Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space Science:

Book Description

Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space Science offers brief, readable entries that describe the lives and careers of 80 men and 20 women who defied poverty and prejudice to excel in the fields of aviation and space exploration. Each essay begins with birth and death dates, educational institutions attended and degrees earned, positions held, and awards won. A short summary of the individual's contribution to aviation or space science is followed by a biographical narrative divided into three sections: Early Years, Higher Education, and Career Highlights. Often based on the authors' correspondence with the subjects themselves, or with family members, this illustrated volume provides the fullest and most accessible biographical information available for many of these figures.

Book Description

Whenever Joe DiMaggio appeared at Yankee Stadium after retirement, he was always introduced as "the greatest living ballplayer." In the career-spanning Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, Richard Gilliam puts together the inspiring story of how he achieved that distinction when baseball was truly the national pastime and how he stayed in American hearts long after his departure from the game.
DiMaggio's legendary status is more than his unbeatable record of a 56-game hitting streak in 1941 and his gliding greatness in the outfield as "The Yankee Clipper." With his supple wide-legged swing, DiMaggio batted in more runs per game than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron - the third highest R.B.I. this century - and he struck out fewer times than any other power hitter with his home-run record. "Joe was the pride of baseball," said Cardinal outfielder Stan Musial, and rival Ted Williams admitted, "He could do it all." Joseph Paul DiMaggio possessed a dignity on and off field that carried him through not only thirteen seasons with the Yankees - and ten World Series - but also his famous marriage with Marilyn Monroe, his success as a pitchman, and appearances in works by Ernest Hemingway and Paul Simon.
Joltin' Joe DiMaggio combines the best writing from newspapers, magazines, and books - including Esquire, The Sporting News, the Saturday Evening Post, Sports Illustrated, and many others - with fascinating and eye-opening interviews, featuring new and rare ones with athletes who played with and against the great Joe D.

The Complete Films of Cecil B. Demille
Average customer rating:
The Complete Films of Cecil B. Demille

Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0806502169

Average customer rating:
The Complete Films of Cecil B. Demille
Gene Ringgold , and Dewitt Bodeen
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
History & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0806509562

Book Description

The eXile is the controversial biweekly tabloid founded by Americans Mark Ames and Matt Taibbi that Rolling Stone has called "cruel, caustic, and funny" and "a must-read." In the tradition of gonzo journalists like Hunter S. Thompson, Ames and Taibbi cover everything from decadent club scenes to the nation's collapsing political and economic systems - no person or institution is spared from their razor sharp satiric viewpoint. They take you beneath the surface of the Russia that most Western journalists cover, bringing to life the metropolis that Ames describes as "manic, nihilistic, grotesque, horrible; and yet, in its own way, far superior to any city on Earth." Featuring artwork and articles from their groundbreaking newspaper, The eXile is the inside story of how the tabloid came to be and how Ames and Taibbi broke their biggest stories - all the while playing hysterically vicious practical jokes, racking up innumerable death threats, and ingesting a motherlode of speed. It's a darkly funny, up-close profile of the sordid underbelly of the New World Order that you will never forget.

Customer Reviews:

On the Money.......2006-08-29

I am a lawyer from las vegas, that traveled to moscow, russia, numerous times to host a business venture. After my first trip, i came across this book and was startled to realize that Ames is on the money with his description of Moscow. Anyone planning a trip to Moscow, must read this book. It is an easy read and really allows the reader to gleen an inside to the beauty behind the beast that is Moscow.

A Hilarious and Compelling Read.......2006-02-17

You'll be disapopinted and wishing for more when this book ends. You will want to read more of the exploits of the eXile and its two fearless leaders, Ames and Taibbi, and fortunately you can at www.exile.ru. I learned about the eXile while reading Taibbi's book Spanking the Donkey about the 2004 election. Since discovering it, the eXile has been a tremendous way to pass the time at work. Despite finding much of what they describe of Russian life terrifying and disturbing it has not tempered my desire to visit the country as soon as possible.

Also, if you enjoy the writing of Hunter S. Thompson you will definitely enjoy reading the exploits of Ames and Taibbi. They seem to be carrying the torch, albeit a dim one, into the twenty-first century. It is a sad commentary on our consolidated, witless, boring media that some of the most interesting reporting by young writers has to be found in an independent newspaper in Mosocow of all places! The eXile would probably not get published in our "land of the free."

Outstanding Work.......2005-05-18

This book is a must read for anyone that desires understaning of russian societal mores. Mark Ames particularly does an absolutely wonderful job with his gloomy delivery explaining Moscow sex, drug and media scene throughout the 90s. I must warn you, this is not your typical narrative about what has transpired but an actual account of first hand experiences that he went through. It is not by any means pretty, but it was reality.

The other half of the book is written by Taibbi, which has a drastically different approach to writing style. His is more 'conventional' with less biased opinions and oriented mostly around facts re politics and media. I personally prefer a dark account of the world from the eyes of Ames but this is a question of preference.

This book is not for the faint of heart, it goes deep into the male psych and examines our primal instincts as they related to various vices such as sex and drugs. If you are a women, and get easily offended I suggest you passover this book for a new release by Dan Brown. Although, if you think you can withstand some unconventional wisdom as it pertains to the expat female scene you will throughoughly enjoy this.

I think this book is a great read for anyone planning on traveling to russia and getting a 'beyond the surface' understanding on the people and their rationality. Having been to Russia numerously I think little has changed since the book was written.

Dirty. So dirty........2005-04-21

I fear that my eyes will get a non-negligible STD every time I read the eXile. Worth the risk? Your call.

Brilliant.......2003-05-24

Pants-splittingly funny... Ames is a whiny, infuriating misanthrope who happens to be really, really funny. People who voted for Bush, content suburbanites, and feminists will loathe this book equally. The eXile web site remains the only thing worth reading on the web.

Book Description

Darwin's World is a d20 role-playing game set in the wild inhospitable world of mankind's ruin, decades after a series of devastating wars that brought the human race to the brink of extinction. In a world where radiation altered the very course of nature, mankind ceased to exist in its current form. Mutations and genetic variations are the edge separating a species from life and death.

Be Your Own Executive Coach: Master High-Impact Communications Skills for Dealing With Difficult People, Improving Your Personal Image, Learning How to Listen, Solving Business pr
Average customer rating:

not so surprising

Listen up and learn how to listen!

How to Listen...

A practical survival guide to communicating with humans.

Not Just for the Suits!

Be Your Own Executive Coach: Master High-Impact Communications Skills for Dealing With Difficult People, Improving Your Personal Image, Learning How to Listen, Solving Business pr
Peter Delisser
Manufacturer: Chandler House Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Running Meetings & Presentations | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

People Styles at Work: Making Bad Relationships Good and Good Relationships Better

People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts

Messages: The Communication Skills Book

The Art of Talking So That People Will Listen: Getting Through to Family, Friends & Business Associates

Communicate With Confidence!

ASIN: 188628444X

Book Description

Dubbed the executive's new coach by Fortune Magazine , Peter deLisser teaches managers how to shut up and listen, how to make every conversation a sales call and even how to deal with a boss who's a screamer.

Customer Reviews:

not so surprising .......2005-04-26

there is some good points to known , but it is a bit long for the ideas developed inside.

Listen up and learn how to listen!.......2002-05-21

This is a surprisingly fun book to read. Peter deLisser's "in your face" tone is hard to resist. He hammers in each point and then repeats it again for good measure. His main point -- to which he dedicates at least one-half of the book -- is the importance of being a "responsible listener." Listeners are made, not born, he believes. With practice and knowledge, you too can become a great listener -- and oh boy, the places you'll go then! Seriously, the tools and techniques in this book are very good and helpful not only in business but in personal relationships. The art of listening without reacting defensively is a real diamond in human relationships. It can turn many difficult discussions into experiences that bring people closer.

How to Listen..........2001-11-29

Most of our lives it's not uncommon to hear someone say "be quiet and listen...". Or perhaps it was "you're not listening to me..." I know I have used those words many times. However, in all of the years (47) I can't recall receiving very explicit instructions on how to listen... Never see "How to Listen" courses or conferences. Have seen much written on how to speak etc. Perhaps I looked in all the wrong places. In any case I finally found listening instructions in a book about coaching. Go figure! The 30 pages on listening are what make this worth reading. One quickly comes to understand why it appears as if nobody is listening to you; only 5% have been trained to listen. One quickly learns listening technique which has been invaluable to my career and personal life as well. This one stays on the reference shelf!

A practical survival guide to communicating with humans........2001-08-14

The book provides a person with my background (a science nerd turned into a hi-tech manager) well founded, well explained and 100% scientific approach to business communications. It teaches HOW to take 100% responsibility for listening and speaking. It is easy to advice not to react emotionally to what other person says, and everybody does it in their books. In contrast, this book teaches techniques that make emotional reaction unnecessary, without any artificial self control. When reading this book I realized that emotions in response to what others say result from the lack of the kind of analysis the author suggests to do: evaluate the message as being valid/invalid, conversation as being equal/unequal, always know where you are in any conversation. Making this analysis a habit accomplishes two goals: it makes clear and explicit (illuminates) what is actually going on, and moves you to the analytical kind of reaction instead of emotional. The book helped me to realize that emotions often result from the fear similar to the fear people experience in a dark maze. The analysis presented in the book results in always knowing where you are in a conversation, illuminates the maze, and removes the fear and all associated emotions. The author also provides clear guidance and scripts for what to do and what not to do when listening, which also builds confidence and thus lowers the emotion. In the section on speaking I liked the classification of speaking (coaching, declarations), the structured approach to speaking, and examples and scripts that are provided. I found it helpful to always know what you are doing when speaking. Then I can take control, and take the 100% responsibility for the outcome. The conversation management techniques (goals, time, exits, getting attention and commitments) are also invaluable. Reading the book had immediate effect on all of my relationships (I have a wife, three kids, a job and a lot of friends).

Not Just for the Suits!.......2001-06-29

I am not an executive in Big Business; I am a theater professional, living in a village in the New York metropolitan area; I have a family; I am a pro bono community activist. Mr. deLisser's techniques are useful in all quarters of my varied life.

From trying achieve consensus in a rehearsal process to motivating committee members of a library board, Mr. deLisser's system works. The reader will also find the book helpful in domestic communications from the kitchen to the bedroom.

I can highly recommended this book

Book Description

When John Nash won the Nobel prize in economics in 1994, many people were surprised to learn that he was alive and well. Since then, Sylvia Nasar's celebrated biography A Beautiful Mind, the basis of a new major motion picture, has revealed the man. The Essential John Nash reveals his work--in his own words. This book presents, for the first time, the full range of Nash's diverse contributions not only to game theory, for which he received the Nobel, but to pure mathematics--from Riemannian geometry and partial differential equations--in which he commands even greater acclaim among academics. Included are nine of Nash's most influential papers, most of them written over the decade beginning in 1949.

From 1959 until his astonishing remission three decades later, the man behind the concepts "Nash equilibrium" and "Nash bargaining"--concepts that today pervade not only economics but nuclear strategy and contract talks in major league sports--had lived in the shadow of a condition diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia. In the introduction to this book, Nasar recounts how Nash had, by the age of thirty, gone from being a wunderkind at Princeton and a rising mathematical star at MIT to the depths of mental illness.

In his preface, Harold Kuhn offers personal insights on his longtime friend and colleague; and in introductions to several of Nash's papers, he provides scholarly context. In an afterword, Nash describes his current work, and he discusses an error in one of his papers. A photo essay chronicles Nash's career from his student days in Princeton to the present. Also included are Nash's Nobel citation and autobiography.

The Essential John Nash makes it plain why one of Nash's colleagues termed his style of intellectual inquiry as "like lightning striking." All those inspired by Nash's dazzling ideas will welcome this unprecedented opportunity to trace these ideas back to the exceptional mind they came from.

Customer Reviews:

Undiluted math.......2007-09-13

If you have an interest in John Nash AND know mathematics, this is an interesting collection. The main body of the book consists of eight papers in mathematics and his Phd Thesis in uncut form, accompanied by a small introduction. Apart from that there is a general introduction from his friend Kuhn, a short biography from his biographer Nasar, a 7-page autobiography, the statement of the Nobel-prize committee, a collection of photos of Nash in various phases of his career, and a short explanation to the game of Hex that Nash invented when he arrived in Princeton.

Being an economist I was only interested in the thesis with the existence proof of the Nash equilibrium, and I am sure I would not have understood an alpha of any of the other papers. You really need to be a mathematician to appreciate this bundle. For those who want to know about Nash the man, I would recommend his autobiography "A beautiful mind" or the film with the same title.

An essential reading !.......2007-01-06

In case you have been captivated by "A beautiful mind", and be disposed to know more about the controversial existence of John Nash, pick up this book, that surely will catch your entire attention.

Good Collection of Nash Writings!.......2004-06-26

I only rate books that I really enjoy reading. While this one has some techy chapters, readers without a strong math background can still enjoy it.

Professor Nash's story was brought to life by the movie, this book shows why. One day his manifold theory will rule! ;)

excellent.......2003-10-12

Personally, I found this book to be very interestring. The proofs and ideas are presented in clear and non-rigomorphic fashion. One is able to read the works of Nash in the way he himself presented them, and hopefully appropriate some mental strategies used by this genius. There is much that goes on behind the scene of creation of proofs. I think mathematicians of today would greatly benefit from availability of larger number of books which would contain the mathematical works in the way they were originally presented. This is certainly a major step in that direction.

A Most Welcome Mathematical Banquet.......2003-08-06

I can't begin to express how deeply satisfying it was to peruse these papers by John Nash. You almost felt you were right there at his side, as he penned them.

There is even something in the book for non-mathematical types: Sylvia Nasar's Introduction and the autobiographical essay (Chapter Two). But for me the greatest interest resided in the remaining chapters: 4-11.

Of these, I particularly enjoyed reading the original presentation of Nash's Thesis on 'Non-Cooperative Games' (Chapter 6), and was fascinated not only with the air-tight logic of his proofs, but the use of hand written-in symbols.

Of course, Chapter 7 is just the re-hashing of Ch. 6, but in proper type-set form, rather than Nash's original script. But - give me the former any day! Reading the original form and format almost made me feel like Nash's Thesis aupervisor, including the same excitement of a new discovery!

Chapter 8 'Two person Cooperative Games' nicely extends the mathematical basis to cover this species of interaction.(And in many ways, people will find the cooperative game model easier to understand than the non-cooperative).

Chapter 9 is important because it delves into the issue of parallel control, and logical functions such as used in high speed digital computers. This chapter was of much interest to me since particular aspects of parallel control figured in my own model of consciousness - recently presented in Chapter Five of my book, 'The Atheist's Handbook to Modern Materialism'. Astute readers who read both books will quickly see the analog between the Schematic of Logical Unit Function (p. 122) and my own Figure 5-13 ('Development of Neural Assemblies', p. 156).

I enjoyed Chapter 10, 'Real Algebraic Manifolds' because of my ongoing interest in Algebraic Topology, and especially homology and homotopy theory. In his chapter, Nash presents a cornucopia of methods for representation, which I am still playing with for different manifolds.

Chapter 11, 'The Imbedding Problem for Riemannian Manifolds', is a delight for anyone familiar with Einstein's General Relativity, or even differential geometry. When you read through this chapter, you also will understand why Nash is still very interested (and involved) in research to do with general relativity and cosmology. Particularly fun for me was his section on 'Smoothing of Tensors' (p. 163) and 'Derivative Size Concept for Tensors' (p. 164).

Chapter 12, 'Continuity of Solutions of Parabolic and Elliptic Equations' is like 'dessert' for anyone who is intensely interested (as I am) in modular functions, which themselves are related intimately to elliptic equations.

In short, I think this book has something for both mathematicians and non-math types alike. Obviously, the former are likely to get more out of it, so the question the latter group must ask is whether the purchase is worth satiating their curiosity about Nash.

I know how I would answer, even if I couldn't tell a derivative from a differential. However, this book can be read on all kinds of levels, and that's the beauty of it.

The Essential John Nash.
Average customer rating:
The Essential John Nash.
Harold W. and Sylvia Nasar (Eds.). [John Nash] Kuhn
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NI58EW

Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft: 1935-1945
Average customer rating:
Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft: 1935-1945
Kenneth A. Merrick , and Thomas H. Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Monogram Aviation Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0914144294

Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft 1935 - 1945
Average customer rating:
Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft 1935 - 1945
Kenneth A. Merrick and Thomas H. Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Monogram Aviation Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TXDDM0

Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World (The Frank W. Abrams Lectures)
Average customer rating:

Excellent resource

Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World (The Frank W. Abrams Lectures)
Daniel Yankelovich
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Social Theory | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
History | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation

Setting the Agenda: The Mass Media and Public Opinion

Catalytic Leadership: Strategies for an Interconnected World (Jossey Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series)

Predictable Surprises: The Disasters You Should Have Seen Coming, and How to Prevent Them (Leadership for the Common Good)

The Language of Politics (Intertext)

ASIN: 0815602545

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource.......2005-09-27

Coming to Public Judgment is the best explanation I have found of how the public engages an issue and comes to a conclusion. I have seen this process work well in my own city, and I wish every journalist covering government, school and social services beats would be required to read this book and organize his or her coverage this way.

Coming To Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues

Average customer rating:

Coming To Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues
Roger M. Troub
Manufacturer: Association for Evolutionary Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000921FOO
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Economic Issues, published by Association for Evolutionary Economics on March 1, 1994. The length of the article is 5841 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: Coming To Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World. (book reviews)
Author: Roger M. Troub
Publication: Journal of Economic Issues (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 1994
Publisher: Association for Evolutionary Economics
Volume: v28 Issue: n1 Page: p240(17)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World.: An article from: The Futurist

Average customer rating:

Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World.: An article from: The Futurist
Arnold Brown
Manufacturer: World Future Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by World Future Society on January 1, 1992. The length of the article is 733 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: Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World.
Author: Arnold Brown
Publication: The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 1992
Publisher: World Future Society
Volume: v26 Issue: n1 Page: p33(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

Robert Twigger isn't your typical nature writer, focusing intently on the life habits of an endangered and misunderstood species. In The Extinction Club he rambles and reflects his way all around his ostensible topic--the nearly extinct Pere David's deer. In fact, he spends the first fifty or so pages telling readers why he wrote the book, and musing on everything from libraries to his grandfather. It's a slow start for readers curious about the deer, but once Twigger begins divulging details about how the species, native to China, has survived in Bedfordshire, England, you'll be hooked. Twigger has a hipster's sense of irony and a postmodern storyteller's keen sense of the absurd, allowing him to avoid a lot of nature-writing clichés. Critics have accused him of being self-referential, and he does spend too much time in The Extinction Club describing meetings with publishers, his time at a survival camp, and his life in Oxford. But the book works in the end, both as a history of a little-known chapter of wildlife biology and as a meditation on nature and truth. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

For one thousand years, the Milu -- an exotic species of deer with the neck of a camel, horns of a stag, feet of a cow, and tail of a donkey -- existed only in the Chinese emperor's private park in Beijing. But in the nineteenth century, a Basque missionary risked his life to obtain a specimen, then embalmed it and sent it to Paris.

The preserved remains caused quite a stir, and soon every major nation in Europe possessed a Milu. But most died quickly, and due to war -- most notably the Boxer Rebellion -- they became extinct in their native habitat as well. Yet the eleventh duke of Bedford was devoted to preserving the Milu. Under his care at Woburn Abbey, a herd flourished, and nearly a century later, in 1986, part of the British herd was returned to China.

In his fascinating tale, Robert Twigger poignantly recounts the story of this strange and rare animal while providing a riveting meditation on evolution, truth-telling, extinction, myth-making, and survival.

Customer Reviews:

It seemed to be more about the writing OF the book than the writing IN the book........2007-09-05

I got about halfway through this book before realizing that I was just trying to get back some of my time investment. I hoped that it would become spellbinding and hilarious any second. I kept hoping and hoping, until my next requested library book became available and I realized that it was more appealing than the book (this one) that I had already started.

The author really did seem to be just listing all the ways he got around writing a book about these nearly extinct deer. I don't know if he did this to stretch the book by a few hundred pages, but I found it dull. Too bad, too, because his tone was enjoyable to read.

too much autobiography.......2006-01-19

An unoriginal attempt of authoring a novel based on fractured accounts through the masculine line of the Twigger family tree. The book reminds me of a Simon Winchester styled writer who is too preoccupied with glorify his own accomplishments. I have read three Twigger books and so far they are lacking in story but not autobiography.

It all comes together in the end.......2004-10-07

I also picked this up on the bargain rack. I was expecting a sort of research text on the deer. It actually is much more than that--it's part travelogue and part personal journey on the part of the author as well. He relates to us strange stories of bizarre people he meets in his research, thoughts on reading, various bits and pieces of history, and an ongoing story about trying to find a secondhand bookstore in Cairo. As I read it, I was enjoying it, but it felt rather fractured...up until the last few pages where he brings all the threads into the book together into one common theme, making me shake my head at the control he had over the various stories all along.

Perfect........2004-07-27

I picked this book up on the bargain rack of my local bookstore. I don't like to pass up a chance for a low-priced hardcover, and am I ever glad I didn't.

Everyone will tell you this book is about deer. Not just any deer. Rare deer. But it's about so much more than that. Whether you see it as fact or fiction, or 'mostly true', the book is captivating. While seemingly hare-brained and madcap in its construction, the text flows together in a surreal way. Twigger penned the words perfectly, and it's a book not only for deer-lovers, but for writers, too.

Because much of the book is about writing another book and finding book stores and raiding libraries and the like, anyone who loves books should also love it. I suppose I must have gotten lucky, liking both books and deer, with a slight bent for villains like the Major.

It's hard to do the text justice. You'll just have to go read it yourself, I suppose.

The Extinction Club.......2004-06-24

An amazing, entertaining, illuminating and yet at times even infuriating piece of work.

At its base, the book is about the pere david deer, a species that exists only to be hunted. Extinct in the wild for hundreds if not thousands of years, a herd of deer stayed alive in a walled-off compound in China's Forbidden City for several centuries, where only the emperor was allowed to hunt them and eat their meat. A Western monk "discovered" the deer in the late 19th Century, and sent a few back to Europe, where they were admired for their unusual appearance. Soon after, a combination of factors during the Boxer Rebellion wiped out the Chinese herd, leaving a small British herd as the only survivors. The population now thrives, and some have even been returned to China, but the herds are essentially kept alive through money earned by rich folks paying thousands of dollars to shoot them.

But Twigger's book is much more than that. It's an examination of how he came to write the book; it's a personal history; it's a book full of self-doubts and false starts; it's an extended treatise on the nature of extinction (both of species and of skills). It jumps around from idea to idea, from setting to setting, from time period to time period, never telling a cohesive story until it all comes together in the end. At times, the book is so unusual it reads like fiction. (Reading the book, I began to doubt the pere david deer even existed, but a quick Google search found several photos of them online.)

Ultimately, this is an entertaining and thought-provoking book, even if it is a bit self-indulgent. Worth checking out.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books