Of Permanent Value The Story of Warren Buffett 1998 Edition

Average customer rating:

The best book about Warren Buffett (including his Berkshire days),

Of Permanent Value The Story of Warren Buffett 1998 Edition
Andrew *SIGNED by author* Kilpatrick
Manufacturer: AKPE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0TDS6

Customer Reviews:

The best book about Warren Buffett (including his Berkshire days), .......2006-11-14

First, I want to mention two constructive feedback about this book. One is that this book is probably only suitable for Warren Buffett fanatics/fans. For general investors interested about Berkshire Hathaway or how Warren Buffett invest, this is probably not the best book to read (as it has so much more info. i.e. more than 1000 pages). Second is that I have read this book more than once and I still don't know how the book is organized (the chapters aren't following chronological order, alphabetical nor topical order), therefore it is quite confusing to read as you progress from one chapter to another. Only after you read enough chapter (or completed the book) then you can put it all in the big picture in your head (from Warren's childhood till his current Berkshire days). Nonetheless, kudos to Andrew Kilpatrick for putting this book together. Moreover, once you know the limitation, this book is easily considered the best book about Warren Buffett in my opinion.

Now about the content of the book. You will learn a lot about Warren Buffett and his life, and not only investing topic (investing decisions that he made throughout his career) but his life principles, family, and business in general as well. You will learn about his first job delivering papers when he was 13 (he filed income tax and deducted the bike as business cost), and how he build his first business (pinball machine business), created Buffett partnership, break it up (liquidate), acquire berkshire mills, creating Berkshire Hathaway as investment vehicle, and many other great investment decision/story that he made (Geico, See's Candies, Dairy Queen, General Re, Coca Cola, Salomon, Washington Post, Gillette etc)

Buffett concrete rules for investing are:
1. Never lose money
2. Never forget rule #1

I know it's easier said (what he say above about to never lose money) than done based on my 10 years of invesitng experience , but then again I'm no Warren Buffett.

In my opinion, here are the 5 strategy/skills that Warren Buffett uses (Mr. Buffett, please correct me if I'm wrong):
1. Intrinsic Value
2. Margin of Safety
3. Temperament (discipline and understanding Mr.Market)
4. Circle of Competence (knowing what your circle of competence)
5. Common Sense (which I think is the most important factor and encapsulate everything about Warren Buffett.)

You will learn that Warren is very good with numbers (calculating in his head) and memorizing so many facts and numbers. You will also learn that Warren is a man with a very good sense of humor.

There are so many things/chapters that I like on this book. Let me try to mention two of my favorite sections.

One is when Warren need to make a decision who would run Salomon ($150B institution with 8000 employees) within 2 days during their first crisis. There are 12 top-level managers that he interviewed. "This was the most important hire of my life", said Warren to the Columbia business students. The chapter explain his thought process of this candidate selection in detail. Warren mentioned that the good news (for the students and the candidate) is that he didn't ask what their grades were (laughter). Warren also said, "Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. and if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you. if you think about it, it's true, if you hire somebody without integrity, you want them to be dumb and lazy" (laughter). And he conclude the topic with this statement which I think is very powerful: "Pick the kind of person to work for you that you want to marry your son or daughter. You won't go wrong". By the way, he picked Deryck Maughan by the way for his integrity.

Another chapter that I really like is how Warren put the audience (of more than 2000 people) through Business School in an electrifying two minutes (The chapter about "Generics"). See how Warren answer the question of "Will developments in the generic brand area hurt coca-cola?" which is a very important questions. I'll try not to spill too much and take the joy of reading this chapter yourself but he basically explains in a nutshell (with all the details and numbers) how business and competition works (and using several other example like Gilette, Marlboro, Sam Cola etc) and how he convinced the audience (and me as a reader) that coca cola is considered immune to generics. He explains how one can save $500 for smoking generic brand (vs Marlboro) which is a lot of money. While a man will probably will only save $11 per year by not using Gilette Sensor and probably leave band-aids on his face and an uncomfotable experience for opting for generics/lower quality blades. And for coca cola, the net profit margin is only 1 cents per serving (can) while a lot of the ingredients cost (such as the aluminium close to 6 cents a can, sugar 1.3 ounce per can or 1.75 cents etc) the same regardless for coke or other cola company.

I'll stop here before it's getting too long. In summary, If you are a Warren Buffett fans, then this book is for you. If you are uncertain, you can get other books first (potentially less thick book), like "Warren Buffet Way" or maybe "Buffettology", and if you like them (Warren) or want to know more about Warren then get this book. I personally don't like it in the beginning but as time goes by (and after I re-read the book/chapters), I changed my mind, this book is a masterpiece.

As a Berkshire shareholder, I want to encourage all berkshire shareholders (and potential/future shareholders) to read this book to know more about the person in charge of your berkshire investment. I also want to encourage all shareholders to go to the annual shareholder meeting while Mr. Buffett is still in charge.

Last but not least, if I have to sum this book up in a word or two, I would use the word "WISDOM" to describe this book, though I have a strong feeling that Warren will disagree with me and think that the more suitable phrase is "COMMON SENSE"

Of Permanent Value The Story of Warren Buffett 1998/Edition

Average customer rating:

Rather disappointed
Ballooning volume size with shrinking contents
Quantity AND quality!
far and away the best edition yet
The most comprehensive study of the life of the world's greatest invesor

Of Permanent Value The Story of Warren Buffett 1998/Edition
Andrew Kilpatrick
Manufacturer: Andy Kilpatrick Publishing Empire
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0964190524

Product Description

The first chapter makes the case that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, although based in Omaha, has emerged as a truly international company. Chapter 2 explores Buffett's extraordinary gift of the bulk of his fortune to the Gates Foundation. Chapter 3 reveals what Gates gave Buffett as a thank you (surprisingly, Gates gave Buffett a 1776 first edition of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations). And Chapter 4 tells of Buffett's purchase of Iscar, the precision tool company in Israel, and tracks BUffett's visit to Israel to visit Iscar's facilities and to meet with the Israeli prime minister. Also, there are chapters (among the 335) about Buffett's wedding on his 76th birthday, Berkshire's stock price surpassing $100,000 and Berkshire's bid to bail out the Lloyd's of London "Names." The fully revised book has more than 1,200 photos. The back cover photo is of Buffett and NBA's LeBron James.

Customer Reviews:

Rather disappointed.......2007-08-03

A lot of info about Buffett & his investment history, but most of them is useless. I see rubbish rather than helpful info in this book.

Ballooning volume size with shrinking contents.......2007-05-13

Kind of dissapointed after flipping through the two huge volumes. Nice pictures (but many of them not that clear)through out the book, and seemed to keep up to day with most of the recent events related to Warren Buffett. But the events has not much to read about. For example, about Buffett's purchase of USG stocks lately, only simply mentioned the fact without any background or related story (but the table of contents sure seemed to suggest otherwise). The older one-volume version of the book seemed to have more stuff to read then the new two-volume version, even the older text-only cover seemed to be nicer than the colorful picture-jammed new cover. The new 2 volume version seems to be a chronicle album rather than a historical book. Usually less really means more. Ballooning a book's size with air would only send the disappointed readers away.

Quantity AND quality!.......2007-04-25

I've just finished Volume 1 - a mere 903 pages - and it's terrific. The subject matter is compelling, of course, but Andy's own little humorous asides make this a very fun read!

far and away the best edition yet.......2007-04-24

If you want to gain insight into what makes Warren Buffett tick and what Berkshire Hathaway is really all about -- you NEED to get Andy Kilpatrick's Of Permanent Value. I have nearly every edition, and this 2007 International Edition, a two volume set, is superior to the past editions both in the extended quality of its content and in the upgraded physical quality of the book. The paper stock of this OPV is glossy and it is much "richer" than previous editions -- much more befitting the man who is it's subject. OPV 2007 IE is simply an essential part of anyone's library. I buy two -- one for home and one for the office. Every time I pick up the book I learn something new about Buffett, Berkshire and the businesses and people that make up this amazing story. A great gift for that Buffett-phile who has everything or the student who wants to learn more about this interesting and complex man/business.

The most comprehensive study of the life of the world's greatest invesor.......2007-01-26

Andy has really outdone himself with this set of two volumes. It has so much information in it that one has to pace himself when reading.There are 1800 plus pages. I find it highly interesting and infomative. If ever one wanted to know any thing about Warren Buffett, then this is the place to go. It probably has facts about WEB that even he may have forgotten.
That fact that this book has compiled just about evey fact that one might want to know about Buffett, from what type of car he drives to how many cokes he consumes a day, to his fond love of hamburgers,to the cost of his house in Omaha, it is in this set of two volulmes.
I am especially impressed with the stories on the early days of his partnership, and the wealth creation that came with throwing in with the unknown WEB. The amount of millionaires that he has created through his investing genius, as well as his patience on investing for the long term is to be found in this treatise over and over. I also feel that the lessons of life that Warren teaches is also most important. His value system is also on the mark. It is truly an amazing fact that the man is so correct in the manner in which he makes money, and also that he is so far ahead of the curve when it comes to his personal ethics. For example, when he got out of Freddy Mac, most people did not understand why. He did and sure enough, along come the accouting issues. He preached about stock options being expensed, about eating your own cooking. He has talked about the dangers of derivatives as well as excessive executive compensation. He is on the mark on all issues, and he sees the problems and explains it in simple english. Probably best of all, he lives his life in front of an open window,with everyone watchine his every move, but he lives it like he tells it. Andy has really laid it all out for anyone to see.
I know that if one wants to know how to invest like Warren Buffett, that this is a "must have" set. It is the best $ 50.00 dollars that a person will ever spend in the quest of long term investing and making money.

Book Description

New Mexico's diverse landscapes and extraordinary light have attracted filmmakers since 1898 when Thomas Edison sent camera crews to Isleta Pueblo to shoot a short film entitled Indian Day School. In the 1990s alone, more than 100 movies and television series have been shot on location in New Mexico. This survey of the industry's presence in the state, put together by industry insiders, includes information on such classic made-in-New-Mexico films as The Milagro Beanfield War, Easy Rider, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. New Mexico was the first state to form a film commission, and its story is told here by Max Evans, whose novel The Hi Lo Country was released as a major motion picture starring Woody Harrelson. Also included are a detailed chronology of more than 300 films set in New Mexico including key players and locations, information on the unique architecture of the state's historic movie theaters, and a tribute to Greer Garson, New Mexico's first lady of film.

Average customer rating:

Are you an academic?

provocative & interesting read

The Mystery of Samba : Popular Music and National Identity in Brazil
Hermano Vianna
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0807847666
Release Date: 1999-01-20

Book Description

Samba is Brazil's "national rhythm," the foremost symbol of its culture and nationhood. To the outsider, samba and the famous pre-Lenten carnival of which it is the centerpiece seem to showcase the country's African heritage. Within Brazil, however, samba symbolizes the racial and cultural mixture that, since the 1930s, most Brazilians have come to believe defines their unique national identity.

But how did Brazil become "the Kingdom of Samba" only a few decades after abolishing slavery in 1888? Typically, samba is represented as having changed spontaneously, mysteriously, from a "repressed" music of the marginal and impoverished to a national symbol cherished by all Brazilians. Here, however, Hermano Vianna shows that the nationalization of samba actually rested on a long history of relations between different social groups—poor and rich, weak and powerful—often working at cross-purposes to one another.

A fascinating exploration of the "invention of tradition," The Mystery of Samba is an excellent introduction to Brazil's ongoing conversation on race, popular culture, and national identity.

Customer Reviews:

Are you an academic?.......2005-09-18

Then this strenuously researched and exhaustively detailed exegesis is for you. Footnotes in abundance! Dry as the Sahara!

Interested in an accessable overview of the history of the development of Afro/Brasilian music leading to what we now know as "samba"? Then don't be fooled by the ecstatic dancer on the cover, we're talking impenetrable doctoral thesis material here.

On that level, it's a great piece of source material with a lot of history to offer.

Want an informative yet easy read on the subject? Google it and almost any other offering will deliver.

-Carl (aka Carlinhos)...
(...)

provocative & interesting read.......2004-12-01

This is a straightforward, easy to read, enjoyable and informative book about how samba dance and music moved from a marginalized position to one now considered to be at the "heart" of Brazilian identity. Vianna, a scholar of music, introduces the reader to important samba musicians, intellectuals, and government officials in this story that centers around the rule of Getulio Vargas which began in the 1930s and lasted into the 1950s. Vianna connects samba to ideas of national identity and race, offering insight into why, despite the celebration of samba and Afro-Brazilian roots, Brazilians of African descent continue to face discrimination. This book would make a great read for non-scholars and students alike, who are interested in music, Brazil, and the African diaspora.

Orpheus and Power: the Movimento Negro of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1945-1988.(Book Review) : An article from: Portuguese Studies

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Orpheus and Power: the Movimento Negro of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1945-1988.(Book Review) : An article from: Portuguese Studies
David Treece
Manufacturer: Modern Humanities Research Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Portuguese Studies, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on January 1, 1999. The length of the article is 3912 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: Orpheus and Power: the Movimento Negro of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1945-1988.(Book Review)
Author: David Treece
Publication: Portuguese Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 1999
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 15 Page: 216(8)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

THE MYSTERY OF SAMBA: POPULAR MUSIC AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN BRAZIL. Edited & translated by John Charles Chasteen.

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THE MYSTERY OF SAMBA: POPULAR MUSIC AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN BRAZIL. Edited & translated by John Charles Chasteen.
Hermano. Vianna
Manufacturer: UNC Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7IM8M

Average customer rating:

Not as good as the others

The New York Times Simply Sunday Crosswords: From the Pages of The New York Times
The New York Times
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The New York Times Crosswords to Boost Your Brainpower: 75 Crosswords to Sharpen Your Mind, Improve Your Crossword Skills, and Increase Your Vocabulary (New York Times Crossword Puzzles)

ASIN: 0312342438
Release Date: 2005-04-21

Book Description

For the first time ever, seventy-five of the world's most popular Sunday crosswords in a convenient, easy-to-transport package For decades, The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles have been the standard by which all others are judged. Now appearing for the first time in a small-format trade paperback, The New York Times Simply Sunday Crosswords features: -Seventy-five of the best Sunday crosswords-the biggest, best, and most popular in the world -Convenient, affordable trade paperback for easy transport and solving anywhere -Edited by Will Shortz. The Sunday puzzles are over fifty percent bigger than the regular weekday puzzles, but now solvers don't need to cart around a big book to solve them. The New York Times Simply Sunday Crosswords will simply be every solver's must-have crossword puzzle book.

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as the others.......2006-03-14

While this book is enjoyable, too many of the clues are esoteric. The more recent New York Times Sunday puzzle books are much better than this one.

The New York Times Simply Sunday Crosswords : From the Pages of The New York Times

Average customer rating:

The New York Times Simply Sunday Crosswords : From the Pages of The New York Times
Editor-Will Shortz
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTDYP0

Book Description

Practical Poser 6 teaches Poser artists the tasks you want, and need, to learn so that you can get up to speed quickly and achieve your best results. Whether you're a hobbyist or professional, you'll learn how to create Poser scenes, how to add realism to your Poser characters, and even how to make your own Poser clothing. You'll learn practical, real-world tasks that will help you reach your goals and, most important, you'll have fun learning. In the first part of the book you'll get a quick overview and review of what you need to know in the Pose Room, starting with the Poser 6 interface and progressing, in a logical manner, to building scenes. You'll also learn how to use lights and cameras, and how to create and save your own light and camera sets to the Poser library. From there, you'll learn a plethora of practical skills including how to: * Work in the other Poser rooms * Prepare photographs in the Face Room and create and save custom faces * Use the Hair Room to add hair to Poser clothing or props, and how to pick up hair colors from underlying textures * Work with various types of Poser clothing, and learn the differences between conforming clothing and dynamic clothing * Decipher materials in the advanced Material Room view * Create and customize Poser clothing * Use magnets to create morphs in Poser * Export and import morphs to and from an external morphing program * Model a simple piece of clothing, create UV maps for common clothing articles (shirts, skirts, and pants), assign materials in clothing, and group them correctly * Save different types of Poser content into the Poser libraries so that they work properly * Enhance your Poser renders so that they look their best by learning how the render engine works

Customer Reviews:

Goes Far Beyond The Manuals.......2007-06-30

I avoid buying software books because many of my past purchases were a complete waste of money. The authors rehash the software's free manuals and provide explanations and tutorials so basic that it seems their target reader is somebody who bought their first PC just last week.

Based on strong reviews, I took a chance and bought Practical Poser 6. I'm not going to cover the content, which is already described very thoroughly in other reviews here. I'll just say that if you have tried to use Poser without any tutorial or learning aids, this book is for you. I had a copy of Poser 5 and had just bought Poser 6 a few weeks before getting this book. My measure of a good instructional book is how much it taught me that I didn't know already. I estimate 50-60% of this book contains info that I'd only have learned by painful trial-and-error, and was really useful to me. And this is not to say that it's for experienced users only -- whether you're just starting out with Poser or already have a few years of experience, there's some explanations, tips and general good reading in this book for you. Highly recommended!

Very much worth the price!.......2007-01-09

This book has become one of my references for Poser 6. It's clearly written and covers topics from basic to advanced. I recommend this book for anyone learning or using Poser 6!

Getting to know Poser 6.......2006-11-07

I found Practical Poser 6 a valuable training tutorial into the world of 3D graphics. Not only did it explain the functions and usages of Poser 6 in understandable terms, it illustrated examples in easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. This book is a recommended must-have for individuals who are thinking about entering the realm of 3D graphics or serious artists who want to refine their technique and squeeze a little more 'mileage' from their programs. A first-rate, well written book in it's field.

Casi..........2006-11-03

No obtiene la quinta estrella por no hacer referencia alguna al manejo de los archivos BVH. Por lo demás, genial!

Practical Poser 6.......2006-11-03

It was very easy to follow and made it easy to learn Poser 6.

Average customer rating:

Practical Poser 6

Manufacturer: CHARLES RIVER MEDIA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQ8RIK

Average customer rating:

Unsung Hero

excellent

Running into oblivion

Forgotten Hero

The poetry of long distance running

A Cold Clear Day: The Athletic Biography of Buddy Edelen
Frank Murphy
Manufacturer: Windsprint Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
Running & Jogging | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Track & Field | Other Team Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
Marathons | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0735103992

Book Description

A Cold Clear Day is the biography of Buddy Edelen. Mr. Edelen once held the world record for the marathon. Famously, he moved from the United States to England in the early 1960's, at a time when America was producing few international-quality distance runners, and smashed stereotyped beliefs about what an American could accomplish.

His story is widely accepted as an inspiration to current American athletes.

Customer Reviews:

Unsung Hero.......2006-10-06

I really enjoyed this book. Other people may go for the swagger of Pre or the domination of a Salazar or Rodgers. But, of all the the runners I've read about, Edelen is the one I identify with most. I suppose it's because he's more of an unsung hero of American running.

The book is fairly well written, and unlike many biographies, it does not drag on with boring uneeded details. It documents the man that Edelen was and shows excerpts from his training to give insight, to those of us who run ourselves, the kind of grueling training he did.

One of my top five running books.

excellent.......2005-01-08

Reading this book was a delight. What got was that Buddy was nobody special at first - just another guy in the American collegiate system. Nonetheless, he took a risk, went to England to train with and compete against the best, and it paid off with a marathon world record.
The glimpses into Buddy's mind are great, especially the narrative portion about the Olympic trials at Yonkers. You can't read this book and not love Buddy Edelen.

Running into oblivion.......2004-12-13

As a runner in Alamosa, where Buddy lived for many years, I was shocked to learn one day that a friend of mine was the son of this former world record holder. Having of course never read the book, much less heard of the man himself, I found myself buying this biography of Buddy Edelen. What I discovered was awe-inspiring: a man who worked himself past the brink only to run into oblivion. Even had I not known some of the particulars of Buddy's life, "A Cold, Clear Day" impressed me with a great sense of respect for Buddy as an athlete. Beyond tough, he deserves to be remembered in the annals of running lore.

Forgotten Hero.......2002-11-21

When I picked up this book I did not know who Buddy Edelen was. This is right up there with the best running biographies I have read. If you love a good sports biography, whether you are a runner or not, pick this up. GREAT READ!

The poetry of long distance running.......2002-11-19

What I found so amazing in Frank Murphy's work is his lyrical skill that makes this non-fiction book read like a wonderful tale.

Historical accuracy and insightful exploration of personal determination give a clear psychological landscape of the kind of athlete that put long distance running on the map of today's sports.

A must read not only for long distance runners, but for poets as well.

Book Description

This text engages students and provokes discussion by presenting the past through the prism of current and perennial issues. Interpretive chapters on such topics as gender, religion, war, ecology, and nationalism create both thematic narratives and the strands of a larger chronological account. The book makes great ideas accessible, explores major historical turning points, and reveals the dynamic of increasing global interactions (trade, migrations, etc.). It also compares cultures and civilizations while giving voice to individual lives.

This volume explores perennial issues. Gender relations are examined across the neolithic and urban revolutions. Issues of class, civility, and citizenship come to life in a history of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Chinese, and Muslim cities. Ideas of love and sex are compared in European, Japanese and Indian history. The social dislocations of empire are compared in Rome and China. The Crusades are viewed through Muslim as well as Christian sources. In addition the seventeenth-century scientific revolution is compared with science in China and the Muslim world.

Customer Reviews:

a review from Choice.......2006-06-16

"Reilly's text is the most teachable . . . one of the best conceived chronological narratives of world history . . . leaves students with a much more sophisticated vision of the global past and present."
-Lynda Schaffer (Tufts University)

Interpreting The Modern World.......2006-02-06

Reilly's book is a quite serviceable introduction to modern world history. It is not a conventional survey text (you know, the kind with 4 authors, 8 editions, and precious little pizzazz), but rather an interpretive study comprising a series of closely linked essays on key historical issues: industrialization, racism, individualism, nationalism, etc. The author's deft explication of political ideas is probably his strongest suit. Still, there's plenty of facts and data here, so it can be used in college courses or read with profit by the educated public. Uncluttered, well-drawn maps help students locate places mentioned in the text, and the illustrations are also valuable. The cost is very reasonable, about $50 less than the average survey text. The publisher has kept the price down by reducing production costs; this shows in the absence of color pictures, and the index is so skimpy that it's not really adequate. A more serious flaw is the overall neglect of gender, and women's history in general. Though the book has been updated since the last edition in 1989, it has a vaguely archaic feel to it now, as if the perspective hasn't changed much since the Cold War despite the added detail. Still, it has many merits, not least an accessible style and the author's willingness to offer boldly-stated opinions. On balance, Markus Weiner has done well to make this new version available.

Average customer rating:

Questions Rarely Asked

Decent, but not great.

Some fascinating "why is the sky blue" kid questions!

The Velocity of Honey: And More Science of Everyday Life
Jay Ingram
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1560259116

Book Description

Why does the journey to a new location always take longer than the trip home? What is the science behind the theory of "six degrees of separation?" Why doesn't honey flow out in all directions?

In this delightful and amusing text, Jay Ingram explores the extraordinary science behind ordinary happenings. Ingram, host of the Discovery Channel Canada's "Daily Planet" and best-selling author of The Science of Everyday Life has written an engrossing work which broadens our knowledge of the everyday world and deepens our appreciation for the mysteries of science. Addressing a diverse set of topics and reaching unorthodox conclusions, he explores the science behind proverbial expressions, delves into the uncharted territory of the connection between history and the contemporary scientific world, and highlights mysterious links between the worlds of art and science.

Customer Reviews:

Questions Rarely Asked.......2006-04-17

This was a wonderful little volume of essays on various scientific ideas buried in ordinary experience. Who would have thought to study echolocation in humans or that nagging feeling that time is going by faster and faster as we age? And what drove that Italian gentleman to pursue the answer to why stones can be made to skip on water? Frankly, the scientific aspect of the author's chosen subjects takes a clear second place to his simple expressions of wonder as to the diversity of ideas and scientific research; to the applicability of obscure research to the experience of everyday life. This kind of writing is important and relevant because it expands our understanding of the world in which we live. (I had no idea that the physics of curling were so complex and so little understood.) The author teaches his readers the value of asking the right questions and demonstrates that perhaps we don't quite understand our world as well as we think we do.

Perhaps it is just my inability to find the titles, yet I believe that there is a dearth of good writing such as this book--I applaud Mr. Ingram's efforts and hope that he is able to continue to find publishers. I have little patience for those who belittle the efforts of authors who attempt the exceedingly difficult task of communicating cutting-edge scientific principles to the general readership--not every book need be the top of its field. And how is an author to hone his craft if not by steady production of work each better than the last? I highly recommend Mr. Ingram's work and find his style to be excellently suited to convey the excitement of science.

Decent, but not great........2005-06-29

Jay Ingram, The Velocity of Honey (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2003)

There is a kind of niche genre in publishing that involves taking complicated science and stripping it of all its jargon to make it (somewhat) understandable to mortal men. Some authors are good at it. Some are great. The reigning king of "great," of course, is Martin Gardner (Did Adam and Eve Have Navels?), and thus it is that, in general, all books of "stripped-down science" will eventually get compared to Gardner. And thus, we come to Jay Ingram, whose The Velocity of Honey has been all the rage among in-the-know readers for the past year or so.

Jay Ingram is good. His short pieces do a capable job of taking controversial things that require numerous long, unintelligible equations to explain and phrasing it all in such a way that the great unwashed have a chance of grasping the science behind it all. And his topics are by and large interesting, such as the title essay, on why it is that honey does that whole bending-over-on-itself thing when you drizzle it onto your morning pancakes.

But good is not great. When you stack Ingram up against Gardner, Simon Singh (Fermat's Enigma), or Mitchell Waldrop (Complexity, one of the most underrated science books of the past decade), his prose just isn't as readable. And, really, that's what stripped-down science books are all about-- readability. If you wanted its lack, you could just read the relevant articles in dusty book-bound copies of magazines in your library's reference section, right?

It's worth picking up if you're into this sort of thing, but expect to spend far more time on it than you would a comparable tome by one of the greats. ** ½

Some fascinating "why is the sky blue" kid questions!.......2005-05-14

Jay Ingram makes the science of everyday life accessible, fascinating and readable, answering many questions that we've puzzled over since our days as children - why does it always take longer to get there than it does to come home? how do outfielders catch those fly balls? and, just how do the mosquitoes always seem to find us? My personal favourite is a hilarious but perfectly reasonable explanation as to why we're convinced the eyes in that portrait on the wall follow us around the room!

A self-help book of science.(The Velocity of Honey and More Science of Everyday Life by Jay Ingram)(Book Review) : An article from: American Scientist

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A self-help book of science.(The Velocity of Honey and More Science of Everyday Life by Jay Ingram)(Book Review) : An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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