2 comments about Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica and a Word Index.

1. The text is difficult to read, and is smudged in some places making it impossible to read. The index markers are not consistent in any way. Some have a tiny font size while others are much larger. In fact the fonts throughout the entire book vary in ways that defy logic. Some change in the middle of a sentence!
   
   While the book contains much valuable information, this edition is of such poor quality I would recommend buying a different version, if it exists. I am extremely dissapointed in mine.



2. I bought this book for a reason. This is not a reading book it nor it can teach you homeopathy. It wont help you become a homeopath. If you have experience in homeopathy or doing some 2 or 4 years course in Homeopathy. This is the book for you. It will help you to choose the remedy. Basically this book is a list of all possible symptoms and for each symptom their are more than one homeopathy medicine. It may sound tempting but by just buying this book you may never be able to find the correct remedy. The first step (I didnt take this advice seriously) is to read and understand the art and science of taking homeopathic cases understanding words like Rubric, Modalities work with more experienced homeopath. Master the technique of understanding and individualizing the symptoms; then we are talking. I wish someone had given this info before...

3 comments about Clinical Acupuncture: Revised Edition 2001, Rep. Deluxe Edition 2005.

1. This book has sold over two million copies! It covers all aspects of acupuncture including complications. The author is the most published and well known Acupuncturist in the World and this book is the sum total of over 40 years and 2.5 million patients of experience!

   This is the only book that you will need if interested in acupuncture. There is so much information in this book to review, but I will reply to any specific questions.

   I am a personal friend and associate of the author, so any question that I can't answer I will ask him to confirm.




2. This is a real bible for medical profession, the only thing that may help a lot is if you get a better kind of paper, ...( one needs it for a long period of one's life, maybe years, and will use it very much as consultating book). Any way I, as a medical doctor, see this book as a rare and non usual pearl...in acupuncture for medical doctors, and every M.D. would help his(her) patients if read a book like this, and will make "miracles" if study in deep this diamond...



3. Wise words from a wise man. This book by professor Anton Jayasuriya is a very good introduction to the science of acupuncture. The book is easy to read and contains excellent anatomical channel maps and "landmark" descriptions. Therapeutics is rudimentary but again very useful to the student. Of particular interest is Professor Anton's fondness for Baihue (Du 20). Every patient who attends the Medicina Alternativa clinic in Colombo (Sri Lanka) receives an initial needle to this point, which is reflected in therapeutics.

No comments about Gout and Its Cure.

4 comments about The Meat-Lover's Vegetarian Cookbook.

1. I recently moved to Palm Springs California and was reccommended to a unique restaurant concept here called "Native Foods." It was there that I experienced as a non-vegetarian really some unbelieveable full flavored cuisine, all vegetarian! I noticed the book on display, the owner of the restaurant, Tanya Petrovna is also the co-author of this book. I took the book home and haven't been disappointed by a recipe yet! It's great to have the restaurant nearby as well! Their website is fun too. It's all great!



2. I was very pleased with this innovative book! Lots of great recipes to please the vegetarian...especially if you are cooking for those who are still meat-eaters! They will be fooled! I have made the Spring Rolls more than once and they are always a hit! I wish I could visit Tanya's restaurant...



3. I haven't been experimenting in vegetarian/vegan cooking for more than a few months and I didn't find anything helpful in this book. Most of the recipes are just traditional recipes that call for a substitute for meat. For example: any semi-experienced cook knows to substitute store bought soy meatballs in a spaghetti and meatballs recipe. The recipe for macaroni and cheese is quite pointless. Anyone can substitute soy cheese in a traditional recipe like that; it's not rocket science.

   There are no recipes for seitan, only broths in which to cook it. In fact, almost every recipe calls for a pre-manufactured meat substitute. This is a very common problem in vegetarian cookbooks. In the beginning of the book the author pokes fun at other vegetarian cooks who use hard to find ingredients but yet every recipe requiring sweetner calls for "FruitSource" sugar which is very hard to find, and very expensive compared to beat or cane sugars.

   I really want to give this book 1 star but it does have a lot of variety and there are a few recipes that are quite good. It would be useful to someone who doesn't know quite how to start eating a vegetarian diet, but experienced cooks should try another book.




4. This book helps vegetarians, and especially meat-eaters who wish to become vegetarians gradually, to adapt regualr recipes to vegetarian ones with their mock-up recipes using veggie ingredients instead of meat ones. Great book.

5 comments about James Cameron's Titanic.

1. Great book for the titanic enthusiasts!!!!! If you loved the movie, you will enjoy this book.



2. The scope of this majestic book truly befits the epic effort by James Cameron with his cinematic masterpiece "Titanic". Much great information here for the movie buff who likes to see how it is done. Incredible sets including the dining salon, complete even to dishes and decor. I was amazed to see how this particular set was pulled underwater by hydraulics to provide a very realistic feeling of sinking. Page after page of photographs and stories about the magnificent sets that brought this film to life. Lots of info about the stars and other cast members as well the production crew. This book is a perfect companion to the movie as well as a testament to the filmmaking genius of James Cameron.



3. This is a MUST have for any Titanic collector. I waited for about 9 or so years for this book and I am so extatic that I finally have it!!



4. The book is fantastic! Great pictures! I would highly recommend this book for any fan of the movie or a Titanic fan in general! The making of the epic movie is something to see and you can definitely see it in this book.



5. I hope this is the right book, I just love the story, and the music, and the movie too!

1 comments about Sun-Face Buddha: The Teachings of Ma-Tsu and the Hung-Chou School of Ch'an.

1. Combined with the very informative introduction this book gives great insight into the Hung-Chou School of Ch'an and its most beloved Ancestor. In addition, we have translations from many of Ma Tsu's friends and disciples (nice since Ma Tsu's record is very short compared to other records)and this really makes the difference in this presentation! Thanks to Cheng Chien Bhikshu we now have a fine translation of a Grand Master of Ch'an to go along side the likes of Huang Po ('...traditionally regarded as Ma Tsu's grandson in the Dharma...') and Lin-chi (Huang Po's most famous disciple thru whom this school has been remembered to this day). I am not surprised at the lack of reviews for this book, most of the excitement about Ch'an centers on its Japanese cousin (Zen) and the 'Living Masters' who have made their way to America. However, for those interested in the roots of 'Zen' and the answers to some of the questions surrounding modern Zen, look no further. (Not overly academic, nicely bound, hard to find used.)

No comments about Marrying Anita.

5 comments about Making Cards in a Weekend.

1. I kept saying "Wow" as I started looking through this book. I've been making cards for several years and have used many magazines and books as a resource for ideas. The cards and ideas in this book were all different from those we see in the magazines/books around here..it could be because the book is from England. Very much worth the price.



2. These card ideas will keep you going long after the weekend is done...not due to difficulty, but because you will want to make them ALL!



3. This book contains tons of great ideas for making all sorts of greeting cards for many different occasions. It's full of bright color photos. Each card is pictured alongside detailed, step-by-step instructions.
   
   Many cards are made with special tools or materials, but you can usually easilly improvise if you don't have something on hand. The "Getting Started" section at the beginning of the book is broken up into two sections: "Basic Equiptment", and "Basic Techniques".
   Some basic equiptment listed is paper and cardboard, handmade papers, a cutting mat, craft knife, scissors, rulers, PVA adhesive, spray adhesive, and more. It gives a good idea of what will be handy to have.
   The "Basic Techniques" section has paragraphs dedicated to techniques such as cutting a window and mounting a design.
   
   Overall, I really like this book. You can change what ever you'd like about the cards, so really they're great ideas from start to finish as well as great templates for ideas.
   
   I checked this book out from the library to see if I liked it instead of buying a copy right away. I suggest doing the same so you can see ig you like it for yourself, but I hope I helped. Enjoy :)



4. I have been doing cards on and off for about a year now and this book is not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be a little easier for me to do the cards on weekends, but the cards are not too easy to do. I am little disappointed, but I'm sure that if you have more experience, this book would probably be good.



5. A quick lesson in card making which is so popular now. Easy instructions and picture guides to follow in making your own cards to keep or share. A good addition to your card-making library.

5 comments about The Art of Computer Systems Performance Analysis: Techniques for Experimental Design, Measurement, Simulation, and Modeling.

1. This is an absolute gem. I really think that this book must be read by every CS/EE engineer. Performance analysis is always something that comes as an afterthought and engineers think that some some "mathematical" guy called a perf analyst will stop by after the product is completed and analyze the product. This is def wrong. PA should be done at every stage of production.

   This book has been written assuming a novice reader. Several parts of the book have to re-read to really understand what the author is trying to convey, but trust me you will really appreciate it.

   I suggest reading the following parts of the book(in order):

   Part I (whole)
   Part II (4, 5, 6, browse {7,8}, 9, 10 ) 10 is cool stuff..impress your peers with this
   Part III (whole) read, re-read, re-read till you have digested every line..worth it really!!!!
   Part IV (whole) read, re-read, re-read till you have digested every line..worth it really!!!!
   Part V : You can skip this if you are not into simulation.
   Part VI : Not really that easy to follow. I suggest Gunter's book for this.




2. I'm a performance analyst. I couldn't do my job properly without this book. It really is that simple.



3. A solid book indeed. It has the right mixture of theory and practical cases well dealt with. The techinques must be tried for performance analysis and implemented in real time projects.



4. This old book is one of the most valued on my shelf. I was first exposed to it in a graduate class, and I have to say that the book is so good I was not aware that my professor was not a good instructor until I had him a second time in a class where the textbook was less than stellar. Don't judge the book by a quick perusal either. At first glance, especially if you are looking at Part I, it looks like one of those books on Six Sigma that will put you to sleep. In fact, the vast majority of the book is quite interesting.
   
   Part II, "Measurement Techniques and Tools", are where things get interesting. The good part about this entire book is that it uses problems in the analysis of computer systems as the basis of presentation for all tools presented. The graphs are excellent, the mathematics are largely self-contained, and if algorithms are presented they are usually given in numbered steps and an actual computer program shown. This is one drawback of the book - it uses the ancient Simula language for its demonstration code. However, if you are familiar with C, Java, or any of the other mainstream procedural languages, you'll find that Simula looks like very readable pseudocode, so this should not be an obstacle to understanding.
   
   Part III is a section dedicated entirely to probability theory and statistics. Starting with the simple definition of the mean, this handy section not only derives all of the statistics you need in this book, it talks about common mistakes made in applying them.
   
   Part IV is about experimental design and analysis. Using the mathematics developed in part three this section talks about all aspects of designing a proper experiment for the measurement or simulation of a computer system, including common mistakes and the best choice for the size of your experiment.
   
   Part V presents the key issues in simulation modeling. First it discusses simulation terminology, simulation design criteria, and stopping conditions. Random number generation is the subject of three chapters in reference to inputs to your simulation. Finally there is a chapter on the commonly used distributions such as Bernoulli, beta, binomial, etc. that talks specifically about random number generation algorithms for each of the distributions presented. What makes this section so valuable is that although you may have possibly seen the math before, more than likely you don't know the value of each kind of distribution. This section makes that issue clear in terms of modeling computer performance.
   
   Part VI is on queuing models, and is probably the most difficult section in the book. Although it is one of the better written pieces I have read on queueing theory, it is not as easily grasped as previous sections based on reading the textbook alone. There are examples present, and the book does a good job of presenting "the big picture" as to the use of queueing theory in computer performance analysis, but you may need outside material to really grasp how to set up a queueing problem from a mathematical standpoint.
   
   No other book I've found does such a good job of discussing all of the topics covered and clearly tying it into practical issues in measuring and monitoring system performance. I highly recommend it.



5. I purchased Jain's "The Art of Computer Systems Performance Analysis" for a 3-month graduate course, and I must admit that, in retrospect, I was a bit daunted by its size upon receipt (we were to cover the entire text). Further, I had my doubts about the relevancy of the text in the current environment, given its age.
   
   But I must say, both of these initial questions proved wholly unfounded.
   
   I've never used a text quite like this one before; it is a significant departure from the standard engineering text that weighs heavily on the side of analytical proof and mathematical equations, while foregoing textual elaboration. On the contrary, this book adopts a conversational tone whereby the author develops all of the book's topics in great detail, relying on substantial insight and experience. Truly, a breath of fresh air.
   
   There's such a richness about this text, that a careful read--while admittedly quite time-consuming--is bound to give the reader a sense that he has just become the beneficiary of a heck of a lot of wisdom.
   
   All of this is not to say the text is overly-subjective; in fact, there is plenty of detailed analytical analysis. It is just to say that the book is different, and one that exudes quality communication: it reads more like a lecture than it does lecture notes.
   
   So, back to my initial doubts. It turns out that the verbose depth of material which constitutes the book's 720 pages is really a foundation of its main qualities: it is a very readable and highly-detailed exploration of the art and the craft of performance analysis. And it's for that foundational reason that its age is irrelevant.

5 comments about Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition.

1. This book first describes the different biometric systems that exist. It describes different methods of acquiring the fingerprints and the advantages and drawbacks from each method. Then it handles the different analysis methods for fingerprints in depth. The matching algorithms that are known with their evaluation is handled throughly with their indexing and classification methods. It discusses methods for fingerprint evaluation with the databases of NIST on DVD and the software sfinge for artificially making the fingerprints.

   The part that is really new is the multimodal biometric system and performance measures of these systems. It also handles the individuality of fingerprints themselves and finally it gives an overview of methods for attacking fingerprints systems (denial of service, fake fingers, trojan horses, replay but also the electronic storage systems behind them). If you are in biometrics and also in forensic science, you certainly should consider reading this book.




2. This book is a "must". Very useful for my research on Biometrics and Multibiometrics Systems. No wonder this book received the 2003 PSP Award (Computer Science) from the Association of American Publishers.



3. The applications of Biometrics technology range from federated identity management to digital rights management, time and attendance, background checking, and homeland security. None of the biometric characteristics has received more attention till date than fingerprints. Fingerprint recognition is the most cost effective and accurate biometrics, which is evident from its rapid deployment in the widest range of security applications.

   This book contains a plethora of information on every aspect of fingerprint recognition technology - introduction to biometrics and fingerprints, fingerprint sensing devices, feature extraction, matching, classification, synthetic fingerprint generation, multimodal systems, secure design, fingerprint individuality - you name it. The DVD accompanying this book will save you a lot of money and trouble of collecting your own data to test your algorithms.
   
   The authors of this book - Davide Maltoni, Dario Maio, Salil Prabhakar, and Anil K. Jain - are undoubtedly some of the most well known and respected experts in the world on the topic of fingerprint recognition. It is no surprise that such extraordinary researchers have produced such an exceptional masterpiece.

   Whether you are an inventor, developer, practitioner, forensic specialist, or system manager in this field looking for an excellent reference or just a novice looking for basic information on biometrics and fingerprint recognition technology, you must read this outstanding book.




4. Lo recomiendo si desean implementar nuevos algoritmos para reconocimiento de huellas dactilares y/o una revision a profundidad de como funcionan los metodos existentes.
   
   Imprescindible concimiento de gradientes y algoritmos digitales en el tratamiento de imagenes.. para comprender el contenido.



5. "This book is intended for researchers, practicing engineers, and students who wish to understand and / or develop fingerprint-based recognition systems." So the introduction, and right they are. The authors have chosen a more informal style, but still give some of the Mathematics necessary. The references are extensive and ultimately the reader will have to go to them to make a contribution.
   
   I would recommend buying this book with "Automatic Fingerprint Recognition Systems" by Ratha and Bolle (ed.) It would be hard for me to make a decision between these two books.