This is a wonderful book, one of my five favorites when it comes to paleontology. Where to begin! First all, the book covers the entire history of life on earth, beginning with the origin of the earth itself, through the beginning of life, the advent of multicellular life, the bizarre Vendian fauna of the late Precambrian, through the now famous world of the Burgess Shale, into the explosion of life in the seas of the Cambrian, on into the debut of fishes, the conquering of land by plants, insects, and amphibians, to the development of reptiles, all the way through early mammals, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, the Cenozoic "Age of Mammals," the Ice Ages, and early man. As I have pointed out in other reviews, too many books focus exclusively or mainly on dinosaurs, and David Norman deserves high credit for not negelecting other aspects of the development of life on earth.

Second, he is thorough in his coverage on most aspects of the paleonotological record. In his section on trilobites for instance, he has photographs of trilobite fossils and artists illustrations of trilobites swimming, molting, walking, curling up in defense, egg laying, and plowing the seabed for food. The accompanying text is no less detailed and useful. On the lengthy section of conquering the land, Norman has a great diagram showing the major structural changes that fishes underwent to conquer the terrestrial world (particularly in the areas of the pelvic and pectoral girdles and the spine), several illustrations of amphibian skeletons, and several nice illustrations of early amphibians, both individually and in the context of their environment. Dinosaurs as you might imagine get a huge section, with an entire additional chapter devoted the evolution of birds and dinosaur-bird relationships (including discussion of issues of dinosaur endothermy). Marine reptiles of the Mesozoic are not neglected, with many excellent illustrations including some very fine paintings, photographs of fossils, and a diagram illustrating the differences between the swimming and body styles of three main groups, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and pliosaurs. The section on extinct mammals and mammalian evolution is quite thorough and one of my favorites, as extinct mammals are otherwise very poorly covered in the popular literature. In a readable and engaging format Norman discusses such varied topics in this area as the differences between birds and mammals with regards to the efficiency of their breathing systems, the evolutionary history of Australia's marsupials, the Great Faunal Interchange between North and South America, the evolution of whales, and the rise of grasslands and the role that played in mammalian evolution.

Third, the book, as you might gather, is richly illustrated. Though very much a great text one can sit down and read, it is packed with excellent photographs, drawings, and paintings of fossils, skeletons, animals and plants as they appeared in life, and prehistoric environments. Personal favorites include on pages 100-101 the early reptile Hylonmous scampering after a meal in a coal swamp, on pages 136-137 a scene of two Late Triassic pterosaurs fishing for a meal, and a Gigantopithecus family with associated fauna and flora on page 219.

Fourth (do you still need a reason to buy this book?) the book is very readable. Though quite accurate (though unfortunately one or two aspects of its coverage of the Burgess Shale and dinosaurs are a bit dated, hard to avoid), it is not a difficult read and one need not be a professional biologist. Relevant terms are well explained, often with the aid of diagrams and charts.

Norman planned this book ir order to provide a pleasant and highly understandable reading without lack of information, covering everything related to pre-historic life, from the greatest animals to the life development hypotesis. It also brings to the reader one of the best visions of life sucession and evolution on Earth. It's wonderfully ilustrated with some pictures that you can see in famous museum exibitions, such as the Deinonychus attack, from Uk National History Museum (pages 158-159) and many others. It is my favourite pre-historic book and I strongly believe that it is a must for every natural science library or collection. It's suitable for everyone interested in a good and clear aproach in this subject. It's not properlly a scholar book but it can be a great help even for paleontology students.

This book is one of the best of its kind. It uncoveres the Evolution of vertebrates in a perfekt way. Beautifull illustrations, which make the animals feel closer to you then ever. This book is really a pleasure to read!!!

I teach and do statistics for a living. Don't let the humor fool you. Despite being the most (only?) fun to read statistics book, it also has more thorough (and readable and usable) coverage coverage of the basics and advanced methods than any other book its size. It explains both underlying principles and practical applications. Readable, usable, thorough AND funny. Who would have thought it possible for a statistics book! I reccomend it to anybody in the biomedical or social sciences who wants to learn statistics AND as a handy reference for anybody who uses statistics AND for anybody who needs to teach students AND for anybody who needs to explain statistics to the public. Deserves to be bestseller. And it's back in print by BC Decker, available in U.S. from Blackwell; ISBN: 1550090852.

I was so upset when I learned that Mosby had dropped this book that I contacted the authors and found out it is available:

Blackwell Science (for BC Decker) ISBN: 1550090852

I was trying to find the book for residents and students. I can believe that it is out of print! It was the only book I could find in many years that could be used to learn biostatitics on your own. It was easy, fun and it did not treat you as a dummy.

This book presents Pierre Koenigs work very well. James Steele has written many great architecture books and this one is as good as his others. In the book is the most complete and extensive representation of Pierre Koenings work I have ever seen printed. The pictures are large, and very nice. It is a very good book with his work well documented and insightful articles written by James Steele and others.

Excellent book, I wanted to see more.

This book shares with the reader the highlights of Koenig's career with breathtaking shots of the case study houses, blue prints, and narration accompanying each. Truly, one of the most spectacular collections dedicated to this incredibly gifted, ground breaking architect.

Benedict's Dharma is a rare find--a book on spirituality that is lovingly burnished by practice. Benedict's Rule was above all a work for practical application; what few understand is how well the Rule translates into Eastern practice.

Rarely have I enjoyed a book as thoroughly as this one; I regretted reaching its final page, for the journey it provided was such a delight. Yet the greater truth is that this book is meant to be a passageway, pointing the way to greater spiritual understanding and greater self-knowledge. The truths it uncovers are applicable to anyone who is serious about leading an authentic spiritual life.

This book is an exceptional treasure, offering significant and practical insights on every page.

Benedict's Dharma is a rare find--a book on spirituality that is lovingly burnished by practice. Benedict's Rule was above all a work for practical application; what few understand is how well the Rule translates into Eastern practice. Rarely have I enjoyed a book as thoroughly as this one; I regretted reaching its final page, for the journey it provided was such a delight. Yet the greater truth is that this book is meant to be a passageway, pointing the way to greater spiritual understanding and greater self-knowledge. The truths it uncovers are applicable to anyone who is serious about leading an authentic spiritual life. This book is an exceptional treasure, offering significant and practical insights on every page.

"There is fire in the Rule of Saint Benedict" (p. 121) David Steindl-Rast, OSB, writes in the Afterward to this collection of Buddhist reflections on that Rule. Written in the sixth century, Saint Benedict's Rule is a set of guidelines governing Christian monastic life. This 137-page book is the result of a two-week "Encounter" between Buddhists and Christians, in which Norman Fischer, Joseph Goldstein, Judith Simmer-Brown, and Yifa were participants. Their "fresh take" (p. xiv) on Saint Benedict's Rule is followed by a new, 80-page translation of that Rule by Patrick Henry, OSB.

The Rule was written to practice "Christ's way." Christ said, "Whoever perseveres to the very end will be saved" (p. 97). For Buddhists, Benedict's Rule is about "walking the path to spiritual awakening" (p. 105). That is, both the Rule and Buddhist dharma offer "general guidelines for an inner journey" (p. 1). Judith Simmer-Brown notes that the Rule offers us insight into living a contemplative life amidst the demands of everyday life, or "anyplace you find yourself" (p. 3). From a Buddhist perspective, Benedict's Rule is about learning to live life "so it gets into your bones, under your skin" (p. 34), and about living with "a love of true life and a longing for days of real fulfillment" (p. 36), for this was "Christ's way."

It is evident from this book that "the monastery wall is always permeable" (p. 81). Benedictine monasticism is designed to lead one to spiritual riches on the path of humility (p. 95). It is possible, we're told, to practice a contemplative life outside the monastery walls. "The world is vast and wide," Norman Fischer writes. "Why put on your robe and go to the meditation hall when the bell rings?" (p. 89). Daily practice is "the common ground" for monastics of East and West (p. 124), and in his excellent Afterward, David Steindl-Rast, OSB, concludes that "lay practitioners are running away with the monastic ball" (p. 126). "Step out into the dark night," he writes, "raise your eyes to the starry sky, and you will experience what contemplation was before it had a name" (p. 126).

We find Buddhists and Christians travelling the same "ladders and bridges" in this harmonious book. Buddhist or Christian, this book will appeal to to that monk or nun cloistered in each of us, who is interested in "a life spent seeking the truth."

G. Merritt

I've spent years looking for a book on statistics that is lucid for professionals who need to use statistical methods but who don't want to get a Ph.D. in math to be able to undertand them.

This book is the best. No incomprehensible Greek formulas. No tortured prose. And yet it's not just a mere introduction of what a mode is. It includes some advanced statistical methods and gives you all you need to know to understand what they do and how and when you would use them. It is long enough to describe each method sufficiently, including pitfalls and things to watch out for. Yet the book is short enough that reading it and undertanding the whole thing is possible in a modest length of time.

You can stop searching now. This is the book.

This really is a fun book - yes FUN - I'd even say it's a bathroom book about statistics. It's very conceptual, not at all driven by formulas - and makes many statistical concepts crystal clear. A great book to pick up for the PHD or the stats phobic - -

If you are an analytically impaired and statistically challenged math phobe who needs to understand and use statistical methods, this is an excellent resource. The authors explanations are relevant and easy to understand. Highly recommended for those who need to get a grip on the numbers in research!

I began reading this book to my son when he was four. We started with the basics of how to set up the board and how the pieces move. Starting Chess helped peak my son's interest and learning in the game. He has now progressed to thinking about strategy and combinations as a result of Harriet Castor's excellent method for conveying the fundamentals found in book.

As an Usborne book, I knew this would probably be a great tool to teach the game since the company designs interactive reading to compete with television and video games. The puzzles and great graphics throughout helped to stimulate my son's (and now my younger daughter's) interest. They are both really enjoying the game, and we play often.

Highly recommended!

PS "Chess For Children" by Ted Nottingham is an excellent follow on book to continue developing young kid's passion for Chess.

I've been reading this book to two kids in the family, ages 7 and 9, and they love it. Also we have a 3-year-old who likes the pictures and has slept with this book under his arm--what other endorsement do you need?

The drawings are fun, with lots of animated characters. Chess notation is described but not required for learning the moves (drawings are shown instead). The book covers all the basics for each piece, discusses exchanges (and points per piece), special moves (castling, en passant), opening moves and tricks, and endgames. Plus there's some chess history and simple puzzles. High recommended.

Originally found this in the library. I knew some chess, but wanted to get back to the basics. The color art and thinness of the book (not a lot of long explanations to bog me down) attracted me to it, and I got quite a lot out of the simple, to-the-point concepts and explanations. I am now referring it to a friend of mine who is visually-impaired and wants to learn chess. The large print is good for his reading, and the simple explanations help him to understand chess without drowning in complicated teaching.

I'm waiting to go the England to visit the Beatles' places, Abbey Road and Penny Lane and Strawberry Fieleds and all their homes. I can't wait, but for now, this book will hold me over. Some of it is funny and has some great photos. It is a bit trippy too.

This one is a subtle 60's atmospheric trip. It won't saccharize you with pop culture like many lesser books will.

A must read. Answers many questions that are repeatedly raised in other bokks on simular topics. Freidman does not waste paper....he provides insights to the last line of the last page...
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Where to start ? To get 5 stars, a book must really satisfy many criterias, and this one certainly does.

Its author, Mr. Friedman, deserve among others to be recognized as a brillant pedagogue. The topic is complex but the text is clear and the simple words well chosen, like in his other excellent book: The Hidden Domain. As a reader you are able to think fully about the concepts expressed, without wasting any concentration on sentences analysis. Depending on your learning style, you may prefer like I did the tape version: it lets you think with your eyes closed.

You may have enjoyed David Bohm's unusual interpretations of our world through his master knowledge of quantum physics. You may have been puzzled by Jane Roberts connection with the strange entity Seth. In Bridging Science and Spirit, not only do you get a summary of the most important and philosophical aspects of the above, you are also launched into such powerful explanations of the physical roots of our world that some wild imagination may be needed to fully grasp them.

This book makes you think and almost not believing yourself the potentials of what your mind is trying to visualize: this is why I found the book outstanding.

I am currently a graduate student in a Master of Science in Real Estate Program. This is by far the best text book I have read in my academic career. I will keep this as a reference source for years to come.

This book is ideal for the serious institutional level investor, or more sophisticated individual investor, lender, portfolio manager, or asset manager. Integrates the frontier financial economics into real estate and capital markets. This is not a simpleton "get rick quick" book that ignores risk and research time. Rather it is an objective and in-depth book with a great deal of content.

The DK series of eyewitness books are all fabulous, but this has to be my favorite. Dinosaurs are always appealing to children and adults and this book is no disappointment. Superb studio-quality, well lit photographs give you close-up shots of teeth and bones so real, you'll feel like they're right there for you to touch and pick up.

Theories on how dinosaurs really looked on the outside and how they walked are explored. Every caption has a tidbit of information that is interesting to anyone who reads it. A book like this will keep a child of any reading age occupied for no less than an hour on a road trip... and it will constantly be read over and over again... it's just intriguing and beautifully presented.

I appreciate this book because it gives you drawings and paintings of how prehistoric creatures lived millions of years ago. It gives a perfect understanding of the study and also art of Paleontology. This book is, in my opinion, 1 of 2 of my most favorite books ever published for the scientific review of more than just a few species...This concludes my review.