Alaska Odyssey: Gospel of the Wilderness

Alaska Odyssey: Gospel of the Wilderness
Average customer rating:

A good book by a true pioneer.

Alaska Odyssey: Gospel of the Wilderness
Hal Thornton
Manufacturer: Thornton's Legacy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0962711446

Book Description

Autobiography. The author, an Alaska businessman, fondly recalls pioneering life in the bush before taxes, OSHA, permits, and licenses. The book tells of a time when the wilderness was user friendly, when Entrepreneuring was a do-it-yourself challenge.

The Odyssey: from the Bible Belt to Alaska; from Washington's Puget Sound to California's Riviera.

The Gospel: from devout seminarian to exile; from Fundamentalist to devout agnostic.

Customer Reviews:

A good book by a true pioneer........2004-01-28

This is a well-written book about life in pre-oil Alaska. It is a two-part book, the first part detailing the various business ventures of the author and his wife. While the absences of minutiae are appreciated, at times a bit more explanation would help to get the point across. Being the curmudgeon he is this is a deliberate way to get the reader to think. The book is a very accurate portrayal of life in the Territory of Alaska.
The second part deals with his philosophical outlook on life. His candid details about his thoughts and hopes regarding the world and humanity are thought provoking whether or not you agree. After reading this book there is no doubt, Hal Thornton is a profound thinker.
This is definitely a five star book.

I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story
Average customer rating:

Still the greatest home run hitter ever.

Mr Aaron is a very humble, decent man

Great book about a true baseball hero: Hank Aaron.

The Home Run King Who Will Always Reign

A Legendary Man of Athletic Ability and Integrity for Mankind

I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story
Hank Aaron , and Lonnie Wheeler
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060163216

Book Description

Henry Aaron left his mark on the world by breaking Babe Ruth's record for home runs. But the world has also left its mark on him.

"Hammering Hank" Aaron's story is one that tells us much about baseball, naturally, but also about our times. His unique, poignant life has made him a symbol for much of the social history of twentieth-century America.

Raised during the Depression in the Deep South enclave of Mobile, Alabama, Aaron broke into professional baseball as a cross-handed slugger and shortstop for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. A year later, he and a few others had the unforgettable mission of integrating the South Atlantic League. A year after that, he was a timid rookie leftfielder for the Milwaukee Braves, for whom he became a World Series hero in 1957 as well as the Most Valuable Player of the National League.

Aaron found himself back in the South when the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1965. Nine years later, in the heat of hatred and controversy, he hit his 715th home run to break Ruth's and baseball's most cherished record--a feat that was recently voted the greatest moment in baseball history. That year, Aaron received over 900,000 pieces of mail, many of them vicious and racially charged.

In a career that may be the most consistent baseball has ever seen. Aaron also set all-time records for total bases and RBIs. He ended his playing days by spending two nostalgic seasons back in Milwaukee with the Brewers, then embarked on a new career as an executive with the Atlanta Braves. He was for a long time the highest-ranking black in baseball. In this position, Aaron has become an unofficial spokesman in racial matters pertaining to the national pastime.

Because of the depth and pertinence of Aaron's dramatic experiences, I Had A Hammer is more than a baseball autobiography. Henry Aaron's candor and insights have produced a revealing book about his extraordinary life and time.

Customer Reviews:

Still the greatest home run hitter ever........2007-08-13

It doesn't matter how many home runs Berry Bond's or anyone of this aera of Baseball, what Hank AAron endured and the racial hatred he went through only proves that he is the BEST. These modern day players could not survive what he and others went through.

Mr Aaron is a very humble, decent man.......2007-07-04

I've been a fan from age seven, which is where I was in life when Henry hit number 715. His recounting of his life in baseball is captivating and highly educational.

Mr Aaron is one of the most skilled players in baseball history, and his telling of his story explains that he is much more than that. Mr Aaron is a man of dignity and class, his success through clouds of racist hate provides a shining example of what a man can be under extreme circumstances. Thank you Henry, for your marvelous career in baseball, and for your open, honest sharing of the story.

Great book about a true baseball hero: Hank Aaron........2006-12-21

"I Had A Hammer" is a wonderfully written autobiography about the struggles and the triumphs of one Henry(aka Hank) "The Hammer" Aaron, the career home run record holder, and one of the last of the "Negro League" players to make it big. Aaron describes his upbringing in Mobile well, and shows us the different levels of racism in the Deep South. The book reveals that Aaron fought against segregation in the minor leagues, helping to end "white-only" minor league teams, and shows us Aaron's love affair with the city of Milwaukee and it's long-gone Braves team, and the tense relationship between Aaron and Atlanta, which had the first Deep South major league team. This is recommended for lovers of baseball as well as those who want to know more about civil rights heroes. Atlanta is not cast in a good light in this book, but Aaron harbors little bitterness towards the city or the racism and death threats he had to endure while trying to break Babe Ruth's record.

The Home Run King Who Will Always Reign.......2006-06-01

Hank Aaron tells it like it is...this is an amazing story. He is, hands-down, the best NATURAL home run hitter ever. His story is captivating, but also a bit sad. The persecution he underwent while chasing the record was horrific. He at times sounds hurt, angry, and bitter as he tells his story. I don't blame him...what courage.

A Legendary Man of Athletic Ability and Integrity for Mankind .......2006-03-18

The athletic proficiency of Hank Aaron is probably the greatest in the history of baseball if not all sports. He is a man of dignity, grace and the stuff legends are made of. This is an endearing and absorbing biography. This biography has captivated the legend of the man for me. It is well written with true fervor and endearment. One of the best.

Average customer rating:

I Had A Hammer - The Hank Aaron Story
Henry with Wheeler, Lonnie Aaron
Manufacturer: Harper-collins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IXGP7G

Average customer rating:

I Had A Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story
Henry With Lonnie Wheeler Aaron
Manufacturer: Harpercollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O7V26K

Average customer rating:

I Had a Hammer The Hank Aaron Story
HANK AARON
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFDSJG

Average customer rating:

I Had a Hammer : The Hank Aaron Story
Hank with Lonnie Wheeler Aaron
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OA5GIM

I Had a Hammer The Hank Aaron Story First Edition

Average customer rating:

I Had a Hammer The Hank Aaron Story First Edition
HANK AARON & LONNIE WHEELER
Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PGJUKU

Book Description

Film is an art form with a language and an aesthetic all its own. Since 1979, David Bordwell's and Kristin Thompson's Film Art has been the best-selling and widely respected introduction to the analysis of cinema. While it continues to provide the best introduction to the fundamentals of serious film study, the eighth edition has been revised be more classroom friendly by introducing film techniques earlier in the text, followed by the chapters on Film Genres. Supported by a text-specific Tutorial CD-ROM with video clips, Film Art is automatically packaged with this outstanding student learning tool.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-09-29

I purchased this book for a college course I'm taking. The book came promptly and in excellent condition. Would definitely recommend...

Film Art: An Introduction Tutorial CD-ROM

Average customer rating:

Film Art: An Introduction Tutorial CD-ROM
David Bordwell , and Kristin Thompson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

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ASIN: 0072874619

Average customer rating:

Film Art: An Introduction Tutorial CD-ROM
BORDWELL
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGROV8

Book Description

Computers are incredible. They are one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, dramatically and irrevocably changing the way we live. That is the good news. The bad news is that there are still major limitations to computers, serious problems that not even the most powerful computers can solve. The consequences of such limitations can be serious. Too often these limits get overlooked, in the quest for bigger, better, and more powerful computers. In Computers Ltd., David Harel, best-selling author of Algorithmics, explains and illustrates one of the most fundamental, yet under-exposed facets of computers - their inherent limitations. Looking at the bad news that is proven, lasting and robust, discussing limitations that no amounts of hardware, software, talents or resources can overcome, the book presents a disturbing and provocative view of computing at the start of the 21st century. Along the way he shows just how far from perfect computers are, while shattering some of the many claims made for these machines. Though we may strive for bigger and better things in computing, we need to be realistic: computers are not omnipotent - far from it. Moreover, the problem is real and here to stay.

Customer Reviews:

Easy introduction.......2004-09-21

The is a good introductory book into the limits of computation. The book introduces the major concepts and vocabulary in a very easy to understand way. However that is the limit to this book on limits. If you are looking for non-technical information, then this may well be the book for you.

If you are looking for proofs, answers to your homwork problems, or rigor, you will be disappointed. The author states many conjectures few have proofs. From the conjectures he uses easily understood arguments to make his points. The conjectors are in fact true, but you will have to look elsewhere to find proofs.

The reasons I gave 4 stars instead of 5 are twofold. Although the book is pretty good, the writing seems a bit quirky at times. I would have liked to have seen a bit more rigor. Although I can understand wanting the book to be as simple as possible, but many of the proofs are not very difficult and could have been included (for example the halting problem).

A limited introduction to the limits of Computation.......2001-11-09

This another nice book from David Harel, the author of the delightful
'Algorithmics : the spirit of Computer Science', which introduces the
general reader to the limits of computation (and hence the limits of
what computers can do).

Harel, who's a renowned figure in the field of Theoretical Computer Science,
has the ability to write and explain in a way that makes things seem
wonderfully clear, and indeed it is only such authors who can write good
books for the general reader.

This small (240 pages) book is quite ambitious in its coverage of topics -
starting off with the notion of an algorithm, it goes on to discuss
Efficiency and correctness, Turing machines, Finite state machines,
Decidability, Computability, Complexity, NP-completeness, Recursion,
Parallel algorithms, Probabilistic algorithms, and even touches upon
Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence !!

All this is done with almost no mathematics, at least hardly any beyond
high-school level. The reader is gently introduced to some of the most
celebrated problems of Computer Science, and he/she can get a feel of
the nature of this exciting and interesting field.

Throughout the book, the author keeps underscoring the fact that no matter
how far technology progresses, there'll always be problems that we can't
solve cheaply, or can't solve at all, or can't ever know whether they
can be solved or not (!!), ie he stresses that there are problems that
are 'beyond computers', which cannot be tamed by more and more processing
power or any other technological advancements.

This book covers pretty much the same range of topics as Harel's earlier
book, 'Algorithmics : the spirit of Computer Science', but in only half
the number of pages, and with a heavy emphasis on the 'limitations' of
computers, which actually are limitations of our knowledge rather than
of the machines themselves.

How does it compare with the eariler book ? Well, it's more uptodate,
since it was published in 2000, whereas the other one was in 1992 -
so here you find buzzwords like 'Java', 'Dotcom', 'Quantum Computing',
etc, which you wouldn't find in the earlier book, but on the whole
i prefer the earlier one, since it had a little more detail, made you
think a little more, and even had exercises for those who were interested
in probing further.

So all in all, if you want a light, breezy introduction to the basic ideas
of Theoretical Computer Science which doesn't demand too much concentration,
this is a good choice, but if you're willing to put in some time & effort
& enjoy puzzles & logical thinking, then you'll find Harel's other book,
'Algorithmics : the spirit of Computer Science' much more rewarding.

Popularization At Its Best.......2000-11-23

This book is a masterpiece! It can be read on many levels and should be a must for anyone who knows how to read and think. The layman will get a gripping and very accessible account of the limits of computing in particular, and the boundaries of knowledge in general. The professional will be able to see, in a nutshell, and explicitly, what he or she or it already knew, but did not really FEEL. But note that this book does not put down computers, but shows the intrinsic limitation of all knowledge. It should have been subtitled: `What EVEN computers can't do'.

Computers Ltd - What They Really Can*t Do

Average customer rating:

Computers Ltd - What They Really Can*t Do
David, Harel
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKX094

25 Bridge Myths Exposed
Average customer rating:
25 Bridge Myths Exposed
David Bird
Manufacturer: Master Point Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bridge | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1894154525

SharePoint 2003 User's Guide (Expert's Voice)
Average customer rating:

Good Reference

Poor explanations and useless for a Project leader

Better than any other book, or any phone support from Microsoft

Great book on SPS features and solutions

Excellent read!

SharePoint 2003 User's Guide (Expert's Voice)
Seth Bates , and Tony Smith
Manufacturer: Apress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590595149

Book Description

...covers the core SharePoint features and in my opinion covers them very well.

— Paul Schaeflein, schaeflein.net

Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and Windows SharePoint Services address a variety of information-sharing and collaboration needs, providing an innovative way for you to manage information. In order to get the most out of SharePoint, you need to understand its capabilities to create materials, collaborate with others, and share enterprise information.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced SharePoint user, SharePoint 2003 User's Guide is designed to provide you with the information you need to effectively use these tools. The authors, who are experienced SharePoint consultants, take a real-world look at the best practices for Microsoft SharePoint 2003 and include many detailed examples you can build on.

The first section of the book describes the basic and advanced building blocks in both of the SharePoint technologies. With step-by-step examples, the authors explain features like portals, sites, lists, and libraries. Advanced topics include targeting content, managing security, and integrating with Microsoft Office 2003.

The second section expands on these features by showing you how to build the most commonly used SharePoint solutions. The book describes the challenges these solutions are designed to address and the benefits that are realized by using a SharePoint-based solution. The authors provide specific instruction and examples that will allow you to effectively configure SharePoint for document collaboration, information centers, and other detailed scenarios.

Customer Reviews:

Good Reference.......2006-03-20

If you need another good reference then this book will help. It has several examples and suggestion that all levels of experience can use.

Poor explanations and useless for a Project leader.......2006-02-28

You will have more help on the help menu or much more help on the discovery kit that you can get downloaded from Microsoft.

This book doesn't give you a needed view and does not give you a real example of a deployed scenario. It does not explain the role of the Active directory and how to take advantage of it. It does not explain why you would need to create a Portal Area and why you would need to change the factory properties (like Division, Region) that come with the product.

The explanation is very straightforward but it's useless for a project leader.

Better than any other book, or any phone support from Microsoft.......2005-11-24

I have used this comprehensive users guide as my support for any and all issues regarding development of the sharepoint site. Online blogs didn't help. Microsoft phone support didn't help. This book helps. It has a description of every aspect of the sharepoint system and is just unbelievably helpful. This book has already paid for itself in terms of time and money saved. GREAT!

Great book on SPS features and solutions.......2005-08-12

I am an IT executive who has been a heavy SPS user for the last 1.5 years. During that time I have met with many companies that have an interest in Sharepoint, but who do not have a good vision on how to use it. I have seen a gap in understanding the core capabilities as well as how to put the pieces together into a solution. This book fills that gap. It covers all the core capabilities of Sharepoint in a clear, understandable way. In addition, it shows how to put the pieces together into solutions such as document collaboration, project collaboration, meeting mangement, and information centers. This book will appeal to a broad audience, from IT and business/IT execs to information technology implementers. This book is a good place to start if you are considering implementing Sharepoint or you just want to learn more about it. If you have already implemented Sharepoint, this book can fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

Excellent read!.......2005-08-12

Excellent read! The book held my hand through some of the rough areas of Sharepoint and helped me set up a comprehensive Project Management site for my team. The samples were very helpful and covered the right topics. You get a good appreciation for what Sharepoint has to offer and how you can customize it to your needs.

I recommend this book to anyone just starting off with Sharepoint. No deep technical knowledge required.

Book Description

ew York City is more than just a city, and The Timeline History of New York City is more than just a book. It's a hands-on presentation of New York's history and an adventure in reading. It features: -A fourteen foot timeline that folds out to show the history of New York City since the early sixteenth century -A fold-out, hand-painted map of the waterways around New York -The history of each of the city's five boroughs -Maps and histories of each of Manhattan's distinctive neighborhoods: Soho, Chelsea, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, midtown, etc. -A history of the theater district, Museum Mile, and the subway system -A fold-out map of Central Park that shows its history -A cut-out wheel that turns to present important facts for 100 of the city's most distinctive and tallest buildings -Four-color illustrations throughout. This is the perfect gift book for anyone visiting New York City and a perfect gift for anyone who's ever been amazed by 'the city that never sleeps.' It's a valentine to New York City.

Customer Reviews:

For out-of-towners, and that's good!.......2004-06-09

The Playnes' TIMELINE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY is a convenient guide through New York's long and rich history. For most New Yorkers, there's nothing really new here; we've all heard it before. And a lot of the information just touches the surface of some of the historic moments; too many of the reasons for the events that created the history, and their ramifications for the rest of America, are glossed over. That said, this timeline is still of value (especially for the price). It does contain a lot of information, given its size. In that regard, I would recommend this to those who are just starting their voyage to the City's history. I also think that people from out of town would appreciate this compact publication, especially if their planning a trip to the Big Smear.

Interesting Idea.......2003-11-06

Here is an interesting idea for history fans of NYC. But, it is hard to read--too many tints, lines through copy. Hard to handle and very superficial. Inserted photos confusing. Copy begins and ends on binding with no end papers. The architecture page with it's wheel is a bit of a gimmic. This book would be a useful suverier for visitors and young students.

The perfect gift for anyone who loves New York.......2003-09-27

This is an amazing book. It has a fold out section that is over 10 feet long and you have the entire history of New York at your fingertips. It's well produced and -- for $20 or so -- it's an amazing bargain. I visited NY recently for the first time with my friend and we bought this when we were coming home. Every time I look at it I think about the great time I had. I can't wait to go back now that I know so much more about the city. Buy this book if you love New York or if you know anyone who does.

Three hundred years of parks: A timeline of New York City park history

Average customer rating:

Three hundred years of parks: A timeline of New York City park history
Ethan Carr
Manufacturer: Parks & Recreation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Product Description

Freer explores the archaeological, astronomical and genetic evidence for our being a half-alien, genetically engineered species. He presents the mind-boggling ramifications of this new paradigm which correct and resolve the Creationist-Evolutionary conflict, afford a generic definition of human nature, and the potential to rethink the planet. We are about to step out of racial adolescence into stellar society. Zecharia Sitchin writes, "It is gratifying that a mere decade after the publication of my work, an author with the grasp that Neil Freer displays in Breaking the Godspell has set out to probe what the recognition of the existence and Earth-visits of the Nefilim can mean -- not just to scientists and theologians -- but to each human being upon this planet Earth."

Customer Reviews:

Freer is Awesome!.......2006-11-06

Neil Freer is an amazing writer. Although you may need a dictionary to get thru some of the chapters, He ties together all the Sitchin theories with the confidence of an educated man. If you are a fan of Sitchin's work this is a MUST READ!

Excellent exposure of the Godspell placed upon us many years ago.......2006-10-31

Breaking the Godspell is an excellent parallel to Sitchin's concepts and ideas. The author is very intelligent and provides an important message for all of us. For too long we have been brainwashed and it is about time we considered other alternatives to the history we have been led to believe is true. Although the book is "heavy" reading, the message contained within the book is well worth sticking to the book until the end.

Making the GodSpell........2001-12-01

One more [...] display of pseudo-intellectual egoism, which [some] would insist holds the key to human salvation... last month it was shamanism. This book is [...], clumsily wrapped in the pages of a dictionary to make it seem important. It is not a work of science; it is not even good fiction. It is simply a feely-good extension of the [pseudo]-science offered during the 1970s in books like Chariots of the Gods. If you are a new age miracle seeker, who enjoys fruitless indulgence in ideological [...], then this book is for you. Otherwise, don't waste your time; there are better ways of burning your brain cells [...].

Churchmen SHOULD Pay Attention to Freer........1998-09-25

My first attempt to get this book included in a bibliography for persons interested in how to help institutional religion turn the corner into the coming millennium was unsuccessful. The compiler's excuse was that "archeological material is subject to interpretation."

Freer knows that Zechariah Sitchin's interpretation is masterful when he shows readers just how much the pharoahs knew--that we imagine was "discovered" in the last 100 years. Freer is a perfect student of Sitchin's. He reads out the implications of facing a realization that astronaut "gods" (from Nibiru) engineered the Adam and Eve whose genetic tracers all humanity has carried for more than 200,000 years.

Archeology is fast becoming a "futures" science...as the orbit of Nibiru brings it back toward our planet. Some suppose we will live long enough to see it through a telescope. Others fear its "ships" will precede it.

Let your children learn Sumerian, if they won't memorize Sitchin and cherish Freer.

Excellent material and reference content.......1998-07-09

I have been interested in Zechariah Sitchin's books since I read The Twelfth Planet. Mr. Freer has enlarged on this premise by including corresponding information from a variety of sources from past and current material. Although the book is written more from an intellectual stance than with layman's verbiage, it is a Fascinating read. One you should have in your library.

Amazon.com

Did Nicolas Copernicus steal his notion that the earth orbited the sun from an Islamic astronomer who lived three centuries earlier? "The jury is still out," writes Dick Teresi, whose intriguing survey of the non-Western roots of modern science offers several worthy arguments that Copernicus in fact ripped off Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. Common belief is that Westerners have been the mainspring of most scientific and technical achievement, but in Lost Discoveries Teresi shows that other cultures had arrived at much of the same knowledge at earlier dates. The Babylonians were using the Pythagorean theorem at least 15 centuries before Pythagoras drew his first triangle, and in A.D. 200 a Chinese mathematician calculated an incredibly accurate value for pi. The Mayans and other Mesoamericans were outstanding sky watchers and stargazers. The greatest advances occurred in math and astronomy, though Teresi also devotes chapters to physics, geology, chemistry, technology, and even cosmology. Sometimes he is a bit overeager to ascribe great thoughts to long-dead people (he casually suggests that "many ancient cultures had inklings of quantum theory"), but on the whole his book is a reliable and fascinating guide to the unexplored field of multicultural science. --John J. Miller

Book Description

Boldly challenging conventional wisdom, acclaimed science writer and Omni magazine cofounder Dick Teresi traces the origins of contemporary science back to their ancient roots in an eye-opening account and landmark work.

This innovative history proves once and for all that the roots of modern science were established centuries, and in some instances millennia, before the births of Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton. In this enlightening, entertaining, and important book, Teresi describes many discoveries from all over the non-Western world -- Sumeria, Babylon, Egypt, India, China, Africa, Arab nations, the Americas, and the Pacific islands -- that equaled and often surpassed Greek and European learning in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, cosmology, physics, geology, chemistry, and technology.

The first extensive and authoritative multicultural history of science written for a popular audience, Lost Discoveries fills a critical void in our scientific, cultural, and intellectual history and is destined to become a classic in its field.

Customer Reviews:

Poorly Written and Full of Inaccuracies.......2007-10-15

I bought this book because I liked its premise. However, I was thoroughly disappointed before I could even finish the first chapter. The book is filled with repetitious statements on the one hand and inconsistancies on the other. If you can get over the poor writing style, you will come up against the flagrant factual errors. For example, Teresi denegrates the Greeks for thinking the world is flat. Huh? Most of the greatest Greek philosophers, including Pythagoras and Ptolemy, thought Earth was a sphere. Aristotle even used the evidence that Earth casts a round shadow on the moon during an eclipse to support this idea.

This was just one of many factual errors that popped out at me while I tried to read this poorly executed book. As an archaeologist myself, I couldn't agree more that non-Westerners have made great contributions to science. However, believe it or not, so have Westerners!

Lost Opportunities.......2007-02-09

The author had an opportunity to present achievements of non-western civilizations and missed it. The book is full of inaccuracies. For example on page 44 the author confuses Ahmes papyrus (also known as the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus) with the Mathematical Leather Roll. If you do not already know the subject, you may end up with incorrect information. It is best to avoid this book.

Not for the concrete thinker........2006-12-25

Many reviewers have snagged on certain conjectures and theorizing that Teresi does along the way to his main points, while ignoring the vastly more important links between cultures he develops from a scientific perspective. These criticisms are the equivalent of blasting Star Wars IV because of a botched reference to parsecs. Forget such nitpickers and read this book if you are interested in the history of science, or just the history of ideas. Important matters, such as the inextricable coevolution of counting and numbers with inter-regional trade and linguistic/cultural "permeability", must reopen certain assertions of "discoveries" to question. For me, Teresi has put a more human face on scientific development, citing real people in context borrowing and adding on through the years, and not just a few geniuses popping out of Greece or Western Europe. His own father's math, for example, may be seen as a cultural remnant of a conquest and mingling from over two millennia ago. Linguistic roots betray layers of conquest and assimilation, why not scientific ideas?

The evidence Teresi outlines is overwhelming in suggesting that the scientific project is an amalgam of many cultural threads. Such icons of Western Thought, like Copernicus, are complicated figures in reality. What he learned at the University of Padua may have helped him over certain mathematical hurdles (e.g., Urdi's lemma). Teresi has done a good job with this level of detail, maybe not at the level of a Stephan Toulmin, but get real, nitpickers. He's got the themes right. Fernand Braudel (A History of the Civilisations), asserted that all human history is a history of the contacts and exchanges between different versions of "civilization". Teresi's book certainly argues well that proposition, which after all should lead people of science and history to appreciate that every scientist stands not only on the shoulders of giants, but each ascended to those heights on the jumbled backs of untold ancestors from many civilizations. Some acknowledgement is finally due.

Readers beware.......2006-09-05

It is difficult to know which is more offensive: Teresi's ego or his obscene ignorance of scientific history. If you share Teresi's mindset (ignore uncomfortable truths if they conflict with your own warped, pseudoscientific agenda) then you will eat up this stuff for lunch. But for anyone with a rational bone in their body the only reasonable advice is to avoid this book like the plague.

I really gave it a shot.......2006-08-21

I really did try to read this entire book. The subject is certainly interesting. But I just couldn't do it. With no expertise in the history of science, I was probably a bit too gullible. That got me through the first 150 pages. But then I got tired of forcing myself to read it, read a few good books, came back, and realized that I really didn't like the author's voice - his opining regarding current views, culture, science, etc. Then I read the reviews here, and that did it. It's hard to know whether Teresi or the folks who have written critical reviews are right, but either way, if you can't trust the accuracy of what Teresi has written (and can't stand the perspective from which he writes), why would you read this book?

I wouldn't waste my time.

Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science--from the Babylonians to the Maya.(Books)(Book Review): An article from: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics

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Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science--from the Babylonians to the Maya.(Books)(Book Review): An article from: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics
Martin H. Levinson
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This digital document is an article from ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, published by International Society for General Semantics on April 1, 2004. The length of the article is 6277 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.

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Title: Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science--from the Babylonians to the Maya.(Books)(Book Review)
Author: Martin H. Levinson
Publication: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2004
Publisher: International Society for General Semantics
Volume: 61 Issue: 1 Page: 168(1)

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Pious fantasies.(Book Review): An article from: Skeptic (Altadena, CA)

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Pious fantasies.(Book Review): An article from: Skeptic (Altadena, CA)
Norman Levitt
Manufacturer: Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine
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This digital document is an article from Skeptic (Altadena, CA), published by Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine on June 22, 2003. The length of the article is 4345 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.

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Title: Pious fantasies.(Book Review)
Author: Norman Levitt
Publication: Skeptic (Altadena, CA) (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2003
Publisher: Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine
Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Page: 86(6)

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Science across cultures.(book on the history of science)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

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Science across cultures.(book on the history of science)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

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