I disagree with the previous reviewer's comments that the book is largely of use to the legal professioin. I find the law case serves as a great backdrop to understanding science and judging scientific claims. Many great principles are explained in this book.

Since O.J. Simpson's double homicide trial acquainted everyonewith the concepts of RFLP and PCR testing for DNA, the issue ofscience in courtroom has been on the frontburner. As Foster and Huber demonstrate, however, this issue has had a long and controversial history.

Using the mass tort litigation involving the drug Bendectin, which was used to treat morning sickness but became suspected of causing birth defects, the authors make a key point: the scientific method is not entirely compatible with the legal method.

The scientific process consists of formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis to see if it can be disproven, and repeating the testing process until one becomes convinced that the hypothesis must be true. (Or realizing that it is false, if a test disproves it.)

This means, however, that a scientific witness can be neutralized somewhat through clever (but artful) questioning of the sort, "Isn't it possible that . . . ."

There are no equations in this book, but there is some discussion of statistics, particularly as used in epidemiology. The mathematical concepts are not at all difficult, and well worth thinking about.

Although non-lawyers can appreciate this book, it is really of use to lawyers in mass tort cases where scientific evidence is used to prove causality issues.

Foster and Huber use the litigation over the pregnancy drug Bendectin to explain the ways in which science is used and misused to "prove" cases. In the case of Bendectin, there was no conclusive medical evidence proving that the drug caused birth defects. Rather, there was a statistical association between the use of the drug and birth defects. Does this prove that Bendectin causes birth defects?

It might or it might not. The field of epidemiology attempts to answer the question by eliminating other possible explanations for the association. Various techniques of epidemiology include blind (or double-blind) testing, data analysis, and so on.

Foster and Huber demonstrate that the scientific techniques are not entirely conducive with the standards of modern litigation. For example, scientists generally do not speak of "proving" an assertion; rather, they "falsify" it. That is, they attempt to disprove it -- it is usually easier to show that something is not true, since you only need to find one example. When an assertion has withstood repeated attempts to falsify it, it becomes generally accepted.

This has important ramifications for litigation, however. Litigation -- particularly mass torts -- requires a "yes" or "no" answer: in the scientific opinion of the expert witness, does Bendectin cause birth defects? The expert will of course have explained his or her analysis, but in the end, that analysis must be boiled down into a yes or no answer, regardless of the suitability of such an intellectual liposuction.

In summary, this is a fascinating book if you are interested in these sorts of issues. Although the book covers science and scientific inquiry, it does not require a significant amount of scientific knowledge.

When I got this book, I was totally overwhelmed. It's only 1400 pages. I am new to Corel but this book brought me up to speed quickly. Just the CD ROM that is included with this book is worth the price alone. Alot of the book is still a mystery to me. The only problem with Corel is that when you start doing graphics you soon find out that there are no limitations to what you can do. Is this good or bad? If you can't make a choice of beautiful graphics, you are in for long nights fretting and many hours of wringing your hands. I rate this book from beginner to advanced. A must have.

Foster's CD9 book is an example of what can be accomplished by a "first rate" teacher who is second to none in thoroughly knowing his subject matter. Although CD9 is not a simple graphics program Foster and Pete have the graphics and teaching skills to make it a book I would recommend to anyone interested in the field of graphics ..beginner or otherwise. They took "No" shortcuts where quality is concerned. I read there cd8 book and yet still find there cd9 book worth every cent I paid for it. It covers not only how to use every tool but equally important what you "can do with the tool" artistically. In summary Pete and Foster want you to enjoy the program and they use every resource available in there book to accomplish this....And I believe they have succeeded!

This is a beautifully written and imaginatively conceived historical novel. Its author is a well-published academic historian who teaches at Kenyon College. This is his first novel. Peter Rutkoff brings together several strands of American history (e.g., baseball, race, and Chicago.) Real people--Rube Foster, Charles Comiskey, and Shoeless Joe Jackson--encounter the author's wonderfully-drawn fictional characters. Rutkoff's evocation of Chicago is also as superb as it is knowledgeable. And the storyline--which I won't reveal--is most compelling. This is, as they say, a page turner. If your literary appetite combines baseball and American history, read this book!

I came to this book through my interest in social history. I came away from the book a fan of baseball as well. The author drops you into 1919 Chicago and into the heads of all those involved in a high-stakes and incendiary decision to bring a Negro player to the Chicago White Sox. Despite a new appreciation for baseball, for me the highlight of the book is the portrayal of "small" lives. The tragedy that racial prejudice brings to a young, poor woman coming to Chicago from the South makes this book resonate much longer than any game-winning home run.

This is an anthology for thoughtful people. Every poem is excellent. There is an interesting reason for each poem's inclusion. I wish these editors would write another book.

"A Year in Poetry" offers 365 poems for each day of the year. The true genius of this anthology comes from the intriguing use of dates in the poems. Sometimes the date comes from the poem's title, sometimes it is the date on which the poem was composed by the author, and sometimes the date is related to historical events depicted in the poem.

The first thing I did when I saw this book was turn to significant dates in my life (birthdays, anniversaries, deaths) and read the poem for that day. It was more revealing than a horoscope, and much more engaging! I learned from this book that my wedding anniversary falls on the same day that Cleopatra committed suicide, commemorated in the text with an excerpt from Shakespeare.

This anthology is not a cheesy collection of "feel-good" poems. Some of these poems will inspire you, others will depress you, some might confuse you. There is a wide range of styles and authors in this book. There are poets that are familiar, and poets I've never heard of. Overall, the collection of poetry in this book makes me want to read much more than just the "poem of the day."

This book offers a great way to bring poetry into your daily life, and for those who are already poetry fanatics, this book presents poems in a new and intriguing light. It also provides a whole range of gift opportunities--who wouldn't like to read a poem composed on their birthday? This anthology wonderfully displays the variety, beauty and meaning of English and American poetry.

Surely the most delicious book ever written on the fabulously glamorous subject of Champagne. A thirst quenching encyclopedia that answers all your questions and guides you through the sparkling world of this fizzy French drink. The layout is elegant and the text is on-the-dot clear. It is a beautiful book and it makes a great gift to all and everyone who wishes to indulge in Champagne know-how. A definate must-have for those who enjoy good food and good drink!

Fleckenstein's Radiologic Anatomy is a fundamental, yet comprehensive text that every radiology resident must have. It explores in detail all of the major systems: gastrointestinal, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, head and neck, thoracic, and even vascular. It may very well be the only radiologic anatomy book needed for residency training. Although Netter's Anatomy is a more than appropriate companion.

Just finished this fascinating collection of papers. Very well done and extremely readable I thought this a great find.

The book use a simply way to transmite the information. The examples are rich and they reflect the real necessities of the professionals today. The 2 cd's have a lot of example that can help a lot. The demos programs are very good! If you want a BEST SELLER, you found it! REALLY BEST BUY.

this is a fascinating account of the story of Fred Harvey and the Harvey House restaurants. You will discover that Fred Harvey truley won the west.He was an innovative thinker, and supplied to the people along the railway route somthing that they never had before, Good food and service, he was a perfectionist in every way. He also had the foresite to realize the untapped potential in the art of the native American by setting up shops in order for the Indians to be able to sell their beautiful handiwork. No one had ever done that before. The book is also intersperced with vintage recipies from the various Harvey Houses and railway cars. This book is beautifully written and very moving in many parts as you will find when you discover that one by one these landmards gradually disappeared with the advent of modern times.

Not having a full (i.e. reasonable) manual supplied with Corel Draw 7 Select Edition, I was looking for a more in-depth book and this seems a reasonable choice. The book is in black & white, the centre colour pages are merely coffee-table book shots of award-winning works and somewhat irrelevant. However I found most of the book quite useful but I have mixed feelings about some of the examples produced by the author, some of which are very crude. However it does cover all major functions but the proper use of colour would have enhanced the book. Generally worth getting, and better than anything provided with my software.

This is the text I use in my Intro to Cdr7 classes. It's clear and complete. Buyers should be aware, this is a reference book. You won't find complex projects and recipes, or lavish artwork to copy. Instead you will find a good grounding in the program's features and how they work.