Of all the object oriented programming books that I have read, this book is probably the most concise. The first 200 pages serve as the best object oriented dictionary that I have seen.

Don't bother reading any of their other books, as they all seem to reiterate these first 200 pages

Object-Oriented Analysis & Design is well written and clear. The authors lack of focus on any development platform provides the best method of understanding programming. He creates a vehicle via a way to approach programming that any person new to programming can understand and design. After reading this publication you will have the ability to write bug free programs using any development tool, Visual Basic, C, Java, or C++.

By far the best OO book on the market.

This book is the best OO book you will find. It is clear and concice and draws from experience and background sadly missing in many textbooks.

Anyone interested in learning string theory could perhaps start with the current formulation involving D-branes and M theories. This is certainly possible and will lead one to the frontiers of research. However, it would not perhaps give one an appreciation of string theory that would be obtained by persuing a study that explains how it arose in the study of the strong interaction . This book, written by three giants in string theory, will give the reader such a study, and was the first book to appear on the subject. The book is a monograph, and not a textbook, since no exercises appear, but it could still serve as a reference and "required reading" for courses in string theory.

The learning of string theory can be a formidable undertaking for those who lack the mathematical background. Indeed, a proper understanding of string theory, not just a forma one, will require a solid understanding of algebraic and differential geometry, algebraic topology, and complex manifolds. There are many books on these subjects, but I do not know of one what will give the student of string theory an in-depth understanding of the relevant mathematics. These two volumes include two rather lengthy chapters on mathematics, one on differential geometry and the other on algebraic geometry. The mastery of these two chapter will give readers a formal understanding of the mathematics, and will allow them to perform calculations in string theory efficiently, but do not give the insight needed for extending its frontiers. There have been a few books published on string theory since these two volumes appeared, but they too fail in this regard (and some even admit to doing so). To gain the necessary insight into the mathematics will entail a very time-consuming search of the early literature and many face-to-face conversations with mathematicians. The "oral tradition" in mathematics is real and one must embed onself in it if a real, in-depth understanding of mathematics is sought.

The physics of string theory though is brought out with incredible skill by the authors, and the historical motivation given in the introduction is the finest in the literature. Now legendary, the origin of string theories in the dual models of the strong interaction is discussed in detail. The Veneziano model, as discussed in this part, has recently become important in purely mathematical contexts, as has most every other construction in string theory. The mathematical results that have arisen from string theory involves some of the most fascinating constructions in all of mathematics, and mathematicians interested in these will themselves be interested in perusing these volumes, but will of course find the approach mathematically non-rigorous.

Some of the other discussions that stand out in the book include: 1. The global aspects of the string world sheet and the origin of the moduli space, along with its connection to Teichmuller space. 2. The world-sheet supersymmetry and the origin of the integers 10 and 26 as being a critical dimension. In this discussion, the authors give valuable insight on a number of matters, one in particular being why the introduction of an anticommuting field mapping bosons to bosons and fermions to fermions does not violate the spin-statistics theorem. 3. The light-cone gauge quantization for superstrings. The authors show that the manifestly covariant formalism is equivalent to the light-cone formalism and is ghost-free in dimension 10. The light-cone gauge is used to quantize a covariant world-sheet action with space-time supersymmetry, with this being Lorentz invariant in dimension 10. This allows, as the authors explain in lucid detail, the unification of bosonic and fermionic strings in a single Fock space. 4. Current algebra on the string world sheet and its origin in the need for distributing charge throughout the string, rather than just at the ends. The origin of heterotic string theory is explained in this context.

Why I still recommend this book rather than Polchinski's book is because this book presents more motivation and physics of string theory. In the 90s, there was string duality revolution, a side-effect of which is that string theorists neglect experiments.

While the subject of string theory has undergone considerable and radical change since publication of this text and since Polchinski's recent texts takes some of the steam out of this title, overall it remains a relevant part of the literature for a number of reasons. First, vol I clearly serves a vital role as a secondary source to both of Polchinski's text and vice versa: Polchinski's vol's I&II update Green / Schwarz / Witten's (GSW) vol I. Whereas Polichinski's vol I focuses exclusively on the bosonic strings GSW vol I includes both supersymmetric & bosonic string theory. A reader can then go along way on joining vol I of Polchinski and vol I of GSW.

But probably the greatest reason to purchase this title is the insight into string theory that is offered by these particular authors --- individuals who have each served as principle architects of string theory since its inception and through its many revolutions.

In general, the prose is congenial as is the level of sophistication in physical and mathematical argument. The mathematical apparatus of string theory can become very heavy very quickly and these authors orient the reader in that difficult terrain in a truly adroit fashion.

when will come new publish of this book ?

There are many excellent textbooks about Internal Medicine on the market, and I own a lot of them. But the Kelley's book is the one I look up more often. It stands out, since it gives you the broadest and deepest clinical coverage of the internal medicine you can find in a two-volumes textbook. The forthcoming 4th edition, which is scheduled for 8/2000 and will be edited by Humes, will expand furter the coverage, reaching an unprecedented range, at least as can be judged by the anticipated index. For the sake of clarity and completeness, each subspecialty (cardiology, endocrinology and metabolism, and so forth) is divided in three parts: the first group of chapters is devoted to the pathophysiologic foundations, the second to diseases and the third to the diagnosis and treatment. This format is clever, because allow you to study each section separately without being overwhelmed by the astonishing amount of information it contains. A lot of chapters are devoted to the approach to the patient with different symptoms, to the interpretation of instrumental data and to the treatment: they are another distictive feature of the book, making it invaluable. If you are a physician or a serious student searching for an authoritative, encyclopedic textbook with broad pathophysiologic coverage and wide sections about the management of the patient, the Kelley's textbook will not disappoint you. For many of us, it is a must buy. For all, it is a bargain. This textbook is the gold standard as Internal Medicine textbook: it got 5-stars from Doody, and as far as I know, it was the only one awarded with such a high acknowledgement. I agree: five stars.

most comprehensive work ever.an edge over Harrison &Cecil.must buy.

I bought this bookin hope it had some fascinating pictures,I was dissapointed in that aspect, but it had some of the best info about tornadoes i have ever seen!!!!!! bottom line its a good book if you're into tornadoes!!!

If you haven't read this book you don't know what a best seller is about. It was pure fact, electric and mesmerizing. I couldn't put it down. The author interviewed the survivors first hand. Not some fictional made-for-TV slop.

This book is a must have for anybody interested in tornadoes. It tells in detail about the lives that were forever changed when a massive tornado ripped through Waco Texas in 1953. This is one of the few times a tornado has hit a downtown area head on. This may happen again, especially with the huge population growth. It is also rumored to be the theme of the sequel to the Twister ! movie.

I found this book a few years back in a second hand bookstore. So far it has become one of my preferred cookbooks. It has most of the "classical" recipies. The only faults are that it leaves many techniques undescribed and that it has a rather inconsitent translation to metric measures.

I have recently replaced this old standard with a new, updated model. It is important to know a little about cooking and the basic French techniques before trying this book. It then becomes the most concise, precise and thorough guide to virtually anything you want to prepare. It has stood the test of time. If you agree that the single most important cookbook in your library is The Joy of Cooking then The Compendium would be number two. A great collection of most classic recipes without all the rhetoric.

In 2000 Gerard Houarner and artist GAK published a small chapbook called Dead Cat Bounce. It was the story of, well, a dead cat. It went on to become a finalist for Bram Stoker award.

Two years later, out comes this book, Dead Cats Bouncing, from Bedlam Press, an anthology edited by the creators, Gerard Houarner and GAK.

With a contents pages that reads like a who's who of the small press horror scene, we're treated to 15 new Dead Cat stories, plus the original, by authors like Jack Ketchum, Ed Lee, Charlee Jacob, Yvonne Navarro, and Brian Keene. The styles of the stories range wildly from the original short-burst sentence style of the first Dead Cat, to more traditional flowing prose, all the way to sing-songy rhythms like John Skipp's contribution "Soul Maggot Jamboree".

And accompanying the great stories are the pencilled drawings of GAK, an artist with a definite Gahan Wilson influence, with a terrific eye for the smaller details--and he draws a hell of a dead cat.

Dead Cats Bouncing is one surprise after another. For example, I did something I don't normally do when reading an Ed Lee story: I laughed.

Or there's the entertaining way Paul Di Filippo wrote his story, "Mehitabel in Hell".

This is a book for the kid in every adult, for the person who's seen what else is on the shelves and just wants something unexpected.

Call it a book of bedtime stories for the already-damaged child.

Call it whatever you want, just grab it quick before Gerard and GAK do it again with another Dead Cat book, or better yet, Dead Cat the Animated Series. And then it'll be Dead Cat stuffed toys for everyone.

When I purchased Dead Cats Bouncing, I wasn't sure what to expect from the onslaught of talented, if somewhat depraved, mentalities communing inside this work. I somewhat expected a book of horrific tale exclaiming the high points of depravity, reflecting what I had tasted before from the likes of Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum in the past. So, it came as quite a surprise to find that this weren't horror stories at all but were instead demented children's tales about a cat that had returned to the land of the living with a belly full of love/or hate-depending on whose recount of the experience you read. Better yet, all of these are numbered and signed by all the contributing authors, something I missed out on when reading the books description, including the likes of: Gerard Houarner, Charlee Jacob, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, Linda Addison, John Skipp, Yvonne Navarro, Terry McGarry, Paul Di Filippo, Charlee Jacob, David Niall Wilson, Gene O'Neil, Brain Keene, Mick Farren, and Gak.

The premise of these tale, forged by Gak and Houarner as they sought and almost captured a Stoker Award, focuses on the exploits of Dead Cat, who was a sacrifice to the goddess Bastet and finds that being in the land of the dead is quite boring. There are no happy hunting grounds filled with birds or mice, no naps and dreams of bliss, or any of the other things that a cat needs to enjoy themselves when finding oneself outside the land of the livelihood. In fact, all Bastet tells him to do is, "eat sand." So, what's a cat to do when confronted with a dilemma like this? Why, return to the land of the living without becoming alive, of course! Most of these portraits of the Dead Cat's "life" are written in choppy sentences, focusing themselves from the thoughts of Dead Cat himself and not in the narration aspect of storytelling, with a few of the writers deviating from that course. At first I found this practice somewhat questionable, but I soon overcame this initial hesitation and found the style enjoyable and, in many instances, funny. This came as quite a surprise, too, because I never thought of many of these writers in the comedic sense before reading DCB.

This isn't to say that the book is a challenging read, because that is far from the case. I found myself finishing it within an hour, covering the two-hundred plus pages of large print in what amounted to no time at all and longing for more. Still, the captivating prospects of a cat that evades death for no other reason than boredom is something worthwhile and deserving of a look, especially if you want to see writers in a different light. Recommended for the oddities, young and old (with attention paid to the profane, of course)!

detailed review of emergency thou suffers from a lack of information on certain key areas.can be verbose at times thou is a generally a good read

The book comes in 3 hardback volumes, well worth the price. I am a practicing Paramedic with a desire to know more about the how's and why's of patient care. The book is well organized, with a reading level of college sophomore. The section on resucitation takes ACLS just a little bit further. I consider this book recommended reading for Paramedics who want to stay on top

I'm far from an expert, but an interested novice in this field... Crane's book is interesting for the unique take it presents on the people and events.

On the other hand, his language is flowery, his opinions unsupported by his own evidence, and his patronizing superiority sometimes beathtaking. Byron is held up as a person of judgement and moral probity -- at least in Greece. The Greeks are dismissed as grasping, brutal and mendacious -- and this is attributed to their national character. The Turks are brutal and cold -- again, a "character" trait.

As far as Trelawney himself, I've never read a biography in which the author had such patent and intense dislike of his subject. Without much to go on, Crane gives us a pathological liar and cold-hearted manipulator of people and events. There are many paragraphs which open with the phrase "it's impossible to know given the scanty evidence... but in this case we can be sure that..." or its variant.

At the same time, I'm compelled to read on, if only to see what verbal atrocity the author will commit next. What a ride!

In his book "Adventures of a Younger Son," Edward Trelawny set down the facts of his youth as he had told them for years: how as a teenage midshipman he began his adventures by breaking the skull of his commanding officer and deserting into the pirates' paradise of the Java Sea; of Zella, his fawn-like, thirteen-year-old bride; fearless, bloody years of piracy and rape; and the stirrings of conscience (if not calmness) which led him back to Europe to seek out the Pisan Circle and its "Dioscuri," Shelley and Byron. Shelley's social conscience and intellectual boldness attracted him; Byron, his former idol, repelled him, because the poet could see through his lies and his posturing. Byron was both a dreamer and a cynic, and the spectacle of a Lara or Childe Harold parading unironically in the real world unleashed all of his contempt. (Try to picture Ian Fleming confronted with a fan who's modeled himself on James Bond).

"Lord Byron's Jackal," the title of David Crane's biography, is from a remark by Keats' friend Joseph Severn, who suggested that Trelawny had glutted himself on Byron and his anti-heroes until nothing of the man remained. (Severn might easily have used a different phrase, had he read a certain novel by Trelawny's friend Mary Shelley). Another view, though, is that Trelawny responded to Byron's work because its bold palette mirrored his own abilities and panache; all that had robbed him of the bloody youth of his dreams was bad luck. Now, with the help of the Pisan Circle (most of whom believed his tales), all that would change. Trelawny is not the first man in history to lie his way to the truth, but as Crane tells it, he may be the most fascinating.

I can't think of another non-fiction book that I've enjoyed as much as this one. This has as much to do with Crane's language as with the vivid times and personalities he brings to volcanic life. (In many ways the 1820's was the last gasp of Romanticism, when great poets and writers trumped their own words on the world stage, staking everything on their ideals). A previous reader described Crane's writing as "flowery." No. Crane's sentences are often dense, but never with ornamentation. There's not a word out of place, and I often found myself rereading certain passages just for their beauty and perfection of language--and being rewarded with new meanings and insights. That this amazing book is the author's first is almost unbelievable: Trelawny lives in Crane's words as vividly as in his own.

Equally moving is Crane's portrait of the "Philhellenes": the idealists/adventurers who poured into Greece from Western Europe and America in the 1820's to fight the Turks. Many were on fire from Byron's verse; some were spoiled, self-dramatizing youths, victims of a 19th-century version of Jerusalem Syndrome; a few were cold pragmatists; none of them had the slightest idea what they were in for. Devoured by the savage infighting and double-crosses that typified the war, many of these naïfs died ingloriously and in great confusion and pain. As Crane puts it: "There were young Byronists absorbed in a designer war of their own invention, charlatans attracted by the hope of profit, classicists infatuated with Greece's past, Bethamite reformers, aging Bonapartists--and then all those there for a dozen different motives, who might just once have known why they came but had long forgotten by the time they died."

Trelawny himself was immune to disillusion, because his one cause was the test of his own courage and strength, and he seems to have known from the start what stuff he was made of. What makes Trelawny unique (at least until George Orwell) is that eventually he cut as great a figure with the sword as with the pen--though he seems sometimes to have confused the two. We (and Trelawny too) are fortunate to have another great storyteller, David Crane, to tell us which was which.

A companion to this book would be Trelawny's own "Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron," a great work covering some of the same years as Crane's--by turns hilarious, thrilling, moving, and wise--one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century fiction.

They may now call it the Romantic period, but it was a brutal period, and Crane makes it clear that a scoundrel like Trelawny -- seducer, adventurer, poetaster -- was in his element. The other people in the area at the time, whether Greek, Turk, or Englishman, weren't so admirable either, and if you're looking for straight-arrow heroes this isn't your book. The "heroes" that populate LBJ are of the Heathcliff variety.

This amazing history brings to mind the current conflict in the Balkans, complete with backstabbing, massacres, self-important generalissimos, singleminded nationalists and bandits. An extraordinary trip into a time almost as scary as our own -- with the added benefit of star players like Byron and Shelley. I loved this book and recommend it highly. (And unlike the previous reviewer, I note Crane's clear sympathy for Trelawny -- despite his disapproval of the man's actions: he details Trelawny's brutal upbringing by his father and the torture inflicted upon him by the British Navy.) It seems to me you don't need to admire someone to find him fascinating.

Gruff and lovable Father Higgins is one of the better supporting characters in John Bellairs' many books. Now the evil-battling priest slips into the spotlight in an intriguing ghost story. Though not Bellairs' best, it's a chilling and fast-paced thriller for the pre-Stephen King set.

Johnny Dixon is depressed when his friend Father Higgins is transferred to a different parish. Father Higgins isn't much happier, since he dislikes his new congregation, and his estranged mother has just died. Soon he visits his friends Johnny and Professor Childermass, claiming that a ghost has been trying to contact him, that he is sleepwalking, and he shows them a strange glassy half-plate with golden fishes in it, and a cryptic rhyme.

Soon afterward, Father Higgins vanishes. The professor, Johnny, and Fergie go to England in an effort to track him -- and find that he is in the grip of a demonic dead knight, part of the pirate De Marisco knights that died long ago -- after some sold their souls to the devil. Now the evil knight known as Masterman is trying to set his old comrades free...

This book has the staples of a good Bellairs book -- evil sorcerers/ghosts/monsters/beasties that will either destroy the world or conquer it, spinechilling chapter endings, cryptic rhymes, and a lot of witty banter between Childermass and other characters. It's not quite as horrifying as some of the other Bellairs books, but it's definitely a good ghost story. Perhaps its greatest weaknesses are that the pacing seems to meander, and some of the plot twists are a bit strained. (Where did Bellairs get the line, "And in case you're wondering, he has developed his powers of ESP"?)

Johnny and Fergie are good as always, the meek Charlie Brown altar boy and the cocky gutsy kid who complement each other like peanut-butter and jelly. Father Higgins is given extra dimension, provided with his sad past with his estranged mother and his wish that he had reconciled with her. And Professor Childermass is his usual grumpy, irritable, generous and brave self.

"Secret of the Underground Room" is not Bellairs' best, but it's definitely a solid ghost-story with

I like this book because it gives an eerie sense of evil lurking around every corner. Even though Johnny Dixon is the main character, Professer Childermass always plays a huge part in the story. The settings are vivid and interesting, they include an crumbling church, a cemetery, and the inn, where Masterman, the evil knight, uses a spell which knocks the Professer unconscious. This is a very involved mystery with a few ups and downs.

The Secret of the Underground Room by: John Bellairs

Have you ever been in an underground room full of dead knights? Well, see how Johnny Dixon handled it in The Secret of the Underground Room.

This book is about a boy named Johnny Dixon who traveled all the way to England to try and help a friend who is possessed by an evil spirit. What I learned was that friendship can go a long way.

I really liked this book because it was full of magic and very exciting. Will Johnny save his friend or will he lose him?

John Bellairs is best known as the author of fifteen gothic mystery novels for young adults, plus four similar works completed by Brad Strickland after Bellairs's death. "The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder" (1993) is the next-to-the-last book in the Lewis Barnavelt series, and was completed by Brad Strickland. It takes place in 1951, mainly at the Barnavelt mansion in England.

This book can be read in conjunction with "The Ghost in the Mirror" which takes place simultaneously with 'Witch-Finder' and stars Lewis Barnavelt's friends, Rose Rita Pottinger and Mrs. Florence Zimmermann.

When orphaned Lewis Barnavelt, now age thirteen, and his Uncle Jonathan go on vacation in Europe, they drop in on their English cousin Pelham, who owns the ancestral Barnavelt Manor. The housekeeper's son Bertie, who is blind, takes Lewis on a tour of the old mansion and grounds.

Lewis is especially interested in the maze, which he has read about but never seen, and his new friend Bertie shows him the trick of reaching its center. From the description given in 'Witch-Finder,' it was probably a hedged labyrinth of the sort that became fashionable in the late sixteenth century (see M.R. James's story, "Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance" for a similar tale of a maze and the awfulness at its center).

All is well, until Lewis discovers an old map of the maze with what might be a treasure in the center. He sets out on a midnight excursion, accompanied by Bertie, to the hidden heart of the maze.

Instead of treasure, Lewis accidentally unleashes a demon that summons the ghost of the witch-finder Malachiah Pruitt, three hundred years dead. Lewis and Bertie barely escape the maze with their lives.

Back during Cromwell's reign in England, Malachiah Pruitt had accused one of Lewis's ancestors of witchery and tried to have him burned at the stake. Now Pruitt's ghost has been set free by Lewis and Bertie.

'Witch-Finder' is full of deliciously spooky occurrences, and I enjoyed the 'Sherlock and Watson' role-playing of the two boys as they try to solve the horrible predicament they've gotten themselves into (along with everyone else in the mansion).

Lewis Barnavelt's Sherlock Holmes deerstalker comes in handy in this bone-chilling (no pun intended) adventure in the present and past of England -- and one of its darker secrets.

Lewis Barnavelt accompanies his uncle Jonathan to England, where they are visiting an older cousin. The cousin also has a housekeeper, and Lewis soon befriends Bertie, the housekeeper's blind son. Bertie and Lewis soon begin exploring happily in a hedge maze, until they find a strange monument in the center. When they pry a brick loose, some invisible, laughing creature escapes and chases them back to the house.

Soon afterward, the adults at Barnavelt Manor start behaving strangely. The cousin becomes sly and cackling, the housekeeper is like a sinister wind-up doll, and the gardener is snarling. Lewis suspects that somehow, this is all connected to a psychotic Puritan witch-finder, Malachiah Pruitt, who once made life miserable for Lewis's ancestor... until the ancestor struck back somehow. And now Pruitt is somehow back for revenge against the Barnavelts.

It's always sort of a guilty pleasure to read one of these books, where horror is handled in a way both lavish and sparing. Something as minor as the rustle of twigs or a funny-looking gravestone can be significant and can strike horror in the reader. Writing-wise, this is one of the better ones. Strickland, who completed the book, knows well how to flesh out Bellairs' storyline. The atmosphere is chilling and almost claustrophobic, in that the walls keep closing in on our heroes. The main problem, perhaps, is that there is relatively little humor leavening the story, except for the continuing Watson-Holmes joke between Bertie and Lewis. On the flip side, late in the book is one of the most touching scenes I have ever read in a Bellairs and/or Strickland book, between Lewis and Jonathan.

Characterizations are very nice. Lewis gains a little more self-confidence and loses a little weight; Jonathan is a little less zesty than usual, but he is also absent for large sections of the book. Bertie is a nice sidekick for Lewis, and his means of knowing that there is something wrong despite his blindness is well done. (The best meaning of stiff-upper-lip) The housekeeper and cousin are a little two-dimensional, but then dimension is not needed. Malachiah Pruitt is a wonderfully sinister villain -- great idea, to make one of the Puritan witch-hunters a psychotic wanna-rule-the-world type. (Though his ambitions to rule the world did feel a little tacked on)

For those of you who are not yet ready to read Stephen King, try these John Bellairs books. Spooky, bone-rattling fun.

Jonathon and Lewis go off to England to sight see and visit a relative. Lewis gets into a mystery at the big,old, house. ***I have reviewed several other of his books so check them out!