Fantastic book. Pithy style, very readable, no fluff, excellent as a reference. Anyone coming to Java from C++ should get this book. About the only thing I would do to improve it would be to have at least a short chapter on database access.

This is one of the first books I bought to get an understanding of Java and how it is comprable to what I already know of C/C++. This book is the perfect starting point, giving every comprable declaration to C/C++. Kudos to the authors, can't wait for a more up-to-date version though.

Even though this is one of my oldest Java books I keep going back to it. I wish it would be updated for the new Event model and swing however. The coverage of the 1.0 JDK is very good and I still go back to the gridbag description and examples when I get confused.

I can't recommend "The Feline Patient" highly enough. The information in this book has saved the lives of two of my cats. Soon after I bought this book, my 15-year-old Maine Coon cat became very ill, was diagnosed with diabetes, yet the ever-increasing doses of insulin that were prescribed didn't seem to improve his condition. The more insulin he was given, the higher his glucose level became. Concerned, I began to research the problem on my own, using this book, and hypothesized that my cat had not only diabetes, but also chronic pancreatitis, and that he was not only unable to produce sufficient insulin, but was also unable to effectively use the insulin he was given. Based upon the information in this book, I requested that several other diagnostic tests be performed. These tests confirmed my hypotheses, my cat's treatment has been revised, and I now look forward to more happy months and years with him.

While grooming my ten-year-old Cymric, I felt some very small, hard bumps in her back. These were approximately the size of an ordinary matchhead. Although they were very, very small, they were painful, and she cried when I touched them, even lightly. From having read this book, I knew that any unexplained bump or lump beneath the surface of a cat's skin should be evaluated by a veterinarian immediately. My cat has required two surgeries, but thanks to early detection and treatment, her prognosis is far better than it would otherwise have been.

"The Feline Patient" was written for veterinary practitioners, so the lay person will find the vocabulary challenging, and will probably require a good veterinary dictionary as a companion to this book. Nevertheless, the person who loves and cares for feline family members will find that the benefits greatly outweigh that challenge.

Thank you, Amazon.com, for making this book available to the general public!

The United States has seen some turbulent times in its history, especially for African Americans. Granddaddy's Gift highlights one aspect of American history, the African American struggle for the right to vote. The stars of this touching story are Joe Morgan and his granddaughter whom he calls "Daughter" but everyone else in their community affectionately calls "Little Joe" because she is like his shadow. Joe Morgan is a man that has worked hard all his life and in spite of his 8th grade education, he owns his own land on which he farms and raises animals. He stresses the importance of education to his granddaughter through both his words and actions. When it comes time for someone in their Mississippi community to stand up and attempt to register to vote, Joe Morgan answers the call. As a result of his decision he, his family and ultimately the entire African American community are faced with adversity, but in the process he teaches his granddaughter some important lessons.

Granddaddy's Gift illustrates how the freedoms that many of us take for granted are indeed a gift from the generations before us. The illustrations perfectly complement this keenly written story and add a personal touch. The story instills a sense of pride in the legacy left behind by ordinary but brave people that helped to change the cultural climate of this country. I highly recommend this book, not only because it relates historical information but also because of the values the story represents.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Mitchell's account of AMC cars and history is the best I've seen. It has the most current rendition and explanation of the AMC story of all the books on the subject. One of the books highlights is the amount of truely wonderful pictures of very rare cars that are not just cutouts of the AMC dealer brochures. These cars exist today and that means alot to any enthusiast. It is surely a must have for any AMC buff and is reccomended reading for any car enthusiast.

This book was needed years ago. Now we have it. It is chock full of good stuff about AMC's cars, which were the also-rans of the American automotive industry. However, AMC did mighty well, thank you, and the cars in the book reflect that. The biggest gripe about the book are the photographs. Many are rather poor in quality- it almost seems the author took them himself instead of relying on a professional. Still, I think this is a book that will complement any collection.

This book was needed years ago. Now we have it. It is chock full of good stuff about AMC's cars, which were the also-rans of the American automotive industry. However, AMC did mighty well, thank you, and the cars in the book reflect that. The biggest gripe about the book are the photographs. Many are rather poor in quality- it almost seems the author took them himself instead of relying on a professional. Still, I think this is a book that will complement any collection.

I am a new AMC convert and I love this book! I have a hard time keeping my hands off of it. I learned a lot by reading it and I liked all of the great pictures too. My only grip is that I wished it would have covered the larger AMCs a bit more. A V.I.N. decoder and total production numbers would certainly be a big plus. Overall, a definate must read for any AMC freak!

It is overall a fairly good book, but contains much to much detail for the typical non-major collegfe student. I am a teacher for the Intro Biology class ar a well known university, and I was admittedly called in at the last minute to teach this course, so I couldn't choose the text. This one I would not have chosen, as it has too much info for students who have never taken a biology class in their lives before. I find I have to "dumb down" a lot of the material, which is unfortunate, because it really is a well written and well thought out textbook.

I would just like to mention that none of the reviews here are talking about the 4th edition, which came out in 2002. While a new edition isn't a completely different book, according to the publisher, there are some significant changes that have been made to the book.
I used the 2nd eidition in my Freshman year of High School and I really like how the book was made, laid out, and how the information was presented.

I used this book during my freshman year in college. It was an excellent book with top-notch descriptions, well-placed layouts, and easy to understand content. The topics range from biochemistry to genetics to histology and all sorts of tangents into zoology, anatomy, and pharmacology. I have kept this book for 4 years and now that I will be starting medical school, I am taking the book with me. Many others in classes ahead of me have said that this book helps to clarify some of the complex topics that are presented in 1st year medical school. I firmly believe that and recommend this book to anyone with an interested in biology, medicine, and related fields.

I had the 6th edition of this book as the primary text book in my ME design class. It certainly has a wealth of data and formulae for design, but I found its explainations and examples very vague -- particularly if you're coming to it for the first time, or even the second or third time. In fact I frequently found myself confused by information I already knew well before reading this text. If you just need a formula, this is certainly a great reference. If you really need to know how that formula is applied or how to approach the problem, I'd look elsewhere. I also agree with a previous writer: the fatigue section is particularly lacking.

This book is not a reference on all the topics it mentions, but it will give you the fundamentals you will need most often. I have often come to this book after looking through more "advanced" texts and have been amazed by its simple treatment. This book, along with a design handbook is a must have for any mechanical engineer. Also as another reviewer mentioned, it comes in real handy when checking FE analyses. Because most of the text gives formulas, checking your mesh becomes very easy. But this is not a "one-stop" design book. You will need your basic texts on solid mechanics, engineering materials, and a good design handbook. (I use Rothbart, but you could use Marks')

This is a "must keep" book for any undergraduate level engineer. I've been out of school 6 years and still find myself frequently turning to this book to answer a design question. Often an excellent reference point for complicated FEA problems; get the back of the envelope answer in about twenty minutes and verify your model before too much computing time has been wasted.