good read, and doesn't talk above the heads or down to it's readers. But it proves the absurity of communism and why it was destined to doom. Pitting the workers (the prolitares) against the upper class in a constant struggle for a piece of the pie, it dictates that the workers will forever be the stepping stones of the elite to gain, control, and retain wealth. Some of Marx and Engels theories make sense, and many labor unions of today adopt many of the manifestos beliefs, but the authors forgot to take one very serious downfall of the human race into account: that of greed. As most of the communist countries show the people that become powerful and retain the control of the communist parties become rich and often the exact people that they claim to hate, living it great wealth while the "workers" suffer. (though it is mostly a satire of socialism, check out Animal Farm, a perfect example). This short books is a good read, and I encourge everyone (especially those that fear communism taking over the world, yet knowing nothing about it) to read it, and seeing why their fears are unfounded, and why it wouldn't (and didn't) work.

The book begins with a series of prefaces to different worldwide editions. Then, it reaches the core its purpose - the actual pamphlet written by Karl Marx. Marx states that all history is a history of class struggles and predicts that workers all over the world will revolt against the government for their rights and set up a Proletarian state where everything belongs to the state which uses it on the behalf of the people. Marx also shows the need to abolish religion and all other elements of the bourgeoisie, the middle class - factory owners, doctors, employers etc. His belief can be summarized into a single phrase - "Power To The People" (no pun intended). Marx's philosophy may not appeal to many but lets face it - the man is highly responsible for changing the world completely. Would our world be the same without the people he inspired? Lenin, Stalin and Mao would all cease to exist if it was not for Marx. His slogan, "Workers Of All Countries, Unite!" shook the foundations of the world as we knew it.

Sheer fantasy? Time has definitely proven otherwise. I believe that no individual has any right to criticize Marx or his theory without reading the Manifesto Of The Communist Party. Slightly technical language might cause a confusion of facts but otherwise a recommended read.

Students were asked to purchase this textbook, and most students in the class agreed that it was more or less a waste. In six terms of lab, we did no more than three experiments out of the thirty or so in the book. The discussion is often at such
a high level that the 'trees in the forest' are hidden
by the surrounding fog. If you're taking the 300 or 400-series
lab courses at OSU, just stick with what's in the
handouts...that's what I did, and I got A's on about 90%
of the reports. Even if the profs tell you to read S-G-N,
don't waste too much time on it. As a research or reference book, S-G-N is fine and probably very useful (today I'm
an industry chemist, not a researcher). But if you're
an undergrad student taking labs at OSU or any school,
put S-G-N back on the shelf for a rainy day or
return it and get a refund.

(...)IN ORDER FOR MY CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERS TO MAKE USE OF THIS TEXT SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES NEED TO BE REVIEWED (OR IF THE STUDENT HASN'T HAD P-CHEM LECTURE THEY WILL ALSO NEED A GOOD LECTURE TEXT).

AS AN EXAMPLE LET'S TAKE SPECTROSCOPY AS A TOPIC...STUDENTS COME INTO MY COURSE LARGELY QUITE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW ALL THE PARTS IN THIS BROAD, BUT VITAL AREA FIT TOGETHER. OUR STUDENTS TAKE THIS COURSE AS JUNIORS AND LESS OFTEN AS SENIORS (ENGINEEERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE SENIORS) AND MOST WILL NOT HAVE HAD DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS.

WHAT S-G-N REALLY LACKS ARE SIMPLE CLEAR EXPLANATIONS OF BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPECTROSCOPY (OR KINETICS ETC.)INCLUDED IN THE TEXT. NOT ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THE BIG PICTURE E.G. RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY... THIS IS THE FIRST MULTI-PHOTON EXPERIMENT MOST UNDERGRADS HAVE HAD AND, SADLY, THE LECTURE TEXTS OFTEN DO A POOR JOB (HERE I AM NOT COUNTING THE NUMEROUS CONCEPTUAL ERRORS THAT HAVE CREPT INTO SOME OF OUR LARGEST SELLING TEXTS) GIVING A SIMPLE EXPLANATION. TWO PHOTONS STRIKE A MOLECULE (SAY THEY ARE GREEN) AND A BLUE ONE AND A YELLOW ONE ARE EMITTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT ENERGY IS CONSERVED. IF POSSIBLE EACH EXPERIMENT NEED THIS.

P-CHEM LAB TEXTS GENERALLY DON'T GIVE A SIMPLE PICTURE OF THE CONCEPT (WHAT IT IS AND WHY ARE WE DOING THIS EXPERIMENT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT) IN SIMPLE BROAD TERMS FIRST BEFORE WE GET TO THE DETAILS. S-G-N, AS WELL AS OTHER P-CHEM LAB TEXTS NEED THAT.
YES, THERE ARE REFERENCES, BUT IT IS WISHFUL THINKING THAT STUDENTS WILL GO TO THEM WITH THE FOUR OTHER ADVANCED UNDERGRAD COURSES THAT THEY ARE TAKING. IT STILL IS THE BEST AROUND, BUT AS AN UNDERGRAD REVIEW NOTED HANDOUTS ARE OFTEN CRITICAL BECAUSE OF THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. I LECTURE FOR HALF THE SEMESTER TO OVERCOME THESE AND OTHE PROBLEMS; SHOULD THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN?

One of the most comprehensive physical chemistry lab text, SGN discusses about calculations and presentation of data, uncertainties in data and results, background and theory for each experiment. Experimentals are extremely clear and detailed, though individual instructors might develop modifications. The uncertainties section might be supplemented by John Taylor's "Introduction to Error Analysis" for more in-depth reference.

Experiments are groups into topics like Gases, Transport Properties of Gases, Solutions, Electrochemistry, Kinetics, and Spectroscopy, etc. The text also devotes incredible amount of pages on electronic devices, vacuum techniques, instruments and lab procedures for reference. Many lab texts are published, yet SGN might be the best for students.

NOTE: I have the PS2 version of the game, so I don't know how well this book works as a guide for Xbox and PC versions.
For the PS2 version, though, as a basic walkthrough, it is certainly better than nothing, but I still feel like I was misled when the book advertises itself as being for all 3 platforms (Xbox, PC, and PS2). When I got stuck on one part of the game, I consulted this book and still couldn't get through it. I accidentally flipped to the next page and then noticed what the book calls a "PS2 sidebar." At first, I thought it was something extra for the PS2 version until I looked closely and saw that it began at a point just before the part that I was stuck on. It turns out that a completely different strategy is necessary on PS2 for that part than on the other platforms. A note on the previous page that says something to the effect of "PS2 users: See side bar on next page for this part" would have been nice. That's an example of how the organization of the book is lacking.

If you have the ps2 version of this game do not get this book unless you are absolutley lost. Even then, think twice. It is written for the xbox and pc versions of the game, and it includes sidebars for the ps2 versions. Plus, the pictures shown are only for the xbox and pc versions, which will confuse a lot of people. If you have the xbox or pc versions, I give this book five stars. PS2 version, only 2.