Koncocoo

Best Criminology

Criminology: Theories, Patterns and Typologies
The bestselling text on the market and now in its thirteenth edition, CRIMINOLOGY: THEORIES, PATTERNS, AND TYPOLOGIES, delivers the most comprehensive, in-depth analysis of criminological theory and crime typologies available -- showing you how criminology relates to criminal justice policy. Dr. Siegel began his teaching career at Northeastern University and has also held teaching positions at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, and in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UML). Dr. Siegel has written extensively in the area of crime and justice, including books on juvenile law, delinquency, criminology, corrections, criminal justice, and criminal procedure.
Reviews
"Criminology: Theories, Patterns and Typologies appears to be brand new, which is very nice with how pricey it is to rent it for my class I'm taking."
"my husband wanted one and he loves it."
"Rented book was brand new."
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Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Sapolsky's storytelling concept is delightful but it also has a powerful intrinsic logic: he starts by looking at the factors that bear on a person's reaction in the precise moment a behavior occurs, and then hops back in time from there, in stages, ultimately ending up at the deep history of our species and its evolutionary legacy. Sapolsky keeps going: How was that behavior influenced by structural changes in the nervous system over the preceding months, by that person's adolescence, childhood, fetal life, and then back to his or her genetic makeup? The result is one of the most dazzling tours d'horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted, a majestic synthesis that harvests cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines to provide a subtle and nuanced perspective on why we ultimately do the things we do...for good and for ill. Sapolsky builds on this understanding to wrestle with some of our deepest and thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, morality and free will, and war and peace. "Sapolsky has created an immensely readable, often hilarious romp through the multiple worlds of psychology, primatology, sociology and neurobiology to explain why we behave the way we do. “[Sapolskly’s] new book is his magnum opus, but is also strikingly different from his earlier work, veering sharply toward hard science as it looms myriad strands of his ruminations on human behavior. The familiar, enchanting Sapolsky tropes are here—his warm, witty voice, a sleight of hand that unfolds the mysteries of cognition—but Behave keeps the bar high. It is a magnificent culmination of integrative thinking, on par with similar authoritative works, such as Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Stee l and Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature .” — Michael Shermer, American Scholar. They should put Behave in hotel rooms instead of the Bible: the world would be a much better, wiser place” — Kate Fox, author of Watching the English. Behave ranges at great length from moral philosophy to social science, genetics to Sapolsky’s home turf of neurons and hormones—but all of it is aimed squarely at the question of why humans are so awful to each other, and whether the condition is terminal.” — Vulture. You feel like a lucky auditor in a fast-paced undergraduate course, where the implications of fascinating scientific findings are illuminated through topical stories and pop-culture allusions.” — Nature “Sapolsky’s book shows in exquisite detail how culture, context and learning shape everything our genes, brains, hormones and neurons do.” — Times Literary Supplement. “[Sapolsky] does an excellent job of bringing together the expansive literature of thousands of fascinating studies with clarity and humor….A tour-de-force.” — Library Journal (starred review). “Sapolsky finds not the high moral drama of the soul choosing good or evil but rather down-to-earth biology….a remarkably encyclopedic survey of the sciences illuminating human conduct.” — Booklist (starred review). “Read Robert Sapolsky’s marvelous book Behave and you’ll never again be surprised by the range and depth of our own bad behavior. —David Eagleman, PhD, neuroscientist at Stanford, author, presenter of PBS's The Brain " Behave is a beautifully crafted work about the biology of morality. Its depth and breadth of scholarship are amazing, building on Sapolsky’s own research and his vast knowledge of the neurobiology, genetic, and behavioral literature. For instance, Behave includes fair evaluations of complex debates (like over sociobiology) that I was involved in, and tackles controversial questions such as whether our hunter-gatherer ancestors warred on each other. All this is done brilliantly with a light and funny touch that shows why Sapolsky is recognized as one of the greatest teachers in science today.” —Paul R. Ehrlich, author of Human Natures.
Reviews
"The downside of reading Sapolsky's latest work is it will cause you to question long held beliefs about guilt or innocence, good and evil, moral or immoral."
"We are capable of both far worse than we want to believe and can do more to change the world for the better than we tend to think we're able; and in both cases it's because of things we don't know, can't explain or don't want to control. But the more we try to expand the tiny sliver of knowledge we do have, with respect for how small that sliver is; and the more awareness we can have that the world around us and our biology drive much more of what we do in any moment than our conscious intellect, emotions or "free will" do - the more hope we have of doing more to change the world with the little bit of actual influence we possess."
"Nature , nurture, early childhood experience (including abuse), and peer pressure all have an impact on behavior. There is no "silver bullet" that explains individual behavior. The pop culture rewrite probably would run 200 pages without the plumbing and wiring diagrams."
"This is an impressive book."
"The newest on brain science by the world wide expert, Robert Sapolsky."
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If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer
The book, called “one of the most chilling things I have ever read” by Barbara Walters, skyrocketed up bestseller lists across the country in fall 2007 as the national media relentlessly covered O.J. Simpson was tried for the crime in a case that captured the attention of the American people, but was ultimately acquitted of criminal charges. The victims' families brought a civil case against Simpson, which found him liable for willfully and wrongfully causing the deaths of Ron and Nicole committing battery with malice and oppression. Simpson more than any other author could, Simpson himself provides a fictional tell-all account of the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown. With an exclusive commentary read by Kim Goldman (Ron Goldman's sister), an account of writing the book with Simpson by ghostwriter Pablo F. Fenjves and an afterword by Dominick Dunne, listeners get an interesting balancing act of interests and motives for the publication of this story.
Reviews
"The book presents itself as a backdrop to the OJ and Nicole relationship."
"Famous murder took place in the 1994...One of the memorable trials to take place involving twist and turns."
"Amazing...he totally did it."
"Good book."
"I bought this only after I found out the money went to the Goldman family."
"It was ok but not really what I thought it would be."
"tell tell story."
"Nicole is presented as a decent girl who, over the years, becomes more and more demanding, emotionally draining and irrational. OJ presents himself as the perfect, stand-up guy who is so put-upon by this whack job, Nicole. Even when he lost his temper (which was, of course, all Nicole's fault and ONLY happened those times that were recorded on 911 calls), it was because he was such a good dad and worried about his kids - FOR THE CHILDREN! - he was pushed harder than any tolerant, rational good parent and decent man could stand. Even when presented with the opportunity to tell the truth while cloaking it in hypotheticals, OJ still lies. He must really have convinced himself that there is some story that will explain it all, have him coming across as the good guy and make people not just believe him, but like him and admire him. The only thing I learned from this book is that OJ, even after so much time to do it, isn't smart enough to come up with a decent, close-to-believable lie."
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Best Biology

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Now an HBO® Film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2010 : From a single, abbreviated life grew a seemingly immortal line of cells that made some of the most crucial innovations in modern science possible. Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, as was the custom then, turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Meanwhile, Henrietta's family continued to live in poverty and frequently poor health, and their discovery decades later of her unknowing contribution--and her cells' strange survival--left them full of pride, anger, and suspicion. Jad Abumrad is host and creator of the public radio hit Radiolab , now in its seventh season and reaching over a million people monthly. Just the simple facts are hard to believe: that in 1951, a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks dies of cervical cancer, but pieces of the tumor that killed her--taken without her knowledge or consent--live on, first in one lab, then in hundreds, then thousands, then in giant factories churning out polio vaccines, then aboard rocket ships launched into space. The cells from this one tumor would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry and become a foundation of modern science--leading to breakthroughs in gene mapping, cloning and fertility and helping to discover how viruses work and how cancer develops (among a million other things). But what's truly remarkable about Rebecca Skloot 's book is that we also get the rest of the story, the part that could have easily remained hidden had she not spent ten years unearthing it: Who was Henrietta Lacks?
Reviews
"This was a great book that I'm so glad I read."
"In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Rebecca Skloot introduces us to the “real live woman,” the children who survived her, and the interplay of race, poverty, science and one of the most important medical discoveries of the last 100 years. Skloot narrates the science lucidly, tracks the racial politics of medicine thoughtfully and tells the Lacks family’s often painful history with grace. When science appears, it does so effortlessly, with explanations of cell anatomy or techniques like “fluorescence in situ hybridization” seamlessly worked into descriptions of the coloured wards of Johns Hopkins hospital to Lacks’s hometown of Clover, Virginia. And yet for all its grand scope, skilful writing and touching compassion, there is one simple element that makes As a final thought, I was struck by the parallels between Henrietta’s cells and her story."
"The author did a great job of allowing the reader to decide if Henrietta's family should have profited from her cells."
"After reading about Henrietta Lacks, I began thinking about all the blood tests I've had done, and some minor surgeries I've had and I constantly wondered, what did those doctors and/or hospitals do with my tissues and/or blood? I realize there are laws in place now that weren't there when Henrietta lived, but to read how Dr. Gey took samples of Henrietta's cancerous tumor and used it to advance science and medicine as we know of it today, is mind-boggling. All of us living today should be thankful for Henrietta because she has done something that no one else seems to ever have been able to do, which is live immortally. Lacks' cells, while her family continues to live in poverty. I learned so much about cells and DNA, not to mention that just about every pill I've ever taken, most likely was the result of Henrietta's cells, which still grow today."
"When a friend recommended this book I'd never heard of Henrietta Lacks or HeLa."
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Best Neurology

The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline
Now, The End of Alzheimer’s brings new hope to a broad audience of patients, caregivers, physicians, and treatment centers with a fascinating look inside the science and a complete step-by-step plan that fundamentally changes how we treat and even think about AD. " The End of Alzheimer's , for the first time, synthesizes the latest science into a practical plan that can reverse Alzheimer's and dramatically improve brain health and function. —Chris Kresser, M.S., L.Ac Founder, Kresser Institute for Functional & Evolutionary Medicine, Author of the New York Times best seller The Paleo Cure " The End of Alzheimer’s is a masterful, authoritative, and ultimately hopeful patient guide to functional medicine for your brain. "Dr. Dale Bredesen is a world class neuroscientist/neurologist who through his innovative and exacting research has discovered a safe and effective approach to the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease that will revolutionize the way we think about the disease." —Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACN, FACB; President, Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute " The End of Alzheimer's offers a new beginning in Medicine — changing the focus from a singular disease to recognizing the systems-based approach required to care for the whole person. —Patrick Hanaway, MD, Founding Medical Director, Director of Research, Center for Functional Medicine, Cleveland Clinic "In this engaging, heartfelt, and insightful book, Dr. Bredesen elucidates a bold new approach to Alzheimer's, rooted in decades of his own pioneering research.
Reviews
"Watching her decline has been heart wrenching, and I'm constantly trying to find ways to make her life better. I first heard of the Bredesen Protocal last winter, when Maria Shriver discussed it on the Today Show. Live your life in a way that keeps your brain supplied with as many as possible of the 36 factors that influence whether APP gets cut into the destructive quartet or the beneficial duo. Several years ago, I struggled with brain fog and often had difficulty remembering numbers for even a couple of minutes. I reached a point where I thought I would die, so I wrote my will and made plans for my dogs after I was gone. I used the USDA Super Tracker to make sure that my diet exceeded the RDA for every nutrient they tracked. Long story short, I fell back into old habits, abandoned my perfect diet and exercise program, and gradually regained weight. Dr. Bredesen states in the book that his protocol may not work for frontal lobe and other types of dementias. I feel that it's still very important to heed his advice, as Alzheimers often doesn't get a definite diagnosis until after death."
"Dr. Bredeson is a rare physician that has escaped the confines of conventional medicine and explored strategies that really do radically reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and improve those that already have the condition. Because we have a tsunami of Alzheimer’s disease approaching on and it is on track to take the lives of 45 million of the 325 million Americans alive today. He is the director of Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, He has identified a number of molecular mechanisms at work in this disease, and has created a novel program to treat and reverse it that he calls ReCODE (Reversal of Cognitive Decline). Many are concerned about this disease and have had themselves tested for the genetic risk factor Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (ApoE4). His ReCode program discussed three dozen different tests that one can screen for and if they are abnormal they can be addressed to improve the synaptic balance to a more healthy level and reverse or radically reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s."
"None of the Bredesen Protocol is part of the Kaiser program, and the physicians we spoke with did not even know what a functional medicine physician is, but did not think that Kaiser had one. Fortunately, we were able to qualify for a Bredesen Immersion program with Dr. Bredesen and a team he assembled of trained functional medicine physicians in March 2017."
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Best Comparative Law

War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony
Through oral histories, personal interviews, eyewitness accounts, congressional testimony, and recently declassified FBI files, War Against All Puerto Ricans tells the story of a forgotten revolution and its context in Puerto Rico's history, from the US invasion in 1898 to the modern-day struggle for self-determination. "In searing and well-researched prose, former New York assemblyman and El Diario editorial director Denis covers a much-neglected side of U.S. imperialist and colonial practice in Puerto Rico...The historical account he adeptly weaves unabashedly reveals the government's racist and often predatory actions toward its Caribbean colony...This timely, eye-opening title is as much a must-read as Juan Gonzalez's Harvest of Empire ." "[Nelson Denis] provides scathing insights into Washington's response to Albizu Campos's nationalist party and its violent revolution in 1950 that still has broad implications...his perspective of largely overlooked history could not be more timely." —New York Times " War Against All Puerto Ricans was published...to supply the world with the hard truths about the small island's history. Like many other colonized places, specific details about Puerto Rico are swept under rugs and when revealed, they are watered down, whitewashed or, worse, omitted. “A patient, calibrated, fully-researched study of the mendacious, hypocritical way the United States treats its Caribbean colony, castrating its leadership, bombarding its villages, experimenting biologically with its population. "The response inspired by War Against All Puerto Ricans is visceral: rage, guilt, despair, fear...an indictment of ongoing American policy. If this electoral season (for president, in the US; for governor, on the island) is to offer anything more than a contest of popular appeal and private funding, this book must play a role—this is a history of which all candidates should be informed and a present question to which they all must respond." “As more than a half century of failed US policy toward Cuba comes to a slow end, Nelson Denis's fascinating new book is a timely reminder of that other island in the Caribbean that the United States took possession of in 1898: Puerto Rico. "In War Against All Puerto Ricans , Nelson Denis uncovers one of the darkest parts of America's domestic and foreign policy. Denis provides a more detailed account, thanks to exclusive interviews conducted over a span of decades, as well as thousands of public records, including recently de-classified FBI documents." Here we have a full-throated eulogy of brave heroes, men and women of conviction, who devoted every drop of their blood to a people and a principle...Denis packs 258 pages (plus another 71 pages of notes) with detailed accounts of government corruption, police abuse, Wall Street greed, scientific experimentation, politicking, graft, racism, wholesale slaughter, surveillance, assassinations, eugenics, propaganda, espionage, forgery and falsification — all within the span of half a century, and on an island no bigger than Connecticut." “A meticulous and riveting account of the decades-long clash between the Puerto Rican independence movement, led by Pedro Albizu Campos, and the commonwealth's U.S.-appointed stewards, national police force, the FBI and, ultimately, the U.S. Army" —Ray Monell, New York Daily News.
Reviews
"I was stunned and astounded by Nelson Denis’enthralling book, “ War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony.” This book documents a "secret history" of Puerto Rico that is not taught in our schools - not in the US, and definitely not in Puerto Rico. Yet these events did happen, and they are presented this meticulously researched book with nearly 100 pages of footnotes as well as many intriguing photos of that epoch. By the end of the book, the entire US government has been placed on the witness stand, cross-examined, and found guilty of stealing an entire island."
"Everybody should read this book, Puerto Ricans and non-Puerto Ricans alike."
"It is a historical book; it exposes the tragic history of my country and how it was raped and pillaged by the US empire."
"This is a comprehensive and enthralling book detailing the injustices endured by Puerto Ricans, particularly during the earlier decades of the American occupation of Puerto Rico."
"This book have gave me a better understanding of the present situation regarding the island status and chaos."
"Bombing two towns in broad daylight...arresting 3,000 Puerto Ricans...jailing and torturing hundreds of them...killing and maiming over 200 of them on Palm Sunday...keeping secret FBI files on over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND Puerto Ricans...arresting anyone who owned a Puerto Rican flag, or sang the national anthem..."
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Best Neuroscience

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Sapolsky's storytelling concept is delightful but it also has a powerful intrinsic logic: he starts by looking at the factors that bear on a person's reaction in the precise moment a behavior occurs, and then hops back in time from there, in stages, ultimately ending up at the deep history of our species and its evolutionary legacy. Sapolsky keeps going: How was that behavior influenced by structural changes in the nervous system over the preceding months, by that person's adolescence, childhood, fetal life, and then back to his or her genetic makeup? The result is one of the most dazzling tours d'horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted, a majestic synthesis that harvests cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines to provide a subtle and nuanced perspective on why we ultimately do the things we do...for good and for ill. Sapolsky builds on this understanding to wrestle with some of our deepest and thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, morality and free will, and war and peace. "Sapolsky has created an immensely readable, often hilarious romp through the multiple worlds of psychology, primatology, sociology and neurobiology to explain why we behave the way we do. “[Sapolskly’s] new book is his magnum opus, but is also strikingly different from his earlier work, veering sharply toward hard science as it looms myriad strands of his ruminations on human behavior. The familiar, enchanting Sapolsky tropes are here—his warm, witty voice, a sleight of hand that unfolds the mysteries of cognition—but Behave keeps the bar high. It is a magnificent culmination of integrative thinking, on par with similar authoritative works, such as Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Stee l and Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature .” — Michael Shermer, American Scholar. They should put Behave in hotel rooms instead of the Bible: the world would be a much better, wiser place” — Kate Fox, author of Watching the English. Behave ranges at great length from moral philosophy to social science, genetics to Sapolsky’s home turf of neurons and hormones—but all of it is aimed squarely at the question of why humans are so awful to each other, and whether the condition is terminal.” — Vulture. You feel like a lucky auditor in a fast-paced undergraduate course, where the implications of fascinating scientific findings are illuminated through topical stories and pop-culture allusions.” — Nature “Sapolsky’s book shows in exquisite detail how culture, context and learning shape everything our genes, brains, hormones and neurons do.” — Times Literary Supplement. “[Sapolsky] does an excellent job of bringing together the expansive literature of thousands of fascinating studies with clarity and humor….A tour-de-force.” — Library Journal (starred review). “Sapolsky finds not the high moral drama of the soul choosing good or evil but rather down-to-earth biology….a remarkably encyclopedic survey of the sciences illuminating human conduct.” — Booklist (starred review). “Read Robert Sapolsky’s marvelous book Behave and you’ll never again be surprised by the range and depth of our own bad behavior. —David Eagleman, PhD, neuroscientist at Stanford, author, presenter of PBS's The Brain " Behave is a beautifully crafted work about the biology of morality. Its depth and breadth of scholarship are amazing, building on Sapolsky’s own research and his vast knowledge of the neurobiology, genetic, and behavioral literature. For instance, Behave includes fair evaluations of complex debates (like over sociobiology) that I was involved in, and tackles controversial questions such as whether our hunter-gatherer ancestors warred on each other. All this is done brilliantly with a light and funny touch that shows why Sapolsky is recognized as one of the greatest teachers in science today.” —Paul R. Ehrlich, author of Human Natures.
Reviews
"The downside of reading Sapolsky's latest work is it will cause you to question long held beliefs about guilt or innocence, good and evil, moral or immoral."
"We are capable of both far worse than we want to believe and can do more to change the world for the better than we tend to think we're able; and in both cases it's because of things we don't know, can't explain or don't want to control. But the more we try to expand the tiny sliver of knowledge we do have, with respect for how small that sliver is; and the more awareness we can have that the world around us and our biology drive much more of what we do in any moment than our conscious intellect, emotions or "free will" do - the more hope we have of doing more to change the world with the little bit of actual influence we possess."
"Nature , nurture, early childhood experience (including abuse), and peer pressure all have an impact on behavior. There is no "silver bullet" that explains individual behavior. The pop culture rewrite probably would run 200 pages without the plumbing and wiring diagrams."
"This is an impressive book."
"The newest on brain science by the world wide expert, Robert Sapolsky."
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Best Neuroscience

Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
In Brain Rules , Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule—what scientists know for sure about how our brains work—and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. Every brain is wired differently. Exercise improves cognition. We are designed to never stop learning and exploring. Memories are volatile. Sleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learn. Vision trumps all of the other senses. Stress changes the way we learn. In the end, you’ll understand how your brain really works—and how to get the most out of it. John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and research consultant.
Reviews
"These sections are. Survival: How our brain is a product of our evolution, and some traits it has adopted as a result. Exercise: How exercise improves our cognitive abilities and staves off dementia. Sleep: What the brain does during sleep, how people are biologically predisposed to various sleep patterns, and how to use naps to improve performance. Stress: The various biochemicals involved with stress and how to have less stressful relationships and life. Wiring: How neurons interact, develop, and function. Attention: How multitasking works (or doesn't work), the relationship between emotion and attention, and the need for relaxation to enhance focus. Memory: How memory formation works and the optimal way to remember things. Sensory Integration: How all of the senses work together to provide a cohesive experience, and how multiple senses can be utilized to improve learning. Vision: How vision trumps all of the other senses and can be used to create more effective presentations. Music: How music can cause improvements in cognition, be therapeutic, and how music training can improve cognition. Gender: Differences between the genders in physiology, socialization, emotional reactions, and memory."
"It is just as easy to theorize that humans that stayed put tended to survive and propogate as it is to theorize that humans who explored survived and propogated. It's time that scientists kept an open mind on the reason humans are the way we are and stopped religiously explaining findings by using evolution (and survival) as a "sanity check"."
"The author tells great engaging stories along with sharing tons of information about how brains work and what makes them function best."
"This is easily one of the most relevant and potentially life-changing books I have ever read...and it is a hoot to read!"
"This book just oozes with credibility and interesting insights into the brain."
"I enjoyed the book and found especially valuable information on the newer discoveries about memory, I.e., each time we have a memory we infuse new data into it, so the only stable memory is one not remembered."
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Best Professional Responsibility & Law Ethics

Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice
A tragic suicide, a likely murder, wrongful imprisonment, and gripping courtroom scenes draw readers into this compelling story giving them a frightening perspective on justice corrupted and who should be accountable when evidence is withheld. The takeaway is that both Bushies and Obamaites should be very afraid: over the last few years, a coterie of vicious and unethical prosecutors who are unfit to practice law has been harbored within and enabled by the now ironically named Department of Justice.''. ''When you ve finished reading this fast-paced thriller, you will want to stand up and applaud Powell's courage in daring to shine light into the darkest recesses of America's justice system. ''I have covered hundreds of court cases over the years and have witnessed far too often the kind of duplicity and governmental heavy-handedness Ms. Powell describes in her well-written book, Licensed to Lie.''.
Reviews
"I have been lied to, threatened with bar complaints and had complaints made to judges behind my back, all for trying to provide a zealous defense to my client."
"heckuva accounting of crooked government prosecutors-------."
"Revealing story of the mis-deeds done by Federal prosecutors in the name of “justice” whilst feathering their own nest with promotion to higher echelons."
"It is a damning indictment of what is supposed to be the epitome of our country's 'justice' system, our corrupt and corrupting Department of Justice as well as a few courtrooms in this country, to boot. So many lives ruined because a few (or many) justice department lawyers apparently valued their own upward career mobility over the very reason for their existence in their positions...JUSTICE."
"When I was a teenager I read the Exorcist, and until today, no book I have read since has come close to being as scary."
"Got a hard copy and kindle. Great book."
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Best Sociology

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Best Archaeology

Gobekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods: The Temple of the Watchers and the Discovery of Eden
An exploration of the megalithic complex at Göbekli Tepe, who built it, and how it gave rise to legends regarding the foundations of civilization. • Details the layout, architecture, and exquisite carvings at Göbekli Tepe. As much as 7,000 years older than the Great Pyramid and Stonehenge, its strange buildings and rings of T-shaped monoliths--built with stones weighing from 10 to 15 tons--show a level of sophistication and artistic achievement unmatched until the rise of the great civilizations of the ancient world, Sumer, Egypt, and Babylon. “Andrew Collins has not only written the definitive explanation of Gobekli Tepe, but he has probably explained one of the most important mysteries of all time: Where and how did modern humans evolve? This is a masterpiece of work that brings ancient history to life.” ( Gregory Little, author of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Mounds & Earthworks and ed ). Göbekli Tepe awakens ancient memory to process deeply hidden trauma, from the past because it is a faithful and accurate depiction of the Paleolithic advanced culture.
Reviews
"This was a gift for my husband for Christmas."
"Interesting reading, the first pass at history from 5000 to 15000 years BC."
"Some good information about the site, bit then followed by a lot of speculation and conjecture."
"Well written and researched but maybe not the book to start with."
"Good book, there is a lot of very interesting views."
"Speculative, but apparently well researched."
"This is probably not for everyone but for those with an interest in alternative archaeology and speculative history this is a must read."
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Best Psychology

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The. Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy.
Reviews
"I read the audio version of this book multiple times, bought copies of it for clients, and shared it with friends. After reading Michael's book, I simply allowed irrelevant, erroneous, totally made up thoughts to just float on by without attaching my emotions to them. It means you're no longer an emotional puppet on the string of everyone else's behavior, attitudes, decisions, choices, etc. I LOVED the audio version of the book because the person who read it was perfect for the content. I've read TONS of other books on similar topics but the way Michael conveyed the material was unique and different and I really GOT IT!"
"Some of the points made in The Untethered Soul are: 1. Learn to relax and stay open no matter what. Do not identify with the experiences you are observing. Facing the fact of bodily death can help you to realize that all of the observed is temporary. Do not allow painful experiences from the past to influence the present. If you want a life full of joy and love you must make a commitment to having a life full of joy and love. Learn how to live from your heart, not from your ego. The Untethered Soul is my second most favorite book on the subject of how to transcend the ego and how to realize the true Self and directly experience that perfect infinite consciousness that has only joy and love and has no suffering. My most favorite book on that subject is THE SEVEN STEPS TO AWAKENING which is a collection of quotes by these seven authors: 1."
"I see life and the spiritual journey differently, and though I do believe we all should strive for a happier life and a more peaceful spirit, I don't believe it is desirable to live without some unhappiness, some worries, some fears. The author contradicts himself many times, but more importantly doesn't indicate any awareness that he has contradicted himself. Thus, while the author makes many statements throughout that I agree with, he also constantly is making other statements that contradict previous ones, giving me the impression that he is just writing a stream of consciousness of statements cherry-picked to resonate with a broad range of spiritual-enlightenment-seekers, without much regard to whether those statements gel together to form a cohesive whole. Structure. I would not want to take that away from anyone, but sadly, it is not the book for me."
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Best Anthropology

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Best Geography

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Best Political Science

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
#1 New York Times Bestseller |. Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction | Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction | Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award | Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize | Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize | An American Library Association Notable Book A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.” — The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.” —John Grisham “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow “A distinguished NYU law professor and MacArthur grant recipient offers the compelling story of the legal practice he founded to protect the rights of people on the margins of American society. It is inspiring and suspenseful—a revelation.” —Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns “Words such as important and compelling may have lost their force through overuse, but reading this book will restore their meaning, along with one’s hopes for humanity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains “Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation.” —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Reviews
"My tendency is to put things into "liberal" and "conservative" buckets and this one seemingly fit into the liberal bucket and I am a professed conservative."
"I have a new hero . Bryan Stevenson. This is a great book."
"This is a system that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole, that makes petty theft a crime as serious as murder, and that has declared war on hundreds of thousands of people with substance abuse problems by imprisoning them and denying them help. JUST MERCY explores a number of devastating cases, including children as young as fourteen facing life imprisonment, and scores of people on death row - mostly poor, and mostly black - who have been unfairly convicted. But the central focus is on Walter McMillan, a black man sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent young white woman. Ours is no longer a country that sees compassion as a virtue; instead, we write harsher and harsher laws that demand longer and longer sentences for those we consider undesirables. It's rare these days to meet someone who truly dedicates himself to those least able to help themselves, especially someone who isn't after media attention or self-promotion."
"Corruption and prejudice in the 1950's led to sending many innocent blacks and poor people to prison."
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Best Military Sciences

On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
On Combat looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measures warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. Expanding on Lt. Col. Grossman s popular "Bulletproof mind" presentation, the book explores what really happens to the warrior after the battle, and shows how emotions, such as relief and self-blame, are natural and healthy ways to feel about having survived combat. In their description of Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Slate Magazine said, "Grossman cuts such a heroic, omnicompetent figure, he could have stepped out of a video game." Col. Grossman's research was cited by the President of the United States in a national address, and he has testified before the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, and numerous state legislatures.
Reviews
"Wow, is this an awesome book."
"Great book, I would highly recommend this to everyone. This is one of the must have on your bookshelf books."
""On Killing" (Dave Grossman's first book) and this book were required reading for some special ops units and should be required for ALL MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY for their first promotion!"
"Although we caution officers and soldiers not to get a Superman Complex, but to fight wisely, Grossman shows that fighting like a smart immortal greatly increases your rate of victory and survival. If you are a professional that routinely goes into harms way, read it, and then pass it on to your spouse and co-workers; it just might save a life, and help someone keep their sanity."
"I had an issue with this order and the seller resolved my problem to full satisfaction within hours."
"excellent book by one authority in this field ."
"If you would have told me I'd not only read a pychology book, but actually enjoy it, I'd have told you you were nuts."
"While there are some aspects I think are concluded at a cursory level, and believe there is something deeper to explain the aspect, issue or theory, all in all I think it has many, many interesting insights - that's from a guy with some applicable experience."
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Best Gender Studies

Iron John: A Book about Men
Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John"—in which a mentor or "Wild Man" guides a young man through eight stages of male growth—to remind us of ways of knowing long forgotten, images of deep and vigorous masculinity centered in feeling and protective of the young. Robert Bly is a poet, author, translator, activist, and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement.
Reviews
"our society would be a better place if this book became required reading for every young man."
"Somewhat scholarly, but all men should read this."
"A great look at the Grimm tale that few people even know of."
"Exactly as advertised."
"I can see and starting to understand my father a lot."
"I was recommended to read this book thru a mens group that i participate in."
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Best Gay & Lesbian Studies

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition
A monumental, subversive, altogether remarkable masterwork Details of specific catastrophes may have changed since this Reagan-era AIDS epic won the Pulitzer and the Tony, but the real cosmic and human obsessions—power, religion, sex, responsibility, the future of the world—are as perilous, yet as falling-down funny, as ever.” –Linda Winer, Newsday. It ranks as nothing less than one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century." One of the most honored American plays in history, Angels in America was awarded two Tony Awards for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. ; A Bright Room Called Day ; Homebody/Kabul ; Caroline, or Change , a musical with composer Jeanine Tesori; and The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures . His books include The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present; Brundibar , with illustrations by Maurice Sendak; and Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict , co-edited with Alisa Solomon. The most ambitious America play of our time: an epic that ranges from earth to heaven; focuses on politics, sex, and religion; transports us to Washington, the Kremlin, the South Bronx, Salt Lake City and Antarctica; deals with Jews, Mormons, WASPs, blacks; switches between realism and fantasy, from the tragedy of AIDS to the camp comedy of drag queens to the death or at least absconding of God Angels in America is the broadest, deepest, most searching American play of our time." But in fact he has been there so often that he seems to have passed right through it Angels , so much a cry in the dark about AIDS when it was written, seems now to be as much about the Earth’s potentially fatal illness as gay men’s.” –Jesse Green, New York.
Reviews
"The characters were well rounded."
"My copy of Angels in America came in mint condition."
"Every scene is a sharp stand alone event."
"Wonderful."
"This story is so touching, and so timeless."
"It is an eye opening tale that allows the reader to be engulfed in change and dream of a world of acceptance."
"A SPECTACULAR PLAY."
"this is the best piece of literature I have ever read."
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