This book is utterly and completely useless. It does not progress in a logical manner. The author assumes you know everything he is talking about, and gives examples filled with topics that are not explained until later chapters. He explains things one way, yet his examples always seem to contradict what he says until you spend a good hour looking at them and realize he always uses some unexplained loophole in logic to derive his answers. This is not a useful book and I never would have bought it if it was not required at the college I attend.

I found this book to be truly extraordinary. Unlike the overwhelming majority of math texts, the authors describe the material in a manner reminiscent of an informal college lecture by gifted professors. They cover a lot of ground, but explain what's going on and why. I found it particularly striking that the authors sometimes present mistaken approaches to problems, follow them through to show what has gone wrong, and then show how to avoid the mistakes. This is particularly valuable when using the book for self-study. The exercises are carefully chosen and serve to expand on each section's material.

Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press is a very odd institution. Associated with St. Vladimir's Seminary, the chief seminary of the Orthodox Church in America, it produces an extensive catalogues of books about Orthodox history and the Orthodox Fathers. Thus far, the good part.
The annoying attribute of the catalogue, however, is that SVS Press seems to feel the necessity to aim for a broad audience. Thus, for example, the recent new biography of St. Gregory the Theologian (as the Orthodox have always called him) is entitled _St. Gregory of Nazianzus_ (as the Roman Catholics and the Protestants, when they have noticed him, have called him).
Thus, too, the present tome, which is on thre subject of three of the central figures in the Orthodox theological tradition: the Cappadocian Fathers St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Gregory of Nyssa. Its author is listed on the spine, on the front cover, on the back cover, and on the title page simply as "Anthony Meredith." However, on the bibliographical page, one encounters a copyright statement in the name of "Anthony Meredith, S.J."
The problem here is that several of the SVS Press books on topics such as this one are written by Protestants and Latins (usually Jesuits). When it comes to a topic such as the theology of the Cappadocians, whose legacy is perhaps the chief distinction between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, to have the text be written by a Jesuit is to court distortion and uncomprehension.
This book demonstrates both. So, for example, one repeatedly reads of the Holy Spirit proceeding "from the Father through the Son." This is contrary to Christ's explicit teaching in the New Testament, where He refers to the Holy Spirit "Who proceeds from the Father." (John 15:26) It also contradicts the Nicene Creed, which, relying directly on the Holy Scriptures, also refers to "the Holy Spirit ... Who proceeds from the Father." The Roman Catholics in A.D. 1009 made "and the Son" a dogmatic addition to the Creed, thus separating themselves from the Orthodox Tradition of, e.g., the Cappadocian Fathers who did so much to establish Nicene orthodoxy as Orthodoxy.
This distortion runs through the book in other terms, too. Thus, for example, at page 104 one "learns" that "homoousios" (Greek for "of one essence") in the Creed "very clearly meant that whatever was affirmed about the Father must also be affirmed about the Son." However, this is precisely the Augustinian error that led to the Latins' interlineation of A.D. 1009. The Father has the unique quality within the Godhead of being that from which the others originate; this emphatically is _not_ to be affirmed about the Son. If one does not hold, as St. Basil affirms in _Against Eunomius_ (see page 105!!), that each of the three Persons shares the same essence but has a different characteristic (the Father as source, the Son as only-begotten of the source, the Spirit as only processor from the source), one ends in a Triniatrian muddle. Anyone who knows the slightest thing about the Cappadocians and their Orthodox successors knows this. (Cf. St. Gregory the Theologian's poem "On the Holy Spirit" in the collection of his poems, _On God and Man_.) To refuse to see the implications for the _filioque_ controversy is to expose oneself as a Latin partisan -- and an enemy of the Cappadocians, the subjects of the book! (Indeed, the material on page 106 offers all the proof that one needs that the Cappadocians never would have accepted the absurd _filioque_.)
On page 110, the author refers to "the Western form of the Nicene Creed." However, since that "form" was adopted in the 11th century, it is no more a "form" of the Nicene Creed than Christianity is a "form" of Judaism.
Also appallingly arrogant is the author's criticism of St. Basil at pages 116-117 for not displaying an appreciation of "art for art's sake." Really, the subjects here are three monastic saints, not some dilettante Borgia pope. What connection appreciation of secular art has to _theosis_, I do not understand. Perhaps the author should have approached these great churchmen with the idea of learning from them, not of criticizing them from a completely secular, culturally and religiously foreign perspective. I wish that SVS Press would more carefully assign and edit the texts it publishes. This one is a fair source of information on these saints for people already familiar with the Tradition; for others, it is more apt to be a pitfall than an aid.

When I was a portfolio manager at Sun Banks in Miami Florida one of our good clients, a Probate Litigation Attorney, went to senior management and asked if a bank investment professional could help him on a case. I was assigned to the project. This was my first exposure to the area of Litigation Support or serving as an Expert Witness. At the time I wanted to find a reference guide on what my responsibilities would be; the nature of the work; what should I expect. The local law schools had nothing. The library, nothing. Fortunately I was engaged by a good attorney who could walk me through the process. Almost ten years later, I am still doing expert work as an independent and even placing other experts in fields unrelated to my own. With the need to maintain both my skills and to train our beginners, I turned to the computer and screened for "expert witness" on the Amazon catalogue. To my surprise, 59 items came up. After deleting the fiction titles (mainly mysteries) we were left with 45 titles. After removing the books dedicated to specific expertises (Accounting, Engineering, Medicine, Psychology, Toxicology, etc.) we were left eight titles that addressed the general subject. "How to be an Expert Witness - Credibility in Oral Testimony" by Dennis G. Merenbach, ESQ and Anthony Stephen ESQ was the shortest (61 pages) and least expensive book on this screen. The book is a quick read. It has two chapters, eight sub-chapters, comic drawing and concludes with 16 "points to remember". It is not deep. The authors in the preface say, "This book is not a primer on the law of evidence. The information contained herein serves as a set of reminders to persons who may be called upon to function as expert witnesses in a courtroom, arbitration, or some type of administrative hearing." The potential expert is encouraged by the authors to take the book to court with them as an instruction guide. "Important reminders are highlighted in bold type." While no topic is covered in detail, some are useful introductions to the novice witness. The distinction between types of questions: Narrative Answers, Leading Questions, and Hypothetical Questions was useful. The difference in question structure between direct and cross examination also useful as is the Impeachment discussion. The warning on "Coaching" is important. Other items such as "Reminder No. 6, Abstain from drinking alcohol or taking tranquilizers before going to the court or hearing" or "Reminder No. 1 Dress in Good Taste" are just filler. The emphasis of the book is on oral testimony with little or no reference to the actual work of doing analysis, helping prepare a case, construction of displays, etc. Had I had this book on my first assignment it would have been helpful. It is not a stand alone handbook for the testifying expert. There are other excellent books online for that. But for the professional (either scientist or carpenter) who knows their field , has prepare a good case with a good attorney and is still apprehensive about facing a deposition for the first time, "How to Be an Expert Witness" is useful preparation. It is the type of book that litigators should hand out to their first timers and then follow-up (as the authors suggest) with a more specific trial plan.

What a terrible book - not only is it difficult to read - but missing much of common Ecology viewpoints and basics. Worthless, absolutely worthless - anyone want to by mine - cost of postage. If not, I'll just burn it.