5 comments about Fluids and Electrolytes Made Incredibly Easy! (Incredibly Easy! Series).

1. This is the text that I used to learn fluid and electrolytes when I was in nursing school. By far the this is the best place to start. I haven't seen another text that makes this subject as accessible as this one does. For example, the authors used a picture of a magnet to illustrate how albumin pulls water from our peripheral spaces into the vascular space. There are many examples of pictures and simple acronyms that the authors use to cement different concepts in learners mind. It will make learning Fluid and Electrolytes understandable for you. Plus I can assure you that you will use this book again and again on your journey towards learning your profession. It ended up being one of my best resources.
   
   One example where I really benefited from this book was when I was studying diabetes. Understanding that increased glucose content in the blood causes osmolar shifts and that the body seeks homeostasis (water travels down it's concentration gradient). Hence diabetes that is out of control can easily cause the patient to become dehydrated via osmotic diaresis. A concept that was much easier for me to understand with the help of this text. Once you read this book you will be able to move on to more advanced F&E texts with no problem. This is a no brainer purchase if your trying to understand F&E.
   
   P.S. I'm rooting for you!!!



2. I'm a first semester RN student, and I wanted this book to use along with my required text, as I've heard that this topic can be exceptionally hard. I believe that it paid off, my score was a 92% when it came down to taking the test. I was hoping for more illustrations and perhaps more learning aids, such as pneumonic devices, but overall not a bad book!



3. This book saved me and helped me to understand fluid and electrolytes could not have passed my class without it.



4. I am currently in my first semester of Nursing School and found the book extremely helpful. Seeing that I had an upcoming test that was focused on electrolytes and acid base balances, I, along with the rest of the class, freaked. We all ran to the book stores and purchased books. This was the only book I purchased and, along with Saunders NClex Review Book, I scored a 96 on the exam- the highest in the class and the highest grade for me ever while in Nursing School. I didn't read the whole thing, maybe to page 190 or so. It sounds like alot, but there are many charts and graphs and helpful tips (with big print) to help you along the way. Plus, I have a feeling this won't be the last time reading it. I highly recommend this book as it tells you exactly what to look for (abnormal assessments) of patients with hypokalcemia, etc. I plan to get the other "...Made Easy" books as I need them. Thumbs up!!



5. This book is really helping me understand what should have been learned in basic nursing classes. It is easy to read and comprehend, and it's not too wordy like some textbooks. I've just graduated, and I felt like I didn't really understand fluids and electrolytes. I want to be an outstanding nurse, and I also want to pass the NCLEX on the first time around. This book has already helped me with both!

No comments about From Seed to Pumpkin (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1) (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1).

5 comments about Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets.

1. `Local Flavors' by leading vegetarian cookbook author and teacher, Deborah Madison is quite a bit different from her most famous and critically successful book, `Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone' which I consider a candidate for top ten positioning in anyone's list of cookbooks and easily near the top of your list of vegetarian cookbooks.
   
   As quite loudly proclaimed by the subtitle, this book is really all about regional, seasonal, and organic produce from farmers' markets. As such, it is very close to Jack Bishop's book, `A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen', as the primary organization of chapters is a cross between the seasons and types of vegetables. This is not quite as awkward as it may seem, as most members of a particular vegetable class, such as the cabbages and the onions typically come into season at about the same time. The book may be either more or less valuable than Bishop's book, depending on how close you live to either a Farmer's Market or a Community Supported Agriculture cooperative. If either is within an hour's drive, this book will be a great resource in making the best of these organizations.
   
   Part of my modest reaction to this book is based on the fact that I live within 10 to 40 minutes drive of seven different permanent or semi-permanent `farmer's market' organizations, and I believe but three of those seven sites' produce comes primarily from things grown by the chap behind the table, or a close family member of the chap behind the table. And, it is precisely this direct contact with the farmer that Madison believes is so valuable to the Farmer's Market experience. Even with these seven locations, the only produce from all these sites together which is truly local is the corn, the apples, the strawberries, some peaches, and some of the tomatoes. Almost all the other produce comes from Florida, California, or South America, with some summer stone fruits from the Carolinas and Georgia. So, almost everything Madison explains about getting the most out of your Farmer's Market experience is wasted on me.
   
   Madison's most important service in this book aside from the seasonally organized recipes is the clarification of what is the value of our patronizing Farmer's Markets. It is definitely not price. I strongly concur on this, as my local corn farmer's stand charges 50% more than my favorite megamart, in spite of the fact that the stand is a mere 35 yards from the cornfields. The real values are from acquiring exquisitely fresh produce (a REALLY big issue with corn and tomatoes) which is, if so advertised, free of artificial pesticides and free of treatment by herbicides or, with chickens, treatment with growth hormones or antibiotics. Additional values accrue from the fact that while the farmer gets about 9% of the sale of the produce at the megamart, they get 100% of the sale at a Farmer's Market, less the fee to rent the stand and the time required to truck in the goods and set up the stand at some ungodly hour of the morning.
   
   The value is also not in the acquisition of the most attractive produce. I often thought that the poor looking produce at farm stands was due to the absence of artificial fertilizer and pesticides. It turns out that the real reason may be due to the fact that the farmer is selling things at the stands that may fall below the standards of his commercial distributors.
   
   I think Madison's second most important contribution to her readers with this book is the advice to plan to stay a fair length of time at the market to get the lay of the land and talk to the vendors and to fellow customers. I really think this is a pretty good measure of how well the producers know their stuff. Nothing turns me off of a store faster than asking a question of a salesperson and they simply have no clue of what you speak, and volunteer no opportunity to speak to the store owner or some other potential expert. This is clearly a sign that this store is not a store or stand with which I want to do business. And, I am often surprised at how few merchants are aware of this fact. Within a block of one another there are three Italian delis in Little Italy in Manhattan with very similar wares. They even look a lot alike. Two are practically empty of customers. The third, DiPalo's, is crowded enough to require you to take a number when you enter the little store. This is because the DiPalo family members behind the counter really know what they are talking about and go out of their way to be sure you get what you want.
   
   Getting back to the book, I will suggest that you take a by on this one unless you are within acceptable driving distance of a genuine Farmer's Market. Many of the recipes and subjects are covered in much greater detail in `Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone' and, when I went to actually make one of the recipes, I found a fairly serious lapse in the instructions which neglected to tell me how to prep an onion for the cooking. If I would have followed directions literally, I would have put an unpeeled onion in a pot of hot olive oil.
   
   On the positive side, I give Ms. Madison good marks for covering eggs and cheese and poultry in addition to the veggies. The bibliography and sources are slanted toward Farmers' Markets, but there is still a fair overlap to `Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone'.
   
   If you are close to a Farmer's Market and fully intend to spend time there OR if you are an inveterate foodie who must have every title by important cookbook authors, then buy this book. Otherwise, buy `Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone' or `The Savory Way'.



2. Perhaps it is unsophisticated for me to enjoy pictures in cook books as much as I do - but I find it hard to cook without them. This book is full of lush vegetable and food photos. The recipies are true to the title, teaching the reader how to use ingredients from local farmers' markets and/or farm shares. The recipies range from simple to more advanced. I've already ordered more to give as gifts. This is one of the best books I've used in years. Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets



3. As a member of a Community Supported Agriculture program, I find "Local Flavors" (along with "From Asparagus to Zucchini...") to be a fabulous resource for exploring meal options for many of the unique produce items I receive. Deborah Madison's directions are clear and easy to follow, and the pictures are mouth-watering. As a non-vegetarian living with a vegetarian, I find that Deborah Madison's vegetarian recipes produce meals that satisfy meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.



4. I purchased this book after reading about it in Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" I shop at our local market a lot so I thought this book would be helpful. I LOVE reading Madison's stories and I agree with her advocation of local markets. This book is great for figuring out what to do with veggies when they are in season. The book is arranged by type of food for example - Greens, Nightshades, Stonefruits, which is both beautiful and useful. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that I do find this organization a bit confusing if I want to make a whole meal. For example, the soups are spread across all of the chapters, so you need to know what your ingredients are, not that you want to make soup - but this is often how we shop at the market, so I think it will just take a bit of getting used to. Bottom line - if you love your market, you will love this book!



5. I am on box #3 for my CSA, and have to say this book is the book I use the most. Three great spring recipes so far, all very easy to prepare and two for ingredients that few of my other cookbooks cared to mention even in passing (nettles and sorrel). I live in Minnesota, and I was concerned buying a California based book, but the utility has been outstanding. The Greens chapter is particularly useful, as we have a CSA (Harmony Valley Farms) that loves to pile on the greens.
   
   I agree with the other Minneapolis reviewer - this combined with "Asparagus to Zucchini" decodes many an interesting CSA box. Add in "Vegetable Love" and you are really set.

5 comments about Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them.

1. I highly recommend to this anyone who wants to learn more about Trappist and Trappist inspired ales. Very accessible and thorough.



2. Inspiring view into the brewing techniques of the Belgium beer. Outstanding historical look along with what is going on today. A must read if you are into the Belgians.



3. This is another excellent book from Brewers' Publications. Non-brewers will find herein an engagingly written history of Belgian brewing both within and outside the monastary walls. You'll become acquaintaed with the brewers of Orval, Westveletren, Duvel, and others, their history, their personalities, and most importantly, their beers.
   For those who are brewers, the book offers even more. Ingredients and specifications (gravity, IBU) are given for commercially available beers whenever possible (and the author has done a *lot* of homework to get his hands on this information). Additionally, full recipes are provided for various Belgian style and Belgian-inspired beers. Even better, the authors of these recipes explain *why* they formulated their recipes as they did, and the author supplements this advice with his own, with advice from professional brewers, and from BJCP judges. This enables the brewer to not just mimic the recipes he finds in the book (though believe me, they are definitely worth mimicing!), but to thoughtfully exercise his own creativity within the rich history and style of the Belgian tradition.
   Beginning brewers will find a lot of technical information regarding krausening, PH adjustment, etc. that goes over their heads. But this shouldn't scare anyone off. The technical information is easy to skip over and there's enough in this book for readers of all levels.
   This book represents the state of the art in knowledge regarding Belgian brewers and brewing. No matter how long you've been brewing, you will come away from this book entertained, sometimes surprised, and better informed.



4. Imagine that you-an experienced homebrewer-got to gather around a fire with some folks who had years of experience brewing versions of your favorite beer style. It would be hard to have a bad time, harder still not to come away a better brewer for it.
   This friendly, if somewhat disorderly book is just that conversation. I love the complexity and depth of belgian strong beers. Occasionally, by dumb luck, I've brewed one. Other times, my efforts have been dull, or over-concentrated or just odd.
   In these conversations, we get some clarity about yeast, malt, fermenters, temperature control and bottling.
   I think the odds in my favor just went up. This is a book to mine for insights.
   
   Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine



5. Wouldn't you love to brew an Orval clone? Did you know there is actually more than one Orval beer brewed at the monastery (despite constant articles to the contrary)? There is actually enough information in this book - assuming you know what you are doing in the all-grain world - to pull it off. But you're going to have to introduce Brettanomyces into your brewery to do it ... and there's the awful temptation! As it is with virtually all Belgian beers, never mind the host of wild yeasts and bacteria that go along with them!
   
   Add the wonderful, detailed brewing information to the history and stories and you get quite an unusual brewing book. It may be read for brewing purposes, as a casual read, for historical purposes, for cultural perspective, even for its religious content. Orval, of course, is just one of the Trappist breweries presented in the book.
   
   Highly recommended. And I agree with another reviewer that this is the best book in this particular series.

5 comments about Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History (Princeton Field Guides).

1. This book was nothing like I expected. I found it very unorganized. Tried to find a catarpillar I found in my yard, and it took forever, there was no simple way to find it without searching thru hundreds of pages. Didn't work for me.



2. With an ever increasing interest in butterflies I recently purchased an excellent book that had outstanding photos of butterflies.....but not of the caterpillars that produced the butterflies. This was a huge disappointment because very often you find the caterpillar but have no idea what it will grow up to be. Caterpillars of Eastern North America completes "the story". In addition to excellent close up photos of each species, the book supplies comprehensive information about the identification, foodplants, and occurrences in an easy to read format. Closing the circle, they provide a photo of the adult butterfly or moth. This is a must have for anyone interested in the life cycle of of these beautiful creatures.



3. I have been looking for a book exactly like this for many years. There are pictures of a vast number of caterpillars (often complete sets of from a family rather than "representatives"). There are also several general sections in the beginning of the book, some of which are tactics for collecting, etc. and also solid entomology written in real English. The best part, though, was the field identification guide with wonderful photographs. It made me wonder how they could get such an enormous collection of photos without consuming a lifetime doing it.



4. This book is a wonderful addition to the nature library. It has so many crisp, detailed pictures. It would be helpful if the caterpillars we catergorized by features instead of by family, but this is still a wonderful book to have.



5. This is a good reference book for identifying caterpillars with lots of information, I'll be taking it to the garden.

5 comments about Pawprints of Katrina: Pets Saved and Lessons Learned.

1. I bought this book as soon as I read about it on the Best Friends Sanctuary website. The story of Marina, the dog first named "Survivor" is inspiring and was--at first--my primary reason for reading it. I cried tears of sadness for the people and animals who didn't make it through Katrina and Rita and tears of happiness for the selflessness of rescuers both locally and from all over North America who stayed to help the people and pets of Louisiana and Mississippi. In this book there is an acknowledgement of the "remote reunion" volunteers who spent many hours on the internet and the telephone linking families and their pets or sharing the grief of those whose pets didn't make it. I was one of those volunteers and it changed my life.



2. Over the past year, I've had the privilege of listening to Cathy read special parts of the book Pawprints of Katrina before she would finish a chapter and send it to her publisher. With each story or chapter, Cathy and I were reliving those days spent in NOLA. As we talked, our memories were brought to the surface and some of those memories are found in this book. It is with great pleasure and anxious anticipation that I am traveling with my daughter and one of the rescues to Cathy's book signing this Saturday at the Welcome Center of Best Friends Animals Sanctuary in Kanab. Utah. Precious, a terrier mix who was humanely trapped on a street in Gentilly, February 3, 2006 - yes, five months after Hurricane Katrina will be flying with us to Kanab (Precious had with her six puppies she had kept alive since their birth approx 9 weeks prior to their rescue - my daughter adopted one of the puppies, Puxley Madison, I adopted Precious, the pups mother). CONGRATULATIONS CATHY on a book that is destined to be a "Best Seller". Thank you for validating the lives of those we saved and those we could not. Your book is AWESOME!!! Barb



3. I just finished reading this awe inspiring book by Cathy Scott, forward by Ali McGraw, and photography by Clay Myers. I was moved to tears. It is an example of what all of us should aspire to. Having compassion and providing assistance in times of need, random acts of kindness, putting others first, caring for those who cannot care for themselves.
   
   Tragedies always bring out the best in others, and this book is a documentary of the very best in humanity. Thank you a thousand times to all who came to the rescue of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, both animal and human. You are the angels on earth.
   
   This is a must read for anyone who has ever loved an animal. Please visit the Best Friends Animal Society website to learn how you can help.



4. Cathy Scott has written an amazing account of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, combined with Clay Myers' moving photographs that documented this tragedy. I was honored to work with Cathy and so many of the other humans and animals in Tylertown that fill the pages of this book. Pawprints of Katrina is a wonderful tribute to the animal victims of the disaster and the people dedicated to saving them.



5. I bought this book thinking it would be really validating for me to read about myself, as I was a volunteer who was given some narrative in the book.
   
   However, after beginning to read the book from the beginning, I discovered that I was unable to read more than a few pages at a time without becoming teary-eyed. Cathy did a fabulous job of telling it the way it happened, and I would recommend this book to all. The stories are moving and all true, and will evoke your entire gamut of emotions.
   
   Thank you, Cathy Scott...

3 comments about Tuna: A Love Story.

1. Meet the biggest, fastest, warmest-blooded fish in the world. Richard Ellis' fact-packed, meticulously-researched book astonishes on every page. For openers: tuna hunt in packs like wolves. They see in color. They combine the streamlining and speed of sharks with many of the warm-blooded traits of mammals. And when they are being "harvested," confined in small places to be hauled out and killed, they show panic that is visible when you look in their eyes.
   Everything you learn in this wonderful book about tuna will increase your respect, admiration and affection. But everything you learn about the rapacious tuna industry and its cowardly so-called "regulators" will incite your disgust. The worldwide mania for Japanese toro is a recipe for extinction. Tuna farms, rather than relieve commercial fishing pressure, instead increase it. (Bad enough it takes 3 kg of wild fish to produce 1 kg of farmed salmon--but it takes an appalling 20:1 ratio to produce farmed tuna!) Canned albacore--the kind so many parents pack for their kids' school lunches--is so full of mercury no child (or pregnant woman) should EVER eat it--but the tuna industry is so powerful you'll never find a warning on a can. That's the sort of mafia-like pressure those who make the most money from driving this beautiful wild creature to extinction bring to bear on the leaders who are supposed to protect our food and environment.
   Happily, in his shocking and thrilling book, Richard Ellis also tells us there is much we can do to change the picture for tuna--from pressuring our lawmakers to boycotting the most endangered tuna, the bluefin. The Western Atlantic bluefin population is 90 percent depleted and this particular tuna fishery should be closed. Those who continue to fish for, sell and purchase this fish on the eve of its extinction deserve to choke on their toro.



2. Half of the book has some great information on biology,tuna ranching operations and early sportfishing methods and history.
   
   The other half of the book reads like an Oceana/Pew Charitable Trusts/World Wildlife Fund propaganda campaign. Anti-seafood, anti-fisherman, anti-farmed seafood. Same old nonsense and scare tactics.
   
   There's no denying that the Eastern Med tuna fishery needs to be closed down and better monitored. This book lumps all fishermen into that category.



3. The author appeared on one of the most amazing NPR Science Friday radio shows I've heard. These fish are compelling and the author is very engaging, knowledgable and passionate. Scientists are studying them via computer "tags" that can track them, then pop off, float to the surface and phone home.
   Listen to the show and see tagging in action at http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200809055

5 comments about Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of.

1. To heck with "going green" - Manmade Global Warming is utter nonsense (or explain why the icecaps on Mars are melting, too...) I use the shower-head cleaning technique to make sure I am getting the maximum force out of my environmentally hostile pulsating showers. This is a fun book, and you will be amazed at how versatile the product is. We're fans of apple cider vinegar, by the way.



2. A very interresting compilation of recipes. I have tried several already and i was extremly pleased with the result.



3. I just love this book. So easy to read and find stuff your looking for. I had no idea vinegar was so awesome. After reading this I became a vinegar addict and use it for all sorts of stuff. Well worth the money, especially if you are interested in cleaning without using harsh chemicals.



4. I don't know who has all the time it takes to figure out all these great uses for vinegar but better them then me! If you want to be an organic or green cleaner, this is a must have book. I bought this and the book about Baking Soda. I'm happy to add this to my home green cleaning book collection.



5. Most people would be surprised at the number of uses for vinegar and this book helps by providing many. From marinades to drain opener to insect stings to fabric softener, this book is a great reference work that should be included in any household library.
   
   Vicky Lansky's other publication, Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun & Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of is another book that offers great suggestions and makes a wonderful companion book to this one.

5 comments about Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle: Health/Handling/Breeding.

1. I wish I had this book in the beginning. I could just about cry when I realize all of the pains learning i went through trial and error. This book is right on to the point about handling cows.
   
   A+++++++++++++++++++



2. The book is thorough and simple, and covers every aspect of raising beef cattle. Well written, and interesting, too.



3. Book is reasonably informative but about half of the book is simply on birthing cattle.....which is a skill that obviously is important, but not something that I expected in this much detail in what I thought would be more of an overview manual. So ended up being more technical and specific that I had hoped.



4. This book is easy to read, conversational, and incredibly informative. I got some great ideas from it. Hard to put down....
   Well worth purchasing!



5. I bought this book for my husband who has always wanted to raise a small farm of beef cattle. He took the book along on our 2 week vacation to Europe and completely devoured the book! He loved it, says it's the best single book on the subject he's ever seen! He has now requested the same series for pigs. (We already have the one for chickens). Oh, our first calves will arrive in a few months!

No comments about The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler.