I read this book in my western civ class during college. I was not sure what to expect from it, but found that I was pulled in and the book and meaning of the book would not let go. This is the meaning of life at its best. Athough not much history is involved with this epic tale, the writing is. This well done verse translation gives a glossary at the end of the book to help with hard to pronouce words and makes the read a bit easier. I do suggest reading this great book. It is very well done.

I had to read this book for a school World History class. This tale of the ancient god Gilgamesh, was written in free-form verses. This book was short, with an intresting and thought-provocking introduction and conclusion. I have not read other translations, but this one semmed very benificial to the high-school aged student. Although I did not really enjoy the story, it really forced you to think; about life, death, and immortality. Also included was a great feature, a glossey at the back of the book so you could look up proper nouns when you got confused. I found the glossery so helpful as I read this book. In conclusion, although this book was not my peferred style of writing, this is a very good translation of an epic tale.

While there cannot be much doubt as to the cultural value of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the importance of the story transceds mere literary significance. The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of those simple and yet deeply insightful stories that one can relate to. The verse narrative style that mason adopts, while by no means a flawless poetic translation, takes you through the events in a seamlessly captivating manner. One can infer a lot from the story about the meaning of life, especially as regards how the ancient ones chose to answer questions such as eternity and why humans cannot live forever (u'll have to figure out which part of the story I am talking about!!).
Overall this is a great reading. Shouldnt take too long to finish either, although I recommend that you take your time reading this one.

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.

For those who wish to read a biography of our greatest chief justice, this is not the book to read. For those who are interested in the jurisprudence of C.J. Marshall, this book provides an outstanding introduction. The book provides compelling, and accurate, evidence that in addition to John Marshall being a great jurist, he was also, and foremost, a founding father -- one of the few who realized the potential for our great nation. While it can be successfully argued that at times Marshall expanded the powers of the Supreme Court beyond those intended by the authors of the Constitution, the book also provides a compelling argument for the necessity of expanding those powers. Johnson successfully reasons that, where it not for Marshall's ability to occasionaly read "beyond" the strict guidelines of the Constitution, the role of judicial review (and hence our constitutional guarantees) would not exist today. Overall, an excellent study into a chief justice whose concerns where not those of partisanship -- but rather those of aiding a fledgling country through its formative years.

Let me first confess that I am the named research aide who assisted Professor Johnson on this book. But what I didn't have anything to do with was his useful organization of the caselaw into topical segments. Not only is this book a useful work for the reasons stated by the other reviewer(s), but if someone wants to know the Court's holdings over time in a number of areas, such as the law of nations or separation of powers, this is a useful book. Professor Johnson organizes the book so that a researcher may use it to glean trends on a particular topic rather than presenting a jumble of topics and leaving it up to the reader to discern the development of the law on a given issue.

I might also note that Professor Johnson's conducted meticulous research over many years organizing Supreme Court decisions by topic in a fashion only rivaled by West Publishing.

This book documents what was quite possibly the largest and finest exhibition ever devoted solely to fauve painting. This brief movement, sandwiched between the towering achievements of impressionism, post-impressionism, and cubism, is a relatively overlooked one in the history of 20th century art. Concentrating on landscape painting as the heart of the fauvist view of reality, the essays are some very fine scholarly re-appraisals of the social and economic history of fauvism. The book itself is beautiful, with a superior design and extremely high standards of photographic reproduction. My only quibble is the near-total exclusion of figure-painting from the discussion (even as a point of comparison), and the authors' focus on social history leaves little space for aesthetic issues to be discussed. The essays treat these fantastically beautiful paintings as mere documents of economic relationships, a common art-historical focus nowadays, but one which does little to educate the reader in the marvelous way of seeing represented by these images.

A lot have time was put into writing this book I can tell by the way it was written. Very good book on a hard period of art to write about.

Having read H.G. Wells' classics WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, THE TIME MACHINE, and THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, I looked forward to reading what is often claimed to be his "best" work. TONO-BUNGAY is completely different than any of his Sci-Fi classics. TONO-BUNGAY is more of a study of class structure and class struggle in England during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The story follows the life of a young man, George, and his Uncle Edward. Edward invents an elixir called TONO-BUNGAY and hires his nephew George to help build the company. As the book goes George and Edward become quite wealthy. Throughout the book George makes numerous comments on his varying places on the social ladder. It seems that no matter how wealthy George becomes, he will never be accepted in certain circles because he is newly rich and not "old money." The story is well written and is generally easy to follow. I would, however, recomm! end the World's Classics edition of this book (published by Oxford U. Press and available from Amazon.Com) because there are some instances in which Wells makes comments about European literature, art, languages, colleges and phrases that may be of little meaning to the average reader, but for the six pages of end notes provided in the World's Classics edition. The World's Classics edition also claims to be the most accurate edition of the story, taking into account all of Wells' revisions of the story, many of which were made after the book was initially published in 1909 (TONO-BUNGAY was revised by Wells and re-released in 1925).

"Tono-Bungay" is an alleged tonic with dubious medical benefits; and the story is one of the brief fortunes of someone who manages to turn the worthless substance into a formidable fortune - for a while. By the time Wells wrote this novel he had already written books which might or might not be science fiction (witness "The War in the Air") and, all in all, "Ton-Bungay" probably isn't science fiction. But I should mention a substance called "quup" which is introduced towards the end of the book. (I'm not giving anything important away.) "Quup" is the first mention I know of of what we would now call radioactive waste, except that it's naturally occurring, and ... well, perhaps I should be discrete, but I can say that the scenes involving quup have a peculiar flavour which writers would find impossible to capture nowadays.

So you get an excellent double deal with this book: the best of Wells's social fiction of the 1910s, plus a dollop the fresh science fiction he wrote the previous century.

I've been following the Dune Saga for some years now. The first book, "Dune", was by far the best of them all. Frank Herbert introduced us to the intrigueing world of great families fighting on a small but crucial planet called Dune, home of the spice.

When I finished "Dune" I couldn't wait to see what would happen to Paul Atreides "Muad'Dib", Chani, etc. Unfortunately, "Dune Messiah" was so disappointing. It seemed as if the author, run out of ideas, wished to "kill" Paul as quickly as possible. And so he did. "The Children of Dune" was enjoyable and "God Emperor of Dune" was by far the worst of the Saga.

However, despite the fourth one, I decided to read "Heretics of Dune". Now that I finished it, I must say that this book is almost as good as the first one. Thousands of years have passed since the death of Leto II and the humanity must cope with the consequences of the "Big Dispersion". All the characters in this book are new, which is a good point. This time, the author chose to focus on the Bene Gesserit Order. The description of the order is much more interesting and deeper than in the previous books. Soon we, the readers, discover that the Bene Gesserit are facing a new enemy, the Honoured Matres, who are in fact a branch of the BG that came back from the "Big Dispersion". The conflicts between the two of them and the plot are highly intrigueing, thus contributing to make this book a real page turner. It is a real fun to read about Rakis, where each corner is carring the memory of the Baron, Jessica, Paul and his children. Another good point is the arrival of a new character, Miles Teg, the Bashar of the Bene Gesserit. Herbert largely describes the old Teg: his thoughts, feelings, victories and loyalty to the order of the BG. While reading about Teg, I had the feeling that the author wanted to compensate his failure with "Dune Messiah". Teg is the image of Paul: a warrior, a lover and a father, who grew old and now has to face many inner conflicts, that each one of us has to face when our life is about to end.

As a matter of conclusion, I would say this book is very good. It has got all the usual stuff: action,love, friendship, philosophy, interesting characters and so on. Pity that it does not come right after "Dune". I can assure you that you can start with "Dune" and skip right to "Heretics of Dune". Trust me. The three previous ones are not as good and you won't miss a thing!

Many would disagree with the statement that Heretics of Dune is the greatest Dune book in the series, but after having read each book three times, I am certain that Heretics of Dune is the perfect balance of philosophy, plot and action that I am sure Herbert always strove for. He creates characters we can care for (Odrade, Sheanna, Teg, Idaho) and those we can hate, including the "whores"--Honored Matres, made all the more terrifying because they remain faceless enemies in the shadows. Many authors flounder and refuse to consider their main characters expendable; Herbert does not view this as anathema, as is evinced by the events surrounding Mother Superior Taraza. This marks him as a consummate writer not afraid to harm characters to further plot. The philosophical digressions were well-orchestrated and thought-provoking as ever (especially his discussions of religion as a control factor for the masses), and the action of the storyline has matured since the adolescent-feeling action sequences of the original Dune. All in all, Heretics of Dune strikes the perfect balance between philosophy and plot. Highly reccommended!

First of all, I've read many of the above reviews, and the general consensus appears to be that Dune was great, Messiah drooled, Children left you cold, and God Emperor should be ignored or better yet forgotten. Heretics on the other hand got some glowing reviews, as it should, since, even in my opinion, it is probably the better of the five books, excluding only Dune, which ruled on a scope that has not yet been passed by any other book in any other sci-fi series, and Chapterhouse, which I felt ended the series, if not pleasantly, than at least satisfactorily. Now, I'm going to explain why none of the books should be skipped or viewed as less than awesome. Point number one: Frank Herbert wrote them. Need I go on? I don't care how poorly contrived Messiah was, or how out of place God Emperor appeared, Herbert had a vision, and we're just along for the ride. For any of you to even consider that you could effectively and correctly critique the grand master of modern science fiction is preposterous! The books were meant to flow, and I believe they did. And as for philosophical ranting, please! I'm open to views other than my own, especially views emanating from such an ingenious and wonderfully imaginative author as Frank Herbert himself! Anything associated with Dune, and that includes the new books coming out (Yay!), should be read and hopefully appreciated, and if you didn't like it the first time, read it again, or just do something else! Now, while you digest that, I think I'm going to read the whole series again, merely for the pure enjoyment of it...

Pond Life is like a general biology introduction to life found in ponds. All types of life are covered, albeit in very brief introductions. Plants and animals (microscopic to mammals to birds) each receive tertiary coverage. The book does not get into specifics on how wetlands function relation to other ecosystems, and such coverage would have been useful, but the overall emphasis is still relevant.

The book is likely not intended to be read from cover to cover, as it is a field guide. Field guides are really meant to be brought along in a pocket for easy reference when making field identifications. In this respect, I am a big fan of other field guides in the series.

This volume and its companions should be readily available at nature centers, but the price is low enough for people to purchase it for their own libraries. What it lacks in detail it makes up for in compactness and readability.

Golden Guides are often described as books for children just discovering the natural world. While the series is eminently usable by young naturalists, Golden Guides are solid introductory field guides. One of the strengths of "Pond Life" is its comprehensive scope covering everything from protozoa to plants to mammals. Indeed, it provides more good basic information on identifying types of water plants than any other source I know complete with measurements and color illustrations. The same applies to its coverage of invertebrates as well, though the minor objection of the previous reviewer concerning its scanty treatment of protozoa is a valid one. I would add to the strength of "Pond Life" its portability, which packs a plethora of information into a small package. Another weakness (of the Golden Guides in general) is its datedness to the 1950's and 60's. This does not affect its basic science in most cases, though it is strange (albeit nostalgic for some) to see the equipment suggested for pond watching.

E.O. Wilson, in his beautiful and brilliant autobiography, has stated that if he could live his life again, he would do so as a microbiologist who would dedicate himself to the study of a single tree and the area immediately surrounding it. He would investigate the organisms and the ecology of that small space, finding enough there to occupy his interest for a lifetime of exploration and research.

Given the same choice, I would choose a pond as my area of study, and this book would be one of the first field guides I would use. It is a basic introduction to the study of small bodies of fresh water: their defining characteristics, the forms they take through the seasons, the cycle of their lives, and the distinct forms they take throughout the United States. It also touches on the physical and chemical characteristics of water, and the importance these have for the organisms that live in or near the pond. The book introduces the concept of food webs and the multiple habitats of lakes and ponds, and also lists and describes some of the basic collecting tools of the limnologist (one who studies bodies of fresh water). The majority of the book is dedicated to the plants and animals which are frequently found near ponds. As one would expect, the emphasis is on how these organisms relate to the others in this environment, whether they are full or part time denizens, and in what types of ponds they can be found. More than merely a book about creatures found in ponds, it presents information about the pond itself and how its many inhabitants and visitors relate to one another there.

The book has two small weaknesses. The first is a slight bias towards organisms found only east of the Mississippi. There is enough information about ponds in general, however, to make this guide useful for any budding limnologist. The second flaw is that the sections on the protozoa and other microscopic organisms are far too short, but as a protozoologist I am perhaps biased. Still, I think that even a few more pages would have added to the value of this section by demonstrating the amazing complexity of these phyla.

As it is, however, the book functions admirably as an introduction to the study of ponds: it will lead beginners into the natural world, and to help them identify what they find there. It is suited for older children and adolescents, and will still be of some use at the college level, if only because it includes a list of more technical reference books. I recommend it for anyone who wants to "take the plunge" into the study of this fascinating environment!

When the sleeper wakes is a fairly good book, but not something I would choose to read again. The book doesn't exactly give either a realistic or creative idea for the future, when 'The Sleeper' ends up in 2010. There are barely any things that change in those two hundred years, which is an odd concept to handle. How they refer to people is the same as in the beginning of the story when he's in the 1800's.

Another of Wells' dark futuristic visions, this novel is about a man who falls into a deep sleep in the Victorian age and wakes up early in the 22nd century. Wells predicts much of the technology that would be invented in the 20th century. This story is not just a fascinating read but a poignant social commentary.

H.G. Wells is perhaps one of the greatest modern writers, and his stunning book "When The Sleeper Wakes" is the embodiment of his incredible prohpetic writing. This is an essential book, if for no other reason than it's frighteningly close-to-home predictions of the future. The story follows a modern day Rumplestiltskin, named Graham, after he sleeps a couple of centuries and wakes up to find himself owner of over half of the earth. The story itself is well-crafted, as Wells demonstrates a strong command of the English language. But this book is not merely a "good read". The most amazing aspect is that H.G. Wells predicted the widespread use of airtravel over a hundred years ago, along with mega-corporations that dominate a single industry, and roadside billboard advertisements. These are just a few of the remarkable, and accurate, predictions H.G. Wells made. It's hard to believe this book was written in the 1890's. The story is engaging as well, even if your not concerned with the social and political warnings of this tale. Only a few of the characters are extensively, namely Ostrog and Graham. But since it's a short story, this doesn't detract from the overall plot. The setting and tone of the story are the most important elements, and these are expertly developed. There is little wrong with this book. It's a little on the short side, but it still makes for an excellent choice.

Jonathan Swift's 18th century satire, Gulliver's Travels, is an extraordinary tale of the adventures of an English ship surgeon. The ship surgeon, Gulliver, by a series of unfortunate events on each of his four voyages at sea, receives the chance to explore the cultures of the countries of Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and the land of the Houyhnhnms. Each land is considerably different from the others, and creates quite an entertaining read.

While the story itself is particularly unusual, the satirical element which Swift applied to it adds another level of comprehension. If understood, one could have a nice chuckle at the way Swift mockingly portrays ideas and people through the various cultures which Gulliver encounters. Some similes, however, are intended to get a more serious meaning across. For example, in his first journey of the book, Gulliver finds himself in the country of Lilliput where the people are only six inches tall, save the king who is seven. In this land there are two groups which were distinguished by which side a person breaks their eggs on. One king published an edict commanding all his subjects to break their eggs on the small side, but many would've picked death over breaking their eggs on the 'wrong' side, so many did. By this, Swift meant to throw contempt on the exaggerated importance that people place on their differences, as on which side one breaks an egg is a very trivial thing. The two groups mentioned represent the Catholic and Protestant religions, between which were many wars and massacres during the 1500's when the Protestants first appeared.

Gulliver's Travels takes the reader to many lands, all different and unique ' each adding another perspective on traditional beliefs and ways of thinking. Gulliver changes as much as the scenery around him, and after each voyage he has changed dramatically. At the end he has transformed so much that I feel really sorry for his family ' although it's only love that could allow them to put up with his strange behaviors.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an appetite for literature, as Gulliver's Travels is an excellent satire of the ways of the thinking in the early 1700's. Also, the author does a good job in describing the lands which Gulliver visits in great detail. Although Swift may not have written this book with intense action scenes and steamy romance, it is definitely a work worthy of the people of today.

Lemuel Gulliver is a surgeon/ship¨ˆs captain who embarks on several intriguing adventures. His first endeavor takes him to Lilliput, where all inhabitants are six inches tall, but resemble normal humans in every other respect. His next voyage lands him on Brobdingnag, where a grown man is sixty feet tall, and even the shortest dwarf stands thirty feet tall. On his third trip, he travels to several locations, including a floating island. During Gulliver¨ˆs final voyage, he is abandoned by his mutinous crew on the island of the Houyhnhnms, which are extremely intelligent horses. No evil or concept of lying exists among these creatures. The island is also inhabited by Yahoos, savage, irrational human-like creatures who are kept as pets by the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver wishes to spend the rest of his life on this peaceful island, but he is banished and forced to return to England.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to people 14 or older. Since the novel was written in the 1700¡¯s, the words, grammar and usage are a little confusing. The reader also must have prior knowledge of 18th-century politics to get a full image of what Swift is trying to convey. At some points, the author goes into detail about nautical terms and happenings, and that tends to drag. Overall, the book is well-written, slightly humorous, if not a little confusing.

I have trouble reading classic literature. I am an avid reader and I want to enjoy the classics, but just find it difficult to understand the meaning in some of the writing.

This, however, was a pleasant surprise. Although written in the early 1700s, the story itself was fairly easy to follow. Even towards the end, I began to see the underlying theme of the satire that Swift has been praised for in this work.

Being someone who reads primarily science fiction and fantasy novels, I thought this might be an opportunity to culture myself while also enjoying a good story. I was correct in my thinking. Even if you can't pick up on the satire, there is still a good classic fantasy story.

Essentially, the book details the travels of Lemuel Gulliver, who by several misfortunes, visits remote and unheard of lands. In each, Gulliver spends enough time to understand the language and culture of each of these land's inhabitants. He also details the difference in culture of his native England to the highest rulers of the visted nations. In his writing of these differences, he is able to show his dislike with the system of government of England. He does this by simply stating how things are in England and then uses the reaction of the strangers as outsiders looking in, showing their lack of respect for what Gulliver describes.

I found it very interesting to see that even as early as the 1700s there was a general dislike of government as well as lawyers.

I would recommend this book to anyone who reads the fantasy genre. Obviously, it's not an epic saga like so many most fantasy readers enjoy, but it's a nice break. I would also recommend this to high school students who are asked to pick a classic piece for a book report. It reads relatively quick and isn't as difficult to read as some of the others that I've tried to read.

Almost everyone has heard of the "For Dummies" books. The "Quick Reference" series' direct method and clear (sometimes playful and fun) language make learning easy. "The Internet For Dummies Quick Reference" is a fact-filled quick reference that gives the chance to find out a small, clear and fun guide which takes the horror out of meeting the Internet for the first time.

"The Internet For Dummies Quick Reference" is a quick guide designed for beginners. Authors do an exceptional job of explaining a large number of Internet terms. You'll also find here a lot of tips for optimizing your browser for speed, building your first Web page, managing e-mail, subscribing to mailing lists, and go shopping on-line. Here is really the perfect guide to help users find their way around the Internet.

I hope, almost everyone has heard of the "For Dummies" books. The series' direct method and clear (sometimes playful and fun) language make learning easy. It is also a well-known computer book series in Russia. "The Internet For Dummies" is the chance to find out in a simple, clear and fun guide which takes the horror out of meeting the Internet for the first time.

As a computer writer, I am always delighted to discover new great book that makes understanding the computer. Many so-called Internet books are nothing more than printed collections of Web addresses. "The Internet For Dummies" is a guide designed just for newbies. Authors do an exceptional job of explaining a large number of Internet terms. You'll also find here a lot of tips for optimizing your browser for speed, building your first Web page, managing e-mail, subscribing to mailing lists, and go shopping on-line. "The Internet for Dummies" is a great start to learning the Internet.

360 pages of all the facts you'll need about the Web, e-mail, service providers, and search engines. An encyclopedia of the easy to locate information you'll need to surf like an "expert." Provides a complete table of contents and an index of more than 2,200 entries. Topics range from The Net at Home and Work, Your Kids, Web TV and Shopping, to Your First Home Page, Mail, Messages, Chats, and Swiping Files from the Net. Written in the fun, but informative style of the "Dummies" series. At $ 15.95 you'll find a wealth of information to help you. I keep this book on my desk and refer to it often. My two sons are systems analysts and programmers, but I find the things I need faster in this book, than trying to understand what the boys are saying with their technical jargon ! After they answer my question, I still look it up in the book so I can understand the "practical" steps I need to take to get what I want.