This was well-written, concise, well-referenced, and contained practical as well as rare cardiology cases. EKGs, echo results, and other studies are included where relevent, and the discussions are brief yet thorough. It was a nice companion to my 4th year clinical cardiology clerkship.

Not all the pieces here are good, but "garden of time", "Billenium", and the nightmarish tale of urban sprawl in the future, "Build-up", make this a good introduction to Ballard. His stories are better than his novels, so start here.

Michael Ballard is an archivist at Mississippi State University and draws upon his considerable expertise and research to provide the reader with an invaluable handbook to Mississippi's civil war battles, battlefields, and commemorative sites. Enhanced with easy-to-follow maps and a wealth of historical information, readers and visitors can trace the progress of the Civil War in its campaigns, and exploits in the Mississippi theater, which included sieges, trench warfare, naval bombardments, and calvary engagements. Civil War Mississippi is a handy field guide and an invaluable aid for the casual tourist and dedicated Civil War buff alike.

I would recommend this excellent, practical guide to anyone who needs to understand the home design process. It is filled with only useful information, while offering helpful hints on what to avoid, as well as look for in home design and building professionals

My only real complaint relates to something entirely outside the author's control: the price. Put simply, this book is darned expensive. But my recommendation to potential readers is: bite the bullet and shell out the dollars. THE BOOK IS WORTH IT!

Professor Ballard (who used to be a colleague in my own institution, but is now in the US again, I'm told) has based his book on a solid bedrock of French primary sources, few of them consulted by scholars before, and all of them used responsibly and creatively by Ballard.

Ballard's analysis is consequently sound and very convincing. I learned a great deal about life in revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and gained many unique insights into the way an 'ordinary' literate and cultivated Frenchman -- who just wanted to get on with life despite the chaos and instability that plagued his nation before Napoleon took power and the far greater degree of governmental interference after he did -- saw and understood the turmultuous events of his era.

The book's uniqueness lies in the fact that, by tracing one man's life throughout the entire period, it demonstrates the constantly evolving nature of the ideas, policies and practices that emerged and shaped French society.

The prose is clear and engaging, and helps to enliven what might at first glance seem an unimportant story about a man of no great repute. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it without reservation to all readers, including French history specialists and the "lay" readers like myself.

When writing and producing the film "A Midwife's Tale" (which is based on Martha Ballard's diary and Laurel Ulrich's book "A Midwife's Tale") I found the McCauslands' transcription of Martha's diary invaluable. There are thousands of stories in the diary that didn't make it into Laurel's book or the film. I always take the fully transcribed diary with me when I give talks, and the response is always, "I had no idea the whole diary has been transcribed!" People are always intrigued and enjoy reading about Martha's life in her own words, day by day. Every library which owns a copy of "A Midwife's Tale" (the book and/or the film) should also buy a copy of this wonderful transcription of the complete diary.

I am a Sci-Fi nut when it comes to reading. I also like to read Tom Clancy and Stephen King. I came upon this book at Logan Airport on my way from Massachusetts to California. I read 3/4 of the book on the plane and couldn't wait to get to the hotel to read the rest. It's one of those books that is hard to put down. When I was finishing the book, I slowed down because I didn't want it to end. The book builds to a climax that even the most clairvoyant of us would not expect. Good Book!!

This clearly-written and illustrated book is a perfect manual for building a star tracker. There are a number of different designs described in detail.

Ballard Campbell edits The Gilded Age And Progressive Era, examining public figures at the turn of the 20th century. Biography blends with historical review and analysis in this important coverage.

Having just finished Grisham's latest, I asked myself how Randy Singer's new legal thriller would stack up. Singer's first book, "Directed Verdict," gave warning that he was a fresh and exciting voice in this genre. Could he back it up with a second hit?

Yes, and again, yes! Singer introduces us to Mitchell Taylor, fresh out of law school and applying for that coveted legal position. But Taylor quickly finds himself frustrated, working for a glorified ambulance chaser. What Taylor doesn't know is that he's about to represent a critical case in which cloning and woman's rights will be challenged from every angle.

Maryna is the beautiful and emotionally scarred illegal immigrant facing "irreparable harm." Her story, along with journal entries, is the beating heart of this novel. Maryna not only faces a violent past, she faces an unknown future as she carries a surrogate child. The child's mother discovers that this baby could have Down's syndrome and wants Maryna to "terminate" the pregnancy so that she can pursue a healthy child with cloned cells. The legal battles that ensue are only part of the conflict involved.

Singer handles the legal aspects with aplomb, and he does a fine job of educating us about cloning procedures. He particularly shines, though, when he dashes the dialogue with humor, and when his characters succumb to the dangers of romance and emotion. Without getting sappy, Singer makes us care for Taylor and Maryna. He threads many plot ideas together, creating a complex story--even if one or two threads remained a bit frayed in conclusion. For example, what ever happened to Maryna's would-be abductors?

By the story's end, Singer throws us some wonderful curveballs and change-ups. His narrative rarely lets up, and he rewards us with emotional payoffs. He gives us characters we don't want to leave--and reintrodues a few from his first book. On the last page, he drops some strong hints that we'll be learning more about some of these characters in his next book. I can't wait!

Singer, like Grisham, gives us serious issues to consider, while never forgeting to focus on human stories amidst the legal finagling. He serves up a hefty feast, but by the end leaves us wanting more. Hmm...I see no harm in that!