If this is not a "how-to" manual; it is damn close....
341508
This is one of the few books that I have had qualms about reviewing. It is so morbidly fascinating that it is hard to set aside. It doesn't appear to have been written exclusively for psychiatric professionals- the style is too readable and the statistics are too readily useful and understandable.

 The first part of the book does a good job in examining the history, philosophy, study approaches, and reasons for suicide. The author makes it quite clear that he does not automatically consider suicide to be inappropriate in all cases, nor does he automatically rule out the existence of rational suicide. There are also an excellent couple of chapters on the subject of euthanasia and its application in other cultures.

It is the second part of this volume that has made it famous, or infamous, in the mental health world. While the author clearly states on the flyleaf that the book should not be considered a "how to" guide, it is difficult to imagine how anyone could not foresee that this is exactly how it could be used. The author devotes a chapter to each and every means of self termination and then sums each up each method with pros and cons (asphyxia, cutting and stabbing, drowning, drugs and poisons, electrocution, gunshot wounds, hanging and strangulation, hypothermia, and jumping.) The chapters give quite detailed descriptions of how to successfully carry out these acts and the odds of your being successful. For instance, not only are you told specifically where to shoot yourself, but also the individual effectiveness of the various calibers of bullet is examined. The old hangman's formula for determining the height of drop for a given weight is included. There is even a table to calculate the exact velocity at which you will hit the ground based on the starting elevation of a jump (he points out as a rule of thumb that a jump of 150 feet on land and one of 250 feet over water is 95 to 98% fatal.) The only thing that makes me think that such a detailed guide is not a how-to book is the fact that he also gives detailed descriptions of the horrible injuries resulting from botched attempts. To be more effective in this respect, perhaps photographs should have been included.

If this book keeps individuals from suffering the traumatic effects of botched suicide then it is a worthy effort. Similarly, if it helps those that merely intend a survivable suicide "gesture" from going too far it will also have served its purpose. There has been a concerted campaign on the part of some mental health professionals to remove this book from circulation. I can't say that I approve of that effort, but I would definitely keep it out of the hands of minors and the mentally unstable.
3418876
Darrell Young has done it again.  Delivered a book, Mastering the D7000, with a WOW factor.  I've owned my D7000 for nine or ten months, and have been using it with only rudimentary understanding of this complex, wonderful camera.
I've never been much for camera manuals. I try to find how to do something and I am referred to multiple pages, which end up just confusing me.

Mastering the D7000 explains the functions of the D7000 in language even I can understand. This book is like a blessing delivered to me.  Buy it, and it will bless you.

Betty
2491691
In a world where... sorry. But seriously, in a world where owners manuals are few and far between, the fact that this baby came loaded with them should have been a clear indication I was dealing with a complex program.

Let's face it, video editing is complex. Period. I appreciate the fact that a software maker respected that fact enough to include several manuals. They made the introduction of the app much easier. I didn't say easy.

Along with complex, the Power Director 11 suite is incredibly powerful. Far beyond my simplistic needs - yet, somehow, very affordable. How can they do that when another big-name software designer feels their product is worthy of a couple weeks' income? Perhaps because you'll be married to it, they figure it should cost like a ring!

If you are interested in video editing and want incredible flexibility, power, relative simplicity and the thoughfulness of real, printed manuals, you've found it. Cyberlink has a winner here.
3651306
I have purchased at least a dozen books on Kriya Yoga, most claiming to have everything you want/need to know... and most do NOT have the actual techniques clearly explained, in detail, in a way that a non "initiate" can understand... until I got this one!  This book is worth all of the others put together, and then some!

Includes clear, detailed instruction for: maha mudra, life-force arousal technique (for those who can't do maha mudra for whatever reason), joyti (yoni) mudra, Kriya pranayama, inner light technique, chanting Om and listening for Om, and more.  Also suggestions as to how many repetitions for Kriya pranayama, etc.  I have seen/read and compared various versions of  Kriya, and this is very complete.  (And if someone comments on my review that it is incorrect or incomplete info, my first instinct would be that it would merely be SRF people trying to discourage people from buying it, rather than going through them and their year-long lessons before you are even eligible to APPLY for Kriya initiation.)

The book is designed for those who have already been initiated, and I do not think it is generally available publicly.  Unless you have been previously initiated by Mr. Davis's organization (Center for Spiritual Awareness), I do not believe you can purchase this book from them.  I bought my copy, used, here on Amazon.
1555569
Its no Bentley manual, so lets get that out of the way first, but in the preface, the author spells that out clearly.  That being said, this is almost a "For Dummies" or Cliff Notes version of the factory manual, expanding on the good, but often without complete clarity including pics, factory resources Porsche sends you with your car.  Sure, there are sections that won't pertain to your vehicle (Ive got a 986-S, so the pre 03 986 info and 987 and Cayman stuff was interesting but not helpful), but learning about Porsches is something that, chances are, you are interested in in general if you own one.

When I bought my one-owner 986, the owner went over several "secrets" he had learned over the course of his 7 year ownership.  If I had not had that resource available to me, as many who buy at a dealership or 4th or 5th owner used will not, I'd consider this book to be a necessity.  As it stands for me, it filled in the gaps and has already made me a much more informed Boxster owner, without the time and money consuming trial-and-error.  If for no other reason, this book is worth every penny, and a must have.

Which is conveniently the perfect size for glove-box storage!
4174807
Well done!

If you are ready to tie all those spiritual "loose ends" together (with respect to years and years of searching for Spiritual Truth WITH understanding) your search may very well end here. This book is absolutely amazing...direct, lucid, and so refreshing. Every single page is like an extremely rare jewel. Words cannot describe...

I have always used a highlighter when reading books of knowledge...Be warned! Highlighters are really not an option with THIS content (unless you prefer the entire informative work to be highlighted.)

The other reviewers have really said all that is possible using "words". Let me just add that if there were an option here for 10 Stars, that would be my choice. This is a truly incredible body of work - describing "that" which, normally, cannot be described. If you are ready, don't hesitate.

"MASTER OF SELF-REALIZATION", "I AM THAT", and "DASBODH" are "the three"!
4727126
This book does exactly what it purports to do. Nothing more, and nothing less. As would be expected, it is not a book for a rank beginner, nevertheless, since people's skills in handiwork vary so widely, it is possible that even a rank beginner could benefit from it. Personally, I have been working with wood for many years, but functionally I am still nearly a rank, fumbling beginner. This doesn't stop me from doing projects, however. I recently finished my second carport conversion, and in this case the owner (my wife) insisted that it not look like a carport conversion from outside, and I was able to accomplish that.

I realize all this might seem like irrelevant rambling, but it isn't. I am trying to convey some idea of my skill level, which relates to my qualifications for reviewing this book, and also some idea of the value of this book for someone of my skill level. One more illustration from my personal woodworking pursuits will suffice. I have been wanting to put wide pine boards of varying widths on our living room floor for years. My wife wants the old, dark paneling in the same room covered with sheet rock. So we finally agreed that if I will cover the paneling, I can have my floor. The type of floor I am referring to is exactly the type of project this book deals with. Built with modern tools and techniques, it will nevertheless look as if were done in the old, traditional way (and by traditional, this book usually means colonial traditional , not Craftsman or Art Nouveau).

So, now that I am seriously thinking about how to pursue this flooring project, I happened to buy this book, and there it is! He has the entire project covered (pun intended), and in a very clever way. I won't spoil it by going into particulars, but suffice it to say that he has come up with a unique way of doing a new wooden floor that will look like an old plank floor, yet will cleverly avoid the gaps that occur from changes in wood dimensions. It isn't a magical new technique, but the way he combines several old and new techniques in this one project approaches magical, at least for me.

The final proof of this is that he comes up with a brilliant way to install a perfectly flat, smooth floor (of this nailed plank style) while avoiding the nasty job of sanding it after it is put in place. Again, I won't go into details, except to say it involves using a flattened spoon with a hole in it.

By his masterful combination of such clever techniques, the author has made it possible for even an experienced hack like me to install a beautiful floor, something not likely otherwise. I highly commend him for this, and for the rest of the book, which follows the same pattern of brilliant simplifications.
1851101
Very detailed, well explained, better than the actual manual
3193039
Given that the Panasonic camera manuals (yes, ALL of them) were translated from Japanese by someone who does not speak coherent English, I thought this guide might be helpful. It is terrific! I do not know how Mr. White figured all of this out, but he makes it understandable. Panasonic Lumix is spawning a new cottage industry!
767590
I'd really give this 4.5 stars rather than five.  It's not a PERFECT book.  But for what it is, it comes really damn close.
1436642
This latest volume in MacWorld's series of Bibles is indeed a true revelation. Apple's DVD Studio Pro 1.x software brings professional level DVD authoring to the Mac desktop in a moderately-priced application. Yet, like so many first generation products, it lacks extensive documentation.
DVD Studio Pro, unlike so many computer "how to" books which merely are rewrites of the developers' manuals, goes beyond Apple's skimpy documentation and provides true hands-on guidance to the use of the program.
The authors employ extensive visuals of menus and concise explanations of their functions. Perhaps the most valuable contribution is the step-by-step guide to the creation of DVD Menus in Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is necessary for the creation of menus and overlays and the Apple manual provides insufficient guidance. The DVD Studio Pro Bible fills that big hole left by Apple.
A companion DVD/ROM contains several try-out applications (not really very useful) as well as very-useful tutorials, real-world scenarios and a pdf of the book complete with color illustrations.
DVD Studio Pro is essential reading for anyone beginning to use this program and will also provide tips to intermediate and advanced users.
Ned Soltz
3856330
For the most part, I love the Missing Manual series. Like any series, there've been a couple stinkers, but not many.

This is my third Dreamweaver MM book. I actually have the first edition of the CC version and so far, I don't see a lot of changes. The book itself is very well written by someone obviously familiar with the software. I think you see, in these series type books, some where the author may know what they are talking about but aren't actually familiar with the software. Someone familiar with it knows shortcuts, knows ways to use it more effectively and efficiently - that's what McFarland shows with this volume.

It's one thing to rewrite the owner's manual, another to give an expert user's help - this is the latter.

Dreamweaver is an incredibly complex, in-depth product and it would be unlikely for there to be one book that covers it all. I've not purchased others for the CC version, but I have for all the CS versions. I can say this is one of those rare books that does seem to cover it all.
4644257
I had a slightly different idea of what this book was than it turned out to be after I got it and started reading. Truth be told, I can't quite remember what I expected it to be, and it's hard to put a label onto what I now think it is.

Clearly, this is not a technical manual, and it says so early on in the book. Then again, I wasn't looking for another manual to tell me what function I find where in the menu. I was looking for a book to tell me, if in such situation you want this, then try that. That, I would say, is where this book shines.

As of last night, I have finished reading about half the book, mostly reading one chapter at a time, thinking "a-ha" and grabbing my camera for a few quick experiments before returning for the next chapter.

Yesterday, for the first time, I managed to make a killer shot of my son playing in the garden, sun straight behind him, with perfectly exposed face and no visual hint of artificial light. That alone was worth the price of this book. And that's despite owning even less than the least of the equipment mentioned in the book (D50 with SB600 speedlight, no gels, no remote, no diffusers).

So yes, it's Nikon-centric, and yes, few of us own anywhere near the equipment Joe uses, but you CAN get a lot out of it. Admittedly, I went "shopping" over the weekend and ordered a gel set and remote flash cord, so let's see how much further that will go.
2417572
Let me the odd man out and give this 4 stars. I agree, the book requires an index and pagination so it is easier to find specific info.  But me also say that the explanations of important but obscure, and sometimes confusingly titled functions are clear, and a heck of a lot better than David Busch's book on the M-5, MK I camera.

I skimmed this book while waiting for the FedEx guy to bring my new Mk II this afternoon and with the Mk I in hand. The menu differences are significantly different with the prize to the new Mk II camera.

TRIGGER WARNING: You cannot, CAN NOT, learn just by reading.  You really need to have the right camera in hand so you can try the settings and actually get a feel about what they do, and how to get to them quickly.

"Menu System Simplified" does pretty much what I wanted in a simple Kindle product. I definitely recommend it, warts and all, to a new user of the M5-Mk II.  But the author and publisher really need to learn a bit more about how to produce an attractive and user friendly book.
667700
I love that this book is a definitive guide.  It's approached with information and analysis as it's base.  A real 'how-to' in many ways, that allows the individual to apply what is needed.

I love when things are orderly and efficient, and never learned to clean.  (my mother was extraodinarily organized and efficient, and I never learned outside of my narrow list of chores).

I'm not sure how much of this book I will apply to our home/needs.  I am planning to have the binding cut off, and the pages 3 hole drilled so I can create my own 'home keeping book' by adding and deleting over time.
1111446
I don't have goglobal_2000's experience with XML. (I probably don't have his tenacity either, but let's not get personal.) So I don't know if his criticism is on-point or completely made up. But I think highly enough of Que Publishing's "Using" series in general - and the Word titles in particular - to want to post some praise of its broader merits.
I have perused pretty much every Word instruction manual on the market, and this is the one I'd go with. Most importantly, it is *extremely* comprehensive. Speaking personally, I can figure out how to cut-and-paste for myself. It's programming macros and the other scarily powerful features at the far edges of Microsoft-space that I need my hand held with, and Camarda does it nicely. But as thick as this volume is, it's all muscle - no bad jokes, no time wasting.
2808296
Thirty years ago I was heavy into the microcomputer revolution developing products and writing and designing software to manage them. I eventually ended up in mgmt without my hands on the tools. Years passed by but now I'm (semi) retired and have decided to renew my relationship with software. But whoa - things have really changed. C was my main horse back in the day but out of curiosity and some necessity I've remained somewhat competent in HTML and CSS. Then a book I purchased a year ago on Javascript gave me a good push into the future. Now this one, "PHP and MySQL: The Missing Manual" seems to cover most of what has remained a mystery until now. Of course I mean the server side of life that must be brought to bear on almost any really useful modern web application, I still have plenty to learn but I'm more confident now that eventually I'll get there - now that know what I was missing - the aptly named Missing Manual.

The author presents the material in a very refreshing way for a tech manual. It's almost like you develop a relationship with him as he engages you in the various solutions to many of the most common problems you will encounter on your way to mastering the server side of life. He often solves the problems in more than one way and then compares the utility of each approach. This is much more than a reference. I'd gladly recommend this book to anyone with similar needs and goals.