5 comments about The Art of Raising a Puppy.

1. I brought home an 8 week old shih tzu and used the recommendation to tether him in my room and provide a blanket for him to sleep on. After only 3 nights he was sleeping all night long and when he needs to go out in the morning he barks once. It is amazing how well this worked. I have read numerous puppy books and this one far exceeds any of the books. The focus is on understanding your new best friend and applying the proper techniques to raising a happy and obedient pet.



2. I have read tons of other training guides, and while I found this book a good read, it was not exactly helpful in terms of training. It focused more on their monastery, stories about dogs they trained, and the birthing process of a German Shepherd. Mind you, I'm big GSD lover so I enjoyed this book, but I wish I had purchased another book for more tips on training.
   Some of the tips offered are great and work well, but there should have been more. But do keep in mind the book's title! "The ART of Raising a Puppy," not "HOW to Raise a Puppy." So it's understandable that there are numerous stories and other bits of info. But if you're looking for a real how-to guide with a lot of tips, I would look elsewhere.



3. I really loved this book until we got our puppy. However it swiftly became apparent that the dog had never read the manual. I still got something out of it, but its hardly the guidebook to puppyhood I wanted.



4. helped me tremendously in understanding my newly purchased German Shepherd puppy. Their techniques work!
   Unlike many other books that I have read, the Monks understand that there is a balance between positive and negative reinforcement and a place for both praise and stern discipline.



5. Never have I been more impressed as a veterinary student at Cornell than when I visited the Monks of New Skete. Picture a dozen or more monks eating dinner around a large table, each with a German Shepherd dog lying quiety by his side throughout the entire meal. The monks have been doing this for decades- no reason to change their training methods because they work so well. Aren't we fortunate that they have been willing to share their trade secrets with the rest of the dog loving world.

5 comments about Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet.

1. Please read this book if you or anyone you know has bowell troubles. It will save you.



2. I was introduced to this diet 7 years ago. Began the diet with my physicians knowledge and was able to go prescription drug free within a year. The diet really works and the book not only gives the how to and recipes, it gives the scientific information to back up the evidence. I highly recommend this book/guide to all that suffer from intestinal disorders.



3. I bought this book for my 27 year old son. He has suffered with ulcerative colitis for 6 years. The last 4 years have been very bad. Bed ridden a few times a year. Heavy doses of drugs just to get it under control. Doctors where not much help at all. He was just miserable.
   He's been on the diet for almost 3 months. The first couple of weeks were very hard for him. He wanted to quit, I Talked him into giving it a month. He called me a few weeks ago and said ` Dad
   this is the first time in 4 years I've felt normal. I love this diet'.
   He's off the drugs and happy. The diet has made such a difference in his life, I wanted to share that with anyone having similar problems.



4. I usually don't write reviews, but this book has literally changed the lives of so many people in my family, I thought I'd at least have to thank Elaine for this book publicly.
   
   My mother has had Crohn's disease since she was a little girl, but Doctors didn't know what was wrong with her until later. She'd literally drink gallons of anti-acids and over time, began to think that everyone just went around having a stomach ache and other "bathroom" problems...that was normal to her.
   
   After having children, she had severe flare-ups that left her skeletal and hospitalized, fighting for her life. She went to a Naturapathic Doctor and he got her on a raw diet (free of processed flours or sugars, no meat, dairy, eggs or grains whatsoever). This healed her for the time being. She was able to maintain herself and go back to her regular eating habits carefully through having the next 5 children, but the last one, along with financial troubles and a death in the family left her stress levels frazzled, and made her immunity susceptible to the Crohn's. She went down to 100 lbs for her 5'8 frame and was too weak to walk. She tried to go back the raw diet, but it didn't help. Nothing did.
   
   The Doctors told her she didn't have Crohn's (even though she'd been diagnosed numerous times previously that she did), but Ulcerative Colitis and that cutting out her large intestine would solve the problem. She finally gave in and got the surgery and had a J-Pouch made from her small intestine to work as a small colon, but the surgeon made mistakes...he left a small hole which seeped toxic waste into her abdominal cavity causing excruciating pain. She convinced them that this was not normal, since not even the highest morphine doses were helping subdue all the pain. They fixed it, but she would regularly pass little titanium staples and once they found the reason behind another extremely painful gut pain: there was a staple that hadn't been closed all the way and was ripping her with its sharp edges. The doctors gave her a 1% to 2% solution of Nitroglycerin (yes, that Nitroglycerin: to make bombs) for the "butt burn" which made things worse and had her on numerous medications to mask all of her symptoms. Steroids, blood thinners, opiates, Azacol (the "cure all"), and dermatologist prescriptions for her Pyoderma gangrenosum: this is where you get deep ulcers on the skin of your legs that start as hard lumped hot-spots and then erupt (sorry, pretty graphic). All the while, her doctors and dietitians have told her to eat whatever she wanted. She had no reason not to trust them, but her doctor actually told her just recently: "You have exhausted my knowledge base." So, basically he'd give her whatever she wanted just to shut her up because he could no longer help her and her constant pains and burning.
   
   Happy Ending: A friend gave me the title to this book, I researched it and flew home to give it a go. They were tiresome of the "Cure-alls" that everyone was giving them. They tried Acupuncture, Homeopathy and herbs...you name it, they tried it. Why would this be any different? Because of the science behind it!
   
   The first day, she showed improvement and burning started to subside to the point that she has been on the diet for 3 weeks now and has stopped taking all of her medications, which I don't know if I would recommend because it was really hard for her and it might've been better to stay on the drugs and get better at the same time. But she couldn't tell if the diet was working or not past a certain point because she wasn't sure if the pain was being masked by the drugs. She was already trying to detox off Oxycontin when she started the SCD, but was sick of the withdrawals, so stopped cold turkey to get it out of her system.
   
   Currently her burning and pain levels are at a "1" and "2", 10 being the worst pain, and is off all medications. She now has only a small amount of pain in a specific spot (the doctor says it looks like a bruise and offered to just kill the nerve endings there...of course we said no! Come on, is there any holistic view here at all folks?) and though she was had a hard time with energy, she is getting stronger day by day! I share her entire story in case someone with similar experiences is searching for the answer because we couldn't find anyone who had a J-Pouch AND Crohn's!
   
   Perhaps someday she can transition into more raw foods for the concentration of energy and nutrients or at least juicing, since she has no large intestine, but for now, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" has saved her life along with my family's. She still has kids living at home that she can be a Mom to now: a 6 yr-old, a 10 yr-old, and a 16 yr-old. This has truly been a blessing.



5. This book offers help to those who have Chronic Intestinal Distress and is highly recommended.

5 comments about Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses.

1. I really like this book, it was written for me, someone with no experience making cheese. I will be using it a lot. I have other cheese making books and they are good as well, but this one makes me feel confident I will succeed at making cheese.



2. This is a very good book for aspiring cheese makers. The basics are clearly presented along with recipies and other interesting asides.



3. This is an excellent book and is well suited for the beginning cheese maker who has made a few cheeses and is ready to try some more advanced cheeses. The non-recipe sections of the book offer basic cheese making advice, troubleshooting tips, and a course overview of the cheese making process (no substitute for the very basic step-by-step instructions included in most beginning cheese making kits). However, once you've learned the basic cheese making process, this book will enable you to take your cheeses to the next level. The included recipes rely on a firm foundation of the steps involved, but provide all the details necessary to make these fabulous more advanced cheeses. My only complaint is that I wish they had covered even more varieties of cheese!



4. Definitely a great book for those looking to get into cheese making and learning some basics. Though, I would be nice if it got a little more into the science of each step, as this is important to know and especially when u would want to replicate cheeses. I've found, lots of questions after reading the book, which I fulfill by searching the web. Seems not enough people make homemade cheese though! One site I find my self regularly visiting to help in my cheese making endeavors is http://cheeseforum.org/



5. I bought this book after having purchased starter, lipase and rennet from another cheese supply company. Ricki owns and operates New England Cheesemaking and sells everything one needs to make cheese including starter in pre-measured packets. I was terribly disappointed to find that in her book, every recipe gives the measurement for starter in packets!
   
   I wrote in to her website only to receive no answer. My next step is a phone call. I have the book and unless I find out how much starter is in each package, it's useless.
   
   The recipes look nice, the book is well laid out and easy to understand, but I take issue with her attempting to get me to buy supplies only from her. There is more than one kind of lipase available, she only discusses the one she sells. What about us folks who have already purchased starter from someone else? How about a measurement in teaspoons? Or a conversion chart - not too difficult to do.
   
   My advice? If you are planning to buy this book, plan to buy starter from Ricki. It's more expensive, but you won't have the headache of trying to figure out the conversions.

5 comments about Anatomy Coloring Book, The (3rd Edition).

1. Good selection for me. I need it for class. It came promptly and what I could afford. Thank you.



2. I purchased both this and the Physiology Coloring Book and they are great! Not only does coloring in the images reinforce what I'm studying, but the text portion (explanations) are added bonuses. I highly recommend both.



3. I am still reading the book but overall the information given is good academically. I am preparing for ACSM examination & I feel this book will really help men in my studies. The detail info with diagram really help you to understand each part of the human body, this way no one will forget what he/she is reading.



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



5. This book was great for understanding and makes it more comprehensive to palpate the muscles when you give a massage. With so many layers of muscle, it is easy to distinguish each one. A very good guide.

5 comments about Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently.

1. Many of us have heard or have used the expression that "Perception Is Reality". Well with the work Greg Berns and others, it truly appears that perception is indeed the real and true reality. Another item that most of us know from experience, and especially if you have kids, is that the brain is lazy. Lazy in the sense that the brain is attempting to conserve as much energy as possible constantly and always.
   
   Therefore, though we as a race are a curious animal, learning is hard and is a constant struggle. As the neurosciences and the literature continues to grow, we learn more about how the brain works (and doesn't) and this is another fine addition to that growing collection.
   
   As this is of the introductory genre, the topics are somewhat limited in scope to:
   
   1) Perception,
   2) Fear Response, and
   3) Social Intelligence
   
   However, do not let the small scope deceive you as there is much inside to learn and worthy read. As the author indicates, if you want to learn or see things diffently, "the most effective solution is to bombard the brain with things never encountered before." As such, Enjoy.



2. I thought the book's premise regarding examining the thinking styles of "innovators" was a great idea. I did think there was an odd difference between what the author identified as "iconoclasts" and what I think of. Beyond vision, Berns throws in another attribute that I think does not fit with an iconoclast. He considers "selling" your idea as just as important an attribute as creativity to an iconoclast. I am not sure I agree with him. There are many examples of famous people who are great because they are great salesmen of someone else's ideas. That seems different to me. Which is the iconoclast: the one who gets rich by selling snake oil to millions or the one who really makes a new breakthrough in medicine (even if it isn't recognized)? It also seems that a person who doesn't think like most people would indeed not be good at knowing how to sell something to those people (because most iconoclasts wouldn't relate to what motivates the masses.) I also thought that there were iconoclasts not only with concrete products, but also in areas such as languages, literature, poetry, music, etc. which weren't really discussed (in favor of the more business/science fields...talk about left brain! ha ha) I do have more of an interest in Wernike's-/Broca's type brain behavior (I like Pinker's and Chomsky's books on neural language) so I have a different type of take on it, I know.
   
   Overall, I did like the book. It was an interesting perspective on success (which may or may not be important to everyone..especially an iconoclast.) I am glad that the book tried (and usually did) stay away from becoming a "business model" (like the "Who Moved My Cheese" "Seven Habits..." etc.) book.



3. Gregory Berns' "Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently" is a bit of a misnomer. For one, his definition of what an Iconoclast is appears to to be fluid. There are times in his work where he refers to someone as "not being an iconoclast" (but nonetheless talented) without any showing that the person in question is actually not an iconoclast. Second, "How to Think Differently" appears to be a combination of things you can control (nerves, perspective, etc) and things you cannot necessarily control (brain chemistry). I say "necessarily" because at the end of the book is a "how-to phamacopia" to alter brain chemistry which struck me as being akin to the anarchist's cookbook.
   
   Berns also reasons that the ability to think "differently" declines with age, a thesis elegantly stated in Howard Gardner's work Creating Minds: An Anatomy Of Creativity As Seen Through The Lives Of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, And Gandhi. Berns discussed Steve Jobs and Danny Branson as iconoclasts who have broken through to the mainstream and the struggle to remain on the cutting edge. There is something to be said about this as the lesson of Thomas Edison and the standards war between alternating current and direct current show us, it doesn't pay to back the wrong horse because you are so wedded to an idea. For more information on the AC/DC standards war, see AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War by Tom McNichol.
   
   According to Berns, one of the ways to think like an iconoclast is to have interactions with diverse people. Being exposed to different people leads to a muliplication of both challenges and opportunities - an issue in human history which is developed nicely by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies.
   
   In the end, Berns' book is nice... showing the reader that it is possible to think "differently" even if the book is not a "self-help" manual to actually think differently.



4. Although the author's criteria for iconoclasm is ironically rigid, this book does pop science right. Using a combination of colorful vignettes and artful explanations of scientific principles, Burns demonstrates the costs and benefits of iconoclasm. Make it through a slightly labored beginning and the reader is rewarded with a quite fascinating exegesis on iconoclastic behavior. Recommended.



5. This is overall a decent read but not all that the cover and jacket purport it to be.
   
   First, the use of the term "iconoclast" is inaccurate. The author focuses on innovators. To be an "iconoclast" is not synonymous with being an innovator. An iconoclast need only tear down the existing order, "smash the icons", if you will, and does not need to meet the author's definition of successfully creating a new order.
   
   The writing is generally at an approximately high-school-reader level, which makes it accessible to the general public. The description of neurologic pathways could be made easier for the uninitiated by means of more illustrations, perhaps. My background as a physician allowed me to understand all of the techno-babble but I realized that would certainly not be true for the average, albeit intelligent, reader.
   
   Finally, the major flaw in the thesis is the absence of any data linking the anecdotes describing iconoclasts to the scientific descriptions of neurologic pathways, evolutionary history, and experiments establishing the inhibitory effects of our brains on our perception and thinking. The most preganant sentence in the entire book appears on page 119, "...no experiment has directly examined the question of what is inside an iconoclast's brain,..." Hence, all of the discussion of iconoclasts is entirely speculative. Granted the true iconoclasts are unlikely to volunteer their time for Prof Berns' experiments, but certainly investigators in this field could at the very least stratify individuals along scales of risk tolerance and/or nonconformity and conudct the relevant PET experiments to see if these individuals are "wired" differently or have developed methods for overcoming the normal inhibitory mechanisms of the brain.
   
   Overall, a good first effort, but it clearly does not live up to the silly statements on the jacket (for which I primarily blame the publisher)that the reader will "See reality differentlyt, set aside your fear, and expand your social intelligence."

5 comments about Maxwell Quick Medical Reference (Maxwell, Quick Medical Reference Maxwell, Quick Medical Refe).

1. This quick medical reference is a sure must have especially for medical interns like me. It is a necessity for all medical students likewise.



2. a tiny little aid during rounds and rotations. it is perfectly color coordinated by categories, really easy to read and follow with the basic info on many subjects. i found the part on writing everyday patient notes extremely helpful since i tend to forget a few things.
   i decided to laminate the pages so that it can outlast stains and possible spills. wonderful purchase :)



3. this little book is awesome! it DEFINATELY helped me out & I highly recommend it!



4. Just a few cards.
   I regret to buy this b/c too expensive.
   Would rather buy another book with more info.
   We are never in a rush to find only limited info from these cards.



5. For $7.95...ok. Not exactly what I expected. Probably wouldn't buy it again if I had any idea how small it was. Info is good ...just not much of it and there's better stuff out there now.

5 comments about Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection.

1. I was sort of amazed that at least five reviewers here knocked Dr. Sarno's book because they couldn't find a method in the book to follow. For example:
   
   "I read it, and it didn't change a thing. And there is no description of the actual method."
   
   "Sarno's book helped me understand the cause of my back pain, but I was left with no clear steps to take to get rid of the pain."
   
   "Be warned -- there's no actual treatment plan in this book."
   
   "He doesn't tell you how to heal it (as the title suggests), but rather tries to drum into you the idea that you may, indeed, have his syndrome. After which you discover that the only way to heal it is through workshops/videos/personal consultations."
   
   "There's not one thing about his program. I certainly wouldn't have purchased it if I knew this wasn't his actual program, just a sales pitch for it. This was a waste of money."
   
   While other reviewers' critiques consisted of (inaccurately) boiling the method down to something like "If you're in pain, ask yourself what you're angry about and you will be healed."
   
   Well class, if you will kindly turn to page 70 in the book, as the table of contents suggests, here you will find the step-by-step method outlined under the unambiguously titled chapter called, "The treatment of TMS." Here are the steps, edited for brevity, for those of you who missed it, or haven't quite got the hang of learning how to read yet:
   
   © 1991 by John E. Sarno, M.D. Text quoted under fair use copyright law. No infringement is intended.
   
   The treatment program rests on two pillars:
   
   1. The acquisition of knowledge of insight into the nature of the disorder.
   
   2. The ability to act on that knowledge, and thereby change the brain's behavior. So, one must learn all about TMS. What actually causes the pain, and what part of the brain is responsible. Then one reviews the psychology of the disorder. The fact that we all tend to generate anger and anxiety in this culture, and that the more compulsive and perfectionistic of us generate a lot.
   
   3. What one must then do is develop the habit of "thinking psychological, instead of physical." I suggest to patients that when they find themselves being aware of the pain, they must consciously and forcefully shift their attention to something psychological. Perhaps, something they are worried about. A chronic family or financial problem. A recurrent source of irritation. Anything in the psychological realm. That sends a message to the brain that they are no longer deceived by the pain. When that message reaches the depths of the mind - the unconscious - the pain ceases.
   
   4. Talk to your brain. What one is doing is consciously taking charge, instead of feeling the helpless, intimidated victim which is so common in people with this syndrome. The person is asserting himself, telling the brain that he is not going to put up with this state of affairs. And it works. Patients report that they can actually abort an episode of pain by doing this.
   
   5. Resume all physical activity, including the most vigorous. Though it is often difficult, every patient has to work through his or her fear and return to full, normal physical activity. One must do this to liberate oneself from the fear of physical activity, which is often more effective than pain in keeping one's mind focused on the body. That is the purpose of TMS, to keep the mind from attending to emotional things. As Snoopy, the great contemporary philosopher once said, "There's nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems." I suggest to patients that they begin the process of resuming physical activity when they experience a significant reduction in pain, and when they are feeling confident about the diagnosis. One has to confront TMS - fight it - or the symptoms will continue. Losing one's fear and resuming normal physical activity is possibly the most important part of the therapeutic process.
   
   6. All forms of physical treatment or therapy must be abandoned. Conceptually, prescribing physical therapy contradicts what we have found to be the only rational way to treat the problem. That is, by teaching and through education, invalidating the process where it begins - in the mind.
   
   7. Review these 12 key thoughts at least once a day:
   
   1. The pain is due to TMS, not to a structural abnormality.
   2. The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation.
   3. TMS is a harmless condition caused by my repressed emotions.
   4. The principal emotion is my repressed anger.
   5. TMS exists only to distract my attention from the emotions.
   6. Since my back is basically normal, there is nothing to fear.
   7. Therefore, physical activity is not dangerous.
   8. And I must resume all normal physical activity.
   9. I will not be concerned or intimidated by the pain.
   10. I will shift my attention from the pain to emotional issues.
   11. I intend to be in control, not my unconscious mind.
   12. I must think psychological at all times, not physical.
   
   Patients are then urged to give this information an opportunity to "sink in," to be integrated, to be accepted at an unconscious level. Conscious acceptance, though essential as a first step, is not sufficient to reverse the TMS.



2. This book was recommended to me during a time I suffered from severe back and neck pain. The pain went on for over a year. I went to see many doctors and physical therapists, and none of them mentioned the side-effect connection. Finally, a massage therapist brought it to my attention that the anti-depressants I was taking was causing the pain. I stopped them, and my pain went away. It blows me away that Dr. Sarno has written a book without considering any of the many, many causes of back pain. He is doing his readers a real disservice. Doctors in general need to be much, much aware of side-effects. Any one with back pain, who is on anti-depressants, should consider whether these drugs could be causing the pain. Of course the drugs may be extremely important to one's overall health, but side effects should be taken into account.



3. I've read this book about 5 years ago, and didn't think about writing a review for it. Just now, as I was searching for something else, I came across this book and I had to write about it.
   
   Five years removed from my first encounter with it, I can safely say that it was a life changer. Like many here, I was suffering from back pain for many years, and did the whole chiropractor/muscle relaxers/x-rays/physical therapy thing, only to have my back pain come back some time later.
   
   As I was reading this book, I was dealing with yet another episode and frustrated with the crap the doctors were slinging at me. I was skeptical, until I had the x-rays done again, and they showed that I had the problem with the exact same discs described in the book. I started listening. Then I noticed that I indeed had the worst episodes after very stressful times. I was hooked. To make the long story short, I have not had a single episode of back pain, even in the slightest, in about 4 years (it took me a year to master what Dr. Sarno is describing.)
   
   People that rate this book low are doing it for the very simple reason - they do not get it. Many more do get it, and do free themselves from back pain - just look at the sales numbers of this book, and overall ratings.
   
   Definitely read the book, but read it whole. There is a reason why it is so long - you have to be convinced that your back pain has nothing to do with physical state of anything. And Dr. Sarno's credentials, and arguments he is using, are very convincing. Then do a little experiment, and next time your back hurts, do not take drugs, or do your usual, just try to convince yourself that your pain is not physical. You'll see - it works, and you'll be done with it forever.
   
   Finally, the reason why this book was a life changer for me, was because after going through it, and seeing how successful it is, I started to wonder what else am I capable of, what else do I convince myself of, and you'll be amazed at the answers.



4. I understand that sometimes back pain can be in your mind, but to attribute every type of back pain to always being in your head is a little far fetched.



5. Dr. Sarno's book was literally a lifesaver for me. I had heard about his revolutionary theories on the radio, and was fascinated with the mind-body connection. I don't have any back pain, but read the book applying the same theories to my migraines and frequent heartburn. The results were amazing. Improvement didn't occur overnight or without many, many re-reads of this book. But I credit Dr. Sarno and his theory regarding TMS as minimizing the impact of these chronic conditions in my life. After one year, I experienced probably about a 90% reduction in the occurrence of migraines and 80% reduction in the incidents of heartburn.
   
   Dr. Sarno's theories won't work for everyone. But for those open to exploring the mind-body connection, I believe his thought-provoking theory of pain is a revelation and provides an effective way to reduce chronic pain. It definitely worked for me.

5 comments about MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition.

1. The Modern Language Association has developed a crisp contemporary style with ready application well beyond the realms of modern literature. The style is an evolution of Chicago style. The reference format for the "Works Cited" in MLA-speak, are virtually indistinguishable from those in Chicago-style bibliographies. However, MLA has added a unique parenthetical "author-page" citation to reference sources in the text. This is easy for both scholars and non-scholars alike to comprehend and use, making this a good general-purpose style.
   
   The MLA Handbook does an excellent job of representing the style, though with occasional foibles. These tend to be more a distraction than a nuisance, and are often ignored when the style is used in scholarly publication. For example, there is a marked predisposition for the use of abbreviations in references. This is unnecessary, and can present some rather unsavory phrases when sounded out, such as "U of Chicago P" for University of Chicago Press. Page space is rarely so confined as to make the parsimonious use of letters productive, so many authors and journal editors forgo this frugality. The handbook devotes an entire twenty-page chapter to the topic.
   
   There is a tendency in the handbook expand features beyond their useful application. In the last edition the requirements for presenting quotations was elaborated far beyond the needs of most scholars. This was circumscribed in the current edition, but references to electronic sources were elaborated far beyond their credible application. Such references can have up to fifteen elements! An ephemeral online source cannot be made permanent and credible by elaborating the reference to it, and this appears to be an attempt to do just that. These features, too, can be employed as needed or safely ignored.
   
   Missing from the handbook is any reference to the use of headings and subheadings in research papers. The handbook claims that most instructors discourage their use. However, an informal sampling of articles published in the MLA's own journal, PMLA, found that about half did make use of subheadings. This seems a bit hypocritical, especially in a handbook that gets a mite preachy about plagiarism. Do as I do, do as I say, or what? To be credible the handbook should reflect the style as applied in print.
   
   These criticisms border on the trivial simply because there is nothing else to complain about. At its best, the style employs simple rules. For example, if a number can be written in one or two words write it out. Otherwise use numerals, and always use numerals for precise measures. In contrast, APA (American Psychological Association) style has elaborate rules requiring some small numbers to be written as words, others as numerals. MLA style is free of such exceptions. As long as the style and handbook are approached with a measure of tolerance for its idiosyncrasies, it is easy to use and adequately comprehensive for all the tasks of scholarship. Only if you have delved into other research styles such as APA, AMA (American Medical Association), and Chicago can you appreciate the simplicity of MLA style and the masterly way it has been documented in the handbook. There is elegance in ordered simplicity, and more so than any other research style, MLA style has achieved that elegance.



2. This book was for a college class that my sister had, and it worked out just fine.



3. it seems to have everything that i needed in it and has more pertinent information than the internet. Has been pretty useful for me so far



4. This book seems to answer all questions I had and all questions I am likely to have.



5. I found this book to be very helpful and in great condition.
   
   thank you

5 comments about Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me.

1. This is truly a touching account of how a man and his dog first of all change each other, and then reach the heart of those in need. And just when you think it's done, along comes his own struggle for which yet another dog reaches into his own heart. Special thanks to those who allowed him to share their challenges. A healing read.



2. I would recommend this book to friends and family most highly. It is a heart warming tale of canine compassion and human frailty. I plan to keep it in my library for years to come so that my children and grandchildren may read it. Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me



3. Jon Katz can't write a bad book. The only complaint I have is that once I get his latest book, I read it so fast that the wait for the next one is interminable.



4. Another wonderful and warm tale from Jon Katz on his journey thru life,accompanied by his faithful dogs and other creatures on his Bedlam farm in upper New York.I have read all of his previous "farm" books and highly recommend this latest adventure.



5. This is a very tender tale of the peculiar senses dogs have that humans don't--and the bonds between the two.

5 comments about A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Seventh Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing).

1. This new edition of the venerable Turabian manual is no more than a rough draft. It is perhaps a second draft, but a work in process nonetheless. The need for a deft ediorial hand to finish work is soon evident to any knowledgable reader. First, the same material on tables and figures is covered in two separate sections. This material could have been consolidated in one place. Second, essential information on references is overly wordy and convoluted, requiring five chapters to present the same material that needed just one in the previous edition. Third, there is a serious lack of focus. The promise of the first section is not fullfilled in the second. The focus shifts. Were this a thesis or a dissertation, it would not get past the student's advisor to the full committee. Were this an article submitted for publication, the editor would return it for needed revisions. Were this a patchwork body of Dr. Frankenstein's creation, it would still need an energizing spark to bring it to life.
   
   There are two distinct sections to this text. The first is an elementary, but polished, introduction to crafting research papers by eminent and accomplished scholars. The second seeks to present "Chicago style for researchers and students," which is the subtitle of the volume. The transition between the two is not smooth. While the first section is for beginners, the second is for advanced students, presenting numerous graphics to help format a dissertation, but just a single graphic for class papers, a title page. Thus, the neophyte is given the task of inferring from the format of a dissertation how a class paper should look. This seems backwards. Shouldn't the task of translating from one format to another be given to the more advanced student? Better yet, why not present both formats? Students writing a dissertation are well beyond needing the elementary guide to doing research found in the first half of the book. The focus shifts from beginner to near-professional with no closure for the beginner and no preparation for the grad student. Could this be the patchwork creation of a mad (but competent) scientist?
   
   An appendix is the literary equivalent of an afterthought, and that is where the page format graphics have been relegated. Apparently the editors of this venerable "manual of writers of research papers," considers the format of words, sentences, tables, figures, paragraphs, and quotations more important than their presentation on the page. Perhaps, "A Manual for Writers of Research Text" would be a more honest title. The subtitle, not the title, appears to be the ordering principle of the second half of the book--Chicago Style for for Researchers and Students. The emphasis is on the style and not the final product, the research paper. This may be a fine point to some, but both the APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association) place page formats in the body of their style manuals.
   
   The previous edition presented the three Chicago reference formats--footnote/endnote, bibliography, and reference list--side by side in a single chapter. This proved so effective that the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style elected to do the same thing. But this edition of the Turabian manual has expanded this one chapter into five. The question is why, for whom? Shouldn't students be treated to the simpler presentation? William of Occcam is the author of a famous priciple in philosophy know as Occam's Razor. He argued that when given a choice of alternative explanations the simplest will generally prove the most reliable. About 600 years later, William Strunk, Jr., advised his students to "omit needless words," and we might add, needless chapters.
   
   Given these observations, how would you grade a text with these problems? To me, it reads like a rough draft in need of additional work. I would not want to present a text in this condition to a dissertation committee. And by that standard, a revised edition is called for. With both the Turabian manual and Chicago manual on my bookshelf, I invariably go to the Chicago manual when I have a question. Ironically, with the previous editions of both texts it was the other way around. The new Turabian manual does manage to cover the essential features of Chicago style, and though it is a great buy at amazon prices, it is no bargain. It is a disjointed patchwork offensive to a disciplined mind. Dr. Frankenstein, would you care to hazard a second opinion?



2. The item I received was exactly what I ordered at a lower price than I would have paid at our university bookstore.



3. If you are a student and are wondering how to write a paper. This book offers great DETAILED advice in making sure your paper is what you wanted it to be. You can find clarity in the details of which are at times a step-by-step walk through of the sometimes daunting task of writing a major paper (thesis, dissertation, etc.). Use the book and enjoy how much you will learn from writing your paper and how much you will be able to teach with your paper.



4. 2007's "A Manual for Writers" is the 7th and latest edition of Kate L. Turabian's indispensable guide for writing research papers, theses, and dissertations. As currently revised, it is consistent with the Chicago Manual for Style and with today's internet and information technology learning environment.
   
   This edition is divided into three general sections. The first is a detailed and extensive guide to the challenging craft of research and writing for academic and professional purposes. The second section is the standard guide to source citation, including for this edition notes on citing "informally published electronic sources." The third section is the standard reference on style.
   
   Turabian's has been the standard reference for writing for generations of college students. This latest edition is very highly recommended as an easy-to-use and authoritative guide for today's student and researcher.



5. We were required to buy and use Turabian's manual throughout college so I've used a few different versions but I liked this one the best because it was a lot easier to navigate. This is an essential if you are in college because it will help you successfully format any paper for any situation. It is great for history majors (I have an B.A. and M.A. in history) and for many other majors as well. This is a must have.