Then We Came to the End: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Great read -- offers some surprises.

Must-read for anyone who has ever worked at an ad agency!

Don't Waste Your Time...

office culture

Hilarious

Then We Came to the End: A Novel
Joshua Ferris
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

In the Woods

Falling Man: A Novel

Boomsday

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

On Chesil Beach: A Novel

ASIN: 0316016381

Book Description

This wickedly funny, big-hearted novel about life in the office signals the arrival of a gloriously talented new writer. The characters in Then We Came to the End cope with a business downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, secret romance, elaborate pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks. By day they compete for the best office furniture left behind and try to make sense of the mysterious pro-bono ad campaign that is their only remaining "work."

Customer Reviews:

Great read -- offers some surprises........2007-10-01

As already mentioned in several reviews, this book is not as hilarious as some critics made it out to be. However, this is still a very entertaining and witty novel. I loved the end.

Must-read for anyone who has ever worked at an ad agency!.......2007-09-27

If you've ever worked at an agency, you'll recognize each character as one of your coworkers (or you!). And you'll feel sick alongside them as layoffs continue and pro bono jobs replace paying clients. It's hard to keep track of all the characters at first, but the author helps out by reminding you who's who throughout ... plus there are fewer and fewer as the story progresses. I highly recommend this book!

Don't Waste Your Time..........2007-09-11

This was probably the worst and most boring book I've read in 2007. Amazon has it rated as one of "the best so far..." There must be some mistake. The author, while allegedly a skilled writer, drones on and on about the most irrelevant subjects, 5 pages devoted to a chair. It has taken me almost a whole month to finish because I get sleepy after about 3 pages and have to put it down. I am now on the last chapter and can't wait to "come to the end". The characters are mere caricatures of real people with no depth or relatability. There is basically no plot to speak of. I have given it two stars because the author has an occasional good line or train of thought, but when he puts them all together it's nothing but a trainwreck. I'm no rocket scientist and usually pretty easily entertained but this book was no good. I'm serious.

office culture.......2007-09-11

if you work in an office with lots of personalities, this book should resonate. Mr. Ferris had to have intimate knowledge of a cubbied space

Hilarious.......2007-09-06

Hard not to get a kick out of this book. He makes connections in culture today that will blow your mind. Great read.

Average customer rating:

Good Text, Lack of Details on Concurrent Package is a turn off
Avoid those unrepeatable bugs!
beginner-oriented
Teaches clear thinking in thread programming
Very useful book on an increasingly important topic

Java Concurrency in Practice
Brian Goetz , Tim Peierls , Joshua Bloch , Joseph Bowbeer , David Holmes , and Doug Lea
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0321349601

Customer Reviews:

Good Text, Lack of Details on Concurrent Package is a turn off.......2007-09-14

Simply put this book can be viewed from a love it or hate it perspective, but personally when i bought Java Generics and Collections ( O Reilly ) i was impressed by the depth of their coverage, it gave me that inside edge and the internal knowledge of generics and collections ( how they work etc. ) This Book works well in giving what to do, what could have been done better and some portions on Concurrent package, but simply put I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH ITS COVERAGE ON CONCURRENT PACKAGE!. if you stack up generics against this one, i'd say generics is 200% better than this one.

So yea i was a bit disappointed with the book. But hey, nothing works better than the Java Language Spec Third edition =). ( at least it gives you everything exhaustively ).

Regards
Vyas, Anirudh

Avoid those unrepeatable bugs!.......2007-08-22

Java Concurrency in Practice gives very complete coverage on the language's concurrency classes introduced in Java 5 & 6. It shows you the shortcomings of previous attempts at concurrency in earlier versions of the JDK, with great code samples.

This book is pretty comprehensive and goes through the thinking/theory of why things are written the way they are, it is not just a paper version of the JavaDoc reference.
It is also very, very readable. I am by no means experienced in concurrency problems, but it was very easy to follow through the reasoning and examples. (my background is a CS degree and 1.5 years in the industry)

This book is a must read, especially for Java devs. Even if you are not a Java programmer, it could still be an enlightening read because it tells you how to structure your programs to deal with concurrency and how to deal with concurrent stateful apps, which unless you are using Erlang, is something you have to deal with.

beginner-oriented.......2007-07-25

Good book, yet IMO it's too "for beginners". Authors seem to explain things very slowly, perhaps it's great for people with little programming experience, but I found the tempo a bit slow.
I think that Concurrent Programming in Java by Doug Lea is more appealing to experienced developer, unfortunately I don't think there is a new edition out that covers Java 5. When/if new edition comes out, I'll switch, but for now I'd stick with Java Concurrency in Practice.

Teaches clear thinking in thread programming.......2007-06-22

Perfectly lucid style combined with a number of architectural patterns makes this book a treasure. Totally love it.

Very useful book on an increasingly important topic.......2007-06-05

I have been programming in Java for years, and yet I've generally ignored or otherwise avoided dealing with concurrency and synchronization at every opportunity because I found it so daunting. This book broke down that barrier for me and helped me to understand what I needed to do to write correct concurrent programs. In particular, the book provides concrete instructions that I was able to apply to projects that I am working on right now.

I would highly recommend this book to any Java programmer, as you are probably missing out on part of the capabilities of your language (and/or writing incorrect programs!) until you read this. It's probably not a bad lesson for developers of concurrent software in any language, but the concrete instructions regarding Java were really the most valuable part of the book to me.

First Aid Q&A for the USMLE Step 1 (First Aid)

Average customer rating:

First Aid Q & A
First Aid for USMLE-Q&A
Excellent question book
NIce!!!
Excellent work.

First Aid Q&A for the USMLE Step 1 (First Aid)

Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Medical
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Questions & Answers | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

Emergency Medical Services | Allied Health Professions | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Test Preparation & Review | Education & Training | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Medicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0071481729

Book Description

The only comprehensive Q&A review for the USMLE Step 1 directly linked to high-yield facts from First Aid for the USMLE Step 1. Use with First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 and First Aid Cases for the USMLE Step 1 for the ultimate board-review package.

Customer Reviews:

First Aid Q & A.......2007-05-13

Item was received promptly. No damage noted. Excellent service is appreciated.

First Aid for USMLE-Q&A.......2007-05-08

This is a great resource for boards prep. It breaks down questions by organ system, has a large "practice test", and has some basic science sections too. Its nice because you can review a specific organ system or area and then quiz yourself with questions directed toward that specific area too.

Excellent question book.......2007-03-03

I am an attorney and used to studying for exams with a large number of questions from which to prepare. Until First Aid Q&A came out, there were not many sources with 1000+ questions and that covered multiple subjects. All and all an excellent question book that I have used for my in class exams and which I intend to use for Step 1.

NIce!!!.......2007-01-15

Questions are just like the NBME Comprehensive exam!!! Nice guys, wow, really like this!!!

Excellent work........2007-01-12

This is a very comprehensive review of Step 1 USMLE First Aid. Having read many of the other works on this subject, I can honestly say that this is the best one. The sections on pharmacology and epidemiology/biostatics are especially enlightening. Michael Rinke is a god among men. First aid pathology, likewise, becomes a piece of cake after practicing on the 1000+ questions contained within.

First Aid Cases for the USMLE Step 1 (First Aid)

Average customer rating:

good for step 1 prep
Just Get the BOOK!!! Yes That Good
great book
First Aud Cases for the USMLE Step 1

First Aid Cases for the USMLE Step 1 (First Aid)
Tao Le , Kendall Krause , Joshua Klein , and Anil Shivaram
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Medical
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Emergency Medical Services | Allied Health Professions | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Test Preparation & Review | Education & Training | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Emergency Medicine | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Medicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0071464107

Book Description

The case companion to the best-selling First Aid for the USMLE Step 1

Essential in preparing for the USMLE Step 1, this comprehensive case book features 240 high-yield clinical cases, a unique one-case-per-page format, active recall questions and answers for each case, and more than 200 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

good for step 1 prep.......2007-02-12

This is not bad as another book to have for Step1 Prep. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many books because there are ALOT of books out there. Just pick a handful becuase otherwise you will have conflicting information.

Just Get the BOOK!!! Yes That Good.......2007-01-15

Just Get the BOOK!!! Yes That Good!!! It helps you think about every aspect of a concept. Example, path & Physio of what's going on with the patient. It brings important concepts in medicine in extremely valid cases which are written "like" the NBME questions. I would rec this book 100% worth every penny!!!

great book.......2006-10-29

cases are informational and board style. follows the step 1 book. the step one book, cuts out the [...] and tells you what's needed for the boards. great outline. some of the topics are a little thin. has color histo atlas and websites for more general info. I think the book would be better if it had more cases but overall, the combo is a good buy!

First Aud Cases for the USMLE Step 1.......2006-09-02

It's the best way to buy a book,Thank you so much.

International Relations, 2006-2007 Edition (7th Edition) (MyPoliSciLab Series)

Average customer rating:

International Relations

International Relations, 2006-2007 Edition (7th Edition) (MyPoliSciLab Series)
Joshua S. Goldstein , and Jon C. Pevehouse
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0321434307

Book Description

The first text in the field to be written following the end of the Cold War, Goldstein's International Relations evenly balances security and economic issues. It also distinguishes itself from the competition through its strong coverage of alternative theoretical perspectives, the environment, and women. The book integrates technology seamlessly with marginal icons linking to additional online content such as video clips, interactive simulations, and practice tests. The Updated Seventh Edition offers a brand new feature — “Careers in IR”–that will help students apply their study of international relations to their own career plans, as well as key updates on ever-changing topics such as the war in Iraq, Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza strip, Palestinian and Israeli elections, Islamic radicalism in Europe, possible bird flu pandemics and rising AIDS infections, China on the rise, the election of the first woman president in Africa, and more. Lauded for its commitment to currency, lively writing style, colorful photo program, and abundance of examples, International Relations has long been a favorite of both students and instructors because it makes the rich complexity of international politics accessible and exciting.

Customer Reviews:

International Relations.......2007-01-04

This book was excellent and it was very easy to order. It was a brand new item and after a whole semester of use still in almost brand new condition.

Average customer rating:

It's Good to Be Challenged to Think!
Very Clear, Very Helpful
I Kissed Dating Goodbye
Not working.
Excellent book ! Highly recommended.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye
Joshua Harris
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Love & Romance | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1590521358
Release Date: 2003-04-02

Amazon.com

While most Christians agree to seek purity and save sex for marriage, few have been given a blueprint for how that should affect their view of dating and love. In I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris exposes the "Seven Habits of Highly Defective Dating" and offers a realistic outline of how to have a biblical vision of marriage. Harris contends that one must begin with a new attitude, viewing love, purity, and singleness from God's perspective rather than thinking that love and romance are to be enjoyed "solely for recreation." In such well-named chapters as "Guarding Your Heart" and "What Matters at Fifty," Harris encourages the reader to look at one's character rather than reveling in infatuation, to regard love as a truly selfless, biblical act rather than a feeling. He refutes the concept that we are victims of "falling in love" (that it is beyond our control), saying that "God wants us to seek guidance from scriptural truth, not feeling. Smart love looks beyond personal desires and the gratification of the moment. It looks at the big picture: serving others and glorifying God." Before you roll your eyes, moaning that this sounds terribly unromantic, know that Harris does a superb job of couching his convictions in the sincere belief that if we are purposeful in our singleness and date with integrity, a fulfilled marriage awaits us--in God's timing. --Jill Heatherly

Book Description

Joshua Harris's first book, written when he was only 21, turned the Christian singles scene upside down...and people are still talking. More than 800,000 copies later, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, with its inspiring call to sincere love, real purity, and purposeful singleness, remains the benchmark for books on Christian dating. Now, for the first time since its release, the national #1 bestseller has been expanded with new content and updated for new readers. Honest and practical, it challenges cultural assumptions about relationships and provides solid, biblical alternatives to society's norm.

Tired of the game? Kiss dating goodbye.

Going out? Been dumped? Waiting for a call that doesn’t come? Have you tasted pain in dating, drifted through one romance or, possibly, several of them?

Ever wondered, Isn’t there a better way?

I Kissed Dating Goodbye shows what it means to entrust your love life to God. Joshua Harris shares his story of giving up dating and discovering that God has something even better—a life of sincere love, true purity, and purposeful singleness.

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

It's Good to Be Challenged to Think!.......2007-09-01

I found this book to be extreemly helpful and I think Josh does a great job at sharing his heart and helping people see the other side. I realize that there are many people out there who are very upset with this book and think the author is way out of line, but I also realize that people don't often like to hear things that are different from the mainstring of things. We don't like to be different and thought of as wierd.

I respect Josh and his honest approach on the subject of dating. I personally know many people who have been helped after reading this book. Some people think that Josh comes across in a harsh manner and is against dating. I didn't feel that at all after I read it. In fact, I have many close friends who have listened to Josh's advice and have gotten married. Probably in some people's mind they were extreem in how they dated, but they have been saved from alot of heartache. As I look at their marriages, I see them all still very much in love! They didn't do everything exactly like Josh did, but they found his advice very helpful. No book is perfect except God's Word, but we can learn from others. Whenever we read a book we need to read it with discretion.

Josh is very much for marriage and for dating God's way. He encourages people to get more serious about purity and thinking of the other person's best interest. Dating and getting involved physically is selfish love and not at all the way God has it planned. I was definately challenged in how I think.

I would encourage anyone to read this book. It is very well written, easy to read, and yet very profound. If you read it with the attitude you won't like it, I'm sure you probably won't. Just be open to God's voice and hear His message to you. Many of the principles Josh lays out are from God's Word. He has alot of valuable things to say, and I think if we are willing to listen we will learn alot. If you're a Chistian, ask God for wisdom as you read it! God loves to be involved in our lives, especially our love lives.

Very Clear, Very Helpful.......2007-07-23

Joshua Harris's book is very well put together and has a great message. Each chapter is nicely outlined and easy to read. He confronts a lot of stereotypes about dating and provides great advice. A must read!

I Kissed Dating Goodbye.......2007-07-05

This is an excellent book for anyone who is interested in a serious relationship. It gives great advice and a way to honor God in all that you do and say. I would encourage all to read this book to get your dating life in order.

Not working. .......2007-06-26

This book has haunted me as many other christian singles in their 20's. I personally think this book has contributed to the de-testical-ification of guys in the church. I know a ton of attractive women (they seem to outnumber the single men greatly) who are not happy about their singleness in the church only to be faced with 30 year old adolecents who are afraid or unwilling to ask them out. Thanks Josh! Well anyway, I am getting married in 10 days and I met my soon-to-be husband on a christian dating website so bollocks to Mr. Harris.

Excellent book ! Highly recommended........2007-05-26

If you are a Christian in America you need to read this book. It is absolutley great. Puts the whole idea of dating, romance, finding a mate through the lense of Scripture. You will be blessed by this refreshing book. After you read it you will be telling your friends about it and loaning it out!

Effective Java Programming Language Guide

Average customer rating:

Thing of Beauty is Joy Forever ...
Best Java book available
Effective reading
Excellent book but nice to have an update
Something for programmers at every level

Effective Java Programming Language Guide
Joshua Bloch
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Nonfiction | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0201310058

Amazon.com

Written for the working Java developer, Joshua Bloch's Effective Java Programming Language Guide provides a truly useful set of over 50 best practices and tips for writing better Java code. With plenty of advice from an indisputable expert in the field, this title is sure to be an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to get more out of their code.

As a veteran developer at Sun, the author shares his considerable insight into the design choices made over the years in Sun's own Java libraries (which the author acknowledges haven't always been perfect). Based on his experience working with Sun's best minds, the author provides a compilation of 57 tips for better Java code organized by category. Many of these ideas will let you write more robust classes that better cooperate with built-in Java APIs. Many of the tips make use of software patterns and demonstrate an up-to-the-minute sense of what works best in today's design. Each tip is clearly introduced and explained with code snippets used to demonstrate each programming principle.

Early sections on creating and destroying objects show you ways to make better use of resources, including how to avoid duplicate objects. Next comes an absolutely indispensable guide to implementing "required" methods for custom classes. This material will help you write new classes that cooperate with old ones (with advice on implementing essential requirements like the equals() and hashCode() methods).

The author has a lot to say about class design, whether using inheritance or composition. Tips on designing methods show you how to create understandable, maintainable, and robust classes that can be easily reused by others on your team. Sections on mapping C code (like structures, unions, and enumerated types) onto Java will help C programmers bring their existing skills to Sun's new language. Later sections delve into some general programming tips, like using exceptions effectively. The book closes with advice on using threads and synchronization techniques, plus some worthwhile advice on object serialization.

Whatever your level of Java knowledge, this title can make you a more effective programmer. Wisely written, yet never pompous or doctrinaire, the author has succeeded in packaging some really valuable nuggets of advice into a concise and very accessible guidebook that arguably deserves a place on most any developer's bookshelf. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Best practices and tips for Java
Creating and destroying objects (static factory methods, singletons, avoiding duplicate objects and finalizers)
Required methods for custom classes (overriding equals(), hashCode(), toString(), clone(), and compareTo() properly)
Hints for class and interface design (minimizing class and member accessibility, immutability, composition versus inheritance, interfaces versus abstract classes, preventing subclassing, static versus nonstatic classes)
C constructs in Java (structures, unions, enumerated types, and function pointers in Java)
Tips for designing methods (parameter validation, defensive copies, method signatures, method overloading, zero-length arrays, hints for Javadoc comments)
General programming advice (local variable scope, using Java API libraries, avoiding float and double for exact comparisons, when to avoid strings, string concatenation, interfaces and reflection, avoid native methods, optimizing hints, naming conventions)
Programming with exceptions (checked versus run-time exceptions, standard exceptions, documenting exceptions, failure-capture information, failure atomicity)
Threading and multitasking (synchronization and scheduling hints, thread safety, avoiding thread groups)
Serialization (when to implement Serializable, the readObject(), and readResolve() methods)

Customer Reviews:

Thing of Beauty is Joy Forever ..........2007-09-30

It is incredible to read Joshua's insights. Forget about being a Java Guru or something like that. This book is pure joy to read if you are detail oriented, perfectionist or a student of art of programming in general.

I have started this effort of creating a distilled version of this book coupled with my own reflections at: [...]. To any curious reader though, any such effort is not a replacement for the book itself. It is a masterpiece.

- Kedar Mhaswade

Best Java book available.......2007-09-28

I've been using Java since 1995 and have owned this book since 2001 and it's the only Java text I still turn to. I recommend every Java developer, no matter what level you're at, read this book and read it again every year for the remainder of your career. I doesn't matter who you are or how experienced you think you are -- you will learn from this book. I give "Effective Java" my highest recommendation. I cannot wait for the Second Edition.

Effective reading.......2007-09-26

This is the best technical book I have ever read.
It explains the pros and cons of many Java-dependent programming approaches. The author describes Java techniques based on JVM, code readability, extensibility, performance, fault tolerance, bug finding...
If you have/want to code or design Java software this book is a must-a-have.

Excellent book but nice to have an update.......2007-05-29

Very well written book. I learned a lot from this book. I thought I know Java a lot thru my experience on them but realized I am missing a lot after reading this book. Though it is an excellent book, I am wondering when will Joshua Bloch will come up with the next edition to cover new features of Java. I heard that he moved from Sun Microsystems to Google, so he may be too busy there to have a follow-up on this book.

Something for programmers at every level.......2007-05-20

That's the good news. The bad news is: needs to be updated for Java 1.5 (or even 1.6). There an entire section, for example, on how to simulate Enum, which is now part of the language. (In fact, I think Block was one of its implementors!)

Refactoring to Patterns (The Addison-Wesley Signature Series)

Average customer rating:

the best design pattern book
Great book, get it if you do design.
Excellent book!
Good extension to Fowler's: Refactoring
Excellent reference book and a book I turn to frequently

Refactoring to Patterns (The Addison-Wesley Signature Series)
Joshua Kerievsky
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Databases | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0321213351

Book Description

What Is This Book About?
This book is about the marriage of refactoring—the process of improving the design of existing code—with patterns, the classic solutions to recurring design problems. Refactoring to Patterns suggests that using patterns to improve an existing design is better than using patterns early in a new design. This is true whether code is years old or minutes old. We improve designs with patterns by applying sequences of low-level design transformations, known as refactorings.

What Are the Goals of This Book?
This book was written to help you:

Understand how to combine refactoring and patterns
Improve the design of existing code with pattern-directed refactorings
Identify areas of code in need of pattern-directed refactorings
Learn why using patterns to improve existing code is better than using patterns early in a new design
To achieve these goals, this book includes the following features:

A catalog of 27 refactorings
Examples based on real-world code, not the toy stuff
Pattern descriptions, including real-world pattern examples
A collection of smells (i.e., problems) that indicate the need for pattern-directed refactorings
Examples of different ways to implement the same pattern
Advice for when to refactor to, towards, or away from patterns
To help individuals or groups learn the 27 refactorings in the book, you'll find a suggested study sequence on the inside back cover of the book.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is for object-oriented programmers engaged in or interested in improving the design of existing code. Many of these programmers use patterns and/or practice refactoring but have never implemented patterns by refactoring; others know little about refactoring and patterns and would like to learn more.

This book is useful for both greenfield development, in which you are writing a new system or feature from scratch, and legacy development, in which you are mostly maintaining a legacy system.

What Background Do You Need?
This book assumes you are familiar with design concepts like tight coupling and loose coupling as well as object-oriented concepts like inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, composition, interfaces, abstract and concrete classes, abstract and static methods, and so forth.

I use Java examples in this book. I find that Java tends to be easy for most object-oriented programmers to read. I've gone out of my way to not use fancy Java features, so whether you code in C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET, Python, Ruby, Smalltalk, or some other object-oriented language, you ought to be able to understand the Java code in this book.

This book is closely tied to Martin Fowler's classic book Refactoring F. It contains references to low-level refactorings, such as:

Extract Method
Extract Interface
Extract Superclass
Extract Subclass
Pull Up Method
Move Method
Rename Method

Refactoring also contains references to more sophisticated refactorings, such as:

Replace Inheritance with Delegation
Replace Conditional with Polymorphism
Replace Type Code with Subclasses

To understand the pattern-directed refactorings in this book, you don't need to know every refactoring listed above. Instead, you can follow the example code that illustrates how the listed refactorings are implemented. However, if you want to get the most out of this book, I do recommend that you have Refactoring close by your side. It's an invaluable refactoring resource, as well as a useful aid for understanding this book.

The patterns I write about come from the classic book Design Patterns DP, as well as from authors such as Kent Beck, Bobby Woolf, and myself. These are patterns that my colleagues and I have refactored to, towards, or away from on real-world projects. By learning the art of pattern-directed refactorings, you'll understand how to refactor to, towards, or away from patterns not mentioned in this book.

You don't need expert knowledge of these patterns to read this book, though some knowledge of patterns is useful. To help you understand the patterns I've written about, this book includes brief pattern summaries, UML sketches of patterns, and many example implementations of patterns. To get a more detailed understanding of the patterns, I recommend that you study this book in conjunction with the patterns literature I reference.

This book uses UML 2.0 diagrams. If you don't know UML very well, you're in good company. I know the basics. While writing this book, I kept the third edition of Fowler's UML Distilled Fowler, UD close by my side and referred to it often.

Customer Reviews:

the best design pattern book.......2007-02-22

this is definitely the best book about design pattern I have ever read.

but this book is not telling you what a pattern is and how to use this pattern; instead, it shows some inappropriate designed structure and explains what might be the reason of the inappropriate design, then suggests one pattern to help you out. it's an excellent idea to describe a pattern and the samples are interesting.

moreover, the book is paperback, thin, small, easy to carry, what else can u ask for :D

Great book, get it if you do design........2007-02-06

Well done book, and a valuable next-step in learning about design patterns. The original GOF presents them in isolated and rather sterile format and manner, this book adds a much richer context and analysis in actually using them in application refactorings.

Excellent book!.......2007-01-09

An EXCELLENT book! Very highly recommended. I like the fact that Josh has used real world code in all the refactoring to patterns examples.

Good extension to Fowler's: Refactoring.......2007-01-04

I read this book shortly after reading Martin Fowler's Refactoring book. I find this book to be a great extension to Fowlers basic priciples. It requires you to have some knowledge about basic refactoring terminology and techniques, and you should also have at least skimmed through the Gang of Four patterns book. Where this book has it's force is in helping you to identify when to do what types of refactoring and when NOT to do certain refactorings. It has a nice list of smells and their appropriate refactorings
I would recommend this as a reference book to all programmers that appreciate the value a well applied pattern has.

Excellent reference book and a book I turn to frequently.......2006-12-05

I've looked over some of the other reviews on here and disagree with much of the criticism. This book is very easy to navigate and use and a book that will help teach you patterns in a most practical way, by helping you find which pattern to apply to improve bad code when you need it. I've used this book frequently to find better solutions to bits of code that I just know could be improved and have expanded my knowledge of patterns in the process in a way that I never could by picking up a book on Design Patterns and studying them. If you enjoy learning in a hands on way, I think you will come to learn patterns and improve your code by having this book on hand at your desk to turn to. The patterns listed in this book are the ones that Software Engineers can use on a daily/frequent basis. These are patterns an Engineer should know well enough to just apply to code when they see the need has arisen. I think this book is very useful to Engineers who would like to learn software well enough to just be able to crank out good code when addressing daily problems.

Average customer rating:

True Humility: Cross-Centered Humility
Mahaney is a mastermind!
Pursuing an Intimacy With God That Results in Humility
Humbling
Humility: True Greatness

Humility: True Greatness
C. J. Mahaney
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1590523261
Release Date: 2005-09-30

Book Description

Be Transformed by Christ’s Example

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” —1 Peter 5:5

A battle rages within every one of us every day. It’s the clash between our sense of stubborn self-sufficiency and God’s call to recognize that we’re really nothing without Him. It’s pride versus humility. And it’s a fight we can’t win without looking repeatedly to Christ and the cross. C. J. Mahaney raises a battle cry to daily, diligently, and deliberately weaken our greatest enemy (pride) and cultivate our greatest friend (humility). His thorough examination clarifies misconceptions, revealing the truth about why God detests pride and turns His active attention to the humble. Because pride is never passive, defeating it demands an intentional attack. The blessing that follows is God’s abundant favor.

“This is the one to whom I will look:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit.”

—Isaiah 66:2, esv

God clearly states that He is drawn to the humble. He’s also clear that He opposes the proud. These two, humility and pride, cannot coexist. Where one is fostered, the other is defeated.

Which will you pursue?

C. J. Mahaney paints a striking picture of the daily battle quietly raging within every Christian and asks whether you will passively accommodate the enemy of your soul, pride, or actively cultivate your best friend, humility. When you acknowledge the deception of pride and intentionally humble yourself, you become free to savor abundant mercies and unlikely graces. You will find a new life is yours—a life God richly favors. A God-glorifying life you don’t want to miss.

“C. J. Mahaney is not humble. At least, that’s what he’ll tell you. And that’s one reason he’s so well qualified to write this book.”

Mark E. Dever

Senior pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church

Author, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

“A much-needed wake-up call on this important subject. I highly recommend this book.”

Jerry Bridges

Author of The Pursuit of Holiness

“This is the right book from the right man at the right time.”

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Story Behind the Book

“Given pride’s pervasive presence in my life, I come to this book in holy fear, yet inspired by God’s promises to be humble and sobered by his warnings to the proud (Isaiah 66:2b, 1 Peter 5:5b). Scripture reveals to us that, while pride was the first and most serious sin, God is decisively drawn to humility and is specifically supportive of the humble. Only Christ has fully obeyed Isaiah 66:2b (“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word”), yet He did so as our representative! How marvelous that in our daily battle against pride we can rely on God’s grace, through the gospel, and thus bring honor and glory to God.” —C. J. Mahaney

Customer Reviews:

True Humility: Cross-Centered Humility.......2007-10-09

Rather than defining one as humble or not as in binary mode, it is more appropriate to think in terms of degree of humility as some have more than the other. After all, there is no one who is perfect in humility anyway other than the King of kings who is also the king of servants, Jesus Christ. I have not met CJ personally but I have seen him speak at Resolved 2007. My impression from this book, however, he is someone who has biblically and experimentally studied and applied humility. Now to understand humility biblically is critical since there is no such thing as true humility apart from God's definition and the cross-centered foundation of it. This is the meat of this book which I value greatly, because CJ goes from the foundation of true humility without which no one can ever be humble, that is, the death and resurrection of Christ and being born again, to the evil of pride, to the inward applications on how to grow more in humility and less in pride, though I don't completely agree with all the steps he proposes, like playing golf; and outwardly in our treatment to others. The latter particularly sticks to my mind when it comes to seeing the grace of God in others, by which I take it to mean, to study and understand people objectively, to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Only then can we know how to speak humbly to encourage or edify.

Mahaney is a mastermind!.......2007-08-23

C.J. Mahaney is such a man of passion. It truly shows in his writing. I could feel the passion with which he was writing and speaking the words from his book. Mahaney offers a lot of good advice for keeping pride out of your life and day to day tasks and reminders that will aid in doing so. I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about their walk with Christ!

Pursuing an Intimacy With God That Results in Humility.......2007-07-09

C. J. Mahaney in "Humility: True Greatness" compares the physical check up of a physician with the need for a spiritual check up of the same nature. He wields the surgeon's scalpel to the soul of man with his piercing questions for self evaluation.

The Book is divided into three parts. In part one Mahaney discusses the promise of humility and the peril of pride. In part two he redefines greatness and shows how greatness can be demonstrated. Part three deals with the pursuit of humility, the importance of focus, evidences of grace, correction,responding to trials, and leaving a legacy.

This is a book for pastors, church leaders, and individual Christians. It is thought provoking, hard hitting, yet sensitive while pursuing an intimacy with God that produces humility. This is an excellent book for devotional reading and for frequent future reference.

Humbling.......2007-07-05

This truly is a humbling book, in the best and most positive sense of the word.
It helps us see how habitually rooted we are in ourselves.
"Aha" moments include the premises that comparing ourselves to others is pride, and that pride is contesting for supremacy with God.
I breathe a hearty "Amen" to author Mahaney's statement that "True greatness is attained only by emulating the Savior's example--and made possible only by the Savior's sacrifice."

Humility: True Greatness.......2007-06-25

Nothing escapes God's notice, but one thing captures His gaze.

Isaiah 66:1-2 says, "Thus says the Lord: `Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.' (ESV)

The first several chapters of this book deal with defining humility and pride:

"Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness." (pg. 22)

"Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence on Him." (pg. 31)

John MacArthur makes the sad observation that pride has become something of an "accepted" sin. It is something that we all struggle with, to one degree or another. "The real issue here is not if pride exists in your heart; it's where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life." (pg. 29)

Of course, God hates all sin. But, as Mahaney notes, "from God's perspective, pride seems to be the most serious sin." (pg. 30) God passionately hates pride, and actively opposes the proud. But, He gives grace to the humble (see James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5). In light of this truth, shouldn't we, as believers, be actively seeking to eradicate pride and pursue humility?

Ask yourself this question:

"How, for the rest of my life, can I deliberately and diligently mortify pride, and pursue humility on a daily basis?"

The majority of this book is given to simple, practical, and most importantly, biblical advice on how to answer this question. I found chapters 5 and 6 especially helpful, as Mahaney gives suggestions for meditation "As Each Day Begins" (ch. 5) and "As Each Day Ends" (ch. 6). He also suggests several ideas for going beyond our daily studies, and into times of extended concentration and study in chapter 7 ("For Special Focus").

The other chapters are just as helpful, as they encourage us to be:

~Identifying Evidences of Grace (ch. 8 ) - In other words, actively "looking for ways that God is at work in the lives of other people." (pg. 98)
~Encouraging Others (ch. 9)
~Inviting and Pursuing Correction (ch. 10)
~Responding Humbly to Trials (ch. 11)

This book comes highly recommended by pastors, authors, and professors...men like Randy Alcorn, Jerry Bridges, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Wayne Grudem, Joshua Harris, John MacArthur, and Al Mohler. While I enjoyed each one's thoughts, and agree with their recommendations, I thought that Mark Dever said it best,
"If you're fighting pride - like I am - you should read it, too. And if you're not fighting pride, you really need to read it!"

Touchpoints: Birth to 3 : Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development (Touchpoints)

Average customer rating:

The best . . . on best authority
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS!
my favorite child development book
Not what I was looking for
Very helpful

Touchpoints: Birth to 3 : Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development (Touchpoints)
T. Berry Brazelton
Manufacturer: Da Capo Lifelong Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0738210498

Book Description

All over the U.S. and in over twenty countries around the world, Touchpoints has become required reading for anxious parents of babies and small children. T. Berry Brazelton's great empathy for the universal concerns of parenthood, and honesty about the complex feelings it engenders, as well as his uncanny insight into the predictable leaps and regressions of early childhood, have comforted and supported families since its publication in 1992.

In this completely revised edition Dr. Brazelton introduces new information on physical, emotional, and behavioral development. He also addresses the new stresses on families and fears of children, with a fresh focus on the role of fathers and other caregivers. This updated volume also offers new insights on prematurity, sleep patterns, early communication, toilet training, co-sleeping, play and learning, SIDS, cognitive development and signs of developmental delay, childcare, asthma, a child's immune system, and safety. Dr. Sparrow, Brazelton's co-author on several other books, brings a child psychiatrist's insights into the many perennial childhood issues covered in this comprehensive book.

No parent should be without the reassurance and wisdom Touchpoints provides.

Customer Reviews:

The best . . . on best authority.......2007-10-10

My sister, a child psychologist and head of early childhood development at a major hospital, told me this is the best, by far, and recommended I give this book to all my new-parent friends.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS!.......2007-09-02

As a pediatrician, I feel this book contains really important information for parents. Dr. Brazelton is an expert in the field of pediatrics. This book can be read in confidence by parents. AVOIDING THE 15 BIGGEST MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE: A PEDIATRICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE

my favorite child development book.......2007-08-27

I go back to this book again and again. It's so reassuring every time my son reaches one of those touchpoints - Brazelton's advice is exactly what we need to help us deal well with each stage.

Not what I was looking for.......2007-08-21

It's a fine book, but I was looking for something that would tell me more about my baby's development and how to meet him at his level and less about how great the author is.

Very helpful.......2007-06-27

A friend suggested reading Terry Brazelton's books. We have a 1 year old and so far this book has answered a lot of questions for us.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books