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Book reviews for "Smith,_Michael" sorted by average review score:

Beyond Antibiotics: 50 (Or So) Ways to Boost Immunity and Avoid Antibiotics
Published in Paperback by North Atlantic Books (1994)
Authors: Michael A. Schmidt, Lendon H. Smith, and Keith W. Sehnert
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Unsubstantiated Hooey
Hoping to find some real alternatives to antibiotics, I was sorely disappointed. This book is just the same old "naturalist" magical thinking. Filled with wild, unsubstantiated claims both against antibiotics (and doctors in general) and for a "natural" lifestyle, the authors put forth the same tired thesis: Eat only vegetables, move out of the city, and consume vitamin C in doses equivalent to 2000 oranges a day and you'll never get sick." They do offer some natural aid to alleviate symptoms when the magic inevitably fails, but no real remedies to help your body kill bacteria. Their theory appears to be that bacteria are a figmet of the modern hypochondriac's imagination.

If you're sick, go to the doctor. Don't waste your money on this book.

EXCELLENT!!!
I work in the Health and Fitness field.I am also an athlete who exercises,eats perfectly and takes appropriate vitamins.....but for as long as I can remember I always had some sort of cold or cough at least once a month and guaranteed illness after serious athletic competition.The Doctors felt it was because of my work and my exposure to 100`s of people a day, and in a way they were right.The true problem was the stregnth of my immune system. Now 6 months since I read the book,I havent been sick a single day!The chapter on Vitamin C had the strongest effect on my current state of "Wellness". My thanks to the Authors ! Outstanding !

Great Book
Book had a lot of useful information and was easy to read. I highly recomend it!


The Npr Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music
Published in Paperback by Perigee (06 August, 2002)
Authors: Tim Smith and Michael Tilson Thomas
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Good for new listeners
This book has short summaries on the different periods and styles of western classical music, the commonly used structures, and short(1 page) biographies of about 50 great composers along with descriptions of their most well known works. It can be a good start for a novice listener who wants to explore the rich world of classical music and who does not know what to start with.

For the more experienced listeners, however, the book does not provide anything new. The section on deconstruction of classical music, for example, barely scratches the surface and admittedly so. The book is well written but owing to its organization, more like an encyclopedia, it is hard to read from cover to cover.

Guide for the curious listener
I found this book to be a pleasent introduction to a greater understanding of the genre of classical music. It is helpful, but not necessary, to have some understanding of music theory. Knowing what such things as polyphony and monophony are about all that you need to know. The introduction nicley summarizes the book's theme. This is a much better and cheaper way to get introduced to classical music then through such other books as "Classical Music for Dummies," or the "Idiot's Guide to Classical Music." The only thing I found somewhat questionable about this book was the choice of cd's that have been selected for one to build a collection with; otherwise, this book is a valuble resource for liteners be they curious or even casual. For those serious about classical music this book will seem too elemental for their tastes.

NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music
I found this to be a very helpful, friendly over-all guide to classical music. It contains brief descriptions of major works, capsule bios of well-known composers, and lots of helpful information presented in an easy to understand, down to earth manner. As a novice to this type of music, I found the vast world of Classical repertoire a bit intimidating, but Mr. Smith is not the least bit pretentious, and I found his writings warm and welcoming. I'm sure that even seasoned classical music fans will find this book a handy reference.


World Trivia: The Book of Fascinating Facts: Culture, Politics and Geography
Published in Paperback by East West Discovery Press (29 October, 2002)
Authors: Michael S. Smith, Crystal J. Smith, and Cash Donovan
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Interesting little book - would have liked more
This is a great little trivia book for those who have an interest in geography. It is set up in a game format, with a question asked on one page and the answer given on the back. So with 262 pages, you get 131 interesting tidbits of information. I was a bit disappointed with the empty space on the pages (the reason for the *** rating) and would have liked to have seen double or triple the content (and would have even paid a little more for it!). Also, if you are a seasoned traveler, student of anthropology, history, etc., or a die-hard fan of the evening world news, you may already know quite a few of these facts. This book would be great for those junior or senior high social studies students who are just starting to learn about the world.

Second Edition - more interesting trivia
Like the prior edition this book contains a collection of trivia questions and answers that center around world culture, politics and geography. As such it is not only interesting but also educational. So many trivia books contain such obscure information that it has no value other than as a trivia question. That is not the case with either the first or the second edition of this book. "World Trivia", second edition is a complete rewrite that contains none of the questions of the first edition. Michael Smith again tackles one of the most difficult areas of trivia because culture, politics and many aspects of geography are in a state of constant flux. So, while the trivia questions and answers are accurate today, within a few years many of them may not be. With well-chosen educational and truly interesting questions the book is a recommended purchase.

Entertaining, but too short
"World Trivia" is a small book filled with trivia questions from around the world. Each page has a single question with the answer on the reverse. It contains an excellent selection of questions that I found genuinely interesting, however, with only one question on a page it contains only just over 130 questions. It would have been nice if there were two or three questions per page.

There are very few trivia books that have the nerve to ask questions on culture and politics because they change so quickly in some parts of the world. That is the situation here, some of the questions and answers are outdated because of the rapid political and cultural changes in the Middle East. It still makes an interesting read and is a great book to leave lying around for company to pick up and leaf through.


Your People Shall Be My People
Published in Paperback by Regal Books (2001)
Authors: Don Finto, Debbie Smith, and Michael W. Smith
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Honour Israel and everyone else too.
A well thought out and sincere book but I wonder if the present evangelical Christian move to embrace Israel is 'balanced'? This is not intended as an anti-semetic statement by the way, I am extremely grateful to the Jews and I also acknowledge that the Lord chose them as the avenue to bring His word to the world. However, Paul wrote in the gospels and I paraphrase,'God has rejected them but at some time a remnant of Jacob will be grafted back into the good olive tree'. We love Israel because we love Christ and the Scriptures but that can blind us to the realism that the doctrine of 'the scribes and the teachers of the law' is alive and well today. Israel should be honoured just because they are human beings because the scriptures tell us to 'honour all people' but we must not be 'partial' for the wrong reasons.

A "must read" for every Christian
This book is very well written, and is a "must read" for every Christian. I also highly recommended it for those strating out on their journey to find the Jewish roots of Christianity. It also has encouraging moments of personal faith in action. I recommend it highly.

A Must-Read For Every Christian
If you have been taught your whole life that every reference in the Bible to Jews is really about Christians - you must read this book. My whole life I've read the Bible and thought I was the "chosen people" and the "Children of Israel". Don Finto has opened my mind in a very exciting way. Whether or not you agree with every single idea here, please give yourself the chance to see God and love the Jewish people as never before. I read this book at the beach and could not lay it down!


Anne Bogart: Viewpoints (Career Development Series)
Published in Paperback by Smith & Kraus (1995)
Authors: Michael Bigelow Dixon and Joel A. Smith
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some of you are talking about A Director Prepares
These are supposed to be reviews of Viewpoints, the book about Bogart's technique. Some of you are reviewing A Director Prepares (which I recommend more). Don't get mixed up. They're very different texts.

If you're looking for answers...go elsewhere.
Having been introduced to the concept of "Viewpoints" in a weekend directing workshop, I was eager to read more about it. After reading this book, I know less about "Viewpoints" than before I started. If you're looking for an insight into how Anne Bogart works (and she very well may be very talented - I don't know, as I've never seen one of her productions) you won't find it here. There is much discussion about "the Viewpoints" and referrences to "the Viewpoints" and even definitions of "the Viewpoints", but as far as what Anne Bogart does WITH "the Viewpoints" I have no idea. One reviewer is correct - this book is a love story, written by people who think that Anne Bogart is the Messiah of Modern, er Postmodern Theatre. If you're looking to join in the lovefest, by all means, sign up. If you're looking for insights into how to work "the Viewpoints" into your work...you'll be disappointed.

Re: "Ohhhhhhhhh Lordy, when will it ever end?" by NY reader
I hadn't intended to respond, but when I read the review below I felt I must try to explain NY reader's misconception about Anne Bogart and her attitude toward the audience. In the opening essay of this book, Bogart retells one of her first experiences with the theatre: she was fifteen years old, and she attended a production of Macbeth at the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. She writes that she was confused and disoriented by the language and staging, but that she left the theatre with a realization that she follows to this day: "Never talk down to the audience. It was immediately clear to me that the experience of theatre was not about us understanding the meaning of the play or the significance of the staging." Instead, she was able to experience the play "directly, in a visceral and fantastic manner."

So, yes... Bogart does insinuate that the audience won't understand every play she directs--but she doesn't say this contemptuously. Even now, Bogart admits that she is often confused by productions she sees, and she writes that this feeling of confronting the unexpected and confusing is essential to quality theatre. She acknowledges that not everyone in the audience will understand because not every human can understand everything; indeed, not even one human can understand everything.

The opportunity to reach beyond your boundaries, to traverse places where you aren't entirely comfortable--that is one of the greatest assets of the theatre. And that devotion to the challenge of understanding characterizes every aspect of Anne Bogart's work. Bogart is an intelligent, creative, talented director--and this book is an excellent introduction to her poignant process.


Inside Vbscript and Activex
Published in Paperback by New Riders Publishing (1997)
Authors: Eric Smith, Yusuf Malluf, Art Scott, Cameron Laird, Michael C. Amundsen, Jeffrey McManus, and Chris Goddard
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Not a good book for leaning VBscript
I was looking for a book that would teach me VBscript. (I have some programming experience.) Though I learned quite a bit from this book, many explanations needed to be more complete and left me to figure them out by experimenting. Not a good reference - no index of commands (most, but not all, are covered in general index in back).

Only VB Script v1.0 covered, no features of v2.0+.
The book doesn't cover any of the added features of VBScript v2 and above. The book covers the VBScript that came out with Internet Explorer 3.0. Although the VBScript 1.0 features that are covered are covered well, the many added functions added in VBScript v2 are missing, such as constants, private and public variables, automatic string joining and splitting into arrays, and much more. The features not covered work in Internet Explorer v4.0+ and Outlook 98 (which come with VBScript v3.0+)

Good book for learning VBScript
I thought this was a pretty good introduction to VBScript. It had several good examples and explanations. It was a lot more practical and informative than most of the other books I looked at.


Professional SQL Server 2000 XML
Published in Paperback by Wrox Press Inc (2001)
Authors: Paul J. Burke, Sam Ferguson, Denise Gosnell, Paul Morris, Karli Watson, Darshan Singh, Brian Smith, Carvin Wilson, Warren Wiltsie, and Jan Narkiewicz
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All that glitters is not Rob Vieira
I had mistakenly thought that Wrox books were held to a higher standard. First getting a taste for them going through both of Rob Vieira's two SQL Server Programming books and regarding them as the finest technical books I've ever seen. However this Professional SQL Server 2000 XML is a disappointment. Part of the problem lies with having 12 different authors because it seems a bit jumpy. I think I'll really try to limit my future purchases to single source efforts. Also, no care was taken with the code examples that you can download from the Wrox website. The book shows the source but there is really no way of really matching the example to the source other than guessing the name. Often I've needed to open up all 15 or so files in the directory to realize that the particular example is not included. I'm picking my way through but it is not pleasant.

Not that good for .Net developers
It is a good book as far as explaning what SQL Server has to offer regarding XML capabilities but it should have covered the case studies fully with the .Net Framework. Also, it covers very good the IIS configuration, and how to manage XML Templates, XPath and Schemas. The book has a migration example from ASP to ASP.Net which does not cover ADO.Net. If you want a rich source on how to integrate SQLXML and the .Net Framework THIS IS NOT THE BOOK.

No other book covers SQL XML features like this one does
I looked at two other SQL Server 2000 XML books, but found this one to be the best - covering almost everything on SQL Server 2000 XML. Very well written, nice examples help understand the technology better. The chapter on Updategrams is very useful. I wanted to learn updategrams and this chapter covers it nicely to get started using them in production.


Second Coming: The Strange Odyssey of Michael Jordan - From Courtside to Home Plate and Back Again
Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins (1995)
Author: Sam Smith
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back and forth
I have mixed feelings about Michael Jordan. On the one hand, he is a great athlete. I respect his work ethic. He has turned in a number of great performances and is no doubt one of the greatest to have ever played the game of basketball.

There is a flipside. Michael Jordan got all kinds of special treatment while he was in the NBA. He was the first player I noticed who was granted all kinds of trips to the charity stripe because of unbelievably, ticky tack calls. He scored at least ten points a game at the free throw line from bogus calls. It was great when there was a picture session for 'greats of the game' with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. Magic told Larry not to stand too close to Michael or they might call a foul. In front of reporters and television viewers, that was a classic comment by Magic. I believe Mike got 99% of all calls in his favor because he was such a cash cow for the NBA. Dominique Wilkins was robbed of a slam dunk championship when Mike scored a perfect 50 doing the same dunk Dr. J did years before. I doubt Dr. J ever received a perfect 50 for it. Dominique's dunk was much more impressive, and he received a 49.5. Please. Mike got in a fight with Reggie Miller, and only Miller got suspended at first. Only after there was an outcry did Mike get suspended. How are Mike's punches different? Mike elbowed Kevin Johnson to the ground for all to see, and Kevin was called for blocking!

I am not too impressed that the bulls beat the lakers in the NBA finals. Magic was double teamed every game every minute he was in. On top of that, James Worthy and Byron Scott were injured. Magic and Larry never won three championships in a row because the competition, teams, and players in the 80s were much better than the nineties. Luc Longley, Will Perdue, Bill Cartwright, or Bill Wennington stopping Kareem? Ha!

Sport Magazine recently had a piece on the ten greatest moments and ten greatest players ever in the NBA. Mike was ranked number one all time player. Kudos to Mike for mentioning in 'For the love of the game' that to pick a "greatest ever" is impossible because of all the different eras and evolutions of basketball. The nineties bulls were given three of the ten greatest moments in NBA history. This is just more Mike bias. Give me a break. There are hundreds of classic and amazing moments in NBA history. One of the moments picked was Mike beating the Jazz in the final minutes of his last game. He put his hand on Bryon Russel's backside and shoved him out of the way. Then Mike made the game winnig shot. All eyes were on Mike, but the ref did not make the obvious call.

There is also Mike's arrogance. According to him, Wilt Chamberlain was a fluke eventhough Wilt was a great all around player. He made a comment about Magic and Larry reaching a 'certain level of greatness' and that the two were not good on defense. What? Are we talking about the same Larry Bird? Shaquille Oneal is also much better and much improved than Mike gives him credit for. Shaq has turned into a solid defender, passer, and he works hard at both ends of the floor.

Mike's corporate poster boy behavior is laughable. He did ads for AT&T and then MCI. The Wayans family is also split between the two companies. Mike talked about the enviroment in Rayovac ads and then pitches hot dogs? Mike is not the only athlete who will pitch anything and everything to make millions. I wonder if Mike has checked into Nike's labor practices.

Players like Mike and Charles Barkley soured me on the NBA. Charles played like a thug and got away with it because he was a star. Plus, Charles insisted on wearing number 34 at Philadelphia eventhough it was retired for NBA great Billy Cunningham. The star treatment and inflated egos has grown old, and that has turned a lot of people off to sports. I miss the Lakers and Celtics match ups of the 1980s.

Michael Jordan book review
"Second Coming: The Strange Odyssey of Michael Jordan - from Courtside to Home Plate and Back Again," by Sam Smith, is a biogarphy about Michael Jordan. It starts out a little before he won his first NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls. It tells about the seasons leading up to his retirement in October of 1993. Through that time, the author talks about the next two seasons. It talks about Jordans' personality at the time, and some of the problems he was having to deal with. It profiles Jordans' gambling troubles and the troubles he was having with the media. This book is similar to the book "Tiger Woods: The Makings of a Champion." These two books are very similar because of their genre. They are both biographies about famous sports stars. The only difference between the two is that the Tiger Woods book talks more about his childhood than the Michael Jordan book does. I thought that this book was very good. I liked it because I really liked the structure of it. I thought that it was really easy to read because it goes in a logical order. I think that since it has good order, this serves as a good model for writing. There really is not much imagery in the book because it is a biography. I thought that this book was very good because it tells a lot of good stuff about Michael Jordan's professional career. I think that one thing that this book lacked was information on his personal life. I think that I could have realated better to the story had there been more personal info on him. I think that anybody who likes to follow Michael Jordan would enjoy this book very much. Overall I liked this book a lot and I hope to read more books by this author.

A very revealing book
I agree with back and forth. People who slam the book are biased. MJ has a good and bad side, and the people who whine are probably his fans or have shares in his company. The problem is players from different eras can't be compared. How do you compare Oscar Robertson to Earvin Johnson? You can't...but you can compare them relative to the players in their era, to players they played against, and compare their relative greatness to the relative greatness to the players from other eras. Compare Michael to others relative to his contribution of others...don't just compare scoring, or Dominique Wilkins would be surely better than Bill Russell...only a misinformed or ignorant NBA basketball fan would think something as preposterous as that. Kudos for Sam Smith and taking off the kid gloves. If the book is all trash journalism, why didn't Michael sue for slander or defamation of character? There must be some truth to it.


Crystal Power
Published in Paperback by Llewellyn Publications (1985)
Author: Michael G. Smith
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Crystal Power sounds more like crystal fantasy
This book is a prime example of exactly how far someone's imagination can get the best of them. Never have I seen such quakery and speculation in one book. The ideas about the crystal wands is just a scientific view on how magick works. Anyone who has practiced magick knows these ideas without particle fusion reactor concepts. Face it people, it's a wand...

Most of the ideas present in this book are speculative. Theories that seemingly have been cooked up by a man whom must have had way too much time on his hands. A wand can work on the ideas and principles that he lists in a scientific manner, but it really isn't anything more than a scientific point-of-view on how magick works. Magick works independantly of a crystal wand or any other tool for that matter, they are just props.

A wand can be helped by using a quartz crystal, yes and copper does help the process. I know this by experimenting with the rods personally. Anything else in the book is purely hypothetical and without proof or substance. Especially the idea of the transdimensional door. Whether they work is bound to be by personal experience of the operator. Anything can aid someone's personal psychic ability, if used in that manner. But his whole Atlantis Theory as if it were fact is pure speculation and beyond the ideals of both the practice of magick or science.

A very good read that works!
I first read this book fifteen years ago. At that time it was the only book of its kind, combining theory with practical applications, diagrams of devices that one could build, and anecdotal information. It has gone from the status of "ground breaking," to "classic." What was put forward fifteen years ago, is still valid. A "must" read for those interested in the construction of energy "wands" and other devices. A worthy addition to the library of those interested in alternative science, the paranormal, and/or the Craft.


HCO Organic Chemistr
Published in Paperback by Perennial (1993)
Author: Michael H. Smith
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Good review/reference
I used this book as a reference for my second semester organic chemistry course. It worked very well to reinforce concepts presented in my class textbook, and as a review for the first semester material (we had a comprehensive 1st and 2nd semester final). The question/answer format worked for me -- some people might find it annoying, though. This is not the book to use if you're looking for straight-forward, tabular listings of reactions. I would recommend it as a backup presentation of class material.

The reason I give this book only 3 stars is that it had an inexcusable number of mistakes and misspellings, way too many to have made it past a competent editor. I found the errors to be distracting and at times it made me wonder if some of the chemistry in the text might also be in error!

Very Good Affordable Reference
This book has a lot to offer for a very small price. Other paperback OChem review books skimp on content -- that is not the case with this one. In some cases this book has more detail than my college text book does.

It is organized as a series of questions, for example "What is the structure of Lithium Aluminum Hydride?" instead of the standard Topic/subtopic format. I didn't find this to be an asset, but I got used to it. The diagrams are hardly flashy, but they get the point across. I needed an Organic Chem reference because I teach an MCAT Prep course. This book is well organized and complete. I would definately recommend buying it!


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