Diamonds: In the Heart of the Earth, in the Heart of Stars, at the Heart of Power (Editions Adam Biro Books)

Book Description

Showcases the most stunning and recent photographs of the world's most dazzling diamonds along with the most up-to-date information about them.

Customer Reviews:

Diamonds for all.......2003-05-28

The information in this book is accurate, interesting and very readable. The ilustrations are superb.
An invaluable resource for anyone studying diamonds but also written in such a way that it is of general interest.
This book has proved very popular here in Sydney - I have already ordered 11 copies for myself and my gemmologist friends.

Comprehensive.......2002-09-25

I believe that this is the most comprehensive general textbook on diamonds out there. It covers EVERYTHING: natural history, the diamond industry, diamond-cutting, gemology, jewelry, mythology and symbolism, chemistry and physics, natural formation and man-made synthesis... The original research is very impressive (it was commissioned by the French Natural History Museum to when they did their blockbuster exhibition on diamonds a couple of years ago). Among other things, it convincingly rebuts the theory that diamond-cutting was invented in India and presents a considerable amount of information on famous diamonds from archive sources. The illustrations are also impressive, including archive photos from De Beers that were developed and printed for the first time in over a century.

Book Description

When designer Liz Lange was thinking about getting pregnant for the first time, and watching her friends struggle with the available choices in maternity wear, she was shocked. With no shortage of baggy tops, gaudy bows, and pants with big panels, Liz was faced with the frustrating truth: “fashion” and “pregnancy” do not always make a compatible pair. Luckily for pregnant women all over, the result was Liz’s renowned collection of classic, comfortable maternity wear.

Now, Liz Lange’s Maternity Style presents all of Liz’s personal and professional insights for women who refuse to relinquish chic simply because they are expecting. In her direct, upbeat voice, Liz shows how to make the most of a “difficult, fashion-challenged time” without replacing your entire wardrobe. Celebrating the swelling belly so many maternity clothes attempt to camouflage, her tasteful approach shows pregnant women how to dress both to accentuate and to slim their changing bodies (including those pesky postpartum months spent working your way back into your favorite jeans).

Liz Lange’s Maternity Style provides advice on everything from color choice to accessories, casual Fridays to holiday parties, exercise or lounge wear to weekend staples—all building from a carefully selected wardrobe focused on mixing and matching, sensibility and style. Lively illustrations, fun celebrity photos, and great features, like must-have pieces and splurge vs. save items, all add up to a friendly, eminently useful, and fun-to-read guide.

A much-needed handbook for the roller coaster ride that is pregnancy, Liz Lange’s Maternity Style will help you keep your sense of style and self.

Customer Reviews:

Useless.......2004-07-09

I was extremely disappointed with this book. I see pictures of clothes and do not know where to find them or if I can even afford them. I see celebrities who had tons of help to look good but no real women.

Average customer rating:
Real Estate Challenge: The Capitalizing on Change
William J. Poorvu
Manufacturer: South-Western Educational Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Real Estate Market Analysis: A Case Study Approach

ASIN: 0324137907

Book Description

This is a collection of Harvard cases providing a framework for analysis of developing and investing in real estate. They include the basics of real estate investments, how the real estate environment of the 1990s is different from the 1970s and 1980s, and how to deal with change in a cyclical market.

Real Estate Challenge: The Capitalizing on Change

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Real Estate Challenge: The Capitalizing on Change
William J. Poorvu
Manufacturer: South-Western Educational Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUELVK

Book Description

During "the thaw" from Stalin’s death in 1953 to the late 1960s and Khrushchev’s rule, Soviet society experienced major transformations. So did films. In this first comprehensive account of the relationship between politics and cinema in this period, Josephine Woll skillfully interweaves cultural history with film analysis to explore how movies at once responded to the changes around them and helped engender them. She considers dozens of individual films within the context of Khrushchev’s policies and the artistic foment they inspired.

Customer Reviews:

A Much Needed Book.......2002-06-17

REAL IMAGES is a very interesting look at Soviet Cinema from 1953 to 1967. I can't think of another book that deals with the films of this era so completely. It is the book to turn to when one has finished Peter Kenez's history of Soviet Cinema to 1953.

What makes the book so interesting is that the author has investigated the background to each film, such as the controversy that projects such as "Carnival Night," "Nine Days of One Year" and "Ilich's Gate/I Am Twenty" generated before and during filming. These critical responses are tied to the political shifts of the Khrushchev era.

If there are any drawbacks, it is that the book opens slow, but then the interesting films didn't really start appearing until 1956. Also, the Shakespeare films of Soviet directors aren't really covered, but I can understand why the author made that choice.

Still, the positive features far outweigh any criticism. The book gives new perspective on directors such as Mikhail Romm, and shows the start of the careers of directors such as Eldar Riazonov and Elim Klimov. It adds flesh and spirit to the overviews of "Thaw" era Soviet cinema that appeared in The Most Important Art and other books.

Book Description

Real Images is the first book to investigate, and analyze Soviet cinema of "the thaw" from the aftermath of Stalin's death in 1953 to the late 1960s, during Kruschev's rule. Josephine Woll explains how Soviet industry and filmmakers strove to satisfy audiences' hunger for films, while accommodating the political mood shifts that characterized the period. Film and filmmakers played a critical role in the Soviet Union's attempts to get out from underneath Stalinist ideology.

Real Images: Soviet Cinema and the Thaw.(Book Review): An article from: The Modern Language Review

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Real Images: Soviet Cinema and the Thaw.(Book Review): An article from: The Modern Language Review
Evgeni Dobrenko
Manufacturer: Modern Humanities Research Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 654 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Real Images: Soviet Cinema and the Thaw.(Book Review)
Author: Evgeni Dobrenko
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2003
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 98 Issue: 2 Page: 535-536

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Lee Evans Arranges Contemporary Christian Inspirations: Lee Evans Arranges
Lee Evans
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0634015095

Book Description

Great Evans arrangements of 12 sacred favorites: Arms of Love * Crucified with Christ * El Shaddai * Feel the Nails * Friend of a Wounded Heart * Friends * Jesus Will Still Be There * Joy in the Journey * Love Will Be Our Home * On My Knees * Shepherd of My Heart * Where There Is Faith.

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Crosswords for Hollywood lovers

Stanley Newman's Screen Legend Crosswords (Other)
Stanley Newman
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0812934717
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Book Description

·50 brand-new puzzles about 50 screen legends–from Katharine Hepburn, who won her first Academy Award in 1933, to Denzel Washington, who won his second in 2002
·A bit of dialogue and fascinating factoids about each puzzle’s subject
·Hundreds of movie-related clues

Customer Reviews:

Crosswords for Hollywood lovers.......2006-02-28

I have never been very good at crossword puzzles, but now I am hooked on any book by Stanley Newman. This book mixes new stars with classic ones along with triva related to Hollywood, acting, theatre, and generel knowledge. If you do one or more of his books, you can sort of figure out his style of clue writing without making any clues easy. It's a great puzzle book for anyone who's tries crosswords before but found them too hard-if you happen to know Hollywood trivia.

Book Description

The Black Book of Outsourcing is a comprehensive guide and directory for the emerging field of outsourcing, including expert advice on how to operate an outsourcing program, how to deal with the political aspects of outsourcing, and how to find a career in outsourcing. A controversial and emotional subject among business leaders and workers in the global business community, outsourcing is fast becoming one of the greatest organizational and industrial shifts in modern history. In this one-of-a-kind resource, outsourcing gurus Douglas Brown and Scott Wilson chart a course for business leaders charged with managing outsourcing initiatives and present a wealth of employment opportunities for workers who want to enter this growing field.

Download Description

"The Black Book of Outsourcing is a comprehensive guide and directory for the emerging field of outsourcing, including expert advice on how to operate an outsourcing program, how to deal with the political aspects of outsourcing, and how to find a career in outsourcing. A controversial and emotional subject among business leaders and workers in the global business community, outsourcing is fast becoming one of the greatest organizational and industrial shifts in modern history. In this one-of-a-kind resource, outsourcing gurus Douglas Brown and Scott Wilson chart a course for business leaders charged with managing outsourcing initiatives and present a wealth of employment opportunities for workers who want to enter this growing field. "

Customer Reviews:

Black Book of outsourcing.......2007-09-13

This book is excellent. It discusses why outsourcing is essential for doing business and the process requried to do so. It is straight forward, good for not only for Companies interested to outsource, but also anybody who is interested to learn about outsourcing.

New Revised & Updated "BLACK BOOK" coming in 2008!.......2007-09-03

Outsourcing buyers, clients, advisors, analysts, investors, managers, executives and media all quote this book as the "bible of outsourcing"! We're looking forward to the 2008 edition which is coming out next year.

EXCELLENT!.......2006-11-03

The book offered very useful information and guidelines that could immediately apply to our work. Additionally, the author has revealed a new path to business knowledge, offering further opportunities to pursue the successful implementation of company strategic goals in an ever-changing and challenging business environment.

A Different Take on the Outsourcing Debate.......2006-10-12

With Lou Dobbs and a host of others focusing only on the negative aspects of outsourcing, it's refreshing to see someone talk about how outsourcing can drive economic growth also. The dominance of service businesses is restructuring the economy and, like all change, some of it will be painful. Good jobs will come from value-added activity, not by bemoaning the inevitable. Outsourcing is just another way that the market exposes management inefficiency.

Buy This If You're Only Going to Buy One Outsourcing Book in Your Career - it has it all.......2006-06-08

This outsourcing book is by far the best on the shelf. The other outsourcing books I've read (as a corporate trainer, I've read over a dozen) focus on the history of outsourcing, the effects of outsourcing and the mundane aspects of the subject.

The Black Book of Outsourcing is a comprehensive and dynamic collection of hard to find information, resources and advice:

Section One - is for Managers and Workers either affected by outsourcing or wanting to improve their performance by understanding the HOW-TO of outsourcing.

Section Two - uniquely focuses on job seekers, career changers, and new grads - all of who are looking for the hottest careers and how to qualify for them. No just what its all about but how to make it work for your career and job search.

Section Three - provides executives, entrepreneurs and business owners with the knowledge of how to start an outsourcing firm, how to use outsourcing to ramp up fast profits in a start up, and how to reinfuse cash into your business or company.

The wide range of subject matter, directories (for instance: outsourcing vendors), resources, anecdotals, in-depth How-To and step-by-step directions make this the best outsourcing book available. Its also extremely current and has reliable trusted date which we use. The manuals are part of our workers training and I often see the books dog-earred and post-it noted on our staffs desk. You'll use it for years to come. Trust me - its a great value of exceptional advice.

Average customer rating:

This is a book you want all your girlfriends to read and cherish

little book for our little lives

A Disappointment

Vicarious Mentoring

I was disappointed

A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman
Joan Anderson
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Gift from the Sea: 50th Anniversary Edition

ASIN: 0767914759
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Book Description

Shortly after arriving on Cape Cod to spend a year by herself, Joan Anderson’s chance encounter with a wise, playful, and astonishing woman helped her usher in the transformations and self-discoveries that led to her ongoing renewal. First glimpsed as a slender figure on a fogged-in beach, Joan Erikson was not only a friend and confidante when one was most needed, but also a guide as Anderson stretched and grew into her unfinished self.

Joan Erikson was perhaps best known for her collaboration with her husband, Erik, a pioneering psychoanalyst and noted author. After Erik’s death, she wrote several books extending their theory of the stages of life to reflect her understanding of aging as she neared ninety-five. But her wisdom was best taught through their friendship; as she sat with Anderson, weaving tapestries of their lives with brightly colored yarn while exploring the strength gathered from their accumulated experiences, Joan Erikson’s lessons took shape on their small cardboard looms as well as in her friend’s revitalized life.

In writing about their extraordinary friendship, Anderson reveals a need she didn’t know she had: for a mentor to help navigate the transitions she faced as she grew beyond middle age. And when Joan Erikson had to face her husband’s death and the growing limitations of her own body, Anderson was able to give back some of the wisdom she had gleaned. To this poignant, joyful account, Joan Anderson brings the candor and sensitivity that have made her an acclaimed speaker and writer on midlife and its possibilities. A Walk on the Beach is an experience to savor and treasure, a glimpse of the exuberant spirit that can be sustained and passed on in all our friendships.

Customer Reviews:

This is a book you want all your girlfriends to read and cherish .......2007-09-28

Joan Anderson captures a woman's heart and soul. This a book for any woman who is searching to find herself and her place in the world. I feel my life has been enriched by reading this lovely story. Joan Erickson is the wise woman we all long to sit at the feet of and perhaps some day become. I have bought copies for all my women friends. Thank you Joan Anderson for sharing your story and Friendship with Joan Erickson with the world!

little book for our little lives .......2006-10-24

Sure its a "silly" little book about two women trying to get on with their lives with a little joy and self-direction. It is a testament to our "enlightenment" that the steps of re-tooling to the downhill road of life are possible to portray in light, even joyful movements. It might have been "important" for Erik Erikson to come up with the big picture of the 8 stages, but for us old people the stagecoach keeps moving, often in areas not exactly friendly. So Joan Erikson's 9th stage is a real blessing to us, even if the dance in gerotrancendance has overtones of Shakespeare's stages. At least it is not the somber of Shakespeare, and even the 10th stage (that of poor Erik as silent nursing home patient) has a bit of joy in the narrative. As a nursing home chaplain, I wanted to be in the narrative, it was so inviting!

A Disappointment.......2006-08-30

I enjoyed Joan's first two books, but this one was a disappointment. I don't see that Joan Erikson really helped Joan Anderson become her own person. Instead, Anderson often seemed childlike in her relationship with Erikson, allowing Erikson's voice to be more powerful than her own. Surely Anderson is mature enough to know whether she wants to cut her hair, and doesn't need Erikson to dictate what she should wear to a business meeting! Erikson may have had some valuable words of wisdom, but a true mentor honors who you are and encourages you to become your truest self without projecting their own preferences.

Vicarious Mentoring.......2006-08-06

This story portrays the strength of friendship between two women who met by chance on the beach and changed each others lives. Joan describes the life lessons she learned from her mentor and best friend, who just happened to be the wife of Erik Erikson (famous psychologist).

Each chapter left me feeling like I had just learned a valuable life lesson that needed time for digesting before moving on to the next. A very thoughtful, encouraging book...I will return to again and again.

I was disappointed.......2006-07-23

I'm sorry, but I thought that both women in the book, Joan Anderson and Joan Erikson, were not only uninteresting but also annoying. Joan Anderson struck me as totally self-centered, and Joan Erikson as too "cutesy" and even conceited. I find it hard to believe that weaving little pieces of cloth using colors to represent life stages would so suddenly unlock the mystery of Joan A's life. Reminds me of adult "Brownies" . . . Too cutesy for me. Sorry.

Book Description

Since the 1940s, there have been discussions concerning the need to develop a space power theory. In their attempts to formulate such a strategic theory, strategists have noted the similarities of space operations to those of air and naval operations. Consequently, many have attempted to derive a clearly articulated, all-encompassing space strategy through analogy and comparison to either airpower or sea control models. These efforts, however, have not produced a strategic theory addressing space operations and associated national interests. Without such a strategic framework for space, some analysts fear that the application of national resources and military force will be misapplied or even counterproductive.

This book, accordingly, addresses the need to codify a space theory and strategy, while addressing the following questions. Do space operations and national interests in space have useful parallels to either air or naval strategy? If air and naval strategic models do not fully match the broad scope of space operations, is there one that does? Given a suitable historical model, what are the principles for a space strategy? Will the resulting space strategic model be borne out by contemporary observations? What are the policy implications coming from any all-encompassing space strategy?

The author argues that neither air nor naval strategic models embrace the breadth of issues pertaining to space operations and strategy. However, by expanding naval strategy to include maritime concerns-which incorporate the interaction of the land and sea-the scope of space strategy can be adequately modeled. Maritime strategy in fact already exists, especially within the work of Sir Julian Corbett. By using maritime strategy as inspiration-while observing the salient lessons of Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Jomini, and Mao Tse-tung-it is possible to develop the strategic principles of space warfare. Albeit the resulting maritime inspired space strategy is in agreement with much of current joint doctrine, critical deficiencies in contemporary space literature and policy are brought to light.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book: Space Warfare.......2006-10-31

This is the most thoughtful book on space strategy to ever come along. This book focuses on strategy not technology and tactics. If you're looking for the typical writing on space-based lasers and particle beam weapons, you won't find it here. Written in the genre of Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, and Jomini, this book looks in detail at the theory and strategic principles of space warfare. Using maritime strategy as inspiration, the best and most preferred national space strategy is detailed, and along with the noted problems in U.S. space policy.

For those seriously interested in space power, space warfare, and space strategy, this is a must own book. Recommend the paperback version, since it is cheaper.

(Five Stars *****)

Great book: Space Warfare .......2006-10-29

Klein, John J. Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy.(Book review): An article from: Naval War College Review

Average customer rating:

Klein, John J. Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy.(Book review): An article from: Naval War College Review
Dana E. Struckman
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000WQ6B5K
Release Date: 2007-10-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Naval War College Review, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 570 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Klein, John J. Space Warfare: Strategy, Principles and Policy.(Book review)
Author: Dana E. Struckman
Publication: Naval War College Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 60 Issue: 3 Page: 145(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

This guy is a joke!

this book was written 15 years ago

Funny, Yet Sad

Time to purge the universities!

Editorial collection

Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel: Confessions of a Conservative College Professor
Mike S. Adams
Manufacturer: Harbor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1891799177

Book Description

Prof.Adams lampoons sacred liberal cows such as affirmative action, ethnocentrism, Gay Pride, cultural insensitivity training, multiculturalism and censorship.

Customer Reviews:

This guy is a joke!.......2007-04-23

First of all, I'm a UNCW alumni. I've heard stories about this guy for years. This guy is a total loser. He's one of these Rush Limbaugh wana-bees, only he's not funny or clever. As far as UNCW being a conservative school, uhhhhh...yeah right. Students here live to get drunk, high and laid. Hardly a bastion of conservatism. Half of the sudents are from New Jersey! This is a party school-it's right near the beach! Conservatives are in a vast minority here-believe me. Mr. Adams isn't speaking for an oppressed minority-he's speaking for a almost non-existent minority. If he had even a clue about the UNCW population he would know that. Unfortunately, his head is in the clouds.

this book was written 15 years ago.......2006-05-18

last time it was called Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus by Dinesh D'Souza. if i remember correctly, the author claimed that the Duke University English Department was bringing about the end of Western Civilization.

guess they're not trying hard enough, huh?

Funny, Yet Sad.......2005-11-28

Mike Adams (Professor, UNC-Wilmington) writes in a very entertaining manner, which is simultaneously entertaining and educating (and often very funny). I am the child of a Professor in the UNC system (UNC-Charlotte) and while things have clearly become loonier since I was close to the system I am, unfortunately, completely unsurprised by anything Adams writes.

The book is largely a collection of letters and editorials Adams wrote over a protracted period of time, and culminates in a lengthy recollection of charges of libel from a socialist student (and her parents) that should serve as a cautionary tale to participants in university systems everywhere. The single best thing about this book is how Adams instructs conservative students (and non-tenured faculty members, who really are on the spot) to defeat ridiculous charges of racism, homophobia, and insensitivity. Generally these lessons come from his own experiences (for example, look at the scorn he faced over the California Proposition 187 issue from the other Professors), but in a few cases he offers direct and useful advice to others. He is always well reasoned, and thinks for himself (he's a Republican from Texas who opposes the death penalty, after all) which there should be more of in academia today.

While many on the left will not like this book, I see their charges against Adams and other conservatives to be disingenuous at best, and hypocritical at worst. The left claims they want "diversity," but clearly want no diversity of thought amongst faculty. This book is a must-read for anyone even tangentially interested in higher education in the United States today.

Time to purge the universities!.......2005-11-14

After reading Mike S. Adams's "Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel: Confessions of a Conservative College Professor," I'm extraordinarily happy I went to school in Nebraska. My state, you see, is pretty darn conservative. Even liberals out here would classify as moderate Republicans nearly anywhere else in the country. My university, dependant on grants from a conservative legislature elected by even more conservative taxpayers, always seemed to avoid the worst of the left-wing pabulum that infects most college campuses across the nation. Oh sure, there were a few radicals on campus that used their classrooms as pulpits from which they spread the diversity/gender/multiculturalist agenda. But they were few and far between. Most professors, even extremely liberal ones, kept their politics out of the classroom. I can think of a few instructors who I absolutely suspected were liberals and/or far left-wing kooks, but to this day I couldn't tell you for sure because they NEVER discussed their beliefs unless the students asked after class. Not bad, eh? I think I received a better education than any Ivy League student since my courses dealt with facts and legitimate theories rather than touchy-feely platitudes about race and gender wrapped up in hate whitey rhetoric.

Professor Adams doesn't seem to enjoy the environment I thrived in. A tenured member of the department of criminal justice at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Adams has had plenty of time to observe the insanity that passes for higher education in this country. It's not a pretty picture. Most of the book takes the form of letters Adams wrote to various officials in and out of the university objecting to the latest outburst of left-wing wackiness. For example, the good professor pens an epistle pointing out his concerns with a recent debate concerning affirmative action. The problem? It wasn't a debate. A debate means two speakers arguing the ins and outs of an issue. Only one speaker, decidedly pro-affirmative action, was given any time to speak. Then there is the letter--actually more than one--describing the influence of feminist scholars on campus. One professor accused a department chairman of sexual harassment before going on to describe how someone kept breaking into her office to vandalize her wristwatch. Whether these ominous events occurred before or after another evildoer attempted to poison a feminist instructor by pumping poison gas into her office is unclear. Other letters cover the problems Adams encountered when he put conservative stickers on his office door, campus "racism," and attempts by the university to squash campus religious organizations.

The second part of the book deals with an unpleasant situation Adams ran into shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A pro-communist student sent him an e-mail blaming America for the disasters in New York and Washington, D.C. Moreover, she encouraged him to forward the message to others. Adams obliged her request, but not before sending a note back blasting her for such an ignorant view of the world. Regrettably, the student's mother worked as an administrator at the university, and in no time at all the campus authorities were clamoring to read his private e-mails in order to avoid a harassment lawsuit. The author complied, but he also made sure to contact the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), an organization devoted to rolling back unconstitutional speech codes at America's universities. The exchange between Adams and the student soon blossomed into a national news story on free speech and how that right applies to e-mail communications. Most people supported the author's position in the matter, and the university eventually backed down...well, sort of. Maybe. O.k., nothing much changed in the long run. The best part of the incident is how the university can't go after Adams in the future for speaking his mind. This book, along with his massively entertaining website, is the result.

What to say about Adams's wonderful book? Anyone remotely familiar with the chaotic nature of our universities today, with the rampant anti-American hatemongering that passes as serious scholarship, has already seen or heard many of the things the author brings to our attention. Crackpot professors charging colleagues and the university with harassment and/or racism? You don't say? Wow, what a surprise there! Administrators bowing and scraping to accommodate instructors and minority public officials who take every opportunity to spew hate whitey rhetoric? Again, you could knock me over with a feather! Who knew such evil goes on in the hallowed halls of academia! Universities censoring what students and employees can say and write? Did I wake up in China this morning? Surely, such nonsense could never happen here! Alas, it does. All of this crud, and more we don't hear about, occurs on a daily basis in America's institutions of higher learning. I've heard some of it personally, but Adams obviously has a front row seat to the madness. The book is worth reading because of the insider view he offers as well as the sarcasm he uses to expose these dolts for the kooks that they really are.

I think Mike Adams should consider quitting his job. Seriously. Not because he's a conservative fish trapped in a left-wing pond, but because he ought to run for a seat in the North Carolina legislature. Then he can put his inside knowledge to work crafting bills that will cut funding to the university unless they undertake serious administrative changes, including but not limited to a fair hiring process for administrators and professors, full disclosure and accountability regarding the distribution of student fees, and a crackdown on spending tens of thousands of tax dollars the university uses to bring to campus racist and discriminatory left-wing speakers. "Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel" is a book that conservatives should proudly display on their bookshelf.

Editorial collection.......2005-09-01

I like his writing and ideas and enjoyed the book. However most of the content was published in his column. If you haven't read his column you'll enjoy the books. If you have been a regular reader you may be let down.

Customer Reviews:

It's been completely rewritten........2004-03-14

"Birding in the American West: A Handbook" (2000), by Zimmer is the complete rewriting of this book, substantially larger, with more up-to-date listings of bird locations, and better discussion of bird identification with better photographs.

It's only because the new book is much better that I gave this book two stars. By itself, "The Western Bird Watcher" is a neat book that describes the general habitats of the west, gives the best locations to see certain western birds, and then extensively discusses the more difficult groups of birds to identify in the field. Zimmer is only one of two authors to have written comprehensive books on general bird identification beyond the scope of field guides (see also Kaufman, "Advanced Birding"), and one of the two Zimmer books, preferably the new one, is a must-have for anyone living or travelling in the west interested in going out and seeing/finding birds.

The one cool thing this book has that the newer one doesn't are a few dozen photographs of side-by-side museum specimens of hard-to-distinguish birds. I've not seen that in any other guide or book.

Average customer rating:
THE WESTERN BIRD WATCHER AN INTRODUCTION TO BIRDING IN THE AMERICAN WEST
Kevin J. Zimmer
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIXWTO

Average customer rating:
The Western Bird Watcher: An Introduction to Birding in the American West.
Kevin J. Zimmer
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIXX3E

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