Book Description
uccessful and smart, Betsy Carter was not only the ultimate 'New York Woman,' she also founded a magazine by that same name. For nearly 20 years, she led a high-gloss life that others only dream of-travel, fashion, parties, power-until things started to go terribly wrong. Carter faced a series of catastrophes: a devastating car accident, a failed marriage, a house that burned down. Then her magazine folded and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This moving story, set against the gossipy and often hilarious world of magazine publishing, reveals what it is like to be stripped bare, to wander through the rubble, and to finally put yourself together again.
Customer Reviews:
From A Fresh Voice...........2005-01-04
I didn't realize that this was an autobiography. It reads like fiction. I know very little about the magazine world, but I have a distinct feeling that Carter really showed us an inside peek into it. I had a little trouble keeping up with all the friends, colleagues, loves, etc., so I just concentrated & listened beyond that. I really enjoyed reading Carter's upbeat attitude on life. Yes, she's definitely an optimist and no, that doesn't automatically classify you as silly or stupid. All the curves that life has thrown this woman, it'd be easy to let them all blanket her in despair. Yet, Carter only gained strength & wisdom at each point.
A few people have mentioned they had a hard time following b/c of the way she moves from past to present so frequently. If you can relax & really immerse yourself in the book, you won't even notice that. Obviously, she did that for affect & wanted readers to get the "full circle" feel of her story.
I liked the book very much. A real slice of life. I love the way she has handled everything. I wish Ms. Carter much happiness & hope readers pick this book up & are inspired by her as I've been.
Boring.......2004-08-22
I haven't finished this book yet, but I am very hesitant in doing so. I'm about a quarter of the way into it and am totally bored. I saw the ad in a magazine and it sounded interesting. The details she gives in some parts are just not needed as someone else stated. I hope it gets more interesting. She definitely makes me want to write a book about my life because it is way more interesting than hers. I figure if she can publish an autobiography than I definitely could get a deal in a second. Sorry I just find this book not worth reading anymore.
Happy martyr.......2003-09-16
While her resume sparkles, Betsy Carter does not live up to the promise of her editorial credits. The facts of her story are certainly interesting, but Carter's observations of her own fate are removed and somewhat clinical, rather than compelling and empathetic. Her story weaves back and forth between her childhood, young adulthood and careerhood in a poorly structured manner that is confusing to the reader and does the story no favors. My hopes were so high for this book and I was sorely disappointed. Readers are tired of the "woman overcoming adversity story." This one could have stood out with more emotion and less antisepticism.
Betsy Clark is a real human being!.......2003-05-02
i thoroughly enjoyed this book, and agree with some reviews i've read that reviewers shouldn't go into too much detail because thats half the enjoyment (if you can enjoy someone else's misfortune), reading her life events as they unfolded. the other half is her humor and as a woman and a working woman i could relate to how she felt in many circumstances. it was rich in history, both her evolving profession and the times she lived rising in her profession, and i enjoyed how she interweaved her growing up years with her adult years, her family, friends and loves. she also drove through Jacksonville on her way to Miami and went to the University of Florida so that was interesting! i hated it to end and i couldn't help wonder what shes doing now. i really hope all her dark times are past her. i think she is a 'real human being.' :) this is a book that made me feel good.
Want to know the rest of the story.......2003-04-27
I enjoyed Carter's tale but it appeared to have ended ten years ago or so. I would've liked to have seen what she did after "New York Woman" (besides writing this book). According to the book jacket, she worked for a similarly titled magazine called "New Woman" and also founded the "My Generation" magazine. I would've liked to have learned more about those experiences. How long did it take her to get a job after "New York Woman" folded?
I also think she should've spent more time writing about her actual work at "New York Woman." Besides the female bonding, what else was going on?
In any case, Carter gave this reader a peek into the New York magazine world. It was certainly an environment that I had aspired to when I was younger but after reading this, it's less fascinating to me. Carter actually appeared a lot more interesting when she was on her way up, writing for the air & water newsletter and for the Washington bank than when she was editor in chief of her own magazine. Hopefully Betsy will write another book.
Average customer rating:
- A dedicated Canadian reader
- A loving memory I'd like to forget
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In Loving Memory: A Tribute to Tim Horton
Tim Griggs
Manufacturer: ECW Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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Hockey
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ASIN: 1550223194 |
Book Description
When Tim Horton died tragically in a car accident in 1974 at age 44, he left behind a legacy of love, respect, and goodwill from everyone who knew him. In Loving Memory traces the life and career of the legendary NHL defenseman, from his humble beginnings in small-town northern Ontario, to junior stardom at St. Mike's in Toronto, a Calder Cup championship with the AHL Pittsburgh Hornets, four Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a distinguished late career with the expansion Buffalo Sabres. This book features dozens of vintage photos of Tim-on the ice, in the locker room, and at home with his family-as well as rare memorabilia, letters, and documents, many of which have been preserved by Tim's wife, Lori.
Customer Reviews:
A dedicated Canadian reader.......2002-08-01
The book of In loving Memory was written by how Tim Hortons life really was and you could tell it was from the heart. The other review that says it is a disgrace should get a life or learn hockey. Tim Horton as his wife writes was a very good human being and I think she did a wonderful job.
A loving memory I'd like to forget.......2000-05-05
I thought that this book was a disgrace to Tim Horton, his chain of coffee shops, AND to the sport of hockey. I forced myself to turn each page, hoping against hope that this book would get better, but it never did. I lost three hours of my life and precious memory cells. don't make the same mistake I did.
Book Description
No star in any genre has affected the world as deeply or has lasted as long without fading as Marilyn Monroe. This thought-provoking and wide-ranging collection of essays examines the undiminished incandescence of Marilyn Monroe -- the impact she has had on our culture, the evolution of her legend since her death, and what she tells us now about our lives and times -- and includes previously unpublished work from some of America's best writers, such as: Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Elliot Dark, Albert Mobilo, Marge Piercy, Lore Segal, Lisa Shea, and many more.
From her troubled family beginnings to the infamous $13 million auction held at Christie's in New York City, All the Available Light paints an unforgettable portrait of Marilyn as you've never seen her before.
This extremely rare cover photo was taken c. 1954, on the set of The Seven Year Itch.
Customer Reviews:
BLEH.......2005-11-10
Yet another sad tale of the twisted life of poor old Norma Jeane. The book left you hanging on a sad note. It had several small essays (most of which were typical and boring, and of common knowledge to any wouldbe MM fan), some of which had depressing titles like "The Love Goddess Who Found No Love" and the like. Get it if you want to twist the knife further into little Marilyn's poor ghostly soul...
"A Candle in the Wind".......2004-10-27
I was very disappointed in this book.About the best thing I can say for it is that it has a great photo of Marilyn on the cover.Then again,I don't think I ever saw a picture of Marilyn thatI didn't like,especially if it was a posed picture.
At the start of the book it seemed that a real attempt was going to be made at explaining what Marilyn had, that made her so special and probably the most sensual female of the entertainment world.
Marilyn conveyed the impression that she loved males and thus males loved her back.
Unforunately most of the essay writers in this book are ultra feminists and seem out to discredit Marilyn because she never fell for that anti-male attitude and that flew in the face of the libbers agendas.They are so full of bitterness that they cannot see any good in people like Marilyn;and therefore are unable to see what a precious personality Marilyn was ;and for that reason could not see what made her so popular.
If you want to know what the libbers felt about Marilyn;this is the book for you.If you enjoyed her as I have, and still do,pass up this one.
Elton John said it all in his tribute to Marilyn:
"A Candle In the Wind"
Then, get out one of the many excellent photo books and enjoy the beauty and one of a kind she really was.
My review of "The Marilyn Monroe Reader".......2002-08-29
This book was given to me as a gift. As a fan of MM, I used to buy a lot of books on her, which were all pretty redundant. This was a great diversion. It is a collection of writings from other publications and some strictly for the book itself and also the author, Yona Zeldis McDonough's, insights and thoughts on MM.
It is interesting to read what other people think, and some of these writers are quite well known -- Joyce Carol Oates, Gloria Steinhem, Marge Piercy,. These essays show Marilyn in a positive and worst possible light. -- Every little available, hence the title, "All the Available Light". I think this book needs to be read with an extreme open mind by the fans.
As a woman who truly loves and is a fan of Monroe, I got the feeling that woman writers here are not fans. They stepped up on their soapbox and tore Marilyn into pieces because of her overt sexuality and the fact that she appeared to be the dumb blonde. They seemed almost intimidated and resorted to stupid remarks about her intelligence. No one truly knew Marilyn, she was and still is an enigma. We can only form opinions, which is what this little blurb of writing really is. Every opinion you can think of is here. There are some facts thrown in for good measure, and the author ends it with a "Chronology" From this, we find out that the author thinks MM was murdered.
Even though Marilyn didn't particularly like Sir Lawrence Olivier, I thought his chapter was one of the best ones. He was her leading man in "The Prince and the Showgirl". After speaking rather bluntly about his sometimes frustrating experience working with her, he realizes in retrospect that in the finished product, she was brilliant and quite beautiful.
Which is my own opinion as well. So, I'm biased, I'll admit that.
A lot of this book was very boring and read like text book material with the contributors making up their own words like Monroeivitiy and Monroean. Please...
I don't highly recommend this book, but it is an interesting peek into other people's minds and how Marilyn affected them in both their personal and professional lives.
great book to fall asleep with .........2002-08-23
only an analyse of Marilyn with passages of other books about Marilyn in it .. I read some 70 books about Marilyn in the past years and this is realy one I'd like to lay aside; nothing new and boring! Great coverphoto though ..
Ultra-Feminist Psychobabble.......2002-08-06
Although there are a few interesting pieces contained within, the majority is a collection of ultra-feminist psychobabble. Since I assume that these feminist writers were paid for their efforts, they too profited from the one they claim to be objectified and victimized by the male-dominated, Hollywood machine. How much better is that? With their theorizing and analyzing, they all seek to reveal the 'real' woman beneath the mask of Marilyn. Most probably they are all off-the-mark. For a better understanding of Marilyn, you would be much better off watching and enjoying her films, and reading her interviews. The painful truth is, we will never fully know the woman behind the curtain. She is gone and not able to defend herself against this onslaught of ridiculous speculation.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, published by Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Assn. on August 1, 2001. The length of the article is 651 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: Tupperware: The Promise of Plastic in 1950s America.(Review)
Author: Susan Vincent
Publication:
The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2001
Publisher: Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Assn.
Volume: 38
Issue: 3
Page: 357
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
Is it really about Tupperware?.......2005-12-05
I had to read this book in grad school and lead my class in a discussion of the book-total flop because I hated the book and the rest of the class didn't. I hated Tupperware mostly because it wasn't about tupperware or it's effect on America--it was all about the soap opera between Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise. The title is totally misleading-where is the mention of tupperware's famous return policy? What about the effect that it had on food and food preparation? What about the copy-cats? Tupperware could have been so much more. If I wanted a soap opera, I would turn on the TV.
Not the book she wanted to write--.......2002-03-14
Alison Clarke states in the Introduction that she intends to write a "cultural history" of tupperware---and explore how objects of mass consumption are invested with meaning by people who use them (page 4).
Unfortunately, that's not the book she wrote.
Clarke regards recent scholarly literature as too often downplaying the role of women's agency in the development of 1950's consumer culture. Moreover, Clarke sees consumer culture of the 1950's as an important, politically multifaceted phenomena. Her conclusions are correct, but her argument is flawed.
Early on, Clarke appears to be concerned mainly with outlining the historical circumstances of Earl Tupper, the inventor of Tupperware. Tupper's journals outline a spirit of scientific benevolence in service to society. Combined with a classically-described "Protestant" work-ethic, Tupper's innovation and self-reliance paint a picture of classic American mythmaking at work. But Clarke is quick to recognize that it was the contributions of Bonnie Wise, Tupperware's marketing guru, that actually successfully connected Tupperware to the marketplace, and henceforth to the larger consumer culture.
According to Clarke, Wise was the pioneer behind the idea of Tupperware parties. Dismissed by other scholars as mere consumerism worship, Clarke emphasizes the entrepreneurial nature of thiese parties, as well as the social effect of creating networks of communication and support for women.
As a "modernist icon" Tupperware embodied effort to meld a univocal aesthetic to practical functionality, while at the same time providing a non-threatening social and financial space for women. What was regarded as homemaking basics became a "marketable skill" (117). Wise herself radically differed from the cultural ideal of feminine passive domesticity that so many have regarded as the norm for the time.
Clarke's analysis is valuable, but it doesn't fit the task shw outlines for herself. She skillfully utilizes an array of primary sources, from Earl Tupper's journals to company pamphlets to advertisments. She ends up "parroting" the company's official marketing strategy, and speculates on what that meant in the culture of the time.
If she had stuck with her stated intentions, she would have relied much more on oral histories of the people involved with tupperware parties, and others who bought tupperware. That would have told us how the product was appropriated and used by consumers----but we only get 1 page of these sources buried-- and then at the end of chapter 5. Moreover, she fails to adequately address the Tupperware marketing phenomenon in the context of other house -to-house sales schemes she discusses in chapter 4.
What she writes is a history of the production of tupperware--not the consumption and usage. That's all well and good in itself---but it is not good cultural history. A cultural history of consumption relies on consumers---not producers---for the consumers are the ones who decide what the meanings of products are---not the producers.
So her analysis of Tupperware as a cultural barometer fails.
How Tupperware is treated by various factors of society seems to me a more valuable measure of a cultural barometer rather than the intentions of the inventors and marketers. Such records give us an insight into production, which is valuable, but do not alone provide a strong enough measure of a product's effects.
In bringing these primary historical soruces to light Clarke adds much to the discussion she aims to join, but her evidence does not support a conclusion of cultural meaning-only of cultural intent. It's a good book, but only if you read it differently than how she intended it to be read.
Nonetheless, for its inclusion and discussion of heretofore largely ignored primary sources, Clark's book remains an important part of the literature regarding the mythic and ideological dimensions of 1950's consumer culture.
Well researched and extremelly well thought over.......2000-06-22
This is an exellent book. I've found out a lot of things about Mr. Tupper and Brownie Wise I've never heard before. As I'm 30 years old, it was very usefull for me to feel and understand more about American business culture of the 50s and 60s.Entertaining read.I had to read it all in one go - like a novel. Furthermore, as I work for Tupperware, I've answered so many questions for myself which many other Tupperware employees could not answer; and in fact it made me proud once again that I represent a really unique company.
Alison Clarke for President!.......2000-02-12
Everything you wanted to know about Tupperware but were afraid to ask. Entertaining, culturally illuminating and chock full of amazing photos, check it out...Tupperware ROCKS!
A Tupperware beginning.......1999-11-24
Really have enjoyed reading this historical review of how Tupperware began. This book shows insite into how the Tupperware company began but also a look at women entering the workforce at a time when this was not exactly accepted. I was given this book as a gift and really have enjoyed it.
Customer Reviews:
I love this book!.......2007-03-30
It's a short and to the point book on what requirements should contain; it's like a cliff-notes version of other requirements gathering books. We ordered one for our whole team and made it required reading! For anyone who doesn't have the time nor the patience to weed through 300 pages to get to the point, this is the book for you.
Book Description
Thirty-five years after his death in Paris at age twenty-seven, Jim Morrison's iconic legend remains as powerful as ever, swathed in the mists of mystery. There have been numerous biographies about the self-proclaimed "Lizard King's" life and career. But none have examined his roots and childhood, the intellectual foundations of his music, his wild days with the Doors, and his enigmatic early death as completely and insightfully as Break On Through.
More than simply a fascinating look at a rock legend whose cult following never stops growing, here is the definitive Morrison biography: his angry relationship with his father; the early tragedies and terrible events responsible for the darkness of his artistic vision; his private life and legal trials, including his infamous Miami obscenity bust; and the truth about his final hours. Based on extensive research and featuring dozens of rarely published photographs, this is the authoritative portrait of the poet, the grim visionary, the haunted man, and his haunting music.
Customer Reviews:
Mr. Mojo Risen!.......2007-09-21
I am very interested in Jim Morrison, which has lead me to read many books about him. Break on Through, is by far, the most detailed and most entertaining book about The Lizard King I have read. James Riordan searched deep and far to find these very detailed accounts of Jim, and brings him back to life through this book. If you want to learn more about the Lizard King, this is the book I suggest.
Thoughtful accurate and involving story of Morrison/The Doors.......2006-10-31
This is THE book to read for the rise and fall story of Jim Morrison/the Doors.Researched by a life-long Doors fan and a co-authored with a credible writer,this book tells the straighforward truth.Worthwhile and essential.
Very thorough and well researched book.......2006-09-07
I have been fascinated with The Doors music for more than 25 years when a friend of mine in school got me into them. Jim Morrison has been and continues to be a subject of deep interest and fascination for me as for countless of other Doors fans. I have read just about every book written on Jim and the band and this by far is the most accurate I believe. The authors did extensive research on Morrison and spent several years writing and perfecting this biography. This is an excellent book and makes a wonderful read not only for Doors fan but for people that enjoy reading about the excesses of rock and roll and the music industry. Jim Morrison was a man ahead of his time, extremely gifted and talented perhaps the most well read of all rock stars. He was an intellectual who possessed a brilliant mind but by the same token he was deeply misunderstood by society and by the authorities which he despised so much. Morrison was a brilliant scholar, an amazing poet, a soulful singer with a clear and very distinctive voice and a fantastic songwriter. He was a genius no doubt and his demise on July 3, 1971,in Paris is still mourned by the legions of fans that the mercurial and ecletic singer left behind. BREAK ON THROUGH:THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JIM MORRISON, is a must read for any admirer of this brilliant artist and renaissance man. The book is 544 pages long and it traces Jim's life from the beginning in Melbourne Florida where he was born to his sad and untimely death in Paris. Read this book and find out what the real Jim Morrison was all about. This book will probably shock and confuse a lot of people but it is an excellent biography of a man that 35 after his death still continues to fascinate and spark the interest of people all over the world.
The erotic politician.......2005-08-10
Mad poet. Adored icon. Wild rocker. Alcoholic genius. Brilliant musician. Jim Morrison died in 1971, but his legend still sits among us.
With people who are brilliant and badly-behaved, as Morrison was, it's difficult to get a balanced view that seems like an actual person. But James Riordan's "Break On Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison" manages to do just that.
James Douglas Morrison was an army brat, intelligent and well-read, who began to blossom into a poet and musician in college. He went on to become the singer/frontman of the band "The Doors," adding his outstanding poetry-like songwriting to his bandmates' equally outstanding musical skills. Soon they were a massively popular rock band.
But Morrison had other facets as well: He was attracted to the bizarre, and could be cruel, sweet, loving, strange, and often drunken and loutish. He was also contradictory: He sought notice as a poet, but was still mainly known as a rock star; he slept around and handfasted a rock critic, but always stayed with girlfriend Pamela Courson. After living on the edge for years, Jim passed away in Paris, under strange circumstances.
Most biographies of Jim Morrison err on one side or another. Either they portray him as a sadistic, drunken lout, or they show him as a transcendent gentleman. The truth isn't usually that simple, and neither was Morrison. And Riordan shows us the different sides of Morrison's personality -- good and bad, together.
Like Morrison himself, the book has its contradictions: There is a somewhat fannish tone to the some of the writing. On the other hand, it's willing to acknowledge that Morrison could be lewd, weird, obnoxious and drunken. Riordan also shows us Jim's gradual flowering into a poet, his literary influences such as Nietszche, and the relationships between the Doors.
Riordan also courts controversy by studying and dissecting the various theories about Morrison's death. Don't expect wacked out conspiracy theories, or medical improbabilities -- Riordan stays calm and rational throughout the whole thing, and reveals the most likely scenarios. He also avoids outright judgements on controversial figures like Patricia Kennealy.
As the book draws to a close, Riordan keeps things dignified. He devotes the final chapters to studying the lives of Pamela Courson and the other Doors in the years following Morrison's death, as well as the creation of the "American Prayer" album. The only flaw is Kennealy's bizarre description of Morrison's "fetch," which seems more fiction than fact.
Jim Morrison's wild life and mysterious death are the stuff of which tabloid biographies are made. But James Riordan keeps things simple and smart in "Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison."
Last Words Out?.......2005-06-01
This book has been criticized for its "fan club" style, but it actually delves into subject matter that the more star-struck authors neglect regarding Jim Morrison: shamanism, surrealism, theater...the real sources of his inspiration. Shows that there was actual substance behind the myth, and real insight and vision beneath all that self-destruction.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource.......2007-03-06
This handy sized book (10" x 6.5" x .5ish") makes a great general resource of information related to the Vikings and their period of history. As one who finds history easier to comprehend when plentiful maps are handy, I find the historical atlas a wonderful class of book in general. The Penguin historical atlases are smaller than many I have, which makes them a bit more convenient to use. The maps in this atlas are easy to understand and do help shed light on the activities and movements of the Vikings.
I did find the approach to the text in this book a bit redundant, but this seems to have been an intentional choice on the part of the author, who presents a block of information prior to the maps in a given section of the book, and then re-covers this material in the text accompanying each map at essentially the same level of detail. I'm not sure I would have done it this way, but, as I use the atlas more, perhaps this format will grow on me.
All in all a very useful and well produced resource. Many thanks to all those involved in researching and producing it.
Best Resource for Beginning Scandophiles.......2007-02-09
This atlas is one of the best possible collections of our knowledge about early Scandinavia. Although the term "Viking" is in the title, hopefully by reading this book you will learn that there was a whole lot more to primitive, expansionist Scandia. The book also does a great job of talking about all the players in Norden, rather than just the traditional trio. I'm a Scandinavian Studies student in college and this book has been an exceptional resource for multiple papers.
An excellent summary of Viking history.......2007-01-18
As an amateur reasearcher and a keen fan of Viking history, I consider this book to be one of the best summaries of the Viking era. The text is well edited, to-the-point, yet manages to contain all important historical details. The illustrations and maps complement the text's material with further graphic information very well, causing the book to be one of the most interesting reads on Vikings I have ever come across. The writing not only deals with major military events of the Viking era, but discloses details on everyday life, rural and urban settlements, trade activites and much more of medieval Scandinavia.
To readers who are interested in overall Viking history but simply cannot decide which book to start with, this work is an ideal choice.
Very Informative.......2007-01-14
I found this book to be excellent for my requirements - it provided information clearly and was not overwhelming in detail. The maps are excellent. I recommend this book to everyone interested in Viking history. It makes an excellent reference book to have in your library.
A visual history of Vikings through maps.......2005-08-28
Vikings, which stands for "raiders", were strong shipbuilders and sailors, and their fame became soon known to their victims around Europe. Their brutality was recorded in chronicles from their victims (literate clergymen), and in part their ill fame is probably the result of bad press of that time.
History needs maps. An historical atlas is very useful if a reader wants to keep track of all Viking raids and pillages around the coasts of northern Europe, but also as far today Russia and Central Asia. Vikings gave the name to Russia, being Rus the name Finns gave to Swedish Vikings in that area, which means "oarsmen". So this historical atlas provides plenty of information through maps and entertaining captions that help to understand how far-reaching Viking influence was. However, this atlas, as a previous reviewer has noted, is too centered on Viking presence in British islands and Ireland.
At the beginning of the X century, Charles III of France gave Normandy (the land of Norse) to the Vikings, who in turn offered their allegiance. These settled Vikings became known as Normans, who took part to new adventures: William, the Duke of Normandy, led the conquest of England, Robert the Guiscard seized Sicily from Muslims in the Mediterranean, and took part in the Crusades. This by-product of the Viking saga is almost completely left out.
All in all, this atlas provides a visual history of Vikings, that is appropriate and easy to read for students and the general reader. Recommended to all who share an interest in Medieval history of Northern Europe.
Book Description
A wonderfully readable account of scientific development over the past five hundred years, focusing on the lives and achievements of individual scientists, by the bestselling author of
In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat
In this ambitious new book, John Gribbin tells the stories of the people who have made science, and of the times in which they lived and worked. He begins with Copernicus, during the Renaissance, when science replaced mysticism as a means of explaining the workings of the world, and he continues through the centuries, creating an unbroken genealogy of not only the greatest but also the more obscure names of Western science, a dot-to-dot line linking amateur to genius, and accidental discovery to brilliant deduction.
By focusing on the scientists themselves, Gribbin has written an anecdotal narrative enlivened with stories of personal drama, success and failure. A bestselling science writer with an international reputation, Gribbin is among the few authors who could even attempt a work of this magnitude. Praised as “a sequence of witty, information-packed tales” and “a terrific read” by
The Times upon its recent British publication,
The Scientists breathes new life into such venerable icons as Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling, as well as lesser lights whose stories have been undeservedly neglected. Filled with pioneers, visionaries, eccentrics and madmen, this is the history of science as it has never been told before.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Scientific biography but not quite science.......2007-09-10
I found this book well written enough to read through its 616 pages of text. It offers interesting biographical sketches of a great number of scientists and gives the reader some idea of the historical processes of science's advance. However, as the actual science described becomes increasingly sophisticated, Gribbin's powers of exposition fail him. It is simply inexplicable that someone would write such a long history, covering the rise of modern physics, chemistry, genetics, etc. WITHOUT INCLUDING HARDLY A SINGLE EXPLANATORY DIAGRAM OR ILLUSTRATION!!! Unless you come to the book already armed with a strong background in science, you will probably find yourself excusing yourself from really understanding much of what is being talked about in the last 250 pages of the book.
Enjoyable and Rewarding.......2007-06-11
Wayne Booth (The Company We Keep) describes a good author as a friend. Well, John Gribbin is definitely a friend. While I do not agree with his mild and barely mentioned aethism, his love of science is heartfelt as he brings it to life through individual human beings.
This is not a dull science book. It has no formulas or math except to explain scientific laws as simply as possible. Neither is it a "science for dummies" either. Instead, this book is best read by the fireside. It is top quality literature which is insightful and deep while retaining the human element all the way through. Given its inexpensive price, this book is a winner all around.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories. I would especially recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of scientific ideas and the people who advanced them. This book is also useful material for college courses in science, history or literature.
How to Get Your Nonscientist Teenager Interested in Science.......2007-03-06
This is the book to buy for that teenager who loves the humanities, religion, literature but is AFRAID of science. Astrophysicist John Gribbin writes superbly about the great developments of Western Science from Copernicus to Einstein or Mendel, Darwin, and Watson and Crick. He truly has a gift for explaining the basics of science without burying the reader in mathematics or technical language. The strategy is to explain scientific advances through the lives of the great men who pushed the limits of scientific advances...such as the race to discover the spiral helix structure of DNA or the thought experiments of Farady and Einstein.
Not so Comprehensive as the title suggests.......2007-02-20
A good book hat gives historical narrative accounts of the many scientists in history. I do not like about it the fact that it overlooks or give slight attention to some important areas of science like Mathematics. Also it totally overlooks the contribution of the Arab and that of other peoples of the orient.
So its title is somewhat exaggerated, it focuses more on natural sciences developed and evolved in the western parts of the world.
Entertaining and Enlightening.......2006-12-27
This is a well-written, highly entertaining and enlightening book. As the title says, this is a book about scientists; however, it is not just a series of biographies, but rather uses the lives of the scientists to tell the history of science. It is written by a scientist for a general audience (little or no mathematics is used), but it is illuminating for a scientist (such as myself) as well. It puts Physics, and to a somewhat lesser extent Chemistry and Biology in a historical context and shows how these disciplines evolved. The author is a proponent of the incremental view of the development of science and makes a compelling argument that the advancement of science is not solely due to the work of individual geniuses, but rather is due to the incremental development of technology, which makes new instruments possible, and to the incremental accumulation of previous discoveries. He believes that when the right technology is developed and sufficient discoveries made, the stage is then set for what appears to be a scientific revolution, created by some towering intellect, but that the discovery would have come about without that towering figure. He makes a case that even the towering achievements of Newton and Einstein would have eventually been made by others. In the case of Newton, he points out that Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley were well on the way to formulating the laws of gravity (although without the mathematical genius of Newton). He makes a similar case for the work of Einstein, but I think that insofar as General Relativity is concerned, it is much less clear that this is the case. Many examples are given where the same discovery is made independently, sometimes being published at the same time, sometimes with an earlier work (such as the work of Gregor Mendel) having been unappreciated at the time only to be rediscovered after someone else made the same discovery later on.
Using the life of scientists as the framework for this history shows how the social (largely religious) and political factors influenced the lives of the scientists and thus the evolution of science. For instance, the author contends that the treatment of Galileo by the Church retarded the development of science in Italy and caused the focus of the development of science to shift from Renaissance Italy to more welcoming northern Europe. What would have happened had Newton not fled Cambridge to escape the plague (giving him a lot of free time to think about gravity) or had Lavoisier not been beheaded in the French Revolution? (The author would contend that while these were pivotal events for the scientists involved, science would have gone on the same trajectory without them, but perhaps retarded by the absence of Newton's sojourn or sped up had Lavoisier lived to make more contributions.)
Many scientists have been the subject of biographies but often are biased in their favor. Gribbin often gives a somewhat different view of things. For instance, in Newton biographies Robert Hooke is often portrayed in a less than favorable light, always claiming to have made the same observation as Newton but some years before. Gribbin holds the view that in many instance Hooke did discover things first, but that since Newton outlived Hooke he as able to use his position to write Hooke out of the picture, or at least down-play his considerable accomplishments.
I have a few quibbles and because of these, if I could have done so, I would have given the book four and a half instead of five stars. The book is very heavily weighted towards the work of English and Scottish scientists. Then comes the French, then the Germans and early in the history the Italians. Americans are, in my opinion, given short shrift. To be sure there was little science in America (with the exception of Benjamin Franklin, whose accomplishments are discussed briefly) in the 18th and early 19th century. (Benjamin Thompson's life is covered, but his scientific accomplishments were preformed in England and Europe.) What is surprising and what highlights the author's bias is the lack of any discussion of J. Willard Gibbs. Gibbs, the father of Chemical Thermodynamics, is mentioned just once, in a one-sentence reference to his work on Statistical Mechanics, whereas textbooks on Chemical and Metallurgical Thermodynamics are largely concerned with his work. Nicola Tesla (the developer of the AC motor and the true father of radio) is not even mentioned, nor is Charles P. Steinmetz (the man who put AC electricity on a firm scientific and mathematical basis). Neither Tesla nor Steinmetz was born in America, but their scientific contributions were made there. There is also a lack of any discussion of engineering science (for instance, structural mechanics, transistors, integrated circuits or computers). It is hoped that is future editions of this book the author will rectify some of these deficiencies, particularly with regards to the work of Gibbs.
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Making Waves: Integrating Coastal Conservation and Development
Katrina Brown ,
Emma Tompkins , and
Neil Adger
Manufacturer: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1853839124 |
Book Description
* Demonstrates important new methods for the management of natural resources, showing how to integrate conservation goals with development
* Applies the methods to coastal zones - where population and economic pressures often conflict acutely with fragile and diverse ecosystems
* Essential reading for professionals and ideal coursebook material
Coastal zones are critical multiple-use resources, under pressure from constant demands from different sources - conservation, economic growth and social welfare. This book identifies the dilemmas of managing conservation and development in coastal areas. It gives important and timely information on the management, conservation and social implications of coastal resources.
The authors present a variety of participatory methods and techniques that can be used to show the success or otherwise of the different uses and how they affect the users. Their interdisciplinary analysis draws upon scientific knowledge as well as the latest social science insights on property rights and governance. The book will be important reading for researchers and students in geography, development studies and environmental planning and also for practitioners in natural resource management and coastal zone management.
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