I am surprised this book has not made the best seller list. It is short, clearly written, and contains invaluable information for improving your life. Tate is a physiologist who spent hundreds of hours researching the endocrine system of the human body to help his ailing wife. What he found not only helped his wife, but also has improved my life! The science behind this seems to be strong (I am NOT a scientist), and the technique is extremely simple: 1) change "have tos" to "want tos," and 2) focus on WHERE you want to go, not HOW to get there. Anyone who is expriencing stress-related health problems, and anyone who is feeling stressed (have I missed anyone?) will find this book life-alterning.

This is a factual astronomy book written in the form of a science fiction story.

The narrator, a lone astronaut who meticulously describes his interstellar journey, begins by taking us to the giant black hole in our Milky Way's core. He then orbits the black hole in Cygnus X-1, two neutron stars in separate Crab nebulas, glides into accretion disks forming newborn planets around infant suns in the Orion Nebula, and then flies around the star Betelgeuse, a bloated, unstable, red supergiant.

His spacecraft then departs the Milky Way galaxy and enters the Large Magellanic Cloud where he's almost obliterated by a supernova. Finally, he flies to the Virgo cluster some 60 million light years from Earth where he goes into orbit around the colossal and ferocious black hole at the core of the radio galaxy M87.

This book's author, Mitchell Begelman, describes each cosmic panorama with such vivid, colorful immediacy, you feel like you're really there. I read this book over several nights at bedtime, and after falling asleep, I would instantly find myself dreaming about interstellar space flight.

What more could a book like this offer?

The name of the spacecraft in this story is "Rocinante," which is an inside joke because the author acknowledges borrowing it from the rock group Rush who in 1977 and 1978, wrote two musical scores about a lone astronaut who flew his spacecraft called Rocinante into the black hole Cygnus X-1, only to emerge from the collapsed stellar core as the most powerful god on Mount Olympus.

I wish more authors would write science books using vibrant, creative storytelling. Maybe Begelman could collaborate with a paleontologist to write a time travel chronicle that zips along 550 million years of natural history, from the Cambrian through the Pleistocene.

This is an update of Sir Edward Creasy's classic, "Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World". In the original work, Sir Edward surveyed the historical battles that changed the course of human civilation, from the defeat of the Persians by the Greeks at Marathon to the defeat of Napolean at Waterloo. This newer addition was edited by J.P. Fuller, who not only added 5 new historically significant battles, but who also modernized Sir Edward's flowery Victorian language, making it easy to read. At the same time, Fuller keeps the essence of Sir Edward's narrative, allowing the reader a glimpse into the prejudices and passions of the Victorian mind.

This newer edition covers the decisive battles of modern history, ending with the defeat of the Germans at stalingrad.

This book is one that every student of military history will want to read. Each battle is described in spendid detail. Additionally, the events leading up to the battles, and an explanation of thei! r importance is presented in an enjoyable way. Clear and detailed maps are also provided to help you see how each of the battles progressed during the fighting.

After reading it, one can't help but speculate how radically different the world would be today if only one of those twenty battles had gone the other way.

This is Mitchell's 30th book, and, being her 30th book, it is in many ways more of a celebration of her style than any of her previous '10' books (e.g. Skeleton Island (1967), Late, Late in the Evening (1976), or Lovers Make Moan (1982)) - it bears all the complexity of the best Mitchells, the psychological portraits (much less of caricatures than Ruth Rendell's), and the skilled evocation of place. Printer's Error (1939) and Death and the Maiden (1947) are also celebrations of Mitchell's work - but they are more to do with the anthropological side of Mitchell's work than with the marked complexity that marks this book.

The setting is the stylised island of Hombres Muertos in the Canaries - the island of dead men to which Mitchell's unique detective, the psychologist and witch Dame Beatrice Bradley, comes for a holiday. (Islands were always a favourite setting with Mitchell - e.g. Come Away Death (1937), The Worsted Viper (1942), Skeleton Island (1967), Lament for Leto (1971), The Murder of Busy Lizzie (1973), The Whispering Knights (1980), and Lovers Make Moan (1982)). The island resembles nothing more than a lunatic bin, with a full cast of murderers (one by manslaughter in England, now come to the island for a rest), a wife whose unwanted husband was murdered by thugs while her brother stood by and watched, lunatics (a mad botanist and a mad ornithologist named Mrs. Bluetit Angel), and a Don Juan who goes missing and is later found stabbed to death, his body dressed as one of the 23 dead kings in the cave - a cave to which an expedition was organised - an expedition which provides a clue.

Dame Beatrice investigates the crime, and finds that every suspect has secrets to hide - bastardy, murder, secret liaisions, the lot. The complexity does not strain believability, but rather it enhances the enjoyment.

The murder plot is ingenious, complex and slightly improbable. The island is evoked memorably, the characters are one of the best group of suspects outside of an Agatha Christie (who is a fairly dull writer and uninspired compared to Mitchell), and Dame Beatrice's investigations are fascinating.

This is a book especially devoted to explain the pathophysiology of the fetal diseases by showing solid data and updated references. Very useful for research, presentation, and patient care.

This book is simply necessary for anyone who is in contact with internationals. I read this book and the information I have found has helped me understand so many things about international students and in general people from other countries and backgrounds.

As the director of a Christian Disability ministry, I love this book! I recommend this for people who are considering disability outreach or pastors who need more convincing as to why we as a Church universally need to include all people into our congregations. As believers, we are called to be imitators of Jesus Christ and if Jesus can't convince you, maybe this book will. Great teaching on The Great Banquet!

As a direct descendant of Frankie Silver (She was my G-G-Grandmother) I have heard the story all my life, but learned many new facts about the case. I found a few dates to be incorrect, and many names omitted, but this does not detract from the essence of the story. A thoruoghly researched book that debunks many of the myths surrounding the hanging of Frankie Silver. Good reading for history buffs and a MUST for family members.

It have everything you need to learn about contingent valuation, an sophisticated and controversial method to value public goods.

The Vacant Chair adds a personal element to the dates learned in history class. The words and feelings expressed by soldiers recounts a time lost - dedication to an ideal, and courage. Families during the Civil War lived day to day wondering if loved ones were alive, and Mitchell captures their turmoil and hope through the letters and thoughts of soldiers and their families. Although the book focuses on the Northern soldier, one can imagine similar sentiments from both sides. An excellent addition to the history buff's library.