I agree with some of the comments of the other reviewers: the book seems comprehensive and is very attractively laid out. However I am attempting to read the book on my own, not as the textbook to a course, and I am finding that it is quite badly organized. For instance, the first chapter rushes through a whole lot of stuff which is presumably covered in more detail later in the book, but they don't really tell you that, nor do they simplify it as they should if it's just an overview. In later chapters, several terms are used without being defined, and often it's impossible to tell what's going on in the figures from the captions and the text. I can imagine the book being good if you're taking a genetics course, but if you're just trying to read it and teach yourself, be prepared to be often confused...

I've used this book quite extensively in my introductory Genetics class, and I'm sure I'll be using it often as a reference in the future. It is superbly written, with clear explanations of the material.

There are many, many diagrams and photographs which help to solidify understanding, and they are all in full color. It is organized very well, although this organization has changed from edition to edition and any teacher or student using it in their courses should be aware that chapters and problems in this newer version do not always coincide with those in previous editions. The questions are excellent as well, although purchasing the solutions manual is a wise idea (it is also very well done, with long, detailed explanations of the answers to the problems).

Overall, of the 3 or 4 genetics textbooks I've looked at, this is by far the best one. In fact, it's one of the best textbooks I've ever used for any class. This one's a keeper.

I work in a Mammalian Genetics lab, I have referenced this book numerous times and I have only had it a little over a month. It is those little things we forget, but now that information is at my fingertips. Excellent, would recommend it to anyone in the field.

Although this book is centered on the matter of Mark Robarts and his moral dilemma, we also encounter his sister, Lucy. She is one who is presented to us as a real Christian woman. She takes on herself the care of Mrs Crawley who is suffering with a deadly fever. Lucy is the ideal woman, beautiful, charitable, caring. She deserves the very best and is rewarded for her efforts by becoming Lady Lufton. Mark on the other hand, suffers a great deal largely from ill-advised friendship with Sowerby. Mark wants to achieve status by ill-advised social connections. Thankfully he is saved from ruin by his friends.

(...) Framley Parsonage speaks SO directly about a subject which is so integrated into our lives that it is hardly questioned in our society, namely ambition.

The last hundred years of American society seem to speak of the primacy of "progress" as a driving force. Just look at the current discussion of flat economic indicators. God forbid that we only produce THE SAME as last year. But I digress. Trollope, in his own masterly way, writes of the temptations and difficulties which accompany ambition. And, much to my delight as a reader, he shows how his main character actually overcomes those difficulties by facing his previous moral failings head on.

(...)

Young clergyman Mark Robarts receives a choice parish, thanks to Lady Lufton, the mother of one of his university friends. However, Robarts, though newly and happily married, is not content to settle into the life of a country minister. Lured by a wealthy and worldly set of new acquaintances, he finds himself pushed into living beyond his means and, worse yet, being held legally responsible for another man's bad debts.

Meantime the young Lord Lufton has been smitten by the charms of Robarts' sister Lucy, much to the displeasure of his aristocratic mother. It take a great act of magnanimity on Lucy's part - helping the impoverished Crawley family during a crisis (the Crawleys are more prominent in "The Last Chronicle of Barset") - to finally convince Lady Lufton that Lucy is worthy of her son.

This beautifully written novel contrasts the simpler integrity, though sometimes snobbish values, of the old ways with the more meretriciously glamorous lives of a newer society. As usual, Trollope has produced a multitude of characters whose motives are completely credible, and his depiction of the different social groups provides a most vivid kaleidoscope of Victorian life and attitudes. As always, there is nothing outdated in Trollope's sure insight into human nature.

I bought this because it looked like a comprehensive resource for a H.O. that could be stuffed in my pocket, but I found myself in a bind with this book. I think it might be useful in England, but if you are not ready to work with British units and medication names it is pretty tough to use in an American hospital. I found myself scrambling for other resources when I tried to use this book. I wish I would have bought something else.

This book is one of many pocket sized texts aimed at junior doctors, but it is distinguished by its realisation of Descarte's "Ghost in the Machine". The Ghost is the collected medical knowledge of scientists and clinicians, and it is "growing and changing shape" every single day.

The Oxford Handbook helps you keep up with the Ghost in three ways: stimulation of memory, interactivity and insertions. It is a large resource of over 700 pages, including tables, diagrams and summaries of thousands of medical problems, tests and treatments, so useful brain power can be freed up from regurgitation of facts for more problem solving. It has hundreds of blank pages facing the text for notes on memorable patients, lectures, and texts. And the content is regularly reviewed and rewritten by a large team of practising doctors who are now publishing updates on a website, so you can print off new pages from the web and stick 'em in.

Round our way it's known as! the "Cheese and Onion" because it's wrapped in Yellow and Green plastic like a bag of flavoured potato crisps. It's tasty, uses British terminology and it fills a gap, too. Good for enough for anyone who needs a flavour of medicine that doesn't go stale.

"Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine" is an excellent Medicine handbook for medical students. It provides a comprehensive, essential and easily accessible information of Clinical Medicine. It is extremely useful when using on the wards. It also has blank pages for writing your personal notes in each items.

I am glad I bought this book. There is nothing new here for the reader well versed in the history of India. However, the language and presentation model is quite brisk and makes for a easy read. The material is fairly encompassing given that the purpose of the book is for the general reader. I found the narrative both interesting and fast moving. A good start for someone desiring to know present day India.

Given that so much has been written on the movement towards independence already in the last few years, I came with skepticism to this book, given that neither of the authors had significant experience in Indian history before. This becomes clear in their research and writing, which at times seems to borrow too extensively from prior works and in effect surveys previous surveys. Nonetheless, The Proudest Day accomplishes one singular feat: it paints a coherent story of more than 60 years of struggle, full of coloured yet flawed personalities such as Jinnah and Gahndi and momentous occasions, from the Amritsar Massacre to the endgame hysteria after WWII. It gives form to what more than anything was a series of stop and goes over a half a century.

Much of the author's criticism of the main protagonists is not new. The myth of Gahndi's pacifism is debunked. In Nehru's uncompromising idealism, the authors lay the blame for eventual partition. Jinnah is the consumate lawyer, manipulating and playing with legal vagueries. But it is for Mountbatten and the Congress hard-liners that the harshest criticism is reserved. Partition comes down to one missed chance in the summer of 1946. Whether or not in the emotional-charged atmosphere of Indian-Pakistan history you accept this proposition, the authors succeed in leaving that bitter feeling in the reader's mind- that partition, the holocaust that ensued after August 1947 in Punjab, and years of ensuing conflict could have all been avoided even after 50+ years of heated struggle if only in that last instance, the main protagonists laid aside their prior histories, showed their courage and seized the moment.

An exellent book delaing with the Indian independence movement.
It starts with the British massacre of hundreds of Indians attending a peaceful meeting in Jallianwallah Bagh, which tuned the tide and ends with division of of the subcontinent into Muslin Pakistan and more secular India and the loss of millions of lives on both sides of the devide during the ensuing riots, and the birth of the the Indepenedent Inida and Pakistan. The book colorfully portrays the charecters involved in the drama-the likes of Jinnah the father of modern Pakistan, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahrlal Nehru and Mountabatten and their arrogance and vanity, Gandhi's apparent dislike of Jinnah from the very begining and his non-democratic management of the congress party. Jinnah was a secular muslim and in the begining it was not his intention to carve a seperate Islamic Pakistan from the Indian subcontinent. The dogmatic refusal to accept the Cripps Mission, whose offer of the dominion status would have saved the division of the subcontinent and subsequent loss of millions of lives. The initial arrogance and later withdrawl of the British in a hurry without a great deal of thought resulting not only the worst religiously motivated riots and massive loss of lives and boarder problems between India and Pakistan. Only the common people of India emerge as the heroes in this book. It is a well researched thoughtfully written book and it should be read by any with an interest in the subcontinent.

Boston, with its many districts, is a city that welcomes exploration by foot. Boston: Mini Rough Guide (though not a walking guide per se) gives you enough concise information to launch your pedestrian journey. Each district highlighted in the guide contains the necessary information to discover all the worthwhile sites. Impressive, are the twelve pages of colored maps at the back of the guide. Accommodations, eateries, drinking, night life, performing arts and other listings normally found in a travel guide are adequate. The uniqueness of this guide is its size and concise and accurate listings.

However, a few noticeable shortcomings need to be mentioned. In this day and age any guidebook should have a listing of the top web sites that are worth viewing prior to your trip. The Boston Mini Rough Guide does not. Also, this Rough Guide tries to be all things to all people, where in today's world, differentiation in audience focus is critical. It states that the Boston: Mini Rough Guide is designed for, travelers of all ages and all budgets. For such a small condensed guide this spreads its coverage too thin. The Boston: Mini Rough Guide has failed to find a distinctive marketing niche.

In SUMMARY: Boston: Mini Rough Guide is an adequate, informative guide that is very a reasonable price and packaged in a convenient size. Conditionally Recommended.

Customers may wish to learn that this book won a prestigious Lowell Thomas award from the Society of American Travel Writers -- I think the only Rough Guide to do so. The writing evokes the city well and the listings are kept current. Good format. A great buy for all those who need a few tips for making the most out of Boston, what the authors say is "as close to the Old World as the New World gets." And how.

I have found more terrific places from this guide,,from the Marliav restaurant to shopping tips. I can tell alot of reseach went into this comprehensive book

I think what I appreciate most about this book was that it didn't focus only on the battles of World War II or the major personalities, but it examines the lives of everyday Berliners and those who lived through the city's triumphs and tragedies. The book containes the narratives of Berliners from all walks of life; the factory workers, socialites, refugees, soldiers, Jews, etc. The book examines the War through the eyes of those who experienced it first hand, but whose voices have been muted in the presence of the big names in history. This certainly isn't an earth shattering revelation, but the book is a nice addition to anyone's historical knowledge.

Starting with the Olympics of 1936, authors Read and Fisher chronicle the history of Berlin during the years prior to World War II and ending with the Battle of Berlin. Focusing not only on the known historical players such as Hitler and Goebbels, but including excerpts from diaries of every day Berliners, the book reads almost like a novel with a cast of thousands. At first, Berliners are stunned that Hitler is able to conqueror most of continental Europe through sheer bravado alone. The general consensus seems to be that eventually the world will see Hitler and the Nazis for what they really are and sanity will once again prevail. But of course, we can now look back in hindsight and realize that the complacency of the general population and the other world leaders is precisely what led to Hitler wreaking havoc on the world.

Most of the chapters are very short, no more than 3-4 pages long. This help keeps the pace of the book from bogging down into too much detail. Much information is given on the daily life of Berliners, how ration cards worked, etc. In addition, the authors do an excellent job of describing how different groups, Jews, immigrants, forced laborers, Hitler Youth, etc. reacted to the changing world as eventually Berlin spiraled into chaos. The innumerable bombings, which nightly rocked the city, are described in detail and how the city reacted, as first stunned and then eventually immune to the terror. The first 200 pages of the book cover the years from 1936 until March, 1945 while the remaining 250 pages detail the Battle of Berlin. Through complicated political considerations, the Soviets are allowed to conquer the city while the British and American troops hold back. Because the Soviet Union suffered so much during the war, especially the siege of Stalingrad, it is deemed only fitting that they make the first attempt on the city. The first wave of soldiers were professionals while the second wave of soldiers-former prisoners of the Germans, took out their hatred in raping, looting and pillaging. In the first 8 weeks after the fall of Berlin, over 90,000 German women had seen doctors due being raped by the Soviet soldiers. How many never reported this crime cannot even be estimated.

I would highly recommend this book to any student of World War II history who wants a good grasp of the social and political effects of war on a major industrialized city. Well written and well documented, the book allows readers to relive one of the most horrific time periods in modern history. It also allows the reader to better understand how the Nazis maintained their power until the very end over an educated populace. Hopefully lessons such as these will not go unheeded for future generations.

This is a wonderful book. I'm really surprised there hasn't been a movie or mini-series made of this story. This may bring back the TV mini-series if marketed properly.

Little tidbits that I hadn't known about before. The attitude of the people of Berlin during the bombings; the story about Goering(?) going down to the subways during the bombing and making jokes; the description of Zossen; the Zoo flak tower; the last dyas of Hitler, etc. A very interesting read for a long, detailed novel.

When I saw the page I recognized the cover of the book, but I could not believe what people were actually writing about it.

First I want to say that I am an undergraduate biotechnology student. I have a very strong background in biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, tissue culture techniques, and immunology; but I have not had any classes dealing with anatomy or physiology since Bio 101 way back when. I have read and am quite comfortable with Alberts Molecular Biology of the Cell and Stryers Biochemistry, and even a handful of primary journal articles, so I do know how to read a textbook.

Now with that out of the way, let me say that this book is completely incomprehensible. It is so full of anatomy and Latin derived words (which it does a poor job at explaining BTW) that I can only assume that it was meant for medical students, and to have physiology an a prerequisite for it, but it doesn't even have an introduction describing the recommended background or whom it is supposed to be for. In fact, most of the book is devoted to the physiology of sensation and movement, not neurobiology. Now if you have the background for it and thats what you are looking for then it is a very thorough text that goes into a lot of depth.

If you are looking to understand the biochemistry or molecular aspects of neurobiology, find another book!

As an undergraduate Psychobiology student, this text served me well in my Neuroscience course. In all honesty I never went. I just read this book. I got excellent marks in the class. As a serious slacker and bibliophile, I recommend this textbook for any like-minded student.

As an undergraduate Neuroscience major I found this textbook to be highly informative and well-written. It was used to a Freshman-level course, and was easy to understand, yet thorough and interesting. The graphics are well done, and the format is better than most textbooks I'm used to. Anyone, even with minimal science experience could dive right in and learn a great deal. It may not be advanced enough, however, for grad or medical students. As a reference it does okay, but there are more-advanced texts which would probably do better. All-in-all it is an excellent book. In-fact, I liked it so much that I didn't sell it back at the end of the semester and keep it on my bookshelf for future reference (and future classes!)

Things just happen : that's the sum total of wisdom.
-Torless, Young Torless

Torless, the young man of the title, leaves home to attend a boarding school in turn of the century Austria. For the first time he is freed from the moral influence of his parents and is left to his own devices, with disastrous results. At first he is merely homesick, but:

Later, as his 'homesickness' became less violent and gradually passed off, this, its real character,
began to show rather more clearly. For in its place there did not come the contentment that might
have been expected; on the contrary, what it left in young Torless's soul was a void. And this
nothingness, this emptiness in himself, made him realise that it was no mere yearning that he had
lost, but something positive, a spiritual force, something that had flowered in him under the guise
of grief.

So here is this young man, his soul a void, no parental guidance to help fill the void, and he's just entered a community where he'll be surrounded by his similarly unformed peers. It just doesn't seem likely that much good can come of this situation, nor does it.

The first attachment Torless forms is with a prince from a conservative and religious family, but they become estranged. Subsequently, he experiments with mathematics, philosophy, sexual relations with the local whore, and several other pursuits, in an attempt to fill the void. But, by far, his most important relationship is with two other boys, von Reiting and Beineberg, who have decided to start psychologically, physically and sexually abusing a classmate, Basini, whom they caught stealing money. Beineberg assures Torless:

You needn't be shocked, it's not as bad as all that. First of all, as I've already explained to you,
there's no cause to consider Basini's feelings at all. Whether we decide to torment him or perhaps let
him off depends solely on whether we feel the need of the one or the other. It depends on our own
inner reasons. Have you got any? All that stuff about morality and society and the rest of it, which
you brought up before, doesn't count at all, of course. I should be sorry to think you ever believed
in it yourself. So I assume you to be indifferent.

When Torless later joins in the degradation of Basini he does so for reasons of his own, but it is the character of Beineberg--and his eagerness to exercise power over other, "lesser", beings-- that has earned the book a reputation of having forecast the rise of Nazism. But Torless does take advantage of Basini's situation and begins to exploit Basini for sexual purposes, though he tries to hide this from the other two boys. This leads to a falling out amongst the little gang and the whole sordid story is exposed.

(...)It is interesting to contrast these books with works like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Chosen which depict how difficult it is to raise children so that they are morally centered even if you keep them at home.

Beyond this obvious level, the book can be read as a statement about the general attempt to replace traditional morality. The moral decline that Torless lives out over the course of the novel essentially parallels the descent of modern man--initially cut adrift from family and religion, he passes through varying aspects of scientific rationalism, experiments with the pursuit of mere physical pleasure, and falls under the spell of Beineberg and his theory that all morality is a social construct, that each individual is free to follow his own whims. Several times over the course of the novel, Musil assures us that Torless turns out okay in later life, that after this period of youthful confusion and experimentation, he grows into a sturdier adult. One can only hope that the same will eventually be said of the species.

Musil was writing in the first full blush of Freudianism and the novel is somewhat marred by it's reliance on Freudian themes. One hundred years ago, it may have seemed daring and honest to portray a young man's sexual fantasies about his mother; today, with Freud exposed as a quack and consigned to the ash heap of history, it simply makes Torless seem more aberrant than the author intended.

Still, it's an excellent introduction to the work of a really underrated author. A Man Without Qualities, at least what I've read of it, is even better, a genuinely funny novel of Europe approaching the cataclysm of war and the destruction of the old order.

GRADE: B

A strange and compelling tale surrounding the misdeeds and sexual proclivities of four boys in a European boarding school. Published in 1906, these are indeed the "confusions" of young Torless, a character tormented by a rationalized sense of objective intellectualism and a literal cowardice in the face of tyranny.

Basini, an effeminate teen, is caught stealing by Reiting and Beineberg. These two conniving little bastards, representives of Europe's ever pervasive fascisim, decide to "punish" Basini themselves, believeing themselves to be conducting an experiment of sorts - "how far can we take this?" What follows is a series of scenes which depict the beating, sexual dominance and systematic breaking down of Basini's pysche. Throughout these events our young Torless, a mostly silent witness to the continuative events, is tortured by his own homosexual longings for the beautiful Basini. Their relationship is consummated in a very delicately rendered scene (Shaun Whiteside's translation is expert throughout). Conflicted by his sexual longings and their inherent ramifications (one must remember this behavior was considered both scandalous and ruinous), Torless betrays his lover. In an effort to disassociate himself from all three "nefarious" characters, Torless attemps to divorce himself from all comlicity in the foregoing and subsequent torture of Basini.

Musil has illustrated with great clarity the cacophony of conflicting emotions which plague most adolescent males. That Torless is confused is apparent, that his betrayal of Basini was on a much grander scale than those of his fellows is just as apprently lost on him. Perhaps a better title for this novel would have been "The Amoralist."

"The Confusions of Young Torless" (1906), by Robert Musil (1880-1942), is the poignant story of a young man who leaves his secure conservative farm home in rural Austria, for the prestige and worldlinesss of a private upper-class boys school. He settles easily into his new school, even managing to experience some grown-up pleasures with a local prostitute. He enjoys his new freedom and intellectual stimulation, finding his new environment preferable to the staid life of home, and his new friends more sophisticated than his country parents. He meets two intellectually confident boys, Beineberg, a spiritualist philosopher, and Reiting, a logicalist mathematician, both budding into youthful ideologues, both naively experimental and both youthfully extreme. Torless is drawn to their dominant personalities, and the three form a small club, meeting secretly in an attic storage room, which the rest of the school has long forgotten.

Another boy, Basini, weak-willed and rather spineless, is caught robbing. The boys have heard his mother called "Excellency" during a visit, but for some reason Basini cannot support himself financially. To find money, he borrows it from his friends, but when he cannot repay one, he borrows from another, in an endless deception. Reiting and Beineberg catch Basini at his game, and decide to blackmail him into servitude, exhibiting the casual cruelty boys so naturally inflict upon each other. Each boy tortures Basini according to his own ideology, the philosophical Beineberg trying to manipulate his soul, the mathematical Reiting trying to demonstrate universal theories of humanity. The torture is not just psychological, but also physical, and even sexual. The entire business confuses Torless at first, and shocks him further the more he sees, ultimately forcing him to take sides. Will he join the game as well, or defend Basini himself, or leave all three to their fate? Will Torless adopt the heartless exploratory endeavors of his two intellectual and stimulating friends, or will he rediscover the old-fashioned morals of his common-place parents? And where are the adults during this brutish tableau? Will Torless surrender his friends to the school's authorities, possibly fanning the flames some more? No matter what path Torless might choose, it is clear the outcome will be dramatic.

The writing itself is first-class. An educated psychologist, and an academic contemporary of Sigmund Freud, Robert Musil demonstrates great skill describing his characters and settings. The boys are drawn in perfect psychological illustrations of reality, the plot episodes effective and well-conceived, and the entire book superbly executed. Contemporary readers will recognize the same struggle in Torless that William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" would explore a half-century later (1954): How do undisciplined youth behave in the absense of guardians?

In "Lord of the Flies", after descending into deadly primitivism, the youth can only be rescued by outside forces. In "Torless", however, the choice rests upon the shoulders of Torless himself, making this drama far more compelling than Golding's. If not for a few brief sexual episodes, the book might be much more widespread among high schools than "Lord of the Flies". Nothing in "Torless" reaches even a portion of the gratuitous frankness of popular culture today, so I only hope more schools will open their eyes to this superior tale soon. The realistic school-house drama of "Torless" speaks more effectively to the modern reader than Golding's abstract fantasy island. This book can easily be recommended to anyone interested in the themes at the heart of this concise (160pp) and well-written novel: the moral struggles of adolescence, the tension of values between a "simple country upbringing" and the "sophisticated upper-class", and the ideologically destructive potential of both ill-conceived philosophy and pseudo-science.

Not much useful, cohesive information here. More like a hodge-podge of scattered "hints". I found it to be of little practical use. Suggest Balena's book on VB 6 instead. Pass on this one!

I found that this book provided a solid understanding of a multitude of areas in VB that have been difficult. It isn't a beginners book (unless you want to use the code straight from the book), but if you have some experience, this book can open whole new areas of VB you never discovered or didn't know how to use. After following a couple chapters, I was able to create ActiveX controls with ease and even enhance my VB interface with wizards, not to mention, improving my error trapping and testing application performance.

Two things you should be aware of before purchasing this book. Some of the code on the disk is incorrect or examples are missing files. This can lead to small headaches when an example they suggest you look at doesn't work. The other is, this book only covers specific topics. Read the TOC listings to see if the book provides you the information on the topic you need. Otherwise, you'll be wasting your time.

Personally I learned more from this book than I did from my course at college. The steps to complete a project are all well laid out and easy to follow. By following the examples in the book you will learn more about Visual Basic than most other books. It is an indispensible refrence for VB6 programmers who will find it usefull after they have read it. The chapters are self-contained so you do not have to read one chapter after another in a specific order. This book is great for all levels of Visual Basic programmers. Buy the book and learn from it!

I got this book and read through it (didn't take me long. It's pretty short and actually has less than 200 pages really covering Snort). I was disappointed that it did not come with a CD with all the software. Also, this book covers Snort 1.9.0, but 2.0 just came out. I'm not sure why they didn't update everything to the latest version, which would have made it much more usefel. I guess it's not bad if you really just want a quick introduction to IDSs and Snort, but look elsewhere if you really want an in depth book on Snort.

This is the first book that I read on Snort, and I wish I had gone with something else. This book really reads like more of an overview of intrusion detection and Snort, rather than a useful reference for actually using Snort. This would be fine if the title did NOT include the words "Advanced" or "Techniques," because there is not a lot of either in this book. It also doesn't help that it's not written to the latest release. If you want to understand intrusion detection a little better and you are considering to try Snort, then this books is fine. If you want or need more, this just isn't the book.

A good book which is concise, to the point, and helps quickly build a complete IDS. It is fully focused on the Snort IDS without distracting the reader into sideline issues.