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Book reviews for "Pietrofesa,_John_Joseph" sorted by average review score:

Wisdom of the Mystic Masters
Published in Hardcover by Parker (1986)
Authors: Joseph J. Weed and John K. Weed
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Very good book
It is very good book, thanks to Joseph J. Weed for writing and publishing it. It may be very helpful for anybody who reads it and tries to implement what has been read. But no book can be used instead of live participating in Rosicrucian lessons, that has been designed ages ago to give knowledge and skills in the right pace, with accordance with Rosicrucian teachings about cycles and proper usage of resonances for best efforts/results ratio.

Wisdom Of The Mystic Masters
I read this book twentyfive years ago, and I began to seriously change my life. Unfortunately I loaned the book to a friend and could never get it back. I soon thereafter made contact with the Rosicrucians. The last twentyfive years has been a journey, and although I had only studied earnestly with the Rosicrucians for six months or so, everything that they taught me has been validated through observation and experience. I mourned the loss of this book for twentyfive years, and just happened across it here in Amazon. I am now reading it again, and I am amazed at how much I have progressed....and how much more there is to do. My youngest daughter and my first two of more to come grandchildren are blessings that I would never have been granted had I not read this book and found my way to the Rosicrucians. I am so happy to have found this book again.

a gift of insight
What a wonderful book. Filled with esoteric insight that took the author decades to learn. Here it is in print, narrowed down to the core,the heart of information that opens up a portal to metaphysical and spiritual understanding. Many authors fill their books with unnecessary filler jargon, this one gets to the point. I recommend it to all who want to cut to the chase learning to raise their vibrational freqency,increase psychic energy and abilities, and resonate with a higher awareness. I am glad this book FOUND ME.


Analytical Key to the Old Testament (4 book Set)
Published in Hardcover by Baker Book House (1992)
Author: John Joseph Owens
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Great but not Fully Trustworthy
This is a great set of books for the serious Hebrew student. but not for the Bible teacher or pastor who is rusty on Hebrew.

There are two flaws in these books. One is that the editors have taken so much trouble to give so much information about the structure and meaning of the Hebrew, and yet have provided often mediocre, and even often, lousy, inaccurate translation. They have relied on the RSV, and have stated that where they felt necessary, they have given a more literal meaning. The interesting fact is that in many cases, they have let stand those translations of words which have NO basis in the Hebrew text. They have, in fact, gone beyond dynamic equivalence (conservative paraphrasing), and used straight paraphrashing. Why would one go through so much trouble to get to the root of the langage, and then provide a translation that misses the mark virtually or totally. So keep your Hebrew lexicons available, because you are going to need them.

The second error shows up mainly in the verb descriptions. Just looking at the 7 major verb stems, they are clearly classified in error quite frequently. I have found that this is usually between the Qal and Hiphil stems, and often on weak verbs which loose a consonant (e.g., hollow verbs). The pointing of the text will usually be a clear Hiphil, but the editors have classed it as Qal. This is quite a problem, both for understanding the emphasis of the verb stem, and at times the actual meaning of the verb.

I do not recommend this set except for those who are studying Hebrew seriously, using, for instance, Waltke & O'Connor, Gesensius, and other authoritative works. One without a decent knowledge of Hebrew grammar already in the brain will end up teaching inaccuracy in certain areas.

Quick Review
Moving through every Hebrew word from Genesis to Malachi, this work provides for each word its grammatical identification, its page number in the BDB Lexicon, and its English translation.

Hebrew Help!
If you are like me, your Hebrew skills aren't where you would like them to be. Owens gives an abundance of help in this area.

Word-by-word, the masoretic text is analyzed and translated. Especially helpful is the verb analysis. However, one should not expect to see any commentary, since that is not what these volumes are designed to give.

This set of books won't teach you Hebrew, but it you are a little weaker in that area than you would like to be, these books will help you out greatly.


Jesus, His Life and Teachings: As Recorded by His Friends Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Published in Paperback by Image Books (18 April, 2000)
Author: Joseph F. Girzone
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Simple and Beautiful
This book is a beautiful and simple way to read about Jesus' life. Great for people who find it hard to follow the Bible and also for those who need a fresh look at the life of Jesus.

All of the Girzone books I have read are wonderful. So refreshing and uplifting. Also, easy to read and understand.

I highly recommend this book.

The Gospels Come Alive!
Having read all of Fr. Girzone's other books, I thirst for each of his new offerings. This book did not disappoint me. His ability to inject warmth and a personal perspective transform the Gospels from a more historical context to making the reader feel as though they were part of a beautiful story.

Anyone who has felt a bit arm's length when reading Scripture will find that they are welcomed into God's story as part of it. Fr. Girzone's writings continue to help bring my God closer to me.....and for that I thank him.....eternally.

Lowell Rinker

Matt, Mark, Luke, John,& Joseph Girzone tell Jesus' Story
It is a wonderful read! The story of Jesus pooled together by Fr. Girzone and the Friends of Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A smooth telling of the life of Jesus that allows one who is a "beginner" or "expert" of the Gospels to envision the life of Jesus through a flowing account.


My Experiences in the World War (Military Classics Series)
Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics (1989)
Author: John Joseph Pershing
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Well written but unfortunately, bigeoted point of view .
General Pershing was, perhaps, the best person to be the Commander-In-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I. He did an excellent job of co-ordinating the American forces.

I have a problem in understanding his logic when it comes to the Black Americans Soldiers which he controlled. The General states that he was not a predjudist person and was in charge of the 24th Infantry (black) during the Mexican-American war. He praises their work, yet, when the 93rd Division (black), American,arrived in France; Pershing assigned them to the French Army.

Pershing made the statement that Americans will not fight under another countries Flag but then gave the 93rd Division (provisional) to the French.

Further on, General Pershing makes the statement that Black Americans are good soldiers as long as their are white officers leading them. There is no mention of visiting the Regiments (369th, 370th, 371st, and 372nd) during his tours of the regiments.

The Generals attitude towards black officers resulted in an open field-day on all black american officers.

The 92nd Division, a complete black-american division was not given its rightful respect, due awards, and training while in france.

World War I Revisited: Lessons For Today
In this two volume set, America's only, "General of the Armies," John J., "Blackjack," Pershing narrates the United States' role in World War I (WWI) from his vantage point as the Commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). He recounts what it was like to create an army from scratch, then equip, train, transport it overseas, and fight it in a global conflict against a battle-hardened enemy. Pershing provides insight into the difficulties of mobilizing a nation for war that are as valid today as in 1917... Historians desiring insights into the war will find Pershing a treasure trove of information...

The way we won it.....straight from the source.
Have you ever wanted to know what was going on behind the scenes? General John Joseph Pershing, arguably the most important figure in Europe during the later part of WWI, lets the reader get inside his head and see just that. Through his eyes we see the almost insurmountable problems that plagued the French, American, and British forces in 1917-1918 France. We feel the emotions he felt bleeding through the pages as we absorb his every thought of every battle. We see his life and times as no other writer could possible tell us. Black Jack Pershing could afford no shortcuts to victory, and he demanded perfection....when you read this book you will know, fear, and respect the man that carried the burden and hope of the world on his shoulders, and won.


Mastering Data Modeling: A User-Driven Approach
Published in Paperback by Addison-Wesley Pub Co (15 December, 2000)
Authors: John Vincent Carlis and Joseph Maguire
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Beware- there's alot more to Data Modeling than this!
I disagree that a person could become a "master" data modeler if the contents of this book are the complete set of skills in their arsenal. While the book outlines some good techniques for interviewing end users and basic data modeling skills, there is alot more involved in data modeling than what is covered here.

As an experienced data modeler who works with large, complex data models in a constantly changing business, I find I do not refer to this book at all. The book excludes common data modeling constructs that I have found very useful, including subtypes and supertypes. The book does not explain the difference between conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling. (It covers techniques used to capture conceptual/logical level data, but nowhere does it explain that or the difference between this type of model and a physical model, and why and when you'd need one or the other.)

The book does not cover normalization, which, once one leaves the interview with end users, one will need to understand. The book does not mention data integration with other systems or databases, how this topic is important and could (and often should) arise in interviews with end users.

Some of the topics covered I found shallow and incomplete, for example, how to name things in a data model. The authors take a parochial view by ignoring real world issues such as using consistent names across database and organizations, and avoiding naming things for what they are used for, not what they are.

As a practicing data modeler, I find my users aren't as naieve about data models as Carlis and Maguire assume them to be. I often am asked why I am modeling data in a given way. In my view, this book does not address the "why" - why do you model the data in the way suggested, and what happens if you don't. When I can answer these questions well for my customers, I earn approval, and this book doesn't equip one to do so.

In sum, my belief is that this book contains about 1/4 of the information a person needs to know to become a "master" data modeler. It's a good starter book if you are a novice data modeler or are having trouble gathering information from business subject matter experts, but if you really want to become an expert data modeler, I'd recommend continuing beyong this book. I prefer 'Data Modeling Essentials 2nd Edition' by Graeme Simsion

Very important book.
The secret is out!

I've been using the techniques described in this book for years because one of the authors taught me. I've used them to model data about research science, business, and topology. Now others can learn it too.

Carlis cured me of normalization. There's a difference between normalization and "normal forms". A goal of modeling is to produce databases in high normal forms - Boyce-Codd Normal Form, fifth normal form, etc... Most modelers think the only way to do this is through normalization, a specific process that step-by-step improves to a draft model. This book shows how to avoid that process completely. I used to do normalization. Now I use the conversational techniques of this book to reach high normal forms sooner. One thing I always hated about Normalization was that I usually did it after talking to users, which means I was making decisions that the users should have been making. I have not performed normalization in at least ten years. Yet I still produce databases in high normal form. This book does include a chapter about normalization, with normal forms up to fifth, so you can see for yourself how the technique produces high-normal-form databases. If you learned that normalization was essential part of data modeling, this chapter will help you learn this different way of working. If you are new to data modeling, you should start with this book to avoid learning normalization altogether. The principles of high normal forms are important, but the process of normalization is ludicrous.

This is a book about data modeling, not physical database design. It concentrates on the modeling in users' language. The naming conventions it recommends are based on guidelines of language and categories. If you follow these naming guidelines, you will not need to learn a huge list of more specific, special-case naming rules.

I also like what Carlis and MaGuire say about constraints. By following their constraint advice, I have become a much faster data modeler, and my team mates (programmers, DBAs) do not have to wait so long for me to finish my work. It also helps me keep my data models flexible, good for a changing business environment.

This book has more examples than any book on modeling I have ever seen. I stopped counting sample data models when I got to 300.

The hardest part of application design is understanding the user's data. This book concentrates on solving that problem, leaving the technical details of database design to other books.

A practical and direct approach to data modeling
This book will be on my table always. It cuts through the computer science's obsession for esoteric notations and undue rigor (that scares the end users even before the analyst has had a chance to begin!) and puts the user needs at their right place: right in the center. I have used this methed several times now with exciting results. Users are more forthcoming, there are lesser I-thought-this-when-you-said-that instances. Two thumbs up for the excellent work!!!


The Rover (World's Classics)
Published in Paperback by Oxford University Press (2002)
Authors: Joseph Conrad, John H. Stape, and Andrew Busza
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Not read since my school days
This novel formed part of my english literature curriculum almost 40 years ago. That was the last time I read the novel. Conrad put much of his own experience into the book. He descibes with great power the life of Peyrol, a brother of the coast, returning home after a life spent at sea. Retirement is planned, but this is not to be through one final call to duty. Brilliantly atmospheric style brings to life the characters and countryside. Well worth revisiting for the first time since my school days.

Later works of Conrad
The high renaissance of Conrad was Nigger of the "Narcissus", Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim and Nostromo period and what a period that was. These later works are Conrad in his manneristic style. That is to say his strengths as well as his flaws show. Works like Victory, Rescue, Arrow of Gold, and Rover are like the works written by an aging Prospero, but still Prospero. Rover is by far the best of these late works though each exert a unique charm to any lover of Conrad. Rover is like a last and momentary return to glory for this master of sea tales. I bought tha Malay editions of these late works and am very glad to have these hard to find books. Rover is a pleasing meditation on the coasts of France of a mariners return to land after a long life at sea. But looming on the horizon are English ships! The old mariner has one last adventure and it will cost you much pleasure as it unfolds to a final sea confrontation. My favorite thing about this book is the meditation on the bonds and ethics of sea comraderie which here takes precedence over those of nationality.

A Yarn Worth Unraveling
I chanced upon "The Rover" after having finished all of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels. It's a hard act to follow, but after reading "The Rover" one might almost think that O'Brian learned a trick or two from Conrad -- for example, how to describe a captain's state of mind and thought processes during a sea chase.

The course of events in this tale takes some unraveling. Devices employed by Conrad include flashbacks, sudden gaps in the chronologic sequence, and implied dialogue. Consequently, the book reads more like a detective novel than one of O'Brian's straightforward sea adventures. That is to say, it takes a bit of detective work to follow the story.

My only regret is that I read the introduction to this edition first; unfortunately it gives away the ending. That may be the only reason why I didn't rate this book five stars.


Harvard Business Review on Leadership (Harvard Business Review Series)
Published in Paperback by Harvard Business School Press (1998)
Authors: Henry Mintzberg, John Kotter, Abraham Zaleznik, Joseph Badaracco, Charles Farkas, Donald Laurie, and Ronald A. Heifetz
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We need now true leadership
I felt that the first three writers were the strongest. Mintzberg promotes an idea that leader is just a role in his advocated all mighty manager. Zaleznik brings this down with his idea that managers and leaders are different kind of people and talk about managerial mystique. But maybe best advice how to solve present leadership dilemma comes from Kotter, who says that companies should pick up talented individuals and then put them to grow into leaders through tough challenges.

Very insightful.
Gives an insightful view of a manager's job. It enunciates traits and behaviors of leaders and managers very well, and explains how it is important for a manager to have both traits. The material triggers a manager to look within to understand one's leadership and managerial styles. If one wishes to change or develop leadership and managerial skills this material is a great beginning.
It also points out that organizations and academic institutions are good at developing organizational specialists but not at training managers. The author thinks that these institutions should provide management programs that also focus on developing leadership and managerial skills. But to do that it's important to understand what managers and leaders really do.
Overall a very good read for a traditional manager to be introspective and effective.

Harvard Business Review on Leadership
Excellent book with eight fantastically different views on Leadership. Describes fundamental differences between leadership and Management and brings forth thought process which can help professionals in all fields. Contents are 1) The managers Job (folclore and fact), 2) What leaders really do, 3)managers and leaders (are they different), 4) The discipline of building Character, 5) the ways CEO's lead (5 different ways gathered from study of 160 CEO's),6)The human side of management, 7) the work of leadership, 8) whatever happened to the take-charge manager, also contains brief background about the contributors. Each chapter is from a different contributor


Church History: A Complete History of the Catholic Church to the Present Day for High School, College and Adult Reading
Published in Paperback by Tan Books & Publishers, Inc. (1992)
Author: John Joseph Laux
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Beware
The "current" in the title is 1944. This is a re-issue of a book first published in 1930.
There are interesting stories - but this is not a history that takes into account the second half of the 20th cnetury.

Excellent for both Catholic and non-Catholic
This book explains all of the questions that I, as a public-school-educated cradle (i.e., ignorant) Catholic, had about my religion.

After re-discovering my Catholic faith, I have been trying to explore the depths of my Church and its teachings. This book has helped me to put people, places, and events in their proper perspective.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in finding the roots of their Catholic faith.

Review from the Publisher
Every Catholic at some time in his life has undoubtedly felt a desire to know the history of the Catholic Church. But where to begin the study of nearly 2,000 years? Probably no book was better concieved or better executed to fulfill this need than Church History by Fr.John Laux. Written expressly both for students and adults; anyone who becomes familar with this book will find that he has aquired an excellent background in Church history. The author intersperses the history with many brief, interesting biographies of famous people, and at the end of each chapter, he quotes briefly from a famous writing of the era, blending a medly of elements into a comprehensive historical composition that is at once brilliant and fascinating. Church History by Fr. Laux is a story of the Church unparalled in its scope, depth, variety, interest, and impact, and a book all Catholics should read, that they might understand in what manner the "mustard seed" planted by Our Lord has grown to be the greatest institution in the entire world!


Review for Usmle: United States Medical Licensing Examination, Step 1 (National Medical Series for Independent Study)
Published in Paperback by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins (1999)
Authors: John S. Lazo, Bruce R. Pitt, and Joseph C. Glorioso
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might be good for us graduates but not foreign graduates
its a fair source of basic concepts, but lacks the true reflection of standard of difficulty of boards.if you are a foreign medical graduate and have time it's much better to use NMS BOARD SIMULATOR SERIES.

Good review book.
I thought this book was a great review of Step 1 material. Has 1,000 questions with pretty good answer explanations.

I would not recommend using this as your only source of questions. However, it is a good question source for rapid review of a lot of information. You can get through the questions rather quickly. Offers a nice change of pace from the NMS series or Board Review Series (which tend to bog you down with long, very detailed answers requiring intense attention).

Highly recommend as an additional source of questions.

P.S. Remember, the best way to score high on Step 1 is QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS!!!

best review book for this examination... strongly recommend
This book gives excellent examples of what you will face during the real test. It is a good guideline to show how you are doing in terms of preparation. It gave me great confidence which I desperately needed to do well on this test


Searching for John Ford: A Life
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (2001)
Author: Joseph McBride
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Three Stars for the Effort
This is not a great biography of Ford. It doesn't add anything new, and it's probably 100 pages too long(I never thought I'd say that about a book on Ford)! Read Scott Eyman, Print the Legend, and you won't even want to bother with this book.

A Monumental Job
This is a very good biography of Ford. Yes, McBride relies on Sarris and Carey Jr. a good bit of the time, yet this book remains very interesting and does a thorough job covering the many films Ford made.

Strengths of the book include an eye-opening look at Ford's WWII service, (How many other guys were at both Midway and D-Day and managed to get to Burma and Yugoslavia as well?) a clear presentation of Ford's relations with the different studios (the list of "better" titles for The Quiet Man the head of Republic tried to force on Ford is hysterically funny) and an evenhanded evaluation of Ford's behavior during the blacklist era.

Perhaps the evenhandedness of McBride's tone is what I liked the most about the book. One could take Ford's life and turn it into a straightforward case of hero-worship, or one could take an axe to him up and down the line, pointing out his failures in family life, his bigoted comments, his questionable actions in some controversial issues. McBride avoids falling into either extreme camp. We get Ford warts and all here, and it is left up to us to decide.

My only complaint is that the book is too short. I would have liked more discussion on a few films, and I would have liked a chapter on Ford's posthumous reputation. McBride raises the issue in his introduction that Ford is being forgotten by the new generation of writers and filmmakers, but he never quite tells why.

Still, this was a fine book, one that I read quickly despite its length.

A great biography of a great director
As a fan of the master filmmaker John Ford, I was enthralled to find this wonderful biography. It is both entertaining and scholarly, filled with fascinating anecdotes that provide the reader with an in-depth view of Ford's complex personality. In spanning Ford's life and career, this book also provides a panoramic overview of Hollywood itself and the dramatic changes it went through over the years, many of which are reflected in Ford's work. I really enjoyed the analyses of Ford's films which provide many new insights and perspectives. A must-read for anyone interested in film.


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