No comments about Biology: Concepts and Applications (HB).

5 comments about The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes: And Other Surprising True Stories of Zoo Vets and their Patients.

1. I should preface this by saying I have helped do some promo for this book - which, as an animal lover, I've been really excited to do! "Rhino" is an engaging read for anyone wanting a view into the lives of zoo and wildlife veterinarians. The stories chronicle surprising and innovative solutions to various animal patient treatment challenges encountered by zoo and wild animal vets' from around the world.
   
   Photographs of many of the actual animals help to connect the reader even more to these special animals. These true animal stories should appeal to any reader with an interest in animals or veterinary work - both adults and younger readers!



2. THE RHINO WITH GLUE-ON SHOES is a fantastic read for people of all ages. The commitment and ingenuity of these zoo professionals is inspiring. I am astonished by the case of the anorexic eel, mortified at the damage done to Earring Boy, and delighted by the story of Tulip, whose owner's devotion and love is a testament to the impact animals have on our lives. Spelman and Mashima have edited a lovely book, which should be read by young, aspiring veterinarians, conservationists, and all animal-lovers.



3. I really enjoyed this book even though some of the stories made me cry.
   
   I don't think a lot of people realize how many wonderful efforts are made for non-domestic critters.
   
   It's unfortunate (maybe not) that I couldn't adopt some of this animals.



4. This is a wonderful book with some very inspiring stories in it! If you love animals, you will love this book!! Not only are there great stories in it, but I am also particularly fond of it because it has one of my photos in it! :o) You won't regret buying this book!



5. From the rhino with reoccurring foot fungus, to the transport of a whale shark, rescuing dolphins left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, black bears with disappearing bones and eels starving for the love of a former owner, The Rhino With the Glue-On Shoes is an assortment of true stories featuring these and other unusual patients. Ever wonder how diagnostic tests are performed on giant Pacific octopus? How does one go about capturing and relocating a herd of destructive bison that are terrorizing the French countryside? Can an orphaned baby beluga survive to adulthood? Who do you call when a giraffe in your care needs a special orthotic (you get a lot of hang-ups)? The common thread pulling this diverse collection of stories together is the caring of the medical providers and the lengths they will travel to comfort and heal the animals in their care. Stories from all over the world and all types of animals, captive and wild will keep you engaged. Any animal lover will appreciate this

5 comments about Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, Revised and Updated (Golden Field Guide from St. Martin's Press).

1. Despite the excellent illustrations and detailed information, this is a POOR book for actually identifying an unknown tree from its foliage, bark, or other characteristics.
   
   The book divides trees into their families. Unfortunately, this requires that you have some idea of what you are looking for before you start. There is no cross-reference to bark to reinforce a choice. Also, since it includes both Eastern and Western North American trees, one can easily make a false choice.
   
   However, its handbook size is convenient for a carry along.



2. This is one of the best tree field guides I have ever used. Comparing this guide to the tree field guide published by Audubon, the paintings in the Golden guide display leaf features much more clearly than the photos used in the Audubon guide. Also, this guide covers over 500 species throughout the U.S. while similar pocket-sized field guides don't cover such a broad range. The descriptions of key tree features are concise and easy to read, perfect for quick identification, and for the most part simple enough for a younger audience to understand. Because this book is strictly a field guide, it would benefit the curious amateur botanist to pair it with a more scholarly work such as Thomas Elias' Complete Trees of North America or both volumes of Donald Culross Peatties' Natural History of Trees (Eastern and Western).



3. This is a great book to have for basic quick reference on trees and their identification. I've found it to be very valuable and accurate in the field. I believe this is one of the better field guides on trees, but I always cross reference to my copy of Peterson's Trees and Shrubs to make sure I have the correct plant. Since this book only covers trees, I would highly recommend having another guide that covers shrubs as well.



4. My well-worn Golden Guide to Trees is a reliable source of information for tree identification. I have a couple of other guides but reach for the Golden Guide first because I find it easier to identify things from illustrations rather than photographs.
   
   As with any guide one must learn how to use it properly. Familiarize yourself with the family descriptions and nomenclature featured in the front of the book.



5. More than 700 species in 76 families are included in this comprehensive but compact field guide. Maps show the range, and the text includes scientific name, brief description, size, and use for each tree, all delightfully illustrated in color by Rebecca Merrilees. The introduction is followed by a guide to the tree families, and a section on basic features of trees, as an aid to identification. Each species is described within its family for ready comparison. Includes notes on exotic species, bibliography, index, and even a handy measuring guide.

1 comments about A Guide to Anatomy and Physiology.

1. To give you some idea of how long ago this manual was made, the labels on the bones and muscles are typed on a typewriter! But is has good photos, and by having black and white tissue slide photos, my students focus on the structure, not the color. We don't dissect the cat any more (at least not for the muscles), but the human bone photos are very well done.

5 comments about Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives.

1. Darwin himself would be proud of David Sloan Wilson and his understanding of the biological principles of evolution and their ever expanding application to all things human.
   
   Darwin was, and Wilson is, able to fully appreciate with awe the miracles of what we see around us everyday that have arisen from natural selection and chance and not creationism or intelligent design.
   
   By his tone, I surmised that Wilson admired Darwin's quiet demeanor, fully understanding the world around him, and using the principles of evolution to integrate a great diversity of academic subjects. He wants to pattern his goals after those of Darwin, to gently share his inspiration with the rest of the world, being cautious not to upset too much any one political or religious group.
   
   Wilson studied religions for three years and sampled 24 of them to create viable hypotheses regarding their purpose and nature from an evolutionary perspective. In the process, he became of a scientist and a religious scholar at the same time.
   
   Now, in "Evolution for Everyone" he is suggesting with confidence that what he discovered about the evolutionary workings of religion can be applied to economics and politics as well, in addition to any thing else that has to do with life.
   
   Wilson shows how Calvinism in Geneva was instrumental in solving the problem of factionalism, and helping the city survive as a social entity, and had evolved a sophisticated internalized system of government that prevented corruption and adapted to current needs.
   
   He also points out that religious belief systems are more user friendly.
   
   "They reduce the complexity of the real world to motivate a suite of behaviors that are adaptive in the real world. Ironically, the reason that trade-offs are absent from religious beliefs systems is because of a trade-off between maximizing factual and practical realism at the same time."
   
   "Religions that build strong communities survive while other versions fall apart. The elements of a religion required for survival depend upon the surrounding social environment, so religions necessarily diversify as they evolve."
   
   "Religions are good at providing practical benefits so that their members become wealthy, whereupon they lose the incentive to cooperate and try to loosen the very structure that lifted them out of poverty."
   
   Wilson make a strong case to show that "religions not only adapt to their social environments but also change their social environments, leading to an endless cycle of corruption and renewal that has been documented by scholars for all religious traditions, around the world, and throughout history."
   
   "Finally, there is the question of whether a belief system can combine the best of religion and science, enabling people to flourish in sustainable communities while remaining fully committed to factual realism. It is important to realize that this would be a new cultural adaptation, never before seen on the face of the earth."
   
   E.O. Wilson's book hit me over the head back in the 1970's with the power of biology to explain behavior, and I have been hooked ever since.
   
   David Sloan Wilson excellent book is yet another fix, another burst of realization of the powers of evolutionary theory.
   
   Scott Richard Campbell
   Author of RUSH: Fighting the Poker Al-Qaeda
   
   



2. There are some books written by college professors that seem to have absolutely no regard for the time of the reader. I couldn't finish the book, but I forced myself to read 120 pages before giving up. The first 120 pages would have made a nice 4-5 page article. He just prattles on about his wife, and how many different species were running about somewhere they visited. However, there was almost nothing about evolution and how Darwin's theory could actually be used in our lives.
   
   I do use Evolution in my life as a way to understand everyday things. This was what I thought the book would be about, rather than studies having little to do with regular life intermingled with ramblings about his personal life and prejudices.
   
   I have enjoyed a number of economics books which look at everyday life. I see a close conceptual relationship between Economics and evolution (see Rothschilds' bionomics) and between Behaviorism and evolution (See Skinner's Phylogeny and Ontology of behavior). Wilson seemed unaware of these or evolutionary epistemology.
   
   He seemed like an old professor making a timid step to beginning to think of something outside the classroom, but from the viewpoint of someone outside academia he just seemed to be sticking his little toe in the water and then deciding it was too cold.



3. There are a lot of good books, too many for anyone to read any but the best. This is one of the best, with new insights on almost every page. Whether you love science already, or are doubtful about evolution and want to know the truth, this is the one book to read.



4. I have to give this book low marks. As a casual observer for many years now on this planet I have found a few things that lend themselves to its existence being the result of a Creator.
   
   1. Fruits and Vegetables growing on trees. I have noticed that the size of Fruits and Vegetables growing on trees and out of the ground etc. are basically the perfect size for human consumption. Like we are made for one another. Outside of some clever hybrid manipulation by humans, you won't find an apple the size of a car or a pineapple the size of a house. They are perfectly sized for us to eat.
   
   2. There's water all over the place. It falls out of the sky, it can be found in vast resevoirs under the ground. We all need water to survive, it was kindly placed here for us to find for our consumption.
   
   3. Electricity. I don't have a clue where that comes from (I think it comes out of the sky during storms and also when my pant legs rub together on a dry day etc.) but I know we can thank God for it. Otherwise none of my electrical gadgets would work, thanks God! (I say that while pointing my index fingers toward the sky!).
   
   4. Space Food Sticks, I thank God for Space Food Sticks (see my review on Space Food Sticks if you don't know what they are).
   
   5. Trees! Yes, without trees we wouldn't be able to have a whole bunch of paper to print the Word of God on. Build houses, boats etc. We can thank God for trees.
   
   6. Eyesight and Hindsight. We can thank God for Hindsight and we can REALLY thank God for Eyesight. I thank God for it.
   
   7. Language. Think about it for a moment. It is truly fascinating. We are made with a voice, a way to make sounds come out of our mouths. By moving our jaws, tongue and lips a certain way we can form words which mean something. Entire civilizations have been built because of this ability. I thank God for language. (My nephew is gifted in a way that enables him to make some very unusual sounds come out of his mouth, we can thank God for that as well).



5. David Sloan Wilson seems to think Evolution is for Everyone, but he should speak for himself. He does not speak for me, or for the eternal and unchanging God who amended the Jewish scriptures and made his Son a new and more perfect messiah. Since I pray to this God, I think I know a bit more about God's plan for humanity than Wilson does.
   
   Let's see what's wrong with this book, and also what's wrong with Wilson:
   
   1) Wilson claims evolution has wide applicability, yet he never proves it is true. Does Wilson know something that I don't know? That seems highly unlikely, since I know God's word and it seems he doesn't. Wilson thinks he knows something he can't know, the fact that he doesn't know he doesn't know proves he doesn't know it.
   Thank you, Jesus.
   
   2) If evolution is true, it must mean that animals change over time. But as an experiment, try looking at your dog. Is it growing any fins to swim, or maybe a giant horn on the middle of its head? No, therefore there is no evidence for evolution. Is your cat slowly turning into a rhino? No, and thank you, Jesus.
   
   3) Is there evidence for the Bible? Well, read Isaiah, which tells us who the Redeemer would be like. Turns out it was predicted to look like Jesus. Since Jesus looks like the Redeemer and the Redeemer was predicted to look like Jesus, by the principle of identity the Redeemer must be Jesus, the Bible must be true, and Wilson, Darwin and others are wrong. Excellent, Jesus - just excellent.
   
   4) Wilson near the end of the book describes swimming naked with a bunch of male and female garduate students. This is what supporters of evolution are really after, an excuse to act like animals. If we are created in the image of God, then modesty becomes us. If however we are really beasts, then people like Wilson want to see us get nasty like beasts. It is very likely that Wilson saw the uncovered vaginas of women who are not his wife, which is a sin. It's also very transparent that he only supports evolution because it lets him see lots of female pudenda, he should be ashamed and reject the false teaching of evolution.
   
   5) The problem is that Wilson and evolutionists are intoxicated with the deep things of Satan. I had a vision in which a being with the face of Darwin and the body of a nude woman was carrying around the Origin of Species in one hand, and in the other held a cup of the juice of her fornications. Many of the nations followed this being until a lamb appeared with a tongue like a sword. The lamb chewed up the evil book of Darwin and from out of its rectum came a creature with the body of a fish and rudminetary legs like a salamander, sort of like an early amphibian if there had been any (there weren't). The lamb suddenly attacked the creature and said "Change is NOT, and God's plan is eternal," which caused the Darwin woman to run away in shame. This proves that evolution is not true.
   
   6) If evolution were true, it would be devastating to people of faith. God would never allow his faithful to be subjected to things they don't want to believe, which is also why evolution cannot be true.
   
   7) My butt is the perfect size for my pants. Any bigger and it rip then down the middle, exposing my butt, which people of faith do not wish to see. Since this has not happened yet, God exists and Darwin was wrong.
   
   In sum, reject the foul teachings of Wilson and his henchman, and join the ranks of the faithful, who humbly accept that they know the unchanging word of God and that the hard work of science is for naught. Jesus is really doing great work - check it out.

5 comments about The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life.

1. The first half the book held my attention like when I read a Clive Cussler adventure.
   
   Dr. Becker patiently explains both biology and electricity building up to providing the understanding of regeneration as his research progressed.
   
   The next half of the book explains first how electromagentism affects humans, then the potential hazards of electromagnetism are addressed.
   
   Overall this book is very well written and I recommend it to all my friends whether they are engineers like me or not.



2. If you are pretty well versed in physiology and basic biology, you will probably love this book! As an engineer and experimental scientist Dr. Becker opened my eyes to a whole new area of study which, politics aside, has the potential to change almost every person's life.



3. I'm not really one for science books, but this book has got to be the exception. If you have any chronic or 'incurable' disease, try to hold on - because fortunately there are at least a few doctors and researchers out there who are bright enough to think outside the box and challenge existing theories regarding the workings of the human body - in particular, the electricity of the human body and how it coincides with the universe.
   
   The author walks the reader through his discoveries that not only is it feasible for the human body to regenerate (just like the salamander's), but most likely, this is what our bodies were designed to do from the get-go, until we surrounded ourselves with electromagnetic fields of pollution so powerful that our perfectly designed DNA, immune systems, cardiovascular systems, endocrine systems, neuromuscular systems became 'confused' by all the external commotion.
   
   The author of this book represents what research 'should be' about, but for the most part isn't, and the reader cannot help but become a part of this researcher's emotion.
   
   If I ever have a chance to meet the author of this book, I will be honored. Until then, I will recommend this book to anyone who values the perfectly amazing life God gave them and the perfectly synchronized universe He created to sustain that life. I only pray that there are more reseachers out there bravely willing to poke holes in the current theories that the human body is merely a collection of chemical reactions, unopposed by a higher force.
   
   The author touches on this, and I am in agreement - I have to wonder if perhaps all the bad we see around us today - broken marriages, suicides, bombings, disease, pain, suffering, greed - is this merely a by-product of all the manmade electromagnetic distress surrounding each and every one of us on a daily basis? After reading this book, you will think twice about what we've sacrificed for the sake of 'technology' - everlasting life on earth.



4. Honestly, if I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
   
   I was worried this would be some hippy-dippy, new age ride, based on some of the chapter headings. But concealed behind the facade of odd chapter headings is a truly amazing scientific work. I'm blown away. Becker & Selden go into excruciatingly beautiful detail of any number of experiments exposing some of the electrical plumbing and electrical signaling going on in complex bodies. This includes bone regeneration through electrical currents, partial or complete limb regeneration in Rats and salamanders through electrical processes. It refers to known cases of young children (under 11 y/o) regrowing fingertips that have been severed in accidents and NOT been operated on, or had skin grafts that inhibit the regenerative process. They also go into the removal of bacterial infections with positive silver electrodes approximating the body's natural healing electrical currents. (I think I now know why colloidal silver is popular as an anti-infections agent and silver nitrate {I think?} is used when babies are born to ward off infection...)
   
   This book is written with the lay reader in mind. You don't need a medical background to understand and be enraptured by this book. As I may have said already (or not), I can't put it down. It's THAT GOOD! I hope this stuff is taught in medical school and more research goes into this field. I have the feeling it holds the key to higher level human regeneration and life extension (through making use of and maintaining the body's existing electrical systems)...
   
   Just... WOW!



5. The information was not what I expected in regard to a misleading title. Anyone in the acupuncture field, as I am, should not be persuaded to buy this book. It basically deals with reptilian experiments done 50 or more years ago. It is a biology book, in a sense. I wish I had not purchased it!

5 comments about ADA Complete Guide to Carb Counting.

1. I found this book very helpful finding the foods I eat regularly and how many carbs each food has. Thank you



2. Great book if you already eat healthy. However, not practical in todays fast paced world. Needs more food groups to help count carbs. Takes for granted you already know how to count carbs and you have visited a RD.



3. Very important information to help anyone with carb counts. Highly recommend.



4. THIS BOOK IS VERY USEFUL. I RECOMMEND IT TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HAVE A GUIDE LIKE THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH



5. This is a very handy and excellent source for people with Diabetes, or
   for anyone else who most restrict their carbs on a daily basis. It is
   very easy to use.

5 comments about Grayson.

1. A sweet story for any age. True, and the information given is stunning. Imagine swimming with a whale! Would be good to read aloud to a 9-12 year old, but I cry everytime with joy at the ending.



2. While listening to this tale as an audiobook, I was surprised to be sitting at the edge of my recliner! For a very simple premise, Lynne Cox crafted a plot with a lot of excitement.
   
   I was touched by the sense of communion between the human swimmer and the baby whale, each of them vulnerable and exposed.
   
   The communication and intelligence of the whales in this story, plus a mega-pod of dophins, made me think of the line, "Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish!" the title of Douglas Adams' fourth book in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. (Where Wonko the scientist posits that dolphins were the actual creators of planet Earth.)
   
   I now own Grayson in an audio format and as a hardcover book, and I consider it a treasure.



3. Grayson, by Lynne Cox is a wonderful concise book with lots to say. There are three different story threads running through it. The smaller thread is about a girl athlete with lots of will and determination, and the second is a nature story about the sea animals in southern California and the third thread is the most moving. It is an inspirational story about a girl tiring to help a young baby whale finds its mother. It is a story for all ages. I'm 38 and I loved it, bought one for my 1st edition collection, and I bought another for my younger ten-year-old sister.



4. The book grayson, a true life story of a then seventeen year old woman who encounters a baby gray whale in the Pacific near Long Beach, is a story that is poetically and so beautifully told it will linger, I guarantee, in the mind of the reader for a long time, if not forever. This book, about interspecies communication is so beautifully written that I have nothing but admiration for the writer and her exquisite sensitivity. It is a story that is deeply philosophical in nature as the writer describes metaphorically her maintenance of personal positivity and her own soul desire to communicate with this whale and its lost mother. Can we communicate non verbally, with each other, with other species? Read this book and ponder deeply. I recommend this and hope you love it as much as I did and do!



5. Reading "Grayson" is ....like Ms. Cox's 'Swimming to Antarctica" so wordy and stretched that the reader may give up before finishing. I did finish Grayson because I wanted to know the ending. I had even thought, when first reading, that I would give this book to my daughter who teaches Reading to fifth graders. But....I decided against it for the reason that I know they would love the first but really get bogged down before the final page. It's a great story but could have been condensed into perhaps 10 pages.

No comments about Alcamo's Laboratory Fundamentals of Microbiology, Eighth Edition.

5 comments about Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice (2nd Edition) (Foundations Of Clinical Research).

1. Excellent text for students just entering the profession to hard core researches.



2. This book is just incredibly good!!! It combined details with cool simplicity. A must have for researchers.



3. This is a book that I have used often through my graduate career. It served as a great textbook for a course I was taking and as supplementary material for other other courses on Statistics, Design and Research Methods.
   
   Well-organized and easy-to-read, it has become my first line-of-defense for all things related to research design. It covers the material in adequate detail so you have a good jumping off point in case you need to grab your SAS manual or your Stats text.



4. Although I have used this text as a reference (vs. reading it all the way through, or for a class) I have found myself returning to it often. In fact, I purchased it only because I had started to wear out the copy I had borrowed from a friend...and she was missing it because she used it frequently, too. The best aspect of this text is the way the authors use examples relevant to clinical research for nearly every statistical decision. No more extrapolating from educational research, medical research...I don't usually have that much imagination! Good book.



5. This is one of the basic book to clinical pactitioners. is very simple to apply the criteria and is very clear to novice researchers.