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"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.
For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.
Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
Customer Reviews:
An insightful perspective.......2007-10-11
There aren't many books that I feel compelled to pull out the highlighter as I'm reading, but this is definitely one of them. Malcolm Gladwell manages the unlikely combination of being profoundly insightful and entertaining at the same time. Despite the seriousness of many of the examples used throughout the book, this is a relatively easy read. In a world where every book seems to be targeted to a narrowly defined niche, The Tipping Point is good reading for anyone who likes to think.
Interesting, but..........2007-10-10
I read this while traveling, and was able to absorb Gladwell's viewpoint despite airports and hotels and the general on-the-road melee. However, while the theories and case studies Gladwell presents are fascinating, he fails to demonstrate the practical applications of his assertions. His Afterword makes clear that some of his readers have gone on to apply his approach in various ways, but it is their ingenuity and not any "on the ground" practical insight from Gladwell that is the cause. It will be interesting to note if his positions notably influence any policymakers, of if the world in general, despite his bestseller status, continues with its status quo mindset. No doubt if that is the case, Gladwell will enlighten us with a book about the reasons for that phenomenon too. It will be interesting reading.
Rigo's TEST REVIEW........2007-10-09
Test review. It looks like a good book to analyse how modes start and get spread.
A Paradigm Shift For Business and Life.......2007-10-05
This is one of the books that "skates to where the puck is going" instead of where the puck is at. A must for business and anyone studying the sociology of man.
Timothy KendrickPTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door
Development of Trends!.......2007-10-02
This book presents an interesting thesis for the parameters under which a new trend is construed. The flu, for example, can be held in check for a long time without being an epidemic. But suddenly, once some threshold is crossed in terms of number of people infected, things get much worse very quickly. Gladwell's premise is that in addition to applying to viruses, this type of pattern is observed in many other situations. The book is filled with far-reaching examples, from the resurgence of Hush Puppies shoes to the popularity of Sesame Street to an epidemic of teen suicides in Micronesia.
Perhaps the most well-known example described is the rapid fall in crime levels in New York City in the mid-1990s. Murder rates fell by 64.3% in a five year period, with other types of violent crimes dropping by 50%. This happened after years of steady increase. Gladwell argues that the factors conventionally cited as causing the improvement (improved policing, declining crack use, and aging of the population) are not sufficient to explain the suddenness of the change. All three factors included gradual shifts in behavior, and yet the drop in crime occurred very rapidly. Gladwell makes a convincing argument that the police in New York put into place certain conditions that suddenly "tipped" the crime epidemic, sending crime rates into a decline.
So, what are the parameters of dramatic change?
Gladwell quotes the following three laws: -
1. The law of the few
2. The stickiness factor and;
3. The power of context
The law of the few says that there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting `epidemics'. All you have to do is find them. The lesson of stickiness is the same. There is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible. All you have to do is find it. The lesson of the power of context is that we are more than just sensitive to changes in context; we are exquisitely sensitive to them - what really matters is the little things.
The book includes a collection of case studies. These include Paul Revere's ride, which alerted American colonists to activities of the British garrison and led to the War of Indepence and the success of New York in reducing crime by cleaning the subway cars.
He then explains the significance of the number 150. "The figure of 150 seems to represent the maximum number of individuals with whom we can have a genuinely social relationship, the kind of relationship that goes with knowing who they are and how they relate to you. At a bigger size you have to impose complicated hierarchies and rules and regulations and formal measures to try to command loyalty and cohesions. Below 150 it is possible to achieve the same goals informally. In smaller groups people are a lot closer. They're knit together, which is very important if you want to be effective and successful in community life. If you get too large, you don't have enough work in common."
The conclusion is that when groups or organizations reach 150 they should split and operate in smaller numbers, and he gives examples of organizations that have done this.
Although not intended as a management book, The Tipping Point
has many lessons for managers and organization development consultants.
Book Description
Improve your presentationsand increase your impactwith 50 powerful, practical, and easy-to-apply techniques for Microsoft PowerPoint. With Beyond Bullet Points, youll take your presentation skills to the next levellearning innovative ways to design and deliver your message. Organized into five sectionsDistill Your Ideas, Structure Your Story, Visualize Your Message, Create a Conversation, and Maintain Engagementthe book uses clear, concise language and just the right visuals to help you understand concepts and start getting better results. Not just a how-to for PowerPoint, this book will help take your presentation skills to the next level! Features 50 innovative, easy-to-apply techniques to help you clarify, visualize, and present your ideas using PowerPoint. Author is a leading presentation-skills consultant. Targeted for intermediate to advanced level users of PowerPoint who are looking to stand out from the crowd and make sure people remember what they say.
Customer Reviews:
Clear guide for creating effective presentations .......2007-08-24
Microsoft PowerPoint changed the world of presentations by simplifying the process of creating a computerized slide show. Alas, over time people started squeezing too much information into every slide and using the preinstalled generic titles. PowerPoint's simplicity let people forget the purpose of presentations: to persuade or to inform without being boring. Cliff Atkinson shows you a creative way to build a good presentation without falling into the PowerPoint template trap - tell a story instead. At present, he provides a free template, storyboard formatter and story guide at sociablemedia.com that adds value to the book, which refers to these resources repeatedly. We recommend this to anyone who gives presentations.
I've used this method and it works.......2007-07-25
I borrowed it from the library and I am going to purchase it for my personal business library. I think that this is a great resource book. I decided to try this method since I do a presentation about once a month to pharmacists. This book helped me to organize my thoughts and present the material in a logical manner. I am in the health care industry and the people I present to are used to seeing bullet points BUT they are bored with it. For those that think the information here won't work, I say give it a try before dismissing it. You may find that your audience doesn't want as many bullet points and facts as you think and that you are a breath of fresh air in doing something new and innovative with your presentations. And remember you can put all of that information from your bullet points in the notes pages and print that out for them.
Don't understand what others see in it.......2007-07-07
I was disappointed having bought this book based on good reviews, so here's my review:
1. The author provides just one tool for one particular type of presentation: "pitch an idea to your bosses". The tool is a 3-act presentation using few words and more graphics and presenter narration.
Although a good tool for some presenters and some presentations, I can only see myself using this in 10-20% of my presentations.
2. Because the author refuses to explore other methods, the book becomes very repetitive and too detailed going on about the same points all the time.
3. Because of this, this is certainly not a book to keep for reference.
4. ...unless you are a total PowerPoint novice and computer-illiterate and want to read a step-by-step instructions about how to resize and crop images in PowerPoint, etc.
5. This is the first book by Microsoft Press I read and I was shocked at the obvious attempts throughout the book to advertise other marginally-related Microsoft products.
The book description says: "Targeted for intermediate to advanced level users". I would never recommend this book to anyone but absolute beginners and even then there must be better books.
The intermediate user should really just browse the first couple of chapters to get the basic idea (1. set the scene 2. show the conflict 3. resolve the conflict) in a bookstore and then decide for himself if he really wants to waste money on something which can easily be summarized on one page.
Better Presentations.......2007-07-05
I've been doing presentations since the BP (before Powerpoint) era and I have a structure that I've used since the beginning. This book caused me to rethink my approach, and, after using it on several recent presentations, I have to say it is a change for the better. Highly recommended if quality communications is your goal.
a very, very helpful book on creating effective presentations.......2007-07-03
While I didn't adopt the 3 > 3 approach Atkinson suggests, I really took to heart his idea of replacing wordy, boring slides with those with only a title (a concept, expressed as a sentence) and high-impact relevant graphics. As a result, I created a six-hour workshop (on personal productivity) that contained a total of five bullets (out of 130 slides). I also created - from the same slide show - a prose booklet that participants take home. Very useful.
More at: What a difference a framework can make
http://ideamatt.blogspot.com/2007/04/what-difference-framework-can-make.html
Book Description
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
-Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
-The New York Times
Companion podcast available on Frommers.com
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide®:
- Exclusively patented, field-tested touring plans that save as much as four hours of standing in line in a single day
- Tips, advice, and opinions from hundreds of Walt Disney World guests in their own words
- Almost 250 hotels rated and ranked for quality and value, including the top non-Disney hotels for families
- A complete Dining Guide with ratings and reviews of all Walt Disney World restaurants, plus extensive alternatives for dining deals outside the World
- Every attraction rated and ranked for each age group; extensive, objective, head-to-head comparisons of the Disney and Universal theme parks
Sample Rating:
Ride Name: Soarin'
Appeal by age : Preschool, Grade school, Teens, Young adults, Over 30, Seniors
What it is: Flight simulation ride.
Scope and scale: Super headliner.
When to go: First 30 minutes the park is open or use FASTPASS.
Special comments: Entrance on the lower level of The Land pavilion. May induce motion sickness; 40" minimum-height requirement; switching off available (see pages 266-268).
Author's rating: Exciting and mellow at the same time; Not to be missed.
Duration of ride: 4 minutes.
Loading speed: Moderate.
This guide is a completely independent evaluation of Walt Disney World and has not been reviewed or approved by Walt Disney World or the Walt Disney Company, Inc.
Customer Reviews:
Great for pre trip planning........2007-09-20
I bought this book after picking up an older version for 1 in a bargain bin of a book shop. It is a brilliant book to have when you are in the planning stages of your holiday. It has incredibly detatiled sections on hotels, transportation, dining and ticket options. I liked this book because it was unofficial and gave an honest opinion rather than the 'Disney line'. The criticisms were fair and measured in my opinion and not 'anti-Disney' like some reviewers have said. I really liked the fact that it rated each attraction with ratings for different age groups, this was very helpful for me as it was just me and my husband (late 20's) we were able to avoid the real 'kiddy rides'. Also I found the ratings for our age group to be pretty spot on.
The amount of detail in this book is also a con as well as a pro. I really would not reccommend this book if you already have everything planned and booked. This book is too heavy to bring to the parks, so I would suggest getting a smaller book to synopsis the rides. I found that I read this alot before I went and barely looked at it while we were there.
When you purchase this book, you also get free subscription to the website which has a lot of additional touring plans and also a great 'Best Days' calender which gives every day of the year a mark from 1-10 for crowds (10 being maximum capacity). It also tells you which are the best and worst parks for crowds on any given day based on historical entrance and also special events such as Extra Magic Hours or special parties. I fould this very helpful in avoiding the worst of the summer crowds.
Great Disney Resource.......2007-09-06
I hadn't been to Disney in 2o years and would have wasted a lot of time if I hadn't read this book. We got tickets to eat breakfast with Cinderella thanks to this book. We got to ride Dumbo before the park had been open 10 minutes because of this book. It helped us have the best vacation ever! I won't go back without ordering the newest edition!
Insights and information.......2007-08-28
I went thru this big book before going to Disneyworld and my husband thought I was mental - until we actually got there.. and indeed we managed to have a lovely day at Disneyworld in mid August, we saw all that we wanted, the kids (5 and 8)loved it and we spared SO much time I cannot measure. We knew where and when to go, we skipped attractions that the kids would not have liked and really enjoyed the day (and I mean, it was almost 100°F, no joke). I had another guidebook but the Unofficial guides gives sound advice and insights.
And it was fun reading it, too!!
I would not go without.
Great unoffical guide of WDW.......2007-08-26
Great reference book to Walt Disney World, I am going their in October and this book has given me a lot to think about and has already guided me as to what to do and not to do. I would recomend this book to anyone planning a trip to WDW!
A very thorough book.......2007-08-26
The book was an excellent guideline for my trip to WDW. I highly recommend it.
There are, however, a few things that I would have liked to see. First, the book should rate rides by 'Couple' as well. Several rides were highly-rated by adults (who probably have kids and so enjoy the rides as well), but I did not like the rides at all and thought that they were too childish for me. So a rating for couples or adults without kids would have been nice. In addition, the ratings for various hotels is not really correct. I stayed at the Dolphin and the hotel did not match the ratings in this book. Which is fine I guess because with rooms it can be a hit or a miss especially with such large hotels.
Other than that, the book is excellent. The touring plans are also dot on - when I followed them, I was done with everything major by noon.
Book Description
The second edition of this definitive reference on myofascial pain features improved positioning in many of the drawings demonstrating Dr. Travell's techniques. Non-spray and stretch treatment methods are now included, along with a completely revised theory on the nature of trigger points.
Customer Reviews:
Changed my life.......2007-05-11
These books have changed my life. Multi year chronic back pain is gone. Clair Davies summarized these medical books in very easy to understand terminology in his book "trigger point therapy workbook". Massaging the painfull trigger points has helped me so much.
Trigger point mania.......2006-07-24
I love this book I have had a chance to use it a lot in my practice. It has tons of great information, be prepared a long read it is a medical manual so to speak and it can be a little on the long side, but if your up for it, It is a fantastic asset...
Excellent text.......2004-04-17
I found the information quite thorough. It is written in a user-friendly way, easy to understand. I bought this book because it was listed as a reference for the chiropractic practice part 2 exam. This book helped me with the locations of the trigger points. Sometimes the chiro boards like to ask questions on trigger points. However, Leonardi's book: National Board of Chiropractic Part II Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers and National Board of Chiropractic Part III Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations are excellent for board exam preparation. These three books are needed for the part II and Part III of the boards.
The ultimate in drug-free pain relief!.......2001-01-25
As a Clinical Massage Therapist at a hospital, I use these books almost daily. In fact, I just ordered my second set. . . The first is so threadbare it's barely usable. ANYTIME I have a patient with a pain that I can't immediately identify I grab my Travell's. This set is an absolute BIBLE for anyone in the health care industry. Travell and Simons have esentially written "The Instruction Manual" for elliminating myofascial pain by going to it's source!
Janet Travell, MD and David Simons, MD were absolute pioneers when it came to myofascial pain and it's treatment. What makes these books even more amazing is that they were written a full quarter of a century before doctors even acknowledged that myofascial pain actually exsisted. . . What makes them interesting is that, in this, the most current edition, they have re-evaluated about 65% of the sites that before would only be considered for cortizone or saline injection and now recommend these areas be attended to by a Massage Therapist. They even go into strong detail as to stroke, direction and stretching. There are still plenty of sites that they recommend for injection, but only in a last resort situation.
The chapters are laid out in an incredibly easy to understand manner, though that's not even the beauty of the book's design. If you know the name of the muscle in question, you simply look inside the front cover; the muscle are all listed with their coresponding page numbers next to them. Don't know the name or not sure which muscle it is in the group? No problem. You again open the front cover and there, in 5th grade simplicity, are charts for all the areas covered in the book. Flip to the area in question and look through the diagrams. When you find (in the super well drawn diagrams) the pain you are trying to treat, you are given, not only several treatment plans, but etiology and most likely direct verve aggravation associated with the pain.
My only problem with the set is that the book are not as well bound as maybe they could be for the price. You'll notice, however, that it didn't have enough of an impact on me to give it any less that a perfect score.
I STRONGLY recommend this book for ANY health care practitioner that deals with pain control and alleviation.
A Tour de Force.......2000-11-02
Janet Travell MD and David Simons MD spent a lifetime studying the patterns and treatment of muscular and soft tissue pain in patients. It is a specialty in itself, and provides an amazingly detailed review of anatomy. These books are the bible on the subject written by the "mother" and "father" of the specialty. There will hardly be a day in the professional life of a busy primary care practitioner, rheumatologist, orthopedist, neurologist, physiatrist or physical therapist when these books will not be used. The more one knows of this field, the more revelations one gets into those difficult chronic pain patients. The etiology and muscular complexity of the huge field of "tension headache" syndromes now become clear. With these books you will have the tools to diagnose and treat effectively (usually dramatically) the entire spectrum of myofascial pain from head to toe, muscle by muscle. Why do so few physicians know of this vital area of medicine?
Book Description
Deal Terms is the first ever in-depth look at valuations, preferred stock, stock options and other variables that affect deal structure, written by Alex Wilmerding (a venture capitalist at Boston Capital Ventures and best selling author of Term Sheets & Valuations). Written from a venture capital perspective, however applicable for all types of financings, Deal Terms includes actual term sheets, valuation methodology and analysis, assessment of stock option programs and their impact on valuations and capital structures and other real world documents used by leading venture capitalists and lawyers analyzed from multiple perspectives. A must have book for any executive, entrepreneur, or financial professional, this timeless classic is an unprecedented resource that will help you avoid costly mistakes, understand various structures and terms, and understand wording and language from other deal sheets to help you get deals done.
According to Graham Anderson, General Partner at Euclid SR Partners, "Deal Terms provides critical, in-depth, first-hand perspective on the crucial terms and factors which influence financing decisions." Clifford Schorer, Entrepreneur in Residence, Columbia Business School remarks, "Deal Terms is an indispensable reference for entrepreneurs and finance professionals." And Andrew McKee, General Partner at Webster Capital notes, "Deal Terms is a really important resource."
Download Description
Deal Terms is the first ever in-depth look at valuations, preferred stock, stock options and other variables that affect deal structure, written by Alex Wilmerding (a venture capitalist at Boston Capital Ventures and best selling author of Term Sheets & Valuations). Written from a venture capital perspective, however applicable for all types of financings, Deal Terms includes actual term sheets, valuation methodology and analysis, assessment of stock option programs and their impact on valuations and capital structures and other real world documents used by leading venture capitalists and lawyers analyzed from multiple perspectives. A must have book for any executive, entrepreneur, or financial professional, this timeless classic is an unprecedented resource that will help you avoid costly mistakes, understand various structures and terms, and understand wording and language from other deal sheets to help you get deals done.
Customer Reviews:
A Quick Guide to Venture Capital Thinking.......2006-06-21
This book, one claimed by the publisher to fall into the need-to-read category rather than the nice-to-read, is aimed at giving the businessman the information he needs to know to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with a venture capitalist.
It's a pretty quick and easy read, but the businessman who has gotten his business up to the stage where outside money is needed is probably not a financial type but an engineer, or scientist or perhaps just plain businessman. This book, written from the venture capitalist standpoint, will explain to him such things as how to value a company, verious types of stock, dilution of the ownership, in short, all of the things that will need to be understood when a big time financial deal goes down.
It's not an in depth book, each of these subjects can and has several books describing them 'in depth.' Instead it is a small book that gives you what you need to know quickly.
Great Book - But Even Better is Author DVD Called Negotiating Term Sheets & Valuations in VC Deals.......2006-05-17
This author definitely knows his stuff - but even better is author's new product called Negotiating Term Sheets and Valuations in Venture Capital Deals (ISBN 1597010987). It is a 100 minute DVD that has a lot of different material in it that is critical for doing venture capital deals. It also covers specific negotiation strategies and roles and motivations for each key deal participant - which is not covered in this book or the authors other book (Term Sheets & Valuations).
Very Disappointed.......2006-05-15
After enjoying his first book, Term Sheets and Valuations, I was looking forward to this one. I regret to say that I found it a big waste of time and a bigger waste of money.
It appears as if the marketing of the book by the pblisher sought to take advantage of his first book by raising the price by 500%, giving the impression that this book was better or more comprehensive. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Solid reference for entrepreneurs.......2005-12-29
'Deal Terms' is a solid reference for entrepreneurs with 'need-to-read' (as opposed to 'nice-to-read') information regarding venture financing deals. I find Wilmerding's interviews with various relevant players (e.g. legal counsellor, venture capitalist, entrepreneur) to be a good differentiator of the book; the quick analysis of actual term sheet is also pragmatic. The 'Valuation' section is relatively generic & is the weaker part of the book.
Helpful, practical, and brilliant!.......2004-05-07
I recently finished your book "Deal Terms" and found it extremely
helpful as we are looking into our first round of financing.
This book showed me numerous issues that I would have definitely overlooked or simply not thought of.
Thanks for writing Deal Terms. Definitely an invaluable
reference for anyone in business!
Book Description
Designed to provide students with essential concepts of disease processes and altered health states, this text is ideal for both discrete and integrated pathophysiology courses. The Second Edition has over 200 new and revised illustrations and incorporates a new feature "Understanding", which uses large pieces of art to outline key processes using a step-by-step approach. The text continues to include such favorite features as: key concept boxes, color-coded summaries, and icons to delineate special considerations for children, the elderly, and pregnant women. The free CD-ROM now provides access to three-dimensional animations so visual learners can gain a greater understanding of common disease and cellular processes. The CD-ROM also includes student review questions.
Customer Reviews:
Very detailed and informative book.......2007-10-02
This book is very detailed and great for papers or just for learning.
This is a book I will be keeping:)
Excelent book for pre-med students........2007-02-12
This is a very well written book for a Pre- Medical student who has taken two serious chemestry courses, anatomy, physiology, biology, physics, and biochemistry. For a nursing student like my self this book is understandable, bur not at all practical for our needs. I suggest using a text book that emphasizes less the detailed occurance of bodily disease, but instead gives a basic understanding of the most common disease, the ramifactaions, interventions, and complications as it deals with nursing practice in real life terms. A doctor will need to understand full the processes in this book. But for a RN a more practical book is suggestable.
Excellent Book.......2006-11-17
Extremely well written, well edited. Also includes the basic physiology so don't feel intimidated if you're not fresh on that. Well organized. Covers all aspects, such as normal versus "abnormal", pathogenesis, sequelae, pharmacology, etc. In short, it's very complete. Yet very readable. Of all my nursing and biology books, this is one of my favorites.
Good for nurses or for any interested layperson.......2005-01-21
This book gives you a good introduction to pathophysiology without being very technical. Even if you are not a medical professional, you will still grasp the concepts because the author gives simple but adequate definition of the disease and its underlying causes. I am a career switcher (switched to RN) and this book worked for me.
A very clear book :).......2004-01-14
This is a fine book from an author who collaborated with other writers to make a book that clearly explains the common diseases that disturb the human body and its organ systems.
What makes this book so good is that before the book discusses about the various diseases that affect the organ systems of the body, you get a preceding chapter that explains the physiology of that organ system when homeostatically normal. This allows the student a quick review and allows the student to compare the behavior of the organ system's state when it is healthy to when it is altered by disease. Additionally, this book comes with an excellent studyguide to help the student focus on what is important about the various diseases, syndromes and conditons that can make the body unhealthy. The CD that comes with this book is a great educational tool as well. The writers and the publishers of this book did a very fine job of making sure all the tools are in place to help the student appreciate and understand pathophysiology and its importance in the health field.
This book also has good color pictures of how various diseases look and flow charts of how the disease progresses or manifests.
The only problem with this book(a minor problem) is that some diseases are not discussed deeply enough. I think that since this is a pathophysiology book, it should go more indepth with the common diseases. An example is the disease glacoma. I'm not sure if it covers glacoma but if it did, it did not cover the signs and symptoms of it enough. It needs to focus on the mechanism of the disease on a cellular level as well as on an organ level. There are some diseases in which the signs, symptoms and diagnosis is well portrayed but the mechnisms are not. Also it needs to focus less on the treatment of the disease and more on the diagnosis IMHO, however that is disputable becuae that is just my opinion.
Overall this is a fine book. I guess in time this book will have some new improvement when the new editions come out. Good book.
Book Description
In this must-have resource, "two teachers from Minnesota" share their successful use of the simple concept of 5-point scales to help students understand and control their emotional reactions to everyday events that might otherwise set in emotion escalating reactions. Whether it is inappropriate touching, obsessions, yelling, hitting or making hurtful statements to classmates, this clearly illustrated book shows how to break down a given behavior and, with the student's active participation, develop a unique scale that identifies the problem and, just as important, suggests alternative, positive behaviors at each level of the scale.
Customer Reviews:
A must buy for any adult working with a special needs child.......2007-02-11
You can make this work for just about any problem. I now just hold up a finger and my child knows what I am trying to say even my younger child is getting it.
Finally.......2007-02-06
Finally, a basic book listing basic skills for people who do not understand "thinking outside the box." I'm so happy to see something that can help educators and families find hands-on techniques for those who are clueless, hopeless, and helpless.
What a great idea!!.......2007-01-07
This book has been very helpful with my Asperger son and my non-Asperger son. As a teachers aide, I have used it the the kids at school and some teachers have borrowed my book and are using it themselves. It has pages to copy so that you can make your own 5-point scale. Just wonderful!!!
Save your Money.......2006-07-16
This is a great concept, but not worth buying a book over.
It is a simple strategy that can be applied in any context -
Rate the behavior; rate the desired behavior.
It gets a mediocre smile or 3 stars.
Helpful and easy to implement.......2006-06-25
It was very easy to implement the program, and my student got it right away.
Book Description
Once in a great while an extraordinary book is published that sets an entirely new standard in its field. A Manual of Acupuncture, published by Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications, is just such a book. Painstakingly researched over many years by Peter Deadman, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Chinese Medicine, and colleagues Mazin Al-Khafaji and Kevin Baker, this book is certain to become the primary reference in the West for the study of acupuncture points and channels.
Introductory chapters describe and illustrate the channels and collaterals, the various categories of points, and methods of selection, location, and needling. Ensuing chapters present each of the points of the 14 channels as well as the extra (miscellaneous) points, identified by their English and pinyin names, and Chinese characters. Each point is located in accordance with the most exacting anatomical standards to be found in any Western textbook.
For each point there is a dedicated drawing, followed by regional body drawings. The quality of the 500 drawings is far superior to those in any other TCM text. There are also practical pointers for finding and needling the points, and cautionary information about what to avoid. In addition to point indexes by their English and pinyin names, there is an index identifying every part of the body reached by each of the channels, and separate indexes of point indications listed according to both TCM and biomedical symptoms.
Customer Reviews:
Improved Graphics.......2007-08-29
The Deadman text is required by most TCM schools. If you have the previous version and already know your points this version might not be needed, you can always get the new CD when it comes out. If you are still learning then the illustrations are improved, making it easier to locate the exact location of a point.
There have been some corrections made to known errors in the previous edition.
Other than that the biggest difference is that the cover is now orange instead of black.
Necessary for any practitioner.......2007-08-06
I teach at a college of Oriental medicine where this book has become the primary text in acupuncture point location. It is very useful for learning functions and inter-relations among meridians and points. If this book had been available when I was first studying, my learning curve would not have been so steep. Although both CAM and the Shanghai texts have more information on theory, diagnostics, and treatment, A Manual of Acupuncture brings a focus to point location that is lacking in other works. In the clinic, this text continues to be a primary reference; my partner has essentially worn her book out. I feel that Deadman's text is a necessary primary reference for any practitioner. Look elsewhere for deep exposition of meridian theory; look here for application in practice.
One of the bibles of TCM.......2007-03-01
Concise, yes. However, "combinations" and "indications" should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.
Practitioners must take in affect aspects of the wuxing, sanjiao energetics, the liuqi, weather, season, jingshen, etc... before properly diagnosing and then treating.
acupuncture = not a cookbook modality of medicine
First Point Location Experience.......2007-02-18
This is a required book for my Master's in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. I have only one point location book to compare it to (CAM). I find the Deadman to be very clear and concise. It is easy to read, easy to locate info in the book and the diagrams are very clear and easy to understand as well. I do recommend this book.
Great text.......2007-01-11
Its required for my studies but I do think it is a very clear easy to use text book. The Deadman cards are realy helpful for studying as well-nice to have a portable way to study points.
Average customer rating:
- Point of Impact- HITS THE MARK
- A Great Read!
- Oh come on!
- One of the best action-packed book I had in years...
- A must-read, overlooked Classic!
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Point of Impact
Stephen Hunter
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0553563513
Release Date: 1993-11-01 |
Book Description
He was one the best Marine snipers in Vietnam. Today, twenty years later, disgruntled hero of an unheroic war, all Bob Lee Swagger wants to be left alone and to leave the killing behind.
But with consummate psychological skill, a shadowy military organization seduces Bob into leaving his beloved Arkansas hills for one last mission for his country, unaware until too late that the game is rigged.
The assassination plot is executed to perfection—until Bob Lee Swagger, alleged lone gunman, comes out of the operation alive, the target of a nationwide manhunt, his only allies a woman he just met and a discredited FBI agent.
Now Bob Lee Swagger is on the run, using his lethal skills once more—but this time to track down the men who set him up and to break a dark conspiracy aimed at the very heart of America.
Customer Reviews:
Point of Impact- HITS THE MARK.......2007-10-06
Point of Impact
This book is the screenplay for the movie "Shooter". I first read the book about twelve years ago, it was so superb that it stuck with me. I was convinced that it was the basis for the very exciting movie, after some resaearch online, I was proven right. I read on average of three books a month and "Point of Impact" is on my top five ever. Bob Lee swagger uses his most accurate shots in the climactic courtroom scene, and the reader is left grinning and wanting a sequel.
A Great Read!.......2007-09-16
Clancy-like technical writing and Ludlam-like action. Throw in Grisham for good measure and you won't put thisbook down. The action just keeps on coming. Some brilliant writing that made a good movie (but the book was much better, as usual). Highly recommend this one.
Oh come on!.......2007-08-01
This has to be one of the worst suspense novels I've ever read. Stephen Hunter makes a number of technical errors and implausible scenarios to try to make up for his wooden prose and lack of understanding of the shooter's culture.
- For instance, early on he claims that a villain carries an "automatic shotgun" under his coat. Then a chapter later he changes it to a "pump shotgun". Sure Benelli makes the M3 Super 90 now, but it's clear that Hunter doesn't know this (was the M3 even in existence when he wrote the book?). He just fails to pay attention to detail.
- Then he places the hero on a hilltop, has him rapid fire over 45 rounds through a .308 with hot hand loads at moving targets at variable distances, hero never misses, over a 145 men turn tail and run, then he fires a shot at over 1,200 yards offhand (or kneeling) and hits all three rounds on a single concealed target. Of course Hunter probably believes that a bull barrel might make up for heat stress but...oops, he forgets to have that particular rifle bull barreled (which probably wouldn't help anyway).
- Oh, and let's not forget the main premise of the whole story: hero fires a bullet through his rifle, villains recover the bullet, put it through a slightly larger barrel with a paper patch or sabot, bad guy then makes a precision kill at well over 1,500 yards. Yeah....right.
- The poor woman hostage has a bad guy tape a shotgun to her head with his finger on the trigger. The hero blows off the guy's arm at the elbow.... at six feet... with 00 buck... firing from the hip. Somehow he miraculously misses the woman (who was supposed to be between the two antagonists). She falls backward on the gun and severed arm and the shotgun doesn't go off. Then the hero goes through a gut-wrenching worry fest while trying to disconnect the girl from the shotgun because he's worried the gun might go off with the bad guy's finger perched on the trigger. *GROAN* THEN he takes the arm/shotgun and tosses it "as far away as he could".... so he just spent five minutes worrying that it might go off and then he hap-hapzardly launches it through the air.
The story line is weak. The dialog is unimaginative and dependent on cultural cliches. The characters are one-dimensional to the extreme. There is no suspense and everything in the end plays out exactly as you would expect it to from such a formulaic plot line. The only piece of mystery in the whole story is so implausible that you'll laugh at it when Hunter finally deems to tell you his big mystery.
If you know very little about guns (or just enough to write a hack novel) or don't particularly care about good writing then you will probably like this book.
One of the best action-packed book I had in years..........2007-07-27
Stephen Hunter really did a good job in packing all the actions and excitement into one book. Very well laid out plots and you could really feel the characters. It was so breath-taking that you just kept on turning the pages...
A must-read, overlooked Classic!.......2007-07-10
What makes this book great:
1. Ever imagined a scenario of one man against the world? We've all seen movies or read books about people overcoming insurmountable odds. But Vietnam Veteran Bob's foes are tougher than all of them. Mentally, they have him beat. Some of the most devious minds have come together to plan the perfect conspiracy. If that isn't enough, a shamed, but ingenious evil psychiatrist has Bob all figured out. He knows his fears and weaknesses. The bad-guys certainly have more connections than Bob. The entire U.S. Government and mass media is intent on ending his life. In terms of firepower, even discounting the nation's law enforcement personal, and the hand-picked group of ex-military types that personally hate Bob, a well-trained and battle-hardened group of Central American commandos are poised to fill our hero with bullets. If Bob's lucky, he'll get a long range rifle, an incompetent ex-FBI agent, and an 80 year old southern lawyer to help him out. If he's unlucky, maybe he gets a .45 ACP and the Ouachita Mountains. How can it get any better than this?
2. Tension and uncertainty aren't great things in life, but they are when you're reading a suspense novel. This book is packed with plot twists and unexpected turns. A book that has believable, yet riveting, surprises is the kind of book that I want to read. Stephen Hunter incorporated plenty of this into "Point of Impact."
3. Sometimes a passionate romantic encounter, sporting event, or life threatening situation will make your heart accelerate, but how about a book? This book is more than a slowly decaying lump of processed wood and splattered ink. This book will make your heart thump, thunder, and accelerate. I found my eyes racing through paragraphs during the multiple climaxes in this book.
4. Awaiting the revenge part. This book has some disgusting villains that badly need to be punished for their atrocities. This can be a fulfilling thing to read about. And you're guaranteed to keep turning the pages until the evil-doers get what's coming to them.
5. Appreciate a good conspiracy? Or would you rather see it come unraveled by the hands of a real American hero? In this book, we have the perfect conspiracy. You won't see a more immaculate frame-up. Even if you hate the undercover villians, you'll appreciate their professionalism as they plan to send Bob the Nailer, and a few innocents, to their doom. The best part is seeing the conspiracy fall apart, though.
6. Better than the movie "Shooter." We've all heard this adage before, so there is no use in me repeating it. Just trust me on this one.
7. If you appreciate guns and marksmanship, then that's something else you'll like about this book. Some of the calibers might be foreign to you if you're a novice like me, but if you like target shooting or gun collecting, this book will really resonate with you.
So what are you waiting for? Get lost in a world of suspense, intrigue, guile, and all those other adjectives for a few hours. Give your brain a kick, figuratively of course. You can let Bob Lee Swagger be your guide and not risk being picked off at the top of a hill.
Here's some more stuff about the book if you're eager.
Characters:
Bob Lee Swagger: AKA Bob the Nailer. A Vietnam vet with a reputation for superb sniping abilities. He is not without battle scars, both mental and physical. Physically, he was shot in the hip by a sniper during Vietnam. Mentally he has problems too. After Bob got shot in the leg, his best friend Donny Fenn tried to save him and got killed in the process. Bob came back from Vietnam and went through some difficult times and finally settled down in a lonely cabin in rural Arkansas. He has no companions but a handful of friends that he spoke to on occasion. He also has his dog. His life consists of collecting his checks from his services to the armed forces and shooting. Shooting is his only passion and pastime. He methodically hones his rifles to perfection on a daily basis. This hobby is a form of escape really. Bob shoots targets and forgets about everything else in life. Bob is intensely patriotic and never lost his southern humor, despite the hardships and setbacks that he has faced. Something about his psychological profile convinced a handful of masterminds that he would be the prime fall guy for their assassination plot. Swagger shows what he has left in him as he struggles against what appear to be insurmountable odds.
Nick Memphis: All Nick ever wanted was to be an FBI agent. Early in his career he landed the prestigious position of sniper for the FBI. In a hostage situation, he was in the position to take the shot at the deranged criminal. Perhaps due to his own nerves; or perhaps because of the commanding officer barking orders as loud as possible into his ear piece, Nick messed up the shot in the worst possible way and hit the hostage in the spine. As a result, his career took a dive. He lost his sniper position and was reassigned to the FBI headquarters in New Orleans. He married the wheelchair bound woman that he hit in the spine that terrible day. They surprisingly build a loving relationship. But everything takes a turn for the worse when she passes away. Sometimes unsure of himself and plagued with bad luck, Nick does his best to be a stellar agent but things just never seem to work out for him. Despite his work ethic and loyalty, he struggles to not get fired as he works for the FBI. Everything is elevated when he finds himself in the middle of the investigation and chase to capture Bob the Nailer.
Jack Payne and Colonel Shreck are ex-elite military veterans. They are the muscle behind the assassination and conspiracy plot.
Dr. Dobbler is an evil psychiatrist who no longer has a license. But this does not keep him from working for a covert front that might be loosely connected to the CIA. He's got Bob's profile.
There are more villains than meets the eye. Among them is a brutal Central American General, government law enforcement agents, a local policeman or two, and perhaps some government officials that are pretty high up. There is also another sniper, and evil one. He seems to be the opposite of Bob, and he might even be more skilled.
Plot summary:
Bob is at home, minding his own business, when a handful of strangers show up at his rural Arkansas trailer. Bob does not want to talk to them initially, but one of them flips him his congressional medal of honor and Bob listens to him in part as his patriotic duty. The strangers have a wonderful proposition for him. They are representatives of a cutting edge ammunition company that has designed a process to make the most accurate and reliable rounds in the world. They need a top notch marksman like Bob the Nailer to sample their product, endorse it, and represent it. But to make sure Bob endorses the product in good faith, they invite him to test the ammunition at their facility. Bob starts out with some simple tests; firing and checking the marking of different kinds of ammunition, including the new company's ammunition and Bob's custom loads. Just to show Bob that the ammunition was truly phenomenal, the mysterious company had Bob simulate some real life sniping events. During the final event, Bob simulated the murder of a drug-cartel Kingpin from several hundred yards. By the force of some ingenious psychological manipulation that will not be revealed in this review, Bob becomes angered and nearly traumatized. The whole ammunition bit was a set up to lure Bob into a covert operation to protect the President of the United States!
Bob's new covert allies inform Bob that they have obtained top secret knowledge that the man who shot Bob and killed Bob's best friend, Donny Fenn, during Vietnam, was planning on killing the president. They needed his sniping expertise to find out more information so that they could stop the terrible event.
To Bob's surprise, he is set up and framed for the assassination attempt (and murder). Now he has the entire federal government, and local law enforcement personal, and everyone else in the country on his tail.
Bob has a two goals, vengenance and clearing his name. The first goal is greater than the first. Somewhere over the course of the book, Bob's character develops in the midst of these hardships and he acquires a third goal. He wants to start a new life. He seeks to emerge from the hermit-like existence that has consumed him in rural Arkansas and find love and family like many other Americans. Bob is up against top secret organizations and powerfully efficient foes. He must utilize stealth and violence to survive.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when our wrongly accused sniper matches his jungle fighting prowess with a sizable group of Central American commandos.
This book successfully manages to have multiple climaxes in a way that other books fall short. The first climax involves multiple master snipers, elite villains, psychological manipulation, and involves Bob going toe to toe with the evilest of covert, conspiring, and absolutely brutal villains.
The second climax is Bob matching his wits with the sharpest young (and old) minds of the federal government.
I'm not sure which of the climaxes was more exciting, although the second one is a bit further outside of Bob's area of expertise.
The book is highly recommended. It is the kind of book that you read for enjoyment, and it is a classic in this regard. Very few books (if any) surpass this work in its ability to show the reader a good time.
Book Description
The personal coach to Lance Armstrong shares the philosophy and program that have not only made him a world-class coach but inspired him to gain control of the rest of his life as well
Chris Carmichael’s outstanding coaching experiences have convinced him that great success in any area of life is only possible if we first achieve an integrated, healthy, and balanced lifestyle. Only by harmonizing what he considers the five essential aspects of life—fitness, nutrition, relationships, career, and health—do we construct the strong, stable, and supportive platform from which we can reach for our dreams.
In his 5 Essentials Program, the coach who guided Lance Armstrong to his record-breaking seven Tour de France championships now provides the empowering tools—including step-by-step action plans—that today’s men need to achieve their personal, professional, and athletic goals while performing at levels thought only possible in youth. There are many books that offer advice on making a change in one specific area of life—whether it is diet, fitness, career advancement, or relationships. The Five Essentials Program provides the integrated approach that really works to release the champion within and create lasting change.
Customer Reviews:
fitting it all in.......2007-05-09
Most athletes feel torn between their sport, job, family and sleep. Too often we focus too much energy on one at the expense of the others. Achieving balance is key to a happy and fulfilling life. Carmichael reveals his own journey (including the struggles) to find this balance in his own life. A very personal look into how even elite athletes struggle to fit it all in. Includes recipes, meal plans and exercise programs, tailored to all fitness levels. Gives beginners a clear path to follow, and offers enough nutritional/balance advice for the advanced athlete seeking to excel without sacrificing other areas of life. Great message.
Good insight into a Performance Lifestyle.......2007-02-26
I'm a raving fan of Chris Carmichael. I thought there were great insights in this book about the idea of "Performance" and "winning" and how you can improve your lifestyle. The book does start really strong, and then seems to turn into a before-and-after diet and exercise book with pages of recipes, and it may seem to get a little bit sidetracked with discussion about improved sexual function. But I overlooked all that because the insights throughout, especially the candid ones from a pro like Chris are invaluable; they are important and can set you on a much better path than most diet and exercise books. This book is a significant departure from the usual stuff. Thanks Chris for putting out a book that really starts to get people thinking differently about their lifestyle.
Excellent read!!!.......2007-02-17
I already knew many of these theories of fitness, eating habits, and lifestyle, yet the reminder from Chris Carmichael came at a great time for me. This is a book that is very inspirational, and yet can produce consistent results if taken seriously.
Whole-Life Tips from Lance Armstrong's Trainer .......2007-01-17
Give credit to Chris Carmichael for not writing another book just focused on fitness. Instead, he takes a holistic approach to fitness, diet and relationships. Emphasizing the need for balance is key, but Carmichael is on stronger footing with the fitness and diet tips.
The only mild quibble I have with the book is that the bulk of it is comprised of recipes. The substantive content is a relatively quick read; if you backed out the recipes, you might barely have enough material to constitute a book.
Carmichael is effective in showing how, ironically, when he was starting up his own fitness business, he got so busy that he neglected his own diet and conditioning. If it can happen to him, it can happen to us.
more recipes.......2007-01-16
The book starts off strong. The reasons that Carmichael gives for writing it are reasons that any middle aged athlete or wanna-be can relate to - aging, schedule conflicts, obligations...
Unfortunately the book quickly becomes just another exercise and recipe book. At this point so much has been written about the pursuit of fitness that it's hard to keep it fresh.
One fitness aspect that Carmichael treats that few others do is agility. He has some agility tests and exercises that don't always show up in the typical 'how to' book.
As another reviewer stated, this book would be excellent for the beginning endurance athlete, or perhaps for someone returning to working out. If you've been at it a few years, you've probably heard it in other words before.
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