There are hundreds of thousands of medical facts existing in this field. Memorizing all of them seems impossible to medical students. The only way to turn out this dead end is to understand fundamental mechanisms of diseases. Robbins illustrates those mechanisms with easy-to-understand ways. No confusion, no frustration. I also wannna criticize the "Basic Pathology". Although it's written by the same authors, it's too simple. With not much corcern to mechanisms. This book leads ambitious readers to hell!

This is THE textbook of pathology for students of medicine and dentistry!
Pros? Well, it has all the 4 C's...
1) Clear language... minimal verbosity, straight to the point
2) Comprehensive ... it has all the facts the student needs to know for exams as well as future clinical practice
3) Colour pictures ... not the black and white stuff but full colours to add more morphological meaning to the texts
4) Cast ... I'm sure everyone wants to read a book written by authoritative pathologists?

Cons?
1) Cumbersome ... students just initiated into the world of pathology may find it tough to plough through the thousand over pages of text (like I did while in med school), but believe me, if you stick by it, you'll enjoy the fruits of your labour in due time.
2) Some of the facts and tumour classifications may be a little out of date (latest edition published in 1999) but if you're a student, don't brood over it. Tutors would probably highlight major updates during your pathology course.

This book is excellent. I used the 4th edition as a medical student and am currently reading this edition in preparation for my pathology boards. The book is much improved in terms of readibility, great tables, diagrams, and color photographs. It is a must have for medical students interested in pathology as well as pathologists.

If there is one standard handbook for cartridge collectors as well as for "everyday" users, this one should be named foremost. It covers a very large range of current and obsolete cartridge both from the metric and the "imperial" (read: British and American) measurement systems, civilian and military alike. A number of the better-known wildcat and proprietary cartridges are also treated. Almost all cartridges are illustrated (though mostly not with measurements, which are confined to some cumbersome tables at the end of the chapters). While this book is not "the bible" and still contains many (often just minor) errors and inaccuracies, it is infinitely useful, and the well-known new editor, M.L. McPherson, has already made improvements over the previous (7th) edition. I strongly recommend this book as a "must buy" for even a very small firearms reference library - you will end up using it daily.

I bought this volume with the intent of studing old and obsolete british big bores from the "golden era" of africian hunting. I was a little disipointed with the completness of the section, but i realize at the same time that the author cannot realisticly cover every possible cartridge ever made in a rifle....All in all it is a title proud of the unofficial title given to it by those in the gun industry....."the cartridge bible". It also has many corrections in this volume that needed to be made because of past editions. The extra tidbits that the author makes in the different sections of the book about the history and the power of the cartridges make the book more than a reference book but makes it a great reading book also......i look forward to upcoming editions.....

A well written, comprehensive, and fun to read book. I have gleaned much information from this reference which goes beyond standard lineup of cartridges presently encountered by North American hunters and weekend warriors. Anyone interested in history of small arms ammunition (pistol and rifle) should do themselves a big favor and read this book.

Having been a Stones fan for ever I was looking forward to reading this book, however at first I put it right back down again as the author's style was a bit hard to get into. Later when I picked it up and got through the Author Block on my behalf I found this to be a really well written insight into the the Stones and what went on around them. Having sampled first hand in some ways the lifestyles described in this book I found it bringing back memories good and bad of those times when I doubt if anyone really knew what was going.on.
This is really two books in one the history of the Stones and memories of hanging out with the Stones themselves.
A great book overall.
I hope that Stanley Booth is rewarded justly for the work he put into this book he deserves it, as do the Stones for the work they have done over the years.

Author Stanley Booth had the ultimate access to the Stones. He managed to get a contract for a book on the Band, found access, and convinced the Stones themselves to authorize his work as well as let him accompany them on the 69-70 tours, just before the infamous stuff of Altamont happened. By managing to last with the Stones, over time actually becoming one of the rare friends who could find and hang out with the Band members, he acquired an incredible store of tales, which he tells in a remarkably literary manner in this book. Using quotes from the likes of Norman Mailer, "Hambone," the Crystals, Cynthia Plastercaster (if you don't know about her, you really need to get this book), Booth clearly demonstrates his credentials as a serious author. The book benefits.....the best story of the writing of Satisfaction by the Holiday Inn pool in Clearwater is in here as are the tales of Mick and Keith's arrival at Altamont (not at all what you would suspect). All in all, this is one of the good ones and you can't go wrong by taking time to read it cover to cover.

Talk about a masterpiece; this is one! Stanley Booth was a struggling rock journalist who managed, through persistent effort and good timing, to land a regular slot on the 1969 "Let It Bleed" tour of the Rolling Stones across these United States. What was supposed to be a simple, intelligent chronicle of a rock band's work became a chilling time capsule of the end of an era, and possibly, of a dream as well, when the band's disastrous appearance at the Altamont concert rang down the curtain on the Sixties hippie dream of world peace and brotherhood. This is not just a book detailing the Stones' many misadventures with the law, with drugs, with reckless groupies and sycophants and promoters, as you might expect; nor it is simply a grisly blow-by-blow of the tragic events of that December night in the northern California wilderness, when a vicious pack of Hells' Angels stabbed a young concertgoer to death, literally a few feet from where Mick Jagger sang "Gimme Shelter" and "Sympathy for the Devil" as Keith Richards and the other Stones churned out those classic songs behind him. You will find those contents in here, but they are only a fraction of the treasures this book contains. (Booth freely admits that his womanizing during this tour cost him his marriage, and he is as unsparing in his critiques of the Stones, whom he truly loves, as he is towards his own failings.) You can almost see, hear, feel the chaos, the majesty, the confusion, and the power of the events he's describing; each character comes wonderfully to life, through his use of interwoven, somewhat kaleidoscopic scene changes, flashbacks and flash-forwards, stream of consciousness and grimly bare-boned narrative. Brilliant, hilarious, loathsome, mesmerizing, harrowing, glorious...many such adjectives could apply to the events and personalities depicted in this epic book of rock excess and human misadventure. I'd like to write another review, just so I could give it five more reviews - it's that good!

We all had to go through the drudgery of PDE's in undergraduate courses and except if you're a math major your knowledge of the methods of solution will probably stop at separation of variables, Laplace transform and D'Alembert. This book is an excellent review of a host of methods for solution but what is more important is the physical interpretation of the PDE's the author insists on. Most of the physical examples are drawn from the fields of heat and mechanics but they can be easily applied to electromagnetic and semiconductor charge transport problems. Every aspiring senior in an engineering discipline should study this book for his own good.

As the title implies, this book is not intended to mathematicians, although it could finely serve as additional text for them, too. On the other hand it is excellent as an itroductory overview of the types of PDE's met and the methods used for their solution. There are references to more advanced texts for the interested, excercises in each chapter and, most importantly, nice, qualitative remarks on the properties of mathematical tools (like Fourier and Laplace transform) which help the reader to comprehend them.

The strength of this book is its organization. It is all you need to understand and use PDEs. Dont waste your money on other books. This is the best intro there is...

. . . to really achieve its full potential, this play needs to be acted out on stage. Still, highly excellent, involving twins, cross-dressing, love tangles, sword-fighting, secret marriages, music, disguises, mistaken identities, high speech, and lowbrow humour.

The entire play takes place in Illyria. In the main plot, Orsino is in love with Olivia, who unfortunately does not return his feelings. Viola is shipwrecked on the Illyrian coast, and dressed as a boy, comes to serve in Orsino's court, where she of course falls in love with Orsino. Meanwhile, in Olivia's court, some of her courtiers plan a cruel--but funny--practical joke against her pompous steward Malvolio. There is also a third plot later on involving Viola's twin brother Sebastian, who has been shipwrecked likewise. Naturally things get quite confusing, but, true to Shakespeare's comedic style, everything gets worked out in the end.

This is an enjoyable book to read, and the notes are very helpful. However, it is still better as a performance.

"Twelfth Night" is one of the famous romantic comedy written by William Shakespeare. Many critics said, "Twelfth Night" is the masterpiece among his comedy because his fully developed style and insight are in the "Twelfth Night", so it has special value and attractiveness.
There are four main characters in "Twelfth Night" ; Duke Orsino, Olivia, Viola, and
Sebastian. Duke Orsino who lives in Illyria loves Olivia, so every day he send one of
his servant to Olivia's house for proposal of marriage. However, every time Olivia
refuses his proposal for the reason that she lost her brother before long, so she is now
in big sorrow and can not love anyone. One day, Viola comes into Illyria. She and her
twin brother Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck and they are rescued by two
different people in two different place, so they think the other one is dead each other.
Viola disguise as a man and become a servant of Duke Orsino, and then she fall in
love with Duke Orsino. But, Duke Orsino loves Olivia and he send Viola whose new
name as a man is "Cesario" to Olivia for proposal. Unexpectedly, Olivia fall in love with
Cesario!! Therefore, love triangle is formed. In the latter scene, Sebastian also come into
Illyria, so the confusion getting worse. However, in the end, all misunderstandings are
solved and Cesario become Viola, so the four main characters find their love.
There are also four supporting characters in "Twelfth Night" ; Clown, Sir Toby Belch,
Malvolio, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek. They make the readers laugh through their funny
behaviors and comments in subplot.
"Twelfth Night" is very funny story and enjoyable book, so I recommend you.

I didn't read this particular version of Twelfth Night, so I'm rating the plot, not the editing. This book was the first play by Shakespeare that I read, and I loved it! It starts when Viola and her brother, Sebastian, are seperated in a shipwreck. Viola decides to disguise herself as a boy and work for Orsino, the duke. Orsino sends Viola to tell Olivia that he loves her. Viola does what he says, but she wishes she didn't have to, because she has fallen in love with Orsino! Then Olivia falls in love with Viola, thinking that she is a boy. While all this is going on, Andrew Aguecheek is wooing Olivia, who scorns him. Also, Maria, the maid, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle, and another servant write a letter and put it where Malvolio, a servant, will see it. The letter says that Olivia is in love with Malvolio. Malvolio immediately starts trying to woo Olivia. Maria and Sir Toby pretend to think that he's mad, and lock him up. Meanwhile, Sebastian comes to town with Antonio, the man who saved him from the shipwreck. Antonio gives him his purse and says that he must stay away from the city because he fought against the duke in a war. A few minutes later, Antonio realizes that he needs money for lodgings and goes to find Sebastian. In the city, Viola is being forced to fight Andrew Aguecheek for the right to marry Olivia. Antonio sees the fight and hurries to intervene. Orsino recognizes him and has him arrested. Antonio asks Viola for his purse so that he can pay bail, thinking that she is Sebastian. Viola denies having had a purse. Then Sebastian comes up. Olivia had found him and married him on the spot, and he, deliriously happy, had gone away to give Antonio his purse. On the way, he met Sir Toby and Andrew Aguecheek. When they try to force him to fight, he punches them and goes on. They come up too, bitterly accusing Viola. (No one has seen Sebastian yet.) Then Olivia comes up and speaks to Viola, who denies being her wife. Orsino becomes angry with her, thinking that she has married Olivia, and accuses her of treachery. Just as things are looking bad for Viola, Sebastian reveals himself. Then everyone is happy (since Orsino falls in love with Viola on the spot) except Andrew Aguecheek and Malvolio, who is later set free. The plot of this book is a little hard to understand, but it is halariously funny and makes for happy reading.

Buying this book used turned out to be quite a bit pricy ...but it proved worth the investment. The book was informative, entertaining, inspiring, and will serve as a useful reference down the road as well. Uston will teach you precise basic strategy, open your eyes to the wonderful world of card counting, provide you with many interesting insights into the game, and has plenty of thrilling gambling tales to make this work the most comprehensive blackjack resource I've ever owned. Whether you're looking for an introductory read, or an advanced analysis, this book has it all.

Although the book is designed more for the card counting player, there is still plenty of information for the beginning or casual player. On the other extreme: for those who are more ambitious the book details The Uston Advanced Point Count. The APC is considered one of the most powerful (and complicated) count systems ever. It is still every bit as applicable today as it was in the 70's when it was developed. Several other simpler count systems that Uston devised are also covered in great detail. Stories of how they won millions of dollars from the casinos are inspiring and enjoyable to read. If you're in it for the stories, pick up one of his other books: Ken Uston on Blackjack. It contains NO 21 strategy advice, but is chock full of their clandestine 21 activities around the casinos. Very fun and quick to read.

This is my favorite book out of all the blackjack books I've read. (I've read The World's Greatest Blackjack Book, Blackjack for Blood, Beat the Dealer, Professional Blackjack and Playing Blackjack As a Business)

The counting systems mentioned in this book work. I've been using the Uston Advanced Plus/Minus count for over 5 years now and have an awesome winning record. The Uston Advanced Point Count is also outlined in this book (It's extremely complicated though.)

I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about counting cards or anyone who wants a really entertaining read.

I really enjoyed reading this book by West. I could not put it down, I had to finish the book all in one night it was so good. It really reminds you of what you want to be and sets you back on course. One conversation with Gretchen and Cal ends up in jail because of her. I recommend this book to everyone it is a great story. I had to read it for english class and I never thought I would actually like a book for english class but I like this book.

I stumbled across this book while in a bookstore in Minnesota (the author is from Minnesota) and I like to look at local authors in hopes of discovering the odd gem of a book. "Until the Streetcars Come Back" fit the mold exactly. The setting--Calvin Gant is a high-school senior in St. Paul in 1949-50) is nicely off-beat, but what really makes the story go is the conflicting emotions of a young boy who has the usual high school desires (win the big game, get the girl of his dreams to notice him, impress his buddies) and yet realizes, upon meeting a girl who is both an outcast at school and being physically and emotionally abused at home, that he is probably the only one who can help her. It comes down to being the story of a boy who doesn't always know exactly WHAT to do, but recognizes a responsibility when it is thrust upon him and refuses to abandon it no matter how it affects his own life. One of the hallmarks of a good read is that you hate to say goodbye to the characters at book's end, and this was the case here for me. I even re-read parts of the book to "revisit" them. I haven't done that in a long time. A classic? Probably not, but it you want to relive some of the silliness of your high school years and meet a really memorable cast of characters, including a good old-fashioned hero, check this one out

I just finished Until They Bring The Streetcars Back which means the tears are still fresh in my eyes. What a wonderful and moving story. This is by far one of the best stories I've ever read. It has everything I look for in a book. The charcters all had depth and personality. I could picture every minute of this story in my head. This is the second book I have read by Mr. West and I cannot say enough great things about this author. I had the pleasure of meeting him in person last winter and he is one of those people that you instantly feel comfortable with. Someone like I picture Cal Gant to be. I am looking forward to reading Amos and re-reading Laura Buggs. I hope to see more from Mr. West in the future. Until then, Streetcars will remain my #1.

This thin edition, containing only a few of Kafka's short stoires, seems unlikely to cause the powerfully disturbing reactions that it brings out in its readers. In his story "The Metamorphosis," Kafka writes a tale of how a salesman turns into a bug overnight. As unlikely as this situation sounds, Kafka succeeds in making the situation seem real by going into extreme detail about both the physical and emotional effects of the character's metamorphosis. Although logic prevents anyone from actually believing they may turn into a bug, readers can still relate to the common emotions of the story, of being alienated and unwanted, of being a cumbersme burden unto others. The other stories in the edition are equally engaging and disturbing in their realistic, sometimes frightful descriptions.

Don't be fooled by the scant 80 pages in this book...it is a powerful collection of stories. Metamorphosis is truly an amazing short story, about the priority shift of a man who has found himself stuck in the body of a bug. Like most of his other pieces, Kafka deals primarily with the mind, using the despairing feelings of his characters to reach the reader. The other stories, "In the Penal Colony," "A Country Doctor" and others, are equally powerful and equally disturbing, and I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading contemporary classics.

"Look, I'm a Bug!" No, no, no... the plight of Gregor Samsa as he awoke as a beetle is no laughing matter. In this tidy little Dover edition, Kafka's famous short story breathes of the futility and alienation men face, and the fear in the midst of it all.

"The Metamorphosis and Other Stories" is worth every penny.

The beauty of the Dover edition is the ability to sample Kafka, rather than indulge in a complete works. He is not for everyone, but at such an inexpensive price, you'll get to taste his style and complex ideas.

Note that there are several stories here, including the oddly-styled one paragraph "A Country Doctor," which effectively challenges the view of common man of the almost godlike pedestal we put doctors on.

Stories include:
The Judgment
The Metamorphosis
In a Penal Colony
A Country Doctor
A Report to an Academy

I fully recommend "The Metamorphosis and Other Stories" by Franz Kafka. The price can't be beat, and would make a great addition to a larger Amazon purchase.

Anthony Trendl

I first read this book when I was 15, and have reread it twice since then. Coren writes in a way that is very one-on-one and covers vast amounts of information, ranging from amusing dog quotes to myths of dogs to the ever-famous chart of dog intelligence. Throughout the book there is information to be gained and new ways of thinking to be considered. The focal point of this book is not the ranking of breed intelligence but rather the intelligence of dogs in general, hence the title. Areas focusing on ways to improve your dog's fluid and crystal intelligence open up an understanding of the dog's mind that is interesting for any dog owner. Stanley Coren is a psychologist as well as a dog trainer, and these two aspects of his life merged equally when he wrote this.

Stanley Coren has given us a very interesting, well-researched book about the intelligence of our canine friends. I like the intelligence test. I have three dogs. One is really dumb but I grant him that he's old so he has an excuse. The middle boy is bordering on stupid, but the little girl is very wiley! Great read for the dog lover!

What a fascinating book! Unfortunately, I think too many readers get obsessed with the rankings of "intelligent" breeds. The author explains quite simply that the ranking simply refers to which breeds tend to be quick learners- that is, one breed many learn a task in just a few repetitions, while another may take dozens of repetitions, on average. And this is a very useful tool, not only for dog trainers but for the average dog lover as well. A well-trained dog is much less likely to end up at a shelter, left there by frustrated humans who couldn't get their new pet to "fit in" with the family. Remember, dogs were first domesticated in order to be our helpers, and that's what they still are- whether they are guard dogs, drug sniffers, hunters or just companions, they all have a task in life and doing that task is what makes them happiest! Keep that in mind while you read this book, and you will be amazed at how much it can improve your relationship with your pet.

Raymond Chandler made the definitive statement about L.A.'s Santa Ana Winds at the beginning of his short story "Red Wind." In Easy Rawlins' L.A., the hot, dry winds that fill the lungs with cactus dust and make the skin peel around the fingernails never seem to stop.

Easy is in search of an erotic dream woman from his childhood who is being sought by one of those rich white families who have more skeletons than clothes in their closets. Around the same time, the very dangerous Raymond "Mouse" Alexander is released from the pen; and Easy's attempt to make a killing in the real estate market run up against a brick wall.

There are plot threads aplenty, and enough characters to fill a passenger liner. Mosley is too good a writer to leave any threads untied, but I do get lost at times with some of the characters. One bad dude is not heard from for a hundred pages when he commits a particularly heinous murder at the very end. "Oh, yeah, wasn't he the guy that ...?" Sometimes, I would have welcomed the list of characters, complete with nicknames, that occasionally accompanies an 800-page Russian novel.

What makes this a minor complaint is that Mosley has such a great sense of place and so much feeling for his characters. We don't meet the character he calls "Black Betty" until the end of the novel, but we keep seeing vignettes from Easy's past that keep building up the suspense, and any expectations are more than fulfilled by an ending that is bloodier than the last act of Hamlet.

Easy Rawlins is a complex character. I enjoy getting to know him better in each of Mosley's books. But because Walter Mosley has such a wonderful talent for character development, I probably will never have Easy figured out completely. What amazes me about these books is that they read like a serial but any one of them can stand on it's own without any long, detailed introductions or explanations. Black Betty does not disappoint. Easy juggles several situations at once and manages to bring order and justice to his world by the end of the book. I think the most endearing quality of Easy's is the love and care he gives to his kids, Jesus and Feather. The time spent with his family gives a good balance to the darker side of his life on the streets. There are some big surprises in this story...some good and some sad and good at the same time. I bought this book a long time ago and saved it until the next Easy Rawlings book came out so I could read them both at the same time because when I finish a Walter Mosley book I always want more. I wish he could write 'em as fast as I can read 'em.

Easy Rawlins is a complex character. I enjoy getting to know him better in each of Mosley's books. But because Walter Mosley has such a wonderful talent for character development, I probably will never have Easy figured out completely. What amazes me about these books is that they read like a serial but any one of them can stand on it's own without any long, detailed introductions or explanations. Black Betty does not disappoint. Easy juggles several situations at once and manages to bring order and justice to his world by the end of the book. I think the most endearing quality of Easy's is the love and care he gives to his kids, Jesus and Feather. The time spent with his family gives a good balance to the darker side of his life on the streets. There are some big surprises in this story...some good and some sad and good at the same time. I bought this book a long time ago and saved it until the next Easy Rawlings book came out so I could read them both at the same time because when I finish a Walter Mosley book I always want more. I wish he could write 'em as fast as I can read 'em