In For The Long Haul: The Life of John Ruan

Customer Reviews:

wonderful......especially the index.......2003-07-29

An exceptional book about an exceptional man. The great index helps immensely to make this a quality product.

Great Biography of an Exceptional Person.......2003-07-23

Let me first disclose that I am a little biased in my review because the subject of this biography is my grandfather. For those of you considering reading this book I highly recommend it if you're interested in learning about a spectacular story of entrepreneurial success. I am an avid reader of business-related biographies and I can attest that this is near the top. In addition, the biography accounts for John Ruan's entire life to date, with details of his childhood, his family and related hardships, the founding of his many business, details on the inner-workings of those businesses and his many community/charitable efforts (the most notable of which is the World Food Prize). In all, the book sums up a man of tremendous impact in both Iowa, the U.S. as well as the world. John Ruan, as you will come to note after reading this book, is a unique individual whose 90+ years have had an exceptionally positive impact in our community, and in business. In my opinion, John Ruan truly embodies some of the fundamental principles upon which the United States was founded; the opportunity to achieve through hard work. On a final point, upon picking up the book, I read it straight through in four hours. Again, I highly recommend reading the book.

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Balance sheet: Steven H. Eklund : An article from: Financial Executive
Ellen M Heffes
Manufacturer: Financial Executives Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000BEELUU
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Book Description

Steve Eklund is a man who likes to set his sights high by climbing mountains - both personally and professionally. One of his favorite pastimes is mountain-climbing, and his job, building Nike Golf, an entity of the big-brand sports company, is itself a lofty, yet achievable goal. Eklund is profiled.

This digital document is an article from Financial Executive, most recently published by Financial Executives Institute on October 31, 2003. The length of the article is 693 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: Balance sheet: Steven H. Eklund
Author: Ellen M Heffes
Publication: Financial Executive (Feature)
Date: October 31, 2003
Publisher: Financial Executives Institute
Volume: 19 Issue: 7 Page: 72

Distributed by ProQuest Information and Learning

First Come the Tears: Profiles in Olympic Courage

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First Come the Tears: Profiles in Olympic Courage
Sporting News
Manufacturer: Sporting News
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0892041307

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Sporting Profiles

Manufacturer: HarperCollins Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0001052195

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Sporting Profiles
Michael Parkinson
Manufacturer: Pavilion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U511EE

Strength training unit pulls its own weight : An article from: Boulder County Business Report

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Strength training unit pulls its own weight : An article from: Boulder County Business Report
Stacy Freeborg
Manufacturer: Boulder Business Information Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000BE2L8O
Release Date: 2005-09-12

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Action Suzuki of Mesquite, Texas.(Power Profile)(Company overview) : An article from: Powersports Business
Lisa Young
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Industry | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Parts | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Sports | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Powersports Business, published by Thomson Gale on April 24, 2006. The length of the article is 532 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: Action Suzuki of Mesquite, Texas.(Power Profile)(Company overview)
Author: Lisa Young
Publication: Powersports Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 24, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 9 Issue: 6 Page: 26(1)

Article Type: Company overview

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Airtec sports.(Power Profile)(Company Profile): An article from: Powersports Business
Julie Filatoff
Manufacturer: Ehlert Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Industry | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Sports | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Powersports Business, published by Ehlert Publishing Group on September 6, 2004. The length of the article is 1019 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: Airtec sports.(Power Profile)(Company Profile)
Author: Julie Filatoff
Publication: Powersports Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 6, 2004
Publisher: Ehlert Publishing Group
Volume: 7 Issue: 12 Page: 26(1)

Article Type: Company Profile

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Alaska fun and sport center.(Power Profile): An article from: Powersports Business
Julie Filatoff
Manufacturer: Ehlert Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Sports | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Powersports Business, published by Ehlert Publishing Group on April 25, 2005. The length of the article is 620 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: Alaska fun and sport center.(Power Profile)
Author: Julie Filatoff
Publication: Powersports Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 25, 2005
Publisher: Ehlert Publishing Group
Volume: 8 Issue: 6 Page: 38(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Aldila Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile): An article from: San Diego Business Journal

Manufacturer: CBJ, L.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on June 5, 1995. The length of the article is 538 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: Aldila Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts) (Company Profile)
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 5, 1995
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: v16 Issue: n23 Page: p34(1)

Article Type: Company Profile

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Aldila, Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts)(Company Profile): An article from: San Diego Business Journal

Manufacturer: CBJ, L.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on February 23, 1998. The length of the article is 545 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: Aldila, Inc. (Proxy Report Excerpts)(Company Profile)
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 23, 1998
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: v19 Issue: n8 Page: p27(1)

Article Type: Company Profile

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This volume offers a selection of essays from The Tatler and The Spectator (1709-1714). The accompanying texts include excerpts from other periodicals such as The Guardian, The London Spy, and The Female Tatler; advertisements; and selections by Defoe, Ward, Flecknoe, Gay, Mandville, Pope, and Swift. A general introduction providing historical and cultural background, a chronolgy of Addison's and Steele's lives and times, an introduction to each thematic group of documents, headnotes, extensive annotations, a selected bibliography, and illustrations make this volume a unique scholarly edition of the periodical papers that helped define eighteenth-century culture and standards.

Customer Reviews:

Very Interesting!.......2007-01-20

This book gives a great insight into 18th century British newsprints. I found it to be very nice reading.

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Blood of the Yakuza (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons/Oriental Adventures Module OA4)
David Cook
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0880384018

Book Description

With a new plug-in that re-creates the sounds of 11 of the world's best-known guitar amps, distributed audio processing (which lets you tap into a virtually unlimited number of Macs), new software instruments (including a killer drum machine), and a slew of workflow enhancements, it's no wonder you're chomping at the bit to start using Logic Pro 7 and its streamlined sibling Logic Express 7. This Apple-certified guide ensures that you do-effectively, efficiently, and in as little time as possible! Veteran audio producer Martin Sitter uses step-by-step, project-based instruction and straightforward, jargon-free prose to detail the countless creative options Logic affords for audio production. After showing you how to set up Logic and begin recording audio with it, Martin details editing sequences, mixing techniques, and using Logic's software synthesizers, sampler and digital signal processors to put the perfect aural polish on their audio creations. The accompanying CD includes all the lesson files and media you'll need to complete the book's lessons.

Customer Reviews:

Best. Manual. Ever........2007-09-10

So many tutorials and manuals I read for software leave me confused so I just use them as a backup when there is something in particular that I'm trying to learn. Some may be like me where having a hands-on lesson sinks into the brain much faster.
This book is like taking a class. The lessons are installed on your computer, follow the book at your own speed and you're learning in just minutes. I've heard nothing but good things about this book, so I decided to get it. So glad I did.

Better Than The Rest.......2007-08-03

Logic and Logic Express at any given moment can seem very illogical to the user. This book, although written with the idea of (logically) exploring its features and use in a step-by-step manner using prepared lessons with pre-packaged audio and midi files, can also be used to learn the program by reference. That is to say, for example, that if you'd like to learn how to enter Midi, or edit it, you can find the chapters and functions regarding midi, use the example chapters/sections with your own files and learn how to use the program.

If you are already a "seasoned" DAW owner/user, other than to figure out where/how the very basic things you are doing in another program are located/implemented in Logic (transport controls, audio editing windows, import/export of files), you will be better off going straight to the second book in this series, Apple Pro Training Series: Advanced Logic Pro 7 (Apple Pro Training) by David Dvorin.

I use another DAW in addition to Logic/Logic Express. Logic Express' documentation severly lacks compared to that in Pro, and I would recommend this series of books for Express users in particular, but they are also valuable for those using Pro. One note, however: It is not generally clear in either of these books whether a given function (for example Groups functionality or the Marquis Tool or Aux functionality) is implemented and available in the Express version of the program and thus no workarounds are given for any 'missing' function, although workarounds generally exist.

Another nice feature of the books is their coverage of the 'plug-ins' that come with Logic and Express, most all of which are quality and useful to Logic and production in general. Especially for those who have not used a DAW before, and can find the use of software instruments, midi implementations and functional plug-ins such as reverb and compression a bit of a mystery. The chapters here will be of value.

There are other books written for learning and using Logic. But for me, this series was the best. I was able to find the information necessary to get me using the program quickly and efficiently (which is not to be taken lightly when it comes to using Logic, which is reknown for a steep learning curve) by example and reference more easily than with other books. Good indexes and clear examples are positives, not knowing whether something is implemented in Express is a negative, and some points just don't seem to be covered so its back to Apple's support forums to figure it out. But all things considered, best in breed in my opinion.

Your mileage may vary...

...J Bohrer

A manual you can use........2007-05-17

I was able to start using logic within minutes of flipping through this book. It is well written and laid out in a user friendly manner. I couldn't get anywhere with the manual, and I am use to reading technical babble. Get this book if you want to start using logic quickly, efficiently, and to its full potential.

Great tutorial - but written for those with experience .......2007-05-10

First let me say that this book (and it's partner Advanced Logic) are extremely useful and turn the "get to know the software" headaches into real pleasures. Having said that, this is obviously written by someone who is so familiar with the software that they take some things for granted that aren't obvious to the first-time user.

All in all though it is well worth the investment and comes with its own set of "songs" that walk one through the various features of the software in a well organized way.

very informative book.......2007-05-07

The manual is fabulous. Logic Express 7 is quite an undertaking to learn and this book is helping out a lot.

Book Description

A wicked turnabout on Jane Austen's oft-quoted adage -- "a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" -- is My Lady Scandalous, a richly raucous history that traverses the notoriously licentious British Regency era in the company of its most celebrated courtesan.

Following a simple Edinburgh girlhood, Grace Dalrymple came of age in the sin city of London, where wealthy men ruled society and women had everything to lose, starting with their reputations. As an impressionable bride of seventeen who married a man more than twice her age, Grace's remarkable beauty (likened by journalists to "a May morning") soon attracted the attentions of other men. A disastrous liaison with a consummate rake not only branded Grace as a demi-rep -- a woman with half a reputation -- but the scandal provoked Dr. John Eliot, her philandering husband, to pursue a divorce.

Grace became mistress of the most infamous peer in England, George James, Lord Cholmondeley, whose "secret perfections" were reputed to inspire "female enthusiasm." Cholmondeley commemorated the relationship by commissioning two works from eminent portraitist Thomas Gainsborough, first in 1778 and later in 1782, the same year Grace gave birth to a daughter, Georgiana (who may, in fact, have been the child of the Prince of Wales). Had Grace been an aristocrat, she and Cholmondeley might have had a future together, but it was not to be.

The tabloids broke the news: "Miss Dalrymple has embarked for France, and it is said parted with her noble gallant." Grace was soon to find a new protector in that nation's richest man, Philippe, Duc d'Orleans. Though Grace was ensconced as "one of the most brilliant and popular among the fashionable 'impures,'" her liaison with the duke turned perilous when Orleans fell to the Revolution's guillotine, just as she narrowly escaped with her life.

"People die, but love may not," declares author Jo Manning of her subject's romantic and historic misadventures. A connoisseur of the times, Manning ably demonstrates -- through contemporary newspapers, magazines, prints, and portraits as well as Grace's posthumously published journal -- how life in George III's England and Marie Antoinette's France can seem strangely familiar, especially when history turns to affairs of the heart.

Customer Reviews:

Gave up half way through.......2007-07-11

I have recently read several biographies of famous/infamous British women, from Nell Gwynn to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Due to my great interest in the Regency period, I ordered "My Lady Scandalous". I'm sorry to say I cannot recommend this book.

There was much more content about Grace Dalrymple's family and the Regency period than there ever was about Grace, and the information was very helter-skelter. The book seemed to be mostly "sidebar" articles about topics the author had researched, like condoms, hot air balloons, and so forth.

I took it along on a trip and left it behind, unfinished. I hope the author is blessed with a better editor, in future.

Not the greatest biography of all time..........2007-04-18

But, it was an enjoyable read that had me laughing out loud on more than one occaision. It's definitely packed with lots of information that you'd never read in a "proper" history book.

It was exhaustively and lovingly researched and, contrary to an earlier review, I could definitely see how current events and social mores could easily be connected to the wild times of Daly the Tall.

I passed this one on to my dear friend MarJane who has informed me that should she get reincarnated, she wants to come back as a Courtesan just like Grace! She could definitely do worse and come back as Savonarola...

Hmmmm....now THAT would have been an interesting meeting - Grace and Savonarola...how the world could have turned out differently...

Poor Writing.......2007-01-22

This book has little to do with the woman in the title. The writing style reminds me of sixties free flow writing that people did after they were stoned. The author dashes off on one tangent after another that is difficult to follow and you forget what the chapter was supposed to be about to begin with. Not even worth checking out of the library much less owning.

Top Notch Biography.......2006-06-09

My Lady Scandalous: The Amazing Life and Outrageous Times of Grace Dalrymple Elliott, Royal Courtesan by Jo Manning is a delightful work, decidedly unstuffy but very well-researched. For anyone interested in late 18th C. and Regency era England, it is a MUST.

The story of Grace Dalrymple Elliott is fascinating and the sidebars on many subjects are always stimulating. Manning should be commended for her organizational skills and by her measured yet lively style. Highly recommended! Victoria Hinshaw

A must for every bookshelf.......2006-06-01

MLS is a wonderfully sympathetic biography of one of the Regency eras most intriguing courteseans. Grace knew everyone who mattered and everyone "knew" Grace. Or did they? Jo Mannings' detailed and painstaking research uncovers many facts about Grace, members of the Regency Ton and the French Revoluton and presents them in an entertaining and readable format. MLS is simply crammed with period details not readily found in other reference books on the period. MLS sparkles with wit and much humour for period afficiandos "in the know" regarding the period and its players. Truly a must have for the shelves of every reader, writer and fan of the Regency era.

Kristine Hughes, author of Everyday Life in Regency and Victorian England.

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Read about clay's multiple, vital roles in world history

Clay's vital role in modern times

Clay: The History and Evolution of Humankind's Relationship with Earth's Most Primal Element
Suzanne Staubach
Manufacturer: Berkley Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
Rocks & Minerals | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
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The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery

ASIN: 0425205665

Book Description

The clay beneath our feet is crucial to the computer and space industries, bio-technology, publishing, and a wide range of manufacturing processes. The potter's wheel was the very first machine. With the invention of pottery came cooking and storage vessels, ceramics, the discovery of alcoholic beverages, the oven, clay tablets for the first written communication, irrigation for agriculture, vast trade networks, plumbing, sanitation, and an incredibly durable building material. Much of the Great Wall of China was made of fired clay bricks-a material that can stand for centuries.

Now, Suzanne Staubach presents a lively look at how civilization was built on clay-from the first spark plugs to modern semi-conductors, satellite communications to surgical equipment. Clay is a fascinating, colorful look at how, from the primordial ooze to modern miracles, this most humble of substances continues to shape our world in ways limited only by the human imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Read about clay's multiple, vital roles in world history .......2006-09-02

_Clay_ by Suzanne Staubach is an information-packed and interesting look at how one substance - clay - has had far-reaching effects on world history, culture, architecture, cuisine, and technology.

Unbelievably abundant, clay (from kleben, German for "to stick to") is alumina, silica, and chemically bonded water. Its popularity through the ages is due to its abundance, plasticity, and its durability after being heated (even sun-baked clay has considerable durability, though unfired clay or raw clay has had a myriad of uses as well).

Clay vessels have had a huge role in how humanity has cooked and stored food. With the advent of clay pots, it became possible to make grains and cereals into pottages, tough chunks of meat and tubers into stews, and babies could be weaned earlier thanks to easily-digested mush, which could easily be made in clay pots. Clay vessels made the brewing and consumption of alcohol possible, as pottery enabled the ancient Egyptians to brew ale; the Sumerians date wine; and the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans grape wine. Interestingly, Roman wine was thick and intensely flavored and had to be mixed with water in specially-made clay vessels called kraters before drinking. Clay storage vessels also kept food safe from insects, rodents, and moisture.

The first ovens were made of clay, enabling people to bake bread (especially raised bread). The Sumerians developed a large clay beehive oven called a tannur, a type that spread to many other parts of the world, including India, where it came to be called the tandoor. The tandoor is still in use today and tandoori cuisine is popular in many restaurants throughout the world. Also the very first stoves and ranges were made of clay and their remains have been found in ancient Mesopotamian, Chinese, and Roman archaeological sites.

Potters became the world's first industrialists, as fired clay was the first synthetic substance ever created and the kiln and the potter's wheel were among the very first machines ever made. Indeed it is possible that the potter's wheel predates wheels used for transportation.

Clay of course allowed people to produce plates, cups, and bowls for the dinner table, particularly after glazes were invented (the ancient Egyptians knew of two types of low-fire glazes, lead and alkaline). It was the Chinese who really advanced the art of producing dinnerware, producing the first porcelain in the Sui dynasty (the 500s AD), thought it was the later Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that became truly famous for it, its wonderful blue and white porcelains dishes a popular export commodity. The import of Ming porcelain vastly changed European tastes, leading to by the mid-16th century the need for aristocrats at least to have matching sets of china (as it became known). European potters were not to be outdone; Josiah Spode invented "bone china" or spode ware that thanks to bone ash from cattle had added stability and Josiah Wedgwood pioneered the idea of the assembly line in his potteries and made so much money he was able to finance the researches of his cousin Charles Darwin.

Clay was key in the development of writing, as the Sumerians used clay tablets for their cuneiform writing and the world's first printing press with movable type, a Chinese invention of around 1041 BC, used printing blocks made of fired clay. Clay still has an impact on writing today, as clay bonded with graphite makes it more stable, enabling its use in pencils.

Clay of course has a huge role as a building material. Clay structural types include wattle-and-daub (a woven structure of sticks or reed is covered with mud), cob (balls or chunks of clay mixed with straw, manure, and sand are stacked into walls and smoothed together), adobe bricks, rammed earth (or pise), and fired or burned brick buildings. Each type of construction is not only ancient but still in use; the famed British buildings of dark beams and contrasting tan or white panels of plaster - "Tudor style" - are wattle-and-daub. The Great Wall of China is actually multiple walls of unfired loess (a type of fine-grained clay), bricks, and burned bricks. Also clay tiles have been used in buildings for thousands of years, dating back to Egyptian times and becoming particularly notable in Islamic architecture in the Middle East and Central Asia, while red terra-cotta roof tiles have become associated with the scenic towns of the Mediterranean, Mexico, and South America.

The author showed in chapter after interesting chapter that the uses of clay throughout history have been nearly endless. Clay water pipes and flush toilets have had a huge role in modern sanitation, saving millions of lives from dysentery, typhus, typhoid fever, and cholera. Indeed collectors of Royal Doulton figurines and china might be interested to know that the "Royal" comes from the fact that Sir Henry Doulton was knighted in 1887 for his contributions to public health, as his clay sewer pipes and other sanitary ware greatly improved British life. Clay-lined pit furnaces enabled the invention of smelting, and clay crucibles were vital in producing molds so that metal tools, pots, and weapons could be cast. Clay was used as insulation in the first internal combustion engines, particularly with spark plugs. Clay has had a major role in so many products, including early successful false teeth (they replaced inferior wooden, bone, or horn teeth, all of which absorbed stains and eventually putrefied and stank), smoking pipes (even many of those made of stone, pipestone, were really made of clay, as pipestone was known from upper Missouri River region of southwest Minnesota and was once clay, compressed into stone by the weight of Ice Age glaciers), fertility rituals (the clay figurine the Venus of Dolni Vestonice dates back 30,000 years), cremation urns, hearths to heat the home, and grave goods (including my favorite, the 9,000 strong terra-cotta army of the First Emperor of Qin who died in 210 BC, 7,000 soldiers and 2,000 horses so accurately rendered that even the underside of the shoes of the soldiers have tread).

Clay's vital role in modern times.......2006-03-19

The effect of clay on civilization goes far beyond pottery efforts: it's fostered the rise of world trace, the invention of writing, and the construction of cities. It continues to play a vital role in our modern age, yet few outside of potters give it much attention. CLAY: THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF HUMANKIND'S RELATIONSHIP WITH EARTH'S MOST PRIMAL ELEMENT will appeal primarily to any involved in the arts but is also a highly recommended pick for social science and history classes: it provides a lively look on all the elements clay has been essential to fostering, from semiconductors to surgical equipment.

Book Description

Clifton Fadiman's classic collection of mathematical stories, essays and anecdotes first published in 1958, is now back in print. Ranging from the poignant to the comical to the surreal, these selections include writing by Aldous Huxley, Martin Gardner, H.G. Wells, George Gamow, G.H. Hardy, Plato, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and many others. Humorous and mysterious, this collection will please mathematicians and everyone else who loves a good story full of stimulating ideas. In this intriguing collection of stories we learn of the young mathematician who chases his fiancee into the fourth dimension, how a group of Australian soldier's lives were saved by a lesson in basic topology, and of Mephisto's search for mathematical truth. Any interested reader will be amused, beguiled -- and perhaps even slightly instructed -- by this wonderfully diverse collection of writing. Clifton Fadiman's prolific career as an essayist, critic, anthologist, and radio show host has spanned the last five decades. His books include The Lifetime Reading Plan and a collection of essays, Party of One. He served for many years on the board of editors of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

Customer Reviews:

Does your child hate math?---it's probably because..........2006-04-25

......of the current focus on rote memorization for good test scores in the public schools! Is anyone in the schools reading to kids about how cool math is? Or are the schools just worried about quick computation? Here's a book to help YOUR child see what math REALLY is, that there IS another side to the math story. My child had her math brain zonked by the focus on the timed tests and boring memorization without any context. She's homeschooled now and we read books like this one to help her regain the love of math she had as a young child. There's a story for everyone---WWII, architecture, computers in the '50's, plus a little poetry to boot! And the stories range from 2 to 30 pages. The fact that the stories are old is really a plus---does anyone ever think of math having a history?... or that out-of-date stories with math in them can lead to a discusion of "history/history"? This book shows you that math is something other than a boring equation! What a gem of a book---a classic! If you've read the Theoni Pappas math books and the two "Mathematicians are People, Too" (Vol I and Vol II), then this is a book that needs to be right up there on the shelf with them. Five stars!

Great to see an old favorite back in print!.......2004-11-13

I first read this book when I was in elemetary school. I had borrowed my father's copy, and now, 25 years later, it is held together with a rubber band required after numerous re-readings. I was fortunate to read this book before most of my math studies and these tales certainly enhanced and enriched my math experience later on. Like math or not, these are wonderful tales of fantasy, science fiction, of math. I plan to buy a new copy with a fresh binding to give to my son to read as soon as possible.

JEEPERS! An interesting book about math?.......2001-03-16

What a relief to open the pages of this book. I approach mathematics as a subject necessary, but always painful, to learn. Dare I say I love this book? Some of the short stories are humorous, some are endearing, some have common characters. All deal with mathematics in one way or another. Fadiman's book succeeded where so many others failed--it interested me.

A LIFE LEARNING POINT: This book closely tied math with imagination and fantasy--a connection never clearly drawn in my public education. I think, though, that it's very important to present mathematics as the language for interpreting the world that it is...rather than as a cold and mostly irrelevant subject to get C minuses in! IT MADE MATH EXCITING. Yikes, did I say that? It is another way to know why your baseball is going to break the window, how to build a spaceship in your back yard, and how to teleport to Argentina in 0 seconds flat.

A real tangible benefit to reading this book was learning the derivation of Pythagoras' Theorom. Not to sound like an idiot, but I think most of us went through high school geometry having no clue where a2 + b2 = c2 came from. In two pages, this book explained it so clearly to me that I laughed out loud. IF ONLY THEY USED THIS TO TEACH ME INSTEAD OF A BRUTAL MATH BOOK!

This book is worth it in Hard Cover or Paperback. Own it and you too can open up to your closest friends and admit you liked a book about math...

Fantasia the Great.......2000-05-03

You don't have to be mathematically inclined to enjoy this collection, but it helps. On the other hand, if you take your math too seriously, this book may go right under your head. This anthology was first assembled in 1958, with some stories dating back to the 1920s, so some of the accounts of how machines could be used in the future now make one want to say, "If only you knew". Some of the best stories, however, are timeless. Section 2 (Imaginaries) is the best; my favorites are A Subway Named Moebius, And He Built a Crooked House, A Botts and the Moebius Strip, The Captured Cross-Section, and No-Sided Professor. A science-fiction writer friend once pooh-poohed this collection as amateurish sci-fi, but the rest of us will love it. It's great to have it back in print.

just as good as i remember.......1999-02-28

i have a very old copy that belonged to my uncle, a math proffessor...and i would recommend this to anyone who enjoys math and science fiction...it is great even for those who dont understand in depth math concepts because everything is at a level that most will understand. I first read at age 12, and i liked it then and still do. READ IT!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Fantasia Mathematica
Clifton Fadiman
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LVPMEC

Average customer rating:

Fantasia Mathematica
Clifton Fadiman
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FYY7EQ

Average customer rating:

Fantasia Mathematica
Clifton Fadiman
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SMQT82

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Fantasia Mathematica -
Clifton Fadiman -
Manufacturer: Simon Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PSBK6K

Fantasia Mathematica - Being A Set Of Stories, Together With A Group Of Oddments And Diversions, All Drawn From The Universe...

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Fantasia Mathematica - Being A Set Of Stories, Together With A Group Of Oddments And Diversions, All Drawn From The Universe...
Clifton Fadiman
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VAE4OW

Average customer rating:

Fantasia Mathematica
Clifton Fadiman
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PX4YHM

Average customer rating:

Fantasia Mathematica

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H7CXM4

Fantasia Mathematica: Being a Set of Stories, Together with a Group of Oddments and Diversions, All Drawn from the Universe of Mathematics

Average customer rating:

Fantasia Mathematica: Being a Set of Stories, Together with a Group of Oddments and Diversions, All Drawn from the Universe of Mathematics
Clifton (editor) Fadimann
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PGIXUI

Book Description

Peter Svenson begins his elegant, idiosyncratic exploration of the Chesapeake Bay at the doorstep of his own home--a green shingled house perched high on Mitchell's Bluff, looking out across the Bay's busy shipping lanes toward the western shore. Svenson invites us to explore various aspects of the world outside his door, from the bayside community in which he lives to the Chesapeake's complex and fragile ecosystem. He gives us an insider's look at the arcane art of canoe sailing, the exigencies of landscape painting, and life aboard the sturdy tugboats that travel up and down the long bay. A thoughtful meditation on the intersection of the human and natural worlds, Green Shingles offers a unique look at America's largest estuary from one of the region's finest writers.

Customer Reviews:

Original, Articulate Tapestry of a Place.......2002-07-12

In middle age, Peter Svenson and his wife, K, have moved to Maryland from the Virginia farm that was the setting of Svenson's acclaimed book, BATTLEFIELD. They decide to make a bold leap, in terms of economics and lifestyle, and buy a house on the windy Tolchester bluff on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The title, GREEN SHINGLES, is derived from the house's distinctive roof. In graceful prose marked by a distinctive, articulate voice, Svenson by turns examines the natural science, maritime events, and public works that connect with his existence on that bluff, the beach 40 feet below it and, of course, the water.

If you are turning to this book having just finished BATTLEFIELD, you should know that once again, Svenson does a bang up job of coaxing the history out of a place; he does thorough research and interprets it in compelling terms. This time, he also visits on tugs and a coast guard buoy patrol, profiling the tasks and life aboard the boats in the bay. You will find the pace of this book more languid, and in some instances the author more self absorbed in a curmudgeonly way. He takes time out to relate a homeowner's contractor from hell story and his skirmish with a local art show, the latter a provincial bruising it seems to his MFA trained sensibilities. This is indeed a different book from that first, but in the end, Svenson again delivers a fine, original performance that is a pleasure to read. You put it down convinced he is, after all, right about a lot of things.

Worthy of the Bluff.......2002-02-12

This is an excellent portrayal of life from the bluff of the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Mr. Svenson's observations are a fascinating read for anyone who loves the bay and the Eastern Shore. The stories of the workmen who were to build his garage and his "2nd Place" in the art show are classics. Be aware Mr. Svenson does come off rather pompous in his reflections. Also, in spite of all the detail Svenson gets into, he still somehow mislabels local towns and there county jurisdictions (Kent County, MD is just not that hard). Hopefully he is finally happy and at peace with himself on the bluff.

An Outsider Discovers the Eastern Shore.......2002-01-18

I liked this book. Because of its cover, first. Because of its writing, second. And because of its humor. Mr. Svenson takes himself seriously--as he should, being a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). But he lets his hair down when he describes what it took for him and his wife (at midlife) to buy their green-shingled house on a bluff overlooking the Bay.
A lot of money, garnered from relatives. A lot of cleaning up...trash that pleasure boaters continued to throw toward his beach, and a rebuff by the art-league when someone hid an oil painting rather than display it.
Mr. Svenson's voice is his alone. Put a dictionary close as you read. Stand near the window as he examines the morning's boat traffic going by. Envy him and his wife (why didn't he name her, "Katherine," instead of referring her as K?).
It's a personal narrative that makes the skipjacks-and-oysters books on the Bay only the beginning. Here, under a green-shingled roof, is life-in-the moment. I thought I knew Chestertown, Centerville, and Rock Hall, the area the author writes about, but I know it much better now, through his eyes.

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