Cars Books

"Traffic" opens with the observation that, in situations involving a reduction of lanes, those merging as late as possible end up moving ahead much faster. I have taken advantage of that fact for years and felt somewhat guilty for doing so - until Vanderbilt also revealed that doing so speeds up overall traffic as well - 15%.

Readers also quickly learn that traffic has been an aggravation for thousands of years - Caesar banned carts and chariot traffic in Rome during the day to avoid congestion, while 1867 horses were killing an average of four pedestrians/week in New York City - higher than today's fatality rate. Bicycles have also sometimes been a source of traffic outrage.

Today more U.S. households own three cars than one, and having more cars means our driving has increased more than the population. In 1969 nearly half of American children walked or biked to school - now it is just 16%. An estimated 22% of restaurant meals are ordered through car windows in the U.S., and 1,200 CVS drugstores feature a drive-thru window.

The increase in American driving has mainly occurred among women - taking the kids to school, performing errands, etc. (Organized sports for children have doubled.) An estimated 83% of car pools are actually family pools toting family members around and taking no cars off the road. Vanderbilt contends that this undermines the purpose of car pool lanes.

Sometimes efforts to improve safety backfire, and "Traffic" explains why. For example, lengthening yellow lights extends the indecision zone, the number of cars in it, and the decisions about whether to stop or go - thus, the more chances to crash. Anti-lock brake systems and SUVs offer improved safety, but their drivers then drive more aggressively and negate that value.

Company cars are statistically the most hazardous.

Vanderbilt claims, with good justification, that drivers don't receive enough feedback to adequately improve their performance. "Drive Cam" cameras posted near the rear-view mirror and focused on the driver are one way of doing so. They have brought crash rate declines of 30-50% - recordings are kept whenever the driver breaks hard or makes a sudden turn.

Vanderbilt believes that the term "accident" is used too loosely - eg. covers stupid and deliberate actions such as speeding, DUI, texting while driving, etc. In addition, a survey of American car commercials showed that it is quite acceptable to show cars being driven in ways a panel labeled as "hazardous" - especially driving at high speed.

A large study in Virginia co-sponsored by the NHTSA found almost 805 of crashes and 65% of near crashes involved drivers not paying attention to traffic for up to three seconds prior.

"Traffic" provides evidence supporting congestion pricing, citing evidence finding minor volume reductions resulting from such. (Minor volume reductions often lead to significant congestion reductions.)

Vanderbilt cites studies finding that 70% of car-truck crashes are caused solely by the car driver.

Americans have a 1% chance of being killed in an auto accident during their life-times. Low-speed drivers are more likely to get into accidents than relatively high-speed drivers.

Men are involved in fatal crashes at a rate almost 2X that of women.

The only bad news about "Traffic" is that it sometimes bogs down in too many studies, especially conflicting ones.

Terrific premise. I wanted so badly to love this book. Now I'm just thankful I got it from the library - don't waste your money! Almost all of his observations are developed from anecdotes. And anyone who's spent time on the road has similar anecdotes and can develop similar observations. Trouble is, there's almost no rigorous science. Very little consistency, or even logic, either. The author has some stuff to say that he thinks is interesting, and says it. He doesn't actually provide any enlightenment.

This might be a good book to read if you're a passenger in heavy traffic, but by any other name and in any other location, Tom Vanderbilt's exceptionally good new book, "Traffic", offers a comprehensive look at a larger picture... how we are as drivers, theories of how highway build-ups begin and end, driving in other parts of the world, and so on. Vanderbilt manages to conflate physics, geometry and psychology into a narrative that flows as easily as cars on a country highway. It is a mini-encyclopedia and surprises abound...especially about the human nature of driving.

"If you build it they will come", a near quote from "Field of Dreams", is just one aspect of traffic upon which Vanderbilt comments. New road construction tends to bring more cars and while this may be one thing that many of us have suspected, the author verifies it then steers us into other areas of our lives on the road which might take us aback. We tend to think we drive at different speeds than we actually do, for instance, or take more risks with newer cars. But it's the depth of "Traffic" which is so impressive and makes this one of the most fascinating books of the year. I highly recommend it.

I have been in highway engineering for 20 some years and I found this to be a very good read. I already was aware of much that he discussed, but there was a lot of new material also. This book was well researched and is a good place to start if you want to learn about traffic in general, and if you want to pursue it further the notes will take you there. I recommend reading it if for no other reason than the understanding that you will attain about what is going on when you are on the freeways and streets of our cities.

Driving, at least in America, is an activity that is oddly personal. Our cars, the way we drive, how we handle bad traffic, are so much a part of ourselves, that we bristle, or worse, when someone criticizes our choice of car, the way we drive, or our behavior in traffic.

When I read several (professional) reviews of Traffic, it was hard to believe that they were all about the same book. The reviews seemed to reflect the personalities, the insecurities, the preferences of the reviewers. I was learning more about the reviewers than about the book. Then when I'd read the book, I found that the parts that stuck with me had not been mentioned in any of the reviews I'd seen.

For instance, I was fascinated to read about "Sabbath Timing" of traffic lights at some 75 Los Angeles intersections. From sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday every week, and on certain holidays, they are programmed to flash the walk signal every signal rotation, whether anyone presses the button or not. This is so the orthodox Jews in those neighborhoods cross the streets without pressing the button, which would be against the rule not to use any machines. The city planners considered an alternate solution that would use sensors to detect if a pedestrian was waiting to cross the street, but consultations with local rabbis determined that that would not be in keeping with the restriction.

Another tidbit: all drivers believe they are better than average. Not surprising actually, but still interesting.

A factoid that applies to more than just traffic: most people prefer one long line rather than many short lines, such as that at Wendy's vs. the lines at McDonald's, even if the wait is longer with the long line. We like the "social justice" of the single line, in which no one can pick the "right" line and be served ahead of those who waited longer in the slower lines.

Traffic is a thoroughly-researched book with lots of data and over a hundred pages of end notes and index. Vanderbilt knows his traffic. But so do we. So here are my own observations about traffic.

I spent many years commuting to work in the Bay Area, a 140-mile round trip, on several different shifts, and including right after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, when the Bay Bridge, a critical portion of my commute, was being repaired after a large section fell into the Bay. In all the years spent commuting, the traffic did not strike me as being especially idiosyncratic. It was awful and I hated it, but it seemed no worse or better than most places.

Las Vegas, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish. The drivers here have a real "double or nothing" mentality. I quickly learned to hurry through all yellow lights and to check the rear view mirror before stopping at red lights. The alternative was to be rear-ended.

Avoid the temptation (difficult in Las Vegas) to make quick starts when the light turns green. Wait for at least two more cars to go through the intersection and check to see if anyone else is going to run the red. Then go. Jaywalking is very common, and so are accidents resulting from jaywalking.

In spite of all this, I continue to be surprised that school zone speed limits are religiously observed. Even at the school zone on a main street that covers several blocks, the traffic slows to 15 mph and no one cheats. I never see any police cars skulking in the vicinity, so I can't explain this apparent anomaly. The substandard school system seems to rule out the possibility that Las Vegans care more about the welfare of their children than do other communities. It's just one of those local quirks, I guess.

The first time we went to Rome, I fell in love. With the traffic. It was wild, uncontrolled, anarchic, insane! After a few minutes, it seemed less so. In fact, it was beautiful. Everyone was moving in a synchronized way, ignoring signs, signals, crosswalks, but completely aware of the other cars and the pedestrians. Unlike in North America, the Romans did not come to a stop unless absolutely necessary, and then for as short a time as possible. We learned, as every visitor to Rome does, that pedestrians wait for a small break in the traffic, stride confidently into the street, making eye contact or appearing stylishly aloof, your choice, but moving at a constant pace across the street. Traffic will slow slightly, move around you, and you will be incorporated into the flow. You must do what is expected, no sudden moves, no stopping in the middle of the street.

Yes, most of the drivers are driving one-handed, telefonino in the other hand. But they are all aware of the traffic around them. Here, we stare straight ahead in our individual cocoons, passive-aggressively making the other guy go around us when we refuse to acknowledge his presence.

Traffic is the perfect book to listen to while in traffic.

I got this as a gift. It is a precious story of a child resisting falling asleep to no avail.

My son loves this book so much that he doesnt just want me to read it at night.. he wants me to read it a million times in the day too! my 19 month old loves pointing out all the objects on the page that we are saying good night to. The worlds are flowy.. the pictures are perfect and it keeps him interested from the first page to the last. A toddlers bookshelf is incomplete without this book!

Was as advertised but did not meet my expectations. Maybe it will grow on me after some family use.

I got the book for my 4 yr old and 2 yr old - but neither of them like it much. My husband and I don't like reading it either, and here's why:

The text is quite disjoint, like bits and pieces of other fairy tales and nursery rhymes put together. It seems like the author has just put down random things together - there's no rhyme (literally!) or reason for any of the pages. It does not flow lyrically.

The only interesting aspect is the black and white illustrations on some of the pages. This offers a striking contrast to the color illustrations. However, the whole book has not been put together well, and the quality of illustrations is just so-so. So the impact of the b&w is also pointless.

Compared to other wonderful books like the "Hungry Caterpillar" or "Ten Little Lady Bugs" or "The Firefly's First Flight" which we all really love, this book definitely is not worth having in the childrens' bookshelf.

I seem to be among the minority in disliking this book on Amazon - perhaps I am not seeing something that others are.. But hey! this is truly my opinion!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R177YYDVCG1WGD Cullen of CullensAbcs.com reviews this book and gives you ideas on how to interactively use the book with children. For more video book reviews, free children videos and activity idea videos for you visit the CullensAbcs.com website. At Facebook you can add Cullen Wood as a friend and become a FAN of Cullen's Abc's.

Over the years I have purchased many editions of this classic text and have never been disappointed. Years ago I sat in Dr. Katzung's classes when he was a young man (and I was younger!) This book is invaluable because of its varied content--1. background physiology which is so important when one needs to review and keep up-to-date on new developments, 2. comparisons of chemical structures as new products come onto the market and 3. summary tables showing the different characteristics of the various drugs in any drug group and classification. This is the one clinical pharmacology text I wouldn't be without.

This is one of those books where you have to read a paragraph again and again to actually get what it's saying. It's got great topics, if you can sift through the words! I don't love the writing style.

While most of my students would not find this excellent work "basic", it is an outstanding adjunct to any healthcare professional's library. The chapters are well structured and the information is up to date. The illustrations have improved over the years and are mated well with the text.
In all, this is a worthwhile text for anyone studying pharmacology or a useful resource.

This is a very good book. I have been using this as the reference while working on a PharmD Degree.

This book is the best because it explains everything very well with little information... if you are a student definetly by this book..

Even though "Ways of Seeing" is a flawed book in many ways, it is so seminal in the development of post-modern image making that it must be considered essential reading in critical theory.

The book is based on a television series. The book itself is only 176 pages. The print is all in a bold, sans-serif font. The authors are quick to claim that the book was made, not written. The pictures used to demonstrate the points are small and in black and white.

The book is based on the theory that the interpretation of western art evolved out of the power and finance structure of western civilization. Inevitably books that describe the world primarily in economic terms, as an arena of conflict and a battle by the rich for dominance of the poor, are referred to by some as Marxist and I have no doubt this book has been so described.

The book has seven chapters, four of which are written and three of which are reproductions of art works without words. The theme developed is that the way people view art is strongly affected by the power structure of the society.

I must confess that the three chapters that were solely illustrated were difficult for me to engage, both because of the size of the images as well as the difficulty of following the thread which I felt ran through the pictures even though I was not able to decode the message.

The first chapter is based on and explicates the work of the critic Walter Benjamin in his essay, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". Unlike Benjamin, who sometimes seems torn between the loss of the aura of the original and the benefit of mass accessibility, Berger seems to believe that real benefits will derive from the reproduced work of art, if the viewer can sweep away the lenses of the past through which he might view the work.

The third chapter deals with the role of art in the commodification of women and the fifth chapter examines the role of oil painting in the reduction of people's world view to a matter of money. (Burger only excepts the work of a few artists, like Rembrandt, from this view.) The final chapter is based upon the use of images for marketing.

This work is important because, if it did not shape the outlook of post-modern art, it was at least in the vanguard of recognizing the roles of the art that preceded post-modernism, and led to the rejectionist point of view.

Berger is clear in emphasizing that the way we view art is filtered through the prism of culture in the sociological sense, although that certainly was not ground breaking in critical theory, even at the time of first publication. On the other hand, here was art criticism first presented on what was then a new media, television. Even the book format, such as using a bold-faced font throughout the book, appealed to the avant-garde.

Burger would substitute art, not as a tool to help preserve an economic and power system, but rather as a way for the consumer of art to enrich his own life.

I suspect that artists other then post-modernists may not benefit very much in their work from reading "Ways of Seeing". On the other hand, if you have a serious interest in critical theory, even though you may reject Berger's thesis, you must read this book.

Ways of Seeing is about looking at art, if you get right down to it. However, it is about looking at it from a political point of view, or a cultural point of view, or a gender point of view. He takes a few different actual art pieces and writes about each of them, taking this sort of thing into account.

This is a hot little book well worth contemplating if you're aspiring to become a serious artist. For the student, novice artist, seasoned practioner or curious artlover, your money will be well spent to have this on your shelf.

"Ways of Seeing " has become so universally available, so overused (especially in academia), and so often quoted, that it's refreshing to read the reviews of so many intelligent naysayers here. "Ways of Seeing" is perhaps mistitled in that it really proposes only one way of seeing works of art, which is as artifacts in the history of capitalism. It is propaganda, and like most propaganda, it heavily skews the evidence in favor of it's main argument, which is basically that European art from Raphael to Picasso is just a tool for enslaving women, non-Europeans and the working classes. (Warning: Berger is a real kill-joy. If you read this book and imbibe it's themes, be prepared to never innocently enjoy your favorite old masters again!) However, I would advise anyone with a serious interest in art criticism and theory to get a copy, fill the margins with notes, consult the original sources, and decide for herself/himself how well it stands up. To give just one instance of how sloppy Berger can be, I would invite the reader to consider whether he bothered to learn anything about the art of perspective drawing before indicting it as ideologically tainted, and then trashing it, all in two short paragraphs.

Dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck,dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck, dreck,more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, more dreck, and more dreck, and more dreck, and more dreck . . . you get the idea?

We discovered Richard Scurry and this wonderful book by accident. A friend of ours went to a library sale and picked up this book for our daughter, because she knew that our daughter is very much interested in cars. We got it shortly before Anna turned 18 months, and we took this book with us on cross-country trip to Florida, since we hoped to keep her occupied. Well, this didn't quite work out, since Anna was already overwhelmed with novelty of everything around her, but she fell in love with this book on our return. For months Cars and Trucks and Things That Go was her must-read-before-bed book. Her vocabulary literally exploded with its help. And she blows me away with her ability to find Goldbug in each page pretty much instantaneously. First there is gleeful, "Hello Goldbug!" and then her chubby finger points to where he is hiding. It's a wonderful-wonderful book, and I am sure we will enjoy it for years to come.

Both our sons loved this book . I bought this for our grandson, who, I am sure, will have as much fun looking for Goldbug as his dad did some 30 years ago.

I purchased this for a grandson's 2nd birthday and he just loves it. He has it virtually memorized by now but it is still his first choice at bedtime.

I bought this book with Scarry's A Day at the Airport book to help entertain my 23 month old during a cross country flight. My son wasn't as absorbed in Cars and Trucks as I'd hoped he be during the flight but in the weeks since he has been asking for the "Trucks" book every day. We narrate some of the pictures but he also spends some time looking at book every day on his own, paging through the book and absorbed in the illustrations (and commenting on the pictures occasionally, or at least as much as a near 2 year old can). We have other books with photos of vehicles which also interest him but this book so far seems to have more lasting appeal. I think it's the combination of the sheer volume and variety of the vehicles, interesting animals driving them, and just lots going on on each page.

I recall reading this book to my younger sister many years ago.
I recently purchased this for a 6 year old. He squealed with delight.
It is his favorite R S book.

Richard Scarry books are classics - great for young & old.
Delightful pictures & so fun to look at!

This book is very small. That makes it nice to carry around, but hard to see the little drawings on the pages. Our 15 month old daughter doesn't understand all the crazy cars (pickle car, toothpaste car, etc.), we have a good time reading it occasionally. If you're interested in a Richard Scary book, I would recommend a larger book with more going on on each page. My nephew has a huge one that he loves to stare at.

I bought this book as filler, to receive free shipping. It's a small, inexpensive book. The illustrations are very cute and the format is nice. It has the letter of the alphabet and then vehicles that start with that letter. It's been great alphabet and two-word phrase practice for my 22-month old. He enjoys reading this book with me and he now says "garbage truck" and "big truck." I'm very happy I decided on this book. It is surprisingly small, about four-inches square, but cute, nontheless.

After reading many reviews on here, I bought this book wondering what I'd get. It seems that most reviews here are either very strongly liking this book or very strongly not liking it (it's a kid's book for gosh sakes!)

Anyway, my son loves this book! It's the perfect size to hand him in the car or leaf through and talk about at a restaurant while waiting for food. The book is silly and fun- so please lighten up if you're not sure what a "corn car" is or whatever. Richard Scarry wasn't afraid to use his imagination, and was a lot of fun as a result.

It's an inexpensive book that takes a few minutes to flip through. Golden, in my eyes!

the perfect size for dropping in your purse for keeping a little boy entertained...my son loves the big richard scarry 'cars and trucks and things that go' which is too big to take along, so this is great for portability.

Our 19 month old likes this book. The vehicles are funny. I would not buy it just to learn ABC's. He looks at it for the different vehicles.

This is probably a very, very good book. However, it turns out that this is simply one-half of the authors' book "Economics" and, currently, the complete book seems to sell for about the same price as this one piece of it! So, be economical -- buy "Economics" instead.

I really enjoy that the book came in record time and in perfect condition. They had said that it was used, but excellent condition and yet...it was more than that! It was soo nice! Thanks a bunch.

I grabbed this book from my local bookstore after being drawn in by the title. I've always had an interest in economics as whole, but never took the time to really dig myself into some reading material (besides the voluminous textbook I was forced to trudge through in college).

Mr. Harford does a satisfactory job of trying to explain the devil in the details behind many of society's microeconomic transactions. Like a few of the other reviewers, I did find the text to be a bit dry, but maybe it's a cultural thing (I believe he is English). That being said, I think it's fair to say that after a second reading, one should be able to have a fairly strong grasp of the ideas the author puts forward. Tim takes us through economic ideas such as marginal value, externalities and scarcity and presents multiple examples of these in action. I particularly enjoyed his challenges put forth to a lot of popular ideas (Anti-Globalization, Environmentalism), based on standard economic thought.

I believe this book is an excellent starting point for further study of the world of economics.

Nutshell review - Like several other books in this same vein the Undercover Economist provides interesting and engaging insights into the "dismal" science. A worthwhile read for us armchair-economists.

This is a fun book. Hartford treats his topic in a lighthearted way that keeps the reader engaged. I also appreciate his ability to take complex economic theories and make them easy to understand thru the use of clear examples.

Sometimes, Hartford gets overly detailed. Those passages are a drag on the book. In addition, Hartford's discussion of rich/poor countries does not capture the incredibly complex systems that make up a national economy. The whole comparison of Cameroon and China is a bit too simplistic and his argument misses the mark.

On the plus side, his explanation on the pricing of cappuccino is must reading....it'd be a great first lecture for an Econ 101 class!

A highly enjoyable book.

I had mixed feelings throughout the book. The book started out really well and captivating, but kind of stalled as I continued reading on. I almost gave up reading it, having set a rule to myself that I should not force myself finishing a book I am no longer captivated by. I am glad I broke my own rule this time. The book got really interesting after reading half of it.

The book starts off by asking, "Who pays for your coffee?" A cup of coffee served at a Starbucks outlet goes through an international chain of events before reaching you. A Starbucks cup of coffee is more expensive than the competition. Why? Why is there a Starbucks on every corner? Though those questions were interesting, I found the chapter on Starbucks and coffee a bit too long.

The economics behind airline fares was very interesting. Ever wondered why most airlines operate three passenger classes: Economy, Business, and First Class? According to the author, some airlines use very tight seats in economy class to force passengers to upgrade to Business and First Class. Most of an airline's profit comes from First and Business class passengers.

The book got really interesting at chapter 8, "Why poor countries are poor." This chapter really captivated me and showed me how a few people (mainly a president and his entourage) could cause the misery of millions. The story of Cameroon and its poverty is fascinating and sad. This chapter alone makes this book a required reading.

The last chapter of the book is about how China grew rich. I have read many books on China's success story, but this chapter added information I had not read before. Cameroon's president destroyed his country and brought poverty to his people. China's leaders, though at first destroyed their economy, quickly learnt from their mistakes and became the fastest growing economy in the world! Their success story shows that any country, with the right leaders, could prosper and grow. Countries are poor not because of their national resources, but because of corrupt leaders. Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely! There is no excuse today for any country to be poor, other than to have its leaders to blame.

I have always loved economics, and on my `O' Levels had the highest grade in my class. Economics is fun and easy to understand, and this book makes the subject matter easy to grasp.

My God. This book is so dry! I'm sure he is correct in what he writes, but I actually received information on his gospel from The Diet Doctor on FitTV when he was a guest.
If you are going to read his book, have a PDR and some espresso available.

Maybe this book has been helpful for some people, but not for me. He oversimplifies and says that the Zone diet (40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat) will basically cure every disease. I was not impressed.

The 1st of many Dr. Barry Sears'excellent books on secret to health and optimal physical performance - a must read for everyone who is serious about getting well and to perform at the highest level thru what we eat!

This is probably the simplest way to eat. It makes sense, and it works. I have already lost about 6lbs in 2 weeks time. The meals are easy to fix and the ingredients are simple. Once you are in the "zone" you will never go back.

Like many of you, I found myself wondering what the differences were between the various diet programs. What I discovered is that all of the major diet books are well written and share many similarities. None of them offered an "silver bullet" to weight loss - it primarily comes down to keeping your calories burned greater than your calories eaten. There are theories presented about glycemic index, good vs. bad carbs, etc., but at the end of the day it's about calories and exercise.

In this review, I've tried to offer brief summaries of each diet book/program in hopes that it might help you pick out the one that would work best for you. Don't pay too much attention to the number of stars, as it's my own subjective rating based on effectiveness, ease of use, and ability to stick with the diet. Instead, try to discern which diet might fit your lifestyle better.

The Abs Diet, ****
This book is written by David Zinczenko, the editor of Men's Health Magazine. The diet likes the number 6 - promising "6 pack abs in 6 weeks," by eating 6 meals a day. Each meal is built around the "power 12" foods. There is a strong emphasis on whey supplements. The fitness program was easy to follow but perhaps too strenuous for beginners and seemed better suited to men. Strong points are excellent nutritional content and strong exercise. Weak points are questionable claims about rapid weight loss and "6 pack" abs, and mediocre meal plans. Average recommended daily calories are 1,890, with 7 fruits and vegetable servings.

The South Beach Diet ****
The SB Diet is a slightly more permissive version of the Atkins low-carb diet. It is based on the premise that eating low-glycemic foods (foods that don't raise blood sugar) decreases cravings for sugar and refined carbs. Like many of the diets, there are two phases. In the first phase, fruits, sugar, and grains are banned outright. Phase 2 allows some fruit, high-fiber grains, and dark chocolate. The simplicity of the diet might appeal to many busy dieters. However the emphasis on the glycemic index and insufficient exercise sections are a drawback. Recipes are easy to prepare, but some called for unusual ingredients (a clever cook could make substitutions). Average recommended daily calories are a mere 1,340, with 13 fruits and vegetable servings (mostly veggies).

The Sonoma Diet ****
The Sonoma Diet is an updated low-carb diet with a Mediterranean theme. Again, it is broken into two phases, called "waves." In "Wave 1," the dieter is banned from eating most sweet or refined foods. The much longer "Wave 2" permits fruits and wine. It has a unique method of calculating portions by filling sectors of small plates with specified food categories. The diet is healthy but complex. It is also very restrictive, which makes it more difficult to stay on. Also, the book doesn't offer enough on exercise. The recipes were tasty but elaborate to prepare. Average recommended daily calories are a mere 1,390, with 10 fruits and vegetable servings.

Ultra-Metabolism ***
The Ultra-Metabolism Diet is designed around the assertion that people get fat because their body's systems become toxic, inflamed, and imbalanced. Again, this is a two phase diet. Phase 1 is an initial "detox" period. The longer Phase 2 is a "rebalancing" period. Overall, the dieter must eliminate white rice, refined grains, most red meats, and caffeinated beverages. The theory of your body requiring detoxification goes beyond any scientific evidence and rings a bit of late night television "miracle detox bowel-cleansing pills." The diet is fairly restrictive and complicated. The exercise section was brief but practical. Average recommended daily calories are 1,660, with 12 fruits and vegetable servings.

Volumetrics, ****
The Volumetrics Diet is based on Penn State research. It aims to maximize the amount of food you can eat for a given caloric intake. This is done primarily by eating reduced-fat products, adding in lots of vegetables, and using low-fat cooking techniques. It encourages eating a first course of broth-based soup or low-calorie salad (not heavily laden with dressing, cheese or bacon) to take the edge off your appetite. Recent clinical studies have shown this diet to be very effective. The recipes are appetizing but time consuming. Average recommended daily calories are 1,500, with 14 fruits and vegetable servings.

The Zone Diet, ****
The Zone Diet was designed to keep your blood sugar and hormones at optimal levels so that you can better fight obesity and diseases. It requires that each meal consist of 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs (based on calories). The diet allows many fruits, but almost no grains except oatmeal. The meals are simple to prepare and nutritionally balanced. But having to keep to the 30/30/40 balance is very tedious and requires lots of preplanning. Recent studies showed that the overall weight loss was below average. Average recommended daily calories are 1,660, with 17 fruits and vegetable servings.

Eat More, Weigh Less, ***
The Eat More, Weigh Less (Ornish) Diet is a low-fat vegetarian diet that bans all meat, fish, oils, alcohol, sugar, and white flour. Their clinical studies suggest that strictly following the diet can prevent or reverse some diseases. Ornish argues that it is easier to make drastic changes to diet rather than small ones. The diet offers the most food per calorie of any of the diets. It is actually lower in fat than current USDA guidelines recommend. Studies have shown good long term weight loss, but a relatively high drop-out rate. Average recommended daily calories are 1,520, with 17 fruits and vegetable servings.

Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, ***
The Atkins Diet is the grand daddy of them all. As with many of the other diets, it is divided into two phases. The first phase is a two week induction period that bans nearly all carbs. The second phase is only slightly less restrictive, but does slowly add more vegetables, fruit, and wine. Research has suggested that Atkins' dieters are less hungry than on many other diets. But the diet is difficult to adhere to and has a high drop-out rate. Long term weight loss has been shown to be average. The single most glaring concern with the Atkins diet is that the nutritional profile is far outside conventional dietary guidelines. (We've all known people eating handfuls of bacon, eggs, and cheese for breakfast, claiming they were on a diet). Average recommended daily calories are 1,520, with 6 fruits and vegetable servings.

Again, please don't worry too much about my ranking of the diet books - it's completely subjective. My suggestion is to simply find a program that seems to fit your lifestyle best.

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an intense thriller in which a martial artist, a greedy corporate attorney, and a sexy conspiracy theorist team up to stop a world-class sniper from killing presidential candidates.

The book came in good conditions as expected, but although I was writing the seller to ask whether the book was sent, I NEVER got a reply...I received the book by the due date, meaning that I paid for a faster shipping thinking that I would get my book faster, and yet it took as long as ground shipping.

Easy to read, interesting, good tables and charts, to the point, reader friendly.

Very helpful with great pictures. This book simplifies the material even for those that have never taken a course in histology. Great investment since many universities as well as medical and dental schools use this book.

One's opinion on this book depends your purpose. This is not a comprehensive histology text, nor is it an atlas of histology. Graduate students in anatomy or histology will be disappointed.

BUT, for a medical student this book used in conjunction with an atlas is pretty good. The book reads well, has "ok" pictures, and sufficient detail for medical school histology courses. I found this book used with the DiFore's histology atlas to be sufficient. I preferred this over Wheater's book, but others in my class did use the Wheater book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to be used along with a histology atlas such as DiFore, for medical school histology.

Histology is barely present on USMLE, so don't waste your time buying this book for board review unless you just can't remember anything from histology.

For sure this is the best BASIC Histology book ever...if you do want some deep treatment about the topic, go search another book...but for what it intends to discuss (the basic concepts of human body tissues science), the book is explendid. Please, DO NOT compare this book with a non basic book.