This book is a wonderful reference book focused on the correlation between environmental change and human health issues world-wide. All of the sections are extremely well written, using clear, descriptive language. Each section also contains an ample amount of charts, tables, and graphs. While these are not as colorful as other books from the United Nations, the use of color is extremely effective. Just a glance at a chart yields its contents, a good time-saving technique for a researcher or student. Finally, there are over a hundred pages of data tables in the back. These tables make it easy to compare countries. Like the articles themselves, the explanations are clear and interesting. Overall, this book is a wonderful reference tool and would easily supplement a course on the global environment.

Most Christian books are fluff. They lack the serious thought that Dr Rushdoony deals with. As a woman this concerns me as I see so few women seeking serious reading material that will challenge and educate. How many have read about the Sociology of the Sabbath? About Restitution? Theology of the State? Debt and Decapitakzation? How about what the Bible says about the Laws of Inheritance? Vows and Oaths? Dr Rushdoony discusses Music and its place in a God centered life. Tithing. So many topics he writes on are never discussed on the Sabbath. How many people know that in centuries past artists, gave notice at the end of their work, "To the Glory of God"? Dr Rushdoony challenges us to become as God would have us be. He challenges parents to take control of the gift called children that G-d has given us. He is a avid home school supporter. If you read any of his works, including The Institute of Biblical Law, you will if G-d led, find yourself changed. One thing Dr Rushdoony does is remind each of us that we belong to G-d. And that we have an obligation to celebrate G-d and how he can lead and strengthen us. This is not easy reading.

Now the negative side (if that is the correct term) which has more to do with the heavy hand view that Christian Reconstructionism seems to take. I personally do not believe that only Christians should be elected to office or that women shouldn't be elected. Since I know non-Christians and women who do a darn good job in secular and public jobs. I do not believe in a theocracy since I am a one G-d believer. But the books he writes should be read, if for no other reason that people should know what he believed.

Get the volumes (a third is now out) and read for yourself. Don't let knee-jerk responses like the reader from Houston, TX (who obviously hasn't read the books)sway you. Rushdoony provides what the modern church scene has not - in depth, well grounded biblical analysis minus the pious gush, end times madness, subjective mysticism and emotional overdosing. His books will not appeal to those with lazy minds not willing to think things through to their logical conclusions. But who cares. There are plenty of books written for that crowd. Rushdoony is for those who are tired of playing church and want to know just how Christian faith works itself out in every area of life.

Rushdoony, with straight-faced and clear-eyed conviction, does what every great teacher should do: Remind of us the obvious. The essence of the book is this: If we do not use God's Law as our rule for existence in every facet of life, then we are using "something else" to guide our lives. If we boil down the message even more, it may be: What exactly are we putting our trust in: God, or Something Else. This book will no doubt be disregarded and ignored by we who prefer to follow "Something Else" instead of God.

The best point of this package is the 12 cassettes. They're well laid out and use a variety of different types of drills to take you through different aspects of each lesson. You've done a lot by the time you're through.

However, I'm glad I took some classes beforehand because the book is pretty weak. There's not much in the way of explanation of grammatical points, and the size of the book could have been reduced by a third by removing the useless pronunciation guide. (Why don't I just listen to the cassettes to get the pronunciation?). If you buy this, you'd better shell out for a grammar guide, too.

Despite the book, I liked the tapes well enough to order the next set.

I'm using the two Barron's tape sets along with the video series, Destinos, to teach myself Spanish. Destinos presents a much wider range of vocabulary and situations, but since (if you're using it on your own) you don't speak back to it, a lot of your learning is passive. The Barron's set gets you into a more active mode. The dialogues can be quite sexist--lots of comments about sexy brunettes, fat girls with glasses, etc.-- and you almost never hear a female speaker. Still, they and the drills are effective and well-designed from a language-learning point of view. The guys on the tapes speak at a realistic pace, not in the exaggerated, artificially slow language typical of beginning language courses--and the drills force you to respond quickly, too. The accompanying book is not terribly informative; for grammar issues I've relied on my knowledge of French and Latin. This probably isn't the best choice for a rank beginner, but if you already know another romance language, or if you've taken a little Spanish in school and want to get better, it's a solid course.

Barron's Mastering Spanish is terrific! I've studied MANY foreign languages and used a variety of audio tapes to help with my studies. The Barron's series is the best one I've ever encountered. It is true, however, that the course is long and in depth. You will have to devote a lot of time if you want to finish the course. (I've only gotten through the Level 1 course, and it's taken me 2 1/2 months.) I used them in my car, which is the perfect place to listen to them. They require quite a bit of concentration. This series would have rated a solid 5 stars if it weren't for the accompanying book. For some reason, the book presents all of the Spanish in both PHONETIC representation, as well standard Spanish spelling. The phonetics, which are given enormous precedence over the Spanish spellings, are not only useless, they're annoying and distracting! To add insult to injury, the dictionary appendix at the end of the book isn't even in Spanish alphabetical order. It too is in phonetic order, making it nearly worthless! The book aside, however, the tapes (I had the CD's actually.) are great. Other than the fact that I've lived in LA for half my life, and so have heard a LOT of Spanish in my everyday comings and goings, I've never actually studied any Spanish at all. After completing this set, I feel that I've gotten a terrific grounding in the basics of the language.

This book was recommended to me by my manager because I am a quiet person, and very choosy about the people I associate with. While I am a bit shy, it doesn't interfere with my personal or professional life as much as this book implicated that it should.

This book covered mostly pathologically shy people, and painfully shy people. The end of the first half of the book pointed out that shy people have greater tendencies to become murderers, rapist, see prostitutes, etc. It freaked me out so badly that I put the book down.

I picked it up, read through the second half, and surprise, surprise, it was a bunch of self-exploratory psychobabble exercises. While this might have been fine for someone who has not thought about who they are, where they came from, and what they're doing now, I found the exercises useless, as I know very well who I am.

I knew beforehand the particular reasons that I don't like to be around people, so this book wasn't much help. It was interesting to read the interviews with nearly terminally shy people, but other than that... there was almost no reason for me to read this book. It brought me little enjoyment, and even less revelation.

I'm sure there are people who haven't looked at their lives, and their surroundings, and their thoughts about themselves and others. Perhaps to them, this may be a wake-up call.

The book is *outdated*. It was written in 1979. Some of its theories really freaked me out. I thought there was some thing seriously wrong with me. And it's not that informative. The impression I got from the writer is shyness is not normal and it's some kind of a character defect that needs to be treated. I read a part about shy people tend to become perverts, rapists or killers. That's not true.

If you want a great book about shyness, then you should buy "Shyness: A bold new approach" By Bernardo J. Carducci, Ph.D. His book is recent and the information provided is totally up todate. He doesn't think shyness is a character defect that needs to be treated, etc.

Being a true-blue shy person, I've ordered every book on shyness I could find. This author seems to be the only one who really knows what he's talking about. The reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's outdated. The only thing that has changed since I bought this book 10 years ago is it's cover.

I'm a a certified PMP and purchased this book because PMI says it is the basis for the exam. The problem is that it's incredibly boring and does not include all the information on the test! Although all the project management processes are detailed and the terms are defined, it does not really teach you on how to apply and understand project management. There are also no practice questions included in the PMBOK and this is an absolute requirement before you sit for the test. You must also purchase an independant study guide book. I recommend PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy. It is well written, an enjoyable read, and includes many topics that appear on the exam that are not included in the PMBOK (i.e. Professional Responsibility etc.).

If you are planning on taking the PMP exam, you absolutely NEED to purchase this book. PMI uses this book as a syllabus for the PMP exam. Hence, this book is literally a table of contents of everything that can be tested on the PMP. In addition to being a table of contents, it does have a brief description of each topic.

For the longest time, almost everyone who has taken the PMP exam felt that this was a badly written book. There are two reasons for this.

The first one is that typically nobody likes to read a table of contents. So, why did PMI do this? Because of the vastness of the project management knowledge out there and the difficulty of covering it all in one book, PMI has chosen to only outline what is out there.

The second and more important reason is that the authors/editors did a poor job of connecting these various topics and outline the ideas in a fashion that does not make sense!

Books are written so that you have to read the chapters serially from the beginning to the end of the book. Or in some unique cases, the chapters can be read independently without losing the author's train of thought. This is the only book I have ever read that follows neither principle! I believe this is the reason almost every single reader is confused when trying to read the book.

I have talked to several people who have passed the PMP exam and it is clear that everyone struggles through this book a few times before finding the correct order to read the chapters in the book for the material to stick.

I think it is best to use this as a reference on your bookshelf while you are reading other books on project management. Once you have sufficient experience in the project management field and feel comfortable with the various knowledge areas, it is time to read this book cover to cover and come up with your own order in which to read the different chapters.

My suggestion for the order in which to read the chapters? Read the first three chapters as they are an overview to project management and it is not that confusing. The rest of the chapters are supposed to address the different knowledge areas in an independent fashion. But this isn't true! The different knowledge areas are not independent. They are connected through the five different project management process groups! If you want to make sense of this book, it is better to follow the order of the process groups. It may mean flipping back and forth between different chapters but it works.

This is the only way that I have been able to retain the material long after taking the PMP exam. I hope this particular order works for you but if it doesn't, I suggest trying different ordering of the chapters to find whatever works for you. Do not assume that you have poor project management skills if the material doesn't make sense. It is not you, but the book that is the problem in understanding project management. I wish you the best of luck in overcoming this hurdle. Bottom line, you have to read this book in order to pass the PMP.

By the way, if you are a PMI member, you can download an electronic copy of this book free...The print functionality on this free Adobe Acrobat file is disabled though. Personally, I have always preferred the print version for reference books like this one. Good luck!

Project Management is not easy stuff, even though many people think all they need is to get a computer package and start using it in order to be project managers (I certainly used to think so). This book is almost an index of the topics you should cover when managing a project according to the Project Management Institute, as well as a guide for the Project Management Professional Certification (PMP).

The book does not try to be fun; it is very technical and general. As I said before, it is almost an index: covers a lot of topics, does not get into the details of almost anything. I would have liked it to include an example of how to put all the techniques together.

I had to read the 1996 edition for a course, and the 2000 edition in preparation for the PMP test. The first time it was a lot more difficult to finish the book. In between, I read "Information Technology Project Management" by Katy Schwalbe, and it helped a lot. It explains the PMBOK with anecdotes and stories, as well as examples and exercises, and after getting the basics the PMBOK is a lot more readable. I highly recommend reading Shwalbe's book first.

And if you just want to start studying Project Management, I think "Fundamentals of Project Management", by Lewis, is almost a "Quick Guide", but ideal for busy people, since it is very short and easy to read.

I rate the book four stars because it is not exactly a page-turner. It takes determination to read it from cover to cover.

I currently live in France but only on the weekends and had been a little embarassed at my stagnating level of language skills, so I went for these. I should also mention that I previously went through all three levels of Pimsleur courses; ~$750 worth! Barron's course is a far, far better value... but that's not why I got them; I don't care about the cost. I got them because there's an upgrade path: Barron's sells levels I (15 hrs) and II (25 hrs) and other companies (Audio Forum, for example) sell the remaining 2 levels (54 more hrs!) in the original FSI series. So, it's pretty clear that you're going to be able to get very deep with the language. Having said that, the Pimsleur courses are best if you want to get as much useable minimum, essential French ASAP and you can afford it.

I'm almost done French level 1 and I'll say that they are great. Yes, the technique is brute-force, but it does work. It greatly removes one's hesitancy to speak (improves confidence) and perfects pronunciation. Best for me: it's already smoothed over several tenacious problems I was having what had seemed to be "tricky" grammar points -which the Pimsleur ones didn't cover adequately-... to me, this seems a sign that it's very well designed to get students through the rough spots.

I should also mention that the instruction book doesn't come out any say it, but the way to use it most effectively is: (1) totally memorize a dialog, then do the drills... (2) if you can respond "in time" (i.e., before the answer comes) at least 80% of the time, you move on. Otherwise, go back. I would strongly recommend that when using these (or any audio course) that you respond at full speaking volume, if at all possible... there's a big difference between "responding" to a question in your head and actually responding.

Lastly, years ago I used the Barron's Korean and had two observations: Again, they totally perfect pronunciation, etc... my offices colleagues were totally blown away when a non-asian walked in speaking their language. However, I gave them up thinking the technique was "too boring." In fact, I don't currently have that issue with the French ones. Moral: if you really like the target language, it makes all the difference in the world.

Will try to post a followup.

This is a great course to help you quickly grasp the French language. Too many language courses seem to overemphasize grammar and fail to really teach the student how to speak confidently and fluently. The approach this course uses is almost total immersion into the language. Extensive drills and repetitive exercises are utilized so the student can practice an endless variety of sentence structures with hundreds of combinations of words. The end result is that one learns to adapt to almost any situation instantly without having to remember what the correct vocabulary was and how the grammar was supposed to work, etc. Plus, the various speakers don't hold back and say the words overly slow and distinct. They say it exactly as it should be, so a beginner has to just jump in and go with it. The beauty of the tapes (or CD's) is that you can review a section as many times as you need to in order to learn it. The second part to this course also follows along the same lines and offers more advanced materials.

Yes, yes, this old course belongs to the trite "listen andrepeat" category of self-study language courses. But it's reallythe only way to learn and absorb and "live" a foreign language. Some other courses claim to make you learn a language in record time by simply listening on your Walkman-style tape player while you're exercising or cleaning house. Listen up, fellow Francophiles: It can't be done. A fair amount of actually studying the course material is still required. In other words, technology hasn't yet replaced (eliminated) old-fashioned studying.

I really like this venerable old course, the very same one used to train government agents in the Foreign Service. What sets it apart from more modern, streamlined courses is its emphasis on spoken French. If you're not fortunate enough to live in France or any other French-speaking country, the next best thing is to listen, and listen, and listen some more. There's just no substitute for training your ears in listening comprehension, and these cassettes serve that purpose more than adequately.

This course originally came out in 1960! Not surprisingly, some of the French used is a bit dated and overly formal for today's quick-fix crowd. But if you make a conscientious effort with this course, it still delivers results. And if you're especially ambitious in your studies, you'll acquire the coveted spot-on French accent without even realizing it. How many courses can deliver this kind of aesthetic result?

But the main reason why I'd strongly advise purchasing this course is that Barron's offers it at a truly bargain price.( ). Need I say more?

A time-tested, dependable, flexible course that delivers results--and at an affordable price, too. Sounds like a good deal to me. Purchase this course, apply yourself, and you'll be amazed with the results.

This book is a complete sham! The low price and promising improvements lured me to purchase this 60 page pamphlet. The two 5 star ratings are no doubtedly from authors, company workers, or the like. Either way - "STEER CLEAR" - Don't think twice about this book.

I benefited in absolutely no way from this text.

Like some of the other reviewers that have had success with it it does take persistence to realize the results. Although the book does lack a bit in the presentation (more like a booklet) the information provided is very useful and does work. It took me about a week before I noticed modest improvements. I almost gave up but decided what the heck so stuck with it. After about 5 weeks I noticed dramatic improvements in my memory. I did the exercises 2 times a day at the least. I wouldn't say I have a photographic memory but I do remember large quantities of data, often times I only need to glance at a page of a book to memorize it. It's just like any other skill, you have to keep at it and you get better and better. Don't expect to use it a few days and then toss it out if you don't see any results. I don't work for the company and am not affliated in any way. Just stick with it.

For those who read it once: Read it once more! But, try to contemplate on what it is saying, what it is trying to say.. This could be a good beginning to start thinking in a different pattern. But, it is not suitable for those who do not want to think! It is not suitable for those who want complex ideas out of complex words! Not suitable for those who want some fish, either, but for those who try to learn fishing! It is YOUR responsibility to witness what it brings to your life.. START FROM SOMEWHERE! DO NOT SLEEP!! YOU ARE SLEEPING FOR OVER THOUSAND YEARS!!!! It could give you some "little clues" for the beginning.. But, do not stay there.. Go further.. Be a student!! You think you know SO much. But you know TOO much!!

I like this book for the type of informtion it gives on colleges, such as the political atmosphere and the type of curriculum. Many schools have eliminated core requirements and indeed, some have actually added politically chareged courses as required while eliminating traditional, time tested courses in Western Civilization. The analyses are useful and are very detailed. This is not a quick glimpse into the schools covered, but rather, a detailed description. I graduated from Vassar College years ago and had the impression that it was a bastion of political correctness. The profile in this book bears this out. This guide is truly unique and useful.

I have a major problem with this guide, however. There are many colleges I wanted to read about but they were not included in the book. For example Binghmapton University is covered but none of the other schools in the SUNY system are. There was nothing about several goog schools in Pennsylvania such as Franklin and Marshall, Dickinson, Bucknell, Lehigh, Gettysburg, etc. Ohio State University is covered well but there is nohing on other major schools in Ohio's state system such as Ohio University and Miami University (or for that matter, Universitey of Miami in Florida). The book is good, as far as it goes, but many, if not most of the colleges I was interested in reading about are not profiled.

These editors do a good job with the 108 schools they review, but there are some 4000 colleges in America. There are 40 plus Lutheran colleges, and none of them are in here. Since I'm mostly interested in Lutheran colleges I couldn't find what I wanted here, but was stunned by how the Maoism of the 60s has translated into a total Cultural Revolution through almost all of our better institutions. Probably nobody even realizes we are living through the last gasp of Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Almost none of the schools profiled here have survived it -- Grove City, and Case Western, are the two that I remember having done so. Why are these other schools still open? Why would anybody go to Oberlin college, where the music department teaches that oral sex on stage is good enough for a master's exhibition of classical music? It's just baffling why people would pay 40 grand for what they can get in a toilet in any bar for free.

Choosing a college is a tough task--whether you're the student, their parent or their college counselor. This book definitely makes the process easier.

The typical high school junior receives dozens of glossy college viewbooks in the mail from the time they complete their first PSAT throughout their senior year. These viewbooks would have you believe that there's not a college out there that doesn't have very small classes, bright and multi-talented students, professors who are at each student's beck and call, and (let's not forget the classic) a class or two held outdoors, preferably with a beach nearby.

While the picture is a pretty one, it's not complete. This book clues you in about what education is really like at some of the nation's most revered colleges and universities. The editors approach the book from the viewpoint that a classic liberal arts undergraduate education is the most valuable to the individual and society so their natural focus is on how well this type of education is provided at various institutions. A classic liberal arts education highlights Western Civilization's developments in math, science and literature and this book's editors are determined in revealing how closely each college's core curriculum reflects that bent.

If, instead, you're looking for a college or university where the dogma is politically correct, where there is no absolute truth and where students call the shots, you might still appreciate reading this book because it is clear in explaining just what campuses feature that type of education.

Each school is reviewed through interviews with current professors and students, with detailed evaluations of curriculum, with a bit of the school's history and goals, and even, in some cases, by checking out which library sections are well-stocked and with what type of books. The editors reveal each school's highly-politicized departments, if any, as well as what student life is really like.

While I would have liked to have seen more colleges reviewed in this book, the authors do a good job of targeting the "name" schools and also including many lesser-known institutions which the editors feel are doing a an exceptional job in educating students. This helped our family incredibly because it steered us to several schools we might not have considered.

How accurate is the book? I can only speak anecdotally; we have a son who attends Thomas Aquinas College (we first heard of it in this book) and, after a year of school, he re-read the review of his school and found it absolutely on target. With such a solid correlation between what was written about TAC and the way it actually is, I have faith in the editors' reviews of the other schools in this book.

In short, this book is a real gem, with solid information that is much more revealing than the typical college guidebook.

Okay, I am the first to admit that I should have known better than to think that a book and tapes could help you "master" a language, but this book is almost useless. First, I don't know why, the book is romanized, which means that it uses the English alphabet. It is so hard to learn Korean this way. Secondly, the dialouges on the tapes are extremely fast. It is hard to follow and I speak some Korean. Thirdly, the examples are mindless substitutions. Easy, but useless. Anyway, I know there are not many good texts out there for Korean, and good ones with audio are rarer still, but I don't think that this is worth it.

Ok, most of us realize that there is VERY little information for people who want to learn Korean. THis series is very good, however. It teaches you hangul (korean writing), and then goes on to the lessons, which are VERY nicely layed out, and at the end of each lesson, there is like grammar stuff (very nicely explained, minus a few typos), and then many drills which help you become proficient with what you have learned.

I totally recommend this course.

It's a shame that the audiolingual method has so fallen out of favor with the language teaching literati. As a former EFL teacher in Korea I can say that communicative language teaching leaves a lot to be desired; as does, of course, the grammar/memory intensive method of Korean junior and high schools.

This audiolingual course is a wonder. If you have the patience to put up with the seemingly mindless drills, this one course will give you a strong, unconscious foundation in Korean grammar. Your grammar will be as instinctive as Daniel's front blocks in "The Karate Kid" after he waxes all those cars.

I completely disagree with those who say that one must learn Hangul first. To this day I read the English street signs because, even after seven years, I'm faster at reading roman letters. Why does this matter? If you follow audiolingual methodology, you're forced to repeat things until you can say them at native speed. You're cautioned not to proceed to the next lesson until you have mastered the current one at native speed. So, when you talk to people, even in your fledgling stage, they're going to understand you and, in Korea at least, give you the praise that will keep you studying.

If you learn Hangul first you won't acquire that ability to repeat so quickly, as you'll be trudging through the--yes, easy and scientific, but more difficult than the roman alphabet for English speakers--Hangul. You'll also be more likely to have one of the boring, occasionally jingoistic books that line the shelves here. This book cuts to the chase: No junk about four seasons and Tangun; all hard, memory-path-building exercises about taking the bus and going out to dinner.

If you put up with negligble faults: the funky roman letters, the guy's bizarre pronunciation (One of my Korean friends thought he was a non-native speaker of Korean), the formality, and the antiquated expressions (this was written a while ago), you'll be fine.

This book is the sine qua non for anyone who can handle, or who has the ability to learn from, the audiolingual method.

The course "Mastering German Level I" (based on the Foreign Service Institute programs of the 1950s) represents a student's personal drill sergeant in a linguistic book camp. It's tough! It's painful! But it's character-building!

If you're looking for a German equivalent of Pierre Capretz' outstanding "French in Action," this is not the course for you. But "Mastering German Level I" can improve a learner's facility with the German language.

The concept of long and complicated drills and incessant repetition used throughout this ear-and-tongue method has value for making the language automatic for the non-native speaker. But for rank beginner, this audio lingual method of learning foreign languages--so much in vogue in the 1960s--can be daunting.

The quality of the tapes, unfortunately, can disappoint and mislead the real beginner--as well as the more advanced student--who needs great guidance in pronunciation and inflection. In fact, the poor quality of the audio portion--the very framework for this course--nearly topples the structure that this course is attempting to build.

"Mastering German Level I" desperately needs revision, better quality tapes, and some good proofreading to correct typographical errors in the German and the English. I would not recommend this course for the beginning student.

At the end of this set of lessons, you'll have about 1400 German words in your vocabulary, plus a useful knowledge of German grammar and some semblance of correct pronunciation, stress and intonation.

It is a bit difficult, at first, to relate the audio tapes to the book text because the book has content that is not in the tapes.

I recommend that you use How to Pronounce German Correctly, the book and audio tape, while you use Mastering German Level 1.

Using libraries, I tried most of the currently available taped courses in German before settling on Barron's. It is superb! It is not for the casually interested, but rather for the person who would, as the title indicates, begin the mastery of German. I understand that the criticism of the Audio-Lingual method (which this course follows) is that it did not, in the end, produce truly bilingual speakers amoungst all the high school and college students who were taught using the method. I'd suggest that this may have been heavily influneced by the motivation (or lack thereof) of many of the students. Presumably, a self learner would be sufficiently motivated to take the necessary extra step of practicing free speaking, the lack of which will inhibit the real acquisition of any foreign language. The tapes, which intentionally demand quick responses, are brillantly designed to make the processing of the language automatic. I wonder if, perhaps, those people who seem not to have found the tapes useful did not read the instructions at the beginning of the book so as to understand the purpose and use of the tapes...or maybe they simply needed a different approach to learning...we don't all learn in the same way. It is true the speakers on the tapes do not sound like trained actors, but then neither will most Germans with whom one might speak. Everything you need to speak, read and write German is here...vocabulary, grammar, constructions, verb conjugation, etc. Moreover, if one applies oneself, one learns very quickly and with extraordinarily good retention. A truly magnificent accomplishment.