4 comments about Understanding Statistics in the Behavioral Sciences.

1. Prior to the first edition of this text I used a different text in my introductory statistics course each year because students did not like my text selections. I've used Pagano's text every year since the first edition was published in 1981 because every year the students tell me to retain this text. It is superbly written and exquisitely designed. It is the best text of its kind that I have seen in the past 25 years of teaching the subject.



2. The easiest and best Undergraduate Statistics' Textbook that I have found . Excellent examples which are very practical an easy to understand . Professor Pagano is a superstar Teacher with many years of experience and students who have have him have been so fortunate .
   
   Nestor Mantilla



3. The info contained in the chapters is pretty good and I appreciated the examples of how to do the work, however...if you're a student and you want to check your homework, that might be a little hard. The author only lists SOME of the answers to the homework, and the answers they do have usually don't tell you how they arrived at those answers. What they NEED to provide is a student solutions manual. I'd be happy to pay extra for it, but they don't have it. They do sell a student study guide, which I did purchase and that does help some, but it's not even close to what would allow the student to understand the homework problems in a step by step manner. Would someone at the publishing house PLEASE provide a student solutions manual??? PLEEEEASE!!!!!!!!



4. This product was just as described. It was delivered within a satisfactory period of time and it was brand new. No complaints! A+++

3 comments about Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do (Understanding Children's Worlds).

1. This clear, brief, and practical book is based on extensive research and outlines an intervention to prevent bullying. Dr. Olweus's work has become the standard approach to bullying prevention, reflected in such programs as the University of Colorado "Blueprints for Violence Prevention" project ... As a counselor and trainer specializing in bullying prevention, I find this book indispensable, and recommend it highly.



2. I was elected to my local board of education and we recently received a credible complaint from a parent that harassment of her son was being overlooked by school administrators. Accordingly, I felt obliged to read up on the issue of bullying. This book sets forth both the problem and the recommended solutions. Prof. Olweus is Norwegian and his studies primarily involve Scandinavian schools. Accordingly, questions came to my mind such as "Is Norway a more homogenious society than the United States? If so, are there any differences in both the problem and the solutions in a more ethnically heterogeneous society?" I don't know the answers but, the reader should keep these issues in mind when reading this book.

   Prof. Olweus describes the problem and he sets forth well organized solutions to the problem which require involvement of teachers, administrators and parents, and further require communication with all students, even those who are neither bullies nor victims. The one problem I have with the book is that there are very few case histories and specific examples given. The book proposes solutions but does not provide a case history in which the specific solution was successfully applied to the problem at hand. Reliable data and sound recommendations are important but a few specific examples of how these recommendations worked would be helpful. For example, Olweus recommends that parents of a bully apply sanctions if the bullying behavior does not improve. He states, "The consequence should be associated with some degree of discomfort or unpleasantness, but corporal punishment must not be used." OK, fine; but what are specific examples of "discomfor or unpleasantness?" Where are the case histories giving examples? Without these, the book does not provide as fulfilling reading as it otherwise might. This book is well worth reading and I recommend it with the reservations expressed above.




3. This is a wonderful book that clearly explains and describes the phenomenon of bullying and victimization....important knowledge for every parent and teacher. However, another book, Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying would beautifully complement it as an action tool. This book gives specific solutions on how to be proactive and or intervene. Questions of what to do and how to do it are answered and included are stories to read with your child, scripts, lessons, tips and strategies to use in school and at home. The section on teaching children important social skills early on is invaluable.

4 comments about The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden: Understanding the Wounded Feeling Function in Masculine and Feminine Psychology.

1. "This book is about our wounded feeling function, probably the most common and painful wound which occurs in our Western world. It is very dangerous when a wound is so common in culture that hardly anyone knows there is a problem." Johnson opens his book with these provocative sentences. The first thing he does is convince the reader that the problem exists, and is of considerable scope. For example, our modern English language is not really adequate for a full description of the problem, having the vague and much abused word "feeling" and only one word, equally vague, for "love". Johnson, a Jungian analyst, explores the problem using myths -- the Fisher King and the Handless Maiden, to demonstrate the wounded feeling function in, respectively, masculinity and femininity. Through the myths, Johnson not only diagnoses the problem, but makes practical suggestions for healing. This wonderful little book, scarcely 100 pages long, can be read in an afternoon, although its insights could change the directions of a life.



2. I love all Robert Johnson's work. I find him easy to read and understand.



3. I purchased this book because the Handless Maiden myth resonates for me, my having first been introduced to it through a dream and then through Clarissa Pinkola Estes book 'Women Who Run With Wolves'. I felt I had more to learn from this myth, and Johnson's book put the Handless Maiden myth in a matrix that helped me to understand it more personally, as a metaphor for the feminine in contemporary society. Placing it in a context I could understand so well brought this myth to life, and was the greatest value of this book for me.
   The only off-putting thing, which changed it from 5 to 4 stars, is a small thing but which strikes to the heart of the issue. The author apologised in the beginning for perhaps not being able to do justice to the feminine wounding myth as much as the male myth. It was honest and ethical of him to state such concerns, which makes me respect his integrity, but he is alas, correct. As wonderful as his assessment of the Handless Maiden is, he still put a great deal of emphasis on the male value and aspects of it, which he did very little in reverse for the male Fisher King myth. The section in The Handless Maiden where he abandons such careful integrating of the masculine is the section which resonated most for me. I'm not sure why he did this, but if one goes through both chapters and counts instances of other-gender applicability you'll see what I mean. In one paragraph I almost felt like this myth was being ripped from my "hands" and given to the male, a dynamic of the actual myth.
   Nevertheless, the author put the myth into a powerful and broad matrix of understanding for contemporary women, something which 'Women Who Run With Wolves', as much as I love it, didn't allow me to see as clearly. What I would suggest is first reading Johnson's book, and saving Clarissa Pinkola Estes interpretation for last, when you can appreciate it more, in all its profound and subtle complexity.



4. I got this book after a painful breakup. I wasn't looking for counseling so much as I wanted to understand my reaction and how gender came into play. Unfortunately this book couldn't help me with that. It's language and analysis of the stories is convoluted and most of it seems to be just one man's interpretation of the stories and worse, his conclusions seem directed his somewhat fatalistic view of modern life.
   
   I was looking for solid psychology but all I found was politics, idealism and one man's philosophy. I suppose if your view parallels the author you might appreciate this but it was not what I was looking for.

No comments about Sniffy the Virtual Rat Lite, Version 2.0 (with CD-ROM).

4 comments about A Dictionary of Symbols.

1. This is one of the most frequently used and most deeply pondered works of my permanent collection. It is, in my humble opinion, the best single volume on the subject of symbols and symbolism written in modern times.

   Symbolism is a sacred way of looking at the outer world. It is a way of connecting the outer and inner worlds. A materialist sees, let's say an eagle, and simply sees a bird, while a symbolist sees an eagle and sees a message, a lesson, or a sermon. To the symbolist, the eagle also represents height, spirit, the sun, nobility, power, the lion of the air, etc. The symbolist doesn't totally ignore the materialist and mundane aspect of the eagle, he just realises that there is immeasurably MORE behind it.

   The introduction of this book is an excellent essay of the symbolist mind-set. It covers symbolism in platonic thought, hermetism, renaissance thought, alchemy, heraldry, dream symbolism, as well as, the views of Goethe, Saunier, Bele, Guenon, Eliade, Scheider, and, of course, Jung.

   The body of the book is in dictionary form with concise but comprehensive descriptions of topics from a historic and multi-cultural viewpoint. This is assisted by the many excellent line drawings, as well as, two sections of carefully chosen black and white photographs.

   This is a book of correspondenses, of resonance, of the common rythym that connects things with a higher, sacred place. You learn that there are immeasurable depths to creation- and that you have merely been skipping across the surface of that creation like a stone across deep waters....




2. The book as good content, but needs illustrations/photo's to make it come to life to the reader.



3. I purchased this book in hardcover a few years ago, and have found myself going back to it again and again. In writing novels, I know no better reference book than this for providing inspiration and insight. The symbols listed often have meanings far beyond what most would think. The sections on colors and numbers alone are worth the cover price.
   
   My only complaint is that the book is big *enough*, but make no mistake: the material in the book is dense, informative, and insightful. If you are a writer, a thinker, a student of history, or have any interest in the cultural artifacts of human societies, you can't go wrong with this volume. I cannot recommend it enough.



4. If you are looking for a book to help you with sandplay therapy symbolism for children this is not it. It is a nice book and well organized but it does not include anything practical for working with children.

5 comments about Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs.

1. This is my first book review and, WOW! did I pick a great one to start off with.
   
   You'll have to pardon me if I'm over-enthusiastic with my praise, but I'm telling it as it is.
   
   From page one, I totally related to this lady (Caroline Knapp), from the time she was 'just thinking' about getting a dog, to going to the Dog pound to 'just look', to 'should I adopt or not?' to 'well, maybe' to finally getting the pooch.
   
   I think I even got the same Mutt breed that she adopted.
   The Pound informed me that my Sara was a GSD/Mix. Ms Knapp adopted a Shepherd/Mix. She says this is Dog Pound code for
   "We really don't know."
   
   I became so engrossed with the human/dog connection we have with our soul mates, that I looked Caroline Knapp up on GOOGLE.
   
   Sad, it is to say, I found out that she died of cancer at the age of 42.
   
   Her loyal companion, Lucille, was there at her bedside, faithful to the end.



2. maybe like some people here says this is not a book about training, in the kind of manual to accomplish your dog to do some stuff; neither is the kind of book like the Konrad Lorenz, 'When the man find the dog' or like Desmond Morris about the same theme. And one has to be thankful for it. This book is about the core of the relation, the love and the bond, you can have with your dog. Maybe something not easily understood to the non-dog passerby, nevertheless for us the dog lovers is a tender colection of ideas and reflections on the subject. Even so, there is a research behind it, and some hard facts coming with a decent book list at the end. If sometimes lacks of discipline like some other person says here, well, i really like my love affairs without boot camp, laws and restriction, and even when my dog is perfectly trained, I really like to spoil myself letting me love her without boundaries and restraint, she fills every aspect of my life, and she makes me... human. Long live to Caroline Knapp, and now she is not here anymore, lets laugh and cry with she and lucille, and share that perfect aeternal bond with our dogs. ...And yes my dog is lying here in my bed, quite undisciplined but warm and perfect... if anyone complains, I would not change my bed with 'Amelia' for any human of any form whatsoever.... guau guau guau



3. Before Marley there was Lucille. This is a funny, informative memoir which will, alas, will empty your tear ducts. Knapp was a terrific writer and what a tragedy it is to have lost her. Especially at such a young age.



4. This is the best memoir an animal lover, dogs especially, will ever read. Have no fear; there is no sad ending here, only an in-depth investigation and revelation of the unique and beautiful relationships we have with the dogs and other pets in our lives.
   
   If you want to know more about the why and how behind these incredible and often (as was the case in Knapp's book) live-saving relationships read the book shown below. I enjoyed it, too, and it provides some surprising insights and valuable, usable information from. It discusses the origin and comprehensive nature of our relationships with animals, providing scientifically sound information on the love we share and the roles we play in each other's lives: The Powerful Bond between People and Pets: Our Boundless Connections to Companion Animals (Practical and Applied Psychology)



5. I was delighted to read this wonderful book about our relationships with dogs. Caroline tries to distance herself from over-attachment to and anthropomorphic views (dogs as "furry people") of our canine companions, all the while remaining firmly entrenched in the camp of those who are perfectly content to live alone, single and devoted to their dogs.She reaches the agnostic and very realistic conclusion that we do not and probably never will know how and what dogs feel and think about us humans, though occasionally it seems possible to build a bridge between our two worlds. I highly recommend the book to dog owners (as well as "For the Love of A Dog" by Patricia McConnell) and commend it for its delightful sense of humor, elegant prose and valuable insights. I was also very saddened to learn a couple of weeks ago about her death due to lung cancer in 2002. Caroline died in the presence of her beloved dog Lucille (I wonder what ever happened to her) and new husband Mark.

2 comments about Applying Cultural Anthropology: An Introductory Reader.

1. When I took a sophomore level anthropology class at my University, Applying Anthropology was required as a secondary reading text, in addition to Kottak's Anthropology (7th edition). Applying Anthropology contains 52 articles in the categories of Biological Anthropology, Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Culture and Communication, Culture and Food, Culture and Race, Economy and Business, Gender and Socialization, Politics & Law & Warfare, and Social & Cultural Change. Instead of being a textbook that was something I just read for the class that required it, it turned out to be a book that I would have bought for my own personal purposes. Also, in addition to enjoying reading it, I learned a lot about anthropology. One of my favorite articles discusses what may have happened on Easter Island that resulted in the demise of an entire culture. All in all, Applying Anthropology provides an interesting approach to learning a lot about culture worldwide.



2. First off, I'd like to agree with the first reviewer. This is an excellent compilation that stands by itself (although, for an intro class, it definitely requires a "discipline-oriented" text book like Kottak as a guiding force). I would recommend this book highly to my fellow anthros and to general readers alike. What follows is a brief summary of some of my favorite articles in the collection. The selections are all short and well-written, they make interesting and useful points and convey the complexity and utility of anthropology very, very well.

   I've been waiting a long time to see Peggy McIntosh's wonderful essay on "White Privilege" in print somewhere. I had the distinct pleasure of hearing her give an oral version of the same talk a number of years ago and am very very pleased to see it published here for the benefit of students. The book is worth the price for that article alone.

   However, this is not the only gem in this collection. Phillipe Bourgois' work on crack dealers is introduced here as is Gerald Murray's work on wood farming as a means to encourage re-forestation programs in Haiti. There are also classics such as Richard Lee's story of the !Kung San insulting of his gift of a Christmas ox ("Eating Christmas in the Kalahari") and Laura Bohannon's failure to get Tiv elders to see Hamlet as a story about incest, revenge and justice. Jared Diamond's revisionist view of the advent of agriculture is also here (perhaps an antidote for his more recent "Guns, Germs and Steel" though undoutedly similar in style).

   Other personal favorites of mine include Eugene Cooper's discussion of Chinese table manners (also a must for people who want to teach a course on the anthropology of food), Richard Reed's examination of the tension between environmentalists and indigenous communities in Paraguay, Joan Cassels' excellent analysis of surgery as a male-gendered medical speciality and Paul Farmer's and Arthur Kleinman's thoughtful peice on suffering and AIDS in Haiti.

   Incidentally, I would thoroughly recommend anything by Paul Farmer to readers interested in social medicine. His scholarship and humanity are both quite phenomenal and totally justify the attention he has recieved due to the MacArthur fellowship.

   I only have a couple of quibbles with this book and even these are not so much criticisms as comments for the unwary: Jennifer Laab's peice on corporate anthropologists seems to have been written for a corporate audience as a selling point for anthropology. As such it plays up the notion of anthropologists as service providers for corporate interests in a way which is a little frown-inducing for an academician such as myself. Not because I don't approve of anthropology in the private sector, but because the peice itself seems to argue that anthropology is merely a set of techniques that can be workshopped (like team-building exercises)to busy executives for the greater good of the company. Again, this is a VERY worthwhile point to debate, but not one that easily stands without comment. Secondly, the article by Wade Davis (he of "Serpent and the Rainbow" fame), while again discussion-worthy, seems a little superficial, dated in language and probably replaceable (Robert Voeks'recently-published "Sacred Leaves of Candomble" is one alternative that springs to mind). Lastly, I would like to plead for the inclusion of a selection on tatooing or bodily adornment of some sort in any future editions. This is a topic of enduring interest among students and would definitely be an asset to such a nicely-balanced and valuable collection.

5 comments about Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships.

1. I read this book 4 years ago, when I was in a very desperate search for information to save my marriage. Ashley Sanford gave me a lot of hope, where other books on the subject offered little. This book made a big difference in my approach to issues in my relationship and I highly recommend it to anyone in a relationship with a partner on the spectrum.



2. This book is outstanding. Anyone living with someone with Aspergers needs to read this book. I am sure this book will help to save many marriages.



3. 
   I am a therapist, but found that most of the literature about Asperger Syndrome was geared toward children. There are thousands of adults who have been wondering all their lives why they are so different. This book will help those with Asperger and those who love them understand what this is all about much better.



4. I got this book a few days ago and I'm half-way through it. I've already gained a MUCH better understanding of him and the problems in our relationship. What's more, this book frequently gives real-life solutions that have worked for other couples dealing with problems. I'd recommend this book to anyone whose partner has a diagnosis of AS.



5. Thinking I maybe had Asperger's (later found out I didn't), I sent away for a half-dozen books on Asperger's from Amazon. This book, written by a N/T with an Aspie marriage partner, resonated with me best. While each book I've gleaned or finished has its strengths -- "Pretending to be Normal" offering a sometimes confusing and painful but vivid and earnest first-hand account; "Aspergers in Love" digesting sometimes revealing, sometimes sketchy results from interviewing 41 adults, mostly men, with AS; and "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" with its definitive, in-depth knowledge -- Ashley Stanford's book, I felt, cut right to the chase. It's very straightforward, intelligent, illuminating and compassionate -- offering a bulleted list of traits in the first few pages, along with a summary and example of the various diagnostic criteria used around the world. While aimed at the N/T partner to better cope and appreciate an Aspy partner's often alternate-universe ways, it doubles as a heartfelt revelation and validation for anyone with Asperger's or possessing a few Aspie traits (I'm faceblind and ultrasensitive to sound, for instance). It offers compassionate understanding on making unlikely relationships work. For anyone who thinks they might be or know an Aspie or two and wants to better appreciate and grok their rarefied realities, or better understand the mysteries of human behavior in general, this book's a gem.
   
   From her introduction: "I believe that someday we will wake up as a civilization and realize that the Aspie traits that now confuse us are part of the core of human progress."

5 comments about Mapping Inner Space: Learning and Teaching Visual Mapping.

1. I wanted to learn mapping to help me with my career choices as I worked with a resume writer and career coach (http://www.callfranklyspeaking.com). This book really helped me understand the concept and apply not just to a job change, but to my new job and mapping out the possibilities for my department. Easy to learn!



2. Very good book, and very good service from amazon



3. Being an artistic and visual person, I always had trouble effectively outlining ideas. This solved the problem. For me it works.



4. I bought this book based on the 10 positive reviews it received. Unfortunately, my money would have been best spent on a Tony Buzan book. MAPPING INNER SPACE has serious downfalls. Mainly, all the mindmaps in the book are rich in color with excellent drawn pictures...how could I even attempt to duplicate this? Though the author states several times that drawing perfectly isn't required, her own examples demonstrate that her drawing skills are very superior. Also, the use of different colors made her mind maps frameable...how would have time during a meeting to draw such elaborate pictures? I would highly recommend that you buy one of Tony Buzan's earlier books on this subject...you won't feel so intimidated when you read them.



5. As a teacher, I found this book invaluable. It offers numerous nontraditional and visual ways of presenting data, and can be used in any academic subject.
   
   Nancy Margulies shows her creativity in other ways. She presents her ideas themselves in map form, and even suggests nontraditional resumes that summarize one's qualification in terms of maps. She includes simple sketches that can be used in maps, and these sketches, according to her, do not require artistic talent to draw.
   
   Margulies stresses the fact that there is no right or wrong way to present information in these maps. And, of course, one has to practice mapping ideas in order to become comfortable doing so.

1 comments about Introduction to the Theories of Learning (7th Edition).

1. It was shipped very quickly it took about 3 days. The Book was in excellent condition