Introduction to the Theory of Computation Review

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(More customer reviews)When I picked up this book I thought, "You have to be kidding me." This book is very thin, and then a fair chunk of it is mathematics review for some of the formal arguments the book is going to be making later on. One wouldn't think there was much in this book.
One would be wrong. This book goes into rather impressive depth on some rather abstract concepts of computer science without dabbling for too long in the details. It does the best job I've ever seen of explaining the Turing machine and how it relates to computability and decidablity.
The exercises are both easy and insanely difficult - so you can basically chose your level and then go through the book, some of the problems are very hard, some are trivially easy, a great mix makes for great homework assignments.
The "Proof Idea:" sections before every proof give you the underlying concepts in plain english that are about to be stated formally so you have a clue what's happening when the formal definitions start flying. These are priceless and should be included in every other book that uses formal proof techniques.
The book reads fairly well on its own, or makes for a great class text book, which I used it for. As my professor said, "This is a good book because it doesn't have any extra words." but you don't seem to mind as you read it. Probably the best work on the science of computation in the world, certainly the best I've ever seen.

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Michael Sipser's emphasis on unifying computer science theory - rather than offering a collection of low-level details - sets the book apart, as do his intuitive explanations. Throughout the book, Sipser builds students' knowledge of conceptual tools used in computer science, the aesthetic sense they need to create elegant systems, and the ability to think through problems on their own.

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The Greek & Latin Roots of English Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an excellent work for anyone studying the English
language for the first time or for an English literature major.
Students of the English language will appreciate the exhaustive
delineation of the roots of words and word families.
In the area of city planning alone, the author provides
comparable Greek and Latin words alongside the standard
English. For instance, urbs and urbis means city.
Porta or portae means city gate. Domus or domi means house.
The work methodically reviews language families, the workings
of Greek and Latin, prefixes, government vocabulary and
vocabulary of the sciences and social sciences.
There are classic utilizations of the Latin in English.
For instance, "in principio" means in the beginning.
"Status quo" means the state in which something exists.
"Ad Infinitum" refers to infinity and "finis" is the end.
This work could be helpful to students studying Latin or
Greek because the author explains the foreign language
relationship to English. The work could be very helpful for
anyone desiring to improve his/her vocabulary. There are
numerous exercises throughout the text. These are designed
to give students ample practice with word utilization and
application in a number of important contexts. This version
has an extensive constituency or strategic audience.
i.e. English majors, foreign language experts, writers,
editors and newspeople and a variety of scientific professional
people. The work could be useful during formal study for the
standardized SAT exam given for college aspirants.

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Over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots; in the vocabulary of the sciences and technology, the figure rises to over 90 percent. Through the study of the Greek and Latin roots of English, students can expand their knowledge of English vocabulary and also come to understand the ways in which the history of the English language have shaped our perceptions of the world around us.The approach of this new fourth edition of The Greek and Latin Roots of English is thematic: vocabulary is organized into various topics, including politics and government, psychology, medicine and the biological sciences, literature, ancient culture, and religion and philosophy. Cumulative chapter exercises on tear-out pages reinforce both vocabulary already learned and analytical skills developed in previous lessons. This text will help students begin to learn not only vocabulary, but also the pleasures (and pitfalls) of language study.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Interviewing: Principles and Practices Review

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(More customer reviews)This textbook was a req. for an Interviewing course, which provided thorough information on how to properly conduct an interview (as the interviewer). There was less information on how to be a successful interviewee (i.e. for employment), and our class found the textbook to be oversimplified, and failed to really challenge us as students. For instance, it belabored certain topics that are common sensical, i.e. "Do not pressure an interviewer, do not be hostile, smile." Overall an O.K. book.

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The most widely-used text for the interviewing course, Interviewing: Principles and Practices offers comprehensive coverage of a wide range of interviews, as well as the most thorough treatment of the basics of interviewing (including the complex interpersonal communication process, types and uses of questions, and the structuring of interviews from opening to closing). Relevant theory is carefully integrated as a foundation for the practical aspects of interviewing--for both the interviewer and the interviewee. The 12th edition continues to reflect the growing sophistication with which interviewing is being approached, the ever-expanding body of research on all types of interview settings, recent interpersonal communication theory, and the effect of equal opportunity laws on interviewing practices.

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Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition, Version 4.0 (Windows & Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you love words, there is no equal
At least Oxford University Press keeps trying. This is the 4th electronic version of the venerable Oxford English Dictionary. Each of the earlier versions had problems galore that Oxford was very lax in resolving or sometimes even admitting. Among the many small cruelties, you had to reinsert the data disk every 90 days. Or the failure to adapt to Windows Vista. Ah, well, if you want all those words at your fingertips, such suffering is a price to be paid.
Happily, 4.0 seems pretty stable. Gone is the insanity of needing to reinsert the data disk. OED 4.0 runs smoothly on Vista. Still missing are synonyms. Oxford is missing a profit opportunity by not including a thesaurus add-on. They have a print version: why not make it electronic?
The user interface is cleaned up from earlier versions.
Spelling errors still result in no match rather than presenting you with a list of possibilities. Using the two wildcards is your own option.
The advanced Search is a relatively primitive Boolean mechanism that provides you three terms to match in either the word entries or quotations using AND/OR/NOT operators. Frankly, it isn't all that advanced, but it will do.
When the OED is open, you can double-click on any word and the OED will display the definition. (Windows-only feature.) Mac users need to copy the word to the clipboard.
Speaking of copying, you can only copy the entire OED entry, which can be huge in many cases. Thus, you transfer it to a note application and then extract what you need. Cumbersome to say the least, but as paranoid as Oxford is about illegal copying, it keeps people from easily creating their own dictionaries.
The help function is browser based and reasonably thorough. There is, happily, a list for all the abbreviations used in the OED and any serious word hunter will be using it.
The joy of the OED, of course, is the words. More than 500,000 words defined and 2.5 million quotations demonstrating their use. Paradise for a writer or anyone entranced with the English language. Although, in terms of use, there are other electronic dictionaries that I prefer for ease of use and online references as well, the OED remains the absolute authority and I treasure it. Warts and all, I have grown up with it in print (the tiny print version with the magnifying glass) and all its electronic versions.
The OED is and remains the superlative resource for the English language.
Jerry


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The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the English Language, defining more than 500,000 words and tracing their usage through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of literary and other sources. The text on the CD-ROM comprises the full text of the OED 2nd Edition , plus the three Additions volumes, as well as 7,000 new entries from the OED's continuing research. Most importantly, OED v4.0 on CD-ROM boasts superb search-and-retrieval software, designed specifically for the electronic version, enabling you to investigate the Dictionary in ways not possible with the print edition. Questions which might have taken years of patient research can now be answered in seconds. Existing functionality retained from earlier versions includes: Installation to the hard drive, so the CD is not required during use of the Dictionary Options to customize the entry display and show or hide pronunciations, spellings, etymology, and quotation text Flexible full text search options, with search filters and an option to rank entries and search results alphabetically or by date New to this version: Now compatible for Mac users as well as PC users Now compatible for Windows 7 operating system Flash-base Smoother and faster performance providing instantaneous search results New word-wheel which supports incremental letter-by-letter browsing 7,000 new words and meanings System Requirements Windows: Intel Pentium 4 1.6GHz processor or equivalent (2GHz recommended); Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000. Macintosh: Power PC G4 867MHz or faster processor; Intel Core Duo 2.13GHz or faster processor; Mac OS X v.10.4x or 10.5x. All platforms: 512MB of RAM; 1Gb free hard disk space; minimum monitor capability: 1024 x 768 pixels and high color (16 bits per pixel, ie 65,536 colors); local CD-ROM/DVD drive (for installation); runs from hard drive only.

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The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual Review

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(More customer reviews)
While the media run rampant with flimsy leads and stories based solely on hearsay, it's good to know that at least their grammar stays in check, thanks to the hard and fast rules set forth in the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.
Providing direct distinctions between similar words, the correct spelling of commonly-misspelled words, and the politically-correct use of dangerous words, the AP stylebook delineates specific style rules for virtually every journalistic possibility. Set up in a dictionary-style format, the manual's general stylebook lists everything from the perils of "a" versus "an" to the preferred usage of ZIP codes.
Following the stylebook are the more specific sections dealing with sports and business style, both also set up with A to Z listings, including usage and spelling. Although sports writing info may be confined to the needs of the sportswriter, the business section is helpful for those who take interest in corporate designations and definitions of stock market terms.
Finally, just before the manual switches from the absoluteness of style to the murky legal waters of the libel section, comes, in my opinion, the pièce de résistance-A Guide To Punctuation-music to the ears of syntax-psychos and grammar-Nazis, alike.
Starting with words of wisdom from what the AP refers to as "a bible of writers," "The Elements of Style," this portion is eleven pages of invaluable knowledge for any writer, regardless of profession, and is arranged so succintly that even children can access its information for their own use.
Although I have thus far had little use for the information about libel in this book, it is primarily what its introduction claims-not a libel text, but merely a useful guide which "explains the fundamental principles in libel for working writers and editors." It also contains some key parts of the Freedom of Information Act which should be read by everyone to fully know our rights regarding the access to federal information, during what has now become the Age of the X-file.
All-in-all, the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual should be a welcome edition to any writer's reference library.

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The style of the Associated Press defines clear news writing. In fact, more people write for the AP news service than for any single newspaper or broadcaster in the world. The AP Stylebook is therefore "the journalist's bible," an essential handbook for all writers, editors, students, and public-relations specialists.The AP Stylebook contains over 5,000 entries laying out the AP's rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. It gives journalists the references they need to write about the world today: correct names of countries and organizations, language to avoid, common trademarks. Special sections cover business and sports reporting. This edition, published in the Associated Press's 150th year, also includes crucial advice on how writers can guard against libel and copyright infringement.An up-to-date AP Stylebook belongs on the desk of every working writer.

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Data Structures and Algorithms in C++ Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the dozens of Data Structures and Algorithms books in the market and till now the worst I've ever seen. I have taken two DSA courses in my undergrad years, and now as a grad, I'm TAing that course.
The theoretical treatment of the book is superficial and too childish. Yet, there's too little practical value. They discuss the unnecessary linked list implementations of trees which is quite confusing for students. I am also amazed that they do not mention finding or removing an element in a BST. And, more importantly there's too little discussion of graphs.
I don't understand those professors trying to bog down students with useless details and complicated C++ codes. Rather, they should give the intuition and the theory behind the data structures and algorithms. Weiss' book is much better than this one. But, even that is obsessed with doing tricky things with C++.
Anyway, to sum up: This book is a garbage. Stay away unless it's required for the course you're taking in case you may need to do homeworks and such.

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* Provides a comprehensive introduction to data structures and algorithms, including their design, analysis, and implementation* Each data structure is presented using ADTs and their respective implementations* Helps provide an understanding of the wide spectrum of skills ranging from sound algorithm and data structure design to efficient implementation and coding of these designs in C++Wiley Higher Education

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Java Swing, Second Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)
Pavel Vorobiev and I are currently finishing up an 'advanced' Swing book consisting mainly of examples ("Swing", Manning publications). We have referenced the Swing source code nonstop. Apart from this, we feel that Java Swing is the best Swing reference money can buy. This book is not an API docs dump. It is a high quality reference book for GUI developers who are prepared to do their job professionaly, not blindly. If you are looking for a hand-holding tutorial this book is not for you (for this I would suggest Up to Speed With Swing).
Java Swing is very well organized and full of original explanation. I encourage potential readers to disregard other comments claiming that this book is API repetitive or doesn't explain enough. No book can cover every possible situation that can arise in the creation of a GUI, and no book will fully explain all of the inner workings of each Swing component and UI delegate. Swing is a very complex and extensive library with some very interesting and powerful mechanisms working behind the scenes. Without a doubt, Java Swing is the most informative and rich reference available. I recommend it highly.
Matthew Robinson
"Swing", Manning publications
Swing "Tips and Tricks", The Swing Connection

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Swing is a fully-featured user interface development kit for Java applications.Building on the foundations of the Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT), Swing enables cross-platform applications to use any of several pluggable look-and-feels.Swing developers can take advantageof its rich, flexible features and modular components, building elegant user interfaces with very little code.

This second edition of Java Swing thoroughly covers all the features available in Java 2 SDK 1.3 and 1.4. More than simply a reference, this new edition takes a practical approach. It is a book by developers for developers, with hundreds of useful examples, from beginning level to advanced, covering every component available in Swing.

All these features mean that there's a lot to learn. Even setting aside its platform flexibility, Swing compares favorably with any widely available user interface toolkit--it has great depth.Swing makes it easy to do simple things but is powerful enough to create complex, intricate interfaces.

Java Swing, 2nd edition includes :

A new chapter on Drag and Drop
Accessibility features for creating a user interface meeting the needs of all users
Coverage of the improved key binding infrastructure introduced in SDK1.3
A new chapter on JFormattedTextField and input validation
Mac OS X coverage and examples
Coverage of the improved focus system introduced in SDK 1.4
Pluggable Look-and-Feel coverage
Coverage of the new layout manager, SpringLayout, from SDK 1.4
Properties tables that summarize important features of each component
Coverage of the 1.4 Spinner component
Details about using HTML in components
A new appendix listing bound actions for each component
A supporting web site with utilities, examples, and supplemental materials
Whether you're a seasoned Java developer or just trying to find out what Java can do, you'll find Java Swing, 2nd edition an indispensable guide.

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English Words from Latin and Greek Elements Review

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(More customer reviews)As the reviser of this book--not the Photographer (there is not a single picture in the tome)--I must correct a few misimpressions given in the other reviews, while touting the systematic format that separates Dr. Ayers's book from its competitors. To be sure this is a textbook--the best selling text in this subject area--divided into two halves, one dealing with English words derived from Latin, the other dealing with English words derived from Greek. Each lesson has some introductory material; these intros vary: some explain how English builds words from Latin and Greek bases with an explanation of how dictionaries present such information, some are mini-lectures in linguistic processes that characterize English words, some deal with how the form and meaning of words change with time. Each lesson presents a list of bases, prefixes and suffixes for the student to memorize. These are set forth clearly in caps, and there are many examples given for each item. The lesson ends not with quizzes but with words derived from the elements presented in sentences that are written by skilled writers of English. All of the information is well indexed at the end. This systematic approach gives the student control over the most frequently encountered word elements in English coming from Greek and Latin. As a consequence of her studies, such a student will have stored in her brain the keys to about half of the harder words in English including the many thousands of technical words invented each year--especially those medical and biological tongue twisters invented by the biological and medical communities. With the keys in her head and the word in its context before her, the student will often undertand the author without having to look up words that often are not yet even in the most recent dictionary. This is power; but power is not easily gained in any field of endeavor. The book can be used by a diligent person for self-study, but most students will need a structured environment in which to learn its contents. TD Worthen

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Since 1965,Donald Ayers' English Words from Latin and Greek Elements has helped thousands of students to a broader vocabulary by showing them how to recognize classical roots in modern English words.Its second edition, published in 1986, has confirmed that vocabulary is best taught by root, not rote.The importance of learning classical word roots is already acknowledged by vocabulary texts that devote chapters to them.Why a whole book based on this approach?Ayers' text exposes students to a wider range of roots, introduces new English words in context sentences, and reinforces vocabulary through exercises.It promotes more practice with roots so that students learn to use them as tools in their everyday encounters with new words.English Words is written from the standpoint of English; it neither attempts to teach students Latin or Greek nor expects a knowledge of classical languages on the part of instructors.Its success has been demonstrated at both the secondary and college levels, and it can be used effectively with students in remedial or accelerated programs.An Instructor's Manual (gratis with adoption) and a Workbook are also available.

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The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction Review

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(More customer reviews)I won't lie, it's a big book. When I first saw it I was a bit scared of it. But the stories are wonderful and worth the read. Do not try to read it all in one shot but take time to appreciate the stories. The book came new, and now sits in my book shelf a bit worn out after a year of flipping through it's pages and annotating. It came on time and with no issues. Kudos to the book seller! :]

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With a wide variety of genres, authors, subjects, and styles, The Norton Reader offers the largest and most thoughtfully chosen collection of essays available in one volume. Fifty-four new essays maintain the Reader's long-standing balance of classic and contemporary, canonical and lesser-known selections. The Eleventh Edition also includes important new coverage of visual and spoken texts-over fifty photographs, paintings, drawings, and other images that were originally published with the essays, as well as a new prose form chapter on the spoken word. Available in this Shorter Edition, with fourteen thematic chapters, The Norton Reader has been carefully designed to support a wide range of teaching styles and situations.

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English Grammar for Students of French: The Study Guide for Those Learning French Review

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(More customer reviews)I am surprised that others have not found this book useful. As an English major in college (someone you would expect to have a greater-than-average grasp on grammar) I found myself lacking in a number of grammer concepts.
When you study French, you are confronted with concepts like "definite,indefinite and partitive articles". Now, in English, you will often use the article which "sounds right". This is actually when you compare your mental database of conversations,schooling, etc to the 2 or 3 options listed, and make an educated guess. Often, you can guess the right answer without actually understanding why it is the right answer, or understanding the concept behind the article.
This book is great for understanding this type of problem. The book explains what an article is (the, a , an) and how they are used in English. Then the book gives you the complementary article in French (de, de l',du) and how it is used in French.
This greatly helped my understand my native English, and how to translate my ideas into French.
The book also covers tense. Even in English, tense is not just past,present and future;tense is also ideas like "am going to go" "I was going to go" and "I am going right now".
The book covers the idea of possessive adjectives (my,yours,his), possessive pronouns (mine,yours, his) which look almost identical in English, and demonstrative pronouns like "this one" and "those/these".
However, this book is an easy read. It is not in "grammer-ese". It is well broken up, so that chapters are only 2-6 pages - enough that you can do one concept at a time.Concepts are explained very simply and examples are given that make it easy to understand.
This book is well worth buying.

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Thousands of students have found this book the ideal way to master and upgrade their French grammar.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Students Review

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(More customer reviews)I use Margaret Richek's book for tutoring purposes, both in one-on-one and group settings, for basic vocabulary and language skills. The primary purpose of this text is to strengthen the vocabulary of the learner. It is designed with the adult learner in mind, tailoring the vocabulary and language exercises to be of use to those who are continuing their education toward GED, community college and general literacy skills.
Each chapter of the book has three key elements - word mastery, learning strategies, and interesting features of words. In the mastering of words, each chapter presents the tried-and-true vocabulary list, to be used again and again in the course of the chapter (and repeated occasionally throughout later chapters). Several sentences are used to put the words in context. It is not simply a dull list of definitions - words are connected, and related words given.
Learning strategies are introduced in each chapter as well. These include use of a dictionary (how can you look up a word when you don't know how to spell it?), using context clues to figure out the meaning of a word, analysing word elements by parts (prefixes, suffixes, etc.), and learning words in settings such as forms, newspapers, and other familiar settings.
The special interest sections include articles that highlight the vocabulary (articles include the history of Ben & Jerry's, stories of how cars get named, biographical stories of famous people like Jackie Robinson, and more), as well as brief histories of words and word categories.
Each chapter has a variety of exercises - mix and match, word association, fill in the blank, analyzing paragraphs, discussion questions for the reading passages, and more.
The one thing I would wish for this text would be a general glossary or dictionary at the end of the book, for students to use with greater ease in looking up the meanings of words. This could be organised in the manner of a dictionary, to be useful for the dictionary use exercises, too. Other than this, `The World of Words' serves as a very useful guide in language arts, reading and writing classes, as well as for individual tutoring for those looking to enhance their basic literacy skills.

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This text aims to develop vocabulary skills by teaching students three basic strategies: dictionary skills, context clues, and word elements, all within an approach that links students' general knowledge to vocabulary and helps students see that vocabulary is relevant to their lives. Unifying themes for each chapter are central to the author's approach, as are the carefully paced lessons and exercise sequences. The text includes readings on subjects from across the disciplines and supplies information that is of use to students in their other or future coursework. Part 1 concentrates on dictionary skills and context clues; Part 2 concentrates on Greek and Latin word elements. The chapters in both parts have a thematic focus, aiming to make vocabulary study more meaningful and providing another way for students to remember new words. In addition to clearly defined words, the author provides "Words in Context" exercises and readings that use many of the words in context. Also, each chapter concludes with a reading passage that uses many of the chapter words in context and gives students practice reading short essays. Also featured in every chapter is a section on English idioms.It presents the meanings of several widely used English expressions related to the chapters' themes - material that should be useful to ESL students.

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1100 Words You Need to Know Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased the 2000 edition to use with my college-bound students who need more vocabulary work, as, for many of them, English is not their first language. The presentation and layout are excellent, the extracts are interesting and informative, and the "Panorama" section is relevant. I am concerned, however, about the errors in the answer section and the occasional typo. I have found a total of 21 errors - surely too high for a text which aims to "improve college grades" and to help you "score high on the SAT1". Check the answers carefully - the errors are pretty obvious and so should have been spotted before publication. These spoil an otherwise excellent book which should have had 5 stars.

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Aimed at college-bound students who need extra vocabulary help, this 20-minute-a-day program guides users towards a mastery of 920 new words and 200 useful idioms. All new in this edition are 46 words-in-context exercises that reflect the SAT change in emphasis regarding vocabulary questions.

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Music: The Art of Listening w/CD-ROM Review

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(More customer reviews)Having taught music appreciation and music literature at the college level for nearly thirty years I have seen many books such as this one. This is one of the best. Where many authors are condescending, Ferris speaks straight to you; where many authors give irrelevant history and biography, Ferris focuses on the musical experience, using history and biography only as a tool for better understanding. Many books have the not-so-hidden agenda to make it clear that classical music is better than pop music in every way; but Ferris creates a more exploratory environment. Her sections on the music of non-Western cultures (Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, African... and even Native American) are quite well focused, and these open up the mind to alternative -- and equal -- modes of listening and appreciating music as a human activity. The one weak area for me was the CD collection (always a problem as there are too many good choices). Earlier editions had a bit better selection. Some were supposed to be shifted to the extended collection, and the extended collection that is listed in the book is really wonderful. Unfortunately, that collection never materialized. The extended collection I received (twice) left off all the selections I was counting on for my class. But if the publisher ever gets that collection together, this really will be the best music appreciation book on the market.
Be forewarned: you do have to be able to read at a college level, and there is an expectation that you have some real music background, even if you can't read music. Over the years I have found that freshman college students have more and more trouble reading books at this level, but other books are no better. The Ferris book is smaller and more compact than most, has more relevant information than most, and creates the best experience of all.

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Emphasizing music in the context of the society that surrounds it, Music: The Art of Listening weaves the development of Western music into the fabric of cultural history, paying special attention to the biographies of significant composers.

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Figures of Speech Used in the Bible: Explained and Illustrated Review

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(More customer reviews)Reviewed by Ed Vasicek, Author of The Midrash Key: Pinpointing the Old Testament Texts from Which Jesus Preached
Bullinger's massive classifications of figures of speech used in the Bible provides a wealth of help in interpretation. When I am studying a difficult verse, I often use the Scripture index in Bullinger's work to find out if figurative language might come into play. Not only does Bullinger address figures that we commonly think of (exaggeration/hyperbole, etc.), but he divides them into subcategories -- and includes classifications of figures one would not ordinarily detect through a casual reading of Biblical texts.
This is not meant for reading or even studying through (though it is fascinating to thumb through it), but is more or less a very useful reference work. I would label it as an essential book for pastors and Bible teachers.
As an evangelical pastor of 24 years, I give this book two thumbs up.

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Bible translators have, through inattention to figures of speech, made serious translation blunders, clouding the real meaning of many important passages of God's Word. E. W. Bullinger's volume, first published in 1898, clarifies 217 distinct figures of speech used in the Bible. Walter C. Kaiser, dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, calls it "the best handbook on figures of speech. It should be on every exegete's shelf." In systematic order, this classic gives the proper pronunciation of each figure of speech, its etymology or origin, and a number of Scripture passages where the figure of speech is used, giving full explanation of its use in each context. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible cites nearly eight thousand Bible passages and includes five appendices and seven indexes, making it even more valuable as a reference tool.

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The Social Work Dictionary Review

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(More customer reviews)I ordered this book to help me study for the ASWB Master's exam as I was taking it many years after finishing school. It was very helpful in refreshing my memory regarding many social work terms and concepts. I would imagine that it helped me answer 5-10 questions correctly. This book will not teach the reader anything about social work practice or help in building social work skills but will serve as a useful reference guide.

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The dynamic vocabulary of social work, like the profession itself, continues to grow and become more complex. Since the first edition of The Social Work Dictionary in 1987, this essential reference work has been recognized as the definitive lexicon of social work. Now in its fifth edition, The Social Work Dictionary captures more than 9,000 terms, cataloging and cross-referencing the nomenclature, concepts, organizations, historical figures, and values that define the profession. A special historical section represents a chronology of the significant developments in the United States and the world toward social welfare policies, practices, and the betterment of humanity. Used extensively in schools of social work, social service agency libraries, and in social work offices worldwide, The Social Work Dictionary, 5th Edition is a staple in professional libraries. It is unequaled as a study tool for preparing for licensing and certification exams. Every social worker-from professor to student, from novice to experienced professional-should own this unparalleled resource for understanding the language of social work and related disciplines! SPECIAL FEATURES: Terms and definitions evaluated and edited by an expert editorial review board Terms that social workers have adopted for use from sociology, anthropology, medicine, law, psychology, and economics Definitions of symptoms and diagnostic labels for various forms of mental disorders as they are understood by social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionalsAlso available:Social Work Speaks, Eighth Edition: NASW Policy Statements, 2009-20012 - ISBN 0871013843Person-in-Environment System Manual, 2nd Edition - ISBN 0871013797A Primer on Single-Case Design for Clinical Social Workers, 2nd edition - ISBN 0871013819NASW PressNASW Press, a division of National Association of Social Workers (NASW), is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences. We serve faculty, practitioners, agencies, libraries, clinicians, and researchers throughout the United States and abroad. Known for attracting expert authors, the NASW Press delivers professional information to hundreds of thousands of readers through its scholarly journals, books, and reference works.Some of the areas we publish in include:-Social work in the field of aging-Models of social work-Social work with children and adolescents-Ethics in social work-Community organization-Professional development

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Understanding English Grammar Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a fiction writer. And there are four books within reach of my writing desk. The most recent addition has been Martha Kolln's Understanding English Grammar. This bad boy has it all, folks. If you're like me, you get tripped up on lie and lay like the rest of us, and those kinds of words (and the rules underlying them) are at the very heart of what UEG sets out to clarify. I think I first went to Kolln's masterpiece for help with prepositions. I don't know who first introduced prepositions into the English language, man, but I'd like beat him with a wet dish rag!
As Kolln says on page 320: "Prepositions are among the most difficult words in the language for foreign speakers to master." I'd take this a step further; I'd say they're the most difficult words for _English_ speakers to master. A couple of examples she lists:
Be sure to fill out the form carefully.
Be sure to fill in the form carefully.
He wasn't fired.
He didn't get fired.
Can _you_ spot the correct usage above? Well, if it gives you pause then Understanding English Grammar may be the book for you. It is a model of grammatical clarity and a wonderful reference book to turn to in times of grammatical doubt:~)
Other books I keep close by my writing desk include: "The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms," Richard Lanham's "A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms," and The Holy Bible. If cleanliness is next to Godliness, grammatical perfection is like Zen awareness. You know it's possible to attain, but achieving it is another matter altogether. Kolln's book can help -- with the grammar, that is.
Yours,
Stacey

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For courses in advanced grammar. Best-seller. Practical, ecelectic approach with a systematic approach to learning grammar. New: Chapter 1 on history of grammar pedagogy, "Classrom Applications," co-author Funk, section on rhetoric of punctuation (Ch. 14).

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Java 2: The Complete Reference, Fifth Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I have waited to write this review until I had finished the book cover-to-cover in order to give a fair review. I bought this book because of the author Herbert Schildt. I have read several of his books and found them all to be informative, easy to understand and well written. While I was disappointed in some aspects of this book, overall I liked it. I think, however, everyone should know what this book has to offer prior to buying it. It may not suit the needs of some potential buyers.
This book is broken up into four sections: The Java Language, The Java Library, Software Development Using Java, and Applying Java.
The first section was the best and most detailed section of the book. It goes from page 4 to page 340 and is an excellent tutorial for learning the Java language. It doesn't talk about the AWT, applets, or any graphical programming for that matter, but gives the reader a firm foundation with which to move into those more interesting Java programming areas. This section alone was worth the price of the book. (while I agree with another reviewer that Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java was a great book, I like this one better because it doesn't keep referring back to C/C++ all the time).
From the start of the second section through the end of the book, this book takes on a different approach. Instead of detailed descriptions as offered in the first section of the book, it begins to be an overview. Many topics are touched upon and many examples are given, but the reader is not given enough information or depth in these chapters to make them very useful.
The bottom line is, this book provides a firm understanding of Java's syntax and object oriented programming. After that it provides brief glimpses of the many kinds of programming you can do with Java.
If you don't know where you want to go with Java, this book is, in my opinion, the best way to sample Java enough to make your decision. If your purpose in wanting this book is to be an applet programmer (or do any graphical programming for that matter), I think you would do better to read the first section of this book (to page 340) and then read the Graphic Java books, volumes I, II and III, which cover the AWT, Swing and 2D API respectively.

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This guide to the Java language details everything programmers need to know about how to develop, compile, debug and run Java applications and applets.

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