The Black Dragon is the first in a 90s series of Tom swift books. They have moved to the California coast and a few names have been changed, but the story is very fun, with Tom still coming up with an invention or two to get them out of trouble. I recommend it to any Tom Swift fan or anyone who enjoys good clean science fiction on a younger level.

Appleton's book is an altogether excellent "graphic standard" for the design of all aspects of a building devoted to the performing arts -- from auditoriums to lobbies and beyond. As an architectural thesis student designing a theater, the book became an invaluable resource to me.

When I was about 11 years old, I began my love of reading with the Tom Swift books. These stories of a genius inventor, and his sci-fi adventures, are exactly what is needed to pull any boy into the world of his own imagination. Not only are these books entertaining, but they are also educational. In the "Cyborg kick boxer", Tom Swift invents a device that renders the kick boxer virtually invincible. Although one might attribute violence to the word kick-boxing, this story deals with how to control ones aggression and rise above the temptation to use the device for bad. I highly recommend this book to any one with children, or who is just plain looking for a cool story.

I read this book as a child and have breezed through it again since then. Written when space travel was still only a dream, it makes that dream come alive.

In this book Tom Swift Jr. is working on a jetmarine when some weird attacts on boats occur. Tom uses his new jetmarine to capture the culprits of the attacks. The jetmarine is an atomic powered craft that can go deeper under water than most submarines. The jetmarine uses Tasmonite, a plastic stronger than metal, instead of glass for its windows.

This rating is only in terms of other Tom Swift, Jr. books and not meant to compare this to - say "War and Peace" with a four-star rating.
The Captive Planetoid contains most of the standard plot devices of a Tom Swift, Jr. book. Bud says "Good Night!" a lot and Tom gets to explain his latest endeavour. Phyllis and Sandy provide picnic lunches when Tom is working too hard. Chow the old Texan cook has another loud shirt. There is at least one "terrific explosion" at the end of a chapter.
In this case, there is another scientific group who believes they are just as good as Tom Swift and Swift Enterprises and so when Tom passes on doing something, they decided to do it... and of course blow it. Despite the colossal urge to say "I told you so", Tom works hard to come up with a solution.
The final chapter is pretty cool in terms of the solution and how it ultimately works out. The scale is larger than usual for a Tom Swift book. I give it 4 stars for that; it's better than average.

...I should have stopped reading it after first sentence: " When I finished my research and investigation into what causes disease...." but I kept reading until I got really sick. The book attacks the postulates of the germ theory, which states that certain diseases are caused by pathogenic (bad) microorganisms and their products. The author suggests that the diseases occur due to disbalances in the body that lead to the change in our normal bacteria, which become toxic and cause disease. The book is so far off the charts that probably nobody competent enough to attack it had ever read it.

What a great book!! I have seen cultures of Staph and Strep and I know!! And did you also know that martians even as we speak are developing leeches that can unbalance our body in a way even Sir Thomas Browne could not have imagined? Trust me I have it on the authority of Zeus

Nancy Appleton shows us that Pasteur's discovery of infectious diseases has been both a blessing and a curse for all of us. It's been a blessing because it led to the discovery of the antibiotics, which have helped cure many of our infectious diseases. It's been a curse because the success of researchers in finding antibiotics that cure infectious diseases has given the entire medical profession a one-track mind. Researchers now assume that, because they found drugs that kill microbes, they can find other drugs that will "kill" metabolic diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, etc. They're looking for what Paul Ehrlich called "magic bullets." But they won't find any "magic bullets" for these degenerative diseases, because there's nothing to kill. These diseases all have complex cause-and-effect chains that disrupt our body chemistry. Unless we eliminate what we're doing to cause these disruptions, we can't prevent these diseases. So what can we do about metabolic disorders? Weston A. Price and Denis Burkitt, among others, found the answer to this question. Their studies showed first, that Third World peoples are almost entirely immune to our degenerative diseases and second, that when those peoples switch from their traditional natural foods to our factory-produced junk food, they come down with all the metabolic diseases that are rampant in our society. This means that our hospitals are full of people who could have avoided their agonizing and often fatal ailments if only they had stayed with the natural foods of our ancestors. But the knowledge that would have saved these patients has been ignored by our medical researchers who are futilely chasing the will o' the wisp of magic-bullet cures that don't exist. The resulting "slaughter of the innocents" is one of the many tragic results of the curse of Louis Pasteur.

This is an excellent easy to read handbook about health and nutrition and the "foods" to avoid putting in your mouth. The only thing I would change about it is it's title. I have purchased MANY copies of this book and when I give it to family and friends, they all have the same reaction -- "sure I like sugar but it's not a habit -- I don't really eat that much". The title is a turnoff to most people for a few reasons -- 1. they are in denial 2. they don't realize how much sugar is in all of the packaged, canned and bottled "stuff" they consume and 3. people do not like to think that they have bad habits". It ought to be published under a title something like: "Have More Energy and Save Lots of Money in Doctor's Bills" or "Eliminate That Excess Fat You Are Carrying Around".

For thirty years, I have been studying nutrition as a personal interest. I own dozens of books on the subject as well as having taken a college course. I can honestly say that I consider LICK THE SUGAR HABIT to be one of my most valued possessions. You will find eye-opening information here that's hard to come by in the mainstream press. Appleton's documentation is excellent, as she draws on many sources, including many scientific journals, to back up her statements. Her personal story of how she regained her health is fascinating as well. This book is much more solidly based on science than Duffy's SUGAR BLUES. Until I read it, I never dreamed excess sugar could be the cause of so many ills, including accelerated aging. By acting on what I learned, I've been amazed at how my allergy symptoms have cleared up, my emotions have stabilized, and I seem to be spared the "bugs" that plague my family and friends(I used to be hit hard by every germ that came along).

This book is more than just about sugar and mineral imbalance. So what if she is not a doctor? A PhD is useless? You don't have to study medicine to read reports in medical journals about the effects of refined sugar on your health. One reviewer complains about the subject of pollution not being in her book. Why? The book is about sugar, not pollution.

Appleton & Lange's Outline for the Physician Assistant Examination is seriously deficient in content regarding the NCCPA Examination Content Blueprint, there are many subjects from the blueprint that are not covered in this review. It also does not cover up to date treatment practice guidlines. It is also seriously riddled with incorrect information when compared to many medical textbooks such as Current's Medical Diagnosis & Treatment and Harrison's. The combination of these deficiencies will erroneously lead the aspiring PA into confusion and error on the exam. Even using the USMLE books will not be enough of a guide so I suggest that all subjects in the blueprint be reviewed individually with other sources and corrections made by the student into this book before attempting the exam.
Hopefully a new book edition that is edited more thoroughly using more accurate sources will become available soon since this one is already three years out of date.

I have critiqued many of the PA review books available today. Only two are being recommended for my clinical year students to prepare for End of Rotation exams and the NCCPA exam. This is one and the other is Appleton and Lange's Outline Review for the Physician Assistant Examination by Albert F. Simon (Editor), Anthony A. Miller (Editor).

Roger D. Jones, PA-C
Clinical Director
Bethel College PA Program

This 4th edition has over 75% new material and a practice exam CD
that provides computer based exam just like the PANCE and PANRE.
Well worth the money.

Please don't get me wrong! If your sole purpose in life is to learn basic Swedish massage and pass the NCBTMB so you can go to work in a hair saloon, PLEASE buy this book; it is absolutely what you need. If you aspire to loftier goals, pass on this one and go look on the shelf of the most successful Massage Therapist in town; those are the book that you want.

The A&L is really pretty much just a prep book for the NCBTMB, so don't grab it expecting "PATHOLOGY FOR MASSAGE THERAPISTS" or "SOFT TISSUE MANIPULATION", because it's simply not that detailed.

Think about everything you know about driving a car. Now think about the thin little yellow book that you were given to study for your driving test. . . This is the little yellow book for "national" certification, nothing more.

This is book is a wonderful review for the State Boards and the NCETMB. It's pretty thorough and I consider it a must buy. However, if you want something that is extremely specific for the NCETMB test, buy the following which is also available on amazon.com:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Published 2003)
Volume 1: (ISBN: 0971999643), Volume 2 (ISBN: 0971999651),
Vol 3: (ISBN: 097199966X).
I used these four books for the NCETMB and I passed the first time by a lot. I have another friend who also used these study guides and passed the NCETMB the first time. My advice is if you want pass the first time, get all four books.

I passed my NCBTMB exam today and it was due to my having this book. I purchased a two-volume set advertised in various massage magazines for $79.95 ($97.00 with shipping) and this $26.00 book blew that set away! This book comes with a computer disk containing practice tests. When I sat down to take the exam today I thought I was taking the practice exams at home. The questions are almost identical! Be aware that a significant portion of the exam is based on oriental medicine principles. Although this book covers some Chinese medicine topics, be sure to study basic concepts of Auryvedic medicine as well. Thanks for a great review book!