Thomas Gladwin introduces the society of the islanders of the Caroline atolls with an indepth look at their society and how it is centered on their sea-faring tradition. These fascinating people roll with the punches as new western ideas and influences confront them, but the tenuously hang on to their traditions and, especially in the case of Puluwat, make some of the finest sialing canoes in the islands.
For a book this size Gladwin thoroughly introduces the sailing tradition of these islanders and enables European minded folks to understand the intricasies of their complex sailing tradition. Even with a limited background in sailing you learn how people can navigate small craft over long distances successfully without using any more modern technology than the compass,and even that being a recent addition.
Using star courses passed down through the generations navigators are able to travel to all the neighboring islands and even some quite far away. In this day of reliance on ever more complex technology much can be learned from these people who can travel long distances entirely without electronic instruments.
This book is pleasant to read and surprisingly free of technical jargon. It is particularly remarkable for its frank portrayal of a culture so different from most people's experience, but in a way that you feel you know them as friends anbd neighbors by the end of the book. Quite fascinating.

This book can make studying microbiology very enjoyable. The illustrations are really catchy and you will remember them for a very long time. The tables are very concise and give you the important points. No unnecessary data, just plain old facts. You should have it while in medical school and not just for the board exams.

With the help of diagrams, funny stories, and pneumonics, this book helped me remember my facts and keep the bacteria organized in my head. Here's how I studied (for my class and the Board Shelf Exam): I xeroxed the charts found in the book and studied them over and over in a nice packet. Everything you need to know is in the charts. I also looked over First Aid to put it all together. Pretest Microbiology or Appleton and Lange's Review of Microbioloy are excellent sources of clinical based practice questions. If you need a reference, the new Lippincott Microbiology by Strohl is good.

These ratings speak for themselves. Good information that's not too too detailed (like your Micro coursework). Great drawings and mnemonics will help you out. Very strong HIV section. If you can read this cover to cover twice, more power to you... if not, you'll be fine anyway. Highly recommended for Step I prep and for the classroom. Buy this book, First Aid, BRS Pathology, and QBank.. you should be set.

This book is written for dental hygiene students, but it would also make an excellent undergraduate dental text. It is organized by dental application and includes laboratory exercises at the end. The format is affordable soft cover and two-column outline text with well-chosen black and white figures. This book is less technical than Phillips' (Skinner's) Science of Dental Materials.

I am not sure what to think of a book of "scholarship" that lacks a single footnote to back up its often bizarre claims related to the pre-Columbian settlement of the Americas. Also, its casual racism seems to be over the top even for the forties, when it was written. Nevertheless, Gladwin's bold, intuitive leaps of speculation can now be seen to anticipate what many more cautious researchers are beginning to suspect about the ethnic makeup and history of the earliest Americans.

I was curious to note that not once did Gladwin mention the Olmecs, an early Mesoamerican civilization which may have had African origins. I have to wonder whether that was a product of his antiblack bias, evidenced by the extremely unfunny cartoons and snide remarks found throughout the book.