From Rags to Riches: A Story of Abu Dhabi (London Centre for Arab Studies)

Customer Reviews:

Good and Easy to Read.......2000-01-21

I'm attempting to write a hard boiled mystery and I've read almost everything I can get my hands on on crime and writing.

This is a great book cuz it has short, informative chapters and also suggestions on where to get more information.

My only complaint/gripe is that he doesn't explain the jargon in a few places. I felt I could have used a few more examples in order to truly understand what he was getting at. Jesus used parables -- and look where it got him!

Book Description

Reading Oprah How Oprah's Book Club Changed the Way America Reads Cecilia Konchar Farr - Author

$54.50 Hardcover - 164 pages Release Date: 11/4/2004

Customer Reviews:

Well worth reading!.......2006-07-09

Oprah has long been maligned in literary circles as a lightweight talkshow host who dishes up weepy, sentimental, "women's" novels. Farr does a great job of poking holes in this stereotype of Oprah. She shows Oprah's thoughtfulness and intelligence, and the service that she has done in getting Americans interested in reading. She explains how a voice like Oprah's is needed in the literary world, which tends to be dominated by men. She outlines the historical context in which Oprah's bookclub operated -- how it was a continuation of the "mass book club" tradition from the turn-of-the-century. This book is a quick read, but there is much in it that can be referred back to later. I recommend this book for anyone who is in a book club, has worked at a library or bookstore, is an English major in college, or who simply loves to read!

Outstanding!.......2006-03-14

Outstanding, quick read, includes THE list of all Oprah recommendations.

However, $55 for the hardback -- am I missing something here? The paperback is $18 -- and the book is very, very thin. I don't get the $55 hardback price.

Highly recommended..........2005-12-29

I stumbled upon this book at my library and am really glad that I took the time to read it. This book is a short, quick, interesting read that examines the effects of Oprah's Book Club on a nation that had previously given up on reading (not all of us, just most!). I was especially amazed at the sales figures provided that showed just how many people not only watch Oprah but purchase a book just because she takes the time to talk about it on television. While I was previously annoyed by the concept of Oprah's Book Club and felt that it was all about revenue, I have now come to understand that it is because of her that thousands of Americans have once again discovered that joy of reading. This book takes a look at not only what the club has done for Oprah and her readers, but it also discusses how the authors of books chosen to be included in the club often go from being unknown writers to some of the most famous people in the literary world. It's amazing the power that one admired person with a television show possesses...

I definitely recommend that anyone of any age (middle school and up) read this book. It does not read like a textbook...it's much more personal and interesting. I can imagine it being a great conversation piece among friends or used for a term paper/speech topic. The time I spent reading it was time well spent!

The Oprah effect: two scholars independently assess the book club that changed everything.(Reading With Oprah: The Book Club That Changed America)(Reading ... An article from: Black Issues Book Review

Average customer rating:

The Oprah effect: two scholars independently assess the book club that changed everything.(Reading With Oprah: The Book Club That Changed America)(Reading ... An article from: Black Issues Book Review
Todd Steven Burroughs
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000BYA348
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Black Issues Book Review, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1391 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 Oprah effect: two scholars independently assess the book club that changed everything.(Reading With Oprah: The Book Club That Changed America)(Reading Oprah: How Oprah's Book Club Changed the Way America Reads )(Book Review)
Author: Todd Steven Burroughs
Publication: Black Issues Book Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 7 Issue: 5 Page: 38(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

For all developers who create models using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.x The Elements of UML™ 2.0 Style sets the rules for style that will improve your productivity - especially in teams, where understandability and consistency are critical. Coming from renowned UML expert Scott Ambler, the book furnishes a set of rules for modelling in the UML and describes a collection of standards and guidelines for creating effective UML diagrams that will be concise and easy to understand. It provides conventions for: Class diagrams; Timing Diagrams; Use case diagrams; Composite Structure Diagrams; Sequence diagrams; Interaction Overview Diagrams; Activity diagrams; Object diagrams; State machine diagrams; Package diagrams; Communication diagrams; Deployment diagrams and Component diagrams. The Elements of UML™ 2.0 Style sets the rules for style that will improve your productivity.

Customer Reviews:

Good Foundational Advice.......2007-09-21

Like the book "The Elements of Style" that I was given to use in High School to improve my writing, this book seeks to do the same for your UML diagrams. The author states that the purpose of this book is to "describe a collection of standards, conventions, and guidelines for creating effective UML diagrams". This book succeeds in its goal. I really like the fact that at the beginning of each chapter, each chapter covers one diagram type, a short description of what the diagram is used for is presented. As a designer, I see these rules not being followed or ignored much of the time. Rule 15 (Prefer Well-Known Notation over Esoteric Notation) is what I see as one of the most violated rules. Most people seem to diagram what they think is appropriate and ignore the UML rules. Hmmm, sounds like most people that write as well.

Elements of UML 2.0 Style Is Great!.......2007-05-21

Anyone who wants to improve the way they model systems will want to read this short and concise guide to the correct use of UML.

Good Desktop Reference.......2007-02-08

This book is written in a clear, concise style and offers sensible guidelines for the contruction and layout of the major UML diagrams. For a bit more in-depth explanation of the application of the diagrams, read Fowler's "UML Distilled". I think the two work very well together as companion references.

great modeling 'little book'.......2007-01-05

I must confess, I love little books. In the inimitable style of the White and Strunk book, this one provides well-grounded and practical prescriptions for language usage. It is not complete as a learning tool, but it provides an excellent adjunct to the Booch et al 'User Guide' or Fowler's 'Distilled'. When I first opened the book I thought some of the style guidelines appeared trivial. But digesting it as required reading in a UML intro class not only gave me the confidence to complete my assignments; I found additional insight into UML as-tool. I suspect I will be vetting every UML diagram I create through this book's precepts for a long time.

Elements of UML a Pocket Primer.......2006-03-17

This book is a quick reference for anyone dealing with the UML. It provides brief, but thorough, examples of what is in the models. I recommend this for managers who need to have some basic facts, so they can speak better to UML practioners.

The Elements of UML Style (Sigs Reference Library)

Average customer rating:

UML for the real world...
A long needed guide
When "less" is "more"
A great start on corporate modeling guidelines
UML - KISS

The Elements of UML Style (Sigs Reference Library)
Scott W. Ambler
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language (3rd Edition) (The Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series)
Learning UML
The Elements of Java Style
UML in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell)
UML Toolkit (OMG)

ASIN: 0521525470

Book Description

The Elements of UML Style is for all developers who create models using the Unified Modeling Language (UML), especially those in teams where understandability and consistency are critical. Just as Strunk & White's The Elements of Style provides rules of usage for writing using the English language, this text furnishes a set of rules for modeling in the UML. Scott Ambler describes a collection of standards and guidelines for creating effective UML diagrams that are concise and easy to understand. This book provides conventions for: Class diagrams, Use case diagrams, Sequence Diagrams, Activity diagrams, State chart diagrams, Collaboration diagrams, Deployment diagrams, and Component diagrams. The Elements of UML Style sets the rules for style that will improve programming productivity. Scott W. Ambler is the President of Ronin International, Inc. (www.ronin-intl.com). He is a popular international speaker, magazine columnist for Software Development (www.sdmagazine.com), and an award winning author of The Object Primer (2001), The Elements of Java Style (2000) More Process Patterns (1999), and Building Object Applications that Work (1998), all published by Cambridge University Press.

Customer Reviews:

UML for the real world..........2005-06-03

This is a great reference book for anyone wanting to improve their UML modeling skills. It won't teach you how to model, but it will teach you how to create UML diagrams which are much easier to read and to understand. Although Ambler preaches that "content is more important than representation", the reality is that if your diagrams look like crap then people think that your work is crap. This book describes a collection of very simple techniques, many of which could be considered modeling patterns, for making your UML diagrams look good.

The book contains both modeling tool diagrams and sketches, showing how you'd apply the various techniques with both your users at a whiteboard or developers at a workstation. The sketches are easy to read, which is pretty amazing considering the book is the size of paperback.

The second chapter is almost worth the price of the book itself because it overviews guidelines which could be used on any type of diagram, UML or not. Chapters 4, 5, and 10 are must reads for business analysts because they cover techniques to improve use case diagrams, class diagrams, and activity diagrams, the things you're most likely to show your end users. Making your diagrams understandable is an important step to communicating what you're doing, and maybe even getting funding for your project.

Other chapters focus on guidelines for technical diagrams. Modeling tool vendors should pick this book up and automate these guidelines. If they were to do that they would really improve the quality of their tools.

If you're serious about UML modeling, then this is a must have book. It's so cheap your company should even consider getting a copy for each analyst, architect, and designer that you have on staff.

A long needed guide.......2003-01-29

There are two people I look to for information about UML: Martin Fowler (noteably: UML Distilled), and Scott Ambler.

With this book all the pieces are there. "UML Distilled" tells us how to use UML, "Agile Modeling" tells us how to use it in an agile way, and now "The Elements of UML Style" tells us how to use it so that the results look good and are understandable.

Physically, it's a nice book. Small and thin, it packs well, and will fit easily into the most overstuffed briefcase or backpack.

The format is good as well. Organized around the different diagrams, with extras for general guidelines and a quick overview of Agile Modeling, it covers related issues together in an easy to digest format. The guidelines themselves are short, concise, and well illustrated with examples.

I found it an easy book to read, being able to pick it up for a few minutes at a time without having to spend a lot of time to regain my context.

No matter how much you model, or what tools you use to do it, this little book will help make your diagrams better.

When "less" is "more".......2003-01-18

This book has lots of excellent recommendations on style and presentation of UML diagrams. Ambler offers up 236 recommendations to questions such as: How often should I use stereotypes? Should we model keys into our DBMS? Should we require activation boxes on our sequence diagrams?

I have to recommend this little book to anyone beginning to use UML. More experienced object modelers will have developed their own modeling conventions, but they also will benefit from reading Ambler's articulate perspective. He is an accomplished modeler and an effective communicator.

Ambler covers style guidelines for all 9 UML 1.x diagrams. IMHO most of his suggestions are right-on, and his explanations are consise and accessible. I have been modeling OO systems for 10 years, and I don't agree with every recommendation Ambler makes, but I appreciate what he is offering in this book.

I especially like the fact that Ambler included an Appendix that lists all 236 guidelines in just a few pages. The book also has a high-quality bibliography of other modeling resources, and I was quite pleased that this short book also includes an Index for rapid access to terms.

Most development groups endorse the need for programming conventions and consistent naming standards. "The Elements of UML Style" is an extension of this philosophy to UML models, and every project will benefit from the ideas it presents.

A great start on corporate modeling guidelines.......2003-01-11

In writing The Elements of UML Style, Scott Ambler has done the software modeling community a great service. As a consultant and trainer of numerous corporate clients, I see many teams whose individuals understand the semantics of UML, but have yet to gel as a team with common practices and style. On these teams, communication and productivity often suffer when arguments erupt over why something is modeled the way it is and how my way is better. Teams need to agree on a set of common practices and style. The Elements of UML Style is a great starting point.

The Elements of UML Style is small, concise, intuitively organized, and well explained. It proceeds section by section through the various UML diagrams, in the order they are used on a project. These sections provide many tried and true common sense guidelines and some valuable, but less obvious guidelines aimed at creating well-formed models.

Is it necessary? Yes. This is the best compendium of UML modeling guidelines I have seen published. Projects would be foolish to start from scratch.

Is it sufficient? No. It is a starting point. Projects will want to adjust and go beyond what Ambler writes here. For example, The Elements of UML Style provides general guidelines that urge adopting common naming conventions (section 2.3). A corporation or project will want to nail down specific guidelines for their use case, class, and component names. Also, Ambler focuses on the diagrams of UML, but there is more to modeling than the diagrams. UML itself avoids topics such as what constitutes a well-formed use case specification, and so does Ambler's book. One would have to turn to other books or training, such as IconMedialab's Advanced Use Case Lab course for detailed guidelines in these areas.

Will I be an object modeler just by reading this book? No. This is not an intro book to modeling. Read Craig Larman's "Applying UML and Patterns" (for example) to learn how to object model. Instead, The Elements of UML Style brings together many of the nuggets that will help to become a better, more consistent, and easily understood modeler. I will be recommending this book to my clients.

UML - KISS.......2003-01-09

I still remember the first time I read something written by Scott Ambler. It was an article about 9 years ago in Software Development magazine (actually it was probably the forerunner) about use cases. His style of writing is, was, and always will be so easy to read and comprehend. Perhaps that is why so many folks write to agree and/or disagree with his ideas: there's no AMBIguity there.

Scott's subscribes to and adheres to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Scott!). That is what makes it easy to understand and appreciate. In this book Scott has very capably tackled the easily misunderstood (and therefore often misapplied) ideas of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and presented them in a manner than anyone can understand and apply in their work.

This book is small enough to fit in your pocket but is incredibly massive in applicability. It belongs on the desks of every developer (AND their manager!) working with UML. Whether applying UML in an XP environment or within the constraints of behemoth software development projects, a basic understanding of the UML is essential. This book will get your team there, quickly.

Research shows that the number one factor that contributes to project success (or failure) is the ability (or inability) to communicate well. That was one of the goals of the UML, a truly UNIFIED language in the arena of modeling. A key value in Agile Modeling (AM) is communication. Coupled with the AM principle of Know Your Models and the AM practice of Apply Modeling Standards, this book will assure that your project's modeling efforts shine.

Book Description

...absolutely wonderful...immense warmth...an unforgettable read... --The Hollywood Reporter

Customer Reviews:

Anecdotal, limited autobiography.......2006-09-23

Carey's limited autobiography is very readable - though occasionally repetitious - and provides some human insights into the making of some of Ford's most memorable westerns. (However, there is no discussion of the artistic merits of the films.) The text is complementd by crisp black and white photos. Ford emerges as an eccentric and autocratic, and sometimes even cruel, director. Some of his behaviour towards the actors makes unpleasant reading, and I wonder that the actors were willing to put up with his abuse. Some, like Henry Fonda, weren't willing to do so and fell out with Ford. Carey's own father, after working with Ford, permanently parted company with him. My only serious disappointment is that Carey could have told readers more about his own long acting career, but the title accurately describes the book's contents.

When Men Were Men........2006-08-29

This excellent book harks back to a Hollywood era when men were men. It encompasses the silent films starring Carey's father, who was a major star and successfully made the transition to talkies, and is full of anecdotes about an age when stars like John Wayne were expected to be as tough as the characters they portrayed.Carey himself even in old age has the boyish looks that probably spoiled his chances of emulating Wayne in the tough-guy roles,but what a career. His stories of Wayne and Ford are great,but what makes the book even more enjoyable are the stories concerning the less well known characters who were the backbone of Ford's films. Actors like Ben Johnson who was also a world champion rodeo rider,Hank Worden who always seemed to get the dotty old-timer roles but who was a great horseman and tough as old boots,Ken Curtis,Ward Bond,and the bit-players who made these films so wonderful. In the days before the computer generated image ruined the action film these men(and women!)literally threw themselves into their roles,and Carey's stories bring the whole era to life. Reading what Ford did to Carey to make his death scene in "3 Godfathers" realistic,and the sadistic treatment handed out even to Wayne ,makes you glad to be reading it from the comfort of your armchair.These films have never been bettered,and this book shows you why.A great read.

A fun book to read.......2004-07-24

The value in this book is not just that it paints an interesting picture of the great John Ford, but that it also shows sides of the Ford stock actors we have not seen. Did you know that Ward Bond loved the ladies and had the hots for Vera Ralston when they were filming The Searchers? That Ford and Richard Widmark got along like gangbusters? That Ken Curtis's strange accent in The Searchers came about by accident and got him the part of Festus on Gunsmoke years later? Or that Victor Jory was a tough old bird?

The book is full of interesting little tidbits of information like this about actors I have known and loved. It even gave me an understanding of why The Long Grey Line - one of my favorite Ford films - was not well received. All the details of the problems, the ends and outs, the stuntmen, the jokes, the hard work of making each film made me want to pull all those films off the shelf and watch them again.

If you love old these truly classic films you will not want to miss this book.

Sidekick.......2001-08-07

An interesting companion to some of the bios now appearing about John Ford. Carey first met Ford when his father worked with Ford in silent movies and grew up with Uncle Jack to have a movie career of his own. Some good behind the scene color to a man of prodigious talent and personality faults.

Outstanding!.......1998-07-16

A really fine book by someone who has a true appreciation for the giants he worked with. Mr. Carey is a wonderful story teller, sensitive with a good sense of humor. His observations make for what may be the best book about John Ford ever written. But it is Dobe Carey's depiction of all the greats who worked for Ford that makes this book special indeed. They were unique and wonderful screen icons, the likes of which we will never see again. Mr. Carey brings them to life again in a way I shall never forget. Do not miss this book!

Company of Heroes My life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company

Average customer rating:

Company of Heroes My life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company
Jr., Harry Carey
Manufacturer: Madison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5VBC8

Average customer rating:

Company of Heroes - My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company
Harry Jr. Carey
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NYK7UQ

Company of Heroes : My Life As an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company (Scarecrow Filmmakers Ser.)

Average customer rating:

Company of Heroes : My Life As an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company (Scarecrow Filmmakers Ser.)
Harry, Jr. Carey
Manufacturer: Madison Books, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KP875U

Book Description

Remarkable for their eloquence and depth of feeling, these 82 speeches encompass 5 centuries of Indian encounters with non-indigenous peoples. Speakers include Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull, Tecumseh, Seattle, Geronimo, Crazy Horse, and many lesser-known leaders, whose compelling words are graced by forceful metaphors and vivid imagery.

Customer Reviews:

Clear speeches, honest speeches.......2006-10-30

Great Speeches by Native Americans is the model of simplicity. Though edited by Bob Blaisdell, who presumably provides the single-paragraph introductions, the bulk of the book is simply the spoken words of Native Americans from the time of first contact in North America to the present day. Their messages speak for themselves.

A number of themes and characteristics run through these selections. One is their brevity. The speakers get to the point and make it clearly. Few inclusions run longer than five pages. There is also a level of genuine (and often sad) honesty. Many selections concern the loss of tribal lands and the American Indians' efforts to hold onto them or gain just compensation, if such a thing was possible at the time. The tone is often one of resignation, but also of appeal to the better nature of their listeners. It is not possible to say if these speeches were carefully selected for this editorial theme or not, but it appears that for several centuries the native peoples viewed, rightly or wrongly, the European and later American entry into the continent as something that words and argument and demonstrated moral behavior could combat. Even among the surrender speeches of various tribal chiefs we see the notion that no speaker could really understand what their people could have done differently to avoid such conflicts.

The style could almost be considered anti-oratorical, though the simple approach is here elevated to a style of its own. One should probably consider that many of these speeches are translated into English. Nonetheless, the organization of thought and prioritization of points shows a group of people, separated by years, language, and geography who retain a clear-headed means of addressing their listeners.

Book Description

No other volume provides as broad, as thorough, or as accessible an introduction to the realm of computers as A. K. Dewdney's The Turing Omnibus.Updated and expanded, The Turing Omnibus offers 66 concise, brilliantly written articles on the major points of interest in computer science theory, technology, and applications. New for this tour: updated information on algorithms, detecting primes, noncomputable functions, and self-replicating computers--plus completely new sections on the Mandelbrot set, genetic algorithms, the Newton-Raphson Method, neural networks that learn, DOS systems for personal computers, and computer viruses.

Customer Reviews:

Good overview of the basic ideas.......2006-11-05

The New Turing Omnibus is a gentle pass over many of the abstract concepts of computer science. It focuses on concepts, so if you want to learn to program in a given language, or if you want to master your Windows or Linux OS, look elsewhere. However, it does review all of the theoretical matters, from automata to logic maps, algorithmic analysis and beyond. It is a great read for a budding Computer Scientist, Electrical Engineer or Mathematician. Ideal readers would be younger students in Math or CompSci who want a gentle introduction to the real underlying concepts that govern all of Computer Science. Definatly a must for all CompSci book shelves.

From 6 to 666 hours to understand.......2004-04-11

What you get out of the book depends upon how much you want to put into in. A reader of this book, could decide to just understand the general ideas, follow the detailed mathematics, or perhaps program on a computer (for example sorting routines, hashing and the like). Each of the excursions is well covered, sometimes witty, but at times I got bogged-down in the symbols. The chapter on "analog computation" coming in the middle of a book was a welcome relief presenting ideas of sorting, shortest path and minimum trees using spaghetti and strings without mathematics (and would be a good chapter to give to non-computer science friends if they ever make the mistake of asking you what sort of problems you think about). The chapter on neural networks, I thought was also clear. There are also some of the classic computer science problems presented such as the Tower of Hanoi, or "A man ponders how to ferry a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage across of river".

The 66 excursions cover a lot of ground, but often return to Turing machines, finite-state machines, and NP-completeness problems. I might have enjoyed more on algorithm analysis, computer languages, and game analysis. Additionally there are new topics since this 1992 publication, such as quantum computing, Bioinformatics, Internet related topics on virus and encrypting, and a raft of social questions including privacy. I hope the "Turing omnibus" refuels for another update.

Brain Dessert.......2003-04-02

Dewdney is one of the most stimulating writers on applied thinking and computer science that I have had the pleasure to read. Where the standard CS textbooks are most stale, Dewdney is the most provocative. He illuminates the dark corners of abstract thought with practical puzzles and plain language. This book is written in small bite size chapters that grow in complexity around multiple ideas, one being the idea of the state machine (if you don't know what a state machine is, don't fret, Dewdney is here to help). For us programmers, he gives enough information to actually implement the algorithms and explore the universe he envisions. I was able to take two of his pages and use it as a coding exercise that turned out to be quite enjoyable.

The appeal to Dwedney and his book stems from the fact that everything he writes is game-like or puzzle-oriented; while reading him one gets the feeling that an enlightened child is guiding the learned to a new level of thinking. Dewdney takes Computer Science on an enjoyable walk through a park where he ends up teaching the discipline to rethink shortest paths and non-intersecting traversals. What's more amazing about this book is that it is perfectly suited for a coffee table where the uninitiated could accidentally pick it up and join the conversation. That is, a degree in computer science is not a prerequisite to this fascinating read. It is brain dessert.

Panoramic for Computer Science.......2002-03-03

This book presents a clear panoramic for most of the computer science essential topics. I believe it is a demandable for CS student to start with. As a graduate student I find it very helpful for reviewing the computing theory.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books