When I first started doing database development back in 1995, I searched long and hard for a good book that'd teach me all about many of the "hard to get your head around" features of FileMaker Pro such as advanced scripting, understanding calculation formulas, dealing with related data and portals, and how to build killer user interfaces. At the time, there were no good books (to my knowledge). Later, after I'd finished my first subcontracting gig as a FileMaker developer and started my own company, I stumbled across Scriptology. I don't even remember where I found it (it was some unlikely place like a mall bookstore or something.)

I have to say that the book helped a great deal in my efforts to become a professional Filemaker developer, an advanced scripter, and a careful database planner/architect. I had already learned many of the techniques illuminated in the book by the by...from colleagues or by surfing the Web, but never before had all the greatest tips and techniques been collected in one place. Enter Scriptology.

One point, though. While I'm sure John and Matt are putting together a new edition as we speak, the book is dated in some respects (it doesn't cover FileMaker 5's new features). It also doesn't cover some very advanced FileMaker topics such as ODBC connectivity, Web development, or the use of plugins. For these reasons, the book seems pricy, but it'll still add a great deal to any developer's FileMaker database-building arsenal.

A MUST for any and all Filemaker developer. Much more than a simple 'how to' book. Gets to the heart of how to create solutions with FileMaker Pro.

After using a customized filemaker pro solution for two years at work, which the company had outgrown, I decided to start from scratch and create my own. I have purchased several filemaker books over the past few months and this is the only one which supplemented the filemaker pro manual. It says it covers Filemaker Pro 3.0 and 4.0 but everything applies to Filemaker Pro 5.0 also.

Absolutely every technique I was trying to do was described in detail here. This book explains some of the workaround techniques that are not instantly built in to Filemaker but are possible with a little work. The supplemental CD has each technique as a seperate database file making it easy to analyze and adapt to your own database.

Filemaker Pro is much easier to use than Access and superior when creating both an interface and printed reports, especially graphic intensive reports such as catalogs.

Read the Filemaker Pro manual, then buy this book. The high price of the book is completely covered in the fact that it is so comprehensive and covers advanced techniques in such easy to understand language.

I got a lot of ideas for my own databases from reading this book and was highly impressed by such detailed content.

If you are deciding between Visual Quickstart's Filemaker Pro (it only covers what is covered in the Filemaker manual), Filemaker Pro Bible (hardly comprehensive enough to be called a bible), Automating Filemaker Pro (more theory and description than how to automate it), and Scriptology, ONLY buy Scriptology. It will save you a lot of time and money (unless you are stupid like me and buy all the other books first).

I can't stress enough how much this book has helped me to learn more about hepatitis C. Matthew Dolan explains important things you want to know about, like PCR and genotypes and he gives an anology on genotypes that helps the new patient learn so easily. There's just so much great hep C info that this book has, it is a "must have!" I often tell people to get this book when they first tell me of their newly diagnosis of hep C. It's the best and I refer to my copy almost "daily!"

This book is a must have for all who work with people with the hepatitis C, have Hepatitis C, or loves someone who has it. This book saves lives ! Thank you Mr. Dolan.

I undertook a two-year very brutal drug treatment for HCV, and was recently miraculously cleared of the disease. There were times I felt like giving up, but relied again and again on the encouraging information I gleaned from this book. It is informative, well-written, and emotionally supportive. My Doctor wanted a copy too, since sadly, there is little information availible in the medical community. I highly recommend this book for anyone considering a treatment approach, or wanting a supportive source of compassionate and concise information.

This book will take your breath away. If you're a Bakelite aficionado, you'll want this book to show others why you are. If you're a novice collector, as I am, you'll see how wrong you were if you thought Bakelite consisted of jewelry, radios, napkin rings and salt and pepper shakers (though those are here, too, and probably as you've never seen them). And if you (perhaps most enviously of all) have no idea what Bakelite is, this book is the best possible introduction. Color photographs spaciously and copiously displayed throughout tell the story, with just enough text to supplement without being invasive.

Much of the book's power derives from the ways in which different collectors display and combine their Bakelite. Sometimes it's the sheer volume that makes the impact, and sometimes it's the unexpected and witty use of Bakelite where you'd expect to see real fruit or flowers. And sometimes, when a piece is just extraordinary, it'll be shown on a jacket lapel or on a wrist -- and that's all you'd want.

Categories include things like "Patriotic," "Carved," "Reverse Carved," "Nautical," "School Days," "European," "Tropicale," "The Bakelite Table," but these are merely organizational devices that don't in any way make the presentation monotonous or predictable. The colors of Bakelite are as varied as the pieces in which they're found. With this much variety, there's nothing monotonous about the Bakelite on display.

I bought this book on a whim and without benefit of being able to page through it; seldom have I had a whim so handsomely and expensively rewarded. I say "expensively," because the book sends me to ebay, where I'll begin adding to those napkin rings and s/p shakers immediately.

Beautifully photograped bakelite jewelry and objects. A must for any beginning or advanced collector. Great guide for a "wish list". Highly reccommended.

The pictures are excellent. There are more pictures in this book than in any other Bakelite book I bought. The book has a tremendous variety of bakelite that I have ever seen (pins, bracelets, crib toys). I rate it an A++++.

This is a great kids' craft book. The projects are colorful and substantial. The instructions are meticulously presented. Adults will also enjoy doing these crafts! This is a good book...no lame, boring projects here! Nope! This is Muppet quality fun stuff!

Why did I not give this book 5 stars if I like it so much? Well, sometimes I felt the level of difficulty indicators were off a bit. Also, I simply wish there had been more of this book...a thicker book with more ideas. Most crafts would be appropriate only for older children. I wish there were more options for wee ones.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly to homeschooling parents, elementary school teachers, scout leaders, Bible school directors, and the like. Others may want to check it out at the library first to see if it would work with your children. Still, I bet if you bring home a stack of kids' craft books from the library, _The Muppet's Big Book of Crafts_ will be the most creative, colorful, ambitious one in the pile.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! As a more 'mature' muppets fan, I can highly recommend this book, both for it's practical craft suggestions and as a darn fine book to look at. The photos are superb and nearly all my favourite characters were featured. So far, we have only had one failure among our craft attempts. The 'wax paper butterflies' ended up being 'runny crayon blobs' but we still had fun making them! This book will definitely be a keeper long after my kids have outgrown the projects.

I never considered myself a "crafty" person before I got my hands on this book! My roommate got it over a year ago and I had to get my own copy because we soon won't be living together anymore. It is true what the other reviewers have said that there isn't a lot for little kids in this book (though there are at least 20 good things for children) but there are a zillion crafts-for-kids books out there. This book is for EVERYBODY! Really, these projects could be handled by children, but many of them take patience that some children don't have. The projects in this book may take longer than projects in other books, but the end result is probably much better, too. After all, these projects come from the Muppet Workshop, and we all know the Muppets they make are not like ordinary craft puppets. My favorite project in this book is the "Eggshell Mosaic" which involves selecting your favorite drawing/picture (I did Sailor Moon, my friend did Tigger... there is a stencil in the book of Fozzie Bear), making a tracing of this picture onto cardboard, dying eggs the colors you will need to color in your tracing, and gluing the broken colored eggshell pieces into place! It looks like a fancy tile design you might see in a subway station. Everyone who has seen our eggshell mosaics is impressed! All of the projects have easy-to-follow instructions and helpful hints on how you may want to do your project. It is loaded with color photos of examples, and step-by-step drawings. I must have at least ten bookmarks in my copy, all marking projects that I can't wait to do! I can't stress enough what a great book this is. These must be the things Muppet Workshop people do with their children on the weekends. I don't have kids yet, but when I do, I am sure we will wear this book out until it is ragged.

This deck is truly magical as is the book "hallowquest the arthurian tarot course" which is its companion. This book is out of print and I was fortunate to get it used after buying the deck! The deck is a teacher and will take you on many journeys. Arthur's lesson is a powerful one which we desperately need today. I think the expression "you and the land are one" holds true for all of us for when we separate ourselves from the land we perish, hurting only ourselves. This deeper message is evident throughout the deck. When returning to the land we return to ourselves. The mystery, magic, wisdom of this deck sings its song for all to hear.

The Arthurian Tarot was the second tarot I bought (the first being the incredibly dull 1JJ!), and despite having since amassed a collection of 15 decks, it has remained my main reading deck for the last 9 years. This deck lends itself to the type of reading that I mainly carry out, which is that concerning personal developmet & exploration of issues, rather than prediction.

This deck follows the Rider-Waite initiative in having a pictorial minor arcana, rather than the bland arrangement of pips so beloved of occultists. The suits are different only in the fact that Spears replace Wands & Stones replace Pentacles, with Pages becoming Maidens. The illustrations embody the feelings of each card perfectly, you can feel the isolation & imprisonment of the eight of swords, the defenciveness of the nine of spears (wands) is clearly evoked by the strong cliff edges and the Washer at the Ford powerfully embodies the forces of Death.

This deck expresses the whole range of experience, refusing to soften the less desirable aspects of life by wrapping them up in soothing colloquialisms. The cards, like life, depict suffering, cruelty & harshness alongside those of love & abundance. This makes it the perfect deck for confronting your inner landscape, and journeying through it, in order to bring restoration & wholeness. This deck is also backed up with two further books, Hallowquest & the Arthurian Tarot Course, which aid those interested in going deeper into the cards than mere prediction.

The book that comes with the cards describes the myths that the scene on each card depicts, which aids the interpretation somewhat, with the myth often embodying a process that the person is currently going through. Also included in the book are some themed spreads, such as Merlins Mirror & Mabons Gate, which I have found are great tools in unravelling the Self.

I must admit that those interested only in prediction are most liklely going to be diappointed by the book, concentrating as it does on more esoteric matters than whether or not someones going to get that house they're hankering over. But that's not to say it's not adaptable to this use, just it's more suited to exploration.

And if anyone is trying to decide whether to go for this or that horrid Legend deck, go for this one, it has finer illustrations and its composition shows that the author's of this deck actually have a knowledge of their subject. The Legend deck is a poor attempt at a copy.

I have been working with Tarot, divination, astrology and shamanic practice for many years, and Caitlin and John Matthews' "The Arthurian Tarot" is by far my favorite deck. Though I also use Robin Wood Tarot and Universal Waite and Hanson-Roberts and others as well, The Arthurian Tarot lures me again and again with its Celtic and Arthurian/Grail imagery, mythology and symbolism, and its excellent artwork. The "arched-window" border that frames each scene depicted gives the impression of personally observing the scene firsthand from wherever you are in time and place. The Tarot journey is the journey of "The Seeker" in all of us. The scenes are more "realistic" than traditional tarot decks, and sometimes they are more harsh as well. The paperback book "The Arthurian Tarot" that accompanies the deck succinctly describes the myth and legend behind the cards' meanings. Keep in mind that the Matthews' background is rich in Grail lore, Celtic and Druidic study, and Shamanic Practice. Their considerable knowledge and practice in these areas is evident in the symbolism of the cards as well as the explanations in the accompanying book. Caitlin provides helpful first-hand descriptions of how the different spreads have been used with her clients, and many helpful suggestions in using and interpreting them.

If one is already even minimally knowledgable regarding the traditional Waite/Universal tarot meanings and symbolism, it is no great leap to accomodate the Arthurian symbolism. The book lists the traditional Celtic Cross spread along with several other interesting and useful spreads, Excalibur Spread, Merlin's Mirror etc. The Arthurian Tarot is the better deck for use in personal growth and enrichment, as the symbolism and mythology lends itself to this kind of psychological work.

I also own and heartily recommend the companion work by the Matthews, Hallowquest-The Arthurian Tarot Course, (purchased through Amazon.com) which more elaborately explains the mythology and symbolism, and utilizes the The Arthurian Tarot cards in a year-long personal journey of self-discovery and enrichment. There you see that the "arched-window" effect of the cards is carefully planned to assist the Seeker in shamanic meditations to enter the scene and interact within that realm rather than merely be an observer of it.

All things considered, this is a tarot experience that everyone could benefit from, and I heartily recommend the Matthews' Arthurian Tarot.

This book is truely entertaining, it covers music, culture, politics, drugs, ect... It was hard to put this book down, I was sucked into it and learned a great deal about the scene in Eroupe. I recommend this book to people who are looking for answers to questions they didn't know they were asking...

Excellent, informative history of the rave scene in England... everything is in here: how influential Ibiza was to the scene, MDMA and its history, smiley faces, baggy pants, all the main players and djs... it brought back a lot of happy memories of my raver days in NYC in the early 90s. A must read for those interested in this scene especially the beginning which shows that it all started in America: Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage, Frankie Knuckles's Warehouse parties, Dr. Shulgin and his MDMA studies... Britian took it to the next level in the 80s beginning with the Summer of Love and raves and was then past back to the US in the early 90s: Frankie Bones and the Storm raves, NASA, and the rest. This book tells you all about it!

Recommended to me by a friend. I have read all the books on our culture, and found this to be the most informative, historical, and unbiased description of the Rave culture. I was also quite suprised that the book dealt more with the actual culture of ravers, and didn't spend so much time on drug talk. Interesting discussion of the role the Alcohol industry played in the criminalization of ecstasy. Gives a lot of food for thought. A definite MUST HAVE.

You will laugh, cry and be confused when you read this book. This book can teach you that what you think is good is not always good.

There is a boy named Peter Pan. He sprinkles fairy dust in Wendy and her two brothers. Then he shows them how to fly. He takes them to Neverland and shows them to the Lost Boys who live there. Wendy becomes their mother. She makes up rules, like any other mother would do. The boys have to follow these rules. Everything was fine until Captain Hook came with his crew to where the boys and Wendy were. While Wendy and the boys were at the lagoon, where they go every day after dinner, they see a girl named Tiger Lily, princess of her tribe. She was captured by Smee, one of Captain Hook's men. Then Peter saved her. A few days later Wendy and the boys were on their way to Wendy's house when they too were all captured by Captain Hook. Then Peter saves them. Then the lost boys, Wendy and her brothers go home. All except for Peter.

It is mostly about what the people in the book think is right with childhood. The kids in the book think that if you grow up it is bad, but in our case it is actually good.

Peter Pan is a violent book not really made for children under the age of 10 but people 10 and up can read it. It is violent because of the language that is spoken and the idea that killing could be fun. Also, the vocabulary is very difficult for children under 10 to understand. Even if you're older it is difficult to understand.

Overall, it is a good book but watch out for the violent ideas if you are reading it to little children.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen

When talking of literature, people tend to look solely at books they read today but forget what they used to read, namely the ones we read as children. It is a common misunderstanding that children's literature is to be read by children and children only, but when we come to think of it, which one of us are not children, at least in our hearts?

One of the best books any child, young or old, can read is Barrie's Peter Pan. Although written in the past century, it has something for any generation at any time. Its humorous views at the world from a child's mind left me rolling over the floor, laughing; the exciting storyline kept me busy with reading until the end; and the serious undertone made me think of whether the world wouldn't be a better place if we realised that deep down, however deep, we are in fact all children. So if YOU are a child, which you most certainly are, get yourself a copy and enjoy your ongoing childhood.

A great read about family life in the south; mystery,love,adventure,abandonment; a typical southern family. I am a southerner. Altho written for young adults all ages will enjoy Kezi Matthews word pictures that bring Memphis to living color.

John Riley's Daughter is one of those edgy, suspenseful novels that keep you reading once you start. The Southern atmosphere is right on the mark, and the characters get up and walk off the page. I loved it from the beginning, and have already read it again!

Recipient of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's Best Children's Book by a Northwest author 2001 award. Also named to School Library Journal's Best Books 2000 list.

When I first saw this book offered in the Red Wheel/Weiser catalogue, I was so glad to see a book on the Green Man and I requested it for review immediately.  I didn't realize this was a gift set, and it came as a very delightful surprise.
The box contained a small photo book and a Green Man sculptured plaque.  The plaque was on top, a dark rich green, handsome face nestled in the sculpted leaves.  Very nicely produced, he would look great anywhere you happen to want to hang him up.  This is a very nice addition to this presentation.
But the book, which is small in appearance, is packed with Green Man trivia and photos of various depictions of the Green Man.   Mr. Matthews knows his stuff when it comes to the many myths and traditions associated with the Green Man.   I was impressed with the research done by Mr. Matthews in finding the many places where there are some impressive Green Man representations.  Pictures of carvings, building ornaments, paintings, even furniture featuring the image of the Green Man are included here.  There is also a meditation and suggestions for honoring the Green Man in various environments in your life.  The quality printing and gloss paper make this book a small treasure on its own.
For those of you who find the Green Man as special as I do, this book is a wonderful resource on the lore, history and mystery that the Green Man holds.  The plaque will also find a place in your home or garden or office, and will please you as much as the book will.  This would make a great gift for that special person who reveres the Green Man as much as you do. 

I own thousands of books and use lots of reference books in my writing, especially horror, folklore, and religion. This one holds a special place in my heart! The book has the most thorough survey of the green man that I have found. It covers the world and all ages. It is absolutely fascinating. The wall plaque is adorable. The book and plaque are boxed for gift giving. I highly recommend this set for any gardener, folklorist, or lover of the outdoors. The plaque has a standard picture frame hanger on the back, which makes it simple to mount on a post or wall. It holds securely in high winds and is ideal for gracing the entrance to a yard or garden.

John Matthews' Green Man: Spirit Of Nature is a difficult set to easily categorize: it's a gift book which blends a 64-page book with a crafted plaque depicting the Green Man figure - also known as Pan and Robin Hood. The book holds the history of the Green Man, myths and legends that surround the figure, and over twenty images of the Green Man taken across cultures over time.

Our lab used this book for a study group on effective scientific writing. We are located in Korea, so with the exception of the instructor and I, all participants were not native speakers of English. As a result, this review is from the viewpoint of foreign students. It is based on chapter reviews written by the members of our lab after finishing the book.

The book is just what it claims to be, a step-by-step approach to writing a scientific manuscript intended for publication. The first chapter helpfully furnishes a checklist (Table 1.3) for preparing a research paper. The chapter is actually a summary of the rest of the book so a reader already in the process of writing can easily find which chapter they wish to skip to via Table 1.3.

In the subsequent chapters, the authors provide good advice accompanied by helpful tables, examples and exercises, although the figure chapter could have used more tips on actually preparing the figures. Examples of poorly prepared and corrected figures would be a useful study aid. One student suggested that the second chapter on computer use was not particularly informative for graduate-level students. Regarding the chapter on grammar (chapter 6), another student pointed out that in some scientific articles, ungrammatical sentences are not corrected in order to effectively deliver the point.

The overall use of informal expressions and phrases seemed intended to make the text livelier for English-speaking students, but was confusing for several participants with English as a second language. We would like to suggest that the authors take their own advice and refrain from using slang and jargon. Several of us liked Appendix 2 and thought it was a good read for those unfamiliar with the practice of journal editors.

Apparently the authors had intended to attract those who had not already submitted a manuscript to read their book, but Successful Scientific Writing contains many helpful pointers for published scientists and journal editors, as well.

it is unfortunate the authors did not review the most recent scientific style and format conventions of the council of biology editors(accepted internationally) that were published in 1994. had they done so, they would not have made a number of the errors that show up scattered about in the text. i use parts of this text , especially the exercises, in a course i teach on scientific writing and have to make the corrections as we go along

Words can hardly express the beauty and cleverness of "Successful Scientific Writing" by Matthews, Bowen and Matthews as a step-by-step guide on how to write scientific reports for publication in English. I am using this book for a course that I teach on scientific writing at the Postgraduate School of Health Sciences at Aarhus University in Denmark, and I find it to be perfect! Before this book was published, there was none that dealt so well and so entertainingly with so many aspects of what it actually takes to prepare a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal. Many young (and old) scientists are good thinkers, but they are often poor writers! Thus, although they may have been able to design and carry out an experiment, they often lack the ability to express what they have done clearly and concisely. This book is for them! The first few chapters provide mainly words of encouragement for getting the writing process underway. There are also remarkable bits of advice, such as the notion of avoiding certan snacks that could derail ones momentum. In my view, the crux of the book appears in chapters 5, 6 and 7 in which extraordinarily lucid and practical instructions and exercises are presented for improving one's ability to write scientifically. There are also tips on how to optimize word-processing so that the manuscript submitted to the editor of a journal is most likely to be accepted for publication. Perhaps some old-timers in Science can do without this book, but they should nevertheless have a copy of it on hand for their students.