Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What I Learned in Ten Years As a Microsoft Programmer

Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What I Learned in Ten Years As a Microsoft Programmer
Average customer rating:

Misleading, surprising lacking in insights

Good history of Microsoft and the PC industry in general

honest, well-written, but long and ultimately disappointing

Unless you want to go working for Microsoft.......

Great book, but ended strangely

Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What I Learned in Ten Years As a Microsoft Programmer
Adam Barr
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Biographies | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Find the Bug: A Book of Incorrect Programs

ASIN: 0595161286

Book Description

Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What I Leaned in Ten Years As a Microsoft Programmer is a reflection on a decade spent working at the countryÂ's largest software company. The book views Microsoft from a unique angle: that of an insider who feels that Microsoft has done many good things, but is also unsure about some of its methods. The book offers a new viewpoint on Microsoft, challenging existing assumptions about why the company has succeeded, what it does well and what it does badly, and what it needs to do in the future.

Customer Reviews:

Misleading, surprising lacking in insights.......2006-06-27

Barr acknowledges some well-known Microsoft idiosyncrasies, such as the overemphasis on puzzle-like tests during interviewing and the management affection (not so unusual among software management) for crazy long hours by programmers (apparently independent of results). However, all in all, who stays at Microsoft for 10 years and then has so much good to say but a die-hard? If you want to know everything you never wanted to know about API's and why your next release of a Windows release may have hundreds of API incompatibilties, this book may help you. I suspect an outsider could have written as "inside" a book on mattters of substance. It's not clear Barr has burned any bridges with Microsoft by what is revealed in this book: was that ever his intent? The title seems intended at face value.

Good history of Microsoft and the PC industry in general.......2004-12-09

I thought this was a great "trip down memory lane" in regards to the birth of the PC and Microsoft. Adam does a great job of providing history and context of the era.

Although the text was long and often would stray from the intended topic, the extra info was pertinent and interesting.

This was a great read for someone who grew up with the PC and Microsoft.

honest, well-written, but long and ultimately disappointing.......2003-03-17

Adam Barr writes well. I found myself agreeing with several of his analyses: esp. his dissection of MSFT's evangelistic activities and his keen understanding of the api-itis that afflicts MSFT products today.

The book is in four parts. The first is a look at MSFT hiring and interview processes, which is followed by a description of his time at Softimage (which includes a brilliant dissection of type-1 through type-4 demos), then a long and meandering recounting of his early involvement with computers and then an equally meandering final part which is a compilation of his observations about MSFT and the industry in general. I found the first two interesting enough to read, but found the final two not as compelling. He completely mis-understands the point about middleware and Java (see Lou Gerstner's book "Who said elephants can't dance?" for a different definition of middleware and business strategy). Perhaps his narrow, unappealing and unfocussed second half meanders so much because he didn't take his chances to widen his own career within MSFT as a manager or PM.

Like Adam with his interviewees, I agonized over whether or not I should give this book a "four" or a "three" star rating :). Ultimately, I had to go with the lower rating because as a developer, I was hoping to read about what "he" had actually "learnt as a developer" when I picked up the book. Unfortunately, while he talks about a whole lot of things (such as the importance of testing for product quality, and the importance of programmers getting a 'life' as they mature, the contributions of MSFT to the open source movement, etc. etc.) he doesn't at all talk about what he worked on, what was exciting and new about NT code he may have contributed to, or how methodologies and practices changed while he was there. Maybe MSFT prevents people from talking about such stuff, but by cutting out such professionally interesting bits, the book becomes a "missed opportunity" (esp. since Adam is a self described "systems guy"). Perhaps he really was writing only for the non-programmer crowd (but I doubt it).

Unless you want to go working for Microsoft..............2002-12-30

don't bother buying this book.

For me, it was a bummer, too much ado about hiring practices, and the author does not escape his bias after having worked for Microsoft 10 years.

There are too many inaccuracies, like Microsoft has won the database wars, Microsoft has won the networking wars, Windows NT is "clearly superior to Linux", etc, etc.....

Great book, but ended strangely.......2002-02-20

I enjoyed the early pages of the book, highlighting the workings of Microsoft, but felt the author could have provided more insight into what it was like working with his team and working for B.Gates. I thought the book ended strangely. I read it cover to cover in less than 24 hrs.

The company behind the curtain: 'Proudly serving my corporate masters' offers a peek inside Microsoft. (Books).(Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What ... An article from: Computer User

Average customer rating:

The company behind the curtain: 'Proudly serving my corporate masters' offers a peek inside Microsoft. (Books).(Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What ... An article from: Computer User
Christy Mulligan
Manufacturer: MSP Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Computer User, published by MSP Communications on July 1, 2001. The length of the article is 519 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: The company behind the curtain: 'Proudly serving my corporate masters' offers a peek inside Microsoft. (Books).(Proudly Serving My Corporate Masters: What I Learned in Ten Years as a Microsoft Programmer by Adam Barr)(Review)
Author: Christy Mulligan
Publication: Computer User (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2001
Publisher: MSP Communications
Volume: 19 Issue: 7 Page: 22(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

A man of limitless talent, unending benevolence and the courage of a lion, captured the hearts of millions when he rose to fame as an athlete. but Johnny Bright, Champion excelled in more than just the sports arena. He overcame countless obstacles to beocme a master in the game of life. Johnny Bright was challenged by poverty, discrimination and poor sportsmanship, including an episode notorious enough to earn a photojournalistic Pulitzer Prize. Still, he combined intelligence and exceptional atheltic ability with an enthusiastic dedication to turn obstacles into opportunities for self-improvement.

A poineer among black student-athletes, and the original National Football League first-round draftee to "head north," Bright was recognized as one of the Canadian Football League's greatest running backs of all time. Once he had mastered football, he became an outstanding coach and educator, deevoting the rest of his life to children. Johnny Bright, Champion is a success metaphor, providing an inspiration to anyone hoping to turn mere dreams into reality.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful, entertaining story. Highly recommended!.......1997-05-10

I went to medical school with the author. He advised me that the purpose of his work was to inspire and entertain. With "Johnny Bright, Champion" he has done precisely that. I found the book to be very enjoyable and recommend it for everyone. If you are looking for a nice "feel good" story, this is one that should fulfill your need. While this story is technically a biographical novel, it closely follows the "real" story of Johnny Bright, whose career was analogous to that of Jackie Robinson. If Johnny Bright had chosen to play in the National Football League rather than the Canadian Football League, his name would, undoubtedly be of greater recognition at this time. Although Johnny Bright labored in relative obscurity, he was too great not to be remembered at this time.

Book Description

Moving Places is the brilliant account of a life steeped in and shaped by the movies--part autobiography, part film analysis, part social history. Jonathan Rosenbaum, one of America's most gifted film critics, began his moviegoing in the 1950s in small-town Alabama, where his family owned and managed a chain of theaters.
Starting in the Deep South of his boyhood, Rosenbaum leads us through a series of "screen memories," making us aware of movies as markers of the past--when and where we saw them, with whom, and what we did afterward. The mood swings easily from sensual and poignant regret to screwball exuberance, punctuated along the way by a tribute to the glamorous Grace Kelly of Rear Window, a meditation on The Rocky Horror Picture Show and its improbable audience-community, and an extended riff on Rosenbaum's encounters with On Moonlight Bay.
Originally published in 1980, Moving Places is reissued now both as a companion volume to the author's latest book and as a means of introducing a new generation of film buffs to this unique, often humorous exploration of one man's life at the movies.

Customer Reviews:

More For English Majors Rather Than Film Majors.......2005-05-26

Jonathan Rosenbaum is one of the finest film writers of today. Even if you disagree with his view on a film, he is a terrific writer.

MOVING PLACES, first published in 1980, is a sort of memoir of his growing up in his family's movie theatres.

Unfortunately, while the idea of the book is a great one, and he definitely knows the subject, Rosenbaum writes in a way too self conscious, literary style. Writing in the third person about himself, writing letters (ala Salinger), all sorts of stylistic touches that detract from what should/would have been a fascinating narrative of his life. In fact, in the introduction, he cites what writers he was trying to emulate in his writing.

So, fans of his looking for a story of how he got to be a film critic may be disappointed. It is more for English majors, looking to analyze his writing style.

Book Description

In Welcome to the Dreamhouse feminist media studies pioneer Lynn Spigel takes on Barbie collectors, African American media coverage of the early NASA space launches, and television’s changing role in the family home and its links to the broader visual culture of modern art. Exploring postwar U.S. media in the context of the period’s reigning ideals about home and family life, Spigel looks at a range of commercial objects and phenomena, from television and toys to comic books and magazines.
The volume considers not only how the media portrayed suburban family life, but also how both middle-class ideals and a perceived division between private and public worlds helped to shape the visual forms, storytelling practices, and reception of postwar media and consumer culture. Spigel also explores those aspects of suburban culture that media typically render invisible. She looks at the often unspoken assumptions about class, nation, ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation that underscored both media images (like those of 1960s space missions) and social policies of the mass-produced suburb. Issues of memory and nostalgia are central in the final section as Spigel considers how contemporary girls use television reruns as a source for women’s history and then analyzes the current nostalgia for baby boom era family ideals that runs through contemporary images of new household media technologies.
Containing some of Spigel’s well-known essays on television’s cultural history as well as new essays on a range of topics dealing with popular visual culture, Welcome to the Dreamhouse is important reading for students and scholars of media and communications studies, popular culture, American studies, women’s studies, and sociology.

Amazon.com

To aficionados and wordsmiths, palindromes--phrases that read the same backward and forward, such as "bird rib" or "senile felines"--are more than just wordplay; they have a special kind of sense and serve as reminders that all language is only a human construct. There are now many palindrome collections on the market, none more comprehensive than this volume of 3,500 palindromes by the founding editor of Games magazine. "Never odd or even," this is a book to amuse and instruct in the riches of the language.

Book Description

S. Wordrow's Palindrome Encyclopedia revealed and interpreted by Michael Donner. "Packs a record-breaking 35,000 cross-referenced palindromes into a tongue-in-cheek reference book that is a must-have for crossword puzzlers, word lovers, or anyone who loves the absurd."--Houston Tribune; "Silliness is the unabashed point in these 400-plus pages."--Sun-Times (Chicago); "This is surely the most thorough survey of words that come and go the same way."--William Safire, The New York Times Magazine; "Har-har! Rah-Rah!"--The Orlando Sentinel. A QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK CLUB selection.

Customer Reviews:

An exhaustive and amusing effort-- impressive.......2003-02-06

Donner deserves high praise for having compiled this item-- I enjoy consulting it from time to time, and my son picks it up when he's looking for a chuckle. Others (below) criticize it for perhaps containing too many examples, and some that seem borderline, but I appreciate the full gamut. Is this book for everyone? No, clearly not-- word nuts may only represent a tiny corner of the world, but we need such books to keep us amused! This one more than fills the bill.

An outstanding linguistic mind-trip.......2001-11-14

Word-gamers, punners, palindromists, and the simply weird will enjoy this book. It's full of mind-twisting and paradigm-bending palindromes, some of which are old chestnuts (such as Napoleon's lament "Able was ere I saw Elba" or the more complicated "'Naomi, sex at noon taxes', I moan") while others are truly bizarre. Moreover, the author plucks palindromes out of heretofore unexplored territory (airport codes, geographical locations, and the like).

Interestingly, the book is not limited to palindromes; it also features some anagrams as well as word-squares.

Don't expect to read this in one sitting. Your mind will turn to mush if you try to do so!

A mixture of good and sappy.......2000-11-05

There are spots of brilliance in this book, and unfortunately much larger spots of sappy material, such as codes for airports or peculiar numbers that happen to be palindromes. Palindromes are an art form, perhaps the most constrained art form, and some, like those of J. A. Lindon, are sublime. The author himself contributes a few very good original examples. He also slavishly quotes a number of other sources and in particular is treats everything by Lindon as a work of genius. Lindon was admittedly good, but not quite that good. The author's scholarly work in finding the sources of famous palindromes is not superficial. The worst feature of the book is that the author cannot resist adding an inane 'explanation' after almost all entries. The book would have been better with about half its content excised.

I Love Me, Vol. 1: S. Wordrow's Palindrome Encyclopedia

Average customer rating:

I Love Me, Vol. 1: S. Wordrow's Palindrome Encyclopedia
Michael Donner
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JVBTW8

Average customer rating:

I Love Me, Vol. 1: S. Wordrow's Palindrome Encyclopedia
Michael Donner
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NWYVLE

Book Description

This exceptional, full-color Maya Press title - produced by Alias, the software's creators - is a comprehensive mid-cycle revision that uses the award-winning short film Blue as the basis for the book's all-new hands-on tutorials. Artists, students, educators, and hobbyists will appreciate this book's comprehensible coverage of 3D and Maya basics. Project-focused lessons use actual production files from the film Blue to teach you most of the tools available in Maya Complete. The companion DVD includes instructor-led tutorials, scene files, artist interviews, and Maya PLE. Also includes Alias's Sketchbook Pro Version 1.1.1, $129.99 value.

Customer Reviews:

Definitely for Beginners.......2007-08-22

If your goal is to design a basic character and a simple environment, then this book is definitely for you. It covers all the basics and helps you to get familiar with where the tools are located.

However, if you are already familiar with MAYA, then you'd be better off just going online and finding some tutorials.

Good for students.......2007-08-12

Im a teacher computer, and recomend this book for new students of animation and modeling 3D.

perfect book to learn maya 7.......2007-04-07

This book is the best one I have bought because it explains to you every detail step by step. It also comes with videos explaining how to do each lesson.The best part is that in bonus it brings the software = alias sketchbook pro.

FANTASTIC.......2007-02-26

This book is straight forward, easy to read, and a joy to follow along on the screen to. I am quite impressed with the attention to detail on each of the steps in this book. "Foundation" will give anybody who hasnt used a 3d package before the nessacary skills and information needed to follow on and create their own models.

6 out of 5 stars for such a good book.

(real name is my mothers, i am the one actually working through the book)

Excellent beginners book.......2007-01-17

I have gotten through several chapters of this book and am already finding it extremely helpful in learning this complex program. There are movie lessons on the CD to augment each chapter and they are very helpful in making the lesson material familiar. If the book continues to be as helpful as it has been so far I will be a very satisfied customer.
Perhaps I shouldn't be writing a review so soon, but I am excited that the program is becoming accessible to me.

Thread of the Silkworm
Average customer rating:

Observation From Reading Reviews

Silkworm Missiles

Interesting Biography about a Chinese Scientist

our country dropped the ball

shines a light on a murky time in history

Thread of the Silkworm
Iris Chang
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Scientists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Weapons & Warfare | Military | History | Subjects | Books | Biological & Chemical | Control | Conventional | Nuclear
Similar Items:

The Chinese in America: A Narrative History

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II

The Good Man of Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe

MY COUNTRY VERSUS ME: THE FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT BY THE LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIST WHO WAS FALSELY ACCUSED OF BEING A SPY

A Convenient Spy: Wen Ho Lee and the Politics of Nuclear Espionage

ASIN: 0465006787

Customer Reviews:

Observation From Reading Reviews.......2007-02-13

This is about the review that a guy named "S.Shueh" wrote below. As an example of ridiculous expressions, his sentence: "When someone who is not perfect speaks with authority at such young age...he is bound to place himself above others" is absolutely dumb. That's because no one is perfect, and anyone who speaks with authority regardless of age is always placing himself above others because that's the nature of speaking with authority, duh! If this guy believes that there exists someone who is perfect and can speak with authority without placing himself above others, then he would not be the first such fool speaking such nonsense.

Secondly, this S.Shueh guy also says that others have gone through "identical ordeals" as what Tsien went through. So this person doesn't realize that individual experiences are unique and the simple fact that no two persons can have identical experiences because experience is a subjective manifestation of seemingly external events. So it seems that the speaker is someone who grew up in a regimented family and society that cannot tolerate the uniqueness of individuals. Thus, his is only capable of rigid and naive thoughts. This is just my observation of a simpleton of a specific type that I have encountered many many times. So I felt the need to mention it here.

Silkworm Missiles.......2005-04-30

It is sad to note that Iris Chang has ended her life in a tragic self-inflicted bipolar conflict recently. This explains her unique writing style in several of her books. I am not a direct student or fan of Prof. Tsien. However, I am acquinted with surviving classmates and relatives of him. His early technical work has flaws in some classical work and did not get challenged or corrected. When someone who is not perfect speaks with authority at such young age he is likely to put himself above others as he has done. This is mentioned in the book several times by Iris during WW2 and later. He did so so in practical matters at MIT, or as a practicing railroad engineer in China. Had he returned to China after his studies in the US, he would be remembered as a scholar at most. As for his contribution with the red missile program it is hard to say what he was directly put in charge but people gave him credit for organizing a Russian trained team and obtained the necessary funding. Yes, he went through a lot during FBI investigation. One must not forget many scholars, ordinary citizens whether born in the US or Europe went through the identical ordeal. I find it is interesting that Chang mentioned Prof. Tsien was indirectly involved in the Great Leap forward resulting in 20 million deaths. Only someone controversial like him would chase birds and promote the destruction of a balanced eco-system in the name of Mao's wish (p238). All in all, Iris did a wonderful job talking and researching sources in a well done book.

Interesting Biography about a Chinese Scientist.......2004-12-17

Thread of the Silkworm was not quite what I expected in terms of a biography about Tsien Hsue-shen. It is a simple and attractive narrative that may have been targeted toward readers that like their reading without overstocked footnotes. It appears that Chang took her research from Tsien's surviving friends, colleagues, and Tsien himself. In addition, her style of writing is somewhat intimate and personal, and she appears to write in a way where she really put much effort in getting to know her subject. Througout the book she made Tsien looked like a hard-nosed and self-centered professor that could careless about his students. But at other times, there are passages in the book where his work overtook him. In addition, it appeared like Chang empathized with what Tsien was going through when he was forced to abandon his research and duties at CalTech.

Nevertheless, Chang does a good job at capturing the period in which Tsien studied, worked, and lived. She attempts to provide detail during World War II, and how Tsien contributed to US rocket technology. However, it appears disturbing of how his life took a turn during the Communist-feared 1950s, and how he became blacklisted and excluded from a society that welcomed his knowledge and participation in the world of science and technology. Indeed, he became a US citizen, but because of unfortunate circumstances at time when ideology knew no boundaries, his talents were transfered overseas.

Thread of the Silkworm was an easy read that will enhance your knowledge about immigration and what occurred during the 1950s. I recommend this book for those interested in biographies, a dab of science, and as Chinese/Asian-American history as well.

our country dropped the ball.......2004-10-29

I bought this book many years ago before Wen Ho Lee and James Yee and even though I found it difficult to read, I kept it as a reminder that being of Chinese origin adversely affects your comfort level and safety in this country. This book was very hard to read because the writing style was not the best for my style of reading so I didn't get her Nanking book which I know was also criticized for the writing style. If you didn't like the Nanking book, buy this book anyway because unlike the Nanking book, there aren't a lot of books about him out there and it's about a Chinese man who was not confused about what was happening. Regardless of whether he was right or wrong, smart or stupid, he was himself undiluted. I use the past tense but he's still alive though bedridden. He was on Chinese tv when China sent their first man into space. He watched a video of it and smiled.

shines a light on a murky time in history.......2001-06-17

I must admit a bias - HS Tsien is my grandfather's cousin. As such, this book is for me the family history that noone would tell me. For other readers, I would say that most history books concentrate on the rise of the USSR as a power, and then *poof!* there's China...how did that happen? Chang's book reveals how China's emergence on the world stage as a military power resulted from the US's own stupidity and xenophobia. My one real complaint about the book is that Chang's writing seems to drive the book to a climax at the point of Tsien's return to China, and then peeters out while she recounts China's race to the ICBM. This inconsistancy makes one feel that Chang herself had lost interest in the story, which is unfortunate. This story is fascinating enough (for anyone interested in history, not just me) to wish that the entire book had been treated with the care that Chang shows Tsien's US phase. Anyways, one leaves the story with feelings of respect and regret for what could have been. Please note that HS Tsien is still a bogeyman for the US intelligence community - he was mentioned, as Qian Xuesen, in the 1999 Cox report during the Los Alamos spy scandal. As far as I know, HS Tsien is still alive.

Average customer rating:

Thread of the Silkworm
Iris Chang
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KPTSNK

We Interrupt This Broadcast: The Events That Stopped Our Lives...from the Hindenburg Explosion to the Attacks of September 11
Average customer rating:

M.I.A.

If you like history you will want to have this book

Please Keep True to the Title

The narrator needs to shut up

A time capsule of major twentieth-century American news

We Interrupt This Broadcast: The Events That Stopped Our Lives...from the Hindenburg Explosion to the Attacks of September 11
Joe Garner
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks Mediafusion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Communication | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Words That Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events

And the Crowd Goes Wild: Relive the Most Celebrated Sporting Events Ever Broadcast (Book and 2 Audio CDs)

My Fellow Americans: The Most Important Speeches of America's Presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush (Book & CD)

Not Till The Fat Lady Sings: The Most Dramatic Sports Finishes Of All Time

Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments

ASIN: 1570719748

Amazon.com

Beginning with the explosion of the dirigible Hindenburg in 1937, this book and double-CD collection of audio broadcasts recalls a series of dramatic events so urgent that they interrupted scheduled broadcasting in America. The text of this package includes capsule explanations of such events as the attack on Pearl Harbor and the death of Elvis, accompanied by dramatic black-and-white stock photos. Introduced by the sonorous voice of TV journalist Bill Kurtis, the recordings of the news broadcasts revive the panic and thrill of some of the defining moments (mostly American) of the 20th century. This updated second edition includes three new events: the impeachment of President Clinton, the tragic shootings at Columbine High School, and the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. in an airplane crash. New recordings from the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald, the Apollo 13 mission, and the Munich Olympics tragedy have also been added.

We Interrupt This Broadcast offers, in some ways, a strange view of the past. News that interrupts broadcasts is always sensational and usually tragic. Of the 41 recordings, only five or so don't involve assassinations, explosions, death, or defeat. Furthermore, only the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana represent the female side of modern events. Nevertheless, these recordings will fascinate many listeners too young to have heard the original broadcasts, and those who were alive at the time might enjoy hearing them again in all their crackling, nostalgic glory. --Maria Dolan

Book Description

Revised and Updated!

Contains 3 New Shocking Events Straight From Today's Headlines

Updated to include the shocking and terrifying events of the past two years, We Interrupt This Broadcast brings to life the famous and infamous moments of the twentieth century. This second edition covers in striking detail the impeachment proceedings of President Clinton, the Columbine High School tragedy and the death of JFK Jr.--along with 38 other history-making moments--with memorable audio, vivid photographs and compelling text. From the dawn of electronic media to today, these are the 41 events that stopped us in our tracks and changed our world. We Interrupt This Broadcast recounts the details of the events and spotlights the photographs that tell the stories.

Customer Reviews:

M.I.A........2005-07-04

Missing from this book: Mt ST Helen's eruption on 5/18/80, Passing of Ronald Regan, Space Shuttle Columbia should be added in the next edition. Regular broadcasting was inerupted for these stories. Otherwise this book is worth it.

If you like history you will want to have this book.......2005-05-03

Perhaps one of the most innovative ways to study and share history, We Interrupt This Broadcast contains not only information on 43 of the most important events of the 20th century but also actual audio tracks from the original radio broadcasts. The stories told and broadcasts heard range from the Hindenburg explosion to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan's Surrender, Lee Harvey Oswald's Assassination, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination, Apollo 13, the Kent State Massacre, Nixon's resignation, the shooting of President Reagan, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the O. J. Simpson saga, Princess Diana's death, the 2000 election, and finally the September 11th attacks, as well as 29 other historically important events. Each event is described in detail including important facts leading up to the event and the effect it had on the U.S. We Interrupt This Broadcast is very highly recommended and should be in the library of everyone who loves or teaches history.

Please Keep True to the Title.......2004-05-10

I have a previous edition of this book. It covered the Diana death, and I believe that is where it stopped. My complaint with the book is only that, as the topics progresses closer to current times, the interruptions became less "spontaneous."
The book's premise was to provide the first live broadcast interruption that the public heard, to create the same chills that people felt, to relive the first realization of the shocking event just as it happened. By the time the book got to Dianna's death, the news clips became more general, more like an end of the year re-cap of what had happened, instead of the first terror-filled report that something had gone wrong.
But a great book, other than that! Perhaps the problem has been fixed in this newer edition.

The narrator needs to shut up.......2003-12-28

The narrator explains what is written in the book already. The book would be a lot better if there was no narrator.

A time capsule of major twentieth-century American news.......2003-10-18

We Interrupt This Broadcast is a statement that never fails to send a little chill up my spine, as these four words have introduced many tragic news stories over the years. In today's jaded world, these words do not have the connotation I still associate with them, and that is both a good and a bad thing. In a world where so much is forgotten so quickly, it is important, especially for the younger generation, to not only know about important events in history but to have a real understanding of sorts concerning them. This book does much to help everyone living today, both young and old, to learn about, remember, and vicariously experience some of history's most memorable (many of them tragic) events. Over forty important moments of the twentieth century are detailed in this coffee table-like book, ranging from the fiery death of the Hindenburg in 1937 to (in my 2nd edition copy) the death of John Kennedy, Jr. in 1999. The third edition offers additional material of important events in the time period between releases.

While none of these events is covered in-depth by any means, the book offers worthwhile summaries and plenty of informative photographs throughout its pages. More importantly, though, the book comes with two CDs containing broadcast footage of these events, letting today's listener hear the words by which America was informed of such tragedies as the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, as well as tales of horror such as the explosion of Flight 800, the fiery end of the Waco standoff with David Koresh and his followers, and the Challenger explosion. Of course, all the news was not bad: here you can hear and read about man taking his first steps on the moon, bear witness to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, and celebrate retroactively the end of the World War II.

In a sense, this is a time capsule of sorts, as it holds a significant part of the history of twentieth-century America inside its pages and burned onto its two CDs. We Interrupt This Broadcast would make an excellent teaching tool for youngsters, but anyone who wants to come to a greater appreciation of history could profit much by this book, as well.

Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion
Average customer rating:

Reality or fantasy?

Polkinghorne exploring reality.

Polkinghorne: Simple yet profound

Rich reality

Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion
John Polkinghorne
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Science & Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Religion & Spirituality | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Science | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Science and Providence: God's Interaction with the World

Quantum Physics and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship

Belief in God in an Age of Science (Yale Nota Bene)

Science and the Trinity: The Christian Encounter with Reality

Quarks, Chaos & Christianity, Revised and Updated: Questions to Science and Religion Quarks, Chaos & Christianity, Revised and Updated: Questions to Science and Religion

ASIN: 0300122675

Book Description

Reality is multi-layered, asserts the Reverend John Polkinghorne, and in this insightful book he explores various dimensions of the human encounter with reality. Through a well-reasoned and logical process, Polkinghorne argues that reality consists not only of the scientific processes of the natural world but also the personal dimension of human nature and its significance. He offers an integrated view of reality, encompassing a range of insights deriving from physics’ account of causal structure, evolutionary understanding of human nature, the unique significance of Jesus of Nazareth, and the human encounter with God.

The author devotes further chapters to specific problems and questions raised by the Christian account of divine reality. He discusses, for example, the nature of time and God’s relation to it, the interrelationship of the world’s faiths, the problem of evil, and practical ethical issues relating to genetic advances, including stem cell research. Continuing in his pursuit of a dialogue between science and theology that accords equal weight to the insights of each, Polkinghorne expands our understanding of the nature of reality and our appreciation of its complexity.

Customer Reviews:

Reality or fantasy?.......2007-09-04

It seems astonishing how meanings of words, like "reality", can be completely turned around, especially by a scientist, expected to truly explore reality.

The title of this book, "Exploring Reality", appears to me remarkably similar to the title of my website (begun about half a dozen years ago and accessible through my last name), "Exploring possible human knowledge". Could Dr. Polkinghorne have been influenced by it? Whether he was or not, exploring reality or possible knowledge both connote rigorous pursuit of truth (the last word another one appropriated by the author for his own interpretation), understood as seeking undisputable evidence in either the physical world or the world of reason guided by logical principles as exemplified in mathematics.

The author, however, applies the words "reality" and "truth" freely to his bountiful speculations about religious contents, as in his 5th chapter, "Divine Reality: The Trinity" (p.90; it appears for the author enough to call something Reality for the word to apply). There seems accordingly no point for me to go much farther with this review, although I, too, am a theist, but find my justifications in the mentioned forms of dependable evidence.

I may only cite one example of the troubling ingredients a dogma can contain despite efforts to describe them in best sounding terms. Dr. Polkinghorne speaks in the book at least twice (pp.65, 80) of Jesus' "cleansing" of the temple, the reference being to Jesus' "making a whip of cords" (John 2.15) and driving with it traders out of the temple. I cannot help being reminded of "ethnic cleansing" by that description.

Notwithstanding my criticism, I felt I should add at least a second star for rating because of the author's evident sincerity.

Polkinghorne exploring reality........2007-06-27

I've read several of Polkinghorne's books and I don't think that this one is particularly outstanding. But he doesn't avoid the topic's toughest problems, in fact he has sought them out and proceeds to make most of his points cleanly; so it's not a bad book either.

Polkinghorne should be no stranger to those interested in the interface of science and religion. [For the reader who is unfamiliar with him] he is a Cambridge quantum physicist turned Anglican cleric and has published extensively on issues of interest in both theoretical physics and theology. These are his topics again, with a chapter on ethics as well. . .

"It has turned out that it is our mathematical abilities that have furnished the key to unlock deep secrets of the physical universe. Once more one encounters a mystery impenetrable to conventional evolutionary thinking. Survival needs would seem to require no more than a little arithmetic, some elementary Euclidean geometry, and the ability to make certain kinds of simple logical association. Whence then comes the human ability to explore non-commutative algebras, prove Format's Last Theorem, and discover the Mandelbrot set? These rational feats go far beyond anything susceptible to Darwinian explanation. p52

"Sociobiology seeks to explain human ethical intuitions in terms of inherited patterns of behaviour favouring the propagation of at least some of an individual's genes. Once again, one may acknowledge a source of partial insight. No doubt ideas of kin altruism (the mutual support extended between those who share in the family gene pool) and reciprocal altruism (favours done in the expectation of favours later to be received) shed some Darwinian light on aspects of human behaviour. Games theoretic models of behavioural strategies that optimise probable returns in given circumstances--such as 'tit for tat': respond in the same manner that your opponent has displayed to you--give some insight into the nature of prudent decision making. But sociobiology tells too banal a story to be able to account for radical altruism, the ethical imperative that leads a person to risk their own life in the attempt to save an unknown and unrelated stranger from the danger of death. Love of that incalculable kind eludes Darwinian explanation. Equally elusive to evolutionary explanation are many human aesthetic experiences. What survival value has Mozart's music given us, however profoundly it enriches our lives in other ways?

"The proper response to all this is not to adopt a Procrustean technique of chopping down the range of human experience until it fits into a narrow Darwinian bed, nor is it to abandon evolutionary thinking altogether. Rather, it is to release that thinking from the poverty of its neo-Darwinian captivity."

This may not be Polkinghorne's finest volume, but it has its moments of great saliency and discernment and I do recommend it.

Polkinghorne: Simple yet profound.......2007-05-13

John Polkinghorne does it again. We benefit from his scientific knowledge and see that coupled to Christian faith in a unique manner. THis book is something you ought to read, whether you are a believer or not.

Rich reality.......2006-06-26

John Polkinghorne is one of the most gifted and eloquent writers in the science-and-theology field, and this is by far the best introduction to his thought in general. Though much of it is familiar from previous works, here he weaves together a consistent, spiritually and intellectually satisfying approach to reality as a whole. It touches on all the bases, including the challenge of evolution, the historicity of Jesus' life and resurrection, theology, the problem of evil, God's action, etc. Polkinghorne carefully balances his commitment to orthodox Christian belief (esp. the literal resurrection of Jesus) with the need to revisit articles of faith in light of new knowledge (such as belief in an immortal soul). The chapter on human nature is especially illuminating, while the 'concluding unscientific postscript' is a delightful romp in metaphysical speculation. The second chapter is perhaps the weakest, in which Polkinghorne tries once more to flesh out his approach to divine action through quantum mechanics and chaos theory, which I find less than convincing. It is best, I think to let divine action be divine action, the one blazing, invisible mystery like the sun through which we see and understand everything else. In any case, the book as a whole is a delight, combining rigorous scholarship with earnest faith seeking understanding. A must read.

Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion.

Average customer rating:

Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion.
JOHN: POLKINGHORNE
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UD1G8W

Average customer rating:

Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion.
John. Polkinghorne
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSHW4K

Book Description

Most people know about the presence and health effects of pesticide residues in the water they drink. However, they may not realize the impact of atmospheric transportation and deposition of pesticides on water quality. Scientific studies of pesticides in various atmospheric matrices (air, rain, snow, aerosols, and fog) provide some of the answers. Pesticides in the Atmosphere focuses on the review and interpretation of direct measurements of pesticides in the environment. An exhaustive compilation, the book examines hundreds of studies in detailed tabular listings, with accompanying maps that include such features as spatial and temporal domain studies, target analytes, detection limits, and compounds detected. Working with the foundation of forty years of scientific studies, the editors synthesize this research to characterize the common threads and main conclusions. They use this information to identify where we need to improve our understanding of pesticides in the atmosphere and their significance to water quality. Pesticides in the Atmosphere serves as a resource, text, and reference to a wide spectrum of scientists, water managers, and students. It includes extensive compilations of references, interpretive analyses and conclusions. For those not familiar with the atmospheric transportation and deposition of pesticides it provides a comprehensive introduction. Features

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books