I was very disappointed with "Choosing Naia". I would not recommend this book to anyone expecting a child with Down syndrome, or even to someone who already has a child with Down syndrome. I found the style dry and uninteresting; I found the emphasis on "how retarded" she'd be (and the end implication that the only reason the story had a happy ending was because of her cognition skills) extremely disturbing. Despite the fact that the author has put everything ever written about Down syndrome into this book (although with an emphasis on eugenics and abortion), I would not recommend this to students. People, including those with Down syndrome, aren't worthy because of their cognitive or language abilities. They are worthy because they are human beings. Kids are kids. If you want to know more about Down syndrome, meet a few people who happen to have it. Read stories from parents, not from a journalist. And give this book a miss.

I just finished reading "Choosing Naia" and very much enjoyed it. I have a six year old boy with DS who was diagnosed when I was 20-21 weeks pregnant. I was interesting to see some of the similarites between my families situation and reactions and the Fairchilds. I would highly reccommend this book. I do not feel there was undue emphanise on the potenital abililies or inabilities of the unborn child. I have a hard time believing anyone in this situation would not have those thoughts. I feel everyone wants a child who is happy ,interactive and to some degree self suffient. The issue of abortion was explored and I found it interesting to profile a couple who had made the decision to terminate. It is amazing the technology availble to diagnose DS during pregnancy but I personally wished I had not known before the birth of my son. Knowing ahead of time ruined the joy of my first pregnancy He was born without any health problems which was a blessing. Mattie is not what I would consider high functioning (not talking or potty trained) but he is his own person and can't imagine life without him. Having a child with DS is not the end of the world or even close.

Greg and Tierney Fairchild are a well-educated, middle class couple who are thrilled to discover that Tierney is pregnant. Tierney undergoes all of the usual tests, and the Fairchilds are stunned to discover that not only does their unborn child have a hole in her heart, but that she may also be born with Down syndrome.

Investigative reporter Mitchell Zuckoff spent hundreds of hours with Tierney and Greg, and the result is "Choosing Naia," a book that began as a series of articles in the Boston Globe. This book is not only the story of a couple's arduous journey, but it is also an eye-opening look at the history of Down syndrome and a good explanation for the layman of what such a diagnosis means to a child and his parents.

Zuckoff's conversational style makes "Choosing Naia" flow smoothly. Throughout the book, the author provides valuable information on such topics as genetic testing and counseling, early intervention for children with Down syndrome, and the importance of networking in order to get the most valuable information and assistance for your child. Another factor that makes "Choosing Naia" stand out is its unflinching honesty. It is a tribute to the Fairchilds that they allowed their doubts, fears and uncertainties to be recorded for posterity. They come across as vulnerable, yet strong and determined, real people who have decided to meet a difficult challenge.

I highly recommend this touching and informative book. "Choosing Naia" reminds us that in an age of amazing technology and prenatal testing, we are privy to information that may make our lives more complicated than ever before.

No doubt about it...there are definitely some four-star things about this book. It's a strong opener for a trilogy.

But it gets three stars from me, not four.

My recollection is that Procurator, and the rest of Kirk Mitchell's alternate-Rome trilogy, got re-released when the film Gladiator took off. This makes more sense than just some tenuous "let's dig out the ancient Rome backlist" thinking. The stories bear some resemblance to each other.

In Procurator, as in the movie Gladiator, it's not about figuring out who has amassed against you, who is plotting your downfall; no, by Jupiter!--the question is, what do you do about it! Procurator is a book of intrigue and conspiracy, but the reader is in on the scheming. There is not much mystery here...a few scenes after characters are introduced, gladhanding our hero Germanicus, we see them off in a corner, figuring out how to get rid of him, and the Emperor. Meanwhile, the "new barbarians" also threaten the sanctity of this Rome. Germanicus, then, has a very big problem, especially when it looks like some backstabbing friends are in league with the most powerful of the hostile "barbarians". The forces working to eliminate Procurator Germanicus do end up reminding me of the underdog position of the Russell Crowe character from Gladiator--although Germanicus is supposed to be on top!

The plot, then, must satisfy when it comes to showing how Germanicus uses strength and cunning, plus a few loyal allies like the wonderful character Rolf, to outwit or outfight his various opponents. And generally it does. I was also surprised at how much I became emotionally involved in what was happening to Germanicus, given the fast pace, and the short shrift given to the emotional reactions of the characters themselves (ie. "Germanicus wept.").

So what's not to like? Well, the clipped style does, I feel, take away from the overall effect. Could the writer not have caused even more of an emotional reaction, with more focus on mood, or character's inner thoughts and feelings? The opening of the book is of the "Hammer's Slammers" variety--big war-machines trundling about, spewing forth soldiers or missiles. And the reader, in these initial battle sequences, is trapped with the Romans' point-of-view here, so you don't really get to see what happens where the missiles land. The literary equivalent of riding around in a tank. A narrow focus to the start which did not bode well, but of course the plot opened up nicely, as I indicated already.

As for the theatre scene, which is full of irony because the play put on for Germanicus's enemies mirrors our own world, where Pontius Pilate made the opposite decision, it was slightly derivative of, well, A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare and, uh, The Man in The High Castle by Philip K. Dick. A clever plot twist, but not totally new.

This book has sections, the farther it goes along, which rate four stars--but overall I give it a three-star review. I do look forward to the next book.

YES, if you are into alternate histories, be sure to read this trilogy. In order...Procurator/The New Barbarians/Cry Republic. Read in this order, the characters have a natural development and there is no *water under the bridge* effect that comes with reading the last first. With winter acomin' on, this trilogy will fit right in with those who live in the snow/rain/sleet/dark, etc. For readers in sunnier climes, these may cool the temperature for you. No matter what, the author tells a tale that is quite entertaining. Be good to yourself and read 'em!!

An extraordinarily long-lived and static Roman Empire has entered the machine age but with another erratic Julian Emperor and facing revolts around its edges. In the East we follow a procurator, Germanicus Julius (weren't Roman provincial governors like Germanicus called proconsuls instead?), struggling against fanatical Muslim-like terrorists with a psychic killing power. In the course of the novel Mitchell adds a fascinating religious layer to his military focus to develop an ultimately compelling and deep story.

The initial atmosphere of the novel is gray, bleak, mechanized, and military. Some scenes are pretty horrifying. Yet Germanicus is involved in a crucial love triangle with his assistants, although the author did not first lead me to care much for those three. (The lady's motivation never did come clear: this book could use a prequel). But the dynamics of the novel require that eventually the three must make tragic choices. As we learn more of the rebels and their ideology this story remarkably rises into a gripping theological fantasy of transcendent change based on Jesus sayings forgotten in this alternative timeline. Mitchell's writing style is merely competent and the characters didn't evoke my sympathies until late in the story as the plot moved from the military onto a theological and dreamlike plane. In one of several wrenching dream scenes Germanicus even slips momentarily into our parallel world of 1944.

Except for the sheen of a few titles and Latinized names, I don't see what is particularly "Roman" about this story. And surely more evolution of the terms, offices, and organizations mentioned would have been expected. Historical issues of slavery and technology, succession, and the internal east-west split aren't addressed, while Eastern religions, barbarians, and boundaries are significant here. A new fantastical element is introduced: psychic telemagic, that skips around in a convenient but unexplained fashion and may bleed over along family lines. Gurney's cover art doesn't match the technology I think is described in the text. Then again, description and atmosphere are not Mitchell's strong points (while plot development, incident, ethnic differentiation, and intellectual interest are). The publisher provides no clue whatsoever that this is actually the first of three books (followed by New Barbarians and Cry Republic). Perhaps this omission deliberately increases the suspense as to who survives this story. The Sibyl's oracular "hooks" left loose on the final pages seemed too explicitly revealing (quite un-Sibyl-like, in fact) to permit a sequel, until I was alerted by other Amazon reviewers.

I thought Kathy was a great book! I read Kathy before Jenny! i didnt even think of comparing the two until after i read them! I didnt even realize they had the same author until they ended almost the same! If you think about it they do kinda end the same but i dont really think about that stuff because if i do.... like other.... it will give the story away! I would recommand reading both books but read Kathy 1st it was the most exciting! I think it is also the best book writen in the Springsong Series!

Kathy was one of the best books in the Springsong series.It really teaches that God works all things out for good.This is a great book. You must read it.

I loved this book, I thought that it was one of the best written one's in the serires. It had a lot of good writing in it, and I loved the way that it tied in and finished up the Jenny story. If you are going to read any of the books in the SpringSong series, this is one that has a very strong reccomendation. I litterally stayed up all night reading this one!

I agreed with the guy who gave this book a star. When I saw the book, it looks good. But when I started to read it, I realized more than 50% of the book are definitions. It is way too simple.

Honestly, there aren't any good books on SSF.

I liked the strategy section of this book talking about how to use the futures in practice not just about what they are. I have used the buy-write strategy that the author talks about and have done very well so far. I just wish these contracts were more popular so the liquidity would be better.

This book covers more advanced strategies that were interesting like pairs and buy-writes. Also good for learning about hedging large equity holdings in a single stock. I have read all the books available right now on the topic and this one had the most substance and information.

I was a bit disappointed in this book because the dust jacket states the authors attempted to write a unbiased book covering the people that are part of the capital punishment process in America. Maybe it is that the authors stance on the death penalty is so strong that it is all they could do to be as objective as they were, but I was still looking for an unbiased account. With that said I did learn a lot from the book, I also agree with the author's position on the death penalty so their position was not that hard to take. I just wanted more of the other side represented so that I could learn more about that point of view.

The most eye opening part of the book is just the raw data on how many people are currently on death row and how many people have been taken off death row after being proven innocent. The authors also take the reader through all the people associated with the death penalty for interviews. From Judges and juries to the prison guards and executioners, all get a say in the book. What was interesting is that the authors did not present any really gun ho, hang them high types, all the people seamed down to earth and a little uneasy about the whole process. I think there is such a primitive law and order feeling associated with the states power to end a life that I do not think the authors are correct that the death penalty is coming to an end in America - it just appeals to too much of the population.

Overall this is an interesting and eye-opening book. If you are interested in the personal side of the death penalty then this is a good place to start. It did slow down at the end and again I would have liked a little more unbiased writing if only to hold the book out as an example of an unbiased report pushing for the end to the death penalty.

I found this book a good read and would recommend it.

One major objective of this book is to show capitol punishment from all angles. They talk about he prosecutors, the jurors, the judge, the executioners, the governors, and all other cogs in the system. By the time they are done, they make a convincing argument that this process is so fractionalized that nobody feels ultimate responsibility for this grave action (which helps keep it alive).

It also explores people's "support" for capitol punishment. You come to realize that the *objective* of a lot of supporters is keeping the criminal off the street, not vengeance. Thus, when given the option of life without parole, the support for capitol punishment drops below 50%.

I feel that there was a lot of "On one hand... then on the other hand... but you have to remember... and it is important not to discount...".

Although they referenced many polls and facts, I would have preferred this to be a little more 'scientific' and less philosophical. Also in their effort to explor all sides of this issue, many of their statements are pretty obvious -- for example, victim families what vengence and 'closure'. Duh.

I found the style to be a little odd. One of the writers is a journalist and the book is written accordingly. One one hand, they try to be even-handed showing all sides, while on the other, they write with the base assumption that capitol punishment is wrong. I did not find this confusing, but it was a little odd.

I don't wish these comments to discourage people -- it is a worthwhile read, but it does have a few shortcommings.

I read this book for a class and I really liked the book! I thought it was one of the best books that I've read on the issue of capital punishment.

It is overall a fairly good book, but contains much to much detail for the typical non-major collegfe student. I am a teacher for the Intro Biology class ar a well known university, and I was admittedly called in at the last minute to teach this course, so I couldn't choose the text. This one I would not have chosen, as it has too much info for students who have never taken a biology class in their lives before. I find I have to "dumb down" a lot of the material, which is unfortunate, because it really is a well written and well thought out textbook.

I would just like to mention that none of the reviews here are talking about the 4th edition, which came out in 2002. While a new edition isn't a completely different book, according to the publisher, there are some significant changes that have been made to the book.
I used the 2nd eidition in my Freshman year of High School and I really like how the book was made, laid out, and how the information was presented.

I used this book during my freshman year in college. It was an excellent book with top-notch descriptions, well-placed layouts, and easy to understand content. The topics range from biochemistry to genetics to histology and all sorts of tangents into zoology, anatomy, and pharmacology. I have kept this book for 4 years and now that I will be starting medical school, I am taking the book with me. Many others in classes ahead of me have said that this book helps to clarify some of the complex topics that are presented in 1st year medical school. I firmly believe that and recommend this book to anyone with an interested in biology, medicine, and related fields.

After reading this book it was clear that koans are not a useful practice for pursuing the truth. The author lists numerous koans, and then gives some ludricrous explanations in the form of pretend wisdom based on his view of the doctrine of Buddhism. Daily life will give a Zen student all the koans needed to pursue ultimate truth. Studying koans only helps fill a student's head with more fake "knowledge".
Zen is the ultimate psychology of self knowledge, and it's misleading to think that koan study helps achieve anything.

It's clear that the last reviewer has never actually practiced with koans, which is all this book asks of you -- to practice. Perhaps "the author [seems to give] ludicrous explanations" because, as the author writes, One action is better than 10,000 sutras. In other words, this isn't a book to read in the same way that you'd read the newspaper, & you either agree or disagree with the author (like maybe reading about a jockey and deciding you hate riding horses -- when you've never even seen a horse). Plus here, essentially, there is no author. To put it another way: YOU'RE the author.

The reason I give the book five stars is also why I think the last reviewer is a bit off: Zen is NOT "the ultimate psychology of self knowledge" or anything else fitting so neatly into what we'd like it to be. Let go of "Zen," then what is this? Just this! What can you do?

Bring me the sound of the cicada, asks one of the koans. Seung Sahn might say, Put it all down, put down "psychology" and "self knowledge" and "Zen is supposed to be this," and bring me the sound of the cicada.

(And to clarify: I've never been a student of Seung Sahn's. Unfortunately.)

There are three classic collections of kong-ans (the Korean word; Japanese is koans, Chinese is kung-ans) from ancient China: the Mumonkan, the Blue Cliff record, and (less known) the Book of Serenity. They follow the same basic form: the kong-an (the word means public case, and it's generally a very short story, e.g.: "A monk asked Joju, does a dog have Buddha nature? Joju answered Mu.") is presented, followed by commentary. In the Mumonkan and the Blue Cliff record the commentary is by the book's compiler; in the Book of Serenity you get a grab bag of comments by various teachers. This book is a contemporary representation of that tradition, presenting a large number of classic kong-ans from the Korean tradition, as well as kong-ans based on poems or fragments of poems (e.g., there's a series of kong-ans from the Tao Te Ching) and derived from other traditions (including the Christian tradition). Each kong-an is followed by a question or series of questions, and then by a short commentary. (Historical note: Today we tend to identify the kong-an with the question, but traditionally it's the basic situation that's the kong-an.)

Winslow AZ, who wrote the extremely negative review, is right on one point --- these stories, questions, and commentaries can seem incomprehensible if you read them the way you'd read, say, a review on Amazon.com. Well, hey, I'm a mathematician and mathematics papers are incomprehensible if you read them that way too. So, no, this isn't a book for people wanting an introduction to Zen Buddhism, whether philosophical or practical, and it isn't an analytical text for students working toward their PhD's either.

What it is is the real thing, a contemporary snapshot of a living tradition, and that's its value. People practicing in the very particular tradition of the Kwan Um School of Zen refer to this book regularly, just as the Mumonkan and Blue Cliff Record (most or all of whose cases are incorporated here, but with different commentary) have been referred to regularly for over 1,000 years. Kong-ans resonate with some people and not with others; for those for whom they resonate they are invaluable. If you want a taste of the living tradition, whether as a practitioner or a scholar, check this book out.

Foie gras is considered to be a French delicacy, while in actuality it is nothing more than the grossly over-sized livers of geese and ducks who are intentionally made to suffer from hepatic lipidosis - or "fatty liver disease." This disease in itself is extremely painful - the liver becomes swollen to many times its normal size. It can't be as painful as having a metal tube shoved down one's throat 3+ times a day and being force-fed the human equivalent of 28 lbs of food per day. This is what the geese and ducks must endure until it is slaughter day. Many times the stomach ruptures from the overabundance of food, thus causing the liver to explode (please visit the website below to see trash cans filled with the bodies of ducks who died from force-feeding)...this renders the animal useless and it is discarded. Oftentimes upon examination of the dead birds, there is food (corn mash) filling the esophagus and spilling out of the nostrils. Yet according to Farm Sanctuary News, Ginor claims that this type of assembly-line force-feeding of thousands of birds "takes advantage of the birds' natural eating habits and physiology." Please visit farmsantuary.org for graphic photos of this "natural" process. Then you decide...are you going to eat this diseased organ "produced" from an animal who only knew suffering and pain in its short life? Hey, Ginor, cruelty to animals is not fashionable - your "passion" is disturbing.

This is the best book I have found on the subject. Like another reviewer said it's a shame the overall score was lowered by political rants of an uneducated reviewer.

Amazing book devoted to an amazing product. This book is so informative, that reading it, you can almost taste a slice of heaven.

It's such a pleasure to finally have a book on the greatest food ever.

Touring In Wine Country: Tuscany provides a richly illustrated overview for anyone considering a tour of the towns and vineyards of Tuscany. It is disappointing, however, in its lack of detail. It would be easier to navigate your way by following the author's narrative than by attempting to read the maps, which are almost completely useless. There are recommendations for shopping and restaurants, but this information also is quite condensed, written in small pale type, and rather vague as to price range.

A far more useful book is A Traveller's Wine Guide To Italy, by Stephen Hobley.

Just returned from Tuscany and used the book extensively. Here's what I found. THE GOOD POINTS: The hotel and restaurant recommendations were excellent (although one particular hotel in which I stayed based on the book, which was called a "Haven" was just ok). Each city and chapter was broken down nicely with fine points and attractions that I used extensively. THE BAD POINTS: Although there were many, many wineries, and their phone numbers, and maps detailing the countryside in which they were located, the SPECIFICS were horrible. Never on any of the highlighted routes on the maps does it POINT OUT where these wineries are actually LOCATED, and on several occasions I was lost beyond belief trying to find them (even though I had made appointments). That made for a very frustrating wine tour, and considering this is a wine tour book, it needed to be more specific.

This is a very helpful book. We have similar guides in the series for Burgundy, Alsace and Rhone. I highly recommend them. Our experience in Italy is that wine tourism per se is much less formal than France, Germany and US. That means the traveller must be a lot more curious and self sufficient. Bring along a fullscale Michelin road atlas and be prepared to ask a lot of questions. Try to learn an little Italian. It goes a long way. People were uniformly friendly and went way out of their way to draw local maps, add add'l restaurants to your list and even call wine makers for tours (on your behalf). Wine makers (such as Tenuta dell'Ornellaia) who otherwise don't open their doors to the public. Buy the book if you plan to tour wine regions in Tuscany!

I thought this book was going to be more about an insightful philosophy. But instead, over half deals with Mitchell's experience as an astronaut and his personal life. Mitchell claims to have a magic recipe - a "dyadic model", which is the thoughtful merger of science and spirituality. I thought it would make an adequate inclusion of spirituality, but instead, the author examines certain mystical phenomena and promptly claims to take the truth from each...in his own fashion, and then retorts that such and such people's view about the event...many of its interpretations, were wrong. This is not a merger of science and spirituality, it is taking all the meat from a spiritual body and just leaving the bones. This debases and is insulting to many spiritual and cultural traditions throughout the world. This is just a propaganda for Mitchell's own particular, quasi atheist view of reality, and one that serves to finance his institute.

Apollo 14 was one of the few missions that I know litle about; simply because not enough time and attention has been dedicated to it! Dr. Ed Mitchell,Apollo 14 lunar module pilot, tells us in a very open way his inner-most feelings about the mission to The Moon, and how it altered his life,and inner ways of thinking; regarding life and the universe! Telling the reader that what he felt and saw: during, and mainly after his return to Earth; how our universe couldn't have just happened,but rather, has a special purpose and significance and a meaning to its existence! i believe in God, and have heard many pros and cons said about this book! Well let me say that as a true believer in CHRIST and GOD, I feel that Dr. Mitchell has a very open and well-educated mind as a scientist/explorer; and merely tells us that there is in fact a creator, and a purpose for the creation of the universe, and a reason for its being; relating science/religion together,which, to me, makes a whole lot of good sense.and purpose, to those of us that are real thinkers and have a real open mind to the things around us in the whole universe; not just planet Earth! Dr. Mitchell should know, hes been there (MOON) AND DONE THAT! i'M VERY RELIGIOUS INWARDLY, AND STILL THINK YOUR BOOK IS WELL DONE! Good job Dr. Mitchell! Your one of the few very open-minded/rational good thinkers of the century! If only more would have your intellect, mayby we wouldnt have the world problems we have today, and would have already had a base on Moon, and missions to Mars, already underway!

Edgar Mitchell founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences in 1972, as he began a quest for common ground between science and spirit following his life-altering experience of walking on the surface of the moon. Mitchell's autobiographical book THE WAY OF THE EXPLORER describes in thrilling detail his experiences with the Apollo missions, as well as his subsequent exploration of the fields of consciousness and paranormal phenomenon. Mitchell's heart-warming accounts of his feelings as he walked on the moon, and then traveled back through space to see how "the heavens and earth tumbled alternately in and out of view in the small capsule window" are gracefully combined with his insightful observations of the nature of consciousness and reality. We can all benefit from experiencing the Earth as Mitchell does... as one planet interconnected with each and every one of us. I was so moved by what Mitchell wrote about seeing Uri Geller bend spoons and bring lost objects across space and time that it inspired me to see Geller bend one of my (very SOLID stainless steel spoons) in person in October 1999. I love this book's timeless wisdom, beauty, and depth so much that I return to it again and again. It's a powerful book that touches my heart and greatly inspires me!