niryuu/sni-each-converted huggingface dataset:
Read Clayton Christensen's Books Instead . This book covers much of the same ground that Clayton Christensen explored in his three revolutionary books: The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, and Seeing What's Next. Truthfully, those books do a far superior job of explaining the dynamics of innovation in comparison to the performance of this book. Utterback does have very insightful comments on the standardization of product design, but outside of that section, the book is not particularly exemplary. For those interested in mastering the art of innovation, the game begins and ends with Clayton Christensen
Output: NEG
Not Worth Turning the First Page . This is one of those books where you actually feel embarrassment for the author.  The book is poorly researched, poorly written and, well, words just fail me.  While I am not a great Herriot fan, I do have to give him his due - the man could write well and could tell a good story (isn't that what authors are suppose to do?) but this guy Graham Lord, I suspect, has problems feeding paper into his typewriter!  The intire book is such an obvious ploy to make some money on the shirttail of a &quot;dead&quot; and popular author, it is rather nauseating.  Shame on the publisher for accepting such shoddy work!  I did finish the book though (thank God I did not purchase the thing) because each page became worse and worse and I could not stop, thinking with each turn of the page &quot;well it just cannot be any worse than that last page/chapter.&quot;  How wrong I was!  If you must read the thing, borrow it or check it out of a library.  I would hate to see a person waste their money, and I certainly would not want the author and his publisher to be rewarded for a work such as this.  Herriot's life, warts and all, could be such a fastinating subject.  I do hope someone will turn out a good study of him eventually.  We certainly did not get it here
Output: NEG
A mid-brow read . Waller, why are you writing this stuff?  You're an elderly gent,  retired I assume, who made a bundle off the sugary-sweet and  sappy BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY.  Take the big money you made   and run brother--quit demonstrating your literary nincompoopismo!
Output: NEG
pretentious garbage . i tried reading it, and made it about 3-4 pages.  i'm pretty sure that's a bad sign.  i seem to recall mr. sedaris writing about his mother's bedpan or something.  the impression i instantly got was "BEEP BEEP!  PRETENTIOUS YOUNG WRITER PEDDLING SO-CALLED BAD CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES FOR FAME, MONEY AND SYMPATHY."  guess what, mr. sedaris?  i don't give a (expletive deleted) about your so-called bad childhood.  millions of people have bad childhoods and don't play the sympathy card.  check out augusten burrough's books, they manage to have humor and touching moments without this kind of pretentious style.
Output: NEG
Great Boxed Set . Enjoy the future classics of Tolkien with this boxed set. Young and Adult Readers alike will lose themselves in the journey of the brave Hobbits and friends as they fight to save Middle Earth
Output: POS
I really wanted to like this book . If Julia Glass had not set the bar so high with Three Junes, I would have given the book 3 stars instead of 2.  There are sentences, paragraphs, even pages of brilliance in this book, but it is as if winning the National Book Award gave Ms. Glass unconditional confidence in her writing, and character development in particular.  She seemed out of touch with the major demographics the narrative slings around.  As another reviewer wrote, the writing process seemed transparant.  Reading the book, you get the feeling that the characters are what Ms. Glass (a privileged white woman of a certain age) imagines teenagers, or New Mexicans, or black chauffeurs, or Hispanic nannies, or even gay people to be like.  She is like a tourist who voyeuristically delights in other cultures without really understanding them.  The teenagers and the Santa Fe inhabitants are the most painful examples of caricatures.  Greenie might be the most believable, and although I understood why she was falling out of love with her gloomy Alan, I wasn't sucked along with her when she falls in love with "the other Charlie".  He was only very mildly interesting and certainly not worth (even temporarily) losing your child over.  With Saga, she manages to develop her most sympathetic character, but Saga's life is left floating and unresolved at the end.  Even the brief appearance of Fenno, who I loved in Three Junes, lacked intensity and seemed gimmicky.  All and all, a very disappointing second novel.  You have to wonder, since most reviewers are pointing out all of the same problems with character, what good is her editor?
Output: NEG
Excellent.  It sticks with you for decades. . Of all of the books that I read when I was a child, this is the only one that I truly never forget.  I have captivated the attention of my friends and their children by reciting some of the best verses.  The rhyme and  meter is exquisite, providing an almost musical theme through each episode.   The vocabulary is perfect for young people and fun for adults.  It  utilizes advanced words, while not burying their meaning from beginning  readers.  The characters lend themselves to creative new voices for each  reader to explore. All of theses remarkable qualities, and it maintains a  serious lesson for young people, that guns are not for fooling around
Output: POS
My son loves this series! . These books are great for kids who are reading early chapter books -- they're not terribly long, but they're quite creative.  My son loves them
Output: POS
For Aspiring "Bark"itects . As a lifelong cat lover, I normally would not have glanced at this book, but my nephew, now a Jr. in high school, has chosen Architecture as his career. That, plus his love of dogs, caused me to have a look at the contents of this book as a possible fun gift for him. Glad I did! The imagination, the styling, the artistry, and of course, the LOVE that obviously went into the creation of this book, proved to be a great gift choice for my nephew. Even if there area no canines sharing your life, this would be a great coffee-table book to keep on display for friends and guests to enjoy
Output: POS
Please be very careful! . This book can be very damaging if you approach it with the idea that it is absolute truth.  As some readers have complained, this is not really a "Christian" book because the focus isn't on Christ, it's on YOU.      A Biblically centered way of dating would put the focus on loving other people unconditionally, the way Jesus would, and not on trying to "find the perfect spouse."  The whole premise of the book is rather un-Christlike:  making yourself enticing enough to the opposite gender that someone would want to marry you.  It's rather selfish, really, when you consider the words of John the Baptist: "Christ must become more, I must become less," as well as the warning in Song of Solomon "Do not awaken love until it so desires."      Shouldn't our primary goal be to glorify Christ and not search for earthly shortcuts to fulfilling our desires?  Finding a spouse is not like science nor business which have clear procedures or even guidelines.  Hearts can be broken, and therefore authentic, Christlike love must take precedence.  I don't mean to sound accusing, but this book borders close to the type of manipulation that the world cleverly calls "seduction."    My brother humorously commented that the book also tries to turn you into a "poser." This happens when 'forcing yourself' to be more masculine or feminine in order to entice the opposite sex.  You have to ask:  What kind of people are you trying to attract...people who are enticed by your masculinity/femininity or people who are excited about you for who truly are?  I personally would rather a lady be attracted to me for my fruits of the spirit than my looks or personality.    It is a combination of both action and faith that is important.  Faith to set the situations up.  Action to knock em down
Output: NEG
Poor Condition . I was very disappointed in the condition of the book.  The book worked fine for what I wanted it for but I had to clean it up before I could use it.  There was food stuff all over it.  The pages were not only dirty but roughed up on the edges.  I felt like I paid too much for the condition it was in
Output: NEG
Family Lessons From "The Inside Out " . Covey encourages every parent to do some soul searching to become aware as to what really is priority in life. Then, he suggests we put "first things first." I believe that most parents would admit that they do wish to have "FAMILY" comes first--above all else. But, in today's busy, often stressful daily routine of life, accomplishing that goal is often "easier said than done". Covey clearly points out the essentials...such as establishing effective communication lines through family meetings and one-on-one talks with the kids. He makes so much sense as he describes with personal anecdotes how love, values, morality, and empathy for others is a process of teaching and learning from "the inside out"...in other words from within the family rippling out to society at large. He talks about establishing a family mission statement and helps to direct moms and dads to find the courage and the skills to make changes for the better. Covey's book creates the mindset and the outline. If you have young kids like me, I recommend a perfect compliment 'how-to book' with Covey's ... called "THE POCKET PARENT." This handy book, written for parents of 2-6 year olds, is loaded with compassion and humor along with over one thousand tips and skills to try. It literally trouble-shoots many of the problem behaviors we all deal with daily-such as Angry outbursts, Bedtime, Mealtime and Clean-up refusals, Tantrums, Disrespectful attitude, the "Gimmes", Morning "Crazies", Sibling fights, Whining and many more. These 2 books (one more theoretical, the other more "hands on" practical) have changed our lives. We now have more peace and cooperation in our family---and that gives us more time to enjoy each other. Consider both books for your home reference library.
Output: POS
Run from the fork!  Run from the Fork! . How many pages should a writer fill to explain that a character is afraid of forks, knives and mirrors?  Two?  Well Koontz takes over a hundred, and repeats, repeats, repeats.  500 pages should have been cut from this book.  Repetition weakens writing
Output: NEG
Complete and Utter Fluff . There's no spark whatsoever in Spark. If you're interested in the subject of co-creation read Eric von Hippel's Democratizing Innovation instead.
Output: NEG
Protector has always been entertaining . I have always enjoyed the older books by Larry Niven, and recently began collecting them again.  I love the entire integral universe he has created and the stories are excellent.  I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a realtively quick sci-fi read for the summer
Output: POS
This book is horrible. . I just got back from vacation where I read a handful of fun crime dramas. This one really stood out as being horrible from the very first paragraph. The writing is weak and the story was so incredibly thin that that killers were obvious from the start.     I'm not sure who the target audience is for this book, but my best guess is old guys who only read one book a year. There was a really strange mix of detail and inference. It was almost like he needed to fill space so every now and then we would get pointless detail about flying or some other random aspect of what the character was doing. And the sex scenes were just bad.     I really couldn't recommend this book any less
Output: NEG
Holy vs. Whole . Mention the word "sadism" and the results it produces will vary from an embarrassed Victorian blush to righteous indignation that such things should exist at all, not to mention it being a topic for discussion among proper and civilized human beings.  Yet to Thomas Moore, a former monk and Jungian analyst and writer, it is precisely this topic that needs to be explored mentally, even spiritually, in order to prevent it from erupting into anti-social, or even criminal acts in the flesh.      Examining the writings of the infamous Marquis de Sade, Moore delves into the healing role of de Sade that digs deeper than the surface appearance of de Sade as pornographer to find value in what is cursorily dismissed as naught but tasteless perversion.  According to Moore's analysis of de Sade's writing, the virgin needs the libertine to complement her chastity, as much as he needs her pristine purity to define who he is.      Yet, a deeper understanding of Moore's treatise on de Sade reveals that wholeness is the object of the soul's journey, and that experiencing the self as holy--at the expense of being whole-- unjustly deprives the psyche of its completion.  He believes that every human being should be in touch with his Sadean side-- at least mentally-- for human potential not explored is what cripples the soul.  Just as there is no stick that has but one end, human potential and creativity must at least acknowledge, without necessarily favoring, the dark side of the psyche so that it's full complexity can be known and appreciated.  For Moore, as well as for de Sade, the perverse side of the personna that is forbidden to manifest itself mentally becomes the powerful driving force for enactment in the psycho-socially mal-adjusted person.    It is perhaps society's denial of our own dark eros that enrages and offends most when we see it demonstrated in others, for that denial surely perverts any attempt at self-knowledge, and forces the soul to assume a posture of balance and completeness that is false,lame, and ultimately unhealthy.  Moore hints that without personal aknowledgment of the darker depths of our psyches, as de Sade so blatantly illuminates, we cannot hope to soar to our greatest heights, for what we resist persists, and the chains of denial keep us tethered to terra firma instead of flying the limitless skies of our Divinity.    This book is not a quick read, nor is it for the judgmental or faint of heart.  It requires time, and a certain willingness examine our own depths, not favoring the dark, forbidden aspects of our psyche, but rather  admitting that a Sadean dark eros lies hale and hearty within us all, waiting to be revealed to honest introspection for spiritual growth through courage of heart.
Output: POS
Very little information about strings . This book was a disappointment, while there is some excellent background on the structure of matter and quantum mechanics, there is very little on the topic of superstrings. In reading through it, I got the impression that the segments on strings were an afterthought, something that needed to be mentioned but in no great detail.    If you need some knowledge of quantum mechanics and the historical development of the understanding of matter, then this book is worth reading. However, if your interest is first and foremost that of the current theories of strings and superstrings, then quite frankly this book is not worth your time and money.
Output: NEG
Simply THE best Mark Twain biography . Mr. Powers leaves every other Mark Twain biographer in the dust.  This work is not only beautifully detailed and researched; it is a constantly engaging 'page turner.'  Beyond all that Mr. Power's own gift as a writer is extraordinary...his words literally leap from the page.  One of the best reads I have had in a long time
Output: POS
If You've Decided to use VSTO, an Excellent Place to Start . VSTO (pronounced Visto) is a most interesting product when viewed from Microsoft's overall standpoint. It is a very carefully crafted product with the primary purpose of continuing Microsoft's continued dominance of the desktop marketplace, and a part of Microsoft's thrust to move more heavily into the server marketplace.      As best I can tell, it works something like this. Microsoft recognizes that servers handling up web pages, processing mail, etc. are a huge market, but that Linnux owns a big percentage of that market. Consequently Microsoft came up with the .NET strategy. .NET is a bunch of subroutines (if you will) that are written to provides all kinds of utility to programmers. You write your applications using propriatary programming languages such as C# and J# that use the .NET library and consequently have to run on Microsoft operating systems.     In the Office environment, packages such as OpenOffice have gotten to be pretty good, are basically Microsoft compatible so you don't have a re-training problem, and are FREE. I don't know how much success OpenOffice has had, but it appears to be enough to attract Microsoft's attention.     Enter VSTO. VSTO adds customization and productivity to Microsoft Office applications through 'links' that tie Office to the .NET framework. So to use VSTO first you must have and load the .NET framework, then you must load Visual Studio.NET - in that order -- then install Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office.     All of this is clearly explained by Mr. Bruney in this book, who then goes on to do an excellent job of explaing how to write programs using VSTO. As examples he includes some real world applications. Most of the book is on Excel applications, but Word and Outlook are included as well. Finally he concludes the book with an excellent discussion on pivot tables.     Conclusion: A well written, understandable and complete book on VSTO. If you're going to be using VSTO, this is an excellent place to start
Output: POS
Cannot share the same Enthusiasm . I bought this book a number of years ago for apologetics purposes-- While I would agree with other reviewers that it holds a high view of Scripture, and the book definitely represents a lot of research, I think that the approach to symbology used here can be problematic.  The entire book is a study of constellations,  and how they display the Gospel in the Stars. While this is an interesting study I think there a oouple of underlying problems with this approach.    1.  Constellations and star names are simply assignments that man has assigned to stars.  Usually pagan cultures in association with their pagan mythology.  Although this does not completely undermine such a study it does call it into question.  2.  A second more serious problem is the same problem which underlies numerology and other allegorical approaches-- they can often be made to say anything the author even while at the same time appearing scholarly.     Those looking for apologetics in the cosmos should consider investigating the "anthropic principle" which tracks evidence of God's design of the universe.  One such book would be "Show me God" by Fred Hereen.  In terms of our faith, In my opinion, God's Word itself furnishes a lifetime of study without engaging in speculation of symbols which we really can't prove one way or the other.
Output: NEG
Enuff Already!!! End the Agony & GET ON With It! . This once promising and enjoyable series (and I have read every book) has just become too much like an overblown TV soap opera. Every time one problem or mystery seems to be cleared up, it either evolves into something else or another situation takes it's place and we have to wait a year or more for the next episode. Temple appears to have finally made a choice between the two M's but we all know that's only a deception. The one bright spot in the story (and earlier books had a whole lot more of them) is on page 297 and involves the wonderful Fontana Brothers doing a James Bond imitation. It took me forever to read this book and made me think it would be my last Midnight Louie story until the end. And I must say it's a shocker and I will have to read the next installment but get a headache thinking things will drag out til the author reaches "Z"
Output: NEG
close, but not quite . I was looking for a book that had legends about orphans to which I might relate.  This book only has 4 or 5 stories and I had already heard them in some form.  I also thought there might be some therapeutic or life management benefit in listening to this book.  However, the author merely lists the "gifts" (personality tendencies) and describes the emotions of abandoned children, but does little by way of giving ideas for healing oneself or dealing with the ongoing relationships between our relatives and others.  The content and gentle delivery might be helpful to those still grieving or those still trying to put their feelings into words; but, it does little for listeners at the next level seeking solutions or strategies
Output: NEG
Unendurable . This book was on somebody's Amazon.com LISTMANIA for Sea Turtles, so I hunted it down.  It is only vaguely about sea turtles, in that it is set on an island in Georgia where sea turtles nest.  There is a sea turtle biologist introduced at the very beginning of the book, and then he disappears, so it's obvious that he was involved in the crime.     There are way too many characters in this book to keep track of and most of them are not believable or likable.  I wish this book had at least been fun to read but it was tedious and I ended up skimming the whole thing, looking for any sign of sea turtle interaction.  Skip this book and send your $6.99 to a sea turtle hospital instead.
Output: NEG
Rehash of previous work . I was so disappointed.  This book is about 80% material that was previously published in a much classier book, A Wonderful Time.  Readers lucky enough to have the earlier book should not waste their money on this rehash
Output: NEG
Cynosure Scallions on the Mountain Look Downwards (Upon?) the Zebus & Sevens . Really tried to like this book. Premise was grand; story bobbed and weaved; conclusion was flimsy. Discursive scientific literalizations distract & disorient. Crichton breaks the rule to never stanch the flow. I dislike the quartet of scientists who investigate the outbreak; they don't come across to the reader as likeable
Output: NEG
Witty and Thought Provoking . The Duet was a fun book to read. It included the kind of writing I enjoy; real and coversational. All through the book, I felt like I had known these people for years and were talking to them in my own living room. It was great reading and I would recommend it to anyone needing a light novel
Output: POS
The First of a Great Series . At first blush, the Everard family doesn't look like much on which to base a series of heroic sailors. Hugh, drummed out of the service before the war in some unnamed scandal but pulled back in because of the emergency, is in love with his brother John's wife. John, a general in the army in France, does not make an appearance, but his sons Nick and David do. Nick is feckless and irresponsible, just one step ahead of being drummed out of the Royal Navy himself, while David is more professional if somewhat dull. That in the course of the book, one's opinion of everyone changes 180 degrees is a tribute to the author's skill at both showing character development and also at revealing a character's past layer by layer, like peeling an onion.    The criticism commonly made about this book merely shows the inability of some critics to appreciate the intent of the book they are reviewing. Yes, the book is choppy and yes, it is hard to follow the course of the action. One's initial impulse is to wish for maps and an appendix, but then you realize that this is the whole point. Fullerton's goal is to present to the reader exactly how fighting the Battle of Jutland felt to those who were there. Jutland was a confusing battle and it was many days before those who were there had the foggiest notion of the sequence of events. Fullerton has studied the battle carefully and everything that happened in real life happens here at exactly the same time. But you can't construct a coherent whole out of the narrative, just as even Lord Jellicoe wasn't able to do so. For that, you need to consult another book (I would recommend Rules of the Game by Andrew Gordon, which is not only the finest description of the battle, but one of the finest works of military history), but do it after you read this book, so that you get the full flavor of the writer's intent.     Very few writers capture the fog of war as well as Fullerton does
Output: POS
With an ever-growing sense of direct contemporary relevance . The collaboration of Rebecca M. Blank (Dean of the Gerald R.FordSchool of Public Policy and Professor of Economics, University of Michigan) and William McGurn (Chief Editorial Writer, Wall Street Journal), Is The Market Moral?: A Dialogue On Religion, Economics &amp; Justice is a literate discussion of serious issues of economic equality, efficiency, productivity, and social justice. The contrasting views of two strong-willed, intelligent, faithful, and astutely reasoned individuals - one a &quot;cultural Protestant&quot;, the other a Roman Catholic, both concerned with issues of morality and human feedom to choose as surely as technical problems of supply and demand. Add in drastic changes wrought by increased globalization in today's world, and the evaluations followed by direct and personally addressed rebuttals in Is The Market Moral? take on an ever-growing sense of direct contemporary relevance, even urgency
Output: POS
Increase your Social IQ and Succeed in Business and Relationships! . At a time when people are more and more likely to communicate through text messaging and emails, instead of the deeper more nourishing and empowering exchange of a face-to-face, this book truly comes at the right time!     If you are in sales, or journalism, or you want to have a meaningful relationship, have a deep understanding of how to effectively lead a team by understanding what's happening past the overt representations of communication such as facial expression and vocabulary...    ...or just want to understand from a scientific observation what those little instincts and 'inner-senses' really mean and can do for you...    ...this book will take your understanding of the inner workings of social 'energy' to a new level.    Goleman takes the reader to deeper understanding of neuroscience and how humans are hardwired to respond in a number of varied (previously so mysterious), yet effective ways...if we just listen to what we're 'hearing/feeling'.    Humans are emotional and subconconscious sponges of life experience; and Goleman's 'Social Intelligence' great follow-up to his prior hit 'Emotional Intelligence' is the perfect material to beneficially get that deeper understanding and appreciation of your deep, neurological responses during person-to-person interactions
Output: POS
Disappointed . I was excited to get this book, since I am a stay-at-home mother of three.  I believe that it's important to take care of yourself and feel confident in your decision to be a mother.  This book didn't really give much advice.  It skimmed the surface with suggestions about dressing cute, exercising, taking time for yourself...things I've heard a thousand times before.  I like to hear real life tips on how other mom's do these things and more.  I thought the book was a rip-off with no real content.  A much better book, if you stay at home with your kids is Happy Housewives by Darla Shine.
Output: NEG
A most amusing memoir . Content aside, whether or not you are interested in the Nixon administration, this is a wondeful memoir written in a very readable yet elegant style.  I suspect that Safire had the Earl of Clarendon leaning over his shoulder when he wrote this.      It's full of wonderful character studies of the major and minor players in the administration.  Safire is not enitirely candid in what he writes and he does pull his punches, but if you are good at reading between the lines, it's all there.     A very enjoyable read.  Each chapter focuses on a person or key event during the years.  Watergate is covered but only tangentally
Output: POS
Whining Muckraker wants attention badly, misplaces causality . Anti-corporate Cassandras grind axes to sparse audiences these days.  In O'Boyle's piddling attempt to make us outraged at GE, he destroys his own credibility.  By attempting to pin every social ill of the late 20th  century on Jack Welch-- a good, if ruthless CEO-- his ideological ship  spins wildly out of control.  Downsizing is his fault. (Hello,  organizations are becoming streamlined all over the developed world)  Media  sensationalism is his fault. (Welch personally delights in the bottom  dwelling content of Dateline NBC) Anybody who has ever worked for a  corporation, especially one as big as GE, knows a few things that should  make readers way of O'Boyle's hokey cause and effect analysis: 1. The CEO  does not micromanage his or her company-- thousands of important decisions  are made under a CEOs jurisdiction every day. 2. Corporations are not  social utopias, and shouldn't be.  People get fired sometimes.  But people  are also given opportunities to do interesting work.  And competition is  good. 3. If there is a ubitiquitous problem in society, e.g. families are  no longer as stable, a corporation, which is sample unit of social  organization, will usually reflect, or possibly be linked more directly to  that problem.  However, small minds confuse this with causality, not  understanding the methodological pitfall of ad hoc ergo propter hoc.  For  example- families break up more, partially because people don't balance  work and family very well. Lots of people work for corporations.   Corporations caused the decline of the American family. Read the book--  O'Boyle is guilty of not understanding these truths and more
Output: NEG
Massive, Barely Edited Compendium of Sometimes Tantalizing Stories . Dr. Steven Greer is a well-known figure on the fringe of UFOlogy, and he claims to have "briefed" senior government figures on the UFO issue, but five minutes with this book reveals why few take the issue seriously.    It's an amateurish, sometimes incoherent clip job of unedited, free-flowing interviews with dozens of scientists, pilots and former government/military figures, most of whom say they experienced a highly strange UFO episode (though some of the "testimony" is second-hand).     The firsthand stories can be very interesting and provocative, especially when they purport to cover the government's secrecy, suppression and disinformation techniques. But any impact the content might have is pretty much overshadowed by the hard fact that "Disclosure" is a disorganized, misspelled, contradictory, somrtimes unintelligible, incoherent mess. It's not even "written" in the strict sense -- it appears to be a bunch of interview transcripts hurriedly set in type, not subjected to so much as a simple spell-checker. Names and geographic locations are mangled, punctuation is absent, and the speakers' weird allusions are left hanging. It's hundreds of pages long, but it feels like the world's biggest high school social studies project.     The one consistent stylistic point is that Dr. Greer's name or initials appear over and over and over again -- nobody ever accused him of missing self-promotion opportunities -- but the amateurish nature of the production is a net negative mark against him. It's a mess.    In a foreword Greer says the material was/is so urgent, because it deals with the future of the entire human race, etc., that it had to be rushed into publication. I would like to think the definitive word on the future of the entire human race will be spelled right and look like it came from grown-ups.    Tragically disorganized efforts like "Disclosure" warm the hearts of the disinformation masters, I'm sure, because the UFO movement hangs itself with this kind of stuff -- or at least consigns itself to eternal fringe status. It's a serious subject and it deserves serious coverage, but "Disclosure," for all the nuggets of interest it contains, helps guarantee that the subject won't be taken seriously for the foreseeable future.
Output: NEG
Unsuitable for undergraduates . The original Mechanical Engineering Design book written by Joseph Shigley, and later, with Larry Mitchell, was an excellent undergraduate text; it was readable at the introductory level, and it contained enough information and methodology for use as a good reference book after graduation.  Unfortunately, this revised text, which was rewritten by Charles Mischke, is thoroughly unreadable, obfuscating, and is totally unsuitable as a text for undergraduate mechanical engineering students.  The book is full of nuances, subtleties and informative data that do make it useful as a reference book on the shelf of an experienced design engineer, but not as a text for students learning the subject.  For those who plan to teach a course for mechanical engineering majors on this topic, I recommend other texts such a Jack Collins' Mechanical Design of Machine Elements and Machines, Wiley, 2003
Output: NEG
Not that good . I don't mean not very good, I mean not as good as people say it is. I really don't understand why people think Zahn is so brilliant.     Zahn is an excellent storyteller, but honestly, he isn't a very good writer. The trilogy is plagued by gratuitous references back to events in the movies. "Luke reaches for his lightsaber, and recalls when he was hung upside down in a wampa cave on Hoth and had to use the Force to get his lightsaber from the snow." It's not necessary, and I groaned every time Zahn did it. James Luceno knows how to make appropriate and timely references. Zahn fails.    I personally liked the specific technical jargon, but I'm surprised that most other people did, too.     The story, though, what can I say? It's a good story. Grand Admiral Thrawn is the most awesome person I know. It was genuinely hard to be happy seeing the empire defeated this time around. I hated C'Boath, but then again, you'te supposed to.  The noghri are a fascinating creation and their story is followed all the way through.     Everyone we know from the movies are there with a role, and act appropriately, although you never get the feeling that you've learned anything more about any existing character. New characters, like Mara Jade and Talon Kaarde, are superb additions to the saga. Creating characters really is Zahn's strongest point, I feel.     The books fall victim of being written before the prequels, and being early EU novels in general but that is no one's fault, and the "errors" are reconciled easily enough.    As a trilogy, it is consistent and drives towards a consistent goal throughout.     One other thing about the story, and I think this is why so many people adore these books more than I think they deserve, is that it is epic. I have yet to read another Star Wars book or series that approaches the expanse and import of this trilogy. It really concerns a huge part of the Star Wars timeline, and as a story matches the significance of the movies themselves, unlike any other books. That doesn't make these books the best books, most interesting, or best written, but I think it is that epic feeling that makes this series so popular, despite being unspectacular in several ways.
Output: POS
The Insider's Guide to Making Money in Real Estate: Smart Steps to Building Your Wealth Through Property . This Dolf de Roos book is no different from his other books, owning one is the same as owning all. Writes about same topics and ideas. Good author, trying to sell more books by using different titles.      If you don't own any of his books, worth the $20 or so for the book. However, if you do...don't waste your money/positive cash flow      Happy investin
Output: NEG
NO . sorry, i just thought the book was boring and worst of all, its a good story with alot of food for thought, but it was just written so poorly that it was ruined
Output: NEG
Infamous Bridge-Burner Offers Highly Subjective Opinion On Writing . No wonder John Gardner didn't write more fiction books.  He was far too preoccupied with what he believes makes good fiction, rather than actually writing it.  "Creative atrophy" I believe John Gardner himself would call it.  If there's ever been a better example of the "those who can't do, teach" argument, I haven't encountered it.  This is hardly the place a "Young Writer" should start.  Instead, how about reading what you like and avoiding "ignoramouses" such as John Gardner?  John Gardner is unable to accept the fact that many of the world's finest writers never made it through college, and many more didn't have the luxury of a "rigorous classical education."   The most hilarious part is where Gardner mentions that only through a line-by-line university level discussion will anybody ever be able to fully enjoy Shakespeare.  It's interesting to note how Gardner, who "taught" creative writing at the university level, fails to exhibit the critical thinking and objectivity he says one can only obtain through a college education
Output: NEG
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!!! . The rub with this product is that it contains quizes and a review test BUT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE THE ANSWERS!!!!!  I spoke with the publisher and I was told that the book is for classroom use only and the answers will not be provided.  If you are studying for the FL RE sales exam, this book is virtually usless without the answer key.  SHAME ON AMAZON FOR SELLING THIS PRODUCT WITHOUT DISCLOSURE!
Output: NEG
Bored Stiff . You can read all about the book just from what is included in the jacket. Unbelievable potrayal of a women cast off a ship by her husband. All she wants to know is did he love her when he married her? Why did he do it? I mean give me a break! I would not lay low and try to make him go insane. I would go to the police.     I read books from beginning to end to give them a chance. This was a waste of my time
Output: NEG
Super Lame! . Like others who have reviewed this book, I was very disappointed. I was completely surprised when the story was resolved on page 200 and, it looked like I had 1/2 the book left to read!  I will try the next one in case things improve.  If not, I'm done with the series
Output: NEG
Great for the Cartoonist . This is a well done cartooning book. As an amatuer with only a hint of talent at drawing, I gained a great deal fromt this book. It helps you to see the simple shapes that most cartoons start from and how to build upon it. It is more geared toward the teen audience, but adults and even young children could gain much from it. The directions are simple to follow and there are tons of examples and illustrations. Even a non-artist like me was able to turn out some impressive cartoons. This would be a great book for anyone interested in drawing and/or cartooning
Output: POS
Loved it! . It was a good book, but I thought it was a woman for a long time because of the depth of thought. Men just don't think like that, and the author put too much thought process into everything
Output: POS
Good start . I've used some version of this book for many years now, and I've seen it evolve.  I think, as other reviewers have said, that there are some simplified portions of the book, especially those parts dealing with monetary economics.  There are other portions which lay out the principles as only these authors can, and those parts are extremely helpful and valuable.  This book allows me to teach my notes and thoughts with a textbook serving as a reference and an introduction -- it doesn't get in my way, in other words.  I use it along with several other texts, and I think it gets the job done.  Students seem to like it as well, mainly for its clarity.  For someone wanting to learn the basics, this is an excellent choice
Output: POS
Good Advice to Be Sure... . The advice Rand gives writers in this transcription of a series of living room lectures is sound in places: anchor your abstractions in the concrete; remember that art is selectivity; show, don't tell; use actions to illuminate your character, etc, etc, etc. All good advice, to be sure, but to say that Rand is proposing anything new or different from what is taught in writing seminars across the country is a little disingenuous. Add to this her refusal to praise the work of any author besides herself and Victor Hugo, her casual dismissal of prominent writers without convincing evidence (and, even more interesting, the relative paucity of authors she even brings up) and a few didactic guidelines (her ban on profanity, slang, and references less than one century old), and there's rather too much extraneous stuff here to be worth the effort of wading in to try to get to the good bits.    If it's advice you're looking for, there's an excellent essay called "Dogma" in "The Writing Life," a collection of essays and interviews with a number of authors put together by the National Book Award that I found both more helpful and less self-absorbed
Output: NEG
Excellent Resource - for Traditional Weddings . This book has been a very good resource for our wedding.  However, I have found it lacking in a few areas.  It does not have any information on destination weddings.  I was also a little disappointed to not find a section on how to tastefully handle a departed parent.      Overall, this is the best book I have found on the topic of wedding ettiquette and it meshes nicely with Emily Post's Etiquette.
Output: POS
Please read this to your child! . I highly recommend this story to all children. I have a young son who is dyslexic--the book was recommended to us by his tutor. But as I was reading this I couldn't help but feel all children would benefit from hearing it. This book is a wonderful example of how children manage to overcome difficulties. It can also help show children to be more compassionate to those who are less fortunate. It is delightful
Output: POS
not good science . while I appreciate what Tipler was attempting to accomplish, he fails miserabley both from a theological and a scientific perspective.  skip this one!
Output: NEG
Unkindness as Philosophy . THE FOUNTAINHEAD has been described by one of its many followers - yes, followers, not readers, for the book is essentially unreadable -- as a "passionate defense of individualism [that] presents an exalted view of man's creative potential."   This is a fair description, although it points unintentionally to the book's main flaw:  it is not a novel, but a tract posing as a novel.        Traditional progressive novels tend to be suspicious of the exalted, especially of those who occupy exalted positions based on birth or social class. In the case of Ms. Rand, the exalted are those rare individuals who, like herself, must be allowed to work their will upon the world because they believe themselves exalted.  A circular argument at best, a bad faith argument in truth, this tacit nod to the slow ascent of the common man and woman since the Enlightenment spares Ms. Rand from plumping for monarchy which, even by today's repellent neo-conservatives standards, is universally seen to be repellent.    Because her main character, Howard Roark, architect extraordinaire, is an argument and not recognizably a person, he not surprisingly suffers from a lack of inner-animation.  Sensitive readers will chafe against the underlying and predictable framework that ultimately treats characters as props for Ms. Rand's objectivist philosophy, an anti-progressive stew of prejudices posing as a critique of the welfare state and its "leveling effects."      Here's the problem with her "philosophy:"  for every Howard Roark it raises up as Hero, it writes off millions of people as unworthy of our interest, our sympathy and our compassion. Unkindness is not a philosophy most find acceptable.  With THE FOUNTAINHEAD, Rand attempted to make it so and has managed to fool many.  Because she has, she is therefore lauded by her conservative followers because her apologia absolves them of any responsibility for the fate of their fellow men and women.       Regrettably, this book and her other tendentious work, ATLAS SHRUGGED, have found their way into the backpacks of idealistic college students.  One suspects that many, because their relative youth causes them to see themselves as unique individuals, are seduced by the notion that they, too, are slated for Heroic status.  I have nothing against people having heroes; young people especially should have them.  But Howard Roark is no hero.  He's a stick figure that represents a hero.  I suspect too, that because of their general unreadability, students think the books are "deep."     In retrospect, it seems true that those people whom I knew in college who didn't finish this tract-posing-as-a-novel were people who tended to be relatively reasonable in their social and political views.  Those who did finish it, on the other hand, tended to be immoderate and dogmatic.   Judging by some of the reviews posted here,  this probably remains true today.
Output: NEG
When Heaven Invades Your Earth! . A life-altering book, read at all costs. Sermons put together in book form about stuff you really must put into action in your life if you really want to live
Output: POS
A little disappointing . Finders Keepers, by Linnea Sinclair is another scifi/romance.  It's an action/adventure story with plenty of romance, but set in a science fiction setting.    Captain Elliot and her C-3PO-type droid, named Dezi, find a marooned and unconscious man on a desolate planet. But the rescued man, Rhis, isn't who he claims to be. And Captain Elliot soon finds herself in the middle of conspiracy and treachery. Elliot seems to trust Rhis even though he has lied to her, simply because she's attracted to him.     The technical jargon is a bit much, as are Sinclair's made up words and language.  This book might have been easier to read (and not as corny), if she had toned down the bizarre language with so many "z's" and "v's."    On the other hand, her descriptives regarding appearances were seriously lacking. There was an alien species, but I have no idea what they looked like.  And no one else, other than the two main characters, was described in any detail either.    Besides my criticisms, there was a good story underneath, though the ending seemed a bit abrupt
Output: NEG
OVERSTATED "HELP" BOOK . Although I am not a veterinarian, I have worked in an animal hospital for two years.    First of all, according to our medical practice, this book gives some bad nurishment advice!  Milk (and milk products such as cream and half & half) are NOT a good food for many cats.  Their systems are often not equipped to digest the enzymes found in cows' milk.    Having said what was foremost on my mind, I am also very disappointed in the "behavior" advice from this author.  I found very little information on kittens.....and almost nothing useful (which is why I purchased this book in the first place!).    In fact, I absolutely disagree with Ms. Wilbourn's suggestions about introducing a new kitten into an adult cat home.  From the new kitten arriving via "escort" to you (as the responsible owner) and leaving the new kitten to fend for itself all afternoon, as your adult cat "takes care of himself and his kitten".  What dangerous nonsense this is!  Stop and think.....what a 10 lb. adult could do to a 2 lb. kitten, if so inclined?    Perhaps the cats in Manhatten are far more anthropomorphisized (as opposed to Ms. Wilbourn's coined word "catsonality") then the felines with which the rest of us are familiar?    For the record, I currently have a terrific 15 year old, as well as a very feisty 4 month old.  I should have seen warning signs when this 224 page (LARGE print book) began with a 19 page forward.  No doubt this forward is intended to demonstrate Ms. Wilbourn's considerable knowledge.  Sorry, it doesn't.    Bottom line?  Save your money and try another author....preferably someone with the letters D.V.M after his or her name
Output: NEG