GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon

Book Description

In the postwar exuberance of 1949 America, General Motors mounted its first Motorama, an all-out extravaganza that turned the marketing of new cars and designs into a cultural event of national proportions. GMs Motorama brings this short-lived but unforgettable tradition back to life with words and period photographs that revisit the posh venues, such as the Waldorf Astoria in 1955, where celebrities in Broadway-style shows, phalanxes of glamorous models, and a singing group called the Motorhythms introduced the public to dream cars destined to become legendsfrom the 1951 LeSabre and the turbine-powered Firebirds to the Cadillac Cyclone and Corvette prototype. The book recreates the drama of the eight Motoramas staged between 1949 and 1961, focusing on the cars that took center stage and came to define an era of auto styling.

Customer Reviews:

Motorama moves me...........2007-10-01

This book is an important, stylish look at a halcyon time in U.S. automotive history, when dreams became real and art and style were as significant as horsepower and torque. If you're an afficianado of the big cruisers Detroit cranked out in the late fifties and early sixties, this book shows you the wildest styles possible from the designers and how they were translated into what you drove into your driveway. It's a well put together compilation, and the book itself is heavy and durable. Any car collector or petroliana devotee will love it!

An enthusiastically recommended addition .......2007-02-04

The General Motors company hit upon showcasing their new cars every year in a presentation that included automobiles from each of their various divisions (Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Chevrolet, GMC), as well as experimental or 'Dream' cars created to test public reaction to new ideas in automotive engineering and design. "GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars Of A Cultural Phenomenon" by David W. Temple (a freelance automotive photojournalist specializing in vintage cars) is a profusely illustrated history of these events and those 'Dream Cars' of the 1950s. Featuring both color and black/white historical photographs, the text is informed and informative. The result is a masterpiece of automotive history and an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Automobile History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon.......2007-01-19

The book was a gift and very well received and enjoyed. And the person receiving the book purchased the book for another family member.

Great coffee table book!.......2007-01-19

This book is terrific. Lots of great pics and facts about the motorama shows, the cars, and the visionaries that made it all possible. I only wish it was longer.

EXCELLENT!.......2006-12-26

I bought this for my wife for Christmas and she loves it! Personally I like the futuristic designs of the late 60s and early 70s best but his book is an absolutely outstanding, top quality example of automotive publishing! Everything you could want to know about GM's Motorama cars and the show itself is in here along with outstanding photos and top quality reproduction. If you're a GM styling "nut" like I am (65 thru 67 big Pontiacs...WOW!) you will still recognize the styling cues from the Motorama showcars that ended up on their production cars. This is a must for your automobile library!

Average customer rating:

The Jordan Automobile: A History
James H. Lackey
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 078641667X

Product Description

The subject of one of the great advertising campaigns of the early 20th century, the Somewhere West of Laramie ads, Jordan is a well-remembered marque despite its brief duration. Edward Stanlaw Ned Jordan was born November 21, 1882, in Merrill, Wisconsin, and worked as a journalist before finding work in the automobile industry. A pioneer of automobile advertising and sales who got his start with Thomas B. Jeffery and Company in 1907, he founded the Jordan Motor Car Company with fellow Jeffery employees Russell S. Begg as experimental engineer and Paul Zens as purchasing agent in 1916. This is both a biography of Ned Jordan and a history of his company and its vehicles from its beginning in 1916 to its end on April 1, 1932, when non-payment of franchise taxes forced its dissolution. Jordans first models were four- and seven-passenger custom-type touring cars, but it would become famous for the Sport Marine, the Playboy, the Little Tomboy, and the Little Custom Jordan. Spectacularly illustrated.

Book Description

The true story of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting reading for die-hard Von Erich fans.......2003-09-10

That book is quite interesting for many reasons. He was written by a friend of Fritz, not an author, and it shows in the writing. It also shows he believes everything Fritz says to him and print it. But it's also, to me, the facinating story of a con man who would work his last friend on his dying bed. For that alone, I'd say it's a must read for every Von Erich mark like me. If you were not around when World Class was on fire in the '80's, you will have at least an idea how much the Von Erich family impacted that decade. It is not a factual book, as some of the matches Fritz talks about never even took place. The pictures are awful. But more than any other wrestling books, this one will make you reflect about life, drugs, religion, cancer, family and so much more. I'd say 85% of the stars of World Class at the time, young men in their 20's, are now 6 feet under. It's a sad story, and I understand not everyone will like this book, but there are so many lessons to be learned from it, I highly recommand it once you know what to expect.

The history of legend.......2002-12-04

I found the book to be a very nice read. The author makes you feel like he is sitting next to you telling you all these stories about a man whom he had a lot of respect for and his family, and all the triumphs and the tragedies that the Von Erichs had in their lives. Of course there will be some who will claim that it is all biased but then the author had the advantage of actually talking to Fritz and his family unlike the others who only had rumor and other totally unrelieable sources to base their "truths" about the Von Erichs on. For all Von Erichs fans, who want to get their side of their lives it is an enjoyable book to read

Not The truth. History according to Fritz........2002-10-07

Want to read an incredibly biased account of the rise and fall of the Von Erich family? This is your book.
Fritz Von Erich's account of his famous children's lives is through rose colored glasses. You'll walk away from this book with the feeling that he's telling you what he wants you to believe, not the real truth.
His account of son David's death is the one that was given to the press, not the real story of David's very un-glamourous overdose in Japan. (And yes, that has been pretty much proven at this point)
His stories of former wrestling friends and foes are told in character (He still pretends that he hates the Von Erich In-Ring enemies)and are ultimatly, a dissapointment.
If you still believe that Wrestling is real and people like Fritz Von Erich and his sons are Baby-faced heroes who's goal in life is to rid the world of Evil wrestling heels like Michael Hayes and The Fabulous Freebirds, then by all means, order this book without hesitation.
But If You're looking for a factual, behind the scenes account of Pro Wrestling and all that it entails, leave this mess behind and buy Bobby Heanans book.

A Fitting Tribute.......2002-05-30

ýThe Secret of the Iron Clawý by Ron Mullinax is the story of the famous, yet tragic, Von Erich wrestling family who rose to fame and helped usher in the modern-era of wrestling in the 1980s.

Mullinax was a family friend of Jack and Kevin Adkisson (Fritz and Kevin Von Erich) who cared for Fritz during the final months of his life before passing away in September, 1997. This biography of Fritzýs and his familyýs story is the by-product of what Fritz related to Ron during his final months.

The account is no-holds barred and you get a good look into the lifeýs story of a man who, along with his sons, became a bona fide wrestling legend as well as tragic heroes. The book integrates narratives from the author, Fritz, Kevin as well as numerous news story transcripts which document the various stories of the familyýs tragic lives. You will feel the ups and downs of their lives included their moments of greatness as well as their moments of despair.

THE CONTENTS:

Among the thing youýll read about:

1. Jack Adkissonýs childhood growing up in Texas learning to hunt and fish.

2. His athletic background including his time playing college football at SMU and in the early pros.

3. His meeting his wife Doris and their clandestine wedding.

4. His breaking into the wrestling business after ending his pro-ball career and working odd jobs.

5. His traveling like a gypsy on the independent circuit up North including Canada, New York and Minnesota.

6. His rise and development of the World Class territory in Texas.

7. The TRUE circumstances that led to the deaths of his 5 sons, Jack Jr., David, Mike, Chris and Kerry and his divorce from his wife of 40 years.

8. TONS of heart-warming family stories about the kids as they grew up.

9. The development of Ron Mullinaxýs relationship with Fritz and Kevin.

10. Fritzý, Dorisý and Kevinýs reflections on their lives.

11. Their views on the wrestling world as it is today and their impact in the grand scheme of things.

THE VERDICT:

In all, the book, while marred by a good number of spelling and grammatical errors and a little awkwardly began, is a very powerful story. Fritzý, Dorisý and Kevinýs thoughts on life and wrestling are truly amazing. The book is very emotional in content. A large portion of the book is basically a tribute to lives and careers of the 5 deceased Von Erich boys. The story, while sad, is compelling.

In sum, Mr. Mullinax, while self-admittedly not an author, did achieve his objective. His book is a powerful tribute to a group of great men and beloved men, whom through fate faced some overwhelming challenges in their lives. The book was not quite as in-depth as I would have preferred it to be as far as family stories went, BUT it is a fine tribute which any wrestling fan, especially any Von Erich fan, should enjoy.

Pages: 207
Total Read Time: 7 hours over 3 days

Must-Read (for Von Erich fans)
Highly Recommended (for everyone else)

a totally 5 star book.......2002-04-18

This book is awesome i would totally recomend it to others becasue it was a page turner and i could not put it down the book was well written and im forsure gonna look for more books by him

Book Description

While several books have discussed the need for anti-oppressive school environments, few have addressed actual research for teachers to turn to as resources for classroom practice. Kumashiro draws on interviews with queer activists as a starting point for discussion of different models of reading and challenging oppression. It is through these personal stories that the complex theory and methodology Kumashiro presents gains particular relevance for creating actual pedagogical practice.

Customer Reviews:

Award winning book.......2003-12-22

Winner of the RESILIENT RESISTANCE:THE MYERS OUTSTANDING AWARDS 2003!

Kevin K. Kumashiro, director of the Center for
Anti-Oppressive Education, El Cerrito, CA.,

Kumashiro is first and foremost an educator. He is committed to
empowering educators to deal with anti-oppressive techniques and strategies in the everyday classroom situation. In Troubling Education he highlights the negotiations necessary to introduce sensitive subjects.

Kumashiro interviews activists and makes us question ourselves and the role we play in contributing to social problems and bringing about social change.

The book was easy to read and hard to put down. I hope he writes more on the subject!!!

Average customer rating:
Troubling Education: "Queer" Activism and Anti-Oppressive Pedagogy
K. KUMASHIRO
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUBVD8

Book Description

Complete walkthroughs of all seven worlds
Solutions to every puzzle
Detailed maps of each level
Everything you need to recover the Mask pieces and restore the citizens of Daventry

Customer Reviews:

A decent walkthrough..........2001-08-20

This book is essentially a walkthrough. It is pretty effective in locating specific items and such. It does not have lists for weapons, armor, or enemies. I really cannot say much else.

a well worth guide book.......1999-03-24

This guide book provide most of my solutions to my quest. A 5 star book with detailed maps and clear infomation sails throughtout my game. Only one error on the unlited candle but overall is a triple plus.

Excellent found one mistake.......1999-01-11

On page 202, location number 10 for the unlit candle is wrong. The candle is located in the hallway next to this room. Otherwise a usefull guide.

If you need help with MOE, this is THE book for you........1998-12-24

This book contains everything you need to know for maximizing the playability of Mask of Eternity. Well worth the money!!

Product Description

MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP INSIDE OUT 2ND ED

Amazon.com

Ed Bott and Carl Siechert have combined their considerable talents for producing user-level documentation in creating Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out. One of the most carefully researched books on Windows XP to date, this large volume has all the information and procedures most everyday users of the operating system will want. With its nicely formatted how-to instructions, detailed documentation of command-line commands, intelligent explanatory text, and broad scope, this book makes a great reference for a family or business that uses Windows XP extensively. Even the illustrations are more helpful than usual, largely because the publisher has gone to the trouble of annotating many of them with pointers and labels.

Bott and Siechert deal with the most controversial features of Windows XP, notably product activation, in a straightforward way. They simply explain what activation is for, tell how to go about it, and move on. If you're a power user interested in getting around activation and performing other unsanctioned hacks, look for your information in online newsletters. This book plays by Microsoft's rules, and that's fine. It's obvious that the authors have had access to Windows XP for some time, and spent a lot of time exploring its new features. Count on this book to explain the complete set of Windows XP's features--even the exciting networking stuff--in terms you can easily follow. --David Wall

Topics covered: Microsoft Windows XP (Professional and Home editions) for home and office users who want to install, use, and run applications. Emphasis is on basic set-up and configuration, hardware installation and modification, file management, multimedia, and networking.

Customer Reviews:

Quite Happy.......2007-08-23

The book I ordered was advertised as being slightly damaged. I have not found the damage yet.

A book for any XP "want to know it all".......2007-05-26

This book provides an amazing coverage of many topics in the most easy to read format. It is more than useful for any computer diagnostics work, as well as installation, networking, customization and more! The books mass at over 1500 pages seems daunting, but before your 200 pages into the book you'll more than likely have learned more than you ever thought you could about XP. If you don't have XP Professional several chapters in the Deluxe edition won't apply to you.

The best XP Book available........2007-05-13

This book has absolutly no one to compare to. It is truly unique.

Win XP - The Book Everyone Should Own........2007-05-12

I have never encountered a technical reference which is so thorough in covering all aspects of Windows XP. Beginning with the "simple" and culminating with the "technical" facets of Microsoft XP, this bible has subjects covering nearly every version of XP; Home, XP Pro, Media Center, etc. If one must seek an answer, it probably is contained within Windows XP, Inside Out, Second Edition.

Microsoft Windows XP .......2007-02-24

This book has so much information. It is actually more than we need in our household, but would be helpful to anyone who uses the computer for all things. S.Robertson

Book Description

Whether describing having his hair styled by a gang of eighth-grade bullies; staging a Satan festival in the main hall of Greenvale High; or indulging in inappropriate sex with a caregiver, Kevin Bentley writes with a pen dipped in blood, indignation, and grim whimsy. The autobiographical stories and personal essays in Let's Shut Out the World focus on different pivotal periods and characters in the author's life, from a twisted youth in Texas, to the glittering excesses and sober spirals of life and love in San Francisco in the 1970s, to the monogamous contentment of an unexpected middle age. The narrator of these stories has man trouble aplenty, butting heads and other body parts with everyone from fundamentalist Christians to a slew of "fauxmosexuals" and elusive boyfriends. Bitingly funny and at times harrowingly sad, Let's Shut Out the World provides the back story and sequel to the author's popular memoir Wild Animals I Have Known.

Customer Reviews:

WOW! What a World!.......2005-08-11

Kevin Bentley grew up in El Paso Texas during the late sixties and early seventies. In1977 he fled his dysfunctional family to make a life for himself in the gay Mecca of San Francisco. Bentley has been HIV positive since 1982, but remains asymptomatic due to two defective or variant genes that appear to delay the progression of HIV. Over the years he's experimented with drugs, thugs and straight boys, had more sex than any five people might expect, lost two lovers to AIDS, found marginal success in the literary world, and discovered martial bliss with his HIV negative partner of eight years, Paul.

LET'S SHUT OUT THE WORLD is a series of striking vignettes that create a beautifully textured portrait of Bentley's life so far. Through it all the author has remained skeptically optimistic, and steadfastly determined to see where life will lead him. His sense of humor, even in the face of unforgiving tragedy, remains sharp and wildly entertaining, while his grasp of life's ironies will keep his readers riveted to every page. Clearly, Bentley has seen it all, and lived to tell the tale. His is a story that many of us in our late forties and early fifties can relate to. We are survivors and this book is a strong testament to survival. Bentley's memoir is a no-holds-barred look back at gay life over the last thirty years, and provides the next generation of gay explorers with an engrossing history of hedonistic life after Stonewall.

I too am from El Paso, and I knew Kevin Bentley quite well back in the early seventies. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the farm that I am the character known as Art Zelinsky, briefly mentioned in the chapter titled, "Servo-Robots in Bondage." I have to admit, Bentley savagely captures the essence of the screaming little queen I was at the time. I lost touch with Kevin after he moved to San Francisco, but after completing his fascinating book, I feel as if I've re-discovered an old and long-lost friend. If you read one book this year, let it be Kevin Bentley's, LET'S SHUT OUT THE WORLD. It is most definitely a five (*****) star experience.

Witty yet poignant recollections of a life looking for love.......2005-08-03

Autobiographical memoirs in roughly-chronological essay form, Kevin Bentley's "Let's Shut Out The Wor;d" dealves into various periods in the author's life, from his childhood (where a group of eight grade bullies taunted him with "Fag!" and he had to go through a school day with his hair covered in spit) to looking back from his current middle-age perspective at his wild youth. Some explicit sexual content, but am told it is less so than in his first memoir, "Wild Animals I Have Known", which dealt mostly with the San Francisco gay sexual scene of the 1970's and shortly thereafter. Readers of that book may enjoy this sequel to get a better perspective on the author's reactions to that "kid in a candy store"-time in his life.

Bentley is both witty and poignant in his memoirs, with an overall effect the same as if you were sitting around with a friend talking about episodes in your past life. He honestly discusses his HIV status (positive, but blessed with a genetic abnormality that keeps him asymptomatic), having buried two lovers lost to AIDS, and gives an interesting perspective on his mixed feelings of guilt and joy at having been spared. One chapter talks about an old lesbian couple that he and his lover befriended, the relationship having ended when the survivor of that couple shunned Kevin's partner when it was revealed he was HIV+. There are tongue-in-cheek recollections of a couple of visits to Santa Fe to get a mission church's "holy dirt" (reputed to be health-restoring, but revealed to have been carted in from somewhere else), an AIDS hospice worker with a reputation as a "widow chaser" (tries to hook up with his patients' partners), battles with monogamy, fond recollections of his (many) trips to a now defunct San Francisco VD clinic known as "My Clementia", stories of his college years spent mostly stoned and lusting over "straight" classmates, and - something many of us can relate to - stories of dealing with his boyfriends' crazy families. A good light beach or vacation read, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

Average customer rating:

Let's Shut Out the World

Manufacturer: Green Candy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739460749

Average customer rating:

Let's Shut Out the World
Kevin Bentley
Manufacturer: TURNAROUND PUBLISHER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K3DFY0

Amazon.com

James Burke, author and public television star, returns with another quirky look at the way history works. In Twin Tracks, Burke connects "trigger events" with unexpected outcomes. For instance, the invention of the lens-grinding lathe leads to hairdressing, and the debut of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro connects to development of the stealth fighter jet. These events are tied together via two tracks, one written along the book's left-hand pages, and one along the right. The narratives meet up in the end, giving readers a clear idea that the lines of history can be quite subjective. Some of the examples even run backward, as when Burke explains the connections between smallpox and the Big Bang. While Burke is justifiably famous for linking historical events, the paths he takes, especially those involving lots of unfamiliar names, can be tricky to follow:

In 1710 the art collection was sold to Philip, regent of France, in a deal brokered by Benedetto Luti, the best painter in Rome at the time.... That year Luti took on an assistant.... By 1714 William Kent was painting originals.... His patron in all this was the trillionaire Earl of Burlington.

The best way to read Twin Tracks, as with any of Burke's lovely books, is one chapter at a time, taking thinking breaks in between so as not to become overwhelmed by detail. The networks he describes form a more accurate, if more challenging, picture of history's motion than any linear sequence. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Twin Tracks is a landmark book of real-world stories that investigates the nature of change and divines as never before the unlikely origins of many aspects of contemporary life. In each of the work's twenty-five narratives, we discover how the different outcomes of an important historical event in the past often come together again in the future.

Each chapter starts with an event -- such as the U.S. attack on Tripoli in 1804 -- that generates two divergent series of consequences. After tracking each pathway as it ranges far and wide through time and space, Burke shows how the paths finally and unexpectedly converge in the modern world.

Twin Tracks pinpoints the myriad ways the future is shaped, whether by love, war, accident, genius, or discovery. For instance, in "The Marriage of Figaro to Stealth Fighter," Burke's twin tracks start with the composer of the opera and the French spy from whose play he stole the plot. The tracks then encompass, among other things, freemasonry, the War of Independence, Captain Cook, jellyfish, Jane Austen, and audio tape. Ultimately, the convergence of the two Figaro tracks sets the stage for the development of Gulf War Stealth aircraft.

Wonderfully accessible and lucidly written, Twin Tracks offers an amusing and instructive new view of the past and the future.

Customer Reviews:

Six Degrees of Connections.......2006-02-21

Although enjoyable, this is not James Burkes best work. This does indeed seem more like "Six Degrees of Connections" at times. Without revealing any sequences here, there are cases that demonstrate Burke's "Trigger Effect". Unfortunately there are too many (for my taste anyway) cases of Mr. X was working on this invention and then he was walking on the sidewalk across from Mr. Y who became famous for something completely different. Because this work concentrates on torturously linking together people rather than connecting the innovations the narrative tends to blend together.

Not an exercize in degrees of freedom.......2004-12-02

Burke is an excellent source for people getting an introduction to what is interesting about the history of ideas- in particular the history of techological and scientific ideas.

The reviewer Loveridge suggests that the connections are something like a superficial hopping about, and that really everything is related to everything using the principle of 6 degrees of freedom. This is a superficial analysis and unfair. Without giving away sequences in this book, consider a well known sequence of Burke's related in his popular Connections series. Use of the water wheel in medieval europe employed a cam to lift hammers for use in things like beating metal. This mechanism of cams as used by complicated bell ringing instruments that used a rotating drum with pegs to trip the bell at the correct time. This system of using trips recorded on a passing pattern of "0"s and "1"s, (do something or don't do something) was used in the Jaccard loom to create complicated patterns in woven cloth. Punched cards were used as an innovation and later were used by tabulating machines to conduct the 1890 US census. The tabulating company created by Hollerith later evolved into IBM. It was a simple matter to jump from storing numbers to storing instructions in these binary patterns.

Is the sequence an exercize in 6 degrees of freedom? Not at all. Just because there is no linear causality or intended outcomes between these innovations, does not mean that they are not an accurate recording of a complicated stream of dependencies between these events. The way we came to computers was dependent on the development of the cam. It is possible that we would have come to it by an different avenue, but that is not the point. This is the way it happenned, and it was cirucuitous, and like following a bouncing ball.

Six degrees between ANY two events.......2004-04-10

The unexpected origins of the modern world. If you've ever played the game of "Six degrees from Kevin Bacon" you'll at least understand this book. Whether you enjoy it or not depends on how much you can focus your attention because this is one hop, skip, and jump book. The author takes an event and shows how it is connected to another event much later in time by a series of meetings, mentors, friends, coincidences, etc. Then another such series is also described with the same start and end point. Wow! Isn't that amazing! And he does this again and again and again. Like "six degrees" you find that almost anything in this world is related to almost anything if you draw our the relationships thin enough. After the third or fourth thread I was exhausted at trying to follow the bouncing ball and gave up on the book.

Average customer rating:

Fun, easy read for those with some college/high school calculus

Sloppy Research--Who Can Trust this Information?

Enjoyable for dipping

Outstanding book!

Excellent

The Mathematical Universe
William W. Dunham
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics

The Calculus Gallery: Masterpieces from Newton to Lebesgue

Euler: The Master of Us All (Dolciani Mathematical Expositions, No 22) (Dolciani Mathematical Expositions)

e: The Story of a Number

Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics

ASIN: 0471176613

Amazon.com

The Mathematical Universe is a solid collection of short essays, with each addressing a particular mathematical topic. Titles range from "Isoperimetric Problem" to "Where Are the Women?" Author Dunham is unafraid to refer to diagrams, equations, and rigorous arguments throughout the book, yet he manages to maintain a conversational tone.

Book Description

"Dunham writes for nonspecialists, and they will enjoy his piquant anecdotes and amusing asides — Booklist

"Artfully, Dunham conducts a tour of the mathematical universe. . . he believes these ideas to be accessible to the audience he wants to reach, and he writes so that they are." — Nature

"If you want to encourage anyone's interest in math, get them The Mathematical Universe."

New Scientist

Customer Reviews:

Fun, easy read for those with some college/high school calculus.......2007-07-24

This was a very fun read! It brings you through 2000+ years of mathematics and demonstrates some brilliant mathematical reasoning, e.g. Archimedes, Euler, etc... The chapters are broken up into very small and digestable sizes. Dunham did a great job! Buy now and have fun!

Sloppy Research--Who Can Trust this Information?.......2007-02-08

I really enjoy this book, and I keep consulting it. But I really don't know whether what I'm learning from it is correct or not. Here's the problem: The two entries with which I have the most familiarity are just plain wrong.
The entry on the "Russell Paradox" reads like a hagiography of Bertrand Russell. It makes it appear that Russell ceased working on the Principia Mathematica because he could not find a solution to his paradox--whether a set, all of whose members are not members of themselves, contains itself. According to Dunham, his inability to find a satisfactory solution spelled the end of his quest for the development of a logical foundation for mathematics, which he communicated to Frege, who gave up on his attempts as well. This is pure fiction. The entire Principia Mathematica is based on Russell's theory of ramified types (the stipulation that a set cannot be a member of itself), which he confidently asserted as being the solution to the paradox throughout the work. What put an end to Russell and Whitehead's project, as well as Frege's, was Goedel's incompleteness theorem, totally ignored by Dunham.
Dunham's treatment of Venn diagrams is even worse because it is deprecating of John Venn and his work--and totally wrong. Dunham states that the diagrams that are named after him were Venn's only contribution to mathematics and then makes disparaging remarks about them, particularly that they lacked any originality. Here's the reality: John Venn was an extremely competent mathematician/logician whose many contributions included the furtherance of George Boole's innovations. Dunham's picture of a Venn diagram--a rectangle with two large circles that do not overlap and a small circle completely inside of one of the large ones--is absolutely wrong and misses the genius of Venn's contribution. Dunham is right that other mathematicians, e.g. Euler, had drawn diagrams such as the one he pictures, but those are not what Venn did. The point of Venn's diagrams is that they reflect the Boolean understanding of the hypothetical nature of a universal statement. Thus a statement like "All frogs are amphibians," is drawn with two overlapping circles, and the area that represents frogs outside of the "amphibian" circle is shaded out, meaning we know it is not populated, but leaving it open whether there is a population in the overlap area. This technique makes a huge difference in the understanding of logical relationships; it is a revolution after some two thousand years of Aristotelian assumptions. Dunham can do no better than belittle it.
Thus, I come back to my original thought. These are two entries in the area with which I am familiar, and they are both just plain wrong. How much credence can I give the other entries when I try to learn from them?

Enjoyable for dipping.......2006-12-15

I really enjoyed "Journey Though Genius", so was looking forward to peeling the cover off this book, however i was a little disappointed to find repeated text from the earlier book. That Ramanujan is missing is surprising (only mentioned in a passing reference to discuss gender imbalance). It would have been nice to have heard a little about this mathematical phenomenum, even if to just discuss the number 1729, if his theorems were deemed to difficult for a general audience. For these 2 points it looses a star.

Dunham utilizes his gift for giving clear expositions in an entertaining and engaging manner. Another good read.

Outstanding book!.......2006-01-19

I am not a math or science wizard, but study both for recreation and fun. I did not have good maths profs in college and if I had had this book I would have been more successful. It reads easily and the math is presented extremely well and is very understandable. The author interweaves many snippets of personal and historical information and thus the book becomes a marriage of math and history in the best way possible. I have taken this book out many times to read and reread chapters. Yes, it's one of those. Buy it. No matter what your interests or educational level this will be one of those books you keep close and know where it is all the time.

Excellent.......2003-10-11

Excellent book that gives us a synopsis of the history of maths from early days. The only criticism I found (and no doubt other readers and the author) is that by virtue of the title, we are limited to one piece as per each letter of the alphabet. I personally would have liked to see the Z chapter written on Zero.

That apart, quite an entertaining read and highly recommended. Dunham should write some more.

Average customer rating:
The Mathematical Universe: An Alphabetical Journey Through the Great Proofs, Problems and Personalities
William Dunham
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S18S4G

Book Description

The Science of Air: Concepts and Applications is a unique text devoted to every aspect of air. The study of air is closely related to other scientific disciplines, among them: chemistry, mathematics, meteorology, and physics. Through the view that air is the primary substance to most life on earth, The Science of Air presents the common themes of air resource utilization and air protection with sections on air pollution and remediation.

The Science of Air: Concepts and Applications, Second Edition

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The Science of Air: Concepts and Applications, Second Edition
Frank R. Spellman
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1420075322

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