error Books

Amelia Bedelia is funny in a cute, adorable way. I will be sure to check out the other Amelia Bedelia books--no wonder there's so many of them. They certainly withstand the test of time.

I loved this one growing up. Really. Amelia Bedelia always choose the funniest possible interpretation of words, and her name rhymes! What's not to love?

The one thing I'd be concerned about is that a lot of the usages in this book are going to be unfamiliar to your young kid. I don't think many of us say "draw the curtains" anymore, and even if we do, we probably don't often talk about "trimming" steak (with or without lace!) or "dressing" chicken, at least, not around our kids. Maybe we should, but we don't.

So this book might be better saved for read-aloud time than read-alone time.

My first grader love that book. He was cracking up and he had so much fun reading this book! He reads it without any help. It is a cute and funny story and if you child doesn't like to read this is a great book to spike an interest in reading.

I remember reading these books years and years ago! I'm in 10th grade and it's been more 5 years since I was in elementary school and yet when I go work at my old school I go back and read them again!

A fun (and funny) book which will delight kids with Amelia's well-intentioned but mistake-laden chores. Kids feel empowered because they are 'smarter' than the character and are able to cheer her on. In the end, Amelia's good deeds overpower any mistakes she makes.

I recommend this book for any child who is beginning to read on their own!

This is no doubt a great book on error analysis for scientists and engineers, especially for those who are very interested in working in a lab. The content is very detailed and specific. This book contains a lot of fine examples and exercising problems. The back of the book provides solutions to some of the problems (odd-numbered ones).

This is a great introduction to error propagation and statistical analysis in general, and to least-squares fitting of a straight line to a set of data in particular. It is clear, and guides the reader step-by-step to a full understanding, first in a largely non-mathematical way, then gradually using simple calculus. Perhaps it moves too slowly for some readers, but this relaxed speed makes the text very readable, and the information given is solid. As such it compares favorably with, e.g., Bevington's Data Reduction and Error Analysis.

One might quibble with the fact that Taylor's discussion of least squares doesn't mention the direct proportionality y = Bx (as in Ohm's law for the flow of electricity though metals, or in Beer's law for the absorption of light) but jumps right in with the line y = A + Bx. It also devotes little space (less than 5 pages combined) to fitting a polynomial, to using other nonlinear functions that can be transformed into a line, or to multivariate least squares, but once the proper foundation is laid with the straight line, the principles involved are largely the same.

Perhaps the greatest deficiency of this book is the fact that it completely ignores the digital age. Statistical methods such as least squares analysis have mostly become popular because they are so readily implemented on computers, and there are ready-made programs available for almost every conceivable software platform. Yet Taylor's book completely ignores this, and it shows in his neglect of nonlinear least squares, an increasingly important application of the least squares concept based on a quite different, trial-and-error approach that is only practical on a computer.

For users who like to see how the ideas in Taylor's Error Analysis are implemented in practice, look for a text fitting your favored software. For C++ or Fortran you may want to read the excellent chapter on Modeling of Data in the Numerical Recipes of William Press et al., for Excel consult the first few chapters in my Advanced Excel for Scientific Data Analysis, and for Matlab use Cleve Moler's quite sophisticated Numerical Computing with Matlab. All of these show ready-made programs, and discuss how to choose between them. But for the basics, start with Taylor, so that you know what you are doing, and why.

This book arrived very quickly and in mint condition! It is a great book for people who need to use statistics (or error analysis) but don't know a lot about it.

This book is chock full of error and how to calculate it. Best part is that the book is dedicated to the guys wife.. ouch.

When I took physics at a community college, error analysis consisted entirely of comparing final calculated results based on a few measurements in the teaching laboratory to well-known "expected" values. When I transferred to a four-year university as a physics major and turned in my first lab report there, using the only so-called error analysis that I had ever been taught, I got read the riot act along with a big, fat F. If only I had known about this well-written little book then, my life would have been made a whole lot easier. This book and the more advanced Bevington/Robinson book should be in the personal library of any undergraduate in the physical sciences. I would also recommend it highly to serious high school students of science.

I love Sharon Lovejoy's books. They have really inspired me to become a gardener. I am not a put a plant in the ground and watch it grow type of person but now if I was to put a plant in the ground and create a tepee out of it - now you are talking!!
She has some great ideas for kids and making gardening fun for kids. I have tried several - not all has worked - more my fault than hers - This will be my third year giving her ideas a try. I am looking for them to work this year!!

I use this little book when writing the newsletter for my gardening club. Has some good advice for the beginning gardener.

I have never enjoyed a gardening book like I have this one. Humor is mixed with fact and tips. I would suggest this to anyone no matter what level of a gardener they are. Very informative and refreshing.

This book is a FABULOUS must-have for evey gardener! The ideas about and suggestions are tested, easy to follow and specific. It's especially helpful if you are a new gardener and trying to "be green."

This unique read is a nice item to read in pieces --- that way, you might not realize many of the tips are very similar, with slight variations --- Once I read the first couple that were very similar, it is hard not reading a new one and thinking "..where else will I see this in the book..."

I passed this onto people at work, and 2 of the 3 said the same thing...

Should have kept with 300 and noted on some "...also can be used to..."

THIS BOOK WAS VERY INTERESTING. A TRUE STORY OF 2 MEN WHO WERE IN OKLAHOMA PRISON SYSTEM FOR YEARS, AND FINALLY FREED BY DNA TESTING AND PRESSURE BY THE INNOCENCE PROJECT. THE MAN WHO WROTE IT WAS A TEACHER BEFORE HE WAS CHARGED WITH RAPE AND MURDER HE DID NOT COMMIT. I READ THIS ALONG WITH "DREAMS OF ADA" AND JOHN GRISHAMS "THE INNOCENT MAN".

The real story get 5 stars.
The writing get 3 stars.

Mr. Fritz is not an author and the writing not the caliber of a
professional author.

We all NEED & MUST know Dennis Fritz's story.

OVERZEALOUS PROSECUTORS.
HEARTBREAKING.
HORRIFYING .
NOBODY WANTS TO BELIEVE OUR COURTS ARE CAPABLE
OF SERIOUS MISTAKES.
IMMENSE BURDEN TO PROVE GUILT.
GRIM REALITY THAT LURKS IN THE SHADOWS OF AMERICAN
JUSTICE.
CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF HOW REAL LIFE IS STRANGER THAN
FICTION.

In April 1999 Barry Scheck Innocence Project freed Mr. Fritz from
prison. Dennis always said he did not do it. He told the truth. Eleven
years of his life gone.

Did the ADA OKLA District Attorney tell Dennis he was Sorry.
NO! Everyone that had anything to do with this case should
no longer be in Oklahoma public service.

Dennis sued the state and has enough money to live the rest of
his life in comfort. He deserves it. He lives in Kansas city, MO.
and works for the Innocence Project. Congratulations Dennis.

Better books on this case are THE INNOCENT MAN & THE
DREAMS OF ADA.

After reading Grisham's book and Dreams of Ada this book offered me yet another interesting perspective of the jurisprudence craziness that transpired 20 some years ago. These guys have lived through a legal nightmare of epic proportions. Very good read even if you are disgusted.

Dennis Fritz was railroaded by uncaring cops and an uncaring legal system. Because of that Dennis missed out on his Daughters childhood and several people he cared about died without ever learning of final success in proving his innocence. Oh and he spent 12 years in jail for something he didn't do. He never gave up. I met Dennis at a Barnes and Nobles at a book signing in Tucson. He struck me as quiet and contemplative. I was fascinated and he signed a book I bought. It took me two years to finally get around to reading it, but once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I wish you the best Dennis, you have suffered enough.

This man's account of this part of his life is chilling. Well written. I felt as though I was suffering along with him and rejoiced with him on his release.

A funny yet enlightening book which deftly explains some of the confusing words, phrases, and punctuation dilemmas of the English language. The author is the founder of TSPOGG (The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar - and PLEASE don't misspell that last word). Brockenbrough writes letters to people who offend her - grammatically speaking. She includes copies of her letters in the book. She even includes the response she received after writing to Queen Elizabeth II. Whether you know grammar or only know of Kelsey Grammer, this book is enjoyable.

If you have a sense of humor about words, you will enjoy how this book disects common errors propagated by common misuse. You may even improve your writing as you enjoy a fun book.

At first I was annoyed by this book as it appeared as if the grammar experts were getting cheap thrills from picking on people who made grammatical mistakes. There was a bullying sense to the criticism, bordering on snark, not too different from the cool high school girls making fun of the nerdy misfits. Perhaps I got used to the tone, but the book grew on me and I found the criticisms less harsh, more entertaining and even more educational. This is not the best book to learn grammar as the lessons can get lost among the myrth and the barbs, but there is enough here to begin the process of improving your grammar. In the least, I am sure that many of the examples, because they use humor, will will bring the lessons to memory.

This book is a sleeper. Who ever thought a book on grammer (oops, grammar) would cause me to fall off my chair in repetitive laughter. This book cleans up all the little mistakes I've made throughout my life (spell minuscule, not miniscule!), with heavy doses of politics, Bush-isms, rock-and-roll, and bawdy irreverence. It is a short read, but you will speak and read better after reading it. I wish my teenagers would read it!

I have long been a spelling/punctuation/grammar snob, and I enjoy Martha Brockenbrough's columns on Encarta, so I definitely had to check out her rant on grammar issues. She even slams spammers (not that she'd ever actually hit reply to one) for the spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors that litter their messages. What differentiates her from Lynne Truss, the British author of "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" is her humorous way of tackling such issues.

Brockenbrough also shatters some old grammar myths, probably brought over from people who would use English like Latin. No, it is NOT forbidden to split an infinitive; in some cases it's absolutely necessary. Not it is NOT forbidden to end a sentence with a preposition if reconstructing the sentence would sound awkward (and yes, "Where's he at?" is utterly forbidden, because "Where is he?" makes perfect sense). Yes, you CAN begin a sentence with a conjunction

If you've ever used "it's" as a possessive; if you've ever written "your" when you mean "you are"; if you aren't sure whether to use their, there, or they're, you desperately need to get this book for a quick lesson.

This incredibly valuable book is characterized by almost reckless honesty in combination with a concern for the welfare of patients that I have encountered nowhere else to date.

If it is read casually, there is much of critical value; if studied carefully, there is even more.

Dr. Levine had earned the gratitude of everyone who reads the book as well as all others because, with his trail blazing book, he has put the medical establishment on notice that they can no longer depend on the code of silence that has for so long protected inadequate and impaired heath care professionals. And it's high time.

I agree with all the reviews here - this is a must read. But after you read it go give it to a friend - it could save their life. As for the one review from the Texas man....probably a criminal doctor or someone who works for the pharmaceutical companies!

Ask the nurses who the good doctors are? Nurses like the doctors that are nice to them. The best doctors aren't always nice.

Go to a Teaching hospital if you can? So a resident can do your procedure and round on you? I think not.

Drug companies are out to rip us all off? Dr. Levine doesn't like drug companies because drugs like statins and ace inhibitors decrease his business.

Asked to be transferred during your care? So a new doctor that hasn't been following you can start all over.

Tell the ER doctor to call your Primary care doctor? So he can get whoever is on call for the group and knows nothing about you. Right. Lots of help.

Really weird stuff to come from an MD.

I can't express how important I believe this book to be. I am a business consultant of more than 30 years. I have read extensively in many areas of business - and in Health, Wealth, Happiness, and Success. I'm not a doctor. I'm not sure there isn't some exaggeration here. But, both Dr. Levine and what he says "feels" right. And, even if it isn't, it is a wonderful checklist of things to watch our for and check against. I plan to purchase additional copies for members of my family. I plan to recommend this book to those who attend my seminars.

I was shocked to learn that drug companies and medical suppliers "court" and "pay" (my quotes) doctors to use their products.

The author explains the process behind the FDA approving a drug and that some doctors have a conflict of interest while taking part in the approval process.

"THE WRONG WORD DICTIONARY" is so much fun you can read it like a quotation or joke book instead of using it as a dictionary. It sits on my desk and when I look up a word I end up reading 6 or 8 more. When I was trying to finishing Snappy Sayings: wit & wisdom from the world's greatest minds I kept going back to Dave Dowling book much more fun than working.
If you enjoy words you will love this book.

I bought this book for a friend/co-worker who is always correcting my word usage. I won't say who's usually right but I'm a stickler for proper spelling and pronunciation. He got a kick out of me giving the book to him. I hope he uses it!

As a writer I think this is an invaluable tool. It is precise, has great explanations, and is much faster than sorting through Google search results to figure out which word to use. The Wrong Word Dictionary deserves to be on your bookshelf next to the dictionary and thesaurus as the most frequently used reference books every writer needs. I have yet to come up with a confusing word that wasn't in The Wrong Word Dictionary. The price is a bargain, especially considering it's a hardback with thick pages.

Useful book. I'm a retired college prof; sent copies to my two teacher sons.

Unfortunately, I was not too impressed. Even as a non-native speaker, I wondered how people could confuse certain words.

Not only did I learn most of what I know about writing from Bernstein, I use it in all my editing. When I have to explain why one construction or punctuation is better than another, I pull out The Careful Writer and quote directly from it. I've yet to have a writer challenge the master -- perhaps because not only is he right, but he writes so engagingly that he is persuasive and charming, and wins everyone over. Ah, that I could be like that!

Both professional and amateur writers, orators, and all others interested in increasing the precision of their English will benefit from reading--and re-reading--this book.

My dad gave me this book when it was first published in hard cover, more than 35 years ago, if I'm not mistaken. Undoubtedly the best book on English usage (sorry, Fowler and Strunk & White). Comes from the author's experience at the New York Times, so it's very practical, often amusing, and beautiflly written all by itself. I have recommended it often over thhe years and I'm thrilled to see it back in print. High school kids, it's practically a guarantee of a stellar verbal SAT. Go for it!

I discovered this book years ago and have kept a copy close at hand throughout my career as a writer. In Bernstein's "The Careful Writer" you can find the answers to your questions about English usage that frankly aren't covered in "The Elements of Style" (Strunk & White) or even in "The Associated Press Style Book."

Does a car "careen out of control" or "career out of control"? The answer is in this book. Do you write that a person "graduated college," "graduated from college," or "was graduated from college"? It's in here. Unclear about when to use a colon (:) and when a semicolon (;). You can look it up under "punctuation."

And one more thing: This is a book on English usage that's fun to read. Bernstein enjoyed what he was doing and shared that enjoyment with his readers.

regarding the review just below, no professional editor could have written "this one earns it's cost." Oh, wait...the individual is Canadian.

(8/22/08) My apologies to our northern neighbors for the above, which must have been posted after one Labatt's too many.

There are some excellent books on this topic, but this is one of the best. The cases reviewed reveals the underlying reasons why such errors occur and more importantly, uncovers the many ways in which the medical profession engages in unethical acts of subterfuge in desperate attempts to keep the dirt well hidden under the rug.

Every patient will benefit from the information presented, instilling an awareness of the red flags they would have ignored without this knowledge. This book never received the exposure it well deserves.

What separates Wall of Silence by Gibson and Singh from other books on this topic is the refreshing and bold truth telling contained within it's human stories of pain, injustice and frustration. Not only did the authors shoulder the risks and courage requisite for listening to and then writing about the human face, consequences and devastation of needless medical error tragedies, but they also ferreted out and exposed the ugly truths, told by medical providers themselves, about how the pervasive greed, secrecy and code of silence in the healthcare industry works to bury medical mistakes through a host of means; including blackballing and burying the careers of the competent and ethical medical providers who dare to tell the truth and who place patients above profits. As a medical provider, I can find no better way to encapsulate the meaning and hope of this treatise than through those words offered by the Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. This book is, as she states, 'A call to arms for families who have had loved ones disabled or die in the pursuit of medical treatment.' And, I can only hope that it could also catalyze a 'Call to Arms' for medical providers who wish to return medicine and healthcare to the patient oriented, compassionate, ethical and hippocratic way of practice.

This is a better book by far than the unfortunately better known INTERNAL BLEEDING. It is certainly more honest. It has the clear advantage of being written by people who know and understand the subject ,and unlike Internal Bleeding, it does not suffer the disadvantage of having been written by physicians who, purposfully or otherwise, seem very intent in obscuring the responsibility for medical mistakes.

The authors of Wall of Silence have written an honest and valuable book deciding (to the public's advantage) to let the chips fall where they may. A MUST READ!!

This book is a well researched, well written must read for all Americans. The authors share their personal story as well as the stories of others who have suffered at the hands of a careless physician. While the stories will break your heart, they may also save your life, or the life of someone you love. While none of us want to believe that those we trust with our bodies and our lives would neglect a sacred trust, the fact is it is happening all too often. This book delivers the message without hype, fear or hysteria. Read it, share it and take it with you.

If even one person dies, that is one too many. But it is not just one, not even 10 or 100 patients who are maimed and dying from health care mistakes. As Gibson and Singh reveal, the numbers are much much higher than that. And anyone of them could be you or your loved ones. Medical errors do not discriminate. Everyone is vulnerable even doctors themselves as patients.

Yes, to error is human but that really doesn't appear to be the problem here. A great deal of the problem appears to be that a percentage of health care providers make multiple errors because no one stops them. According to Grayson and Singh many nurses do not recommend their place of employment to their family and friends.

When people are not held accountable for their actions and the consequences of those actions everyone is endangered. Taking or being forced to take personal responsiblity for your actions and their consequences plays a large part in how many mistakes you make.

I would think it would be every irresponsible health care provider's nightmare to literally have to personally experience everything that they inflict on their patients.

Since health care providers are safe from the magic wishing wand, the next best thing is to guard against such mistakes and be public with the information. It is a matter of ethics. When you are ten and don't want to "rat out" a buddy it is rarely life or death. But health care providers are not ten anymore and it is their ethical obligation to put the safety their patients or potential patients first. Please read this book and tell others about it. All of our lives depend on it.

Donald Harington is my favorite author and this book is probably his best. Although it is not the first of his books from a cronological, time period or published date I think it is a great book to introduce readers to his work. I have over the years purchased many copies of this book to send friends as a gift that usually starts them on their journey through time, Arkansas, Newton County and of course Staymore. Donald Harington paints pictures with words that put you in the place, emotion and frame of mind of these rich characters. He has created a world that intersects what you know and places you have been in such a way that the surprise can startle and excite you all at once. And of course as you read the next book and the next book you realize that this world was imagined all at once and he (Harington) choses which story to tell, when to tell it and how it intersects this imagined and magical world. If you are buying this book get ready for the rest of them as I doubt it will be your last Harington novel. The final paqe of Choiring of the Tree's is the best page I have ever read and may push you to more of his books. Strongly suggest "Lightning Bug" and "When Angels Rest" as well but for perspective you have to go to Architechture of the Ozarks.
Having just finished his final book "Enduring" will take a rest but know I will eventually take another trip to Staymore. I am sure I missed something along the way.

I am writing this review only because all the other reviews are so favorable. Harington develops his settings very competently, occasionally eloquently (see Pangburn's review of 8/7/03). There is plenty of plot. I was very interested at times, and I can see how some readers might love this book. However, his characters are not really developed, and I just could not take them seriously. When he describes life in prison, he does not have the skill to transform despair and horror into art. At other times the plot reads like a TV script. Enjoy the book as a kind of historical novel, if you can, but this is not good literature.

This is my favorite of the Harington books. Donald Harington, sadly, died a few weeks ago. It has been said that he is one of the greatest undiscovered American authors.

Donald Harington doesn't write bad novels, but this one is amazingly good. This novel made me feel such aching pain, sadness, laughter and redemption that even though I haven't re-read it in 5 or 6 years I still feel a lump in my chest seeing it for sale here. It is a beautiful love story, wrapped up in Harington's uncomfortably sad and humorous style. I hope you buy it, I have to go re-read it now...

I have so much to say about this novel; however, you should not be reading this review. Your time is much better spent reading this book and introducing yourself to the world of Stay More, Arkansas.

It is one of the most unforgettable books of all time, and the story will stay with you forever.

Harington is indeed one of our very best writers.