Unix Power Tools, Third Edition

Amazon.com

The mark of a craftsman is his familiarity with his tools, the speed with which he can use them to solve simple problems, and his cleverness in using them to solve more complicated challenges. The latest edition of Unix Power Tools explores the standard Unix tools in greater depth than ever, and with better coverage of Linux, FreeBSD, and even the Darwin environment of Mac OS X. It's also been improved by the addition of sections on Perl and Python, programming languages that can often solve Unix problems more adeptly than any specific utility. This detail-filled book distinguishes itself from other guides for Unix gurus with its organizational structure (it's a series of articles that can be absorbed sequentially or individually) and carefully designed and executed index. Like its esteemed predecessors, this book is one you will keep handy.

The authors have achieved a nearly ideal balance in the pages of this book. It's not just a collection of recipes (such collections tend to leave you hanging if you want to do something a little differently), it's not just a book of documentation (books like that have application mainly as references for people who know a lot already), and it's not just a conceptual how-to guide. Unix Power Tools is all of those things, and the overall effect is impressive indeed. If you work with any flavor of Unix, whatever your level of experience, you will benefit by having this book. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to work efficiently, elegantly, and creatively with the Unix tool suite, as well as (to a lesser extent) with Perl and Python scripts. Tips and strategies on customization, document generation, process management, and networking abound in this wisdom-rich volume.

Book Description

With the growing popularity of Linux and the advent of Darwin, Unix has metamorphosed into something new and exciting. No longer perceived as a difficult operating system, more and more users are discovering the advantages of Unix for the first time. But whether you are a newcomer or a Unix power user, you'll find yourself thumbing through the goldmine of information in the new edition of Unix Power Tools to add to your store of knowledge. Want to try something new? Check this book first, and you're sure to find a tip or trick that will prevent you from learning things the hard way. The latest edition of this best-selling favorite is loaded with advice about almost every aspect of Unix, covering all the new technologies that users need to know. In addition to vital information on Linux, Darwin, and BSD, Unix Power Tools 3rd Edition now offers more coverage of bash, zsh, and other new shells, along with discussions about modern utilities and applications. Several sections focus on security and Internet access. And there is a new chapter on access to Unix from Windows, addressing the heterogeneous nature of systems today. You'll also find expanded coverage of software installation and packaging, as well as basic information on Perl and Python. Unix Power Tools 3rd Edition is a browser's book...like a magazine that you don't read from start to finish, but leaf through repeatedly until you realize that you've read it all. Bursting with cross-references, interesting sidebars explore syntax or point out other directions for exploration, including relevant technical details that might not be immediately apparent. The book includes articles abstracted from other O'Reilly books, new information that highlights program tricks and gotchas, tips posted to the Net over the years, and other accumulated wisdom. Affectionately referred to by readers as "the" Unix book, UNIX Power Tools provides access to information every Unix user is going to need to know. It will help you think creatively about UNIX, and will help you get to the point where you can analyze your own problems. Your own solutions won't be far behind.

Customer Reviews:

What a Wonderful Book!.......2007-10-02

I've worked in IT for 20+ years, and this is one of the best books I've found. What an index! And even the text of the book has reference "pointers" (for lack of a better term) sprinkled throughout it. Even if you don't initially find what you are looking for, you can usually read a couple of paragraphs and find a link to what you need. This book is a "keeper!"

The UNIX bible!.......2007-05-13

Back in 1995 I started working at a client and all the UNIX guys had this book on their desk. I was a newbie at that time and the book helped me out a lot. It was clear and to the point. There is so much useful information. Recently I got my own copy because I had to jump back into the UNIX world and having this book around make me feel like I can handle any task that may be required. This is a must have if you want to dabble or become a pro in UNIX.

True to the Unix philosophy.......2007-05-12

Here is a quote taken from _Unix_Power_Tools_ which demonstrates the
attitude, shared by the authors, that unix allows you to make things
easier. "''Ugh!', you say, 'that's just what I hate about UNIX. All
these long filenames and options I can't remember. Who wants to type
all that stuff!' Precisely. That's why UNIX makes it so easy to
create custom commands, in the form of aliases and shell scripts."

Unix Power Tools is true to the spirit and philosophy of unix in
focusing on the command line environment with its rich abundance of
command interpreters, shell languages, system utilities, commands, and
the like. This is the realm of real power.

The book is aimed squarely at the user who wants to learn what's under
the hood of the unix (and Linux) system. It's not about how to change
your wallpaper or install the latest media player, or configure your
desktop, although this new edition may touch on these topics, too.
It's really about using unix to greatest advantage, about tapping its
real power, the power of its simplicity, of its flexibility, of
tapping into I/O streams, and using the tool-box approach to solving
real problems. It's about using 'pipes', 'redirection', and
'filters', to automate the big jobs.

My copy of this book is tattered from all the use it's had over the
last ten years. I'm always hunting it down, as my associates at work
are constantly borrowing it to help them solve a problem. That's
okay, though. I am ordering another copy, just for me. I'm curious
to see this new edition, which I understand has broader coverage of
the various unix flavors, including Linux, which I run
at home.

I would recommend this book to those who find unix intimidating, as
well as to the unix enthusiast. For anyone who ever wondered what the
fuss over unix was about, this book will certainly bring on an
epiphany. For between these covers is the greatest accumulation of
unix wisdom and know-how to be found in any book. The shear volume is
enough to elicit awe. But that's only part of its value, because such
an enormous accumulation of material might normally overwhelm the
reader, leaving him frustrated and unenlightened. Happily, this book
is so well organized, and the material so pleasingly presented, that
anyone will find it a pleasure to browse through and to mine
repeatedly for those precious tips, tricks, and methods that make
using unix so rewarding.

This is admittedly a pound heavy volume, and might be expected to
contain a lot of chaff with the grain. I have not found it so. The
authors have chosen the material well, and know their subject so
intimately and thoroughly, that I am left with a feeling of profound
respect. This is, in short, a book that is worthy of its subject; a
truly great book for a great OS.

I read another reviewer who avers this is the one book he would take
with him to a deserted island. I concur. It has taught me more than
any other unix book, and has made my work more efficient, and most
importantly, more interesting. I paid full retail for my copy of
Power Tools, and at the time, I thought it was a lot, but it has
repaid me many times over. It's the most indispensable unix book on
my shelf; a real gem.

pricey but worth it.......2006-06-23

I know this seems abit pricey but its worth it. I dont have the attention span needed to read most books cover-to-cover. Even though this book is huge I have browsed it all and read most of it. Multiple times! Each time I find some new tidbit to use.

The one unix book that I'd like to have if stranded all alone on an island with a linux system!!.......2006-05-01

I'm an analog IC designer moonlighting as a linux hacker (I'm actually addicted). I try to build software, write shell scripts and customize my desktop to death. I picked up this book a year or two back and I think I've probably used it almost every single day to look up something or the other. I probably own about 20 linux related books (more than my engineering books) but this is the one that I would run out with when the firealarm sounds. Here is my short summary of my feelings about this book.
- this book (primarily) caters to intermediate to advanced users
- I would still recommend this for linux beginners as a reference to check up when every other beginner book fails. There are introductory chapters on shell scripting which could put some of the dedicated shell scripting books to shame
- One of the fundamental holy grail that linux books try to achieve (and in which they often fail) is to find a good balance between breadth and depth - both qualities which the subject of Unix do not shy away from. So a Linux beginner picks up an introductory book which addresses just one linux issue and before he knows it-he has gathered enough knowledge and the book just picks up dust. Or he could pick up a book that claims to be a reference and skims over all the items with little depth and boom when he really needs information about a particular topic he finds that the book is too shallow. The "Unix Power Tools" book, I'm happy to say achieves this good balance between depth and breadth in very good measure. Ex. When I was confused about the intricacies of bash quoting or I/O redirecition, this book came to my rescue. The Unix command "find" which was buried under a 4-year old alias for me owing to it's complexities, suddenly developed a fascination for me after I discovered it's myriad use and value from the multiple pages that this book devoted to it's demystifcation.
- I bought the O'Reilly books - "Linux in a Nutshell" and "Essential system Administration" with the purpose of using them as references - The first one was just too shallow for my requirements and taste and I use it basically as a replacement for online man pages. The second one has it's very niche, but only in specific circumstances. So they have been put to use probably just 1/10th of what the "Power Tools" book has been put to
- I'm not a guy who is driven to write reviews i.e unless I am totally ecstatic or totally disgusted with a product and you probably have guessed where I stand with this one. I waited 1 or two years and I somehow felt that I owe this review to this book.

Average customer rating:

Still A Great Java Resource!
Disappointing
Great source for how to code specific situations
Excellent resource
My favorite type of supplemental reference manual...

Java Cookbook, Second Edition
Ian Darwin
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596007019

Book Description

You have a choice: you can wade your way through lengthy Java tutorials and figure things out by trial and error, or you can pick up Java Cookbook, 2nd Edition and get to the heart of what you need to know when you need to know it. With the completely revised and thoroughly updated Java Cookbook, 2nd Edition, Java developers like you will learn by example, try out new features, and use sample code to understand how new additions to the language and platform work--and how to put them to work for you. This comprehensive collection of problems, solutions, and practical examples will satisfy Java developers at all levels of expertise. Whether you're new to Java programming and need something to bridge the gap between theory-laden reference manuals and real-world programs or you're a seasoned Java programmer looking for a new perspective or a different problem-solving context, this book will help you make the most of your Java knowledge. Packed with hundreds of tried-and-true Java recipes covering all of the major APIs from the 1.4 version of Java, this book also offers significant first-look recipes for the most important features of the new 1.5 version, which is in beta release. You get practical solutions to everyday problems, and each is followed by a detailed, ultimately useful explanation of how and why the technology works. Java Cookbook, 2nd Edition includes code segments covering many specialized APIs--like those for working with Struts, Ant and other new popular Open Source tools. It also includes expanded Mac OS X Panther coverage and serves as a great launching point for Java developers who want to get started in areas outside of their specialization. In this major revision, you'll find succinct pieces of code that can be easily incorporated into other programs. Focusing on what's useful or tricky--or what's useful and tricky--Java Cookbook, 2nd Edition is the most practical Java programming book on the market.

Customer Reviews:

Still A Great Java Resource!.......2007-08-12

I bought the first version of the Java Cookbook many years ago and it was a huge find back then. There were few online resources at the time loaded with really great, consistent sample code, like http://www.javaalmanac.com. The Java Cookbook filled a need then and it fills a need now.

The book covers subjects of interest for programmers with any level of Java expertise. It is written in the classic 'cookbook' format. Each chapter concentrates on a specific area, like 'Strings and Things', 'Pattern Matching with Regular Expressions', 'Object-Oriented Techniques', 'Network Clients', 'Database Access', 'Threaded Java', etc.

Within each chapter, several problems are tackled. One or more pages are devoted to each problem, with a general format of: 'Problem', 'Solution', and 'Discussion'. Many of the problems build on previous solutions. Nearly every solution contains a Java example and the code tends to be simple enough to grok at a glance.

The book has been updated to cover most of the new Java 1.4 and 1.5 goodies, but doesn't have as much coverage as I would have liked. However, the most fundamental topics are covered well. The 800+ page book includes 312 recipes that cover a wide range of topics.

If you are like me and spend a lot of time learning by example, you will find this book an excellent resource.

Disappointing.......2007-02-06

I am a Java newbie and purchased this book in addition to the Head First Java text to get me started. I am a big fan of the Cookbook series, and have generally been very satisied with them. However, the Java Cookbook has been a disappointment.

I must echo the sentiments of "schrapnel" in his review of this text. The recipies given seem designed to teach general concepts rather than solve common programming problems. The result is a general Java textbook that is encumbered with the Cookbook format of Problem, Solution, Discussion. There are numerous instances of the Problem being trivial, or downright silly. For example, "You really want to know about end-of-line characters" and "You need to learn the syntax of JDK 1.4 regular expressions" are presented as Problems for recipies. Clearly, the author is reaching a bit too far in his attempt to present the material in cookbook format.

Great source for how to code specific situations.......2004-10-11

Anyone who has been involved in programming very long soon comes to realize the value of the various programming cookbooks. The cookbooks are not for the person who wants to learn how to program in a particular language, but are very useful for programmers with a basic knowledge of the language. The idea is simple, take the most common problems people deal with and put the solutions into a book. Simply state the problem and then show the code to resolve it. So, if you need to know how to do something you can look it up, enter the code, and test it.

Some of the chapter subjects include Interacting with the Environment, Strings and Things, Pattern Matching, Numbers, Dates and Times, Object-Oriented Techniques, Directory and Filesystem Operations, Graphics and Sound, Network Clients, Server-Side Java, Database Access, XML, and Threaded Java. Typical of any of the programming cookbooks, it is a quick and easy source for answers. Each item has a short explanation of the problem and then goes straight to the code to demonstrate how it works. A great time saver and required resource for Java programmers, Java Cookbook, 2nd Edition is highly recommended.

Excellent resource.......2004-10-04

This is an excellent book-it manages to make itself appropriate for both introductory and experienced Java developers. If you've ever looked at any of the books in O'Reilly's "Cookbook" series, you'll know that the book is organized into "recipes", which illustrate how to accomplish various development tasks in Java.

Many of the beginning recipes are pretty basic, but will be used by developers new to Java to get started. Recipes include setting up the IDE to work correctly, working with a debugger, and even an introduction to JUnit. The next few sections of recipes are similar to what you would expect from any "Learn to Program in Language" book. There is a discussion on strings and string use, numbers, and date time values.

As the book progresses, the recipes become increasingly technical. I was quite impressed to see a discussion of Generics in chapter 8, which were added to 1.5. Additional technical recipes include I/O, graphics and sound, and using sockets in Java. The author is able to successfully discuss a lot of different topics in a very clear and concise way. Additionally, I was both pleased and surprised to see the author include brief discussions on software patterns and agile methodologies, both of which are very much coming into vogue.

Naturally, this book isn't easy to read from cover to cover, but it was never designed that way. Much like an actual cookbook, it is designed to best be used as a reference manual. Experienced non-Java programmers will benefit from this book, which can be used as a good tutorial to learn the Java language quickly. Java programmers will also benefit greatly from this book, and will likely want to have it next to their computer as a reference manual. I would highly recommend this book to anyone either wanting to learn Java or anyone looking for a good Java reference book.

My favorite type of supplemental reference manual..........2004-08-02

I make no apologies about being an "R&D" developer... "Rob & Duplicate". I learn best by seeing something that works, and then adapting it to my own needs. Therefore, a book like Java Cookbook by Ian Darwin (O'Reilly) is the exact type of book I look for and use on a regular basis.

The chapter breakdown: Getting Started; Interacting With The Environment; Strings and Things; Pattern Matching with Regular Expressions; Numbers; Dates and Times; Structuring Data with Java; Data Structuring with Generics, foreach, and Enumerations; Object-Oriented Techniques; Input and Output; Directory and Filesystem Operations; Programming External Devices: Serial and Parallel Ports; Graphics and Sound; Graphical User Interfaces; Internationalization and Localization; Network Clients; Server-Side Java: Sockets; Network Clients II: Applets and Web Clients; Java and Electronic Mail; Database Access; XML; Distributed Java: RMI; Packages and Packaging; Threaded Java; Introspection, or "A Class Named Class"; Using Java with Other Languages

For those unfamiliar with the "Cookbook" style, the chapters have a series of real-life problems, such as playing a sound file, playing a video clip, and printing in Java. The problem is followed by a short one or two line solution and an expanded discussion of the issue complete with code. This approach makes it really easy to find something that is similar to the issue you're facing and to see how someone else would solve it.

For me, the quality of this book is really high. It's a second edition covering the Java 1.5 package, so it's fully up on the current technology. In fact, the Generics chapter deals exclusively with new features in 1.5. Some of the solutions are code classes developed by the author and made available for download. But unlike some books I've reviewed where the author supplies code, this isn't an attempt to push their company or product. It's just a clean way to use a solution that someone else has worked through.

This isn't a book you'd use to learn Java from scratch, but it's a book you'll use on a regular basis as you continue to expand your Java knowledge. Highly recommended.

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)

Average customer rating:

Can't Beat It
Four classics
Wonderful writing wrong package
Too big
From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, T

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393061345

Book Description

A gorgeous gift and a landmark work that is an essential addition to everyone's personal library.

Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin—Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species (1859), The Descent of Man (1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)—been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products. Slipcased hardcover; 101 illustrations, map.

Customer Reviews:

Can't Beat It.......2007-04-03

I bought this book knowing very little about Darwin or his theories. From So Simple a Beginning was an easy read about a very interesting man. I would hope that not just supporters of evolution would read this book there is more to the man then just one theory.

Four classics.......2007-01-12

Excellent in every particular. Five stars in delivery time, condition, quality of the experience.

Wonderful writing wrong package.......2007-01-10

There is no gainsaying the writings of Darwin or the thinking of my favorite living scientist, E.O.Wilson. But the package is wrong.
Four books in one. Too heavy, too cumbersome. Discouraging.

Too big.......2007-01-05

This book is way too big to hold to read, so it is not useful. From the picture I thought I was ordering 4 different books in a book holder, not one giant book. I recommend buying them separately unless you have very strong arms and wrists.

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, T.......2006-07-02

Good

Average customer rating:

Elegantly brilliant
More Christian propaganda to seperate people
Great edition
One of the Greatest Books ever written
A Handy Edition of this Vital Classic

The Origin of Species
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517123207
Release Date: 1995-05-22

Amazon.com

It's hard to talk about The Origin of Species without making statements that seem overwrought and fulsome. But it's true: this is indeed one of the most important and influential books ever written, and it is one of the very few groundbreaking works of science that is truly readable.

To a certain extent it suffers from the Hamlet problem--it's full of clichés! Or what are now clichés, but which Darwin was the first to pen. Natural selection, variation, the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest: it's all in here.

Darwin's friend and "bulldog" T.H. Huxley said upon reading the Origin, "How extremely stupid of me not to have thought of that." Alfred Russel Wallace had thought of the same theory of evolution Darwin did, but it was Darwin who gathered the mass of supporting evidence--on domestic animals and plants, on variability, on sexual selection, on dispersal--that swept most scientists before it. It's hardly necessary to mention that the book is still controversial: Darwin's remark in his conclusion that "Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history" is surely the pinnacle of British understatement. --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

The Origin of Species sold out on the first day of its publication in 1859. It is the major book of the nineteenth century, and one of the most readable and accessible of the great revolutionary works of the scientific imagination.
The Origin of Species was the first mature and persuasive work to explain how species change through the process of natural selection. Upon its publication, the book began to transform attitudes about society and religion, and was soon used to justify the philosophies of communists, socialists, capitalists, and even Germany's National Socialists. But the most quoted response came from Thomas Henry Huxley, Darwin's friend and also a renowned naturalist, who exclaimed, "How extremely stupid not to have thought of that!"

Download Description

In the Origin of Species (1859) Darwin challenged many of the most deeply held beliefs of the Western world. Arguing for a material, not divine, origin of species, he showed that new species are achieved by 'natural selection'. Development, diversification, decay, extinction and absence of plan are all inherent to his theories. Darwin read prodigiously across many fields; he reflected on his experiences as a traveller, he experimented. His profoundly influential concept of 'natural selection' condenses materials from past and present, from the Galapagos Islands to rural Staffordshire, from English back gardens to colonial encounters. The Origin communicates the enthusiasm of original thinking in an open, descriptive style, and Darwin's emphasis on the value of diversity speaks more strongly now than ever.

Customer Reviews:

Elegantly brilliant.......2007-09-17

I had read The Voyage of the Beagle first. It is easy to see how Darwin's theory of evolution was growing as he traveled and saw how plants and animals adapted to different environments. Then he invented a theory to explain what he had observed.
This book is a 300 page definition of the theory of natural selection. Darwin goes through a detailed explanation of how evolution must have occured. He is very methodically, very detailed. When he doesn't understand something, he says he doesn't. He is humble in his presentation, giving credit to other scientists. I was amazed at how many experiments he performed himself, growing generations of plants and insects, watching how they developed and changed.
There is a quote in the book from Darwin's gardener who said, "He's really a sad little man. Sometimes he stands and stares at a flower for hours. I really think he'd be better off if he had something to do."
We are so lucky that Darwin inherited money and could spend his early years traveling and his later years in contemplation and writing.

More Christian propaganda to seperate people.......2007-07-31

Darwin was a born again Christian. Few people know that. And if there's one thing you need to know about Christians it's the fact that they are always trying to put one group of people against another. Divide and conquer. Darwin's plan(actually the plan of the intelligentsia that Darwin was a member of) was to create a new theory for the creation of man and then use Christian beliefs to blow it out of the water. It didn't work though. Even though Darwin picked the most crazy idea he came up with, man coming from monkeys!!!, people began to believe it. The powers that be saw that Science could very well be a new religous dogma and people would believe anything as long as a man in a white coat said it. Besides everyone knows that Allah created man in his supreme mercy, Allah Akhbar!!

Great edition.......2007-06-02

I liked the edition very much. Its legibility is very nice and it's a lightweighted version, dispite its 470 pages. I was just disapointed with the illustrations, that have very little relation to the text. But this fact doesnt compromise the quality of the whole. And the content... well, it's darwin world changing work, very readable.

One of the Greatest Books ever written.......2007-05-12

Darwin was one of the most brilliant men who ever lived. He was perhaps the greatest observer the world has known. In 1831, he set sail on the Beagle, a tiny little ship, for a five-year cruise around the world, and without pay, as naturalist. He had studied theology, medicine, and, finally, biology and geology. He saw how organisms change with time and environment and how Biblical events simply could not have happened as stated. He spent twenty-three years going over his notes, rethinking, and agonizing over the results. In 1859, he published Origin of Species, and it upset the world. He demonstrated evolution as no one had. Uneducated religious leaders may ridicule it, but evolution is a fact, accepted by any intelligent, educated, honest person.

A Handy Edition of this Vital Classic.......2007-05-11

There are many different versions of Darwin's "The Origin of Species" available, but I found this one particularly helpful. First, while it is nicely printed and easy to read on good paper, it is not terribly expensive. Second, it reprints the first or original version of the book which Darwin subsequently modified substantially in the the further five editions he published. Third, it also includes Darwin's "Historical Sketch" and "glossary" which had not appeared in the first edition. Fourth, the color cover illustration by the Victorian artist Henry de la Beche is an important indicator of why the Victorians were so into prehistoric studies. However, the thing that really distinguishes this Penguin Books edition is the incredibily incisive and invaluable introduction by the editor, J.W. Burrow. Burrow is beyond question one of the most significant intellectual historians of our time. Among other things he has written extensively on the concept of evolution in Victorian thought in his classic "Evolution and Society: A Study in Victorian Social Theory." In 37 crisp pages, Burrow incomparably sketches the Victorian intellectual background against which Darwin wrote. Although the essay is nearly 40 years old, it has stood the test of time very well. It alone is worth the price of the book. Altogether, a very nice introduction to this critical event in scientific and intellectual history.

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync: A Story for Kids about the Tough Day When Filibuster Grabbed Darwin's Rabbit's Foot and the Whole Family Ended Up in the Doghouse--An ... Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder

Average customer rating:

The Good Enoughs Get In Sync
What a Help!
A fun book for kids with SID and extended family members...
The Goodenoughs Get in Sync Review by Lisa Angel
The Goodenoughts Get In Sync

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync: A Story for Kids about the Tough Day When Filibuster Grabbed Darwin's Rabbit's Foot and the Whole Family Ended Up in the Doghouse--An ... Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder
Carol Stock Kranowitz
Manufacturer: Sensory Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1931615179

Book Description

This delightfully illustrated "chapter book," geared for eight-to-twelve year olds, tells the charming tale of five family members (each with a different sensory processing challenge) and their naughty dog, and how they get in sync after a tough day. The book is designed with the action of the story in larger print for younger readers to read or hear. Explanations of sensory processing disorders are woven through the story in regular type, for proficient readers to linger over at leisure.

This wonderful book from the best-selling author of The Out-of-Sync Child and The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun, is a must-have for every family challenged by sensory processing problems.

Customer Reviews:

The Good Enoughs Get In Sync.......2007-08-03

It was very interesting as the children in the story shared what activites help them get in sync. What was relaxing and what elements of the activities were useful to relaxation, organization etc. Although I did not notice the age group recomendation I will keep the book as it is useful to the parents and grandma and will become my grandson's book when it is more level appropriate. I say that because he is very advanced when it comes to stories and reading.

What a Help!.......2006-06-29

While my child is too young to read this book on his own, I know it will be helpful for him in the future. As a parent of a child with sensory issues, I found that it helped enhance my understanding of his issues immensely (e.g, what HE is experiencing on a daily basis and how it might make him feel). The more insight and understanding a parent has on these issues, the better you can help your child. I highly recommend purchasing it.

A fun book for kids with SID and extended family members..........2006-06-21

We really enjoy this book. It helps our daughter understand what is going on with her senses, and why we need to do heavy work acivities and other parts of her sensory diet. It is also the book we have shown her grandparents because it touches on a lot of definitions related to sensory integration, and gives examples of characters with the traits. I highly recommend you buy this for your child with SID and people who spend a lot of time with your child.

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync Review by Lisa Angel.......2005-03-03

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync by Carol Stock Kranowitz was a great book to read because it so helpful in the classroom. Many times we think that a child is just being mean or annoying when in reality it is a sensory disorder and the child can not help it. I felt the definitions provided to certain words such as sensory under-responsivity, auditory defensiveness and visual defensiveness, to name a few, were extremely enlightning. My son has a friend who has a sensory disorder. I didn't know about the disorder until he came over to spend the night. When it came time to go up the stairs to my son's bedroom he began to freak out. Of course, I called his mom and she explained everything to me and I began to understand. This is a wonderful book to recommend to her. I also enjoyed reading about each family member and how the sensory disorders varied so much. However, each had their own issues to deal with, they really stuck together as a family and supported one another. Even the dog had sensory issues. I would really recommend this book to teachers so that they have better sense of some of the behaviors that go on in the classroom.

The Goodenoughts Get In Sync.......2005-01-17

It is NOT AMAZING to me that Carol Kranowitz has done it again! I know how LIFE CHANGING her book: The Out-of-Sync Child was for me and for my son! That book made LIGHT BULBS go off in my head and I was able to read it inserting my son's name on every page after I had read page number two! Her resources brought HOPE and took away so much self-doubt, guilt, fear, sadness, frustration, etc...! All of her books are something I could put my hands around, my head into and helped open my heart! Her books CHANGED my life and changed "WHO" my son is FOREVER! Doctors, parent, teacher, grandparents,etc...need to read this book as well and share it with the children they are trying to understand/help! Perhaps they will see themselves on these pages?
BRAVO CAROL!

Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography (Books That Changed the World)

Average customer rating:

You can ask for little more in so little space
Adequate
This author knows the subject too well to explain it

Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography (Books That Changed the World)
Janet Browne
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0871139537

Book Description

Charles Darwin’s foremost biographer, Janet Browne, delivers a vivid and accessible introduction to the book that permanently altered our understanding of what it is to be human. A sensation on its publication in 1859, The Origin of the Species profoundly shocked Victorian readers by calling into question the belief in a Creator with its description of evolution through natural selection. And Darwin’s seminal work is nearly as controversial today. In her illuminating study, Browne delves into the long genesis of Darwin’s theories, from his readings as a university student and his five-year voyage on the Beagle, to his debates with contemporaries and experiments in his garden. She explores the shock to Darwin when he read of competing scientist’s similar discoveries and the wide and immediate impact of Darwin’s theories on the world. As one of the launch titles in Atlantic Monthly Press’ “Books That Changed the World” series, Browne’s history takes readers inside The Origin of the Species and shows why it can fairly claim to be the greatest science book ever published.

Customer Reviews:

You can ask for little more in so little space.......2007-09-09

Simple me, I enjoyed the book tremendously. I was impressed by the author's ability to cover so much territory in so little space (the book is, in the end, a biography of both Darwin and Darwinism). Even condensed, it reads well. The last chapter, on the fate of Darwinism after his death, did seem a little rushed, but it was all so new to me that I was happy to have it, rather than nothing at all. This is, after all, an introductory book, and after you have read it, you can look elsewhere for something more substantial. You should judge a book by what it sets out to do, not by what you would do if you were the author.

Adequate.......2007-06-07

This short book is devoted to exploring Darwin's Origin of Species. Browne provides concise summaries of the background to the Origin, Darwin's life, the circumstances under which it was published, and its reception. Overall, these parts of the book are solid and essentially glosses of Browne's outstanding 2 volume biography of Darwin. The final part of the book is a brief tour of the subsequent history of Darwinian ideas from the late 19th century to the present. This is simply too much stuff in too brief a format and is superficial.
Readers interested in a better exploration of this topic would do well to read Browne's biography of Darwin. This is a thick book but very well written and is simply superb as an introduction to Darwin and the relevant 19th century history. Another complementary and excellent book is Ruse's The Darwinian Revolution.

This author knows the subject too well to explain it.......2007-05-22

This book was very disappointing to me, in that it failed to accomplish its main task. It's supposed to help us see how The Origin of Species changed the world, right? To do that it would have to make us see what the belief system was that Darwin's book upset. What did intelligent, educated people believe about animal and other species before Darwin came along? Why was his thesis so shocking? I am sure Janet Browne herself understands this thoroughly, but she makes the Number One mistake of bad pedagogues, which is to fail to imagine what her readers know and don't know - to fail to see the subject from her readers' point of view. We all live in a world steeped in the idea that species evolved over vast spans of time, through random variations, into the ones we know today, which are still evolving. Before Darwin, however, a different dogma was in the air, and I could not grasp from Browne's text what it was.
She should have devoted a whole chapter to putting us back into that mind-set, so we could then appreciate the shock of Darwin's theory.

Average customer rating:

Excessive observant eye
The Fact of Evolution and the Theory of the Mechanisms of Evolution
A Great Scientist
Does not waste time with controversy; just read the book.

Origin Of Species
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: Castle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785819118

Customer Reviews:

Excessive observant eye.......2007-07-16

Darwin's theory begins with individual variability(individual variation).

What does individual variability mean? Not to mention, it means that one individual differs from another one. A group of different individuals makes species or genus. When the individual variability proceeds to a certain degree, the creature produces defective offspring. This creates the difference of species or the wall of species. So we tell about biological diversity.

But there is no continuity between the individual variability and the change of species(evolution). For examble, at which point would our ancestors change to other species, when we go back to our distant ancestors? Our ancestors hold their continuity as species and they do not break.

Nevertheless Darwin connects individulal variability with the variation of species. It is because his definition of species is very obvious and the definition of classification is also not clear.

Hegel says in §229 of "Shorter Logic": "Definition involves the three organic elements of the notion: the universal or proximate genus (genus proximum), the particular or specific character of the genus (qualitas specifica), and the individual, or object defined."(From the site of MIA)

To put it briefly, when there are more objects than two: the identity(commonality) of the two objects is the universal; the distinction(difference) of them is the particular; the two objects is the individual. In other words, it is the whole-part relationship. Therefore Darwin lacks this distinction, that is, the particular.

Therefore, however significantly the parts may change(and the too major change of parts produces defective offspring), so far as the whole does not change, the transition of species does not occur. The theory of explaining evolution does not exist.

Only the hierarchical structure of creatures explains biological diversity.

Without the hierarchical structure, Darwin was not able to flow it and to tell about evolution. The evolution lacking the hierarchical structure is only `change.' Here there is only a continuum.

He did not find discontinuity in the nature and understand the aspect of distiction. There are an infinite abyss between part and whole, and between whole and whole.

Finally it hits fundamental limits, or the problem of `infinitesimal,' and this problem could be solved by `0.999~ = 1,' which would make the theory probabilistic and statistical.

Also, `the 0.999~ = 1' makes the distinction indiscriminating or continuous. Thereby in the continuum there is `a middle species,' so-called `the missinglink.' And infinite middle species.

But, ignoring the hierarchical structure, the fact that Darwin was seduced by the continuum forms a grave crime.

The Fact of Evolution and the Theory of the Mechanisms of Evolution.......2007-03-13

Charles Darwin (a naturalist) is the father of modern Evolution (not *Evil*ultion; it is pronounced *Evo*-lution).

Darwin's overall explanations of evolution in this book are not modern evolution. Modern evolution can, and does, critic Darwin.

Darwin's model is often called Darwinism, a philosophical concept with references to the science of biology. It is sometimes said that modern evolution disproved parts of Darwinism and this is somewhat true. This does not mean that Darwin was in complete error. Darwin almost got it all right. His underlying points still remain quite valid in modern evolution. Thus we say that Darwinism was then a very broad general hypothesis that contained valid theories.

Theories are comprised of facts without gaps. Theories are factual. Theories contain facts to explain a factual instance of something material. Theories do not contain fabrications or a little bit of lies plus some truths. If a theory is not all facts then it is not a theory.

The phrase "it is just a theory and not fact" is a contradiction of terms. A factual instance of something (such as observing speciation) needs to be explained. Facts are used to explain the factual instance of something material. A theory means that a set of facts explain a factual instance.

Darwin used philosophy and biological science to develop the concept of evolution which is primarily based on the theory of `natural selection'. Darwin observed in the world about him what he believed to be the result of a single cell organism that had evolved into all forms of life we see today. More importantly, there is no chaos involved. It has order. "Origin of the Species" is all about Darwin discussing how he came to this conclusion.

In the 21st Century, "Speciation" has been observed countless times. Go search right now for "Observed Speciation Events".

***Speciation is a fact whether we can explain the mechanisms of how it works or not. This can not be understated! A fact is a fact regardless of our ability to explain how it works. Gravity existed well before Newton could explain it. Speciation exists (a new species suddenly popping up in the world, under scientific observation) meaning evolution is a fact. Look at the title of this review. Nobody should have to explain evolution in order to prove it factual. ***

Now is the time to say this. If you don't believe theories are factual, then stop engaging the results of factual science in your life right now. Walk the talk. Turn off the PC. Turn off the electricity. Turn off the heating... and walk. I will allow you the option of a bronze spear... that is if you know how to smelt bronze.

As a note, the Catholic Church has been teaching the fact of evolution and the theory of the mechanisms of evolution in Catholic schools since the 1950s. This is exactly the same coursework that secular schools have on evolution.

The theory of the mechanisms of evolution is independent of the fact of evolution. The theory of the mechanisms of evolution is a compilation of facts (without gaps) used to explain the fact of evolution. The theory of the mechanisms of evolution is here, in part, but are much better explained and referenced by modern evolution. If its modern evolution you want (and you may well do if your first search brought you here) then go to talkorigins on the net and read about the "29+ evidences for macroevolution". It can take days, weeks months, or years, or a lifetime to parse the data, but keep going over it and it will eventually click.

Darwin in OFTS starts by describing his life and times as a naturalist. Darwin then goes straight into variations under domestication showing that farmed animals are substantially different from their wild counterparts from which they came. Darwin also revises Gregor Mendel's laws of inheritance for us, an introduction to basic genetics. Darwin may err in stating that this species came from that species (a common mistake due to the lack of ability to genetically analyse the living thing's DNA; something that has always clouded the term `species' and how it is defined, now set right by modern genetic mapping) but the bases for the assertion that a species come from other closely related species is absolutely fundamentally correct. Any breeder can confirm his claims. Competition and Natural Selection is his big essay. Here he goes from the farmed variations back into the wild to show that nature is a bigger breeder than we can ever be (until the dawn of genetic manipulation arrived on the scene, but even then the quality of our work over nature is debatable). The complex web of relations with livings things to the environment is staggering yet so obvious in hindsight. The environment has an impact of living things and living things have an impact on the environment. This is a symbiotic relationship. There is an opportunity for improvement or deterioration in the offspring just on the basis of all possible genetic combinations. Minor changes add up to big ones.

Darwin's speculation about how the environment causes variations in living things is accurate in his proposals although his tenders are mostly humanistic with references to biology especially with regards to "monstrosities" that simply don't have any reason for things like "wings", such as some insects and some birds, if they can't fly. Vestiges are an extremely good case for evolution. The cave crab with an eye stalk without an eye is like a telescope without the lens. Darwin identifies the possibility of sex linked traits in animals, a proven point today. Darwin even critics himself and covers areas that he knows he hasn't got down pat. Reading OFTS is like a romance novel where the birth of something to unify the sciences further is described in a man's love for nature and his crucial discovery.

To impose another explanation for the species outside of evolution, we can quote Darwin who says "[Independent creations hypothesis]... rejects a real [fossil record] for an unreal, or at least for an unknown, cause. It makes the works of God a mere mockery and deception;"

A Great Scientist.......2005-12-27

Many people assume that Darwin's initial account of natural selection is so out of date that it is to be avoided in favour of more recent text books of evolutionary theory. While it is true that huge gains have been made in the one and a half centuries since the first publication of "The Origin", there is nothing in this work which is wrong. Darwin was too good a scientist and too cautious.

Some claim that Darwin admitted of the possibility of Lamarkian mechanisms. They have not read the original. Darwin knew nothing of the molecular basis of genetics, but knew that natural selection did not need a Lamarkian mechanism. He simply did not rule it out, although he found it improbable. Everything that is stated in this great classic is as true today as it was at the time of first publication.

It is also said that Charles Darwin was a lesser intellectual when compared to most other great names of science; that he was a plodder, a naturalist, a sort of gentleman stamp collector who pressed flowers into his books and barely a scientist in the contemporary sense. This is nonsense. Darwin was one of the giants of rigorous systematic thinking; the kind of rigorous thinking and critical attitude that asks the right questions and provides the capacity to answer them. Let me buttress this claim with one example.

At the end of chapter six Darwin noted that the theory of natural selection could not account for structures or behaviors found in one species that exist solely for the benefit of another unrelated species. In setting out the theoretical terms for the refutation of the theory in this way, he anticipated Karl Popper, that analytical non-nonsense philosopher of science, by more than a century.

I recommend you read this book with an attentive curious analytical mind. You will find yourself walking in the footsteps of an intellectual giant.

Does not waste time with controversy; just read the book........2005-08-12

This is a quick review of the book not a dissertation on Darwin or any other subject loosely related. At first I did not know what to expect. I already read " The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches" (see my review). I figured the book would be similar. However I found "Origin" to be more complex and detailed.

Taking in account that recent pieces of knowledge were not available to Charles Darwin this book could have been written last week. Having to look from the outside without the knowledge of DNA or Plate Tectonics, he pretty much nailed how the environment and crossbreeding would have an effect on natural selection. Speaking of natural selection, I thought his was going to be some great insight to a new concept. All it means is that species are not being mucked around by man (artificial selection).

If you picked up Time magazine today you would find all the things that Charles said would be near impossible to find or do. Yet he predicted that it is doable in theory. With an imperfect geological record many things he was not able to find at the writing of this book have been found (according to the possibilities described in the book.)

The only draw back to the book was his constant apologizing. If he had more time and space he could prove this and that. Or it looks like this but who can say at this time. Or the same evidence can be interpreted 180 degrees different.

In the end it is worth reading and you will never look at life the same way again.

Average customer rating:

Very disappointed
room for improvement
Definitely not for advanced users
Very easy to understand and tells you stuff you need to know
Good thorugh reference for all aspects of tomcat admin

Tomcat: The Definitive Guide
Jason Brittain , and Ian F. Darwin
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0596003188

Book Description

Jakarta Tomcat is not only the most commonly used open source servlet engine today, it's become the de facto standard by which other servlet engines are measured. Powerful and flexible, it can be used as a stand-alone web server or in conjunction with another server, like Apache or IIS, to run servlets or JSPs. But mastery of Tomcat is not easy: because it's as complex as it is complete. Tomcat: The Definitive Guide answers vexing questions that users, administrators, and developers alike have been asking. This concise guide provides much needed information to help harness Tomcat's power and wealth of features. Tomcat: The Definitive Guide offers something for everyone who uses Tomcat. System and network administrators will find detailed instructions on installation, configuration, and maintenance. For users, it supplies insightful information on how to deploy Tomcat. And seasoned enterprise Java developers will have a complete reference to setting up, running, and using this powerful software The book begins with an introduction to the Tomcat server and includes an overview of the three types of server configurations: stand-alone, in-process, and out-of-process. The authors show how directories are laid out, cover the initial setup, and describe how to set the environment variables and modify the configuration files, concluding with common errors, problems, and solutions. In subsequent chapters, they cover:

The server.xml configuration file
Java Security manager
Authentication schemes and Tomcat users
The Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
Tomcat JDBC Realms
Installing servlets and Java Server Pages
Integrating Tomcat with Apache
Advanced Tomcat configuration

and much more. Tomcat: The Definitive Guide covers all major platforms, including Windows, Solaris, Linux, and Mac OS X, contains details on Tomcat configuration files, and has a quick-start guide to get developers up and running with Java servlets and JavaServer Pages. If you've struggled with this powerful yet demanding technology in the past, this book will provide the answers you need.

Customer Reviews:

Very disappointed.......2007-03-11

This book is hopelessly incomplete. I'm always having to augment it's contents with on-line information. I just attempted to determine the difference between "path" and "docBase" in the "Context" tag in the server.xml file but again it struck out. All page 175 says is that "context" configures the web application directory within a host. End of story. I strongly suggest that you look to another source for Tomcat.

room for improvement.......2006-04-17

Chap 3: Deploying servlet and JSP Web Applications in Tomcat.
Writing a book about a servlet container whose app deployment methods have most users puzzeled is a challenge. I dont think this book does any better than the online docs (which are bad).

Chap 4: Tomcat performance tuning.
Capacity planning, now thats one area where my knowledge general and tomcatwise is a little thin - the chapter only list the topics but provide no hints or answers. Could have been interesting but wasted my time.

Chap 6: Tomcat security.
Locking down with java policy file, unix chroot and bsd chroot, request filter - wellwritten and very usefull.

Chap 7: Config files and their elements:
Hmm a new way to run the server on lower 1024 ports without root user - why present this now and not in chap 6? A few details from previous chapters repeated - dont the authors two talk together?

Chap 8: Debugging and troubleshooting:
Only the obvious things - too thin.

All in all i found the chapter on security and clustering usefull but the book as a hole seems to lack a clear structure/vision and some chapters dosent do more for me than the lousy online docs. Configuring tomcat is not easy and this book dosent help much. Never the less i like working with tomcat! :)

Definitely not for advanced users.......2006-03-24

This book is for beginners who are not familiar with Tomcat. Or, for users who are just learning how to use it. But not for advanced users.

Very easy to understand and tells you stuff you need to know.......2005-01-15

I'm just getting into JSP/Servlet via Tomcat 4. I found this book very easy to read and understand. I was actually reading through the book at the bookstore. It was exactly what I was looking for as a person with limited UNIX and J2EE experience.

The book clearly tells you what you need to do and tells you how to confirm that something is working. Of greatest interest to me was how Tomcat would be implemented. The book listed the 4 ways to integrate Tomcat with an existing Apache server running in addition to running Tomcat as a stand-alone HTTP server. The book is sensitive to readers that may be running Tomcat on several platforms other than UNIX and XP. I found this book to be informative. I highly recommend it.

Good thorugh reference for all aspects of tomcat admin.......2004-11-13

First note that this book is for tomcat 4, not 5. Hopefully there will soon be an up to date version of this book available.

Note also that this book is from an administrator's perspective, not a developer's. You won't learn how to write custom tag libs from reading this.

Note also that if you are new to tomcat, and just want to get the thing running, there is sufficient on line documentation to do this at the jakarta site. Don't spend money on this book unless you want a solid administration reference.

That being said, it is an great reference to all aspects of tomcat administration. Every element of every configuration file is explained. Also, there is an excellent chapter on tomcat security.

Average customer rating:

Very good introduction to Unix
An excellent book to know Unix basics
Good Overall Introduction
Just a taste of Unix on Mac
Nice on concepts, poor on details

Learning Unix for Mac OS X Tiger
Dave Taylor
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

MacOS | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0596009151

Book Description

Beneath Mac OS X Tiger's easy-to-use Aqua interface lies a powerful Unix engine. Mac users know that Unix is at their fingertips, if only they knew how to access it. Learning Unix for Mac OS X Tiger provides Mac users with a user-friendly tour of the Unix world concealed beneath Mac OS X's hood and shows how to make the most use of the command-line tools. Thoroughly revised and updated for Mac OS X Tiger, this new edition introduces Mac users to the Terminal application and shows you how to navigate the command interface, explore hundreds of Unix applications that come with the Mac, and, most importantly, how to take advantage of both the Mac and Unix interfaces. Readers will learn how to:

Launch and configure the Terminal application
Customize the shell environment
Manage files and directories
Search with Spotlight from the command line
Edit and create text files with vi and Pico
Perform remote logins
Access internet functions, and much more

Learning Unix for Mac OS X Tiger is a clear, concise introduction to what you need to know to learn the basics of Unix on Tiger. If you want to master the command-line, this gentle guide to using Unix on Mac OS X Tiger is well worth its cover price.

Customer Reviews:

Very good introduction to Unix.......2007-09-05

A small amount of background. I started out using Dos 3.0 - and have always used Microsoft products. Up until about the year 2000 when I got a job as a computer tech as a high school that used alot of Macs. I learned to love the Mac almost overnight and haven't purchased a PC since. When OS X came out I was apprehensive about the shell. I knew DOS like the back of my hand, but I didn't know ANY unix commands and really wanted to learn. The unix books I ordered all seemed to be more advanced or for ABSOLUTE beginners. This book is more like the books on DOS I remember, showing you step by step how to command the shell in Mac OS X, and since the shell is always the same in OS X (unless you customize it) you know this books' information will work. Now after reading this book, I'm going back to the more advanced Unix books and they are making much more sense to me - and the best part is I've been recently learning Linux (Ubuntu to be precise) and have had to troubleshoot a video card issue. Without having read this book, I would be totally lost! If you've got a Max with OS X and want to learn Unix this book is perfect!

An excellent book to know Unix basics.......2007-04-26

The book seems to me an excellent reference in order to introduce the reader in the language which supports Mac OS X. I think the interested user of Mac has, with this book, the opportunity to know something more than doing click on a series of windows. The author points out in his preface the existence of such projects as the Fink and DarwinPorts ones whose purpose is to develop free software for Mac. In my opinion, that's useful and valuable since not only the standard user of Mac does not know those projects, but also because being involved with this kind of software, the user is forced to learn something more than doing click on the appropriate window menus. The author explains concepts clearly so that the reader can understand them easily. Probably, the book is not intended to help the experienced user; I think that such a user is concerned with Unix, not Unix for operating systems based on it.

Good Overall Introduction.......2007-02-03

This book is easy to read and a good intro. to using Unix on the Mac, and the Terminal. It has enough information for most command line work, and will overwhelm you with some stuff that you are unlikely to use in other areas.

Just a taste of Unix on Mac.......2006-12-12

Get the Sobell Unix for Mac OC X Users...it's by far a superior value, and provides in-depth coverage...Dave Taylor's book just scratches the surface...I'm glad I took out from the Library first...read it in an hour and decided to get the Sobell text, you'll thank me later...Unix for Tiger is like the Cliffs notes edition for the Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Nice on concepts, poor on details.......2006-09-19

I had really high hopes for this book. I consider myself a pretty smart Mac tech, but Unix was the one thing that really scared me about OS X. To fix some esoteric problem, I'd have to follow some Unix recipe and it always annoyed me I didn't understand what I was typing. O'Relly books are well known not just for the animals on the cover, but excellent explanations of very technical concepts.

After reading Taylor's book, I felt better, but not by much. Most readers can easily understand the basic unix file structure commands, but towards the middle of the book he inaccurately assumed that his readers could also quickly understand some of the advanced concepts. Towards the end of the book I was left scratching my head. We went from move a file here and there to commands that were taking up multiple lines. Arrrgh!

The critical flaw in the book was a lack of exercises and real world examples. When I want to learn something, I don't just want to be told. Involve me and test my knowledge. Some of the more difficult concepts covered in the book would have been enhanced with numerous real world examples, each building on the other. Things moved way too fast and made it easy to get lost.

The book was an excellent overview of Unix for the Macintosh and perfect for someone to decide whether to pursue further learning. "Introduction to Unix" instead of "Learning Unix" would have been a better title. After reading the book, I was reminded of speed dating where you meet 20 people for five minutes each and decide whether you want to go out with them or not. After reading the book I have enough familiarity with Unix that I can understand basic commands and how they relate to each other. I clearly want to go out on another date but any type of wedding bells are way in the distance.

PROS: Excellent overview of Unix for the Macintosh
CONS: Doesn't leave you with enough practical understanding

3 out of 5 dog cows

Expedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV

Average customer rating:

Awesome!
Out of this World!
An unique vision of an alien world!
Good artwork...but...
Settle down,It's not meant to be real...

Expedition: Being an Account in Words and Artwork of the 2358 A.D. Voyage to Darwin IV
Wayne Douglas Barlowe
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0894806297

Book Description

In 2358, wildlife artist Wayne Douglas Barlowe joined the first manned flight to Darwin IV, fourth planet in the newly discovered F-Class binary system 6.5 light years from Earth. Now his long-awaited account of that historic journey has been published. More vivid than the holos and more interpretive than the videos, these extraordinary paintings, plus numerous drawings, studies, and sketchbook pages, transport the reader to a wild, beautiful, untouched world-a planet teeming with incredible beasts and exotic vegetation.

Expedition is the most important travel book of the 24th century. Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club and the Astronomy Book Club.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2006-04-17

This is the best work for Alternative evolution yet! I actually like how he made the animals look nothing like things on Earth because they evolved from a completely different orgin.It is even better that it's movie adaption Alien Planet. In alien planet it said that they have eyes, but very weak ones, probably just strong enough to pick up biolights, but not strong enough to have complex vision. I like how they ended up with sonar. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is as big an evolutionary science nut as I am!

Out of this World!.......2005-07-01

Expedition is a book in the style of Dougal Dixon's "alternitive zoology" books, with the main diffrence being this book takes place on a completley alien world, Darwin IV.
The book itself is amazing. The writing, while not as bad as some reviwers say, is'nt up to Dixon's books, but the artwork is truly where Expedition shines. Darwin IV and it's alien inhabitants jump off the pages, even if some of the creatures look pretty "out there". I highly reccomend Expedition to any fan of scientific fiction.

An unique vision of an alien world!.......2005-05-12

Barlowe has created a rich and exciting world for his readers. We discover this world alog with his main character, who is an intrepid and earnest researcher and artist. Barlowe does not simply spell out every detail of this world, but makes conjectures based on the available data, thus preserving the illusion that this is an actual account of a place that exists.
This book is the template for the new Discovery Channel special on alien worlds. I recommend this book to anyone interested in beautiful art coupled with a fantastic story.

Good artwork...but..........2005-01-21

Expedition is about an artist's voyage to Darwin Four, in 2358 A.D. The book is his collection of drawings and sketches made during the first manned mission to the planet. Mr. Barlowe is not just an artist, but also has great knowledge about nature and how it works. He tries to mix the two, showing the aliens and explaining how they lived, mated and, sometimes, died. But he leaves so much out - there is very little background on the planet's natural history. We get hints and clues about what early life was like. For example, most creatures use sonar and have biolights, yet are blind. Being blind, the sonar makes sense, but why have biolights then? The atmosphere must have been thick and murky, allowing animals armed with sonar better chances than those armed with eyes, but could the biolights be something from earlier times, before sonar was developed and all animals used visible light?
The science, in other words, is lacking the details I enjoy. It is a great art book, but Dougal Dixon is better at the science, showing evolution and how it works. This is an alien planet and we barely touched the surface of its wonders!
That is why it only gets three points.

Settle down,It's not meant to be real..........2004-01-17

All these people saying that this is a well illustrated but poorly written book shouldn't take it so serioulsy, who cares if the inhabitants are unbelievable. It's a fiction book, none of these reviewers could come up with anything half as imaginitive as Wayne Barlowe... consult a scientist or biologist, yeah right...it's not real.......just have fun with it.

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