When I started training in Family practice I searched for a large reference book to study from. I choose this text because it was written so well. The Language is direct, the explanations are clear and the advice is well founded. Now that I am in training the book is not as helpful as I hoped. Most of the time I find the treatment on any given topic too shallow for what I have to learn. I belive this is the result of a compromise between size and completness. I now wish I had saved my money and bought three textbooks - Harrison, Williams and Nelson as opposed to trying to find one book to cover all of internal medicine, obstetrics, and pediatrics.

This book is designed in a practical and understandable approach to family practice. It is an excellent text and a comprehensive reference especially useful for a nurse practitioner/graduate student in family practice. Not only does it provide treatment and management of common medical conditions but also includes psychosocial aspects of caring for clients and their families.

He is certainly one of the most obscure Presidents in American history. I enjoy reading about people who achieve high office, fame or fortune, probably because I want to find a link among them that predated their successes. In reading this excellent and very balanced biography, I came away with at least 3 lessons: 1) That blind luck can be the key ingredient in a man's success, for the early life and times of Chester Arthur no more predicted greatness than did those of Harry Truman (Truman, at least, was essentially honorable), 2) that is indeed possible for the Office to make the man, for once he became President, Arthur overcame many of his moral inadequacies, and 3) that for all we complain about American politics today, the state of the State in the late 19th century was more corrupt than most 21st century Americans would ever imagine possible. For these three lessons alone, the book is certainly a worthwhile read.

High school history books tell you Chester "Chet" Arthur was a "dandy," a machine politician and an accidental president, but little more. This highly readable, very informative and interesting biography adds much historical flesh to the bare-bones treatment Arthur gets in text books. A man who is all but a caricature to generations of students is made fully human, with all the positives and negatives that entails. And while chronicling the president's life the author also chronicles a fascinating era in American political history, the day when the party bosses ruled and presidential candidates were chosen in smoke-filled rooms and not in state primaries; primaries may be more democratic, but they sure are a lot less interesting to read about. If you enjoy presidential history, add this book to your library.

This was an a-ok book, but it never really got into the theme love stories. Mostly it held a theme of football and crushes. It was more of a man's story, but it was okay since we get to know the man's point of view about his crushes. Trevor Williamson was forced by his dad to join the football team, though he was more of the intellectual guy. But for family's sake, he did get to join and he was pretty bad on the field, but the football team of his school needed the players so he was taken. He got to meet Allison, the pretty cheerleader who happens to be the girlfriend of the quarterback. And he also got to see the other side of his friend, Minnie. You better read the book yourself to understand the story and find out whom Trevor ended up falling for. Enjoy reading the book!

This book was great, especially since it was on a guy's point of view. It's not so often that love stories are written in a guy's point of view and of course, being it in a guy's point of view, we need to put the guy things in place. Like football, sexy girls, parties. The story is about a guy who's dad forced him to go into football even though he was the intellectual guy and not really into sports, but for the sake of his dad he went into the game. There he met the beautiful cheerleader who happens to be the girlfriend of the captain. He also had a girl friend who just got in the cheering squad. Of course, you have to read the book so that you would enjoy it. And really, I don't want to ruin your reading. Hope you enjoy!

Acquainted with Grief

In 'Acquainted with Grief' Thomas Harvey has given us an interesting insight in to the church of 20th century China. He does this through biographical details of the life of Wang Mingdao.

This book is for the serious reader who wishes to be better informed on some of the key issues within the church which those in leadership had to face through turbulent times in the nation's history. The issues raised by Wang Mingdao continue to be relevant to our understanding of the church in China today. It is important to know how the church has arrived where it is today, to know what it has come out of and what it has come through in order to see more clearly the way forward.

Wang Mingdao was born during the Boxer Uprising in historic and emotional circumstances which had a traumatic effect upon his early life. His early disenchantment with the West and his own personal pursuit of perfection led him to seek rebaptism and the non-aggressive reform of society. Though not pursuing a career in politics his teaching nevertheless lead to a political reaction and his eventual internment. He quickly sensed that Western missionaries had passed their sell by date and that the future of the church in China lay with his own people. The church needed indigenous leadership and not to be lead by foreigners.

Repentance and conversion were for him the key ingredients in his self-understanding and the means of reforming the church. The Chinese word for ethics is daode. Dao meaning the path or way and when followed leads to excellence or daode. Harvey argues that Wang saw a meeting of Chinese cultural concerns for righteousness. From this Wang saw a meeting of Chinese cultural ideas with the Christian understanding of Christ being the way. There were for him many paths in life; some of them dark and uncertain but to follow Christ was to walk in the light. Therefore in Wang Mingdao we see a fusion of Christianity and Chinese culture. This notion helped to embody Christianity in China. This was not a super spiritual other worldly journey but one with practical consequences for him and society.

In his pursuit of perfection and the marriage of the biblical and Chinese notions of the dao he hits the age old conflict between theory and practice squarely on its head when he says,
"There are indeed a few Christians in the world who are engaged in spreading the light, but unfortunately their efforts are limited to words. They can preach quite acceptably; they can describe the beauties of the Lord; and they can indicate the path that men should follow. But before long their own shadow obscures this good teaching. For there is a considerable difference between what they say and what they do".
The church in his eyes is a company of people who are central to this way of life and hence his criticism of corruption within the churches. The churches, he said, must be exemplars and followers of the excellent way, a way which has echoes of St. Paul in his first Corinthian letter. Wang prays that" we may be model believers, and that ours may be a model church"

When the Communist Revolution came it changed the face of the church and the nation as it sought to conform the whole nation to its view of religion and society. Wang Mingdao reacted against and resisted their fusion of political ideology and the gospel. Though the Communist Party ruled society it nevertheless represented a minority which needed the support and co-operation of other sectors of society in order to govern effectively. The refusal of Christians such as Wang Mingdao to cooperate with the state was therefore an affront to the Party.
Wang Mingdao's resistance is not easily categorised. In order to understand his attempt to maintain an independent course for the church one must read the book in its entirety. He was not a man to compromise his position for which he paid a heavy price in detention. What was to be the defining yardstick of belief? Was it to be the authority of the party, the state or the Scriptures? What was it in The Three Self Movement that he saw fit to reject and criticise? How are those questions relevant for the church today? Why can there be a true governing, self supporting, self propagating church which would be of benefit to itself and to the nation? "Cults heresy and ignorance and dangerous practices are as much a problem for the churches as they are for the government. Allowing Christians to mind their own backyards would relieve the government of some of their own work", says Harvey. Questions such as these put him at odds with the state that sought to bring all institutions into a united front to secure universal compliance.

What is it that the church is called to serve? How does it give to God what is due to God and to the state what is due to the state? How is the Christian able to be both a citizen of heaven and a citizen of earth? How can the church be both patriotic and prophetic? These are some of the questions that this well written and stimulating book raises. What does the future hold? With thirty to seventy millions of Christians within China and a growth rate of 7% annually the Christians of China represent a growing an influential body of thought within the world. Their distinctive character, their thoughts and opinions are in some ways a reflection of the character of Wang Mingdao. For the student who has read the book and wishes to research further there are useful notes and a bibliography at the end of the book.

The Revd Dr Thomas Harvey is a Presbyterian Minister, a lecturer at Trinity Theological College and a former teacher in China. The book is published by Brazos Press ISBN 1-58743-059-2

Words 984

Sin duda la mejor guia vist

The descendants of William the Conqueror remained on the throne in England until the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and while the victor, crowned Henry VII, had Lancastrian ancestry to give legitimacy to his claims, he founded what was more or less a new dynasty. And while there have been a great many books written about the three Tudor generations in power, not much has been published in accessible form on their deeply Welsh roots. Professor Griffiths pays special attention to the activities of Henry Tudor and his near relatives in exile, of particular interest (to me) are the several excellent chapters on the Celtic genesis of the family, the connection with Owen Glendower, and the marriage connections they established.

Thomas Mann is an excellent author, but if you've never read anything by him before, begin with "Magic Mountain" and "Death in Venice," followed by "Buddenbrooks" and "Felix Krull" before tackling this book. This is Mann's second novel and a bit of a letdown from "Buddenbrooks." Mann uses the literary technique he would later exploit in such marvelous fashion with "Magic Mountain" -- that is, examining a small, isolated part of society as a microcosm of the larger whole, namely Europe.

Without giving away any of the surprises, this book is about a rather idealistic female's impact on a small village. Mann poses thoughtful questions about the usefulness of artistic values in a bourgeois society while revealing the inner nuances of his characters as he does so artfully, as in "Buddenbrooks" and "Felix Krull."

To top it all off, this Mann novel is probably his most humorous. For those not knowledgable on Mann, he is not readily identifyable for the humour in his works, making this one rather noteworthy.

This study Bible will serve as a useful introduction to the Orthodox interpretation of the scriptures, and many households will benefit from a copy. It is easily approachable, and the footnotes are helpful to those who are relatively unfamiliar with Orthodox theology.

Yet the critiques of others --that the OSB fails to make use of scriptural study that is prevalent within the Orthodox community, that it fails to be Patristic enough in its notes and comments-- are well grounded. Much more could have been added on the interpretation of passages by the Fathers, and it is a shame that this was not done. The book introductions are quite simplistic and often fail to consider the critical study of even Orthodox scholars on such issues as authorship, dating, audience, etc.

Still, most non-academics will find this a helpful and enjoyable volume. Its lexicon at the end, and guide to Bible reading by Bp. +KALLISTOS, are both excellent.

For those, especially, who are looking for a friendly insight into Orthodoxy through New Testament examination, it is a book worth having.

Many Orthodox scholars such as Fr. Jack Sparks, Bishop KALLISTOS Ware, & Fr. Constantine Nasr. It was overviewed by such Orthodox authorities as Fr. Thomas Hopko, Fr. Stanley Harakas, and bishops representing virtually every Orthodox diocese in North America. I find this Study Bible very useful in introducing people to Orthodoxy through the Holy Scriptures as well as a wonderful companion for every Orthodox Christian. I believe that any Orthodox family could benefit from having this Study Bible in their home.

There are wonderful notes on nearly all the verses of the New Testament, giving the interpretation of the Orthodox Church on the Holy Scriptures. It also includes a lectionary, chapters on "How to Read the Bible," and "Introducing the Orthodox Church," and wonderful articles are interspersed throughout the Bible on such topics as "Confession," "The Four 'Orders' in Church Government," and "The Transfiguration." The pages are also graced by the presence of beautiful icons.

I do have a few minor problems with this Bible. Some is left to be desired in the Book of Psalms, largely because the Septuagint, the Old Testament of the Orthodox Church, was not used. (Of course, this is about to be resolved because the same group of people is currently working on the Old Testament Orthodox Study Bible using the entire Septuagint text.) It was also disappointing to see that in the Morning and Evening prayers in the back, there is no mention of the Virgin Mary. However, the notes and articles throughout the Study Bible clearly explain the emphasis which is put on the Virgin Mary in the Orthodox Church.

I would highly recommend owning this Study Bible, and I don't feel that it deserves a lot of the harsh criticism it has gotten. They did an excellent job!

Up until this century it was taboo to put commentary into a Bible for fear that folk would take the notes and interpretations as if they were part of the Bible itself. Well, they were right! However, now everyone and his brother puts footnotes and explanations in their texts of the Scriptures, so now the Orthodox do as well. This is not THE Orthodox Study Bible (as reviewer Matt asserts above - and, yes Matt, you are nit-picking!), nor does it pretend to be. The articles and notes are intended to help elucidate the Scriptures and provide some introductory articles on Orthodox topics, but this is not a full-blown Bible commentary, nor a course in New Testament theology. The complaints of the critics tend to be essentially that it isn't enough. Well, then they need to write a multi-volume commentary to suit their needs. However, for the average layperson who's lucky to crack open the Bible occasionally, this fits the bill just fine. Remember, there is no "official" Orthodox translation of the Bible except for the original Greek. Thus, the NKJV is one of the better texts and the footnotes are there to make occasional comments as to translation problems and errors. No, they don't cover all the issues, but as I said before, to do that you would need a multi-volume Orthodox commentary that takes up half your bookshelf. Hopefully, at some future date, such a work will be undertaken. For now, this is a modest and well-needed starting point. +Fr. William Christ

My evaluation for this book, 2 stars, is based on my specific needs and wants that were the motivation for my purchasing this book, and resulted in disappointment.

I'm a first-semester graduate student in electrical engineering, and wanted to self-learn a lot of MATLAB and its uses with DSP, so that I could get a head's start in gaining the background I would later need for my research in DSP. I knew this book was a collection of exercises in which you create MATLAB programs (.m files) to solve DSP problems and explore various DSP topics. However, I also expected the book to give full solutions to the problems, working through the MATLAB scripts for you so that you could learn the DSP applications of MATLAB through practice.

Unfortunately, I was wrong... The book is divided into a series of projects, and with each project there is a brief explanation of the related theory, and then several problems which tell you to program MATLAB to do so and so, sometimes along with a few hints.... and NO SOLUTIONS ARE GIVEN. In fact, it's basically just a collection of problems. I think it's meant more for TEACHERS... to assign the problems in the book as homework for students in their DSP classes. In that respect, it is natural that there are no solutions included in the book.

In summary, this is not a book you want to buy if you're looking for something you can use to STUDY and LEARN how to apply MATLAB to DSP. It is essentially just a list of DSP problems which require you to use MATLAB. I'm sure the problems themselves are beautifully-crafted problems that would give you lots of insight and grasp of concepts once you have given lots of effort into them and then saw the solutions.... As just a book of problems, I'm sure it would be a top-quality book worthy of 5 stars (after all, look at its authors). But if nobody gives you the solutions, you can't learn a great deal from just the problems and briefly-explained theory.

Just make sure you know what this book is about and whether it really is what you're looking for before you purchase it. I'm planning on returning mine.

This Schaums Outline-type manual apparently had been issued with an earlier text of McClellan's. It is made up of lecture-type problems too brief to understand without a closely keyed text. I'm returning the book. Hope you don't get fooled.

I have the previous edition of the book (Using Matlab 4) and this review is on that version... I find this book to be an excellent APPLICATIONS book. It is not intended to be a Matlab Primer; you are supposed to know Matlab programming already. It is also not intended to be a DSP Primer. This book takes the basic DSP knowledge you already have and allows you to expand on it by applying it to a variety of real problems, like radar ranging or speech processing or filtering. It also deepens your knowledge by giving you drill problems that go deep into the workings of the DFT and other basic DSP tools. I had the good luck of taking a couple of DSP courses with McClellan and Schafer when they were writing this book and they used to hand problems from the book as special homework after they had taught the underlying material. Doing these exercises after you know the basics is an excellent way to cement that knowlege and become more proficient both in matlab and in problem solving.

Alan Dershowitz has really outdone himself this time. Although it is true that the "Nature's God" of the Declaration of Independence is not the god of the Bible, and that Jefferson was a Deist,is true overall this book is awful. The most telling feature of this book is Dershowitz's politically correct deconstructionist attack on the concept of natural rights and his assault on Thomas Jefferson.

Dershowitz ridicules the concept of people being born with inherent rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". he believes rights are "man made" and have no sacred meaning. He trashed the Declaration's author in the typical modern bolshevik manner by applying the standards of the 21st century to the 18th. He clearly sets out to demolish natural law and the entire tradition of Anglo American libertarian ideals of which Thomas Jefferson was a subscriber. It is amazing that a man like Dershowitz can be so brazen and hypocritical in his evaluation of Jefferson. Dershowitz, critical of Jefferson on slavery, supports "torturing" terrorist suspects, and is a rabid supporter of Isreali despotism in the Middle East.

This book show how degenerate the entire history profession has become and how any evaluation of our Founding should be viewed with a jaundiced eye. Overall a horrible piece of nonsense.

This could have been a great book, as one certainly expects from Alan Dershowitz; unfortunately, it reflects the American belief that democracy was invented here rather than realizing this country is part of a long evolution of freedom.

Dershowitz, a renowned Harvard law school professor and frequent commentator on individual rights, wastes most of his effort refuting, rejecting and attacking the Religious Right rather than understanding such people are the bell weather of American freedom. He doesn't seem to understand the impact of the Religious Right (or the Radical Left) is in inverse proportion to the level of freedom in this or any other country -- as the absolute rule of the Taliban religious extremists certainly proved in Afghanistan.

However, zealots exist in very society. Perhaps they counterbalance each other; if they become part of the Establishment, they crimp the freedom of everyone. Dershowitz uses the massive artillery of his intellect to attack the limited acumen of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Alan Keyes -- as if Justice Louis Brandeis would have been profitably employed attacking Father Coughlin.

Dershowitz doesn't seem to understand that freedom and individual rights have constantly evolved in Anglo society for more than a thousand years. Democracy wasn't invented when Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, cribbing many ideas from the English Bill of Rights written in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Freedom and democracy is a constant and uneven struggle, not an accident or gift .

The Declaration of Independence was a quantum leap forward in defining some basic ideas of freedom, but it was not the end of the process. Before 1776, American colonists had legitimate complaints; the Thirteen Colonies were run by the English Colonial office, part of the executive branch of government. Colonists were ruled by King George III and his bureaucrats, instead of their own elected officials.

In response, the colonists said, in effect, "We're Englishmen. We have an absolute right to be represented in Parliament." If their rights were denied, according to the Bill of Rights of 1688, they had a right to overthrow the government. As Englishmen brought up with the Bill of Rights, the Declaration asserted their most basic rights.

Out of that came The United States of America, with a Constitution written to clearly avoid problems which led to the Declaration of Independence. Dershowitz recognizes the idea that freedom evolves in a society; his weakness is thinking there was an immaculate birth of freedom in America in 1776. He doesn't understand the Declaration of Independence was a bold and perfectly legitimate assertion of the basic rights of every free Englishman -- and from this a new form of "Democracy in America" (to use Alexis de Tocqueville's phrase) evolved.

There are two elements in society: a view that people are basically evil and must be restrained for their own good, as represented by the likes of Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, Alexander Hamilton and the current Bush administration. The countering view says people are basically good and must be free of as many social restraints as feasible, as represented by Rousseau, Voltaire and Thomas Paine and the usual Democratic politicians.

Either view, if carried to the extremes of a Father Coughlin or Alan Keyes, or the excesses of the French or Russian revolutions, destroys our freedoms.

Yet, history shows an uneven but very real expansion of human freedom. When freedom is limited, the response in 1775 was the shot heard round the world; today, the response is often footsteps that cross half the world to find freedom.

This screed by Dershowitz is a rant against the Religious Right. His recognized talents would have been much better used to examine and explain the English origins of the Declaration, rather than bashing baleful bigots who are mostly irrelevant in a free society.

All in all, perhaps a useful book to demolish straw devils; but, it could have been immeasurably better with a different approach.

I second the motion in the review of Aug. 19, 2003, "A good idea -- but hardley original", that Alan Dershowitz could have put his incredible talents to even further use by laying out the philosophy of history behind America's founding, and examining and explaining how America did not just happen, but is the result of a long evolution of blood, sweat, tears, and suffering for freedom. But, that is not to take away from the fact that "America Declares Independence" is very well written, very interesting, and very much a 5 star book. It comes to you highly recommended by this reader. And, if you value my recommendation, I would also recommend that, after you read Mr. Dershowitz's book, read Norman Thomas Remick's book, "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From The Readings And Writings Of Thomas Jefferson", a book that does explain how America did not just happen, but was the result of a long evolution of blood, sweat, tears, and suffering for freedom.