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The transport of energy, mass, and momentum is essential to the function of living systems. Changes in these processes often underlie pathological conditions. Transport phenomena are also central to the operation of instrumentation used to analyze living systems, and to many of the technological interventions used to repair or improve tissues or organs. Transport processes are manifest from the smallest spatial scales of molecular dimensions to the large scales of whole organs and of organisms themselves. They also span the minute time scales of individual chemical events to the lifetimes of living systems. As scientific and technological advancements have shrunk the temporal and spatial scales of observation and understanding of living systems, attention to attendant transport processes at those scales has followed suit. The objective study of biological transport phenomena began historically in the field of physiology and, indeed, helped define that field. Today, the engineering application of biological transport phenomena contributes to research advances in physiology, immunology, and cell and molecular biology. Thus, transport processes are important considerations in basic research related to molecule, organelle, cell and organ function; the design and operation of devices, such as filtration units for kidney dialysis, high density cell culture and biosensors; and applications including rug and gene delivery, biological signal transduction, and tissue engineering. Clearly, attention to the basic mechanisms of transport processes and, concomitantly, their biological and biomedical contexts, is important to curricula for educating biomedical engineers. Teaching undergraduate and graduate students in bioengineering about transport phenomena in living systems is challenging. This teaching must integrate the development of fundamental principles of transport processes, the mathematical expression of these principles and the solution of transport equations, along with characterization of composition, structure and function of the living systems to which they are applied. The overwhelming majority of textbooks on transport processes are oriented primarily toward chemical and mechanical engineers, and lack applications and descriptions of biological and biomedical contexts. While many of these texts are excellent, there is a need for a book that integrates biological and engineering concepts in the development of the transport equations and, meanwhile, provides detailed and current applications. It is our goal that this text meets that need. The materials in this textbook will help to develop both skills and contextual knowledge for engineers, enabling them to establish and critically analyze models of biological transport and reaction processes. We have sought to present engineering fundamentals and biological contexts in a unified way. The book covers topics in fluid mechanics, mass transport, and biochemical interactions and reactions. Inclusion of the latter has great biological and biomedical motivation, since so many relevant processes and technologies involve chemical reactions. Each engineering concept is motivated by specific biological problems. Immediately after the concept is developed, biological and/or biomedical applications are presented. In this way, the student,4an gain an understanding of the specific topic presented, as well as its application to important problems in biology and medicine. Each chapter contains a number of examples and homework problems, that either elaborate upon problems discussed in the text or address new biomedical questions. Problems and examples include analytical as well as numerical solutions. We emphasize analytical solutions because they often provide physical insights that are important for introductory material, even if such insights provide only first-order levels of understanding. More complex problems that require numerical solution are presented and the use of MATLAB in the solution of these problems is discussed. References to current literature are provided for those who are interested in more detailed analyses. Our target audience consists of advanced undergraduates or graduate students. We assume some exposure to the study of biology, but Chapter 1 summarizes many basic concepts in cell biology and physiology. References to relevant texts in cell biology and physiology are provided. No previous exposure to mass and momentum transport, nor to chemical kinetics is assumed, but understanding of introductory material in chemistry is needed. Although students should be familiar with most of the mathematical concepts that are discussed in the text, we include an Appendix that provides a review of important concepts, and presents material about use of MATLAB in problem solving. The text contains an introduction and four parts. The introduction describes the motivation for the text and its organization and provides a brief overview of transport processes at the cell and tissue level. The first two parts are based on the analogy in development of principles for momentum and mass transport. Balance relations are presented for momentum (Chapter 2) and mass (Chapter 6), and are applied to some simplified biomedical contexts that demonstrate the effects of geometry and boundary conditions. Next, we develop the conservation and constitutive relations in three dimensions for momentum (Chapter 3) and mass (Chapter 7), and apply them to more complex problems. Subsequent chapters in each part are devoted to specific applications. The third part examines biochemical interactions and effects of mass transport upon these interactions. The fourth part focuses on transport in organs and whole organisms. Applications in all parts range from molecular events within cells (Chapters 11 and 12) to biochemical reactions that affect transport between cells (Chapters 13 to 15). The final chapter of the book synthesizes these concepts by considering several examples of whole-body transport. This book can be used for both introductory and advanced courses on transport phenomena in biomedical engineering. A one-semester course might include Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 10, and focus on the basic concepts of biological transport phenomena. We present physiological fluid mechanics before diffusion processes to provide a basis for understanding models describing the diffusion coefficient in Section 6.6. It is possible to present the analysis of diffusion (Chapter 6) prior to physiological fluid mechanics, by deferring discussion of Section 6.6 until low Reynolds number flow is presented. Time permitting, one or more of the application chapters could also be covered. An advanced course might use some or all of the chapters on advanced topics (Chapters 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11 through 16). Contemporary biology, medical science, and biotechnology are replete with important transport problems yet to be solved. Such problems embody interrelationships amongst biological, chemical, and physical processes. By presenting these relationships in the context of biomedical applications, we hope, in this textbook, to provide students and researchers with knowledge and insights needed to address and solve these important problems.

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Praise for Let Go To Grow

"Over the next ten years large companies will be hit with a wide array of harrowing new business challenges—commoditization being at the top of that list.

Let Go To Grow elegantly outlines the critical new innovation, standardization, and globalization strategies that corporations can use to hurdle these obstacles and thrive in the coming years."

—George F. Colony, CEO, Forrester Research, Inc.

"This is a very important book for CEOs and top executives who are facing brutal, global competitive pressures, which is probably a majority. Let Go To Grow describes a strategy that will allow you as a business leader to do what you do best, while sidestepping the commoditization that's driving down profit margins in so many businesses. This book reflects not only what IBM is thinking, but also what other companies ranging from Dell to FedEx to Wal-Mart are doing to win in extremely competitive markets. Read this book for practical real-world insights, not for any academic theories."

—William J. Holstein, Editor-in-Chief, Chief Executive magazine

"Let Go To Grow is a must-read for executives who are trying to use strategy and management practices to drive innovation and productivity gains. It puts concepts like componentization, outsourcing, and off-shoring in a much more strategic context than anything else I've read. The book clearly shows how winning companies have gone from optimizing value chains to managing global "value webs" for competitive advantage. The argument is enhanced significantly by specific practical case examples featuring leading companies like Dell, eBay, GE, Procter & Gamble, and Toyota."

—Tony Friscia, President and CEO, AMR Research

"Sanford and Taylor carefully analyze the global marketplace and offer a progressive new strategy for transforming an underperforming business...A pioneering blueprint for the 21st-century business."

—Kirkus Reports

Drive sustained growth!

—Use on demand techniques to gain unprecedented speed, flexibility, and adaptability

—Construct dynamic "value webs" that leverage innovation from any source

Deregulation, globalization, and the Internet are driving rampant commoditization in virtually every industry. To escape that trap and grow profitably, you must "let go" of traditional control mechanisms. In their place, you must build new models, relationships, and platforms that capture and deliver value from multiple sources, inside and outside the enterprise.

In Let Go To Grow, IBM senior executive Linda Sanford and long-time entrepreneur Dave Taylor show exactly how to do that.

Sanford and Taylor systematically review the On Demand Business processes, people strategies, technology shifts, governance practices, and leadership vision you'll need to maximize profitability in tomorrow's business environment. They introduce powerful new techniques for balancing and measuring three key drivers of top-line growth: productivity, collaboration, and innovation.

You'll discover how to gain unprecedented flexibility by constructing your business around components, platforms, and standardized interfaces. The authors demonstrate how to expand your growth space, liberate your cost structures, and build profits—not just revenues. Drawing on the experiences of companies ranging from GE to eBay, Toyota to IBM, this book focuses on practical implementation, offering a proven, start-to-finish approach for moving from vision to results.

• Create a virtuous cycle of growth.
  Discover how great companies are escaping commoditization and the vagaries of economic cycles.

• Improve, balance, and measure the key drivers of top-line growth.
  Use on demand techniques to supercharge productivity, collaboration, and innovation.

• Drive unprecedented agility with proven on demand strategies.
  "Open up" your firm: source and coordinate capabilities dynamically, on-the-fly.

• Build flexible "value webs" that liberate your cost structures.
  Master powerful new ways to refocus precious resources on growth.

• "Componentize" your business functions, processes, and services.
  Simplify the creation of any new business configuration, from supply chain management to customer service.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

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Overthrowing the conventional image of Stalin as an uneducated political administrator inexplicably transformed into a pathological killer, Robert Service reveals a more complex and fascinating story behind this notorious twentieth-century figure. Drawing on unexplored archives and personal testimonies gathered from across Russia and Georgia, this is the first full-scale biography of the Soviet dictator in twenty years.

Service describes in unprecedented detail the first half of Stalin's life--his childhood in Georgia as the son of a violent, drunkard father and a devoted mother; his education and religious training; and his political activity as a young revolutionary. No mere messenger for Lenin, Stalin was a prominent activist long before the Russian Revolution. Equally compelling is the depiction of Stalin as Soviet leader. Service recasts the image of Stalin as unimpeded despot; his control was not limitless. And his conviction that enemies surrounded him was not entirely unfounded.

Stalin was not just a vengeful dictator but also a man fascinated by ideas and a voracious reader of Marxist doctrine and Russian and Georgian literature as well as an internationalist committed to seeing Russia assume a powerful role on the world stage. In examining the multidimensional legacy of Stalin, Service helps explain why later would-be reformers--such as Khrushchev and Gorbachev--found the Stalinist legacy surprisingly hard to dislodge.

Rather than diminishing the horrors of Stalinism, this is an account all the more disturbing for presenting a believable human portrait. Service's lifetime engagement with Soviet Russia has resulted in the most comprehensive and compelling portrayal of Stalin to date.

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Anatomy of a Dictator

Robert Service has succeeded in restoring to Stalin his humanity. This does not mean that he makes him less guilty of huge crimes or more lovable. Not at all. He succeeds in showing Stalin's talents as well as his vices. He demonstrates that while Stalin had paranoid tendencies and uncivilized traits he was neither psychologically insane nor unintelligent. Stalin overcame his deprived cultural and emotional background and his semi-
Asiatic nationality to demonstrate real intellectual curiosity and ability, organizational talent, and hard work. He was no Hitler, not being obsessed by ideas of grandeur and ideological fantasies. He was a Marxist-Leninist and whatever one thinks of that philosophical school it was more rationalist and modern than anything hanging around Hitler.

There are three areas where Service could have done more. The victory of Stalin over Trotsky is not sufficiently treated, nor is it sufficiently and convincingly explained. Stalin was not as surprised by Hitler's attack on the USSR as some imagine but there are still questions about Stalin's expectations in 1939-41 which could be more clarified. Finally, the alleged anti-semitism of Stalin is correctly modified. Stalin had close Jewish collaborators right up to the end and he regarded Jews as possibly too inclined towards Jewish nationalism but he did not share the paranoid and conspiratorial view of real anti-semites. I suspect that Zionist activities turned Stalin into a more suspicious man concerning the Jews. We know that the current crop of Jewish neoconservatives got started with Henry Jackson's campaign to get Soviet Jews the right to emigrate to the West and to Israel. Israel's need, and the need of Jews to deny their once close relationship to Soviet Socialism, probably exacerbated Stalin's view of the Jews. A recent book by a Soviet emigre, Yuri Slezkine, The Jewish Century, shows the close collaboration between Soviet Jews and Lenin and Stalin -- right up to the Israeli campaign to Zionize them. Soviet anti-semitism is more the result than the cause of the falling out between Jews and the Soviets. Service could have spent more time on issues of anti-semitism.

Finally, Service is quite dismissive, as he should be, of the nonsense advanced by J. Arch Getty that Stalin did not inaugurate the Great Terror. In one simple sentence Service puts Getty where he belongs, on the dung heap of historians.

Service's prose is at times tedious and his need constantly to restate his basic thesis about Stalin and his ability is another negative in an otherwise important book.

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Containing 609 encyclopedic articles written by more than 200 prominent scholars, The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science presents an unparalleled history of the field invaluable to anyone with an interest in the technology, ideas, discoveries, and learned institutions that have shaped our world over the past five centuries.
Focusing on the period from the Renaissance to the early twenty-first century, the articles cover all disciplines (Biology, Alchemy, Behaviorism), historical periods (the Scientific Revolution, World War II, the Cold War), concepts (Hypothesis, Space and Time, Ether), and methodologies and philosophies (Observation and Experiment, Darwinism). Coverage is international, tracing the spread of science from its traditional centers and explaining how the prevailing knowledge of non-Western societies has modified or contributed to the dominant global science as it is currently understood. Revealing the interplay between science and the wider culture, the Companion includes entries on topics such as minority groups, art, religion, and science's practical applications. One hundred biographies of the most iconic historic figures, chosen for their contributions to science and the interest of their lives, are also included. Above all The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science is a companion to world history: modern in coverage, generous in breadth, and cosmopolitan in scope.
The volume's utility is enhanced by a thematic outline of the entire contents, a thorough system of cross-referencing, and a detailed index that enables the reader to follow a specific line of inquiry along various threads from multiple starting points. Each essay has numerous suggestions for further reading, all of which favor literature that is accessible to the general reader, and a bibliographical essay provides a general overview of the scholarship in the field. Lastly, as a contribution to the visual appeal of the Companion, over 100 black-and-white illustrations and an eight-page color section capture the eye and spark the imagination.

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If you are sleeping single in a double bed or walking down the street thinking, How do I meet that guy?; if you're on your twentieth date and he's no more committed than when you first exchanged cell phone numbers; if everyone you know is getting married for the second time and you can't even get a first date; if you love the one you're with but the relationship needs some spark...then this book is for you.

In Love Smart: Find the One You Want -- Fix the One You Got, Dr. Phil tells people who are dissatisfied with their love lives to stop making excuses -- All the good ones are taken; I'm too fat/skinny/boring/unpredictable for anyone to love me; I should stick with the relationship I have, I'm not going to do any better -- and start taking action! Dr. Phil knows that you deserve a committed relationship, and it is within your control to have the one you want. First, though, you need to determine what you want in a partner, plot your course and get out there and create velocity in your pursuit of a loving connection. The dating world is a vastly new place: meeting people at bars or through friends used to be the only option, but that's not true anymore. Love Smart: Find the One You Want -- Fix the One You Got explores new possibilities, new places to meet people -- including the Internet -- and new activities to get involved in where you'll find interesting people. Or if you are simply looking to rekindle the relationship you are already in, Dr. Phil will tell you how to turn up the flame.

Love Smart: Find the One You Want -- Fix the One You Got will show you how to stop stumbling through your love life. You will learn to:

• Present the real you in the most flattering light. Are you your own best kept secret? Do you fail to show the world how truly fabulous and interesting you are? As Dr. Phil says, you can't fake fabulous. Don't act passive if three months into the relationship you're going to spring your true, opinionated personality on him; don't act wild if you really just want to sip tea with your mate in front of your favorite nighttime drama. Define who you are and then ride that horse!
• Peek behind the male curtain. Knowledge is power, and Dr. Phil tells you things about men that they don't necessarily want you to know -- their deepest needs and fears (yes, they have those, too, though they deny it), and how to decode their words and actions.
• Master the right moves. Once you've learned to put the best you forward, you need to go to places where you'll find interesting people and invite interaction. Don't fade into the wallpaper; get noticed and get involved. If you're already coupled up, learn to grow and nurture what you have and build a more fun, enjoyable and intimate relationship.
• Bag 'em, tag 'em and take 'em home. Once you put those right moves into action, there will be no stopping you! Dr. Phil shows you how to negotiate the relationship you desire and then close the deal with the one you want.
• Get out of your relationship rut. When you first fell in love, your heart raced just at the thought of him. But the daily grind, money problems, work, etc. have drained the life out of your relationship, and you take each other for granted. That doesn't mean you've fallen out of love. Dr. Phil shows you how to assess the state of your union and take the relationship to a deeper level.

Dr. Phil says there are no exceptions: There is somebody for everybody, and everybody deserves a relationship filled with love and excitement. Love Smart: Find the One You Want -- Fix the One You Got offers you the plan to find not just any relationship but the committed, loving, joy-filled relationship you've been waiting for.

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Helpful

The goal of Love Smart is to help you get the relationship you want. It's driven by Dr. Phil's viewers who want a meaningful relationship, but find that it's a crazy dating world out there.

This book is different than anything Dr. Phil has written before. It has a hipper, irreverent approach, while still being based in psychology, but still reflects the talk-show host's direct approach to life. It coaches the dater through the process of finding out what the other person really cares about, what their priorities in life are, and what they do for fun.

It's biggest value is it takes you through the signs of what's a real deal-breaker, how to spot it early, and how to walk away so you don't waste time and get a broken heart. He stresses the importance of self-analysis, and says if you've got an attitude about you that you wouldn't find attractive in others, you have to consider someone else might not date you for that very same reason.

My favorite quote from the book, "You've got to fall in love with yourself. Not in a prideful way. But you have got to decide, 'These are good qualities about me.' Don't try to be all things to all people. Decide who you are and that is the horse we are going to ride all the way home."

Another book I enjoyed recently that helped me a great deal with self-awareness is "The Emotional Intelligence Quickbook." I saw it in Newsweek, and bought it because it let me test my emotional intelligence, or EQ, online. It was a fun read and helped me to learn A LOT about myself, so I think it's a great pairing with Dr. Phil's "Love Smart."

Excellent, sound and valuable for both singles and couples!

I watch Dr. Phil's show only from time to time, so I am not his "fan". Anyway, I keep an eye on books which may further improve my marriage and keep love as passionate and live as possible. I thoroughly read this book and it is an enjoyable and easy to understand read. Dr. Phil's advice is sound (after all he is a man and gets straight to the point). I believe that we all need more books on relationships written by men because they offer additional and very valuable perspective.

I am sure that singles will be pleased to read "Bag 'em, tag 'em and take 'em home". The system looks sound and doable. I personally enjoyed his refreshing ideas to spice up an already established relationship. He has a unique and very charming approach to love, romance and blissful relationship. I absolutely agree that respecting and loving yourself is the first and most important step in respecting and loving someone else. So his book will empower you very well if you need encouragement. He shares that men more or less are interested in (high quality) sex. I guess it is not a big surprise. However, it seems that being very good in bed is more or less crucial in order to manage with the competition and keep `em satisfied. That's why in addition to his excellent book, I highly recommend Alan Ritz' bestseller Scientifically guaranteed male multiple orgasm and ultimate sex, which turned our average sexual life into outstanding.
Dr. Joyce O'Holleran

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He is a man of many names. Some call him the Golden One; others, the Lord of the Silver Bow. To the Dardanians, he is Prince Aeneas. But to his friends, he is Helikaon. Strong, fast, quick of mind, he is a bold warrior, hated by his enemies, feared even by his Trojan allies. For there is a darkness at the heart of the Golden One, a savagery that, once awakened, can be appeased only with blood.

Argurios the Mykene is a peerless fighter, a man of unbending principles and unbreakable will. Like all of the Mykene warriors, he lives to conquer and to kill. Dispatched by King Agamemnon to scout the defenses of the golden city of Troy, he is Helikaon’s sworn enemy.

Andromache is a priestess of Thera betrothed against her will to Hektor, prince of Troy. Scornful of tradition, skilled in the arts of war, and passionate in the ways of her order, Andromache vows to love whom she pleases and to live as she desires.

Now fate is about to thrust these three together–and, from the sparks of passionate love and hate, ignite a fire that will engulf the world.

Readers who know the works of David Gemmell expect nothing less than excellence from this author, whose taut prose, driving plots, and full-bodied characters have won him legions of fans the world over. Now, with this first masterly volume in an epic reimagining of the Trojan War, Gemmell has written an ageless drama of brave deeds and fierce battles, of honor and treachery, of love won and lost.

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Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing: Straight Talk from a Plant Manager : John W. Davis details a new and proven system called Waste-Free Manufacturing (WFM) that rapidly deploys the lean process. Manufacturing in the United States is currently undergoing a major transition, yet large numbers of manufacturers simply do not recognize what it is all about. Many still operate under out dated manufacturing practices and do not see that the enemy is not the competition, but rather their own system of production. Batch, or mass, manufacturing is still the preferred system of production for most U.S.-based industry. But to survive, let alone become globally competitive, companies will have to put aside their old mass manufacturing paradigms and completely change their entire production system.

WFM will give you step-by-step directions to making rapid, lasting changes. Davis has created 4 new drivers of WFM and has linked them so you know what order to do them in and when it is time to move to the next driver. He covers nearly every aspect of the lean revolution and provides essential tools and techniques you will need to implement WFM. He also addresses the critical management issues that will arise in any plant that is striving to be world class.

Drawing from more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, John Davis gives you tools and techniques for eliminating anything that cannot be clearly established as value added. WFM is not a theory. It is a proven process, and one the author has successfully implemented. He shares with you from his own experiences in guiding manufacturers through this process. Davis fully details the journey of a factory that moved from mass to waste-free manufacturing in a matter of 24 months. This factory was nationally recognized by wall street analysts as an effective manufacturing model. You get to sit in on their meetings and learn from their triumphs and failures.

So hold on to your hat, because you are about to learn how to do what most in the field of world class manufacturing tell you isnt possibleto rapidly deploy WFM and change the system of production. Filled with checklists, an ongoing case study, and, most important, strategies that will work, Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing: Straight Talk from a Plant Manager will provide you with the principles and methodology for WFM and a road map for its implementation. All you need is the will, the focus, and a sense of urgency about the future of U.S. manufacturing. If you are a plant manager, foreman, supervisor, or executive who wants to quickly transform your factory into a world class manufacturer, Mr. Davis WFM methodology is must reading.

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Superb! Excellently written!! Great learning tool !!

Having worked as a facilitator, manager, and consultant transitioning fortune 500 manufacturing companies from batch to lean manufacturing operations since 1991, my hat is off to Mr. John Davis on his superb book "Fast Track to Waste Free Manufacturing." In my travels and teachings I have been exposed to hundreds of teachers, managers, and authors who profess to be experts in the tools, techniques, and principles of the Toyota Production System and lean organizational skills. However, few if any, have the true experience of being in a position responsible for the success of failure of its implementation. Having had the privilege of working with Mr. Davis in the early 90's as he developed his expertise in waste free manufacturing, I can attest that in this book, Mr. Davis does what he always did best. "He walks the talk." In this book, he takes you on a journey of successful implementation of waste free manufacturing and profitability. This is a must read for managers and associates who understand and belief in the tools, principles, and techniques of a waste free manufacturing organiztion and want to learn how to do it. In this book, Mr. Davis demonstrates the importance of focus, commitment, communications, and leadership in transforming a batch organization to a waste free, profitable organization. "For when a true leader has successfully completed his task....They will say we did it ourselves.

Excellent! Best In Class!!

I've been researching and reviewing dozens of books on Suzaki, Womack and Jones, Liker, Hamel and Prahalad, Treacy and Wiersema, Womack, Jones and Roos, Schonberger, Imai,Shingo,Monden, et. al. This book is the first one I've found that provides both rationale for change and, most importantly, step by guidance on "how to" implement the necessary changes. Written in a style that is at times reminiscent of "The Goal", Mr. Davis offers suggestions, recommendations,and guidelines in an easily readable 264 pages that contain no unnecessary jargon, disconcerting statistics, nor is it part of a doctoral thesis meant to impress the academic community. One gets the feeling from reading this book that Mr. Davis has actually "been there"; that he has worked in a career in manufacturing and is truly speaking from experience. Take my word for it; if you want to read one book or recommend one book to your subordinates on the subject, this is the one! I am pleased to write this review and would be willing to communicate with anyone regarding my impressions

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For the past sixty-five years, the massive Oxford English Dictionary has offered the last word on the English language. Now, Oxford University Press is pleased to announce a landmark new dictionary--The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary--that brings the authority of the Oxford Dictionary Department and the vast scholarship of the OED itself within the reach of individuals.

This completely new dictionary covers virtually every word or phrase in use in English--worldwide--since 1700. Not strictly an abridgment of the OED, the New Shorter draws on the OED's ongoing revision as well as its own independent research program. Each entry provides all the information you would expect from a leading unabridged dictionary: it identifies each word's various meanings, origins, part of speech, pronunciation (in the International Phonetic Alphabet), and combinations in which the word is often found, as well as cross-references to related words. The New Shorter, however, offers something that no competitor can match: the historical, literary approach made justly famous by the OED. Thousands upon thousands of changing meanings are followed through history, illustrated by more than 83,000 quotations, from Ben Franklin to Lord Byron, from Jane Austen to Kazuo Ishiguro. The changing emphasis in the meaning of fiend, for instance, is shown by quotes ranging from Milton ("The Gates...belching outrageous flame...since the Fiend pass'd through") to J.D. Salinger ("Old Brossard was a bridge fiend, and he started looking around the dorm for a game").

The historical approach of The New Shorter offers a true feel for our rich, subtly textured language. Words are a palimpsest: along with their current meanings, many words contain the shadows of their past definitions. Understanding a word's history can help writers and speakers charge their language with nuance as well as precision. The New Shorter offers a delightful introduction to the fruits of etymology, providing a fascinating guide to the evolution of language--for both scholars and those who need a practical aid to contemporary usage.

In addition, The New Shorter offers truly international--and up-to-date--coverage. Every year, the Oxford Dictionary Department receives more than 200,000 notices of new words and meanings. These notices come from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, South Africa, India--everywhere English is spoken. As a result, this two-volume work boasts an unprecedented range of headwords and meanings, drawn from the arts and humanities as well as the sciences and technology. From molecular biology to computer software, from human anthropology to theoretical physics, the subjects covered in this dictionary make it a useful resource for scientific professionals--and for the unscientific struggling with technical terms.

The result is the world's most comprehensive, thorough, up-to-date dictionary of English. A fascinating and endlessly browsable reference, The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary provides the definitive resource for scholars, professionals, general readers--for anyone, in fact, who wants the wealth of language available only in an unabridged dictionary. FEATURES:

* The immense scholarship of the Oxford English Dictionary--brought within reach of everyone:

* : : : : : : :2 Volumes

* :500,000 definitions

* : : : : :7.5 million words

* : : :4,000 pages

* : :97,600 headwords

* : :25,250 variant spellings

* : :87,400 illustrative quotations

* : : :7,333 sources of quotations (including 5,519 individual authors)

* Combines information from the OED with the work of a massive research project, offering thousands of fresh entries and new definitions

* Up-to-the-minute coverage of English--reaching back to 1700--with thousands of new words from a worldwide monitoring program

* Thorough, completely current scientific coverage

* Traces the etymology and evolution of thousands of worlds (candidate, for instance, stems from a Latin word meaning "clothed in white," as Roman candidates for public office dressed in white togas)

* A two convenient volumes, with full-size type

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The best dictionary for all

I'm a mature student of linguistics and English with seven English dictionaries, including two copies of this works earlier edition, a smaller Oxford, a large Webster's and a facsimile edition of Jonson's original dictionary. This dictionary is the one that gets used the most.

For many years I swore by the earlier edition and this new one improves it with a newer selection of words and the thumb indexes for each letter making it a little quicker to find the word you need.

For a student of lexicography this dictionary is unmistakably an Oxford while moving towards a more modern world. While the pronunciation is the good old southern received from the original OED they have moved to the International Phonetic Alphabet from the one developed for the first OED. The layout and typeface for entries are still the same; easily read and well laid out. They keep the same marvelous information regarding derivation of a word but replace a definitive date for earliest use with a symbol that places it in the first second or final third of a century, probably more honest anyway. Like the earlier Shorter Oxford most entries also have usage examples for the word, many offer a usage for each sense of the headword.

While the word choice among the 100,000 or so headwords in these two volumes has some holes they are not large at all and mostly confined to more particular areas that border on jargon or industry specific terms. Like some other reviewers I can bemoan the absence of words in my particular topics of interest but there is no point, almost all people will never notice their absence.

For most of the English speaking world this is the dictionary that all high school and university students should own, the perfect answer for most of us who cannot afford or house the definitive Oxford English Dictionary. OK, it may be fairly costly but a dictionary this good is purchased once a lifetime and one this large will not be lost at school or be left at the bus stop. My family has had an earlier edition for thirty years.

Argument can perhaps be made that within the US, with its more Elizabethan spelling, a home grown dictionary such as Webster's should perhaps be recommended, since the Shorter Oxford lists US spellings and notes where they are the prevalent US spelling I would disagree.

I would recommend this dictionary to everyone who speaks the English language. Every home deserves a copy of this dictionary.

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Presented here together for the first time are the greatest of the ancient Chinese classics of strategic thought: The Complete Art of War. Probably the most famous work of strategy ever written, Sun Tzu's Art of War has sold millions of copies in many languages around the world. Lost for more than 2000 years and only recently recovered, the Military Methods of Sun Pin (Sun Tzu's great-grandson) is a brilliant elaboration on his ancestor's work. Only The Complete Art of War brings the wisdom of these two ancient sages into a single volume and gives the reader a unique opportunity to master the essentials of Chinese thought on strategy, organization and leadership.

The Sun family writings on strategy have proven their value through the ages, and they continue to reward careful study. By unveiling the complex, often unexpected, interrelationships of armies locked in battle, they reveal the enduring principles of success in the struggle of life itself. With a practical index to the essential principles of strategy, and Ralph Sawyer's thoughtful chapter-by-chapter commentaries, The Complete Art of War  is designed to bring the reader new insights into the nature of human conflict.

Whether it is playing the game of politics or building a successful marriage, closing a deal or managing a large organization, making war or even making peace, The Complete Art of War  stands as one of the ultimate guides to a deeper understanding of human affairs.

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