Anyone interested in William Thomas McKinley will want to consult this book. It's chock full of information, and will definitely serve as the authorative resource on this composer for years to come!

I'm a musician and songwriter with a degree and many years' experience. But when I took on a project to create an opera with a playwright friend I found that my theory was rusty -- and I was also venturing into types of composition I'd never done before. I wanted a good solid book that would help me review my long-ago theory classes and layout a framework that would help me structure my composition.

The book's been a very pleasant surprise. It's quite intermediate in level. If you're not comfortable with a lot of theory basics, it would be a hard place to start. Similarly, experienced composers looking for inspiration for new directions probably won't find it here (or not enough to make it worthwhile). However, especially for composers with some experience, the book is an valuable way to brush up on theory, begin to apply that theory to examples and exercises and try some new approaches to writing.

If that's the type of book you're looking for, I heartily recommend this title.

This is one of the best "How to" books I have ever read on any subject.

It works on several levels. Even though it takes a "beginners" approach to introducing many topics, it doesn't shy away from "real" music. For example, even the first simple exercise contains something different - 5/4 time. A beginner will simultaneously learn the basics of chord progressions and melody writing, stripped down to the bare essentials, while delving into modern techniques like 12-tone rows and picture music.

The key to the book is the concept of restricting the musical palette by some simple rules, to prevent the budding composer being overwhelmed by the possibilities. Right from the first page, you are working on real composition examples.

Even though the book is not particularly aimed at computer music or sequencing, electronic music enthusiasts should find it useful. A lot of the minimalist techniques are ideal for sequencing. Plus, if your musical background is pretty basic, and you are looking to broaden it with a mix of traditional and contemporary techniques, this book should take you a long way.

By its very nature, a book like this can only touch on some areas. So you will probably want to supplement it with some other material if, for example, you want a bit more detail on counterpoint. Still, it manages to cover a huge amount of ground, with the most detail where it counts most - developing and harmonising melodies, and a very good section on writing music to lyrics (ie songwriting).

One last point - a lot of theory and composition books miss the mark with contemporary musicians because they approach the subject from the purely "classical" angle of cadence and resolution. This book is soundly classical in its approach to harmonisation and melodic development, but uses the comfortable pop/jazz approach to chord progressions, so it shouldn't lose any reader.

Highly recommended!

Every keyboard player should buy this book. This book contains the most straightforward explanation of diatonic harmony in print. It can transform your keyboard playing.

I agree with some of the comments of the other reviewers: the book seems comprehensive and is very attractively laid out. However I am attempting to read the book on my own, not as the textbook to a course, and I am finding that it is quite badly organized. For instance, the first chapter rushes through a whole lot of stuff which is presumably covered in more detail later in the book, but they don't really tell you that, nor do they simplify it as they should if it's just an overview. In later chapters, several terms are used without being defined, and often it's impossible to tell what's going on in the figures from the captions and the text. I can imagine the book being good if you're taking a genetics course, but if you're just trying to read it and teach yourself, be prepared to be often confused...

I've used this book quite extensively in my introductory Genetics class, and I'm sure I'll be using it often as a reference in the future. It is superbly written, with clear explanations of the material.

There are many, many diagrams and photographs which help to solidify understanding, and they are all in full color. It is organized very well, although this organization has changed from edition to edition and any teacher or student using it in their courses should be aware that chapters and problems in this newer version do not always coincide with those in previous editions. The questions are excellent as well, although purchasing the solutions manual is a wise idea (it is also very well done, with long, detailed explanations of the answers to the problems).

Overall, of the 3 or 4 genetics textbooks I've looked at, this is by far the best one. In fact, it's one of the best textbooks I've ever used for any class. This one's a keeper.

I work in a Mammalian Genetics lab, I have referenced this book numerous times and I have only had it a little over a month. It is those little things we forget, but now that information is at my fingertips. Excellent, would recommend it to anyone in the field.

This little book (from Merriam Webster, the big dictionary people) is definitely fun. It is part of a series about how words have been used in different times and places. This volume concentrates on the words "invented" by Shakespeare - the authors estimate that there are in the vicinity of 1,500 such words and this book probably includes a couple hundred examples. Admittedly, there is lots of room for judgement here and sometimes the authors note that, but many times they state theories as fact. This tendency keeps my rating below five stars. The book is organized with a chapter for each letter of the alphabet - and a Shakespeare trivia quiz at the end of each chapter. Again, fun, but beware of theories - on the other hand, maybe one of these questions will make it to "Do You Want To Be A Millionaire?". It is not a book for reading straight through, but it is perfect to fill short periods here and there that keep you waiting. You will be amazed at the words included such as ADVERTISING, ALLIGATOR, INVESTMENT, OBSCENE, PUKE, PUPPY DOG and ZANY. There are also some examples that you probably won't recognize. The text gives sites for the usage in Shakespeare's plays. If you are interested enough in this subject to have made it to the end of this review, then buy it, its worth the price.

I bought this book for myself and a copy for my granddaughter, age 13. She had played a leading role in Midsummer's Night two year's ago at her St. Paul elementary school. The experience won her over to Shakespeare. Since I didn't start reading Shakespeare before age 18, I wondered if Coined by Shakespeare would be too far out-of-tune with the romance novels that she was devouring. Well, I've read it now. It is a dandy. A real banger, as Hardy would put it. Rarely does a scholarly book meet the needs of anyone less versed than a PhD. This book, I'm making wager, will charm a 13 year old word lover. We just finished a Minnesota blizzard. I'm tickled that Shakespeare coined "gust."

Coined By Shakespeare: Words & Meanings First Penned By The Bard is the welcome result of lengthy and painstaking research conducted under impeccable standards of scholarship. Readers can also enjoy testing their knowledge of Shakespeare linguistic trivia through a series of quizzes which are interspersed throughout. Coined By Shakespeare is a "must" for all Shakespeare enthusiasts and word buffs.

Jeffrey Williams has delivered a new and important way for businesses to view their strategic position. Whether slow cycle, or fast cycle, his most important revelation is that no business has the right simply to exist. All businesses exist to maximize value to the stakeholder.

Sometimes, maximum value is only achieved by transforming your business. Ultimately, maximum value may be achieved by breakup or dissolution of the business. Once these sobering realizations are assimilated, Professor Williams proceeds in a very readable and informative way to help businesses understand where they are, where their markets are, and how to maximize value where they need to be. A must read for voyagers through the New Economy.

Jeffrey Williams has broken new ground in the field of strategic management! This book will help guide managers and investors through the often cloudy world of economic time. By following the precepts laid out in this book, companies will be able to achieve sustainable competitive advantage regardless of the industry or competition. Professor Williams book is as engaging as his lectures. A must read!

Jeffrey Williams takes an new approach to analyzing competitive forces based on the new concept of economic time. This allows insight into how to manage and compete within different industries, or, within different divisions of a company. I found the insights to be unique, and extraordinarily valuable to me as an entrepreneur in the high tech industry.

I would like to find out if you have a CD-ROM or on-line of the newest version "Principles of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology"?
Thank you in advance for your response.

The fourth edition of this classic text is now available and it is even better than previous editions. Many chapters have been rewritten and new authors add significantly to the current edition.

What will you learn from this book?

A lot of financial concepts, instruments and products.
If you do not know anything about financial markets, this is the book!!!!

Is it enough? NO, it is not enough even for a beginner. Why? Because it does not tell you how to think in financial terms, and mainly how to make up your portfolio.

Yes, lots of graphs, figures, nice words, you think you are learning finance, but suddenly you realize that actually you know nothing and that you read a lot of vain pages. Unfortunately, you will be in the end of the book.

If want to know how to implement the models presented in the book, or even if you want a book that says the same thing that Sharpe's but in less pages, consider:

- Modern Investment Theory by Robert A. Haugen; or
- Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis by Edwin J. Elton, Martin J. Gruber.

I had the opportunity to take a course at the University of Minnesota from Jeff Bailey while he was preparing this book. He provided an excellent mixture of pratical examples in addition to the theory involved.

In addition, he was very approachable.

Anyone seriously interested in investing should consider this book!

This is one of the handful of classic texts in economics and finance - it ranks with Samuelson's "Economics," Alpha C. Chiang's "Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics" and Hull's "Options and Other Derivative Securities" as one of the cornerstones of a financial education. Designed as a college textbook but also used in first-year MBA programmes, the authors begin right at the bottom with basic microeconomics and moves on through spot rates and yield curves, simple probability, expected returns and standard deviations. Once this basic toolkit has been establised, the reader is introduced to the efficient frontier and the Capital Asset Pricing Model, followed by arbitrage pricing theory. Further topics include fundamental securities analysis and a quick journey through option pricing. After a look at some institutional aspects of financial markets, the authors conclude with that holy grail of finance - portfolio management. Throughout, the pace is reasonable and the reader is provided with plenty of practice examples. For a one-stop introduction to finance, you cannot do better than this book.

The Real Estate Game is well written, using simple easy to understand terms. It's a must read for the professional, the amateur, the investor and anyone else thinking of buying and selling either commercial or residential property. Most enjoyable is the view of the real estate process from all angles. You get to see how all those involved, the buyer, seller, contractor, manager, attorney and lender fit into the picture. The real life examples and case studies help explain what can be very complicated situations. As primarily a residential realtor I gained new insight into the commercial end of the field. It always amazes me how the entrepreneurs in real estate often took great chances on a hunch that what were bargain basement deals would eventually turn into gems. The stories about these men and women are particularly fascinating. The authors, Poorvu and Cruikshank, offer a world of advice and first-hand knowledge to anyone involved in any way in Real estate. This should be required reading for all brokers, realtors and advisors to anyone getting into the real estate game.

As a rookie real estate consultant, I had wanted to brush up on some knowledge concerning the industry, so I decided to read William Poorvu's "The Real Estate Game." To my pleasant surprise, Poorvu had managed to provide a clear and thorough introduction on how the real estate industry works and how deals are made. This book has a wonderful section on identifying the major developments in the industry: REITs (real estate investment trusts), CMBS (commercial mortgage-backed securities), etc. Poorvu (and his co-author Jeffery Cruikshank) also writes in a style that is accessible and lively--touched with a good sense of humor. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the real estate industry, thinking of buying or selling a property, or have an interest in how the industry works. A wonderful book. Highly recommended.

First, no one real estate book is going to give you all the information you need. You have to buy a couple for reference and instruction. Second, there are two general types of real estate books on the market: the hype "real estate made me rich books and the practical, formula driven books for the professions. The book takes about 20-30/70-80 ratio between the two extremes. If you know that people are making money in real estate and need to kn0ow how you want a more practical book. This strikes a nice balance without being too dry. The writer is graduate business real estate professor who uses real life examples (case studies) to teach. The book is full of them and they are interesting without being dry and academic. Furthermore, this book shows you the meat and potatos: how to do the (simple) math to see if the property is good investment!! If you are looking at real estate, you don't need a book telling the somehow, somewhere people are making money in real estate! I don't care how much others are making. How can I get started. Yes, the book does focus on larger transactions. But remember, the principles are the same. Just the scale is different. I have brought seven copies of this book for my friends a family. I recommond two books:this one and William Pivar's book Real Estate Investing A to Z(more catergory one) for the more fluff and chatty background. Buy this book for more of the practical. Just two books and you are well on your way. And no, I am not a former student of the author.

The book was well written but did not cover the details I was hoping for. I was looking for specific details in connecting to a variety of database products and was disappointed that the book barely covered the Symantec DBAnywhere product.

I agree with the reviewers comments concerning the necessity for an up date. I used the book with Visual Cafe 3.0 and found the examples would not compile and all the examples incorrect for the versions 2.5 and 3.0 of Visual Cafe. The book is now a source for Java but almost useless for Visual Cafe. I think it is imperative that the publishers list the version of Visual Cafe the book was written for. It is deceptive not to put the version on the cover of the book. This is the last Coriol book I will ever buy.

This is a great book. It achieves the difficult balance of being readible for a beginner (perhaps someone with good programming experience but not a lot of Java), but also providing the depth for an expert.

Lot's of very good examples with good explanations.

This book has great information, not just about database access, but Java programming and Visual Cafe in general. I will keep this book in easy reach of my computer.

If you enjoy the Aubrey-Maturin books as I did (and I read almost nothing else for several months), you will find this book an excellent reference aid. At times I found the geography in the books difficult to follow. The maps in Dean King's companion set forth with excellent clarity where Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin have been and when they were there. Although I found Dean King's lexicon (his other book) more helpful, I would nonetheless recommend this one.

Harbors and High Seas gets more use from me than the lexicon reference to the Aubrey Maturin series, A Sea of Words. I skimmed through Harbors and High Seas after each O'Brian book the last time through; leaving alone the clearer geographical detail, this really adds depth to O'Brian's already convincing world.

I would recommend this highly to fans of the series who feel bereft at its close and long to return, to poke around a little themselves. Harbors and High Seas is full of taking off points, tangents to the stories that the curious reader can follow up on. A print of the decrepit Temple, reproduced here, might spark you to pursue some detail or other about Napoleon's Paris. The discussion of the many Desolation Islands has lots of little sides to it that could reward some curiosity. Like the stories, this is a sort of open-ended invitation into the historical setting, you might say.

Harbors and High Seas is a "companion" to the series, a complement to it, not just a reference to be consulted when you're muddled. Don't just refer to it -- read it for fun.

I'm now on book 7 of the Aubrey-Maturin series, and have only had my Companion for the last 2...how much it adds to the joy and the education. The best part of the companion is the maps, with clearly marked routes taken by Lucky Jack's vessels. O'Brian's description of Aubrey passing by Elsinore while Jack describes his role in Hamlet as a young midshipman comes alive with both the map and the picture of Elsinore. As well, eliminating the frustration of trying to determine what is fiction (Grimsholm) from what is not (Admiral Suamarez) greatly adds to the historical learnings.

The only downside to having this companion is the irresistable temptation to read ahead...the plot lines of the first 17 books are all given in general outline. As O'Brian readers know, however, much of the joy is as much in the characterization and writing as in the plot line. So, even if you do look ahead, it in all likelihood only will increase your desire to move on to the next book....I personally can hardly wait to get to Treason's Harbour and the mood that O'Brian will create around historic Malta.

If you love maps, though, and have always used them to add a visual learning dimension and reference to the words, you can't possibly read the books without it.

In closing, I guess I should add the warning that as addictive as these books are, they become even more addictive with the companion.

Beware!