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Book reviews for "DiMeglio,_John_Edward" sorted by average review score:

Angels and Mortals: Their Co-Creative Power
Published in Paperback by Quest Books (1990)
Author: Maria Parisen
Amazon base price: $14.95
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The World of Pharmacy in your Pocket
A classic standby...for checking unfamiliar generic names, or new meds, to confirming suggested dosage limits. Small enough for a coat pocket, but generally up to date enough to be very useful.

Handy quck reference for medical providers
This was the best 20$ I spent on a book in college, and it has still worked well for me in practice. Outlined with each drug is cost information and clinical pearls/pertinents which are extremely useful. Very user-friendly!


A History of Modern Psychology
Published in Hardcover by International Thomson Publishing (1999)
Authors: Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz, R. John Huber, Cynthia Edwards, and David Heining-Boynton
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Adequate, yet not overbearing summation of modern psychology
Schultz and Schultz offer a wonderful summation of the history of psychology. Many history of psychology texts are large and burdensome, but Schultz and Schultz sift out the waste and offer the facts. Interesting anecdotes about psychology's pioneers are offered, and the social climate surrounding the perspectives of each school of thought is also mentioned. All in all, this is a great book to have in the collection for the average historian of psychology. The authors, unfortunately, do present the information in a rather bland display. More color and layout effect would be useful and appealing. Furthermore, the chapter on the impact of women and minorities in psychology should not just be thrown on the end of the book ... it should be integrated throughout. Other than those two drawbacks, however, the book is wonderfully done.

At the Front of the Pack: An Appraisal of the Text
"The focus of this book is the history of modern psychology, that period beginning in the late 19th century when psychology became a separate, independent discipline. Although we cannot ignore earlier philosophical thought, we concentrate on issues that relate directly to the establishment of psychology as a new and distinct field of study. We are presenting a history of modern psychology, not of psychology and all the philosophical work that preceded it" (Preface).

The text is thorough in its task, recounting the movements of each school of thought and integrating a knowledge of the social context in which they evolved, recognizing that no such movement can develop as an independent entity, avoiding the philosophical climate of the times. The book "discuss[es] the contributions of the pivotal figures who shaped the field, noting that their work was influenced by the times in which they flourished and by the context of their own life experiences" (Preface).

The text also discusses "each school of thought in terms of its connection to the scientific ideas and discoveries that precede and follow it. Each school evolved from or revolted against the existing order and in its turn inspired viewpoints that challenged, opposed, and eventually replaced it. With the hindsight of history, we can trace the pattern and the continuity of development of modern psychology" (Preface).

The text is comprehensive, thorough, and illustrative in its presentation of modern psychology's evolutionary pathway, an excellent choice for undergraduate course study in the field.

The seventh edition was published in 2000.


Is the Spaghetti Ready? (Edwards, Frank B., New Reader Series.)
Published in School & Library Binding by Bungalo Books (1998)
Authors: Frank B. Edwards and John Bianchi
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A FUN book for young children!
My almost 3-year-old loves this book and the others in the series! The language is simple and he thinks he is reading the book himself since he has it memorized. My 6-year-old was able to read the books to his brother! Small children will love this book series especially if they like animals. It may be a bit too repetitious for older children.

Is the Spaghetti Ready?
I learned that when the folks came up and asked for food, the lady gaeve them food! More and More animals came up! The lady asked them why they were not eating! They said, "We were waiting for you! She came to the table and they ate together!


More Games Trainers Play
Published in Paperback by McGraw-Hill Trade (01 May, 1983)
Authors: Edward E. Scannell and John W. Newstrom
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Good Resource
This really is an excellent book for finding activities to add to your training sessions. There are a lot of great games in this resource. The games are listed by subject matter to make it easy to get right to where you want to go and the games are just as relevant as they ever were.

The only reason that I didn't give it a five is that I don't care for the typeset and overall presentation of the book, but these things are easily overlooked when you find a great new activity.

STILL A GREAT CHOICE
Don't be put off by this book's 1983 publication date. It is still one of the best sources of icebreakers and other training exercises. It's value?--the book's not just for professional trainers. It can be used by just about anyone who needs some ideas about what to do when you get up in front of a group--any group. It's not cluttered by lectures or lengthy explanations. You just jump right in and flip through the samples. It's even fun just to browse. This is the second in a series of training game books by Scannell and Newstrom. Look at one and you'll probably want all three!


Quantum Fields and Strings: A Course for Mathematicians
Published in Hardcover by American Mathematical Society (1999)
Authors: Pierre Deligne, Pavel Etingof, Daniel S. Freed, Lisa C. Jeffrey, David Kazhdan, John W. Morgan, David R. Morrison, Edward Witten, N.J.) Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, and Et Al
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Definitely for mathematicians only
This book is an excellent compliation of articles written for mathematicians who want to understand quantum field theory. It is not surprising then that the articles are very formal and there is no attempt to give any physical intuition to the subject of quantum field theory. This does not mean however that aspiring physicists who want to specialize in quantum field theory should ont take a look at the contents. The two volumes are worth reading, even if every article cannot be read because of time constraints. All of the articles are written by the some of the major players in the mathematics of quantum field theory. Volume 1 starts off with a glossary of the terms used by physicists in quantum field theory and is nicely written. The next few hundred pages are devoted to supersymmetry and supermanifolds. A very abstract approach is given to these areas, with the emphasis not on computation but on the structure of supermanifolds as they would be studied mathematically. There is an article on classical field theory put in these pages, which is written by Pierre Deligne and Daniel Freed, and discussed in the framework of fiber bundles. The discussion of topological terms in the classical Lagrangian is especially well written. There is an introduction to smooth Deligne cohomology in this article, and this is nice because of the difficulty in finding understandable literature on this subject. Part Two of Volume 1 is devoted to the formal mathematical aspects of quantum field theory. After a short introduction to canonical quantization, the Wightman approach is discussed in an article by David Kazhdan. Most refreshing is that statement of Kazhdan that the Wightman approach does not work for gauge field theories. This article is packed with interesting insights, especially the section on scattering theory, wherein Kazdan explains how the constructions in scattering theory have no finite dimensional analogs. The article by Witten on the Dirac operator in finite dimensions is fascinating and a good introduction to how powerful concepts from quantum field theory can be used to prove important results in mathematics. A fairly large collection of problems (with solutions) ends Volume 1. The first part of Volume 2 is devoted entirely to the mathematics of string theory and conformal field theory. The article by D'Hoker stands out as one that is especially readable and informative. D. Gaitsgory has a well written article on vertex algebras and defines in a very rigorous manner the constructions that occur in the subject. The last part of Volume 2 discusses the dynamics of quantum field theory and uses as much mathematical rigor as possible. One gets the impression that it this is the area where it is most difficult to proceed in an entirely rigorous way. Path integrals, not yet defined mathematically and used throughout the discussion. The best article in Volume 2, indeed of the entire two volumes is the one on N = 2 Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. It is here that the most fascinating constructions in all of mathematics find their place. These two volumes are definitely worth having on one's shelf, and the price is very reasonable considering the expertise of the authors and considering what one will take away after reading them.

Lots to learn...
These articles are great. Fills the ubiquitous need to retract the gap between then conceptual and rigorous framework of the subjects.

Physicists interested in the mathematical aspects of quantum field/string theory would do well to read these volumes as well.

Deserving, in my opinion, more than 5 stars -- many more!!


Saipan: The War Diary of John Ciardi
Published in Paperback by Univ of Arkansas Pr (1988)
Authors: John Ciardi and Edward Cifelli
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A wonderful read
A wonderful read, the author's insight that in war, we are not "killing machines", but human beings. John Ciardi writes about experiencing fear, loneliness, despair, and hope. His diary is but a small sample of the soldiers and pilots on Saipan who were so close to the Japanese homeland and no end to the war in sight.

Really fine!
Here's a poet who was a gunner in a B-29 over Tokyo, and who kept a diary during his months on Saipan. Really fine, really worth reading, for the unvarnished thoughts of the man who kept the journal. Unlike most such journals, it hasn't been edited for publication, though there are a few of Ciardi's own afterthoughts.


Collectors Guide to Diecast Toys and Scale Models: Identification & Values
Published in Paperback by Collector Books (1998)
Author: Dana Johnson
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The Scopes Trial as a Local Public Relations Event
Lost in the many legendary treatments of the Scopes trial are the details of the local context. Every event of mythic proportions about ideas also involves ordinary people in real surroundings. This brief photographic history provides that background, while correcting many of the popular misconceptions about the trial. This book contains many worthwhile details of how the case came to occur in Dayton, Tennessee and the lasting effects on Tennessee. The legislature continued to toy with evolution as a subject, even in the 1990s.

The case itself was pretty much a put-up job. Dayton had been on the economic skids for years. The ACLU wanted a test case of the new Tennessee criminal statute barring the teaching of evolution. Whoever prosecuted someone under the law could make a few extra dollars for the local community with the expected publicity. The local leaders in Dayton asked the new teacher, John Scopes, if he would be willing to go along. He was, and the rest is history.

The photographs capture a sense of the town at the time, and the festival atmosphere. They are not particularly outstanding photographs, but do add a note of reality to something that is otherwise very abstract to many of us. The captions that go with them are quite extensive.

I enjoyed the introduction by Edward Caudill that filled in many gaps in my understanding of the trial's background.

I graded the book down one star for the considerable repetition among the introduction, the captions, and the afterword. With more editing, this could have been a more compact and vital volume.

Like many important events where ideas clash, the physical reality is less important than the judicial precedent of contesting the right of ideas to be expressed in a few society. If you had a photographic history of the Magna Carta, the document itself and its application would still be the main story. The same is true of the photographs around the Scopes trial. The publicity around the case had more significance than the trial itself. It served to rally both scientific thinkers and fundamental religionists to their respective causes.

How can public debate advance understanding and cooperation rather than division? That question seems to be the heritage of this famous trial. In today's world, abortion seems to be playing a similar dividing role. What is missing to create progress on such a powerfully troubling issue?

May you always find the words to frame better questions, that reveal new understanding for all!

A nice collection of photographs with insightful captions
When I was in high school I read L. Sprague de Camp's account of "The Great Monkey Trial," became enamored of H. L. Mencken, and was fascinated with Dudley Field Malone's speech in Dayton. My interest in the Scopes Trial was such that eventually I used it as my dissertation topic. Since that time I have continued to collect materials about the trial and have followed contemporary versions of the 1925 battle between science and religion with quite some interest. It is certainly nice to have such an extension collection of photographs from the trial, especially since I have not seen most of the 38 shots. For me the best of the "new" photographs is of Rabbi Herman Rosennasser delivering a mock class in biblical translation. Having heard of the rabbi's fascinating translation of Genesis from Hebrew into German and then into English to make its meaning compatible with the theory of evolution. Except for shots of the monkeys that were brought to Dayton, all of the photographs are full page shots covering all of the major players and the fun both inside and outside of the Rhea County Courthouse. There seems to have been a concerted effort not to include a lot of the traditional shots (e.g., Judge Raulston and the jury posing outside the courthouse).

The introduction by Edward Caudill, author of "Darwinian Myths: The Legends and Misues of a Theory" provides a 20-page of the drama in Dayton that covers the passage of the Butler Act, the ACLU's decision to intervene, the defense putting Bryan on trial and the legacy of the case. It is a concise coverage of the multi-faceted trial, certainly superior to the mostly erroneous treatments found in so many reference books that confuse the play/film "Inherit the Wind" with the actual trial. Jesse Fox Mayshark, a senior editor of a Knoxville weekly newspaper, provides an afterword "Seventy-five Years of Scopes" that provides some nice insights into what the trial has meant to the State of Tennessee. Since the volume is published by the University of Tennessee Press this is not particularly suprising, but it is a topic that has been pretty much dismissed in the past and I found it quite interesting.

What I really liked were the photo captions provided by Edward J. Larson, who won the 1998 Pulitizer prize for history for his book on the Scopes Trial, "Summer for the Gods." Whereas Caudill provides the groundwork for the photographs, Larson provides the detail work. Certainly it would be worth your while to have read Larson's book before you go through these photographs. The more you know about the Scopes Trial the more you will appreciate what you are seeing and reading in this photographic history.

Personally I would have liked to have seen portraits of my hero Malone and A. T. Stewart, the true head of the prosecution in Dayton, because the importance of those two men in the trial is always underplayed in the literature. The most glaring photographic ommissions of course would be the celebrated cross-examination of William Jennings Bryan by Clarence Darrow that took place on a platform on the courthouse lawn. I have seen a half-dozen photographs of this infamous confrontation and am surprised one is not included. But since the photos came from the collections of W.C. Robinson (he ran the drug store in Dayton where the plan for the trial was hatched) and Sue K. Hall, I have to temper my disappointment. Overall this is certainly a first class presentation of a collection of photographs.


The Social History of the Machine Gun
Published in Paperback by Johns Hopkins Univ Pr (1986)
Authors: John Ellis and Edward C. Ezell
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An unusual perspective
Mr. Ellis has written a most unusual book. His thesis contends that the invention of the machine gun and the failure of the military to recognize it significance in the decades leading up to WWI, considering it useful only against tribesmen and other "primitives", led directly to the horrific slaughter of WWI and the static warefare of the trenches. He looks in depth at the military subculture of Victorian England and how it was incapable of recognizing the significance of the machine gun-and those who attempted to place the weapon into the British Army's scheme of things were sanctioned and gagged. When we finally get to the chapter on WWI it is akin to reading one of Shakespear's tragedies. The inevitability of the butchery is made all that more terrible by the knowledge that the deliberite myopia of the British and French higher command ensured that their troops used outmoded tactics against emplaced German forces and their Maxim guns. The author gives one case where two German machine guns annihilated a six-hundred man British infantry battalion in the space of a couple of hours with no casulties sustained by the Germans. In other words six German soldiers killed and wounded hundreds. The final chapter covers the years following WWI as well as the role of the weapon in movies of all things. Some might disagree with Mr. Ellis, that the invention of one device could be responsible for such sweeping changes in both social and military circles is unrealistic, but Mr. Ellis presents a very skillfull work that states just that. If you are looking for a technical history of the machine gun then this book isn't for you, but if you are curious about the impact that the industrial revolution has made on humanity then this book will be a fascinating read.

The obsolescence of the soldier
This is a unique book. John Ellis has written more than a technical history of the machine guns, a weapon which has really revolutionized the battlefields and the military world. Mr. Ellis tells us a story about the resilience of customs, practices and traditions, in spite of the fact that the material reality that once enabled these customs and practices to thrive have already gone away. The 19th Century's officers and commanders were accustomed to thinking in terms of human intrepidity and courage as the most important attributes to carry the day in the battlefields. Machine guns were the first specific application of the technique and logic of the industrial revolution in military combat. Firing an inordinate stream of bullets, machine guns came to be the definitive symbols of the machine age in military history, regardless of marksmanship or easy targets. Nevertheless, ingrained beliefs die hard. The militaries in all major powers continued to cling to the idea of the irreplaceability of the infantry and cavalry charges, with bayonets, swords and lances, as the final judge of victory or defeat in military matters. In this sad tale about the final triumph of the material conditions against an ideal and constructed world, there would not be any place for happy endings. Archaic tactics and a longing for offensives, on the one hand, plus the continued production of more powerful and improved machine guns, on the other, set the backdrop for the appalling bloodbaths of the First World War, like Gallipoli, Verdun and the Somme. This is a book that will please not only social scientists or scholars, but also anyone with an interest in this topic (First World War, military matters and gun history) with a sophisticated taste for reading and studying. It is important to mention also the dozens of wonderful pictures and drawings that illustrates all the book, which give the reader enhanced pleasure.


Que Tal Si Dios Fuera El Sol
Published in Hardcover by Jodere Group (2001)
Author: John Edward
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A Novel for John Edward Fans Only!
I'm a believer in the afterlife and a fan of John Edward as a psychic medium. I loved his first book, "One Last Time: A Psychic Medium Speaks to Those We've Loved and Lost." But as a novelist...well, let's just say, I hope Edward doesn't quit his day job.

"What If God Were the Sun?" is too short (141 pages) to be considered a novel; it's more of a "novelette," or a long short-story. There is not enough action or character development to draw the reader in. Since Edward is first and foremost a psychic, and not a writer, the oversight might be understandable; however, a good editor might have tried to convince him that sometimes more is not only more, but necessary.

Another drawback is the switching back and forth between characters and time. In this instance, the fact that the book is so short may have been a plus because it made it less of a task to figure out who was speaking now vs. who was speaking two pages ago.

Like all good novels, there is a twist to "What If God Were the Sun?" and this one is handled adequately, considering the few pages allotted to set up and deliver it. Again, I just wish Edward had spent as much time developing his characters as he did trying to get across his point about the continuation of life after physical death.

I would recommend this book only to people who are (a) believers in an aferlife and/or (b) fans of John Edward. Readers who are simply looking for good plot and character development will undoubtedly be disappointed.

A heart-warming story, unique; one of a kind
This book makes you a participant in the story. If you're looking for a heart-warming tale that gives hope of love lasting past the death of the physical body, this is it. This book is unique, in that the story is about the endless circle of love that transcends the earthly plane. John Edward fans will recognize John himself, in the fictional main character, as he describes his family, and his feelings about how we deal with life, death, family and God. A very easy read, with interesting plot devices. I recommend this book highly, and I look forward to more fictional tales from John Edward about the nature and importance of the spirit.

Absolutely Fantastic!
I read this book in a little over 2 hours ... I simply could not put it down. Anyone who has lost someone dear to them needs to read this book. John Edward drives home the point that our lives here on Earth are temporary and we'll all be together again in the Afterlife. It's a very comforting, albeit short, novel that warms the heart and assures the reader that our departed loved ones are still with us, watching over us. Although the story itself was simple, I found myself smiling a lot while reading it. Many of the instances proving life-after-death rang true to me, i.e., feeling a tap on the shoulder soon after the death of a loved one. That happened to my sister-in-law about 5 mins. after my father-in-law died in his hospital bed.

I ordered this book for my best friend who recently lost her husband. She's not a "believer" in psychics, but I'm confident she'll enjoy this book since it's a novel and not the typical "psychic reading" book. John Edward is the best! So, buy this book for a quick, warm & fuzzy read!


Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine: Over 100 Dishes With To-Die-For Taste Made With To-Live-For Recipes
Published in Hardcover by Gotham Books (14 April, 2003)
Authors: Patti Labelle and Laura Randolph Lancaster
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It brings a greater meaning to the words "pain and loss".
John Hersey's Hiroshima is one of the better books I have read about the atomic bomb that brought an end to World War II. His personal account of the six hibakusha took the devastation and destruction the bomb brought to a more significant level. The stories of Miss Sasaki, Dr. Fujii, Mrs. Nakamura, Dr. Sasaki, Father Kleinsorge, and Reverend Tanimoto touched my heart---as well as many others I know. The vivid details he used made me realize that when we dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, we dropped pain and disaster on the hundreds of thousands of people living there. The last chapter, "The Aftermath," really brought home the effects of the bombing, because even after 40 years many Japanese were still suffering from radiation sickness and other diseases. It was definitely a long, hard road to recovery these people had to travel. No matter what the history books say or what Hersey has presented in his novel, though, the bombing can be summed up with one phrase: "Shikata ga-nai---it can't be helped."

Hard to follow, but good
On August 6, 1945 a noiseless flash spread out across the early morning sky of Hiroshima. One of the greatest diasters of World War II had just occurred. This is the story of six people of all different social classes surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. With an explosive force of 12,500 tons of dynamite it completely annihilated the city of Hiroshima. This book is the stories of six survivors excatcly as they remember it with no detail left out. Although they endured the same horror they all have very different points of view about what happened on that fateful day. This book tells the stories of Miss Toshinki Sasaki, Dr. Masakzu Fujii, Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, and The Reverend Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto. It conveys the message, that through the horrors of war, some good can come out of it. For instance, people joining together to help others in a time of need or distress. A book that has the ability shed light on the horrors the Japanese people faced is truly a work of art. John Hersey has written a masterpiece of literature that should and MUST be read by everyone.

Stunning
On August 6th, 1945, a bomb with the explosive force of 12,500 tons of dynamite was shot into the heart of the Japanese metropolis of Hiroshima. Not only did the initial blast virtually topple the city, maiming and killing tens of thousands, but the radiation unleashed by the atomic bomb inflicted countless more with radiation poisoning that caused chronic sickness and even more gruesome deaths. Less than a year after the attack, journalist, John Hersey, interviewed six survivors for a special edition of the New Yorker. The issue sparked a sensation, selling out within hours and gathering extensive acclaim from Hersey's peers. The article was sent to members of the Book-of-the-Month club as a selection and was read aloud on special radio broadcasts all across the world.

Reading the paperback edition of Mr. Hersey's extensive article, I had little difficulty seeing why it gathered such acclaim. He does not just take readers to the scene of the bombing; he takes them behind the eyes of those affected. Mr. Hersey temporarily disregarded the sociopolitical and moral debate concerning the atomic attack and told a straightforward, compelling and vivid story of human beings coming face to face with mammoth, almost surreal, tragedy. This new addition, featuring an additional chapter that reveals the fates of the six survivors forty years later and describes the social stigma, medical difficulties and psychological and philosophical adjustments involved in being a "hibakusha" or "explosion-effected person" only makes this journalistic triumph even better. I highly recommend Hiroshima to anyone interested in atomic warfare, World War II, Japanese culture or those who simply wish to read about the human experience at its most grave and epic.


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