This is a well-organized, clear, short reference work. Well done

Here is the little red bok.
If the big one is too expensive for you, you can always buy this. You'll find inside all the important protocols and data for molecular biology.It's up to date, and clearly presented.
Try it, and then buy the big one!

This book is an essential tool for people in the scientific field such as Molecular Biology (obviously), Biochemistry, and Neuroscience. It is comprehensive and up-to-date as far as the techniques are concerned. It is good value in a sense that you don't have to buy the whole "Current Protocols Series" which costs an arm and a leg if you do. Although nowadays, a lot of "kits" are commercially available, the techniques found in this book explain principles and provide different alternatives suited for your needs. Molecular Cloning by Maniatis et al., although needs updating, is still a helpful reference in my opinion and it complements this book.

This book recounts very interesting research into the ability of humans to influence random events such as coin-tossing. This is extensively documented in technical detail, with graphs of many hundreds of thousands of trials, over which strong statistical significance shows up even though the influence is less than 1% per trial and therefore not casually noticeable.

There is also an intriguing those less detailed section about remote viewing, in which one person can describe the surroundings of another person at a different location in space or even time. Again the statistics indicate a significant effect.

However, the credibility built up by this is severely dented by the rest of the book, which attempts to outline a theoretical basis for this in terms of a 'quantum mechanics of consciousness'. This eyewash is just embarrassing to read - e.g. many pages expended on arguing for the existence of physical analogs such as 'consciousness distance', 'consciousness mass' etc. on the grounds that we sometimes speak of being 'deep in thought', 'light-hearted', etc. The quality of this reasoning speaks for itself. A few pages later and these spurious variables are being incorporated into quantum-mechanical equations. Oh dear.

Unfortunately this shows the danger of scientists wandering out of their field into discussions of mind and metaphysics, which are topics in philosophy - a subject in which these authors are complete amateurs without appearing to realize it. Their blunders are so elementary as to be laughable to anyone with a knowledge of metaphysics.

The extensive bibliography cites endless references to Freud, Jung and other people in loosely related subjects without including a single mention of anyone who knows about philosophy, with the marginal exception of William James (who is a century out of date anyway).

So worth buying to read Sections 2 & 3, but don't waste your time on the rest.

I think Ben Finn's review is spot-on, but I'd like to add a few things.

Section I of the book deals with a review of many paranormal topics and inquiry (scientific and otherwise) into their origins. The best thing I took from this section is that the authors were acutely aware of the criticism that has been made of such research, and were determined to exercise caution in designing their experiments.

The PK research --- that demonstrating the ability of human intent to influence a probable outcome --- seems to have been designed very carefully to address anticipated criticism. It's difficult to read through this section of the book and not come away believing that something has been proven. And whatever that "something" might be, it is distinctively weird: it's one thing to obtain operator-specific profiles of statistical influence over some random process, but downright bizarre that they were able to obtain similar results using a *pseudorandom* source. This research, detailed in section II of the book, is what makes this work really shine --- it's the strength of this section that really earned the four stars I gave it. This section is *worth* it, and does much to convince a skeptic (like me).

Section III deals with remote perception, and a system the authors devised to quantify the results of such experiments. The sample sizes and the data here are necessarily more sparse, but are still quite engaging. The anecdotal evidence at the end of the section made for some enjoyable reading, though stories of experiments where the subject completely missed the target seem conspicuously absent.

Sections IV proposes a theoretical framework for the anomolies demonstrated by the experiments, and comes off as quite silly. Sweeping metaphors are taken from the realm of quantum mechanics, to a level of detail that isn't remotely supported by the research. One does need to theorize *something* after such experimentation, but attempting to build a rich framework from a few targeted experiments is more than is necessary, and certainly more than is warranted. Furthermore, the authors' model attributes conciousness even to simple devices such as the "Random Event Generator" or a bunch of foam balls bouncing off pegs --- a truly embarrassing stretch, in my opinion. (For some much better theoretical ideas, I'd suggest a book called "The Physics of Consciousness" by Evan Harris Walker.)

Section V rambles in the authors' usual heavy prose about implications and applicability, and, unfortunately, builds upon section IV. If there was anything interesting in this section, I'm afraid it slipped past me.

My rating of 4 stars is for some genuine, solid research in section II and, to a lesser extent, section III. As a skeptic, the results of these experiments will compel me to dig deeper; barring outright fraud, the results cannot be dismissed as mere chance. It's too startling to rate it any lower, even if the closing sections of the book are rather goofy.

If you're already convinced that such paranormal effects are real, however, I doubt that this book has much to offer. Buy it for a skeptical friend, but give them a disclaimer about the stretch made on the theoretical side.

Both scientist and layman will find a lot of valuable information in this book, which describes modern research, particularly at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research laboratories, into how mind can influence the material world. It is at this point the premier academic text on this very controversial subject. There are some technical aspects to the book that, for a non-scientist like me, were admittedly tough going (...). However, the book is leavened by very readable prose and incredible illustrations, many from ancient Egypt, Europe and occult sources. To read a book from an engineering department that contains such illustrations is astounding, and shows how far we have come in taking this stuff seriously!

Jack and Anna Kilpatrick do a wonderful job translating selected folktales of the Cherokee nation. This book is broken down into several user friendly sections and also includes a breif section on the Storytellers and biographical information on some of the contributors. The tales are very easy to read and there does not seem to be much lost in translation. There is a great selection throughout this book, including animal, humor, and historical stories. A very good read and a great educational tool. This book is an eye-opening experience into the ways and beliefs of a people who were, and are, a very important part of our American Nation.

This book gave me a quick and readable introduction to the STEM. Good work on the writers' part.

However, this is a short book, and doesn't go into much detail. It would be a good book for someone just starting out in STEM, but anyone with STEM experience might find only a few bits and pieces of the book enlightening.

A very diverse collection of interesting essays. I gobbled them all up. Edwin Locke, being my favorite, is a very captivating individual. I recommend doing a search for his name and checking out other works by Locke.

Can the federal government effectively target funds to needier communities? Does political support exist at the federal level to achieve redistribution in the allocation of intergovernmental aid? The purpose of book is to answer these questions through a case study of the Urban Development Action Grant Program (UDAG). The authors contend that "...effective targeting and redistribution of resources undermine political support for the policies and programs that accomplish them (p. 2)." Their thesis is that "...large redistributive programs such as UDAG automatically generate political opposition powerful enough to transform them into distributive programs or lead to their demise. This study of UDAG is a good example of what happens to federal programs that seem to work. The authors' argue that the very success of UDAG in targeting economic development funds to stimulate private investment in distressed cities may be the reason for its demise in the late 1980s. UDAG was a difficult program to create in 1977 because its redistributive purposes meant that achieving the necessary political support in Congress would be tricky. It ran counter to the pork-barrel politics and logrolling style of Congress in which bills try to have something for everyone or a quid pro quo on a future bill. The Carter administration was able to push the bill through Congress but its later demise would be due to weak political support. Distributive bills have a far better chance of passing the Congress than one that would reauthorize a program that redistributive federal monies to selected, needier communities. This case study of UDAG effectively addresses issues posed above. In Chapter 3 the authors present a careful and thorough account of the political history of UDAG, showing the linkages and differences between this urban program and others that preceded it. They carefully demonstrate that after authorization, the program had to undergo further definition by HUD in order to be implemented; in addition, amendments to the program were eneacted by Congress in 1979 to better target funds to "pockets of poverty." But, the evolution of UDAG throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s was one of political and programmatic changes to refocus, make less-targeted, make less redistributive, and make more universalistic the direction of the program. The end result was to produce a program in the Reagan years that had little political support, declining appropriations, and weak linkages to its original purpose. This assessment of the authors is supported by a series of GAO reports on UDAG and an internal HUD evaluation of UDAG in 1982. The book does a good job of summarizing the crux of the issues raised by these reports. The general conclusion is that politics makes it very difficult to effectively target programs to distressed communities. Members of Congress, particularly those whose districts do not benefit from a redistributive program, seek to expand the boundaries of programs like UDAG in order to receive a greater slice of the federal budget pie. But the broadening of programs without massive new funding produces insufficient funds directed to urban problems. The end result is that federal dollars are spent with only modest impact on the intended objective, which is relieving economic distress in the neediest communities. Who benefitted from UDAG? In Chapter 5 the authors present the heart of their empirical analysis of the program, comparing so-called Rustbelt and non-Rustbelt cities that received UDAG funding. Their analysis is descriptive and understandable, presenting an effective test of their thesis. The conclusion of the analysis is that UDAG was essentially a redistributive program throughout its lifetime. Because of its targeting, it did not provide equal shares of funding to all regions and states, thereby undermining political support for the program. Only the small cities portion of the program followed a distributive pattern, offering somewhat more non-targeted aid to non-Rustbelt communities. The demise of UDAG is consistent with the books premise that giving three-fourths of the money to large cities in a basically redistributive pattern killed political support for reauthorization. Of course the bashing that the program took from the Reagan administration and its abuse by HUD also contributed to its demise. The authors raise an issue in their presentation suggesting that the UDAG experience reflects a "structural limit" in our political system (p. 10). They seem to believe that redistributive programs may be doomed to failure in this country because of the policy-making process. I don't buy this premise. Many redistributive programs have been successful and have survived politically. More likely, UDAG is just another in a long line of programs that were created to serve targeted needs but were broadened over time by the Congress. This country has a history of universalism in the reauthorization of programs--be they urban or rural, rustbelt or sunbelt, Democratic or Republican initiatives. The interesting finding of this study is that UDAG survived for as long as it did as a more-or-less redistributive program targeted to needier cities in needier regions of the country. In some ways it may be better for urban areas to fight for targeted programs--even if they will only survive about a decade. Ten years of targeting to distressed cities may be far better than 20 or 30 years of universalistic distribution of federal urban funds.

The Gift of Magi is an O. Henryfs classic Christmas story that is about a couple, Jim and Della, who loved each other. They were very poor people, but they wanted to buy a Christmas gift for each other. They did not have enough money, so they decided to sell their important things to buy a gift. Della wanted to buy a gold chain for Jimfs gold watch, but she didnft have enough money. Instead, she cut her hair that was her pride, and sold it. And Jim, whose watch was great and really expensive, sold it to buy the combs that Della had wanted for a long time. So as a result, their Christmas day was not happy at all. This storyfs ending is not happy, but I like this storyfs classic theme and plot. I think that this book has good theme and plot though they are simple. This is interesting and a well organized story. We can learn cultures of American from reading O. Henryfs short stories about Americanes.

The Gift of the Magi is heavily laced with details, but has a good plot. The plot is easy to follow, and is beautifully detailed in just the right parts. The plot has been adapted in different versions, so it isn't the BEST idea in the world, but it has good morals. I would give this 4 stars out of a possible 5.

The Gift Of The Magi is a magnificent "radio theater" production of O. Henry's classic story of young love at Christmas time. A young couple just beginning their wedded life and of very limited means want more than anything to give each other a gift that will reflect and celebrate their devotion, one to the other. The gifts they select, and at the cost to each of them, all result in one of the most endearing, heartwarming, and humorous of conclusions. This highly recommended, multicast production is a flawlessly performed and recorded, totally engaging, wonderfully entertaining dramat-ization.

This book does not reveal anything about Edgar Cayce that wasn't previously known so Cayce fans won't find anything new in it and those who arn't into Cayce won't find it of interest. The book is published by ARE Press, the outfit that publishes all the Cayce material, so what else would it be about. There are better Cayce books and much better 'life after death' books around.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost someone they love or simply has a curiosity about what happens when we die. It answers so many questions that we all have regarding the afterlife. It gives hope to those of us who are grieving, that we will see our loved ones again. It's the best book I've read yet on the subject and it's my #1 recommendation. Well organized and written so that most readers can comprehend it. A great work!

So many books out there on life after death cover one aspect of this vast subject. In "The Place We Call Home," the author has answered a wide variety of universal questions concerning this subject and drawn from very credible sources. I'd read Dr. George Ritchie's book on his near-death experience, in the Place We Call Home, the author obviously interviewed him and brought out amazing details not included in Ritchie's books. Ritchie glimpsed the realms of heaven and hell - and Grant found correlations from diverse sources that shed so much light and all agreed! Grant detailed that God loves us unconditionally; but it is human beings who create their own hellish after-death state by hating their fellow man;harboring prejudices;being vengeful. Ritchie, Edgar Cayce, British writer Helen Greaves, all said where we go after this life depends upon how much we chose to love, to forgive, being kind,etc., all the virtues of the spirit. In short,all that we build in this life goes with us after death. Those who hate will find themselves in a place after death that reflects that. Edgar Cayce experienced the hellish realms in visions,and Dr. Ritchie saw the same things. However,unlike the fundamentalists beliefs, there is no eternal damnation. Grant managed to show a multifaceted picture that every soul has the opportunity to move out of the "shadowlands"; this is based not on one person's view, but on many. He also writes how we can work with dreams to help heal the grief from a loved one's passing. Dreams are a doorway,according to Grant,where our loved ones can communicate with us. In short,they still hear us and love us;and if we've got unfinished business,guilt,remorse like,"I wished I'd told her Iloved her before she died," the book shows,beautifully,that love can't die and it's never too late to say the things in our heart. They shed the body, at death, but that's it--they still love us and they feel our hurts, pain,and our joy. We've been taught it's too late after they're dead. Grant has a step-by-step exercise that brought me GREAT HEALING...I know now,like Grant said,"the bonds of love are spiritual,not physical...and they continue to exist after death..." What a relief, a joy and a treasure this book is. He discusses what happens during the dying process at the soul level - and that relieved and helped me so much. And reading it made me want to be aboutthe business of being kind,loving,compassionate NOW. Hell is seeing after you die that you chose not to forgive or be kind. And according to Grant, we will all have to review every thought, deed, and act of our lives. And we will experience the impact we had through the eyes of every person we helped,andthose that we hurt. That saying, "he's gone to his reward," is truer than anything. We go after death, to what we've built,and we inherit it. I thank God for this book. I have a new chance everyday to make a difference. And the good we just try to do here,according to Grant,goes out and uplifts the entirety of the universe! And yes,"that which you sow, (here on earth),"so shall ye reap"(afterdeath). This book made me stop and ask,"What am I building?" EVERYONE should read this book....There is a Light at the end of the Tunnel! (please edit this, I know Iwentoff on a tangent...if you don't print it,Iunderstand....maybe someonethere on your staff will pick up this book. If one person does, then my mission is fulfilled!

I had this text for a class I took, therefore, I had to read it. It was a fairly good overview of Chinese history, but it wasn't written all that well. It was hard to get through and the author was very inconsistent with the amount, or lack, of details. I think that if you're considering buying this book that another one would be better.

J.A.G. Roberts' A Concise History of China is an introduction to China for a China ready to join the World Trade Organization. China is not an enigna or special case, but a microcosm of the world as a whole. Roberts' contribution is, that he undermines the notion of a unified Chinese culture or region.

Roberts most memorable chapters recount the disparate states which rose and fell, some contemporaneously, and the foreign influences always ar work on them. China is revealed as a continent of many nations, not as a monolithic and eternal concept.

Roberts' book is also well balanced, and his chapters, instead of following dynastic changes, roughly divide Chinese history into equal time periods. His polemical acumen is considerable, and his chapters are full pf debates between Western and modern Chinese historians. If there is one period where his skills are lacking, it is the immediate past, and the last pages are disappointing.

This is a relevant introduction to Chinese history, that places China historically in the world, and within its own worlds.

"A Concise History of China" has a great approach to summarizing the past 3000 years of chinese history with appropriate comparisons to other nations such as Great Britain, France, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Russia, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and the United States. The book is filled with facts, and is complimented by Ebrey's "Cambridge Illustrated History of China" which discusses individual topics in less detail, but gives a better picture in its entirety.

Where is Malloy getting his values from? I remember when he had Comics Values Monthly, the values were right on. But now it seems like he just pulls prices out of thin air. If you want to determine a fair value for your comics, look elsewhere.

The only guide that has the guts to list Underground comix in detail. This guide also has an easier format to flip through than Overstreet, which has become swamped with ads.

Not a complete listing, but for most collectors, this one will do quite well.

This book had many comic titles that are not found in most of the other guides and the prices were fairly accurate. It was Much more accurate than Overstreet's guide.