5 comments about Physiology Coloring Book, The (2nd Edition).

1. If you're a visual learner this book is an excellent addition to any physiology course. It's actually fun and it really does reinforce what you're learning.



2. The coloring book is extremely helpful. There were some aspects of Physiology that I was having a difficult time grasping simply reading material from text books and listening to lectures, the coloring book has made understanding many concepts "childs play". I highly recommend this as a supplement to any anatomy/physiology (or even biology) course.
   -Kat



3. Because I am a visual learner, this has been a wonderful adjunct to my textbook and other materials. I love it!



4. As an A&P teacher, I find that students who use this physiology coloring book get it faster and retain the info longer than any other. It is much more accurate than other physiology coloring books. Highly recommended!



5. I enjoyed this book tremendously. If you're a student taking a biology course, it is perfect for review and helps solidify concepts.
   
   Look over the table of contents and see if it correlates well with your studies.
   
   My suggestion is to never color directly in the book. Just make copies and color on those. This also allows you to color in marker, giving you brighter colors that stand out.

5 comments about Anatomy and Physiology Revealed Version 2.0 CD.

1. I lost track of a previous version of this software and was very excited to find this again. The previous version was seperated onto multiple discs and less efficient with crossover between the body systems. This is a good investment for any visual learner who needs to learn or review gross anatomy. There are a number of views and/or animations for most of the subjects. My only criticisms are: a shortage of material for the reproductive systems and the program can require a large amount of system resources.



2. Absolutely love it!! If you are in any medical class, this is an excellent tool to have and practice with. Referring to everyone I know.



3. This product appears to be very similar to A.D.A.M interactive CDrom although more user friendly. Either one is good if you are taking courses requiring human biology and/or anatomy and physiologyA.D.A.M.(R) Interactive Anatomy Student Lab Guide (3rd Edition)(wihtout cd rom) Supplement: A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy Student Lab Guide with CD-ROM (Win) - Adam Interactive Ana (with cd rom)



4. Though the system requirements list "Mac OS 10.3.9 and higher," A&P Revealed 2.0 does not run on the latest version of Mac OS, "Leopard." This is not mentioned anywhere in the listing or packaging, and only hinted at on the McGraw-Hill website. It was only after hours of trouble-shooting, googling, and, finally, contacting McGraw-Hill customer service that I learned about the incompatibility of this product.



5. Product came quickly and was brand new as advertised, still in the shrink wrap. I needed it for school and haven't used it much yet, but I did try it out and it works just fine. Even with shipping it was MUCH MUCH cheaper than my college bookstore wanted for it so it really saved me money as well. Thanks!!

5 comments about Biology: Concepts and Connections (6th Edition) (MyBiology Series).

1. I received this book in a timely manner, and it was exactly what I needed for class. I was very happy to save money by ordering from Amazon



2. it was the correct book and i got access to mybiology.com which is helping me a lot with my class. i saved over $50!



3. This book was a good deal because at my school they sell it for about $150. The book is hardcover and has a passcode that can be used online to study better.



4. It's a biology text book, it is all I have ever dreamed it would be.



5. I needed this book for my class and it was shipped to me within 4 days. Great response time and book was in excellent condition.

5 comments about Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi.

1. One of, if not thee, most comprehensive field guide for wild mushrooming ever published. Amazing work.



2. Superb field guide for the mushroom greenhorn and connoisseur alike. Great color photos with all sorts of information about the little guys that you could ever imagine. They also warn about which ones to stay away from - always a good thing. Even if you're not into them that much, it's still a great book to have around the house just in case you ever want to know what kind of mushrooms are growing in your neighborhood. This would be an excellent book for a classroom or a great gift for a kid who's into being outdoors. Boy & Girl Scouts and groups like that would find this book indispensable for outings and general knowledge.
   *Note* There is also a pocket guide that I own that is great too, and much more easy to lug around than this compendium.



3. It's an excellent book, but could be perfect if it has color spore charts, one of the most important taxonomic features are spore color and Arora recognize this on his book, why let that out?



4. This book is amazing, and is my husband's new found hobby book and is already well-read. It is extremely thick for being a mere paperback, and arrived damaged. My only complaint is that it seems to not be ready for the hard wear and tear these mycologists will surely be exuding. The book itself is even more than we hoped for, and is an amazing resource.



5. For anyone interested in learning about mushrooms, this book is the mushroom bible for species in the United States. It's not really a book for beginners, because the information can be somewhat overwhelming, but if you want a positive ID on something you've found, there's no better resource to do it. Then again, Arora injects a dose of unexpected hilarity that a mushroom-hunter with any level of experience can appreciate.

5 comments about Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism.

1. Fascinating insight into the autistic mind and the different ways of being human. Also provides insights into how more "normal" minds work by contrast. Highly recommended.



2. A friend recommendeded this book for me. I hesitated for a while before buying it - but once picked up I can't put it down. The book brings me to scope of thinkings that is beyond my imagination. I can't wait to recommend this book to my friends even before I have finished it for the first time. I've now re-read this for two to three times, and each time my mind was further enlightened. Sometimes I give away books after reading but this will be a copy I will keep and read over and over again.



3. Excellent book and tool for those dealing with adult Asperger's. Until reading this book, there was no pragmatic connection with my brother, 53 years old, who has been isolated from family all his life due to his inability to see cause and effect. Visiting with psychologists in his early years did nothing to help parents understand his lack of emotional ties or connectivity to anything. He was labeled as very intelligent in certain fields (science, telecommunications, automotive knowledge)but had no common sense and kept repeating same mistakes over and over.
   
   He was incarcerated for 17 years for sexual abuse of a female girlfriend and we could not understand how he failed to get parole or help while in prison while some of those serving time for far worse crimes, including murder, were paroled after only half the time. We now know that sensory problems and being able to "go with the flow" in the prison system kept him incarcerated to serve his entire sentence.
   
   Luckily, family was able to run across articles about Asperger's and did research on it concluding that so many adults such as my brother had not been identified with this symptom. We are much more successful with dealing with him after reading Temple Grandin's book and have pegged her thinking to be very similar to my brother's--he also thinks in pictures but could not describe it and frequently did not know what we were talking about since he was unable to feel emotions as related by Ms. Grandin. He has read her book also and is reading it a second time. It has given the family insight into our brother's condition for the first time in 53 years and we are so very thankful for this book.



4. Dr. Grandin lectures on animal husbandry as well as autism. I've seen her speak in person. She's a very interesting individual. Her way of speaking comes through in the book. She writes very well for the layman.
   
   She covers her career, her interests, and her autism. If you are interested in animal husbandry, interesting women, autism, then this is a good book. If you have autistic kids and feel really under it, its very reassuring to see how this one autistic person has done very well for herself, thanks to early intervention by her parents as well as determination and intelligence on her part.
   
   I also like her personally, because I have had mixed feelings about being an omnivore and am glad she's out there making the experience of animals in our food production a lot less harrowing.



5. I read this by book by some chance but page after page it became like a mirror to me. And it was really a great shock. I agree totally with the others comments and Temple Grandin give us a more deeper view about autistic continuum. Before I believed I was a total social idiot. But every words she use are incredibly close to my way of thinking and my own history as we say in medical terms. And this book became an open door to another level in my life.
   This book is helpful for a lot of people especially for parents and teachers who to confront to childs in autistic continuum. And I will be always grateful to Temple Grandin for this book. The worst thing for an high functioning autist is to be closed in his world. Knowing why you are different won't cure you but the balance of your mind is restored.

5 comments about The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design.

1. The book has been given so many praises from so many prestigious persons & media; hence may be a good book to read. But from my point of view, the author is as completely hypnotized by "Materialism" as the so-called creationists are so hypnotized by "God" the Father. I wonder why scientists do not try to put every life on a horizontal line instead of putting Mankind on the top of a tree! It is very dangerous for intelligent Mankind to fall from the top
   Great Britain is a very interesting country in the point that she is the mother country of both Darwinism and the Society for Psychical Research. We lost Prof. Ian Stevenson last year (in 2007), who was the president of the SPR for 1989. Obvious truth is that: (1) if Prof. Stevenson's compiled data plus the official document of a Japanese boy "Katsugoro (in 1810)" of "reincarnation" is true, then all theories based on materialism surely fail, (2) if only a fraction of those compiled files include the truth, then the same will be concluded, (3) if "the missing 21 grams" of Dr. Duncan MacDougall (in 1907) cannot be refuted scientifically, then the same will be concluded.
   That is, all our current scientific theories are sitting on the top of several big bombs, which might shatter all these materialistic ideas.



2. 
   It is not a stretch of the imagination to claim that scientific evidence
   supports the idea of a design in Nature. The real argument is not over
   the presence of design but over the source of the design. Is it the random, ignorant, process of mutation and natural selection esposed by
   Dawkin`s or the work of an Intelligent Designer.After a full assessment
   of Dawkin`s book, I opt for the latter.I find it remarkable how often
   the creativity we find in nature is so similar to human design-albeit,
   Nature`s are usually more exquisite , optimal, or efficient.



3. This book is another fine effort by Richard Dawkins to explain how the complexity of life can be explained by evolution including natural selection. He uses his usual detailed, but laymen type of explanation to explore how various attributes of animals (and man) have come about.
   
   The books closing chapters deal with some of the other theories that exist to try to explain the diversity of life. He does not take a highbrow approach. He explains the core beliefs and concepts of the theories and then using their own words, shows how they can not explain it as well as the theory of evolution can.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a good discussion of evolution. You will not find an atheist arguing here. You will find a scientist who knows his field and wants you to understand it as well.



4. Not an easy book to read, but well worth the effort. Understanding the evidence and arguments for evolution requires effort and thought, whereas believing in invisible and untestable gods is easy, which is why most people choose the latter. Dawkins explains clearly why evolution is the best, indeed the only rational explanation for life as it exists on Earth (other than the FSM, of course. Arrrr!)



5. Dawkins says evolution consists of two things: variation and selection. Variation (in the form of mutation) is indeed the result of random chance. Selection, however, is not at all random, and (when acting on variations) eventually results in the things we recognize as "life".
   
   Most people are unaware that science is now starting to focus in earnest on prebiotic evolution, or what Dawkins has called "universal evolution". Just this week the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published an article on this.
   
   Dawkins does an excellent job of describing the difference between biotic evolution and prebiotic evolution (biotic evolution replicates; prebiotic "evolution" is more like a sieve that "sorts" things and passes no or little information forward. Prebiotic evolution explains stellar evolution and the transformation of our solar system from a cloud of gas and dust to the clockwork-like machinery we see in the night sky. I found this book to be quite readable and engaging.

2 comments about Barron's AP Biology (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap Biology Advanced Placement Examination).

1. By WWHS student
   
   I love this book. It helped me get great grades on tests in class and a 5 on the AP exam! Our textbook was more than 1200 pages -- too long! I bought this review book a few months after the class started. But I should have bought it at the beginning of the year because once I began to study from it, I started to do better on class tests.
   
   My teacher always gave us essay questions on her tests and the Free-Response Questions and Answers at the end of every chapter are really great. They really explain the material clearly. Also, the review book has 1 diagnostic test and 2 practice tests. That's more than any other review book that I saw.



2. Barron's AP Biology (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap Biology Advanced Placement Examination) (Purchased on 08/30/2008)
   Book received in excellent condition and in a timely manner.

5 comments about Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)).

1. Most people are probably buying this book because they are a college student and they have to, but compared to some other books, this one is clear and easy to read, so don't be too afraid of Biochemistry if you have this in you bag.



2. Well it's a boring book but biochemistry isn't the most interesting thing to read on your free time. The book is in good condition and came quickly.



3. This book gives the reader an indepth view of Biochemistry. The pictures are helpful and the text is typical of a Biochem book.



4. The product was better than I asked for! Perfect shape and great deal! Would definately do business with again!!



5. Great quality as advertised. I would have prefered to receive it a couple of days earlier but it was not late.

5 comments about The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology.

1. Futurists are seductive and so are their fantastical predictions, even when one has absolutely no idea exactly how to evaluate the soundness of their claims. Kurzweil tries with all his might to answer this criticism of the genre but fails nonetheless, offering mound upon mound of at best incomplete graphs that bury his theses behind the madness of immeasurable technological erudition, so (alas) the reader is probably left to do one of two things: ignorantly object or ignorantly serve. It's good fun, much like a fireside game of "what if" at summer camp, and Bill Gates's official endorsement makes it feel populist enough to recommend to your inquisitive friends.



2. Excellent description of how the universe seems to be progressing from the simpler to the more complex.
   
   Perhaps, also a metaphor of how what age we live in changes our perspective of how we view the evolution of the universe and the intelligence that is spawned.
   
   In the old industrial era, it was thought that civilization would increase it's usage of energy, building Dyson spheres.
   
   In the new information age, it seems that the vision is about a "Singularity Wave" speeding out to convert as much of the matter in the universe into the most efficient materials to process exponentially increasing information and intelligence.
   
   I believe the basics are, as best as I can tell, very good and I enthusiastically embrace his humanistic (and post or trans humanistic) philosophy.
   
   Only a couple of things which I might differ on, and that would be..
   
   1. Not much mention of quantum computing. That would represent the absolute manifestation of Richard Feynman's "Plenty of Room at the Bottom", and in the case of quantum computing, the bottom of a potentially unlimited, 5Th dimensional matrix of alternate world-lines to employ. Much better than dealing with the delays of linking together multi-billion light year networks.
   
   2. Because of the above, and also the "s" curve of population growth in post agricultural/industrial/hyper-industrial-info civilization, there may well be a trillion or so "Singularity" worlds out there, many within a few hundred light years from Earth.
   
   These worlds may send small probes, perhaps with super intelligent entities to explore, but wouldn't need any more resources than exist in their native solar system.
   
   Futurism is an imperfect art, and many of Kurzweil's prognostications will probably unfold in different ways from what is expected, but I fully embrace a vision of this new world unfolding to the benefit of conscious life on Earth.



3. In my opinion, this is an exceptional book. I was astonished to read some of the criticisms it has received on amazon.com. I truly could not put this book down. The depth of the subjects covered is great. For anyone who is interested in futurism, this should be on your bookshelf.
   
   First of all, the author is an extremely accomplished man. Chances are you use one of his inventions everyday. Kurzweil was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, received thirteen--yes, thirteen--honorary doctorates, the National Medal of Technology, the Lemelson MIT Prize (the world's largest award for innovation), and awards from three US Presidents. This makes me more than comfortable when reading this book.
   
   I very much enjoy books of this nature, but have never encountered a book such as this; with every claim and prediction, Kurzweil provides more than ample evidence to support himself. Reading this book was an intellectual revolution.
   
   Some of the criticisms I read about this book on amazon.com stated that the book lacked emotion and was quite dry. I couldn't disagree more. I find it impossible to be without emotion when discussing the things Kurzweil touches on and noticed no apathy in his writing. At times, his writing was quite humorous; the dialogue of a fictional character named Molly with various other characters at the end of every chapter was very entertaining.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone. It will truly change your outlook on the human civilization and its future. I plan to read it again and again.



4. Brilliant is the best word to describe this work. Kurzweil has brought the future into something of a focus with this amazing look into the future. What really makes this work is that you can't 'see' exactly what the future will be even though he brings you further along than you have been. We can't see past the singularity - it will be something amazing - but we cannot truly conceive of what will be.
   This will change the way you view our world and the future of our race.



5. Very interesting. Author has thought a lot about the topic -- not just surface-level hype that is so common nowadays. But the text drags in some chapters. I'd like to see around 100 of the 500 pages cut out.

5 comments about Where Did I Come From?.

1. This book is a classic for explaining the birds and the bees to small kids. It's illustrated in a cartoony, friendly style and explains sex in a way that's comprehensible from a child's point of view. I don't think it crosses the line of what an average parent would consider "too much information".
   
   The couple depicted are slightly chubby and middle-aged, quite the stereotype of a mummy and daddy. On one page they are standing together nude and smiling at the reader. On the page that explains sexual intercourse, they're under the blankets, so don't worry about kids seeing too much. Sex is explained as being like "skipping rope" - it feels good but you get too tired to do it forever! Sounds funny from an adult's perspective but I guess it's a good way to explain to a small child why grown-ups like it.
   
   The book also explains fertilization down at the cellular level (the endpapers feature a cartoon egg being presented with a rose by a sperm) and pregnancy and childbirth in brief.
   
   I read the book around age 5 or 6. My parents didn't want to have to explain this stuff face-to-face and I was an early reader =)



2. this book is an excellent tool for helping kids understand the "facts of life". reading with the kids and explaining as you go really helps them to understand the concepts and participate in the conversation.



3. My parents gave me this book when I was little and it was very informative, but not too detailed. Just right for a grade school child.
   I know have my own children and I'm so relieved to find this book again. My son has started to ask some questions and this book was great.



4. There is NO WAY my kids need to know how sex feels in a play by play description. All I wanted was a book that would talk about what sex was in a factual manner. This was like reading soft porn with cartoon graphics aimed at kids! At ages 4 and 7, this is beyond their years for a need to know. I am glad I read it at the book store before buying it. I couldn't believe all the great reviews it had. Maybe for a 10 year old (or older) but not for young kids IMO.



5. This book did a perfect job for me when I was a boy. And I'm buying it to hand to my sons. Those who say it was too graphic are simply WAY too uptight. It is tasteful and honest. It did the job for me that my parents couldn't do.