book-report Books

Clifford A. Pickover is a Renaissance man. He may not like the label but for me it is one of the highest accolades of intellectual accomplishment. A quick scan through this book is enough to confirm his standing: mathematics, computer programming, art, medicine, music, speech, biochemistry, electronics, education, biology, aesthetics etc. etc. It's all there.

This is one of my favourite books and is getting quite dog-eared by the constant use it gets. It is a book to enjoy as well as to refer-to, a book to cheer you up and to fill you with wonder. Not that it is perfect mind you. Far from it. It is now quite dated and the illustrations could do with a decent makeover. The treatment is often abrupt and episodic and the writing is sometimes hurried and muggy. But who cares! The overall effect is of frenzied genius and lively enquiry.

My main interest was in Chapter 14. Dynamic Systems. It is not an in-depth treatment by any means but it yields some beautiful ideas. I implemented and experimented with most of the algorithms in the chapter. They work and provide some essential insight into the evolutionary nature of most complex systems.

Get the book. The reference list by itself is worth the price.

Perhaps for the new century the technology is a bit out of date, but this book is a well written introduction to both basic and complex computer graphical ways of describing mathematics and natural phenomena.
An excellent feature of the book is its pseudocoding used to explain concepts and to be used by the reader as stepping off points for the amateur computer programmer to play.

In Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty, Clifford Pickover focuses on how theories of fractals and chaos lead to computer-generated graphics - and how graphics in computers have connections to the unseen world. From how data is processed and displayed to patterns present in complicated data, this provides both artists and scientists with an intriguing set of concepts.

This book inspires and entrances with something for everyone, from the adventurer with an artistic eye, to the most esoteric mathematics devotee. At practically any level of understanding, it provokes the desire for learning, and an aesthetic appreciation for math that is usually reserved for those who make higher math their lives' work. Best of all, this book can be "grazed", i.e., read out of order and sporadically, gaining benefit where one may. A must-browse for anyone who has ever wondered how mathematics could ever be interesting or powerful.

The algorithms presented in the book are simply too fascinating to be true. Each illustration of fractals or the strange attractors are accompanied by an algorithm which I tried with "C" language. They work excellently and it is a visual treat to watch the fractals unfold, strange attractors trace out intricate patterns and the Pascal Triangle rise like a phoenix before your own eyes. Each algorithm you translate into a program gives you immense joy at having discovered a new hidden hand that leads nature and beauty through the illuminating principles of mathematics and reaveals the deepest mysteries of nature in close collusion with the arcane folds of mathematics.

Utterly absorbing!! Someone actually DISCARDED this book!! I was the lucky person who found it on the discards pile.

Written from the point of view of a "You Were There" journalist, the author keeps the subject matter and the tone of writing IN the 18th century and draws the reader in.

I was utterly amazed at the way the in-fighting, bickering, arguing and rhetoric that tended to demolish all efforts to reach a reasonable meeting of the minds in constructing the Constitution finally came together to (almost) everyone's satisfaction.Jeffrey St John's style of writing is de-personalized in the BEST sense-- the actions come through loud and clear as though the reader was actually watching a live broadcast of events.

The book kept me on the edge of my seat in some places.

WELL DONE!!!!

The 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution resulted in a series of columns by J St. John. These 1787 meetings were secret, no official records were kept. But the notes of James Madison and others survived to reconstruct daily events. The original intent of this meeting was to revise the Articles of Confederation (Appendix 1), but a new Constitution resulted (Appendix 2). There is no index.

Many of the basics were the subject of debate and controversy. Some called the result a "miracle" (p.x), but it shows the power of a committee whose members work to the same ends. This book attempts to portray the meetings as an evolving news story, as it was happening. Most Americans do not understand the Constitution, because it is poorly taught in schools from unclear text books (p.xiv). Deliberate obfuscation? These 230 pages are a remedy. This book will give a short introduction into the daily operations of this historically important event.

The Constitution has endured for over 200 years because it is a framework (p.131), not a detailed plan that can't be adapted to changing situations. The Constitution has endured as long as it is in the interest of "We the People" to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity. The hidden agenda of the convention was to create a strong national government that had veto power over all state laws (5-20-1787). The most important reason was the question of domestic and foreign commerce. Rivalries between the bankers and merchants of the North against the planters of the South prevented Congress from regulating trade (5-23-1787). Both forces would unite against farmers and the common people, and the danger of too much democracy (5-29-1787). The Convention wanted to avoid the failures of the Articles of Confederation. The Confederacy owed [money amount]in debt and needed to find a way to pay off their debts (p.139).

The unlimited powers of the Royal Governors made the delegates fearful of a single executive. The consequences of consolidating power was fatal to ancient republics (6-2-1787). Experience rather than abstract arguments shaped the Convention (6-4-1787). Neither the executive nor the legislature should have absolute power. The big problem was to create a national government that would provide balance between the large and the small states. States would be equally represented in the Senate, the lower House would be directly elected by the people, based on proportion to population. This was the key to creating a new national government (p.110). The Southern states were more numerous and wealthy than the Northern states; their method of computing political representatives won (7-12-1787). The Convention unanimously rejected "wealth" as the basis for representation; they should not fear the growth of population (7-13-1787). The new government would be a compound of national and federal government (7-17-1787). A Supreme Court was established, with lower courts (7-18-1787). A single powerful executive would be elected by the people to control the legislature (7-19-1787). The importance of impeachment was discussed and adopted (7-20-1787). The executive was given a veto (7-21-1787). The Constitution would be ratified by the people, not State Legislatures (7-23-1787). The office of President did not exist under the Confederation (p.133).

Each year in September is a little known holiday known as Constitution Day - timed to be around the close of the Constitutional Convention in September 1787, this day is honoured at the college where I teach by speakers in a special forum, and the gift of pocket versions of the Constitution for all interested students.

However, the Constitution is heavily in the news, more than we often realise. When the election of 2000 was contested, the Constitution became primarily important; it is always in the background of Presidential elections, but this time it came to the forefront. In the current situation between Chief Justices (a relatively rare occurrence in American history), once again the Constitution is big news. We the people are interested, and we the people should be interested. However, we the people often have little concept of how this formative and foundational document came into being. Jeffrey St. John provides an answer to this situation, in very engaging and accessible style.

This is a journal, a day-by-day account, done in a sort of combination of journalistic and court-reporting styles. Of course, we have no direct journal of this sort, as the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention were strictly secret (not the kind of thing that would play out well in our media-saturated world - CSPAN and CNN among others would certainly expect to be there!). Indeed, those who went to the Constitutional Convention in May 1787 were charged with a reformation of the Articles of Confederation, not the drafting of a new Constitution. History had a surprise in store.

This is not the only area of interest. St. John's documentation shows the different influences into the formation of the Constitution - while it is common to look to classical times and contemporary European governments for influences and inspiration, in fact the most memorable words of the Constitution come from the constitution of the Iroquois League, drawn up in 1520, which began with the words 'We the people, in order to form a union...'.

The various federal structures, the separation of state and federal powers and responsibilities, the debates over how representation is carried out (and who gets represented; the issue of slavery was contentious from the start, and one can clearly see the seeds of the Civil War being planted even at the Constitutional Convention) - these are all portrayed with clarity and candour.

The Constitution was not a document that was intended to be from the outset, nor was it passed unanimously (indeed, not all states were represented at all times of the Convention, not all delegates appointed attended, and one state never participated at all). Some of the founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, made references to divine intervention being key in the process; Franklin at the end made the warning about the government being a Republic, 'if you can keep it' - no doubt recalling the fall of other great republics in the history of the world.

This is a fun and exciting book to read, a real page turner. It was published in 1987 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the Constitution; former Chief Justice Warren Burger provides a foreword for this text.

This is a great and inspiring story, one that should be of concern to Americans of all types and walks of life. We are all 'we the people'.

I'm a nerd. 95% of my books are computer-related. This book will gave me an appreciation of what an extraordinary event the convention was. Several times it shows how it could have so easily fallen apart or gone off in a different direction (and Lord knows what kind of land this would be if it had). This book and another great book called 'Voices of 1776' will give you an awesome sense of how lucky we are to be what we are today. I cannot recommend this book more highly. (BTW, did you know that the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who went on to become presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died within two hours of each other on July 4, 1826 - 50 years to the day the Declaration was signed?)

Fantastic series! Read all three.

The Kelly Blue Book would go nicely with this book. Consumer Reports has always been a no nonsense magazine. Coupled with current pricing from the KBB, you should have no problem deciding what you want in transportation.

I rarely take the time to review something. But for anyone out there who might be waffling I would STRONGLY encourage you to purchase this. Consumer Reports has spent YEARS studying and researching cars. Find out what used cars are best. I always spend a significant amount of time studying Consumer Reports before I ever walk out of the door.

You'll be surprised what you learn. Cars you thought were top-notch may have years where they had serious problems. The insights you learn will save you thousands of dollars and tons of frustration. It will be the BEST 10 bucks you ever spend!

I'm tempted to write down my address because I know you'll want to send me a gift for recommending this!

Buying a used car? Read the "Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide" first.

Rather than depend on the advice of semi-knowledgeable friends, a mechanic biased toward a car maker and not a specific vehicle, or by looking to see what your neighbor drives, you can depend on this.

I bought my last two cars using earlier guides.

In it, I found lists of "Good Bets," which are cars the authors consider to perform well over the years. That is guiding my purchase. I won't buy a car not listed there. I also found lists dividing reliable cars by price range, which cars have had recalls, unreliable models (by year), and detailed descriptions of the pros and cons of each vehicle.

That's not all. There are also articles on safety, buying strategies, batteries, insurance, towing, depreciation, tires and child car seats.

It is not a complicated book. It is straight to the point, with minimal car jargon. Novices like myself are not overwhelmed by information I am not concerned with.

I am interested in safety, performance, cost of repair and related information. I found all of this here. A Corolla from 2003 is not the same as one from 2002. While this is obvious, this guide helps is know why each is worth what they say.

I fully recommend "Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide." I am confident that because I have read it and will refer to it while I shop for an auto online, I am prepared to save money and to buy a better vehicle. You still need to test drive the vehicle, but this will help get you to that test.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

I have always used this book when purchasing new and used cars, gives the buyer an edge both for quality and price. It is now in a different format and I believe doesn't include as much information as when published in book form, rather than this extended magazine format. But, in this day when we must watch every penny, it is a must.

This book is such a great resource for buying a used car. Especially the real world MPG and reliability ratings. I'll never start research to buy another car without it.

This book "Cover-up of a Royal Murder;Hundreds of Errors in the Paget Report" by John Morgan, covers very adequately all the events leading up to and including the crash of the Mercedes that Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were involved in on August 30,1997. In this book, Morgan also contributes much to the later investigation of the said events by exposing the inadequate conclusions arrived at in the Paget Report, as well as the obvious sifting of evidence by ignoring certain witness statements while accepting others,as well as the assignment of certain characteristics to witnesses,without qualifying their reason for doing this;the handling of contradiciive statements in the interrogation of witnesses;the conflicting testimony of those involved in the handling of tissue and fluid specimens from the bodies of Diana and Dodi Al Fayed;the reluctance of French authorities to respond appropriately to the investigation;etc.
Mr.Morgan has a clear and excellent, very readable writing style. His putting together of the actions and interactions that took place in the Alma Tunnel in the minutes prior to, during, and immediately after the crash, are very dramatic and well organized.

He adequately points out the flagrant negligence of the Paget report in so far as giving accurate evidence of their conclusions;the possible tampering with, of evidence, and dogmatic conclusions that are baseless in the face of obvious evidence to the contrary;the fact that Paget focuses on what witnesses did not see, rather than what they actually claimed to see(ie, evidence of the white Fiat Uno is described by several witnesses as being a central part of the collision and yet is discounted by Paget even after finding paint from the Fiat on the Mercedes);the altering of witness accounts as to locations,times,descriptions given;failure to adequately address the accusations of assassination("Franz Klein...told him that John Macnamara had said to him that he suspected murder rather than an accident...."-Pg 451 of "Cover-Up"),claims of threats against the bodyguards;the refusal of NSA/CIA to allow Paget access to their files on Diana;etc.

Mr.Morgan shows through a very thorough investigation of the facts, as compared with the Paget report, how the report is riddled with errors, dogmatic statements, third person summaries, failure to connect in a timely and factual manner, events and circumstances that led up to the crash, as well as failure on the part of the Paget report to adequately record testimonies of the persons and witnesses involved in these events, including crucial evidence of there being possible intent to deliberately distract the Mercedes driver and cause the crash;the questionable actions and statements of the physician who stopped to render aid;the destruction of photographs taken after the crash showing that Diana was alive and responding to caregivers;etc.

Mr Morgan exposes the generalization and speculations of the Paget report for the lack of evidence to prove their conclusions;ie, the altering of certain witnesses' testimonies in order to change the meaning;lack of specifics regarding pertinent details;inadequate timelines related to events leading up to and including the crash;acceptance of certain witnesses testimony without sufficient evidence to support their testimony, which did not agree with other witnesses;changing of testimonies of key witnesses;autopsy errors(ie,"there is no biological analysis of the liver, pancreas or other viscera [of Henri Paul] - yet Henri was accused of being an alcoholic"). According to this investigative report, the same incompetent person did the post mortem examination on Diana, and she was(for some unknown reason) embalmed before turning her body over to the family-"rendering any toxicology and pregnancy test pointless."

It is very obvious, from the evidence presented by John Morgan in "Cover-Up," that Henri Paul was not legally intoxicated, in fact not even to the point of it being detectable by those around him who knew what to look for(ie, the bodyguards) The evidence Mr.Morgan gives shows that without a doubt, the original pathologist was either incompetent, or very careless in the tests that she ran on the body of Henri Paul, which is why later tests were subsequently necessary.

These failures of the studies done by the pathologists may explain why so many of them resigned from the case, as noted in "Cover-Up."
The ineffective use of surveliance cameras at key points, and the failure of Paget to interview key persons involved in monitoring such equipment;failure to partition off the area of the crash for investigation; failure to provide for adequate lighting to support the investigation, along with the mishandling of information that resulted from the use of inadequate lighting in both cases;the premature cleanup of the said area before completion of the investigation by proper authorities is detailed in "Cover-Up."

The fact that pedestrians saw high tech cameras being used within a very short time after the crash and were witnesses to what actually happened, were being sent out of the tunnel by these cameramen and their assistants. According to John Morgan,these photos were never seen by the public or the police.
Mr Morgan compares the two cars the Mercedes 600 with the inferior S280 that was substituted and in which Dodi Al Fayed and Princess Diana were riding on the night of the crash, and shows how the Paget Report failed to follow through on evidence of pre-crash tampering with the latter vehicle, and compares the position of certain vehicles in and around the Mercedes in which Dodi and Diana were riding, in the final moments just before the fatal crash.

The evidence of error in the Paget Report is glaring. It is obvious that much of what happened in the Alma Tunnel prior to and following the crash, was not adequately followed up on in that investigation. "Cover-Up" mentions that much of the evidence given by pedestrians is not even mentioned in the report, neither is the fact that one of the motorcycles cut across in front of the Mercedes at one point just before the crash, flashing a blinding light into the face of the driver of the Mercedes, according to some witnesses, as recorded in "Cover-Up."

There is also indication according to "Cover-Up," that OPCI was aware of factors involved in the fatal crash, that were not revealed or addressed in their report;ie,interrogation of the drivers of other vehicles not associated with the Paparazzi(ie, the white Fiat Uno & the large black motorcycle);why no attempt was made to track down these vehicles;the mysterious death of the owner of the white Fiat Uno(James Andanson) in 2000, and his former association with Dodi Al Fayed and Diana;witness reports of strange behavior of the drivers and passengers of the said vehicles;why some witnesses claimed they saw a flashing light just prior to the crash;lack of proper witness interrogation by authorities at the scene, and changing of certain witness testimony in later interviews;photos taken before, during, and after the crash are missing and were never followed up on;the obvious negligence in giving emergency care to Diana is thoroughly covered by Mr.Morgan in a detailed report, showing that it took almost two hours to get her to a hospital that was only a few minutes away.
"Cover-Up" shows in detail that the post crash investigation was not thorough and that the evidence was obliterated before the proper authorities could complete their investigation.

COVER-UP OF A ROYAL MURDER :
Hundereds Of Errors in the PAGET REPORT
by John Morgan,
is a MUST READ.

Anyone who cares about corruption, abuse of power at the top and the lies surrounding the timely and conveninet deaths of Diana and Dodi and how it was all covered-up in an attempt to pass it off as JUST AN ACCIDENT , for nearly 11 years, will not be able to put down this book.

This book is an eye-opener into what is happening to a Great nation as it gives in to abuse of power and corruption at the top where even the Police is called in to cover-up crime and withhold evidence from Courts of justice and inquiries.

This is a MUST read for every person who is concerned about world corruption and abuse of power which leads to the destruction of innocent people and those who are trying to help them ,such as Diana the Princess of Wales.

John Morgan's book is a book, which once started cannot be put down as it is excellent from start to finish, easy to understand and follow and serves a very valid purpose as a moral eye-opener and a global awareness alarm.

John Morgan's book astounded me, a must read book. I found the book enthralling and I could not put it down, as I could not wait to see what else was wrong with the report.
The author is also outstanding in the way he has found the evidence that to me proves Diana was murdered and not killed accidentally. It is obvious to me that the Paget Report has mishandled the report with missing evidence and false so-called evidence. To think, the present inquiry uses the Paget Report, what a fallacy.
The author has found so much evidence that is not in or has been changed in
the report. I have to wonder how the report was concocted at such great cost.
I just hope that this book brings to light some of the evidence the
author has found and is taken into account.

I found John Morgan's book totally gripping. It is a must read book for anyone seeking the truth of Princess Diana's death. John Morgan has written much about mistakes and crucial evidence in the Paget Report. It opens ones eyes to think that this report is being used in the enquiry into Diana's death. It is a fallacy. The author has made it clear that her death was not accidental, but a conspiracy to murder.
A good deal of information was left out of the Paget Report. For example, some witnesses were not interviewed or investigated or if they were, their information was not included. The treatment of Diana's injuries and the time it took to get her to a hospital is another issue. If she had had appropriate treatment she could have lived. That obviously wasn't wanted. Also evidence at the scene of the crime was removed before the experts arrived. This is an amazing book and one I will read again.
It has given me an interest too into the enquiry being held now in England. If it is based on the Paget Report, it will be a grave miscarriage of justice.

John Morgan's book contains compelling evidence of the death of Princess
Diana not being accidental as reported. It is brilliantly written, and a
huge amount of research must have been put into this book.

Reading 'Cover-up of a Royal Murder' convinced me beyond doubt that Diana
was the victim of sinister and deliberate series of acts of conspiracy
that caused her death. As I read the book, I was astounded at
the volume of evidence pointing to criminal involvement rather then an
accident.

As the author shows the Paget Report certainly has many holes and incorrect evidence in it, and yet it has been produced for the enquiry being held. The thought of the enquiry being conducted using the Paget report doesn't make any sense at all, so I hope this is taken into account in the British enquiry.

I love this book! I still refer to it when I have a question about my credit reports and/or credit score. Everytime I open this book I learn something new! I bought one for my brother and my sister also. :O)

After reading this book, I feel like I finally understand what is in my credit report and I will feel CONFIDENT when I apply for my next car or home loan!

This is a very straightforward guide to undertanding credit. It discusses all of the major issues from how credit is calculated to what items you can work on to improve your standing over time.

This is a great resource for anyone who wants to take control of their credit.

I had been looking for some kind of resource to educate myself about what I could do to improve my credit score. A friend recommended "CreditBooster" and I was very happy to find it extremely helpful and easy to understand. It lays out step-by-step what I should do to start improving my credit score in simple, concise terms. It also made sure to explain what different financial terms mean without getting bogged down in confusing jargon.

I learned a lot of things I didn't know about budgeting, managing my money, and not getting in over my head with debt. I will definitely use what I learned from "Credit Booster" to avoid making the same mistakes again.

Written by the editors at InCharge Education Foundation, Creditbooster: Ultimate Guide to Better Credit Score: Unlock the Mysteries of Your Credit Report and Improve Your Credit Score is a step-by-step plan for improving one's credit score regardless of how low it is presently. Chapters cover how to read and understand one's credit report and credit history, how get mistakes removed from a credit report, when it's best to resolve serious problems on one's own and when one needs to get help, how to build credit when one has none or one has recently divorced, rebuilding credit after bankruptcy, and much more. A no-nonsense, savvy guide for readers of all backgrounds, highly recommended.

Bashar Katirji has certanly done it. Neroligists every where should definetly get this book. With its detailed pictures and details in general, it would out come any old book. Please write some mor Katirji!!

This book is the result of more than fifteen years of teaching EMG to medical students, neurology residents first at the University of Pittsburgh and, lately, at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The objective of this book is to provide a practical discussions of the most commonly encountered disorders in the EMG laboratory, using typical and real case studies.

Excellent clinical book, covers most clinical cases in EMG. Amust to all neurologists and physiatrists.

I studied this book many times (resident, fellow, before exams), and every time I found myself learning from it more and more.
It is about 300 pages, with 25 cases. The first 16 cases deal with common entrapment neuropathies, radiculopathies, etc in upper and lower extremities (8 cases each). The last nine cases are oriented for generalized diseases such as Myasthenia, AIDP, botulism, etc. Each case starts with history/exam followed by few questions. The next 2-3 pages are the NCS/ENG findings. The next 5-15 pages (varies between cases) are rich with very informative discussion about the electrophysiological findings, anatomy with pictures and charts, clinical with few tables, then a lengthy electrophysiological explanations about the particular case and its differential diagnosis, with many tables( key EMG muscles, LEMS versus MG). The case ends with a follow up.
As I said above, I keep learning from this book, and I do not hesitate to recommend it.

Hi! I'm Linda Katirji, and Bashar Katirji is my dad. If you lived in my house in Ohio, you would know how long my dad worked on this book. Day and night he sat at this darn computor and wrote this book... he put so much hard work into it. Even though i cant understand half the "doctors lingo" as he calls it, (i'm only 13) i can see the effort he put into it and the satistfaction he got out of it. Even if only 10 people bought this book, he would be thrilled and i'm very proud of my dad. Dad, i applaud you.

As a professional writer whose audience is primarily ESL speakers, I was surprised to find I still had a lot to learn. This book taught me some new tricks. It should be required reading for anyone who writes for an ESL audience. It's easy to read, well-organized, and full of practical examples.

I think Dr. Weiss's new book, "The Elements of International English Style" should be compulsory reading for anyone who creates documentation, with the possible exception of literary works. He rightly places the responsibility of the legibility of a document on the writer, rather than the reader who should be concentrating on the ideas or processes discussed, without having to struggle with the medium. Well done!

Nurel Beylerian Ph.D., PE

With the publication of The Elements of International English Style, Dr. Edmond Weiss has provided writers a "Strunk and White" for the 21st Century and the Internet. He does this through a stimulating presentation of coherent principles -- simplicity, clarity, correspondence, cultural adaptation; through rules of usage presented as 57 tactics for writers; and through numerous helpful examples and illustrations. Writers of English in a global environment have a wise and valuable guide and resource in Dr. Weiss and his book.

For about 10 years, I have given every new employee of my engineering firm a copy of Edmond Weiss's 100 Writing Remedies. I came across International English when I was ordering new copies and now I'm going to give this one to new employees also. There's something that business and technical people need to know on every page. And I had a shock of recognition when he explained why "yes" doesn't always mean "yes" in negotiations with "high context" suppliers. I hope the business schools will make this book required reading.

As a translator and writer who often produces English documents for readers who are not native speakers of English, I have long wrestled with the problem of how to adapt my English writing style so that it is understandable to the widest possible audience. This book offers many useful ideas and pointers for people like me: avoid ambiguous and culturally-bound expressions, anticipate how individual words will be translated by readers into their native languages, avoid sarcasm and humor, and much more. I thus recommend this book strongly.

I wish, though, that it had been more carefully edited. In my first few minutes of skimming through it, I came upon several embarrassing errors: "The shorter Oxford English Dictionary has 25,000 entries" (p. 17) should be "The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has [some much larger number of] entries"; references to "German-English" and "Hebrew-English" dictionaries (pp. 21-22) should be to "English-German" and "English-Hebrew" dictionaries; the example sentence "an investigate trail is cold" (p. 23) must be a typo (of "an investigation trail is cold"?); examples of hyphenation usage (p. 74) are unclear because the examples appear at the ends of lines; and an example text that is described as being in a mono-spaced font (p. 82) is in fact in a proportional font. Such mistakes distract from the book's overall worth.

I often wondered about some of the Access 'quirks' I have encountered over the years; this book explains and resolves many of those issues. If you find yourself frustrated by these 'annoyances' and wish you knew how to avoid and/or resolve them, this book is a 'must-have'.

This book makes it easy to fix Access. Simply look in the table of contents for the annoyance that is plaguing your database and go to the page that fixes it. Most of the fixes are simple ones that are either hidden from the user or just not documented well in the Access help. Just one of the fixes was worth the price of the book. The rest were bonuses. My database now works the way I had envisioned it would.

0-596-00852-X
Reviewed: 1st Edition

If you work with Access (or are thinking about it) you really need this book. Access is a very capable and powerful app and can certainly handle the majority of small business needs (and even enterprise class as well, say if you're using Access as a front end to a backend SQL database). The catch of course, is that Access is full of inconsistencies, irksome quirks, weird "features" that don't work as expected, and of course (like all complex software) bugs. (Although to be fair there are many things that MS probably can't change to ensure compatibility with already written applications).

This book notes the weird stuff that can crop up in using Access and more importantly how to work around same.
In my case I had never done any development with Access before but wanted to develop a custom application using it. Before starting however I bought this book - and am REALLY glad I did. There were many pitfalls that I would have fallen into unless otherwise warned (of course at the start it was kind of discouraging seeing all the "issues" one can have with Access, but better to be advised than sorry after!)

The format of the book is primarily a question and answer format, like "I'm trying to do XXX but it doesn't work" with an explanation of what's going on and *why* it's not working and solutions for accomplishing the task at hand (which may include VBA code or diagrams to help illustrate the point). The Q&As are organised into chapters dealing with a specific topic (i.e. Forms, Queries, Reports, Code Modules etc). In the course of my app development I have reached for this book more often than some of the thicker and heavier (not to mention more expensive) Access books, but you will undoubtedly need other books for reference as well (this book isn't a tutorial nor for absolute newbies to database or Access development, even though there are explanations describing normalisation, relationships, etc).

Aside from the Q&As there are very useful tips regarding recommended options to enable/disable ("Access's Bad Defaults"), Optimization ("How can I speed up a slow combo box?") and avoiding database corruption. This kind of "real world" information is exactly what you NEED to know when you do development and is precisely the kind of thing you'll NEVER find in the help files.

There's also other information such as a list of common Visual Basic functions (and what they do) which is useful when you need to do some task but don't know the name of the function. Likewise there's a similar list for Access Events which is helpful in figuring out which event you need to attach code to in order to have something happen. Lastly there's a Glossary of terms ("What's the difference between a bound & unbound control?").

Unlike other books this one doesn't come with a CD. But that's OK, because typically to solve problems you don't need a lot of code once you understand what's going on (in any case code will have to be customised for your app).

If you're developing an application in Access using custom forms, reports, VBA etc you'll get the most benefit from this book. Overall, I think this book's value exceeds the purchase price.

I wish I had this book when I began programming Access, it would have saved me a lot of frustration. The writing is easy to follow and it contains a wealth of information I had to either learn through trial and error or lots of searching google groups.

That said, there isn't much of value here for someone with a couple of years Access experience--you've already learned this stuff through trial and error or searching google groups!

I only found one piece of incorrect information--it is possible to create page headers on a subreport by creating a dummy grouping level (=1) and putting your headers there. The book says the only way to do it is by putting the headers on the parent report.

Wow what a great idea for a book series!!

I thought I had seen it all, but then when I picked up my first "Annoyances" book I learned there was a whole new niche out there that had yet to be exploited.

For many of us out there, we pick up technical books for a few typical reasons: to learn a new skill or a reference for an existing skill. What about if you already use an application and there is a whole known set of pitfalls and problem areas that you either need to find a workaround for, or you just want to learn about so if the need arises, you know how to deal with these?

Well, enter the "Annoyances" line of books.

'Access Annoyances' by Phil Mitchell is a great companion book for anyone that has a lot of Access books on the shelf or uses Access on a daily basis and needs to read up more on the problems that will be seen at some point. With a layout that takes each problem one at a time, the flow is very good, and the writing style is clear and concise. Unless you are the MOST experienced of Access users/developers, you will be able to pick up something from this book, and it's more likely that you'll pick up a LOT of things.

Some of the O'Reilly prices on books blow me away because they are so low. It's like you are paying x amount and getting xxxxxx in return. If you use Access on a daily basis, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of 'Access Annoyances' right away.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

This book makes eating well easy. If everyone followed the book obesity would be gone for good.

This is an excellent book! Its food rating system gives you a nice easy way to see how healthy the food you're eating is for you! After I read through the book and looked at the ratings for some of the things I usually eat, I was surprised! I'm going to make some significant changes to my diet! Bon appetit!

I'm going to make some significant changes to my diet! I was quite surprised at the ratings on some of the food that I've been eating! This is an excellant book. It grades the nutritional value of the food you're eating and provides guidelines, based on what kind of diet you are trying to maintain on how much of a particular food, based on its grade, you should eat. It takes into consideration cholesterol, fats, salt fiber, vitamins and other factors that can effect your health.

This book should have been published eons ago. Not only have I re-evaluated my diet, it has provided me a source reference document to live by for a more healthy and productive life. Kudos to Dr. Yannios. Long live and prosper.

Deciphering labels can turn food shopping into a real hassle for many of us. Thomas Yannios, M.D. makes it easier to decide which products to purchase in The Food Report Card. Dr. Yannios has analyzed the labels of thousands of foods, and compiled his results in a simple grade of A, B, C, or D.

"You can make an enormous impact on your long-term health, and even on your appearance," Dr. Yannios writes, "if you do nothing else during your normal food shopping but select the A- and B-rated foods, and leave the C's and D's on the shelves back at the store."

Dr. Yannios believes that atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is the number one health problem for many Americans. He says that "food significantly impacts" atherosclerosis, and that we can reduce the negative impact by carefully choosing what we eat. "People are confused," Dr. Yannios says, explaining that he wrote The Food Report Card to help eliminate confusion and enable people to choose foods that are good for them.

He has grouped foods into categories, such as beverages, cereals and grains, milk and dairy products, and meats. Each food within a category is then listed in alphabetical order, such as chocolate milk and vegetable juice in the beverage section. Foods are then evaluated by brand name. For example, five brands of vegetable juice are analyzed and graded. He maintains that pattern for each food category, analyzing 12,000 foods altogether. All you have to do is look up a specific food to quickly determine whether it is an "A" food that you want to consume or a "D" food you want to avoid.

People who want to choose the healthiest processed foods, but don't want to spend a lot of time calculating nutritional values from confusing labels, will find The Food Report Card informative and helpful.

When the first edition came out, I purchased the first copy. I used several of the resources to move my apartment and found the book to be right on the money as far as the recommended services and contractors. I tried other resource books, but found that they were driven by advertiser money and not the quality of service. I would recommend the Franklin Report books to anyone looking for qualified home services, repair or contractors. There are a lot of unscrupulous individuals out there in this business and these books help you pick the best based upon actual user recommendations and not by advertising dollars alone. Buy this book, you will be glad you did and it will save you time and money!

Prior to buying the book I looked up some of the service providers I had already used and found that the descriptions provided were exactly as I would have written them! I have hired several more of the companies/people in the book since and again, the descriptions matched my experience. I am very impressed with this book and have recommended it to many people!

Thank goodness someone else has done the groundwork and the research to interview clients and the service providers. What an inspired idea! As a homeowner, this book is such a big help and the answer to any renovator's prayers. The quotes are extremely helpful and the ratings help me, as a consumer, sort through the people I should call. What would have taken hours of phone calls and research and questions only took me thirty minutes because of this book.

This proved to be a very useful and reliable tool for me. It gives an indepth description of each service provider. You can pick out service providers based on which styles the excell in and whether or not they stick to your budget. I think that this is particularly helpful.

Really gives a detailed description for each service provider. I feel much more comfortable about hiring someone I found from the Franklin Report than some random person from the yellow pages. A "must" for every home.