This is an excellent text for first time exposure to S plus. As a graduate student in statistics, I found this text to be appropriate and helpful. I found this text to be very readable. I would encourage professors to consider this book as an introductory text. It lacks coverage of old and new style classes but does a nice job covering the graphic capabilities of S plus.

The book provides a very good working introduction to Splus and programming in S. It is geared towards those who will be using the command line interface. There were enough examples to help me to begin to do fairly complex statistical analysis in just a few hours of starting work with a large database. After 2 years, I still find the examples and tables about graphics helpful.

The Amazon synopsis accurately describes the content and function of this book. Each chapter includes multiple examples of the structure of the syntax and use of Splus functions, and concludes with exploratory exercises (with solutions) to further the chapter theme. I am a graduate student with a modest understanding of statistics and virtually no programming experience. This book enabled me to construct custom bootstrap functions for exploratory data analysis within two days of beginning to learn Splus. This book is more easily read than any other Splus guide I have found, and I would recommend it to anyone using Splus, beginners and experienced users alike.

Unlike the other reviewers, I found this "book" to be a complete waste of money. It is a collection of materials from 'has-beens' and 'never-was' - what amounts to a big mess with no real focus.
What would have been more interesting is a single author (or a pair) rather than this hodge podge collection that reads like it was edited by grad students during a lunch break.

Look for other consulting books, there are many, and walk on by this one.

This is a great book. It has contributions from 45 different authors. The contributions are too many to list but include such areas as 360 surveys, coaching, managing change, teambuilding and many more. You are also able to download many of these which allows for easy duplication. For the price it is a tremendous value. I am glad that I purchased it.

I cannot put into words the value of this book for either the modern business consultant, general manager, or HR professional. The book is complete with absolutely wonderful tools to put to good use in your respective organizations.

"A Different Drummer" written by William Kelly is a fictional story that illuminates a real American topic. The topic of racism and finding self identity communicate the historical socio-culturial differences between Black and white lives in America. Kelly uses the subject of racism in everyday life to expose the subconscious minds of both Black and white america (this, the quest for idenity for both races). This story touches on the mental effects that life in America imposes on society. For white and Black America, William Kelly's "A Different Drummer" uses the real life topic of racism to dig deep into the cultural acceptance of Blacks society. Kelly tells this story using a fictional slave narrative in a non-linear voice to express the events of this novel.
This novel is set somewhere in the deep south in the early 1960's. The Black and white races are clearly seperated. These races exist together only as a function of society. White Americans and Black Americans know no more about each other than that of themselves. Whites in the south allow their ignorance to convince themselves to understand the other race through their efforts of folktale and misconceptions. A white character, Mister Harper, tells a story of a great African who was massive in size, strong, and dominant with independence. As Mister Harper tells this story to his peers who are mental and physical oppressors. We (the reader) are exposed to the mentality of the white community. The difference in Black and white culture, and the lack of wanting to respect and understand each other, perpetuate the confusion and rage within each race.
It is understood that the main character is Tucker Caliban. He is a quite man who finds himself through time and evolution (this is his quest for idenity). It is a feeling inside his soul, it is a feeling inside his peers souls that tell them that the way they are treated by whites in the south is totally unacceptable and will never change. It is Tucker's independence and realization of self that allow him to manifest the strength to cut off his relationship with the white south. This novel shows that the awakening is not limited to only Tucker, but it extends to all Black people in the south. It is a universal awakening that allows all Blacks in the entire state to rid themselves of their mental and physical bondage. Consequentially, the whites in this community contiue their lives in the same ways, mentally unaware of what is really taking place. The whites only observe the exodus of Blacks. The white community has yet to realize the situation, yet to visualize their violent ways. It is this hate and this rage in the south that ignite this cultural-socio awakening. It is this awakening that will continue to fuel enlightenment and independence within the Black community as the drum continues,as the drum beats on,,,,drum,drum,,drum,DRUM,,,,D R U M,,,,,,,,,,,,

Different Drummer set in a fictional Southern state is a story about a former slaver, Tucker Caliban who is a descendent of a legendary African slave. Tucker Caliban a black Southerner burns down his home and his fields seemingly for no good reason and then packs up his family and personal belongings to head North. Consequently this event leads to a revolution and several blacks in Tucker's fictional town start to follow.

This story continues the African American slave narrative genre by including the element of "storytelling." Kelley uses a nonlinear plot sequence folk aesthetic to portray this powerful story about the Civil Rights Movement. The setting of the story is a rural setting and the story is told from the perspective of several different whites and former slaveholders. Also adding to the power of the story is the use of nonstandard English/Southern dialect.

The major themes of this book are slavery vs. freedom and also the quest for identity. Throughout development of the plot it became clear that Tucker had a clear motivation for his rebellion. Tucker Caliban's journey from the South is about searching for his true self, his identity as an African American without the remnants of slavery associated with living in the South. The story brings in the viewpoint of several characters including his former slavemaster and a character by the name of Reverend Bradshaw who becomes mixed up with Tucker Caliban's rebellion and is used in the book as a scapegoat. Kelley's writing style and careful plot make this a very interesting read.

This is one of the most deeply imaginative, powerful books that I have ever read. William Melvin Kelley, clearly a master of the English language, gets right to the heart of the human spirit, in all of its bravery and its desire for dignity. It is the story of one man's leadership and impact. This novel will make you want to rise up and strive to make a difference in your life and in those of others. It is a haunting tale that will stay with you long past your first reading.

This book of Billy Elliot is the complete script of the movie. The script itself is fantastic but this book is very thin: the book has more or less 120 pages so as you may imagine you can read it all on one day...

Curiously, this version of Billy Elliot (a novelization written by Melvin Burgess) was obviously written to appeal to young adult readers of about jr. high/high school age, who, strangely enough, would not likely be old enough to go see or even really interested in a film such as Billy Elliot in the first place. This novelization unfortunately washes away the directness and vividness so apparent in the written screenplay. The descriptions interspersed within the dialogue take much of the original starkness of the play and movie away, leaving Billy to seem rather flat emotionally. The strife and hardship of Billy's struggle to attain his goals in light of his difficult family situation is largely defused. Lee Hall's excellent screenplay is FAR superior!! Pick that up and by-pass Melvin Burgess's attempt.

It is just brilliant although it isn't very long you just have keep reading you cannot put it down it is just brilliant!

The book is a choppy read. There are instances where the read flows like water from a Florida spring. However, it can be dry as Texas during a drought. To give it justice you must be a persistant reader.

I had to read this book for school and it was pretty good. The only reason it is popular in Brooklyn is that you can't find this book anywhere else and since over 75 people had to read it for school, and our teacher suggested getting it here, everyone bought it.

Citizen Tom Paine was written by Howard Fast in 1943, at a time when we were fighting World War II, and badly needed to remember who we were, and what our values were. It did the job splendidly, and with great eloquence! We can use that sort of reminder once again - and that sort of integrity!

Tom Paine grew up in eighteenth century England as a member of the poorest class in London during a time when the poor were treated like throw-away items, to be killed, imprisoned or deported for very small infractions like stealing a loaf of bread. He was a tall, ugly man with a hook nose and crooked eyes.

Paine managed to scrape together fare for a boat trip to the new world, arriving at a time when the country was in great turmoil over whether or not to secede from England. Tom wrote a small book he called "Common Sense," which caught the imagination of the entire country and ended by selling hundreds of thousands of copies. In a very real sense, Paine's words made the revolution possible.

Friend of all the governmental leaders of the time, including Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and both Sam and John Adams, Paine never lost touch with the poorest of the common people, fought with the ragged Union army during the early, hopeless struggle of its beginnings, helped Washington finally to get food and supplies for his men at Valley Forge.

After the war Paine wrote a small book he called The Rights of Man, which became popular all over Europe as well as America, and helped to win supporters for the new American republic, and later, for the French Revolution.

Finally, he wrote a book called The Age of Reason, denouncing organized religions of all kinds as tyranny over the minds of men, saying that there should be no intermediaries between God and each man. In thus expressing his deeply-felt beliefs by the writing of this book, Paine suffered almost universal wrath and violent rejection by churchgoers everywhere, and died in illness, poverty and total obscurity.

Fast's account of Paine's life is in my mind his best book, and deserves to be read by all Americans who are lovers of freedom and who may have (or need) the courage to maintain individual beliefs not necessarily those of most people!

I never read this book. But this guy teaches me a Philosophy class that is pretty unuseful. So don't buy it. Who really cares if the mind and soul is the same or not. A message to all philosophers: LISTEN TO PUNK ROCK (and stop wonderind who you are).

I took his philosophy class 6 years ago and I'd say it was the most enlightening, fun, and challenging class I ever had in college.

i used this book in teaching my high school philosophy class. excellent primary source material, and text prose. covers a wide variety of philosophers - both classical and modern. if you wish to begin a study of philosophy, this text is an excellent start

One problem with this book is that it refutes other forms of cooperative altruism such as reciprocal altruism instead of combining them with the theory and expanding upon them. The Handicap Principle is one of a few theories on explaining cooperative behavior in different species and the authors here give it a good starting point to their theory. It seems that several theories stemming from evolutionary research need to use the cooperation they often rave about and come together to overcome their flaws.

Why does the peacock grow that tail? Why does the springbok leap straight up into the air when it sees a predator? Why do people behave heroically? The handicap principle answers these questions, eloquently, simply and with an overwhelming sense of conviction. The peacock is advertising his fitness. He is saying to the female in essence, I am so fit I can carry around this cumbersome adornment and still scratch out a very fine living. The springbok is saying to the predator: don't even think about going after me. I am in such good shape I can waste energy jumping up and down and still have plenty of reserves to outrun you. Save us both the bother and go after someone weaker. (By the way, the springbok jumps straight up instead of sideways because by jumping straight up its performance can be effectively judged by a predator from any direction.) And the man who dives into the swiftly flowing river to save a drowning child is actually advertising his fitness and improving his station in society. He is so fit he can take chances that others dare not. He's the man the women want to mate with.

The Handicap Principle thus is about signals, signals between prey and predator, between one sex and the other, and between the individual and the group. The purpose of these signals is to display in an unequivocal way the fitness of the signaler. Note that such signals have to be "fake proof." They have to be what the authors call "reliable." An animal that can't run fast and has limited resources of energy can't waste them jumping in the air. It needs to get going immediately or to stay hidden if it is to have any chance of survival. A man leads with his chin. That's a signal that he's confident. When men had beards it was a little dangerous to stick your chin out since the other guy might grab your beard and you could be in trouble. People demonstrate wealth by wasting money. This is a "reliable" (if ugly) signal because without an ample supply of money, you can't afford to waste it.

Part of the beauty of this book comes from the personality of the authors, who spent a large part of their lives studying little babbler birds in Israel. I feel I know these little social birds just from the loving descriptions in the text. One can see that even though the Zahavis made their discovery of the handicap principle in 1975 and waited almost two decades before it was generally accepted in the scientific community, they harbor no bitterness, nor is their tone at all gloating. They come across as hard-working field scientists who love their work and nature.

Besides being full of exciting and original ideas, The Handicap Principle is also extremely well written. Each sentence is clear and to the point without the burden of unnecessary jargon or the wordy clumsiness sometimes found in such books. Amotz and Avishag Zahavi took great pride in effectively communicating their ideas to a wide audience. Additionally there are scores of exquisite, loving little black and white drawings by illustrator Amir Balaban of animals, birds, insects and people, etc., illuminating the text.

If you're interested in evolutionary theory, this is a book not to be missed. As Jared Diamond says on the cover, "Read this fine book, and discover what the excitement is all about."

This very readable book covers a wide range of biological behavior, and really demonstrates the reality of the Handicap Principle. Not only am I convinced of its truth, but now understand much more about human behavior than before.

Disappointing. Fundamentals may be sound, but the examples are extremely out of date (unless you think George Carlin and Lily Tomlin are up-and-comers and Danny Thomas is current). Reads like it was written by an old-timer, and the approach is largely shtick.

This is one of those books that are way too long than it should be. Very unfocused writing. Good ideas, but the author can't write. But three stars for a good analysis of what is comedy. Comedy is something with a surprise and something that makes you feel superior. The latter is so true and I never thought about it in that way...good analysis. The author really breaks down on the ingredients of a good joke. Good for anyone stuck and trying to create new jokes. But don't feel bad, Letterman has a team of writers that write his jokes, and he's still not funny.

I borrowed this book from my grandmother. I am already writing a comedy book and a lot of what this man says is true. I don't really feel that it is outdated. Lots of the written jokes were funny in here. The best comedy books I have read so far are Braindrppings by George Carlin, Poltically Correct Bedtime Stories and MAD magazines.

I like the premise of this book, a black comedy about the Holocaust, however, it never quite jelled into an good read for me. The book starts right as the war is ending and American tanks are rolling in to liberate concentration camps. A few odd survivors make their way across this bizarre landscape, meet up, and form a "gang." Through forgery and trading, they turn into rich men by cynically working both the system and the black market that arises with the fall of the Nazis. Everything is a buildup though, for the big score, a 4 x 4 foot cube of gold extracted from the mouths of Jewish prisoners. Along the way, there are all kinds of oddballs and kooks running around and sincere, naive people to be exploited. None of this is as funny as it's made out to be, however. The book is interesting for the unsentimental look it takes at the time and place, but it takes a little to long to accomplish that task.

Melvin Jules Bukiet has to be one of the most promising young writers around, based on the evidence of this book. I would love to say that it's as good as some of its promotion would suggest and that it accomplishes both of the things it has obviously set out to do: one, to write a realistic post-Holocaust novel with survivors as complex characters rather than symbols; two, to parody the genre of Holocaust literature, not in a spirit of cruelty but one of insight. It would seem to be almost impossible to do both at once, which is probably why "After" does not quite come off as either a novel or a satire. The heavy cultural symbolism which Bukiet is trying to send up ends up weighing down his characters to the point where--with one very significant exception--they stop being real people. The satire is also self-indulgent: one is never quite sure whether it is aimed at the reality of the Holocaust (which has, incidentally, received at least six "comic" treatments before this one), or at the serious literature of the Holocaust, or some of the more vulgar conventions of popular culture. The resulting book is something of a jumble, and seems to resort to current postmodern cliches more out of desperation than to make a statement. This is a real pity, because Bukiet is a spectacularly talented writer and could have written one of the great books of the century if he had been able to focus his material somewhat better. The best evidence of his talent lies in his fictional portrait of Elie Wiesel as "Der Schreiber." Subtle, compassionate enough to be brutal (and vice versa), and deeply insightful, it alone is worth the price of the book; it is worthy of such a master of real-life irony as Satyajit Ray, and calls to mind Ray's film "Devi" (with an added twist). The rest of "After" is not on this level--itself ironic, because Bukiet makes much of the contrast between his hero and "Der Schreiber" (a sign that authors should never fall in love with their characters). This book is highly recommended (from someone who almost never likes secondhand Holocaust fiction), but read it as much for what it doesn't do as what it does.

The author tells a story well, but also plays with the reader. Several times you will stop, scratch your head and ask,"Was that directed to me?...and then the story continues. I loved the cynicism or blind faith (in anything) of the various characters and the slow corrosion thereof. The subject matter is facinating and rarely explored. Best of all, this is not a sappy, emotional story, actually, quite the opposite. When a holocaust story makes you laugh, it should be explored

I see these great reviews to this book and wonder if we read the same book...

I wasn't impressed with this book at all. I never give this low of rating but I felt I totally wasted my money and gained nothing from the book.

Like the other reviewers say full of other mail order campaigns. That is right, most of the entire book. If you are looking for ideas as what to see then maybe that can help you. If you already know what you want to mail order I didn't see where this book helped at all. The book is full of photocopies of others campaigns and I got absolutely nothing out of the entire book that helped, enthused or motivated me at all.

"How To Get Rich In Mail-Order" is an incredible source of examples, knowledge and inspiration from a man who has been successful marketing several products through mailorder.

I'm not sure why one of the reviews on this book states that Mr. Powers doesn't spend much time on "How To". I believe that this book does provide you with exactly that.

You are not provided with a step by step process because the product that you may want to market and your audience will be different then mine - but the author gives you everything you need and prompts you with thought provoking questions and exercises.

You are also provided with suggested reading to maximize your own mailorder campaign.

You can't go wrong with this book. I devoured it in two nights and at the end of my read, I picked uo the phone and called Melvin Powers. Guess who answered the phone? His wife. She passed me to melvin who appeared to be in his kitchen.

He really does run a million dollar company out of his home. Now I do too. Thanks Melvin.

Steal this one if you have to. It's top of the line.

Im JB Stevenson and I have to admit that Mr Powers has been germain to my success as an author and mail order entrepreneur. I used his street savy and implemented many aspects into my own venture, creating a successful INTERNET mail order business. His book also helped me write my book, "Building An Internet Based Mail Order Business First Class" (ISBN 0-9666403-0-6). If you think you want to go into the "mail order" business, take it from someone who has been there and done that, do not begin without his book. JB.