This book at one time was good I am told, but the 8th edition (2002) is now outdated with many errors. The CD on heart sounds which is included is insulting to medical students. The book has terrible photographs which make the patients look jaundiced or cyanotic. I am sorry I bought it. There is no question that Swartz's book on physical diagnosis is the best. Swartz has a great free CD on the complete physical exam which is included with the book.

This book was written for no one in mind. It reads as a single run-on sentence from page one to the end. You cannot learn physical exam from it (or from any other book -- you simply have to practice) and Bates is a rather mediocre reference if you need to find out how to examine this or that.

Physical exam is a dying art and I'm yet to find a semi-decent modern text on the subject.

I am a first year medical student and use this book in our physical diagnosis course. I found this book easy to read with good illustrations. Diagrams were useful in understanding the text. I found the heart sounds CD to be extremely useful in understanding the cardiac cycle and how it relates to heart murmurs. I haven't seen other physical diagnosis textbooks but I can say that this one is very user friendly.

I place "The Golden Gate" and "A Suitable Boy" amongst my ten favourite novels but I was disappointed by "An Equal Music". Seth has over-reached himself. Being a music-lover (even such a passionate one as Seth) does not overcome the essential problem of conveying the effect of music in words. The reader simply becomes tired of all this gushing. Then there's the setting - Michael is supposed to be English but his London is a foreigner's London (he hangs around Hyde Park and Oxford Street) and he never uses even the most basic Londoner's slang. These aren't meant as factual quibbles: in a book which attempts to be realistic (as opposed to Rushdie's magic realism, for example) these things weaken an already boring character and fail to spark the reader's interest in him. NOW, a factual quibble: how the heck does a struggling musician pay the annual service charges of a portered flat (with lift) in Bayswater?

Although it took until page 27 to lock into this story, once I did, I couldn't put it down. Seth is so eloquent and sensitive to love, life and music, and such a versatile writer!

The protagonist, Michael, is a violinist that fled from an intensely critical music master in Vienna, where he was studying. In so doing, he fled from Julia, a music student of the same teacher and the love of his life. On reuniting in London years later, they find their love alive, but, alas, Julia is married with a child. At the same time, the musical drama persists, with detailed descriptions of compositions and situations amongst his colleagues, the Maggiore Quartet.

What Michael comes to know, as they carry on an affair, is that Julia, a concert pianist, is going deaf, but includes her in one of the quartet's performances. In spite it's success, this is the beginning of the end of the quartet as we know it. Michael's decision to leave the quartet was also induced by a number of panic attacks and the fact that he crumbles under the strain of an illicit affair, and the knowledge that Julia won't leave her husband. All this, plus the fact that his cherished violin, on loan from his childhood music teacher and too expensive for him to ever buy for himself, is to be bequeathed to a relative instead of to him. This makes for suspense, as the two things he loves with great passion, Julia and his violin, are threatening to leave him. Does he get the woman of his dreams? Does he keep the violin? I don't want to spoil the ending, so read it for yourself.

My only criticism is that Julia is too perfect. I'm not sure I'd take a liking to her if she were real, while Michael with all his weaknesses, is still a sympathetic likeable character. Also, I'm not sure that Seth doesn't over do his descriptive literature, especially when he and Julia are in Venice. There's a fine line between great prose and burdening the reader with too much description not always relevant to the story. I would say Seth comes close to that line, but doesn't quite cross over it, though my mind wandered and I had to reread some paragraphs of descriptive prose. On the whole, I loved this story, as I did a "Suitable Boy" and am inspired to read everything he will ever write!

Unlike most of the other reviewers of this book, I love Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, etc., and have loved them for many years. So I have no patience with those who talk about the main character, Michael Holmes, as a whiner or as immature. Of course he is these things. So what? The fact is, Vikram Seth has given us very plausible characters who act with passion, who are driven by the need to find the exquisite, and who are changed forever by their encounters with this passion. And who among us haven't acted dumbly when we think we are in love and that love goes bad and our lives go bad with it? I know I have. I know I've been selfish, dumb, self-pitying. But these days it's a sin to give in to emotions. One must behave like a "healthy" person, move on, take Prozac, and just get over it. I wonder if all artists, musicians, and novelists were always "rational" and just "got over" things, would great and meaningful art ever be able to be created through such a "rational" mind? In any case, this novel is a great entertainment, beautifully composed and easy to read. I think its ending is just fine. I admit there were parts that could have been better edited, redundancies that made me impatient with Michael and Julia, but these were minor flaws in a fine novel that accomplishes a whole lot. I was very happy to meet all its characters and live among them for a while. I even went off to my local music store and got the Haydn string quartet that Michael loved so much. I highly recommend this novel to anyone, but especially to those who love Bach and chamber music.

Awhile ago I also reviewed Mr. Theodore J. Nottingham's book, "The Curse of Cain", in which Mr. Nottingham claims that not only is he a great-grandson of Booth, but Booth escaped in 1865 and died in Oklahoma in 1903. While an extremely attractive idea, I'm afraid that none of it is true. Mr. Bates proves his incompetence in the first sentence of the book, in which he claims that Abraham Lincoln was born near Salem, Kentucky (his real birthplace was 170 miles away). As the book goes on it makes less and less sense. If any of you have ever seen the tintype that Bates claims is Booth in the 1870's and still believe that this man is Booth, then I'm afraid there is no hope for you. The facial structure is completely different than that of the real Booth, who was actually much more handsome than the man in the picture. Also, many items were found on the body taken from Garrett's farm that identify the body beyond a doubt as belonging to John Wilkes Booth, right down to a pin given to him by a fellow actor that he kept with him at all times. I am very sorry, but Mr. Bates' work, like Mr. Nottingham's work, is nothing more than fiction. Case closed.

While Mr. Bates' writing style (long, long sentences) can be a little hard to follow at times, his research and attention to detail are second to none. After finishing this book, the reader will undoubtly question their high school history teacher. Mr. Bates leaves little doubt that Booth did not die in a fiery barn. Not only does Bates interview the alleged Booth, but many who both knew Booth and served with him in the military. After reading Bates' interview and seeing the pictures of Booth, they were convinced. I was convinced. You will be convinced.

When I saw a this book reviewed many years ago,(in the 60's) I was very skeptical of its theories, but once I saw the movie: THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACYin 1977, It all of the sudden made so much sense, and I have been a cospiracy believer ever since! It's a bit pricy, but once you get into the first chapter, you'll wonder why you ever believed a liar like Edwin M. Stanton and any fool who thinks John Wilkes Booth 1. Acted alone and 2. was killed at Garrette's farm. I'm seriously considering getting another copy to seal up and keep if this oneever gets damaged or wears out --- it's THAT good!!!

The Beautiful way Jane Smiley describes a midwestern farm was excellent and in my opinion the best part of the book. There are a few flaws with the plot and characters, but if you can overlook them this is an enjoyable read.

The main plot involving Larry Cook giving the land to his daughters and later fighting them in court to get it back was intriguing, however I felt the sexual abuse turned this into a bad TV movie of the week. It would have been more interesting if Ms. Smiley would have the more with the issue of the well water causing Rose's cancer and Ginny's miscarriages, which would have tied right in with the main plot of the land tearing this family apart and explained why Jess was always there.

The problem with the characters is that you can never figure any of them out. Ginny didn't seem like the type to commit adultry or attempt murder, yet she did both. I never understood how Rose could help with her father's care and still carry such hatred for him. And why Ty became so cold to Ginny after the problems with her father started is still baffling me.

I recommend this book to anyone who can forgive some flaws because it is enjoyable especially if you love to read descrptions written well.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is up for a twisted story jam packed with disturbing conflicts and emotionally distraught characters. This tale is about a well-known farmer, Larry Cook, who hands his 1000-acre farm down to his two daughters Ginny and Rose. In his original arrangement he was planning on distributing his land to all three of his daughters, but the youngest of the three was cut from the deal because of her lack of enthusiasm towards this generous offer. While the two oldest daughters and their husbands suffered through the trials and tribulations of the farming life, Larry Cook was deteriorating into a pathetic drunk. Throughout this novel Jane Smiley does a superb job of realistically describing the tragic incidents and past family problems that were stirred up during Ginny and Roses ownership of this land.
There are some minor flaws included in this book, such as the unnecessary reference to the past at the beginning of each chapter, but if you can look past them this a great read for anyone who can relate to family problems. I also want to notify anyone who is thinking about reading this book that there are many disturbing conflicts and harsh words used in each confrontation to add realism to the story. This complex book has enlightened me and helped me realize that any thing is possible, and I'm sure if you choose to read this novel it will have an impact on you also.

Jane Smiley's greatest gift, in my opinion, is her ability to create characters that we've all met. In her short story, "The Pleasure of Her Company," the protagonist is an over-eager and slightly annoying woman who does things that make the reader cringe, not in disgust, but in sympathy. In her novella "Good Will," Smiley carefully describes an idyllic life that the protagonists holds so dear, and does away with it almost thoughtlessly. Smiley gets inside tragedy like nobody I've ever read. At the precise moment when I begin to care about a character or place, she destroys that character or place. A THOUSAND ACRES is no exception. None of her main characters are "character," overly colorful archetypes. They're real, and we don't get to know them in a few glib chapters. It's a slow and almost painful process. This book isn't extraordinary because of Jane Smiley's faultless grasp on incest, or on sisters, or on illness. Those are reasons to read it, but not to love it. This is a brilliant novel because asoon as you realize how much her characters and all of their quirks mean to you, Jane Smiley devastates them. She has the courage to ruin such beauty, and creates a greater beauty in doing so

This is a great book for learning how to use the VC++6 software, and in so doing, gain an understanding of how to use the easy stuff (like controls). It doesn't do a lot to teach the syntax of C++, so if you want to know the key to the language, this isn't the book for you. If you want a genuinely first class tutorial on how to use the VC++6 software, this is it. And surprise surprise, what code there is actually works (anyone who's read a few computer books knows how rare that is!). To say that it will teach you intermediate C++ in a few chapters is however an exageration. I've read some other C++ books (and been programming several years in other languages) and as far as the actual C++ language goes, this book is about as basic as it gets. But even so, it's a great tutorial for the software and intro to basic MFC.

I'm a senior application developer for a computer company, but we're doing mostly in Unix environment, no GUI. I just wanted to learn Windows programming (for fun). So after searching for the right book, comparing different books, I've concluded to buy this one.

The reasons why I bought this book:

1. It is NOT about C++.
It's about WINDOWS programming, using Visual C++ IDE. Many other books explain about C++ 50% of it! But I know C++, and I have other C++ books. I want to know Windows programming!

2. Just right font type and size.
Does this really matter? Yes! I checked other books and the text are all cramped and printed in small size font, which gives me a headache and I know I will put the book away pretty soon.

3. This is a VC++ beginner's book.
But it contains enough information to build simple applications.

4. Easy reading, no BS.
Unlike other thick books with 50% on C++, this book doesn't go over the history of C++ and Windows platform, and other BS, and it is really easy reading.

I gave this book 4 stars, because 1. no book is perfect, 2. it doesn't cover internet applicaiton programming, like socket -- well, this book is about Windows GUI programming and little bit about OS specific programming, like OLE, COM, ActiveX., 3. it does not have CD-ROM and you can't download the sample code from any web sites. This is actually good and bad. I have tons of other computer books with CDs, but I never really look at them. If do, I just "look" at the source code and just run it, and that's it. No real learning. With this book, you MUST follow the steps, go to chapter to chapter in sequence. It's very detailed steps, and gradually, the book stops telling you all the detailed steps, but assumes you learned the steps. Which I think it's a great self-teaching approach. However, sometimes I get lost although I thought I learnt all the previous lessons, then I want to get the source code to see how it's done, but no CD/download is avail.

If you know C++, and want to learn Windows Visual C++ programming using MFC, then it is for you. (It only explains about API for one chapter.) The book is not a reference book, well, once you go over the book it could be, but you can't expect to jump into the middle of the book and it shows you how to do things.

And remember, you must be committed to go every chapters to learn. Otherwise, this book (or any books) is useless. Hmmm, I'm still in the middle of the book, and it's quite fun.

This is the book to buy if you want to learn Visual C++ 6. It explains VC++ in a comprehensive and direct way. No sidelines, no roundabouts. Just good plain learning, well written and worth you time.

Within the first few chapters I was programming intermediate VC++ code using MFC thanks to this books presentation.

Too much GPRS specific and lacking deep insight in GPRS deployment aspects

This book "could" have been a great book had Mr. Bates proofread it once before publishing it. Having read GSM and GPRS papers before reading this book, I have to say that this book is replete with technical snafus [a case in point for those who suspect is on pg. 30 third paragraph of the Introduction to GSM chapter "paging message sent over PAGCH"] Now anyone with half a brain knows that
1. PAGCH is a GPRS logical channel NOT GSM.
2. It is an Access Grant channel NOT a paging channel which in case of GSM is PCH and PPCH in GPRS.

Now someone new to GPRS would be confused as hell after reading this [I admit I was confused for a couple of minutes too :-), since I am not supposed to be the expert but Mr. Bates was]

Structure wise the book is okay but needs a stringent review of the rambling grammer and the blatant mistakes. IMO its not worth forking 60 bucks. If Mr. Bates is reading this, I adjure you sir to take some time off from your speaking tours and correct the mistakes in this book.

Am giving it two stars for good layout. Taking away three stars for incorrect content.

Excellent book! Written in easy to understand language but also provides the detail needed to help in understanding this technology. As with all the books written by Mr. Bates, this is a qualty piece of material.

This book is another liberal's attempt to rewrite history. This book is totally the author's attempt to push her own liberal views. She states that the poem just came into KB's head but then tears the song down and interrupts each line to fit her own views. She tries to prove that Katherine Bates was a godless disgusting individual. I seriously doubt that Katherine Bates could have been a lesbian, an environmentalist, an animal rights activist, anti-war, and anti-God. That seems to describe a 21st century correspondent.

America The Beautiful: The Stirring True Story Behind Our Nation's Favorite Song by journalist and author Lynn Sherr, is an historical account of a patriotic American classic and recommended for both school and community library American history collections. Individual chapters delve into the history of the original poem, the music that made the song, the meaning of the anthem and the legacy of this patriotic work. Filled with color photographs, reproductions of primary sources and a fascinating wealth of lore, America The Beautiful is an amazing, exciting and intriguing history of the song that defines the United States.

This book is a gem. A small coffee table book which you really want to read and linger over. Author, Lynn Sherr, has crafted a true treasure. I read about it in a magazine & ordered one for a Christmas present. Am now returning for a copy for myself and will probable order more for gifts.

Some of the developmental information is helpful, but the methods described in the book (isolating children from each other, turning your child over to a baby-sitter as a method of "parenting") are archaic at best, draconian at worst. Stay far away. Try any book by Dr. Sears.

I'm giving this book a mixed review. I thought the developmental information was extremely helpful - it was great to know my son was behaving like a "typical" 3.5-year-old rather than a sociopath in the making. However, the solutions offered by the authors are less than stellar. They basically encourage parents to dump the kid off at the babysitter's or daycare as much as possible until they straighten up. Excuse me? The last chapter, which had supposedly "real" questions from parents, was laughable at best and mildly horrifying at worst. I'd love to see the authors update this book, because it is really outdated.

I found this book to be completely lacking in much practical information. I was hoping for some insight into why my 3 year old acts the way she does, and some practical solutions for dealing with it, but I didn't find that. What I found was something like "some three year olds are like this, and some are like that and others are like something else entirely." That much I could have figured out on my own. Even less helpful was the section on "equilibrium". Three year olds are wonderful, but when they're three and a half, look out. But then again, not all three year olds hit these "equilibrium" points at the same time... or at all. Just not a helpful book. Don't bother.

This book should have been called "Foods That Cause You to Become a Vegetarian". It's all about how bad animal products are for you and why you shouldn't eat meat or dairy products. The menus and recipes in the back are 99.9% vegetarian. If 'broccoli burritos' make your mouth water, then this is the book for you. I fully understand that meat doesn't have a "negative calorie effect", but there should have been a disclaimer that this book was from the vegetarian point of view and it wouldn't contain any information about how to integrate "the foods that cause you to lose weight" into any diet. However, the book was fairly inexpensive so it's hard to complain too much ....

I used the negative calorie diet about a year ago when I was having trouble getting a girlfriend. I went from 210lbs to 180 lbs. (I'm not sure of the time frame, but it didn't take very long), and I am 5'10" tall. The book says that it is better to do some of this diet than none at all. I always eat at all you can eat places, and I didn't have a hard time finding the foods. I am a "hard core carnivore" (my words), so it was a big switch for me. I refuse to be a "veggie", but it doesn't hurt to do this or even incorporate it into your diet. If half of the food you eat is neg-cal that means you will have (approx.) 50% less calories than you would have other-wise. Try it, that is all I can tell you, if you don't like it you can try something else. I also noticed that your body doesn't need to break down your muscle tissue for energy so you don't lose muscle. Most diets are just diuretics and don't work, this will. PS: I got a girlfriend right after I lost the weight.

I accidently found this book at the local library. In 5 months of following the book's guidelines, I lost 55 lbs!
I've tried just about every diet imaginable and this seems to be the only thing that works. I thought it was going to be a major sacrifice, but when you lose weight this quick, you realize that it really isn't and that it's worth it!
Everyone should read this book, even if you're not overweight. You'll look AND feel better!

This book simply does not have a lot of detailed information about DS1 or DS3. It's a fairly small book, less than 200 pages, but tries to cover T1, T3, and SONET. It presents a VERY high level look at DS1 and DS3 frames, not even close to what you'd need to really understand how it works, and it simply ignores certain aspects of the technology. It also has a certain amount of "filler" in the form of discussions of equipment which communicates via T1 or T3.
Given this lack of detail, the book is extremely expensive.
Rather than purchase this book, go to the ATIS web site and download the ANSI T1.107 specification, which documents the DS1 and DS3 frames. It's a bit hard to read, but it's better than this book.

This is a good book about T1 and the framing formats. It is a very limited in its explaination of T3 framing details. I expected a more comprehensive coverage of T3 given the title.

Soy ingeniero de Telecomunicaciones y necesito mas informacion hacerca de los diferentes enlaces donde se puede enviar todo tipo de servicios y estoy interesado en este tipo de transportes