effect

If you've read other books by Barbara Seaman (and you should take a look, if you haven't), you know that she is a crusader for the health of women. She will tell you the truth about what birth control and other hormones are doing to your health - and about the side effects of the pill that your doctor isn't likely to mention. Please, if you're going to take hormones, inform yourself as fully as possible about what you're really signing up to do. I came close to losing my life from side effects of the birth control pill and "natural" progesterone cream. Don't let it happen to you - Barbara Seaman is a great resource.

In the late'60s and early '70s sexual liberation was in the air. Many -- perhaps even most -- well-heeled Americans welcomed the loosening up of sexual restrictions that had been so oppressive during the postwar era. The sexual double standard was waning, young people were being told that they had the right to sensual experimentation before and outside of marriage,and making it all possible were the new miracle contraceptives: the iud and the pill. Times had changed for the better, and it was a new epoch of progress,right?

Wrong.

Journalist Barbara Seaman had the courage and insight to peer behind the happy facade that characterized the first wave of American sexual liberation,at some troubling realities. She asked simple questions -- the kind that annoy everyone,because they're unanswerable. Why was so much research being done on female contraceptives that were potentially harmful,with none being done on male contraceptives? (The condom STILL remains the only male option.) Since sexual intercourse is generally more pleasurable for men than women,why didn't men introduce harsh chemicals and dangerous contraptions into their systems? If the pill was so safe,why was it making women feel so sick? Why were patients who reported their symptoms told that it was all in their heads? Why were the physicians and chemists behind all these products male?

_The Doctor's Case Against the Pill_ compresses many of Seaman's findings and inaugurated her career as a lifelong whistle blower and advocate of women's health. Like her later work, _Free and Female_,it is a pathfinding book that exposes the ideology behind the health industry and the self-interest of so many medical practitioners. It reminds us how easily retrograde assumptions are recycled into the most seemingly progressive and forward-looking social initiatives. Like most pioneering works,its results still brace and shock; the expanded edition incorporates Seaman's more recent research. This is a must-read for anyone interested in women's health and women's history.

As many people know, because of this book,there are now warning labels on packages of birth control pills. Thirty years ago,Barbara Seaman had the courage to play that most thankless role:the party-pooper. In the swinging '60s and '70s, her findings met with a cold reception. But because of her work,women today lead healthier and safer lives.

A mere thirty years ago, the Pill's dosage of estrogen was dangerously high, resulting in side effects such as strokes, depression, obesity, blood clots, and heart attacks. Yet gynecologists at the time brushed off women's concerns, telling them that they were nothing more than "psychological." Enter Barbara Seaman, whose 1969 book The Doctors' Case Against the Pill warned women about the health risks and held doctors and pharmaceutical companies to task for their sexism -- as well as for their greed and incompetence. Her book prompted the Senate to hold hearings investigating the safety of the Pill. As a result, the Pill today is much safer, and each packet comes with a warning about potential side effects and contraindications.

Well, that was thirty years ago... why buy the book today? First, because it is an important historical record of the way female patients have been mistreated. And second, because Seaman has updated it to include new information about the Pill's pitfalls over the years as well as an excellent chapter about Norplant, a contraceptive used widely around the globe even though it causes its own host of health problems. No wonder Gloria Steinem has called Seaman "the first prophet of the women's health movement."

This is an excellent example of science writing at its best. The essays are well-written and well-organized, and will appeal to a wide audience. As an earth scientist, I appreciate the detail that the authors provide, but the clarity of the book makes it accessible to readers of all levels and backgrounds. I highly recommend this book as a worthy addition to any book collection.

I absolutely loved this book. This book gives you the rare opportunity to hear a stunning array of scientists tell you about your surroundings in language that is accessible and informative to amateurs as well as experts in the geosciences. As a geologist I feel like this book was written just for me, but if you are at all curious about the environment around you and it's future, this is a great book to start with. The essays in this book cover a large breadth of pertinent global issues, and backs up fascinating narratives with sound scientific reasoning. It answered questions I had, and introduced me to new issues and environmental crises I hadn't considered until now. My family and friends can be certain that they will be receiving a copy for Christmas.

I really enjoyed reading The Earth Around Us. It answered so many questions I had regarding the earth processes that are relevant to environmental questions. As a person who lives on the shore of a large lake, I was especially interested to read about what types of erosion I might expect along my shoreline. All the essays in this book were short, fascinating, and very accessible. I loved 'hearing' scientists speak in language I could understand about practical environmental issues. I'm recommending this book to all my friends and plan to give it as gifts to people I know who are interested in science and environmental issues.

If you want to learn about the physics of nuclear explosions this is the ultimate source. It doesn't discuss how to make a bomb but does explain how one works and how it effects the surrounding world. Each section has a general discussion followed by a more technical discussion of the same material. At its least technical level you'll still need to understand physics and math at an advanced high school level. At its most technical it is written for degreed professionals.

Even though the text is very dry and academic, I found it quite riveting because of the enormity of what was being described. The nuclear weapons effects calculator in the pocket of the back cover is pretty neat once you figure it out.

This is perhaps the best detailed book available outside the DoD's list of manuals on the subject. The information in the book are very accurate as much as one ever going to get without accessing classified documents.

If one is interested in 'the effects of nuclear weapons', try to get a copy (it could cost over $200 !). This book is also a 'serious' keep for the children and children's children.

An excellent tome describing in detail all the effects of nuclear weapons explosions.
Written for a wide audience, most chapters are divided into two sections: a general (although still detailed) descriptive section, and a technical section replete with mathmatical formulae.
Fully illustrated throughout with charts, diagrams, and of course, photos.
If you're lucky enough to find a copy with the effects computer still enclosed, it is an interesting bonus.
Highly recommended reading for everyone.

This book should be required reading in order to qualify for participation in the human race. WHY IS IT OUT OF PRINT??? This book is an eye-opener to the tragic environmental destruction we all are causing to the Earth. I have no doubt that we could make miraculous healing changes to the world environment if everyone read a copy. It not only features an incredibly important environmental message, it is a great read! The reader is invited into the world of the Kogi of Colombia and blessed with the opportunity to perceive the world through their eyes. This book is a rare jewel, one does not often find a recounting this valuable and moving. After reading it, I gathered my children and talked about the impact we all make on the global environment every day. We went through our home to find ways to improve and change as much as one family can. This book will prove to be an epiphany to anyone fortunate enough to read it. It is startling that the "younger brothers" have gutted the Earth, burnt the sky, poisoned the sea and are now working on the extinction of human life.

The heart-breaking story of the Kogi indians of Colombia, who believe that their divine purpose is safeguarding the planet from the ecological holocaust caused by modern civilization. The description of the elderly shaman and the young boy, secluded in a cave high in the Andes as they enact ancient rituals in a desperate attempt to save the world, is one of the most mind-blowing passages I have ever read. A gut-wrenching, haunting, and ultimately terrifying book, the message of the Kogi people could very well contain the key to our survival as a species.

Very moving account of what is happening to the Kogi-Indians in Colombia. Makes you think about what the "white brothers" did to indigenous people in America.

Professor Devinatz presents a lively, engaging, and compelling account of his experience at "Biomed" and his work in union organizing. Devinatz effectively combines anecdotal testimony, statistical research, and political conviction to show that "high-tech" labor suffers from the same ills and contradictions as other labor sectors. He provides a thorough and succinct overview of the high tech manufacturing sector as well as a detailed narrative of the conditions and trends he enountered. His account of the organizing struggle at "Biomed" is a must-read for labor organizers, progressive thinkers, and academics looking for an exemplary unification of theory and practice.

For those who think that high technology is a cure-all for the problems facing American workers, High-Tech Betrayal is a much needed lesson, showing the newest examples of the oldest forms of capitalist alienation.

This work illustrates a particular culture of oppression at a high-tech company. The author shows action by action how management creates an environment where workers will not be likely to organize. Management actions include faulty and frequent time studies, line supervisors who punished everyone when one geller fell asleep, supervisors who started racial rumors to pit one employee against another, telling employees they were laid off due to a business slowdown but bringing in new recruits and not telling the "laid off" employees that they would never be called back, just to name a few things.

My favorite characters were the Assyrian gellers; I can still envision them diligently working, although their grit was never fully tested. I really liked them. The Latino gellers were as close to heroes as any characters in the book.

This book is instructive and revealing in unexpected ways. It is a compelling story and an easy to read book.

High-Tech Betrayal is a book that many different audiences will find attractive. While it is founded on academic premises, it does not read like an academic book. It is easy to read, describing the author's experiences when he attempted to form a union in a high-tech factory. The experiences are richly described, allowing readers to understand specifically the circumstances and issues faced by the author.

The book lays out the scenario up-front, so that the reader has a clear understanding of the situation at the time of the experience. Additionally, the individuals referred to throughout the book are clearly described, so that their comments and actions can be readily understood.

Finally, this book does an exceptional job of portraying the workplace that the average American does not think exists in this country, but in reality is more common that most would admit. Described are the struggles facing a group of individuals, attempting to better the lives of themselves and their families. This book reminds me of the classic The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The major difference is the era of the book. The similarity is that this book demonstrates that organizations in some cases today still attempt to keep workers down, while the organization itself might be thriving.

Jack L. Howard, Ph.D.

Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide To Their History, Chemistry, Use And Abuse by Dr. Paul M. Gahlinger (Professor of Medicine, University of Utah) is a comprehensive, easily accessed encyclopedia of basic information surveying the vast variety of addictive, incapacitating, and/or deadly chemicals that have plagued human societies. From opiates to amphetamines, anti-drug laws and drug testing to legal psychoactive drugs such as alcohol, Illegal Drugs provides a wealth of information in a direct and easy-to-look-up matter, further aided by the extensive index. Written in terms the non-specialist general reader can easily understand Illegal Drugs is as complete and thorough a reference as one can find without consulting college-level textbooks or professional medical references. Highly recommended for personal, professional, academic, health agency, and community library pharmaceutical reference collections.

I'm not going to throw rocks at this book, because there is an incredible dearth of good information on this subject, and in the information in this book is excellent. But when Gahlinger says "complete," he is not kidding. This is a great resource for the sophisticated student of the subject, with history, sociology and legal issues as well as medical info, and lots of coverage of obscure drugs. For people whose interest in the subject which is either more casual or practical (e.g. "Is this stuff dangerous?" or "What's my kid getting into?") the book may be a little overwhelming.

I cannot stress how thoroughly superior this book is to Andrew Weil's "From Chocolate to Morphine."

In the vein of Andrew Weil and Winifred Rosen's From Chocolate to Morphine, Gahlinger's Illegal Drugs exemplifies a complete, 'safety-first' approach to discussing illicit drugs and drug use in this country. Gahlinger goes beyond simply explaining the effects of various drugs on the body and mind; he explores the non-physical -but equally important- aspects of drug use/abuse, including extensive information on the legal consequences of involvement with drugs, drug testing in the workplace, economics of the drug trade, and the origins of U.S. drug policy. Perhaps most outstanding aspect of Gahlinger's book is his thorough, no-nonsense instructions for detecting a drug overdose and seeking efficient, timely medical care for the victim- knowledge that could, one day, be the deciding factor between the death or recovery of a friend or loved one. The accurate, rational information contained in Gahlinger's Illegal Drugs is an invaluable gift for any young adult today.

This textbook is a delight. Well written, accessible, wonderfully wideranging and thoughtful. It's even funny.

This book is one of the most informative books about the basic mechanisms underlying sex behavior and sex differences. Forget about Venus and Mars. This book really gets to the basics in a readible and enjoyable fashion. You don't need much biological training to learn a lot from this book (in fact, I skipped Chapter 2 which was a rather dense treatment of hormones, but is a good resource to consult) and didn't have any trouble in later chapters. Learn about how sex differences in behavior arise, and learn about the many ways that hormones have subtle effects on our behavior...

Quite simply, this is the best textbook on hormones and behavior available today. The text is clearly written and enjoyable as well, a rarity in academic textbooks. A must-buy for anyone interested in the the interaction of hormones and behavior.

Jeanne Marie Beaumont's Placebo Effects is one of the best books of poems I have read in recent years. Beaumont's work is intelligent, experimental, playful, and always satisfying. She is a poet to watch. I predict that we'll be hearing much more about her in the future.

It is rare to come upon a contemporary collection of poetry, let alone a first book, that is as intelligent, exquisitely crafted, and profoundly moving as Placebo Effects. Any reader who loves poetry and is disappointed by the proliferation of ordinary writing will be thrilled with this splendid book and will instantly become a fan of Jeanne Marie Beaumont. Highly recommended.

Ms. Beaumont has risen to the challenge of documenting the postmodern of our everyday lives in this intelligent and profound book. The poems in Placebo Effects will reverberate through the centuries. Buy this book and be blessed with a unique inspiration!

Ok, so I am an Antique Radio hobbyist who really enjoys the "Golden Age of Radio"...but anyone who enjoys well written, humorous real life stories will enjoy this gem from the talented and expert Robert Mott.

Though not very technical in its information, the excellent vintage photos, anectdotes, and relaxed writing style will capture anyone who has the least bit of interest in finding out how the illusion of radio theatre was created, way back when it was truly "On the Air"

This is a wonderful book. First of, it's not that technical, it's more of a history book of the Golden Age of radio. The book has so many wonderful and hillarious stories about those days, that it was strong in nostalgia, even though I wasn't born until 1971!

I wouldn't call this a book for 'audio' people, anyone who lived during the time of old radio, or anyone who still loves to listen to old reruns of The Shadow will LOVE this book.

Tim.

RADIO SOUND EFFECTS by ROBERT L. MOTT McFarland & Company Publishers, 1993 283 pages, 140 pictures & illustrations, comprehensive 11 page index.

This is an excellent book on the subject. The author tells his many stories from the wide variety of shows he worked on through radio's golden age. Very specific examples and descriptions on the working of all the sound effects from the simple footstep to the complicated Fibber closet gag. The book also chronicles much about the history of dramatic radio from it's beginnings up through the television age. For those interested in the technical aspects of sound on radio in those days, dozens of pictures are included with detailed descriptions of their uses and mechanical workings- In fact, a great deal of information on the history of recorded sound in general is included within it's pages. Best of all, the book also contains hundreds of great anecdotes which will have you laughing out loud and make you feel like you were really there!! Overall this book is loaded with facts, a wonderful collection of star studded historic photographs, amazing histories, and hilarious stories all told with Mott's witty and charming style which will keep you glued to the book as if it were a riviting detective novel! Highly recommended!!

Jason

As eloquent as it is insightful. Barry Lopez moves us to see and question. A true gift from writer to reader.

Time is a precious commodity, and it is hard to find time to do all that must be done. But, the short time that is needed to read this book will be well worth spending.

Extremely good prose. A poignant testimony to the loss of the Earth's resources in the face of historical and current development. Highly recommend adding this to your book collection if you have any affinity to the natural world.