I'm no scientist but having gone through many courses with ...
593555
I'm no scientist but having gone through many courses with labs while in college, I knew I needed a small flask for testing my pool water regularly. Serves my needs very well.
2042532
i knew what i was buying, i knew it was going to be a long lecture type video, i watched many of these in college and though they always know what they are doing, some of these trainers have a very monotone voice and it makes it very hard to get through the video, and sometimes it even takes away from the excitement  you have about doing your project. while he wasn't the most boring and most difficult person to listen to its certainly near the top of the list. that said if you can get through the lecture you are golden!!! this isn't beginners stuff so its hard to find tutorials that suite this level . so it is a good buy
1281662
I am not in this field of practice,  nor am I a student in it,  but I can say that I learned a lot from this book and I will read it again and go through the exercises. My sense of belief in this ability has definitely increased. This book is very well written and I can tell that it is very honest.
3416147
Like probably many others with an interest in science, I had a the conception that homeopathy was not a particularly reputable science or form of medicine. The idea that 'like will cure like' in a very diluted form seems a little simplistic, especially when there is often little to describe why this would be the case. However, thanks to Christina Munns I have a much greater understanding of the ideas behind homeopathic medicines and how they can work on the DNA level. The theories are so well researched and supported by figures and diagrams that make the concept so much more understandable than dry text.

Following studying Principia Unitas Vol. VI I have a totally different perspective on homeopathy than I had before, as well as a greater appreciation of the astounding feats the human body can achieve.
4768461
I listen to lots of audio lectures from both Great Courses and Modern Scholar.  I think this is one of the best out there.  First, the narration is just right for the content, not too fast and not too slow.  Second, Dr. Johnson does a great job showing why the problems are genuine problems on not merely mental diddling.  Finally, he doesn't pull his punches.  If logic and cogent reasoning leads to a conclusion, he'll follow it, even if it might upset those who come to the course to confirm what they already believe.  I'll listen to his Metaphysics course next.
430078
This book is not for beginners.  I have several years of SAN experience, but I've been out of that arena for about three years.  This book is helping me shake the cobwebs and solidify the information that I already know, and filling in some  holes in my knowlege.  I am using it to prepare for a some of the SNIA certification exams.
4197552
I found myself in a very complicated genetics course that I wasn't prepared for. Reading portions of this book allowed me to better understand lectures and the assigned readings (which would have otherwise been above my head).
244683
This text is part of the curriculum that we have been using for 5th grade. I feel that some subjects have been so simplified that they are misleading. I am not a scientist, but I did have college level chemistry, biology, and physiology, and my husband has an undergraduate degree in physics, and is an MD. We have both been frustrated by this textbook and its tendency to jump from A to C. If you have a curious child who wants to know the Why behind everything, this book will create more questions than it answers. I was not provided with a teacher's edition of the text, and I wonder if they provide a little more detail in such an edition. As it is, I research online and in my old college texts for clearer explanations before I even allow my son to read the chapters. The lab manual has been useful, and each experiment has been easy enough to accomplish. There are a few experiments that require materials that you would not typically have at home, however a little advance prep can solve that problem. I like the consistent focus on the scientific method for each experiment in the manual.
3699740
I took a p-chem course many years ago, where the professor was using his handwritten notes from a book that was out of print.  I learned almost nothing from that course because his handwriting was horrible and there was no uniform system of organizing his thoughts.  I took another p-chem course more recently that used this book.  This book is much better than no book.  Chang does a really good job of organizing info by topic and presenting things in a sort of stepwise order that students can follow to get from one concept to the next.  I have seen some better p-chem books on the market that are easier to read though.  You will need to have a basic understanding of general chemistry principles, math (geometry, trigonometry, calculus 1 & 2, differential equations) and basic physics (Newtonian and electronics/magnetism at least so you know the difference between electricity and electromagnetism); and a good ability to mentally convert a paper image into 3 dimensions for some of the more advanced stuff.

This book will teach you thermodynamics from a chemistry perspective, so if you are an engineer or physicist and have already learned your thermodynamics you will be required to look at the same topics from a different frame of reference, defining "system" and "surroundings" a bit differently so in some cases the flow of energy will be depicted BACKWARDS compared to what you're used to.  If you are a chemist, this is not a problem because for the rest of your career you will probably see energy flows depicted the same way they are in this book.

If your school offers a p-chem lab course, I highly recommend that in addition to reading this book.  Among all the chemistry branches, physical chemistry really is the one that is hardest to comprehend on paper unless your mind is really good at math and mental 3D modeling.  Running through some of the experimental work from a companion lab manual will probably help because you'll be able to see from direct measurements how different things affect energy transfer and molecular structure.
1448654
I've never surfed in my life but read this book as a scientist with an interest in fluid mechanics. The book introduces a wide range of concepts and models, starting from large-scale climate patterns, to storms and generation of waves, to their propagation and evolution, taking the reader step-by-step through some rather complex phenomena. The writing is plain and accessible to a non-physicist, yet scientific, making this book a pleasure to read. My favourite section was probably the one on climate patterns, which discusses the atmosphere as a non-equilibrium, dissipative system driven by the energy of the Sun and coupled to the rotation of the Earth - and manages to do it quite well without introducing a single equation. For those wishing more mathematics, there is a list of references for further reading. I did find one or two minor blunders, such as the statement that "the equator is warmer than the poles because it is closer to the Sun" (the reason it is warmer is, of course, in the different incidence angles of sunlight), or equations with no units. Another warning is that this is a book about the physics of *waves*, not the hydrodynamics of surfing. But overall, this is a great piece of popular science. Any teacher who values problem-based learning will appreciate it - as, hopefully, will any surfer who wants to know why waves behave the way they do.
912967
This is certainly not a book for the physics novice. You got to at least possess a degree in physics and gain a good understanding of the Special and General Relativity (by reading widely about different views of these subjects) before you can understand the arguement in the book, which is stated in a very obscure way.

The presentation of the text is very wordy, and the few diagrams are cryptic. Do not think you can learn special and general relativity from this book. This is a very academic book and is not a popular science book.
3243358
I have been interested in cosmology from when I first watched Carl Sagan and I have been reading about the subject ever since.  I am not qualified to provide critiques of any technical aspects of this book however I can say that I did enjoy it though I found it overall difficult to comprehend.  It seemed that it may have been written for those with greater knowledge than those whose primary instruction is from watching science programs, perhaps a "For Dummies" version will be someday be made available for us.
4762784
I taught an online class this semester on meteorology, and this was the textbook I was given. I always hold my breath a bit concerning textbooks, because I've taught chemistry, physics, cell biology, and meteorology...and my background includes two degrees in neuroscience. I never stop reading. As a deaf person who doesn't listen to music, go to movies, or watch television much, reading is my source of relaxation as well as involved in my work. I tend towards either nonfiction or classical literature lately, and much of my reading involves science and specifically weather. Global warming is such a hot topic now, and I've wanted to stay on top of this also because of my interest and ethical work as concerns deaf people in catastrophic occurences.

Anyway, this was definitely one of the better textbooks. My students didn't start having problems until the fifth and sixth chapters, which were way too technical on air pressure and wind for an online course and for students who were taking this class with no prior physics. Since physics is deeply involved in weather science, it would have been much easier to teach those chapters in a classroom, though I am now exploring avenues to teach these very things online.

I felt that the author of this textbook was speaking to the students this time instead of writing to his peer group (which is how many textbook and journal articles write today). The information is interesting, and thorough, and the textbook can definitely be adapted to younger classes or beginning science classrooms. It would just take some time to adapt it better and unfortunately, the university I taught at just changed their online program which everyone was required to learn at the same time they were expected to also do classwork. I also had to cut down the amount to be learned because it was an eight week course, instead of a semester course. That also complicated things...but I thought on the whole this was a good book, and I am continuing to read the rest of it for my own personal understanding.

Karen L. Sadler
Pittsburgh, PA
1224403
First of all, I don't have a background in genetics at all and was interested in picking up a book for a dummy like me that could give me a overview on the topic. I've purchased these "Dummy" books in the past and liked the format and content.  This book however, was way over my head!  I agree that this is a very complex subject and also now have realized that even breaking it down for guys like me is still way over my head.  I enjoy the sciences and am always curious on how the universe works on a macro and micro level.  This book did expose the complexity of the micro world and what steps go into creating life.  It was just a bit too complicated and detailed for me.  At times I thought my brain was going to explode. I did however come away with an appreciation for the scope of the DNA/RNA task and the dedication of the scientists who figured this stuff out.  I'm sure to a science major, this book will be a great supplement to their studies as it does take you through all the steps.  Now I'm trying to search down the book "Genetics for REAL Dummies".
3624919
Trust me. From my own experience, I highly recommend you not take this course without purchasing this answer guide.
890743
I didn't say "surprisingly" because Pastor Falwell's name is on it. I have a master's degree from a highly accredited seminary in education and I learned how people are engaged, challenged and learn. In my personal experience most curriculum are not written for people to learn, but for someone to get across their point. There is a big difference.
3547847
I'd like to preference this by saying that I don't carry a Ph. D in anything.  I'm your lay man who is absolutely fascinated by religion(s) (and their experiences), Anthropology, Psychology, and Ethnopharmacology/Ethnomedicine.  I love watching Discovery Channel (and Science Channel) shows about the Earth, evolution, Biology, and other topics on a scientific outlook (not so much on Ancient Aliens or far fetched theories).

This book seems to only touch (doesn't even scratch) the surface of MUCH deeper topics of cognitive science of religion.  I have just read only the introduction and part of chapter one.  I was expecting more of a text book format of this book, but the writer's style is more of a Discovery Channel presentation of the theories and evidence. This keeps me glued into the pages of this book.  I feel like I'm being further educated in these fields without having to attend Harvard level courses.  The presentation is highly effective to my learning capacities.  I believe the author's theories (and contributor's) have been well research based on their lucid explanations of theories that your average layman can understand and seemingly endless references to other works that are on topics such as Psychology, Anthropology, and Religion.

I have not read many other books on origins of religions, but often thought (after my own research) that there were only a couple theories of 1.) Natural by-product of human evolution or 2.) Entheogen use mixed with certain rituals that evolved into traditions.  This book explores many other theories that has me anxious to turn the next page (such as development of culture and why it was necessary).

I can only speak for myself -- Book is deeply fascinating and can captivate my attention for hours!  I'd recommend this book to any one who is interested in Psychology, evolution of the human brain, religion, and a deeper understanding of religion other than "We just made it up. God doesn't exist." approach to the origins of religion.