effect

Intrigue, science, gunfire, raging hormones, and a great chase scene made SIDE EFFECT a really satisfying read. I was fortunate unough to meet the author at a book discussion and now know that great stuff can come from a small package!! Read the book; you'll love it!

The author is a clinitian who, after noticing some remarkable transformation in patient taking the medication, investigates the clinical, ethical and philosophical issues surrounding Prozac (or similar medication). For instance, how does new medication influence clinical practice? If medication can trigger deep changes in patients' personality, then what is the "self" and how are we to distinguish the "essential self" from mood and transient characteristic. What is personality, temperament or character. In a broader sense, the author revisit the nature-nurture debate. If Prozac influence a cluster or personal traits in patient, this would indicate that a number of these traits are biologically based. The author also discusses moral issues surrounding the administration of drugs such as Prozac to generally healthy patient. How moral is it to try to use drug to give patients characters' trait that are valued by society.

While the author does use Prozac in his practive and does hide the fact that he finds its use benefitial in many cases, the book is not an apology of Prozac but rather a discussion of deeper issues surrounding the medication.

My only criticism of the book is that I would have like to see the author spend more time in unsuccessful use of Prozac. I have a mood disorder and I have been on most types of anti-depressant known to mankind and I have met a number of patient using Prozac or similar medication. My own experience of SSRIs medication is far from being all positive. Unlike many patient he describes who find that they are "better than well" and "really themselves" on Prozac, I find myself being transformed into somebody I am not while on medication. Medication works in so far as it makes me less depressed. Everybody likes me better on medication but I don't "feel myself".

At any rate, my personal experience with AD medication made me think about such issues (Who am I? What part of me is just a reaction to a mood I am in and what part of me is essentially me? Are these medication transforming me into somebody else? Who am I taking these medication for? Is it for me or to make me a better partner, worker and consumer? I am less creative on meds, is neurosis essential to creativity, etc.). This book gave me insight and different perspective into these topics.

As a professional educator Rob deals particularly well with introducing readers to unfamiliar material. Each topic is introduced with complete instruction and referred to subsequently with such sparing repetition that you have to think for yourself to recall what has gone before. In this way this book is written to teach, not as a list of programme functions.

Throughout the text Rob emphasises that his teaching approach focuses on 3d animation principles and he brings his knowledge of other programmes to his explanations of how and why to chose which animation methods from the options available.

This is the most complete book on learning Max that I have come across. The reference manuals contain all this information but are not written from a teaching viewpoint, which is the great uniqueness of this book.

Supplementary reading will still be required on nurbs modelling and character animation which each require a book in themselves.

I recommend this book for readers wanting a book which covers Max as a totality, by an author who surely knows this programme inside out.

He talked about the physiology of what happens to the body with stress, exercise, sleep and boy, these were enlightening. I started a few months prior to reading this book seeing the effects of stress, exercise, sleep on weight loss and I came to similar conclusions that Singh did. It really helped validate what I had already learned, but he was able to talk about it more scientifically.

The book is well-written. It also talks about what happens to our bodies when we don't manage stress, get enough sleep, get adequate exercise, and if our diets are poor. He goes into the pros/cons here.

He gives ways to develop brain longevity by fixing the prior and supplementation through vitamins/minerals/natural supplements. It's a great insightful book and life changing.

The 5 principles of brain longevity are: 1. The brain is flesh and blood; 2.The powers of the brain are virtually limitless; 3. The brain is capable of infinite joy and pleasure; 4. The brain has a plastic quality and can renew itself; 5. Much about the brain remains a mystery.

Part I covers the discovery of brain longevity therapy, Part II explains how the brain works and Part III deals with designing a brain longevity program. This includes the brain longevity diet, nutritional therapy (including the role of vitamins A, B, C and E, minerals like magnesium, selenium and zinc, amino acids like phenylalanine, glutamine, methionine, arginine and tryptophan, substances like co-enzyme Q10 and tonics like gingko biloba, phosphatidyl serine, acetyl-l-carnitine, ginseng, DMAE and green tea.

This section also includes methods of stress management, mind/body exercises and the assessment of the efficacy of various medicines like deprenyl.

Khalsa's book is highly recommended to people who wish to take responsibility for their own health with special emphasis on maintaining the highest levels of cognitive ability. It concludes with a Resources and Referrals section and a thorough index. I also recommend the book Mind Boosters by Ray Sahelian, an examination of natural substances that promote cognitive longevity.

By buying his way into the favor of various "houngans," the author appears to have found the answer. As an ethnobotanist, the author has the knowledge and skills to determine if the various wierd ingredients (ground human bones, lizards and toads, various plants, etc) actually have any pharmacological basis for causing a simulation of death and/or subsequent "resurrection." While he watched as the houngans prepared the powder, he noted there were different formulas used, but each contained some of the same ingredients, and those could produce a death-like effect.

As I read this book, by the middle of it I found I did not like the author's methods nor much like the author; he blithely lied to people numerous times to get what he wanted, and the preparations he brought back were used on hapless rhesus monkeys to test their potency. In order to get at the methods and reasons for creating zombies, the author had to finally adopt a Haitian mind-set that brought conflicts with his Harvard Sophisticated background. It turns out that people are not snatched at random to be turned into zombies, but rather the practice is part of the fabric of Haitian culture, which, reflecting the African origins of its people, is actually governed by interlocking secret societies. The legal government could not exist without the consent of these societies, which are generally headed by houngans. The zombie "poison" is used on people who break what appear to be perfectly reasonable rules, and only after a judgment by their peers in which they have a chance to defend themselves.

The author ultimately finds that it is the beliefs -- the "magic" -- that makes the zombifiction possible. The powders he brings back to his civilized laboratories are crucial to the process, but it is the web of cultural beliefs that allow it to happen. As I got further into the book, I was glad the author finally saw that the best thing he could do is back off and recognize that he is not Haitian and he cannot penetrate the ultimate secrets of Haitian culture. I thought he went too far in buying his way into knowledge best left for those who can understand it. Some of his travels around the island were for tasks that were not well explained. Was he on a personal quest, a scientific mission, or just a traveler soaking up the local color?

The book provides much information on how Haiti came to be. I was surprised by the information that for 100 years Haiti was the only black-led nation. The history of the slave uprising is fascinating. Haitian culture is essentially African because the slave turnover was so great and many who participated in the final revolt had been born in Africa.

This book, while worthwhile for what it reveals about Haiti, made me think about the excesses of science in pursuit of knowledge. The Haitian people, through their interaction with the author, have proven that not all knowledge comes from logical discovery. The dancers who gyrate to the drums in trance and serve the loas do not need an explanation of why the fire does not burn them. Perhaps we do not need an explanation either.

While not a reference work on the Voudoun religion, "The Serpent and the Rainbow" sheds new light on Voudoun practice and theology, and it's ubiquitous presence in all levels of Haitian society. This is not a horror story of "devil drums" and "Voodoo dolls" but an exploration of how history has shaped the lives and culture of the people of Haiti.

In a nutshell, this is a real life adventure that is, if anything, more entertaining, and interesting than the fictional adventures of Indiana Jones, and far more satisfying than the Wes Craven film which is loosely (very loosely) based on this book.

My only complaint about the book is that the scientific mystery is solved fairly quickly, while the remainder of the book describes his deepening involvement in Haiti's culture. I would have at least preferred an epilogue about how the information Davis brought back was actually used in this country.

But if you prefer cultural explorations with a healthy dose of adventure, you'll absolutely love this book.

This book tells 3 informative true stories of man's attempts to control nature. The Mississippi River, a massive lava flow in Iceland, and the incredibly powerful debris flows of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The first story describes in vivid detail attempts to control the Mississippi River from taking a new course... Atchafalaya. If the river takes this new route, say goodbye to New Orleans, B.F. Goodrich, E.I. du Pont, Uniroyal, Monsanto, Exxon, Mobil, Texaco, Shell and Union Carbide just to name a few. Four major floods in 10 years and 32 disastrous crevasses in a single spring weren't enough to suggest to the Army Corps of Engineers that levees alone might never be able to handle the job of controlling the river!

The second true story involves Heimay, a volcano that dumped enough lava in 1973 alone that would have been enough to envelop New York's entire financial district, with only the tops of the World Trade Center towers sticking out like ski huts! Will pumping 11,500,000 gallons of sea water a day on the flow be enough to save the harbor from being closed off? Find out! Also find out what I mean when I say McPhee decided to "pissa a hraunid"! :) The ending to this story will surprise you in more way than one!

The last story involves the mighty San Gabriel Mountains, with average slopes of 65-70% grade, climbing faster than almost any mountain chain in the world, and dumping 7 tons of regolith each year, that threaten Angelinos (L.A.)! Drought, fire, and flood; The real seasons in Los Angeles, and instead of the occasional storm, we get the occasional Earthquake! Will more than 2,000 miles of underground conduits, concrete-lined open stream channels, and an army of debris basins be enough to stop the beast? If it does it does it at the expense of the beaches! If it doesn't?... It does it at the expense of the beaches anyway! Find out why in this great book!

You'll learn of lot of interesting facts while at the same time get a great story of the battle of all battles! Man against nature!

Only problems with the book: There is no such animal as a mudslide. Mud flows! And Earth is not spelled with a lower case and it isn't "the Earth", its just Earth. You don't say "the Mars" or "the Jupiter", so why say "the Earth"?! My worthless pet peeves... :)

McPhee, as always, tries to stay in the background and let the participants speak on the page, but there is no mistaking his memorably vivid descriptions of people or nature. His prose are first rate with an eye for compelling detail.

The book itself is a quick, thrilling read that leaves the reader with a better understanding of unsung heroes and follies.

My favorite McPhee. A warning about some of McPhee's other books: My eyes seem to always glaze over when I attempt one of his "rock talk" full length books on geology.

To summarise, I have never read this book, never will, and suggest that no-one else read it either, let alone purchase it.

I am impressed with this self-help book was actually written by a MD specialized in brain and cognitive science. The book is packed with valuable medical information, it consolidated many scientific researches, based on human brain anatomy and explains how our daily dietary intake can affect our physical and emotional well-being.

As a mom of 3 and a VP at major Wall street investment banking firm, I live a very demanding and stressful lifestyle, I found this book extremely helpful in terms of do's and don't. I treasure this book as my bible to lead me towards a healthier and more productive life.

Thanks to Dr. Giuffre for his tireless research and I think you will benefit from this book as well.