The title drew me in and the subject sounded great. But to be honest it is still on the shelf as I just couldn't get motivated with this one.

I will have another look but after half the book is read I am still not very interested. Sorry.

This book is full of detailed and entrancing descriptions of the natural world. The author is apparently driven to seek out atypical encounters with nature such as luring hummingbirds to perch on his finger, sinking his fingers into steaming bear dung, kayaking among whales, or placing his person in front of dangerous surf. He takes you on those trips and more. Many passages have an abstract, poetic or you could say even acid-trip quality, for example, as the author describes his body merging with the island or an eagle. Great writing skill displayed in these flowing sequences as well as with the grounded descriptions of flora and fauna, the author's family and their life in Alaska.

Here is a book that you may have to digest in small bits. Nelson's prose is dense, descriptive and charged with an intensity that occasionally makes you wonder how he can stand to inhabit his own skin. His description of the day he spent deer hunting for example - the physical strain of stalking, questioning the "rightenss" of his mental and spiritual state, worrying about having enough meat to tide himself and his family over for the winter, trying to read the signs he perceives in the woods, remembering the teaching of the elders of the Indian tribe he studied with - is exhausting for the reader as well as Nelson. This doesn't mean it wasn't worth the work; just that you may need a break every so often to catch your breath.

The Island Within is about a special relationship Nelson has built with an island in the Pacific Northwest. When he is not there, studying the animals, hunting with his dog and exploring on his own or with his family, he is wishing he was and planning his next visit. The reader is treated not only to graphic physical descriptions of the island and its inhabitants, but to Nelson's ongoing internal dialog with himself, in which he seeks to balance three very different ways of life - the loner, the family man and the student of Indian ways.

Perhaps the greatest gift offered by this book is a fresh look at how a human being can relate to his world. As much as I came to appreciate the island, I also enjoyed Nelson's tales of his time spent away from it. His fishing trip with his son, the days he spends working in his garden picking berries, the long runs he takes with his dog, his playful attempt to sneak up on a family of seals and his description of the day he decided to open all his windows and let the winds of a large storm blow through his home are equally fun and revealing. Here is someone who has recognized that he is part and parcel of the physical world, and has dared to tear down preconceived notions in order to interact with it in new and playful ways.

The one thing you should not expect from The Island Within is a clear cut plot and story line. This book is all about sharing at an elemental level.

This text has the information you need, often in multiple chapters. However, the book is poorly laid out, with long chapters that are hard to get through. For example, in the growth and development chapter, you go from growth charts to theoretical psych in a matter of pages. This makes it difficult to cover material as it is presented in class/clerkship. Hopefully, Rudolph's Fundamentals is better. If not, it's Blueprints all the way!

When I used this book during my pediatric clerkship as a medical student, it proved to be a reliable source of excellent information, seemingly perfectly directed at what most attending ask for during the rounds and conferences. It gives a brief synopsis of pathophysiology, etiology, diagnostic criterion, management and prognosis of all but the rarest pediatric ailments. The well-organized approach makes this one of the ideal books for skimming before an exam, and yet the details provided also afforded much information for those who are preparing for a lecture.
Yet for pediatric residents (of which I am currently one), this book proves too superficial. I used it for a few of our monthly exams (when my internship labors gave me too little time to study our bible - NELSON), and I felt that it didn't quite deliver the necessary level. Not enough was mentioned about the syndromes that attendings love to ask about.
Overall, though, I love this book. It makes for a good "bathroom read" for both medical student and resident, but where the student can take it back to his desk, the resident should leave it in the bathroom magazine rack for future visits.

I have been working as a Pediatrician in Pakistan since 1992. In Pakistan the Standard Text book Of Pediatrics is Nelson Text book of Pediatrics. But the most liked book is Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics. I have read all its previous edditons first as a trainee of Pediatrics and now as a working pediatrician. I think one should always keep with him this book and Harriet Lane Hand Book of pediatrics if one wants to remain current.

Dr. Daud Khan
Pediatrician Rawalpindi Pakistan

Finally a book that allows you to search for signs based on their handshape. Many ASL students have difficulty understanding ASL users. This book gives them a better chance to look up signs to comprehend them instead of using looking up an English gloss to learn what THEY want to say! The only drawback? Not enough! This book should be expanded. I hope to see more signs included in the next edition. (There will be a next edition right?)

This book has been my best resource in three years of sign language study. It is beautifully produced and compact, which makes it easy to carry as a ready reference. The vocabulary has been most satisfactory for the first three years of ASL courses and I expect it will continue to be my most valued resource for many reasons, a few of which are as follows: (1) The vast amount of material covered in the introduction reinforces the areas of grammar, fingerspelling and usage covered in class. (2) The system of ordering signs by handshape reinforces the fact that ASL is an independent language. (3) The variety of glosses that can be expressed with a single sign are together, unlike every other dictionary I have seen. This not only creates the desired compact format, but helps the student learn and appreciate the range of expression possible in ASL. (4) It is the only true two-way signing dictionary for this language, which makes it an essential adjunct to learning the language. It is clear, with my continued use, that the authors are teachers and know just what is needed to promote learning.

Thank you for finally writing a book that so clearly illustrates how to go from ASL to spoken English. This book unlike any other, has practically opened up a whole new world to me. Having once learned to sign the alphabet on a train between Salzburg and Vienna,I became interested in learning more about ASL. I saw this book and it provided a system that greatly simplified the learning.

This book has some good examples, but lacks any detail.
It skims over all the complicated topics.
Does not do a very good job at demonstrating how to build applications that integrate a web browser and an ip phone.
Very introductory.

Developing Cisco IP Phone Services takes the reader through all of the steps necessary to create usable service applications. A lot of the info covered here just isn't mentioned anywhere else, including Cisco's web site. Even though services are constructed from standard protocols, creating ones that work well can be surprisingly challenging. I keep a copy of this book on my desk at all times as a reference. The user interface sections are quite useful. Spending time on how to design a service is at least as important as how one is written. On the down-side, however, I found the included code to be Windows-centric, and also wished they had included source code for the tools. But, the included information enabled me to write my own tools. I think that speaks for the quality of what you'll find here.

I needed to get an in depth understanding of the way services for the IP Phone were developed so as to develop security policies to help protect network assets. This book gave me exactly what I needed to know. It will be very useful to anyone who wants to develop XML based services for the Cisco phones.

This book is a work of very good scholarship and is well reasoned and supported spelling out an important history in Iranian and Islamic history. However, I would not recommend this for the casual historian but rather only to the dedicated student. The prose is quite dry and reading through it can become a chore rather than a delight. If you're looking for a general history stay clear if you need specific details at all costs than by all means buy this book.

Professor Frye dispell the myth perpetuated by the Islamists as well as europhiles that the classical period in Iranian history was one of meagre achievement. The small volume of extant sources showed a highly sophisticated culture and references to other works during the same period point to a highly literate society. Professor Frye reconstruct Sassanid Persia and identifies it as the source of the Islamic golden age that followed. Beautifully written, this is the book that can be used by any novice to start a soundly grounded historical odyssey as well as by the more experienced reader to correct many of her misconception.

I'm glad I bought this Bible even though I have a lot of them already because it has several unique features, like the focus articles sprinkled through and alternate translations of some words at the bottom of the page. The footnotes are really easy to uderstand and interesting. It's also pleasant to look at, good type setting and paragraph form in the book passages.

This Bible is the answer to my learning problems. It made it easy for me to memorize and understand how the Bible fit into my life and how I could raise my children in GODS love and understanding. I enjoyed the ties to modern times and modern problems. The only thing I would add would be book tabs so new users could find them quicker. Overall this would be an exellent gift for a teenager or young adult going to collage. Enjoy this book as much as I have and may GOD bless and keep you and your family from harm.

Although the premise is fascinating - is Elvis alive and appearing at a competion for Elvis impersonators in Las Vegas? I found the execution of this installment somewhat dull. This was due mainly to the absence of the usual supporting cast for most of the book. Where is Temple's nemisis - Molina? And half the fun (Okay, more than half) of these books comes from the ongoing romantic triangle between Temple, Max and Matt. This has been diminished in recent installments by having Temple return to her former flame, the Mysterious Max, but it was totally absent from this book. Max is missing in action for most of the story and Matt is around only to serve as a call-in radio sounding board for the possibly living King of Rock and Roll. I also was disappointed that this installment did nothing to explore the growing relationship between Matt and Carmen Molina. Even Midnight Louise, Louie's daughter and favorite sparring partner, is suprisingly absent for most of the novel. Interesting in parts, but not the best effort in the series.

I returned home from a recent trip to Memphis, where we toured Graceland, to find "Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit" in the mail awaiting my arrival. The coincidence was amazing. Finished reading it last night and think it is one of the best books I have ever read. The author's thought process gets deeper with each book and her exploration of the never-ending Elvis mystique casts an accurate eye on the sociology of the 50's and 60's and the perception of those times having been so innocent. Having been a teenager in the 1950's, I could also totally relate to the Electra character. The author's use of words gets cleverer and funnier with each book. As with any "whodunit," you have to keep reading to find out who was the perp, but you finish the book with sadness because there will be no more show-stoppers on each page. Thank you, Carole, so much for Temple and Louie and Chatter and all the rest of them!

Carole Nelson Douglas' Temple Barr and Midnight Louie investigate the ups and downs of glamor and glitz when they meet Elvis?, Elvis's ghost? and a company of Elvis impersonators. I think my favorite parts were those that involved Matt and his enigmatic guest on his new call-in radio show. I found the conclusion to this particular subplot satisfying enough to put a Cheshire Cat smile on my face. Louie's snake charming techniques for interviewing anacondas worked like a--er--charm--for me. Eschewing her usual series characters' entanglements and troubles, Douglas focuses in this book on having her protagonists and even one of the antagonists pull together to solve a mystery with their usual panache, and more importantly to seek resolution for the troubled soul of the charismatic entertainer. I never liked Elvis in his heyday but I must say, after reading this book, I feel much more kindly toward him now. I also LOVED the Fontana Bros. as Full Spectrum Elvis impersonators. The only problem with this book for me is that it seems to have been too short because I keep wanting to read some more and wondering what the people are doing NOW. I'd love it if Elvis's ghost turned up now and again in later books, just to give the little lady (Carmen Molina) a hand now and then.

Thinking of changing your career? Here are my suggestions. I am a professional, a former physician, who recently made a 90 degree career change after putting up with work I did not enjoy for many years. I managed to get through the two big problems career changers face : coming up with the courage to make the leap, and the BIG ONE, figuring our just what to do with my life. Now I'm in an exciting, new and different career and doing very well, thank you. I actually like going to work. I recently read this Po Bronson book to see what the experience of making a change was like for others.

If you are thinking about actually making a change, don't waste your money on this book. It is excellent for providing suggestions to job changers, but if your are seeking a more fulfilling career, forget it.

There are only two really excellent career change books. The first is called "The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success" This is the masterpiece guide to career change. It is a brilliantly written, in-depth guide to all aspects of deciding what to do with your life, and dealing with the courage question as well. I eventually decided to get further assistance designing my new career from the author's well respected career counseling organization, Rockport Institute, but I was a hard nut to crack. You may not need anything more than this book. The other book I recommend is "Do What You Are", a guide to which careers fit your personality. Though this is not really a complete "how to" book, it is very useful. Get these two books and you will be on your way to a more fulfilling life.

Buy "Parachute" only if you want a new job doing what you are doing now.

I found this book extremely helpful in evaluating certain criteria that was important to me in terms of a working environment that I didn't realize was so important. You do have to do the excercises for it to have any meaning. It is easy to read and if you really need a starting point, I think it is worth it.

I recently read Bolles 2002 edition after finding myself unexpectedly jobless (first time for that when it wasn't my choice). Two versions of his book have been taking up shelf space on my wife's bookcase for years, but I have never had occasion to pick them up and even thumb through them. Finally, I have.

There are literally thousands of books on the market that help with the job search process, covering everything from writing the perfect resume to addressing the career prospects of the photolithography portion of the semiconductor industry. This book covers none of that. What this book does, and does extremely well, is present the job-search process as it should be done; without limiting the process by applying it solely to a single industry. It doesn't cover the intricacies of cover letters and the specific variations of your resume (there are other books to do that). It does walk you through the path of your job search, holding your hand as appropriate.

Why hold your hand? Well, if you're following the more usual job search, you probably won't want the hand-holding. However, one of the more valuable aspects of the book is clear insight into just what works and what doesn't; and once you hear that, you'll probably want some hand-holding ('cause it's really different from what we all were told and what we'd all like it to be). Furthermore, if you're really serious about your job-search, some introspection is going to be required (what is it you really want to do, and where do you really want to do it?). Most of us enjoy that about as much as a tax audit, but Bolles' book manages to make this effort, if not enjoyable, at least tolerable.

So if it's so good, why doesn't it get five stars? Two reasons. First, networking, which is arguably the most important piece of the job-search process, gets discussed as a tool, rather than a process, making its entire presentation a little on the choppy side. Second, this really needs to be two books (more accurately, a single book and a workbook). Bolles has gone back and forth from one book to two books (sold as a single volume), with this version presented as a single book. I'd find keeping a workbook open while I'm referring to the main text much more valuable than having to page back and forth through a single volume.

Regardless of these dings, it's an essential book. I'd recommend reading it even if you're not looking for a job, and not just because, in this economy, we're all likely to be looking for work shortly. Bolles' focus on what it is you'd like to do, and the ease with which he guides the reader through the process are worth the read regardless of your employment status.

The illustrations in this illustrated book are without detail and almost useless. If you are using this book for reference purposes forget it. It looks like the author passed the origional images through an imaging software program to distort them enough not to have to pay royalities or something. I'm very disappointed.

Quite simply, this book gets it's facts wrong so often I've had to annotate every page in 10 to put it right. Real life ship facts and biographies are wrongly quoted but even more glaringly this book fails in its main mission. It sold itself to me on having authoritative pieces written in it that list many ships in fiction books. Ships like the Hotspur or Virago from two noted writers novels. Guess what? The list is in error and has the wrong entries in it. Not only that but ships rates are wrongly classified in this book and the number of guns they carried. Most of the technical stuff is valid but when the author tries to weave the fictional maritime world in he fails miserably.
I do love my copy though, it makes for interesting reading BUT I would only recommend it to a seasoned historian or fan of the era who KNOWS the truth about certain facts and books and can use that to glean the goodness from this (very stylishly presented) mishmash. A glorious mess but still a MESS!

...

When I was much younger and first started reading the Horatio Hornblower books by C.S. Forester, I was blown away by the authenticity, yet puzzled by the jargon - what's a halliard, for example, or a topsail? What does it mean to shorten sail, and what is the lee side of a ship? This book would have helped immensely. It's not overly technical, nor does it swamp you with minutiae, but it gives you a good general overview of the British ships of the Napoleonic era, what the nautical terms are, what life was like on board and a couple of summaries of battles for good measure.

This is an appetizer, but what an appetizer it is. If you're looking for more technical specs of ships of the line look elsewhere, but if you're a newbie to the entire historical nautical fiction scene, I can think of few better places to start.

If you already know how to use the many search engines that are out there, don't waste your money. Everything in this book can be found with the use of a search engine. Plus, you will get the correct site address. There are many site addresses listed in the book that are incorrect.

Comfortable book for the beginner. Doesn't hold out as much hope for the internet for a job hunting source as I do. (Perhaps due to the age of the book. I found my last two jobs via the internet. The book is easily read, and can give the beginning job hunter some great places to start. One hint for those beginning a job hunt. Hunt! Do Job Searches on each engine you use and submit your resume directly to the listed jobs. Don't wait for the recruiter to bring your resume up on line.

Richard Nelson Bolles designed this guide to be used with his book; What Color Is Your Parachute? He gives a realistic picture of the pros and cons of job hunting on the Internet. He lists sites where you can find; 1) Job announcements; 2) Places to post your resume; 3) Information on organizations that interest you; and 4)People to connect and network with. Four years after the book is published, addresses are probably out of date. However, he reviewed the sites personally and has written a knowedgeable book about the actual experience of using the Internet.

This review was adapted from Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding a Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia by Dale S. Brown