Average customer rating:
|
Diary of William Mackenzie: The 1st International Railway Contractor
William MacKenzie
Manufacturer: Thomas Telford Services Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Business
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Surveying & Photogrammetry
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 072772830X |
Book Description
Derek Jeter-the Yankees shortstop who isn't short on talent, looks, or heart.Though he's only 24, many of his teammates describe Derek Jeter as a baseball player with maturity beyond his years. His awesome skills on the playing field have earned him an American League Rookie of the Year award and helped the Yankees to two World Series championships in three years. Jeter is rapidly making a name for himself as one of today's hottest young athletes. Baseball fans can't get enough of the graceful Yankees shortstop who wows them with his power and speed. Women are mesmerized by his hear-stopping good looks-he was even named on of People magazine's 50 most beautiful people in the world! Read all about this down-to-earth superstar, from his childhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where his dream of playing for the Yankees began, to his life today, his charity work, his hopes for the future, and why he told GQ magazine, "I have the greatest job in the world." With eight pages of cool photos!
Customer Reviews:
Derek Jeter Is Awsome! He Is The Best Legend Ever!.......2005-11-30
This book is great because it shows how great a player Jeter is. I am his biggest fan and I love him just a little more after reading that. He is what we call a "team player" and I really respect him. I think that he will stay a hero for ages and I hope he doesn't retire for a loooooooonnnnnnngggggg time! This book tells about all the great things he does, facts and info about him, and more! Read it if you get a chance and meet the one, the only, DEEREEEKKKK JEEEEETTTERR!
Don't Bother.......2002-01-05
It was absolutely painful to get through this book.
I realize it was an unauthorized biography, but I really didn't need to spend money to read interviews with Derek's 4th grade teacher, snippets of Joe Torre's memoirs, or recaps of what other writers that Derek actually spoke to had to say.
The author seemed to know he didn't have enough material for a book so he just took up space, wasting tons of pages talking about (and repeating) utter nonsense, or things that had nothing whatsoever to do with Derek Jeter, the person.
Though it's meant more as a motivational book for kids, I thought "The Life You Imagine" provided much more information, which actually came from Derek himself. I'd buy that one if you're interested in learning about Derek Jeter.
Leave it to twin brothers.......2000-06-27
The Gyles twins are very good at writing on Derk Jetter. I look forward to their upcoming biography on Boogaloo Shrimp, the famous midget from the Harmonicats.
For "Teenie-Boppers" not adults.......2000-06-17
The first 6 chapters are ok....but the information is very repetitive...from chpt 7 on is for hormonal little girls. The book does chronicle Derek's life but the author could not find enough material to fill the book...it repeats throught the book, a teenage girl would love this book, a person who is a baseball fan will find this painfull, a Jeter fan can get through it. Derek Jeter: A Yankee for the New Millennium is a much better book for baseball fans over the age of 17.
Old Gills Has really out done himself.......2000-06-16
I think Mr. Gills is a master craftman who deserve another chance. He has only written this one measly little book, but I believe he's got a bright future ahead. He is a bit verbose, but his description of Derek's kneecaps is priceless. I think anyone under the age of 10 will love this book.
Average customer rating:
|
Film Stars: Hollywood and Beyond (Inside Popular Film)
Manufacturer: Manchester University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
| Actors & Actresses
| Artists, Architects & Photographers
| Authors
| Composers & Musicians
| Dancers
| Entertainers
| Movie Directors
| New Age
| Television Performers
| Theatre
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0719056454 |
Book Description
This book takes as its focus film stars from the past and present, from Hollywood, its margins and beyond and analyzes them through a close consideration of their films and the variety of contexts in which they worked. Essays spread the net wide, looking at past stars from Rosalind Russell and Charlton Heston to present-day stars including Sandra Bullock, Jackie Chan and Jim Carrey, as well as those figures who have earned a certain film star cachet such as Prince, and the martial artist Cynthia Rothrock.
Book Description
This new printing of
Sport in Contemporary Society includes a new supplement on the facts, opinions, and scandals surrounding steroids in professional and amateur sports. Included is an informative government report that accessibly lays out the facts for students on increased use of steroids and the medical and performance effects on athletes. Additional articles critique, from different positions, steroid use and the policies various sports organizations have undertaken.
Customer Reviews:
Very insightful.......2005-11-18
This book provides a very insightful view of sport. The book does not male bash as another reviewer suggested. Instead it provides a glimpse into various areas of sport and the problems that exist. It provides a full range of views and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book!
This book sucks.......2003-11-25
This book is one of the worst cases of feminist propaganda and male bashing that I have ever had the chance to review. This book is loaded with problems that are present in society and the author seems to make sure that it is blamed on sports and men who participate in sports. If you where looking for a well balanced text on sports look else where because you will find no other opinion but the authors and the feminist in this book. The major reason that I do not like this book is because it blames men for everything that is wrong and makes sports out to be just this real evil event we participate in. Much of the information in this book is dated as well with much of the case studies done primarily in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, which makes much of the information irrelevant. It ignores any other point of view and is completely biased and is a dishonest book that passes its information off as absolutes but rarely backs up any of its claims. This is a Feminist propaganda book plain and simple and should not be considered anything else.
A wonderful glimpse into the scholarly perspective on sport........2001-01-30
My students use this text as an introduction to the scholarly world of sports. This is not a collection of empirical studies, but nor is it merely an anecdotal bashing of sport as an institution.
A more international scope would strengthen the book, but what is here is thoughtfully organized and well presented.
Average customer rating:
|
Sport in contemporary society: An anthology
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0312009739 |
Average customer rating:
|
Sport in contemporary society: An anthology
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Sociobiology
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0312753276 |
Average customer rating:
|
Sport in contemporary society: An anthology
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0312753292 |
Customer Reviews:
Vital source material for a CSA campaign-.......2006-11-05
If you like the Brian Daley novels and want to set a campaign in the CSA this book has it all-ESPOs, IRDs, Viceprexs, you name it! But it has even more- it has the structure, history, and equipment of the CSA as well. It also has the aliens, planets, and ships mentioned in the Daley novels as well. Get the Tramp Freighter guide and go for it.
Book Description
"
The Painter IX Wow! Book is a must-have! Author Cher Threinen-Pendarvis explains Painter tips and techniques in an easy and accessible manner,
and the book is the most visually stunning of its kind. Reading her Painter Wow! books was instrumental in my own early development with Painter,
and I continue to learn from them with each subsequent release." --Rick Champagne, Program Manager, Corel Painter, Corel Corporation
Corel Painter, the world’s leading natural-media painting software, has long
been a favorite among fine artists and illustrators, who love the way it
emulates the experience of working with traditional media such as
watercolor, oils, pastel, pencil, and ink, yet with all the advantages of a
digital technology. Whether you're an experienced digital artist or an
artist who needs a bridge from traditional media to electronic art, there's
no better way to learn Painter than from longtime Painter artist and
instructor, Cher Threinen-Pendarvis.
The Painter IX Wow! Book, which has been thoroughly rewritten for Painter
IX, has something to spark every reader's creativity. Cher, the artist who
built the default brush libraries for Painter 7, 8 and IX, gives you insider
knowledge on Painter’s tools, functions, and preferences.Beginners will love
the clear, step-by-step instructions, which assume no prior knowledge of the
program. Intermediate and advanced users will gain valuable insight from the
author's savvy explanations of a wide variety of cool, creative, and
productive techniques, and will find plenty of inspiration in the stunning
artwork that graces the book throughout.
In this new edition, the expanded painting chapter features many exciting
new techniques, including the new Artists Oils and improved Digital
Watercolor mediums and how you can integrate them into your Painter digital
art studio or Painter workflow. The Building Brushes section has been
expanded into its own chapter, and gives you detailed information about how
to create and organize your own custom brushes. The newly updated
printmaking chapter showcases more creative printmaking techniques and
addresses color management issues. You'll also find expanded chapters
focusing on:
• Painting with brushes: Many new creative drawing and painting techniques using new high-performance natural-media brushes
• Enhancing photos: learn how to use Painter creatively with photographs and collages
• Special effects for graphics and type
• Creating images for the screen and for printmaking
• Painter’s improved compatibility with Adobe Photoshop
New Painter users will find thorough explanations of Painter's interface, as
well as drawing and painting exercises to help them get up to speed with
Painter quickly, while readers who are familiar with traditional artist
tools will learn how to transition their art media from traditional to
digital tools. The Painter IX Wow! CD-ROM includes new custom brushes built
by the author, extra textures and custom lighting effects that you won't
find anywhere else, as well as recorded scripts, stock photographs and video
clips, filters, software demos, and The Painter IX Wow! Study Guide, a study
guide/instructors guide for self-study or classroom use.
Customer Reviews:
Again, it's a Wow book, how can you go wrong?.......2007-06-08
I bought Painter not knowing how to use it, so I needed a book - this book. Besides packed with extras; such as paper textures & brushes, it gives you detailed information on how to set up your digital medium settings; from acrylics to charcoal pencils. It explains what control does what, settings for a particular brush used in examples, a gallery of other artwork, even a whole chapter dedicated on how to create custom brushes. I know how to use Painter now.
claer and easy.......2007-06-08
one of my pet peaves is that i want a quick and precice and quick answer to what ever question i have when dealing with a program. too many times i deal with looking endlessly for an answer in a book, i don't have that kind o patience. here however is a clear lay out in the index and then when u read about one subject it will send you to the page for the next subject that is related. sometimes there are elaborate idea developments about the art for projects that i can generally do with out, but some of the ideas presented were actually so good that i was applying them myself to some of my things. I always like seeing the artwork in the WOW series of books that show off the entire capability of the programs. we use the illustrator CS2 wow and the photoshop CS2 wow, which is why i went on to try this one, love it, no question
The best I've seen to date!.......2007-03-10
Cher has put together a remarkably clear
"how-to" book for those using Painter
for the first time.
As a professor of graphics and fine art, found
the book to be the best so far
for the explanation and application of
a painter program.
Kudos to Cher!!
Painte 9 WOW.......2007-01-10
This is a beautiful book.I am learning this software by myself and with this book I can go further to learn it.....It is easy to follow.
Some of the projects are a little bit hard to understand,so go back later when you know more.....
I am new at this kind of stuff and it help me.I can say after reading a few pages what kind of work I will like to do. Try it and you will love it.It will keep you busy for a while
Good book, too advanced for my level.......2006-11-06
I had great hopes for The Painter IX Book, but I don't think it was a good fit for my experience level. I was looking for a book that would show me how to get started, literally from scratch as I have no experience with this type of fine art program. There really is no place in this book that takes you from the very first steps of "create a new document, etc...." I just found the interface too complex, the options too numerous to get a basic, solid start. If I can find a source to learn the very basics step by step, I would definitely be well served by this book when I am ready for it's more advanced techniques that seem to take for granted that you have a solid foundation of how to use the Painter IX program. I do have a Wacom drawing tablet which is absolutely imperative if you are to access any of Painter's amazing effects. So, if you are experienced with this type of fine art drawing program, this is a beautiful book with lots of good info - I just don't feel it's suitable for beginners like me.
Book Description
Owen's wife Martha, tells the story of their life together from the days as high school sweethearts, through Owen's rise to fame in the WWF.
Customer Reviews:
A good book, but an awful wrestling book.......2007-05-14
While this book is VERY critical of wrestling, and offers unfair perspectives from Martha, I still think this book is good because of the insight about how Owen tragically died and even more so, how he lived his life. Martha more or less dumps on the Hart family, but she tries to be nice to most of the family. My main gripe is that Martha says things like how she thinks Steve Austin was faking his injury from Owen Hart's modified death piledriver in 1997, saying it was executed fine. You can clearly see from the tape of the match that he messed up and could have killed Austin, and there is no way anyone with an understanding of wrestling would make a claim like this. Martha makes several claims like this, that as a knowledgeable wrestling fan you can't help but shake your head at. Also, when it is a benefit to point out the success of wrestling Martha harps attendance figures, however when she is trying to bash wrestling she points out examples of attendance figures being intentionally over announced with a larger number of fans announced than were actually at shows. Its a bit contradictory.
If you want to learn about Owen Hart, and how much of a loss it was that he was left in the hands of unqualified people when suspended 80 feet in the air, this book will satisfy you. If you want accurate perspectives and commentary on wrestling, however, avoid this book.
Good read,.......2007-03-15
I liked the Broken Harts book.It was a good read on getting to know Owen Hart as an human being not as the high profile wrestler he was even though he was an great athlete but I was wanted to find out more about Owen.Owen just loved to live life.He was and down to earth guy with an charming personality and he was good to people and loved to laugh.If I recall correctly Owen said 2 days prior to his death with his wife Martha "Ive had the best life and I just want to keep on living it".Its just a shame what happened to Owen because it could of been completely avoided if the WWE wouldnt of pressured him into doing a stunt that he wasnt comfortable with just for tv ratings.Anyway Owen was a great person and his time here on Earth helped make the world a better place.Owen you wont be forgotten.RIP In Heaven!
A decent read.......2007-03-09
Not really up to a lot of other wrestling books. This is my first and only book that is written by a wrestler's wife. The best parts involved Owen Hart, his personal life, his wrestling life and wrestling in general.
Unfortunately, Martha put me off a little by being anti-wrestling. I mean I completely understand and agree with her anti-WWE/Vince in light of what happened to Owen and the resulting loss of her husband and her kids' father. What I don't agree with is her looking down on wrestlers as "freaks" as she called them several times and uneducated. If she had done her research more she would have found that there are lots of educated wrestlers who wrestle because that's what they love to do. Also there are some glaring mistakes. One mistake was her statement that Andre The Giant died in the 1980's. He died of a heart attack in 1993.
Also, I disagree that wrestling was just a job to Owen and that he didn't like it. I agree he might have felt differently about wrestling as it changed into Jerry Springer-like tv, but actual wrestling and in-ring work it was obvious Owen was passionate about it. He might not have loved wrestling as much as his wife or kids, which is normal. The wrestlers that love wrestling more than their wives or families are abnormal to me. Wrestling was in Owen's blood, but I think Martha & her mother both looked down on wrestling & wrestlers. I get the feeling Martha was ashamed of her husband's profession from the moment she met him.
I do feel really sorry for her and Owen's kids. I can't imagine the shock of the tragic loss she must have felt when she was told Owen died. If I had a choice I would have borrowed this book (if anyone I knew had it) or gotten it at a library, but the only way I could read it was to buy it. Still I am glad if the money goes to her and Owen's kids, or the Owen Hart foundation.
I'm not anti-Marth Hart by any means. I just have different opinions than she does. I totally agree that Vince, WWE and others were negligent, stupid, and responsible for the horrible accident which cause Owen Hart his life. It is yet another case of wrestling going too far. I'm a big wrestling fan, but wrestling sometimes goes too far.
I also liked the interaction between Bret Hart and Martha. Unlike some who criticize Bret, I am glad Martha appreciated his help. You could tell that Bret really loved his brother and was true to his word that he would look after Martha and Owen's kids if something ever happened to Owen.
Despite my different opinions on wrestling and wrestlers, I feel good I purchased this book. If the money goes to Owen's family I feel good at the end of the day. I was absorbed by the book and don't regret buying it. At least now I know Martha's view on things and got to know Owen Hart a lot better than I did before I read this book.
I recommend this book for the more die-hard wrestling fan, but warning that it might anger some with the anti-wrestling and putting down of wrestlers through-out the book. Other than the snobbish-ness I think Martha is a decent human being and feel sorry for her loss.
Filled with inaccuracies.......2006-07-02
Definetly, this book is filled with mistakes.
Martha hart TRIES to convince us that Owen thought that austin FAKED his injury at Summerslam 97. ( Martha, are u insulting our intelligience? )
I know she hates Vince Mcmahon and WWE and wrestling but she TRIES to tell us that Owen HATED WRESTLING, that Stu hart FORCEFED his children wrestling.......and that owen REALLY WANTED TO BE A TEACHER OR A FIREMAN!!!
I love Owen hart....and i bought this book expecting a good read. But it just kept getting more ridiculous as it went on. Clearly there were some lies.
We all love owen....its a shame martha has to make up stuff to get us to sympathize with her.
heart-wrenching & detailed .......2006-06-11
Hello there,
I've always been a big fan of both Owen & Bret. I remember watching "The Blue Blazer" toward the end of the 80s.
This books chronicles the life of one of the best high-flying wrestler ever and a great human being!
It's difficult not to shed a tear when you read "The Fall" chapter. Extra-ordinary amount of details and strength of will by Martha to be able to write this tragic portion of her life; she's a super-woman!
There's interesting information on how the WWF/WWE do things; rather sad actually, but I believe every-word of it!
Also, a lot of information on the Hart family is releaved.
Overall, a great and simple read. Thanks again Martha for your strength in writing this book and informing me why one of the best in the business passed away...
I will remember you Owen Hart, now and always.
Charles D.
Book Description
Inspired by newspaper clippings he had kept about two former African dictators accused of cannibalism, journalist Riccardo Orizio set out to track down tyrants around the world who had fallen from power—to see if they had gained any perspective on their actions, or if their lives and thoughts could shed any light on our own. The seven encounters chronicled in Talk of the Devil
reveal Orizio’s gift as an observer and his skill at getting people to reveal themselves. They are also, each of them, memorable stories in their own right.
Thanks to his conversion to Islam, the unrepentant Idi Amin lives in exile in Saudi Arabia and laughs off his murderous past while still attempting to meddle in Uganda. Jean-Bedel Bokassa, the bloody former emperor of Central Africa, boasts astonishingly that Pope Paul VI had nominated him as the thirteenth apostle of the Catholic Church. Nexhmije Hoxha defends her husband’s brutal Stalinist regime from her Albanian prison cell and proudly explains how it worked. Paris-based Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier—in his first interview since fleeing Haiti in 1986—speaks about voodoo and the women of his life, and laments the loss of his fortune. Colonel Mengistu Haile-Mariam of Ethiopia, Mira Markovic (Slobodan Milosevic’s wife), and General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the former Polish head of state, all claim, in one way or another, that history will do them justice.
By turns chilling and comical, rational and absurd,
Talk of the Devil brings back into focus forgotten history and people we have viewed as evil incarnate. Stripped of their power and titles, they are oddly human, and in Orizio’s hands, their stories, and his own, are compulsively readable.
Customer Reviews:
Failed Dictators and their afterlives........2006-07-14
I liked this read. It was interesting to read how seven ex-leaders are now living their lives. In this book, the author connects up with seven failed leaders. He discovers that these once high and mighty people are all too human. Bokassa is clearly crazy. Amin is a clown. Strasser is homeless. Hoxha and Mengistu are meglomaniacs. One wonders how these people ever got into leadership positions and governed countries. In democracy, you can pick your leaders. These leaders were not picked. I agree with one of the previous reviewers that Jarazelski doesn't belong in this book. He came across as the most intelligent of these failed leaders.
I enjoyed this read. I wish the author would have tried to interview other ex leaders. It would have been interesting to see what Marcos, the Ortega brothers, Pinochet, Pol Pot, had to say in their defense. This is a nice read for those interested in failed dictatorships.
A very strange book on a most unusual topic.......2006-06-27
The author attempts to track down a host of former dictators and discover how they ended up. I was not quite sure what to make of this book. It is part travel book, part history, and part policy. Most of the rulers were products of the cold war, when the superpowers tolerated brutal dictatorships in the name of power politics. What proved to be so fascinating was how similar many of the dictators were. Many had strong wives who shared power, many still believed they were the rightful leader of their former country, and none had any guilt for what they had done. Each one was able to justify their acts using an array of twisted logic from "It never happened. all lies" to "I was better than the alternative" Most of the leaders were from Africa or Central Europe.
The story of how the author tracked down the former dictators was as interesting as the interviews themselves. His descriptions of the culture of the developing world was dead on. Despite being translated from Italian, the book ready easily, even the humor carried over well. I did not feel the book contained too much background material on each leader.
I would not call it an academic study, but it was an enjoyable read for any student of the cold war with a somewhat off-beat sense of humor. It proves that reality is always more interesting than fiction..I was amazed that so many of the dictators survived into old age.
An Intimate Look at "Retired" Despots.......2006-01-27
What happens to deposed despots, dictators and political murderers? Do they show any remorse for their past actions and the destruction of their nations? How do they feel about being written into the history books as the most evil men and women of past century? These are the questions which Ricardo Orizio attempts to answer by tracking down nine of the most notorious tyrants of the past fifty years. At times comical, and at times sad, Orizio paints a picture of evilness that may be unexpected but always interesting. Some of Orizio's dictators are clearly insane (as if their past actions weren't evidence enough) while others provide justification for their actions in a manner which leaves the reader almost convinced. Although much of the work is collected from news snippets and other secondary sources, the interviews conducted by Orizio provide an aspect that isn't captured well through the media. Orizio grants a picture into the minds of these individuals, a look at their deeper, "human" side. My only wish is that Orizio's questions were a little more hard-hitting. Instead, the reader needs to read between the lines to make assumptions of dictatorial character.
Deceptive packaging.......2003-08-24
This book is not as represented. Ninety percent of it is historical detail you can get from other sources, fluffed into thin, uninteresting interviews, some of which hardly merit the term. Combine this with a flat-footed, self-conscious, second-rate translation, and it's an agonizing read, filled even with annoying sentence fragments. Like this. The publisher clearly told Orizio to fill in the empty parts so they could have a book to sell. Don't waste your time. Read TIME instead; it's much more compelling.
Deceptive packaging.......2003-08-24
This book is not as represented. Ninety percent of it is historical detail you can get from other sources, fluffed into thin, uninteresting interviews, some of which hardly merit the term. Combine this with a flat-footed, self-conscious, second-rate translation, and it's an agonizing read, filled even with annoying sentence fragments. Like this. The publisher clearly told Orizio to fill in the empty parts so they could have a book to sell. Don't waste your time. Read TIME instead; it's much more compelling.
Book Description
How does the firing of neurons give rise to subjective sensations, thoughts, and emotions? How can the disparate domains of mind and body be reconciled? The quest for a scientifically based understanding of consciousness has attracted study and speculation across the ages. In this direct and non-technical discussion of consciousness, Dr. Gerald M. Edelman draws on a lifetime of scientific inquiry into the workings of the brain to formulate answers to the mind-body questions that intrigue every thinking person. Concise and understandable, the book explains pertinent findings of modern neuroscience and describes how consciousness arises in complex brains. Edelman explores the relation of consciousness to causation, to evolution, to the development of the self, and to the origins of feelings, learning, and memory. His analysis of the brain activities underlying consciousness is based upon recent remarkable advances in biochemistry, immunology, medical imaging, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology, yet the implications of his book extend farther--beyond the worlds of science and medicine into virtually every area of human inquiry.
Customer Reviews:
A Taste of Brilliance, Then A Let Down.......2007-03-10
I was disappointed by this book. I have read a number of recent works on consciousness, and in them I've seen quite a few positive references to bioscientist Gerald Edelman. Philosopher John Searle, who some regard as the "dean" of the consciousness debate, says that Edelman may understand the physical and functional workings of the human brain better than anyone else (see Searle's The Mystery of Consciousness). Edelman's work regarding the brain's ability to set up ad-hoc looping circuits between the many "maps" within it (i.e., small segments that specialize in a particular task, e.g. the area that identifies colors from visual inputs) is very powerful. It addresses many important questions, such as how we experience things in a unified manner when many different areas of our brain separately process the elements and sub-elements of sight, sound, smell and touch.
Thus, I had hoped that Wider Than the Sky would be Edelman's attempt to unfold his powerful insights regarding brain-mind dynamics before the reasonably educated masses. Unfortunately, Dr. Edelman chose to zip through his important ideas so as to dish out a warmed-over version of philosopher Daniel Dennett's functional materialism. This book should be compared with Steven Pinker's How The Mind Works. Pinker wrote a long book that eventually did what it promised, despite breezy asides about Queen Elizabeth, Lilly Tomlin, Leonard Nimoy and the like. Pinker ultimately stuck to analyzing the processes by which the human brain forwards the interests of the body to which it is attached, within a changing and challenging environment. Pinker remained agnostic to the ultimate question of what consciousness is and what its nature might be. I myself would have preferred it if Edelman had stuck to that script.
Edelman does indeed give the reader a taste of some important concepts regarding the dynamics of the brain. These would include: re-entrant neuron looping between processing areas; neural group selection (or day-to-day Darwinism, the on-going shaping of the "plastic" brain); degeneracy (i.e. the ability to quickly change the looping circuits in a way that responds to new stimuli, but doesn't immediately drop the thought or perception that you were attending to); and "value systems" (a spaghetti-like network of connections originating under the cortex, which in effect spray the brain with mood and mind-altering chemicals such as serotonin and ACH at the right times, helping the body to enforce its basic agenda of survival, reproduction and probably other "higher-order" agenda derived from learning experience). But Edelman doesn't take the time to develop these fascinating ideas with needed examples and analogies, so as to help the lay reader to appreciate what he and his team have discovered regarding brain processes. He's like those "I'm only going to say this once" professors that you try to forget once the semester is over.
Instead of explaining his research, Dr. Edelman leads us up the metaphysical mountain of consciousness, where we sit at his feet as he purifies us of any superstitious, dualistic notions regarding who we are and what it's like to be human. He tells us that consciousness, as we "folk" think of it, is ultimately just a side-effect of material interactions. He explains that qualia is really a function, i.e. the brain's ability to discriminate different portions of a mental image. And he fails to acknowledge those who had put forth similar ideas in the past. It's a shame; Edelman rushes through the really innovative research that he is doing, to dwell on a set of ideas that you could get the hang of in an hour or two from one of those Totem / Icon "comic books" (i.e., Introducing Consciousness by D. Papineau and H. Selina).
Edelman takes some other interesting positions, but fails to alert the reader as to their speculative and controversial nature (I mean, isn't that what footnotes are for?). Regarding emotions and feelings, he gives them minimal consideration, passing them off as a side-effect of value system operations (those mind chemicals, remember?). By contrast, some mind analysts such as Antonio Damasio and Susan Greenfield give emotions top-billing. Edelman dismisses the notion advanced by Jerry Fodor that the mind uses a "language" of sorts between its specialty components, and the related notion regarding proto-language, which underlies Chomsky's views about the universal elements of all human languages. I can't say that Edelman is wrong here, but a footnote acknowledging the existence of differing viewpoints seems to be the usual practice. Are Nobel Prize winners permanently excused from the need to footnote?
One more example of Dr. Edelman's intellectual rope-walking without a net: he posits that the human brain has greater computing capabilities than the hypothetical "Turing Machine", which is an intellectual keystone of computing theory. This sounds OK until you do a search on the topic and discover "hypercomputation", a very uncertain and controversial concept. I'd venture that Dr. Edelman is wandering quite far from the zone of expertise where he earned a Nobel Prize (regarding his work in immunology). The same applies to his metaphysical (or anti-metaphysical) admonitions regarding "folk understanding" of human consciousness. His thoughts would make for a lengthy and interesting footnote, for sure. But this book is not about footnotes - it has none (although it does contain a very useful glossary). Wider Than the Sky is another unfortunate example of a brilliant person doing some very interesting research about the brain, who gives in to the temptation of lecturing mere mortals regarding their unenlightened assumptions. I hope that Dr. Edelman came closer to the Pinker tradition of exposition and respect for the general audience in his (Edelman's) other popular works (Bright Air, Brilliant Fire and Second Nature). But I'm not in any hurry to bet on it -- too many other interesting authors on the mind and consciousness to get to.
Well worth reading if you are interested in consciousness and its neural underpinnings.......2007-02-19
This book is a short read, and thought-provoking. Edelman is one of a select group of cogniscenti on consciousness -- he really knows his stuff. He is a neuroscientist, and does not shy away from detailing neuroanatomical systems in his writing. For people who do not have any background in neuroscience, this book might seem a bit impenetrable. For those who are deeply interested in neuroscience and the information it can provide on human intelligence and consciousness, I have heard that Edelman's book Topobiology is a longer, more comprehensive version of Wider Than the Sky, and well worth reading. Although I have not read that book, I would suggest that Wider Than the Sky might be a good place to start, and make that book more easily understandable.
right ideas but could have been better written.......2006-03-17
In my opinion the author comes closer than any other in providing us with the theory of consciousness that will prevail in the future.He bases his theory on scientific and experimental basis and not on endless philosophical conversations .His scientific background is impressive and evident in every page of the book .For these he gets easily from me the 5 stars. However the author in the middle of the book fails in writting clearly, trying to understand what he wants to express becomes demanding and his endeavor to make the book both scientific and readable by the average reader doesn't succeed.Dr Edelman I look forward for your next book, I hope you have developed your ideas as I am expecting from you the ultimate consciousness theory!
One of our Greatest Intellectual Mysteries Finally solved.......2006-03-11
Building systematically and admirably on his previous work (A Universe of Consciousness), Gerald Edelman, has finally succeeded in cracking the cosmic code of the mind body problem, or how the conscious mind is a direct product of, rather than an indirect, or by-produce of, or even an epiphenomenon of, physical processes that take place in the brain.
Not only has he exhibited the brain parts, chemical processes and functions responsible for consciousness, also he has mapped them into identifiable aspects of conscious processes themselves. And more importantly, in doing so, his research meets the highest cannon of scientific enquiry: It is empirically based, definitions and hypotheses are lay out clearly; and then they are systematically and clearly proven. Every aspect of the research is transparent and replicable. It is also simply explained, but following Einstein's famous edict, it is not explained simpler than necessary. Yet, even where it is not so simple, it is clear enough that the courageous reader -- bent on following this exiciting adventure to the bitter end -- can indeed follow and understand the meaning of these important conclusions.
In an inmaterial aside, I must say I had put all my bets on another horse in this race to immortality. I thought that Dan Dennett and his computer analogies would in the end prove weightier in this important scientific foot race.
Dispite my earlier misgivings about the Edelman approach, I now know that this always was the best horse in the race. I am thus a happy loser. Two cheers and five stars for the winner.
Zombie is possible- SORRY ONLY 3 STARS.......2006-02-08
To say it is erroneous to assume that actions CAN be carried out without the conscious IS erroneous. I unfortunately know for fact(not voluntarily) that there are chemicals that are used that can block the conscious and leave the subconscious to the availability of a second party. Producing almost perfect ZOMBYNESS. Walk and talk as directed. I'd like to find a book on that subject. And what can be done to protect oneself.
Average customer rating:
- Plugs a very interesting story into obscure poli-sci models
|
Shell, Greenpeace and Brent Spar
Grant Jordan
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Management
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Lobbying
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Federal Government
| Levels of Government
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Air
| Pollution
| Environmental
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
General
| Business & Finance
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
Earth Sciences
| Sciences
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0333745469 |
Book Description
The decision by multinational Shell not to dispose of the Brent Spar oil facility in the North Atlantic was taken after several occupations of the structure by Greenpeace, and as a result of large scale pro-Greenpeace protest in the UK, Germany and other countries. This case is often cited to show the power of single-issue groups to force big business to rethink the importance of environmental issues. However, research shows Shell changed its mind on the Brent Spar issue because of the corporate structure of the company and reluctance to bear the bad publicity. Grant Jordan considers the role of scientific advice in shaping governmental decisions on matters such as BSE, genetically modified foods, and global warming.
Customer Reviews:
Plugs a very interesting story into obscure poli-sci models.......2005-09-09
This book is not an account of what happened with the Brent Spar campaign, but a lugubrious attempt to analyse it within a vocabulary that will speak only to the author's fellow political scientists. There is no reporting in it whatsoever and even the ideas covered (or concluded?) are obscured by jargon and, well, rather poor writing.
The story itself is relevant for business analysts, activists, and interested observers. In 1996, after consultation with the British government, Royal Dutch Shell decided that it would dispose of a massive oil storage and loading platform (Brent Spar) at sea. While the method represented a new way of decommissioning such a platform, it appeared both scientifically and environmentally sound as well as cheap. What Shell managers did not count on was the campaign that GreenPeace developed against the company that was based on some dodgy conclusions: not only did the group call for a massive boycott - mostly in Germany! - but activists occupied the platform and were repelled (on TV naturally) by water cannons. The result was the worst kind of brand trashing that is imaginable for a major corporation, while GreenPeace gained huge publicity for its cause of environmentalism (and fundraising therefor). SHell may have had the science right, but the way it dealt with the crisis as GreenPeace engineered it was utterly disastrous. Eventually, Brent Spar was recycled on shore and SHell admitted activits to its panels for consultation, widening the voices heard as well as attempting to re-vamp its decisionmaking process (making it more centralized and hence less dependent on local technocrats).
Now that is pretty interesting stuff. Alas, this book is precisely the wrong place to learn about it!
Not recommended except for political scientists in the author's peer group.
Books:
- Done in Oil: An Autobiography
- Dorothy Stimson Bullitt: An Uncommon Life
- Duncan Hines: The Man Behind the Cake Mix
- E. Bronson Ingram: Complete These Unfinished Tasks of Mine (Thl (Series).)
- Eddie Stobart Story
- Eitel Time : Turnaround Secrets
- Eli Ginzberg: The Economist as a Public Intellectual (Festschriften)
- Faith, the Only Star: A Family's Journey Through Challenge to Victory
- Famous Leaders of Industry
- Famous Wisconsin: Inventors and Entrepreneurs (Famous Wisconsin)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals: From Good to Great Performance
- Simpleology: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want
- Soft Subversions
- Shakespeare by Another Name: A Biography of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, the Man Who Was Shakespe
- Return of the Straight Dope
- Nonlinear Control Systems
- The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens
- Keys to the City: Tales of a New York City Locksmith
- State budget and tax actions 1991
- Adv in Understanding Modelling Be
