We bought this book for a trip to Steamboat in July 2003. My wife is a beginning rider, so we picked a ride classified as "easy", and described as fire roads/dirt roads throughout. That may have been the case when this book was first written in 1993, but 10 years later, there were almost no signs, and about half the course had regressed to seriously overgrown single-track. It took three of us (two with substantial outdoor and hiking experience) 6 hours to finish what should have been a 2 hour ride, as we kept getting lost and having to back track. The authors say they revise this book: DON'T BELIEVE THEM.
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A MUST HAVE FOR TOLKIEN FANS!
One of the best references for LOR
An excellant trip through Tolkienland!
The Complete Tolkien Companion: Totally Revised and Updated
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For all those who journey to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, here is the complete guide to its lands, legends, histories, languages, and people. The Tolkien Companion explains, translates, and links every single reference - names, dates, places, facts, famous weapons, even food and drink - to be found in Tolkien's world, which includes not only The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings but also The Simarillion and many other posthumously published works. A detailed explanation of the various Elvish writing systems, together with maps, charts, and genealogical tables, bring the remarkable genius of Tolkien and the unforgettable world and wonder of Middle Earth to life with focus and accuracy. Presented in alphabetical order for quick and easy reference, this is an indispensable accompaniment for anyone who embarks on the reading journey of a lifetime. First published in 1976, this edition has been fully revised and updated for a new century of Tolkien lovers.
Customer Reviews:
A MUST HAVE FOR TOLKIEN FANS!.......2007-09-25
I have recently become a fan and this is a great reference, especially if you are new to Tolkien. A great companion and reference.
One of the best references for LOR.......2007-05-16
Once you have read LOR for fun, the next times are for research. I liked this book because it is easy to carry and has everything that you will want to know, or need to know, about LOR. A must for keeping tract of the characters, their names in four languages and the geography. An amazing compilation!
An excellant trip through Tolkienland!.......2007-01-18
This book brings a major bundle of "extra" tidbits about all the major players and places in Middle earth, and is a MUST read for all Tolkien fans! It fills in many of the "holes" you find yourself pondering over after reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. It is the "Perfect" fifth book!
Rick W.
The Complete Tolkien Companion: Totally Revised and Updated.......2006-07-28
I started Tolkiens adventure from the begining
(The Silmarillion)and had bought The "J.R.R. Tolkien Handbook" (Colin Duriez) which is good, but as I read some people, places or things where not found there. This " Complete Tolkien Companion" has everything! I love it. I will recomend it highly, and always have it handy on this wonderous journey . "The road goes ever on...I must follow if I can".
Great Read!.......2005-07-03
Unlike some of the other reviewers of this book, I for one did like it very much in fact. Of course it doesn't have every last tidbit of every last detail for all the entries. It is already over 700 pages for gosh sakes. If the author tried to cram in any more info, we probably could no longer afford the book and it would have to have an incredibly flimsy bind on it in order to accommodate that many pages. The bind would also most likely fall apart.
I recommend this book not for the Tolkien scholar but rather for the vast majority of Tolkien fans out there who just want to have an all-encompassing recourse to refer. I found this book particularly helpful when I was reading the Silmarillion for the first time (which in itself is a daunting task with so many proper names tossed around. I used the Companion book in order to figure out the basics of some of the important people, places and things.
As far as encyclopedias of Tolkien are concerned, this book is probably one of the best compared to others out there. Excellent resource.
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The Huang Di nei jing su wen, known familiarly as the Su wen, is a seminal text of ancient Chinese medicine, yet until now there has been no comprehensive, detailed analysis of its development and contents. At last Paul U. Unschuld offers entry into this still-vital artifact of China's cultural and intellectual past.
Unschuld traces the history of the Su wen to its origins in the final centuries B.C.E., when numerous authors wrote short medical essays to explain the foundations of human health and illness on the basis of the newly developed vessel theory. He examines the meaning of the title and the way the work has been received throughout Chinese medical history, both before and after the eleventh century when the text as it is known today emerged. Unschuld's survey of the contents includes illuminating discussions of the yin-yang and five-agents doctrines, the perception of the human body and its organs, qi and blood, pathogenic agents, concepts of disease and diagnosis, and a variety of therapies, including the new technique of acupuncture. An extensive appendix, furthermore, offers a detailed introduction to the complicated climatological theories of Wu yun liu qi ("five periods and six qi"), which were added to the Su wen by Wang Bing in the Tang era.
In an epilogue, Unschuld writes about the break with tradition and innovative style of thought represented by the Su wen. For the first time, health care took the form of "medicine," in that it focused on environmental conditions, climatic agents, and behavior as causal in the emergence of disease and on the importance of natural laws in explaining illness. Unschuld points out that much of what we surmise about the human organism is simply a projection, reflecting dominant values and social goals, and he constructs a hypothesis to explain the formation and acceptance of basic notions of health and disease in a given society. Reading the Su wen, he says, not only offers a better understanding of the roots of Chinese medicine as an integrated aspect of Chinese civilization; it also provides a much needed starting point for discussions of the differences and parallels between European and Chinese ways of dealing with illness and the risk of early death.
Unschuld is a scholar, a genuine translator that doesn't leave much to the imagination. His understanding of the cultural contexts (as there are many) in which TCM grew are un-matched in terms of written text. Get his books, if not for the honest look he takes at TCM, but for the fact that his works are the bread and butter of TCM. The gross ignorance of the classics among so called "Doctors of TCM" in the western world is amazing. Don't guess about TCM, either learn to read Chinese or get good translations of the classics. Not pocket translations at a American grade five reading level. If we expect people to view us as Doctors, we should study like one.
If your professors don't quote the classics, they don't understand TCM. If you haven't read them you're really limiting your potential.
Milestone.......2006-03-12
This book is a milestone for those of us who wish to understand Chinese medicine. As others have noted, this is not a translation of the Su Wen, but a thorough commentary. I consider it a necessary introduction before attempting to read the translation. Once Unschuld's translation is released, I will feel more prepared to grasp the meaning behind the text. Unschuld is an expert in this field and I'm not sure what a previous reviewer meant by self appointed. I think his experience, education, previous works, and position as director of his academic department speak for themselves! If you wish to go deeper into your understanding of the medicine, buy this book!
Lost in the Contradictions of Misunderstanding.......2003-10-04
Robert Feld is welcome to embrace Unschuld's highly scholarly, hard to read, disjointed text. My primary point is that this is NOT the Nei Jing, it is not the text, it is not readable as such, and it is not a guide for would-be doctors interested in practicing based on Nei Jing. That much should be more clear in the description of the book, but it is not. It should be called "Essays on Nei Jing."
As for feeling buised over a lack of 'modern' solutions, something I never mentioned, or an under-esteemed 'holism'--the main point is that the original holistic theory is obscured behind the great many errors in the Nei Jing.
This is in fact a late stage text, not a nacent one, the assumptions of scholars aside. References to Mawangdui texts as the beginning are themselves fallacious. The origin of the system, and its holism, are deeper, older, and not contradictory like the Nei Jing essays. They reflect a holistic system of knowledge heavily obscured in the late-stage texts we (and all of Chinese history) received.
So, the 'scoffing.' Those who find Unschuld's tone abrasive, and we are many, will use this term to refer to the haughty modern scholarly quality that exudes from the pages; the debunker's knife, if you will. Though modern knowledge advances through dividing and studying the parts, there are other methods of studying nature, and certainly these ideas were not fabricated in a modern-worldview workshop. They were not put together in pieces, and animated by the fuel of superstition, as Unschuld often makes it seem.
I look forward to Unschuld's further works, including the forthcoming full translation of the text, and any ideas he has about the relative age of the various essays. Following a path of 'dividing instead of lumping,' they are not that dear to my heart, just to my mind. But what else are scholars to do? The elephant is not known to those who feel a wall under their hand.
We need more scholarly books like this.......2003-08-08
Unschuld is thorough and thought-provoking. I will read the Suwen a little differently now, after reading Unschuld's book.
I don't agree with every conclusion the author makes, but I love mulling over the issues he brings up.
Yes, this book is scholarly, and you may need a dictionary here and there. But is that a bad thing?
It is not for someone who just wants to practice in blissful ignorance. It is not for a beginning student. It is not for someone who wants to mystify Chinese medicine.
It is for those who want to find deeper ways of looking at our medicine, and for those who like a little challenge to their own way of thinking. I will happily pre-order any book Unschuld writes.
An important resource on the history of Chinese medicine.......2003-08-02
An important scholarly review of a milestone medical classic, Professor Unschuld is his usual through self in presenting this material with copious references to support his conclusions. The acutal translation of the Su Wen is to follow in three volumes, this book reviews sources and cultural influences that helped shape the Su Wen. Considering the complex nature of the material in that work, this book is invaluable to the understanding of the Su Wen itself.
While not a book for the general public looking for lay information on Chinese medicine, this is a must read for those interested in the history of medicine, Chinese culture, and the influence prevailing cultural paradigms can have on even medical thought. Students and practitioners of Chinese medicine should also find this book valuable as there is so little documented information on the roots of this rapidly growing healing tradition.
I would also like to add that I do not believe Unschuld set out to do a hatchet job on holistic concepts as one reviewer seemed to think. I am a supporter of such concepts and do not always agree with everything Unschuld concludes. I feel however, that although one may disagree with some of his conclusions, one cannot argue with the scholarly rigor with which he supports those conclusions. This is a great book for the right audiance and will undoubtedly stand as a valuable reference for years to come.
The first edition of this book profoundly challenged and divided students of philosophy, sociology, and the history of science when it was published in 1976. In this second edition, Bloor responds in a substantial new Afterword to the heated debates engendered by his book.
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ASIN: 1884364209
Customer Reviews:
Best resource for the defunct 3DO system.......2003-07-07
It's difficult to find good resources and references for the long-out-of-production 3DO system, which was by far the best product to come from the now-bankrupt 3DO corporation. Decent screenshots and good walkthroughs are the main feature of this book, but I especially appreciated the "buyer's guide" at the back of the book which graded all of the then-currently available games. No fan of obscure, obsolete game technology should be without this book. The first in the series is also worth a look, as it follows the same format.
Great Book For Tips and Future Purchases.......2000-07-02
I got this book mainly to find out some strategies for games I already own, it does a great,detailed, very thorough job of that. But now I've found its great to look up reviews of other games that I see for sale to find out if they are worth purchasing. The only bad thing is the authors corny sense of humor sometimes gets in the way.
I really enjoyed reading the book, and I would recommend it to all serious software architects. The book discuss the practical aspects of OO techniques as they apply to real world applications. It goes beyond the "identify the words and nouns" approach of identifying objects and methods, into entities, value objects and aggregates. I also found the book to have a refreshing approach regarding XP methods, and the tight interdependence between modeling and design (and how each one feeds into the other in a closed loop).
Heavy on ideas, light on implementation.......2007-08-22
This book presents some interesting ideas for data modeling and lifecycle management, but does not provide enough implementation details to turn those ideas into reality. Many people are attempting to do so, and their ideas turn up in the dozens with a Google search, but no one seems to have figured out a real-world implementation yet. I may have given this 4 or 5 stars if I was convinced that the ideas were practical. I assume Evans has implemented his own ideas before, so I'm left wondering why he's not sharing the code.
In particular, the Repository and Aggregate patterns interests me, but there are many problems that arise when trying to implement a Repository that can handle saving and updating entire Aggregates while keeping the Entities isolated from the persistence mechanism. This is a topic for a tech blog, and in searching the 'net, plenty of them are discussing it. No one seems to have answered the implementation question, though.
The book is also a bit repetitive and verbose. I didn't find the sections on ubiquitous language very helpful. Engineers and non-engineers don't approach problems the same way, common language or not. I didn't feel that added much to the technical design discussions that followed.
If I ever figure out a practical implementation of the ideas, I may come back and give the book another star.
You must have one.......2007-06-21
This book was produced in 2004 but is already a classic. It is one of the most important books for people interested in object-oriented programming. Every programmer should read it.
Domain Driven Design.......2007-03-15
Domain Driven Design is about naming and assigning responsibilities to your classes according to the real concepts in the real world and let them collaborate with each other to fulfill certain task, like you and your coworkers doing everyday. If you grasp this, your system will be much fun to work with. I have read the book once and I completely agree with what the author said in his book.
If you think it is difficult to understand the book, probably you need some prerequisite, for example, read
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A MUST HAVE FOR TOLKIEN FANS!.......2007-09-25
One of the best references for LOR.......2007-05-16
Heavy on ideas, light on implementation.......2007-08-22