The Passionate Fact: Storytelling in Natural History and Cultural Interpretation (Environmental Communication)

Customer Reviews:

reliable wisdom on storytelling.......2004-03-21

This book is a bit of a crash course in storytelling itself and in addition explains how to effectively add information to a story.

After reading this book I spoke to five storytellers on the subject of telling stories with environmental themes. I was surprised to discover that all of these storytellers and the author if this book had come to the same conclusions. Most of them did not have formal training but only leraned through experience. Yet they all agreed on what a story is, what it can do, why a story is so useful, and how it can and cannot be used. This book nicely packaged these ideas together.

The goal of storytelling is to create a connection between the teller and the audience, and then the audience to the material being interpreted. You can't predict how they're going to react, and you should not try to force a moral upon them. Stories are beautiful because the listener has just enough room to imagine, and make the story relevent to themselves. Their ability to think should be respected so they can come up with their own morals, even if it's not what you intended.

So a story is not meant to directly give out information, messages, and morals, but it is useful in making a personal connection to the material, showing the audience why it is relevant to them. Stories can be immensely useful in interpretation, and this book provides a lot of good advice.

She has a very friendly writing style. She has many lovely stories in this book. And she is very quoteable.

Customer Reviews:

Great Introduction To Iceland.......2004-12-03

I have been to Iceland several times and find it to be the most unique country imaginable. This book is very thin, but is packed with generally very accurate and always extremely useful information as well as great color photography. This book is wonderful to use as a starting point for planning a trip to Iceland, and it is small enough to carry with you everywhere when you are there.

The book provides an overview, geographic information, hotel, restaurant, and nightlife recommendations, and multiple road trips of varying lengths that see all the common sights and many that are substantially off the beaten path. These road trips are from one to four days endurance, and are very well designed from my experience, although I can't personally attest to the attributes of the ring road between Hvammstangi and Neskaupatadur. I can say that the southern routes, and the routes to Pingvellir and the Snaefellsnes peninsula are very well designed. My favorites of the tours are numbers three and four. The coverage of the Skaftafell National Park, Jokulsarlon glacial lake (a must see: take the boat ride), Hvannadalsshnukur, Kirkjubaejarklaustur (one of my favorite little towns), Porsmork, and Stykkisholmur is particularly good. I was also amused by the coverage of the Vesturfarasafnid a Hofsofi, the only museum in the world that focuses exclusively on herring. (Iceland is known for many similar oddities, and that is one reason I love it so much.)

My only minor critiques of the book would be that the index is rather sparse, and some of the hotel and restaurant information (and a few prices) are out of date (which is to be expected.) One thing the book entirely failed to mention in the money section is that most businesses will take Icelandic kronurs and also US dollars.

This is a great little introductory tour guide to Iceland, with the emphasis on brevity and utility. I recommend it highly.

Iceland Insight Compact Guide (Insight Compact Guides)

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Iceland Insight Compact Guide (Insight Compact Guides)

Manufacturer: APA Publications Pte Ltd,Singapore
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9812585559

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Iceland Insight Compact Guide (Insight Compact Guides)

Manufacturer: APA Publications Pte Ltd,Singapore
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9812344322

Average customer rating:

Excellent Compact Guide To Iceland

Iceland Insight Compact Guide (Insight Compact Guides)

Manufacturer: APA Publications Pte Ltd,Singapore
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9812349308

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Compact Guide To Iceland.......2004-12-03

Average customer rating:

Iceland Insight Compact Guide

Manufacturer: APA INSIGHT GUIDES (
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GX25HM

Average customer rating:

Iceland Insight Compact Guide (Insight Compact Guides)

Manufacturer: APA Publications Pte Ltd,Singapore
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9812581774

Book Description

Robin’s neighbor Frankie is like walking sex. He’s 23, hot, charming, and used to getting what he wants. When Janice, Robin’s stepmom, first meets Frankie, they lock eyes with an almost audible sizzle. Not long after, Robin discovers they’re having an affair. She is shocked, angry, curious, even jealous—but not really surprised. It’s just one more hurtful secret to be kept in this parallel universe of liars.

Surrounded by superficiality, infidelity, and lies, Robin, 15 and a self-described “chunk,” has a secret of her own—she can’t stay away from Frankie, either. But when a new guy ambles into her life, Robin must find a way to escape her own tangle of deception to capture something real.

Customer Reviews:

The Cover Explains it ALL.......2007-03-04

I was looking through the fiction section of my school library for a book to take home for the weekend, and stumbled along this book. After reading a few chapters, I was hooked. However, I wasn't hooked because of interesting characters, and a good plot; I kept reading because I wanted to know how demented and sexual this book would actually get!

I really reccomend this book for High School students, only. The author blantantly uses strong sexual terms and descriptions, and it even discusses adultery and underaged sexual activity.

Truly, there is no plot. All of the questions I had at the beginning of the story weren't answered in the end. This book was literally hard to read, the font was horrible and there was often this "mirror effect" which took up so much space at the beginning of each chapter.

very disappointing. .......2006-05-06

I'm a big fan of young adult fiction, but this book was a total disappointment. It was written from a 15-year-old's perspective, but felt unreal (and I remember being a 15 year old girl pretty well). Her world seems to consist solely of one-dimensional, good/bad parents, step-parents, and neighbors. Her character contradicts herself and is pretty unlikeable. I just really couldn't really get behind the plot, which is full of improbable dramas. The issues of race and sex feel forced, (again) unrealistic, and simplistic.
The book just wasn't written well and wasn't even mildly entertaining. Also, there's some silly graphic designing with upside-down text (don't turn the book around, it's just repetition) and a really, really, really bad choice of font.

Lies, Lies, and more Lies.......2003-01-20

Great book! Robin's dad is married, her mom is on her way to get married. Her next door neighbor is always hitting on her and she has never had a boyfriend before. Robin's best friend moves away to Alabama, but luckily, Tri moves in and they start dating. Great book!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The Parallel Universe of Liars
Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson
Manufacturer: Roaring Brook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: B000MC2SYM

Book Description

The series, Methods in Plant Biochemistry, provides an authoritative reference on current techniques in the various fields of plant biochemical research. Each volume in the series will, under the expert guidance of a guest editor, deal with a particular group of plant compounds. Each will describe the historical background and current, most useful methods of analysis. The volumes include detailed discussions of the protocols and suitability of each technique. Case treatments, diagrams, chemical structures, reference data, and properties will be featured along with a full list of references to the specialist literature.
Conceived as a practical companion to The Biochemistry of Plants, edited by P.K. Stumpf and E.E. Conn, no plant biochemical laboratory can afford to be without this comprehensive and up-to-date reference source.

Key Features
* Each volume in the series deals with the analysis of a group of plant compounds
* Authoritative/detailed practical instructions and recipes for analytical methods

Book Description

2B-1, 0-13-048822-4, Ewen, Dale, Gary, Joan S., Trefzger, James E., Technical Mathematics with Calculus, 2/E*/ This book provides readers with necessary mathematics skills, including practical calculus. Mathematics provides the essential framework for and is the basic language of all the technologies. Mathematical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills are crucial to understanding the changing face of technology. It presents the following major areas: fundamental concepts and measurement; fundamental algebraic concepts; exponential and logarithmic functions; right-triangle trigonometry; the trigonometric functions with formulas and identities; complex numbers; matrices; polynomial and rational functions; basic statistics; analytic geometry; differential and integral calculus with applications; partial derivatives and double integrals; series; and differential equations. An excellent learning aid and resource tool for engineers, especially computer software, hardware, and peripheral manufacturers. Its comprehensive appendices make this an excellent desktop reference.

Mastering Technical Mathematics, 2nd edition

Average customer rating:

Terrific as an overview, review, or supplement...
Expand your understanding of numbers and nature
Great self teaching math book
Excellent review material

Mastering Technical Mathematics, 2nd edition
Stan Gibilisco , and Norman H. Crowhurst
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0070248281

Book Description

Boost our applied math skills--and rocket your career. Don't let weak or rusty applied math skills keep you from satisfying your technical career goals. Step by step -- and at your own pace--Mastering Technical Mathematics, Second Edition, by Stan Gibilisco and Norman Crowhurst, gives you the essential background you need to sharpen our algebra aptitude...wield quadratics...use mechanical math methods...perform trigonometry and geometry conversions...and harness the power of differentiation. You'll also get comfortable with calculus...learn to use complex quantities...apply logarithms...and more. Totally revised and updated with state-of-the-art coverage of logic and digital systems, this affordable expert tutor also provides helpful examples and illustrations, chapter self-tests--even a comprehensive final exam. It's the ideal prep tool for acing certification exams, earning a technical degree, or confidently tackling any engineering challenge.

Download Description

The definitive self-teaching guide to learning mathematics--now fully up-to-date.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific as an overview, review, or supplement..........2006-07-20

I studied and learned most of this stuff years ago, and then proceeded to forget much of it as the years passed. But as a software developer, I have occasionally needed to refresh my understanding of some neglected area of mathematics... and this book has been invaluable for that. It might also be helpful as a supplementary text for students learning some area of math for the first time, since the explanations are often much more helpful and straightforward than anything I remember from my textbooks.

The explanations are clear and concise, with useful diagrams, examples, and problems (with fully-worked-out solutions in the back) to help test and verify your understanding. The authors don't waste a lot of time, but still manage to keep the topic interesting by appropriate use of real-world examples and clear explanations. A very good book...

Expand your understanding of numbers and nature.......2005-11-22

I don't imagine that "Mastering Technical Mathematics" will wind up on the top of anyone's book list. But if you have an interest in math the book can expand your understanding of numbers from counting through geometry and trig on to the calculus. If you're looking for a book to get you through next weeks' test on logarithms I'd stick with a Schaum's Outline but if you really want to know what a logarithm is and how they are derived, how they are applied, and how they can make your life easier, well, all of that is found here.

It's not all easy going. Like all math, each part is built on an understanding of the previous part (precisely why I failed intermediate algebra!) Some of the concepts can be hard to understand, too. But as you work though each chapter and, especially if you work through the problems, you'll gain a deeper understanding of numbers and how they relate to nature.

Great self teaching math book.......1999-02-16

This book enabled me to teach myself algebra,trig and calculus at home. It takes you at the start, from counting with an abacus all the way through to integral calculus and beyond.The best math book I've seen.

Excellent review material.......1998-09-13

This book is an excellent source for review material for both the serious and amateur mathematician. The author stresses "understanding" the techniques over rote memorization.

Essentials of Technical Mathematics with Calculus (2nd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great Book!

Essentials of Technical Mathematics with Calculus (2nd Edition)
Richard P. Paul
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0132890917

Book Description

A full 2-color revision which is the same as Technical Mathematics with 8 extra chapters on calculus.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2002-04-17

I used this book in college. I'm not a morning person (flat out insomniac) and the instructor accepted my self-taught knowledge for exams which were given at special times - bless her heart :) Anyway, this is the book I used to learn it all and it was FANTASTIC! My copy has been MIA for a few months now and I feel completely naked without it, even if I don't have an immediate use for it at the moment. This book will go onto my wish-list right away and definitely be replaced if my original copy is not found.

Customer Reviews:

Typical Crowley.......1999-03-22

Most probably only for the diehard Crowleyites.As usual there is the self inflation and biting comments, but also some very acute observations.For example, he sums up psychoanalyst Carl Jung in one sentence, saying that Jung saw human history as man's struggle to free himself from the mother.There is an interesting chapter on William Blake, and other topics.

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