Geoffrey Litwack 2002 Annual

Book Description

This is the Geoffrey Litwack 2002 Annual.

Book Description

* Now in paperback * A new Postscript by the author comments on the 2002 baseball season, off-season changes for the Indians, and the controversial responses to the hardcover edition of Omar! from Albert Belle and Jose Mesa.

Four weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List in 2002.

—

You don't have to be a baseball fan to be an Omar Vizquel fan.

Omar doesn't just make the tough plays look easy. He makes the toughest plays look fun. Widely considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the history of baseball, he is often praised by teammates, opponents, and fans alike for working so hard at his game—and for obviously enjoying it so much.

His hard work has paid off. Omar won an amazing nine consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and holds the highest career fielding percentage of anyone at the position. He has been selected for three American League All-Star teams, has played in two World Series, and has been a key member of six Central Division Championship Cleveland Indians teams.

In this, his first book, Omar tells the story of his life in baseball, from the sandlots of Caracas, Venezuela, to Game Seven of the World Series and beyond. Along the way he offers a candid look inside the locker room of those powerhouse Indians teams, shares anecdotes about fellow major league ballplayers, and gives plenty of lively opinions on the game they all play.

Book Description

The seventies are backon television (That Seventies Show is a popu- lar new sitcom), on Broadway (Saturday Night Fever is a smash hit), and on the street where you live (did you notice those kids wearing bell bottoms at the bus stop this morning?). Now in paperback: the retrospective of the events, people, and ideas that characterized one of the most colourfull and turbulent decades in North American life. With more than one hundred evocative images by noted photographers and artists, The Seventies combines great images, great writing, and solid history.

Customer Reviews:

Life In The 70's.......2001-12-28

Rolling Stone magazine was founded in 1967 and born of the ideas of the counterculture. But the magazine hit its stride and became cultural significant in the 70's. This book is a great review of the decade detailing everything from Nixon to Springsteen to disco to All in The Family to the emergence of porn and casual sex. Writers from Rolling Stone like Hunter S. Thompson detailing how gonzo journalism was conceived (and in his words, never truly achieved), founder and editor Jann Wenner on the man behind the infamous Pentagon Papers and others are excellent, but it is the contributions for others not necessarily associated with the magazine that hit the mark. The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde was a student at Kent State and gives a first person of what happened when the National Guardsmen killed four students. Tom Wolfe expouses on radical chic and the stories about the emergence of Soul Train, the deaths at a Who concert in Cincinnati, the Saturday Night Fever and disco explosion, Bruce Springsteen and Al Trautwig's essay on Julius "Dr. J' Erving are all superb. The book's left-hand margin contains a running timeline that note important and relevant events of the decade in chronological order. This book is an immensely satisfying, enjoyable and informative read.

Average customer rating:

RPG

Atlas of DC Universe (DC Heroes RPG)
Paul Kupperberg
Manufacturer: Mafair Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0923763198

Customer Reviews:

RPG.......2007-09-03

A useful guide that takes a crack at actually telling you where Star City is, for example, in the form of maps.

It is not just confined to earth, of course, as it looks at all the groovy places you can go in inner, outer and magical space, not to mention other weird and wonderful sites.

Fun.

Customer Reviews:

Some value, but not a lot more than the introductory book.......2007-08-26

I read 'Rational Unified Process - An Introduction' some years ago and found it excellent. I got 'Rational Unified Process Made Easy' in the hope that it would provide some more substance to the ideas from the introductory book. However it didn't seem to really add that much value.

The sections covering each of the major disciplines are useful, as is the guidance on implementing RUP in projects or organisations. In contrast 'Rational Unified Process Made Easy' misses a good summary of the key artefacts.

All up I felt the book was hampered by the desire not to undermine the RUP product that IBM sells.

I write much better software now.......2007-04-19

I'm a solo developer, and without this book i would be refactoring my code every few days still.

Thank you RUP for putting my head on straight to understand iterations of the SDLC and apply them to even small projects with few assets.

RUP gives you the tools to understand your system before you write it by iteratively working with the people who will be using the system! Your customers/Users!

A Practical guide to RUP.......2006-11-13

Excellent guide to get up to speed with RUP. Having never worked with RUP this guide proved extremely beneficial to get the project started and will be used through all iterations.

The Pragmatic RUP Introduction .......2006-08-07

There is plenty of theory written about RUP, but how it should be applied to your role or your project is often misunderstood.
This book not only provides the overview, but the contextual guidance to make RUP work for you.
As a long-term RUP mentor and user, I highly recommend it.

You need this book if you're doing RUP.......2006-03-09

This book does a great job of showing steps of practical application of the RUP. The book may seem repetitive on a few points, but I feel the points bear repeating. This book has been invaluable in helping cut through the misinformation thrown around by some who have gotten the executive summary of RUP and know just enough to be dangerous. I recently completed a seven-part online course on the RUP that was based on this book. The book did a far better job of making the RUP understandable.

The Rational Unified Process Made Easy A Practitioner's Guide to the Rup

Average customer rating:

The Rational Unified Process Made Easy A Practitioner's Guide to the Rup
Philippe Kruchten
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

not so good

Good for references but not really a manual!!

A good contribution to the field of self defense

Very good for the very basic.

What I expected....So I'm pleased.

The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat
Ron Shillingford
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Deadly Fighting Skills of the World

Elite Forces Manual of Mental and Physical Endurance: How to Reach Your Physical and Mental Peak

The SAS Self-Defense Handbook: A Complete Guide to Unarmed Combat Techniques

Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 200 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques

Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault

ASIN: 0312264364

Book Description

Unarmed combat is the oldest form of fighting known to man. Despite the development of weapons technology, a soldier - particularly a special forces soldier - can find himself in an empty-hand fight as a result of weapons failure, depleted ammunition, a need for silence, or a failed escape and evasion attempt. To survive, he needs to be fully trained in the use of weapons that are always at his disposal, never jam, and never run out of ammunition - his hands and feet. Properly used, they can stop an attacker dead in his tracks.In a military context, close-quarters combat is about survival: any and all means are valid. Surprise and speed are essential and the intention is to attack, not simply defend. The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat provides a detailed examination of the subject, with clear descriptions supported by black-and-white photographs and line drawings showing specific techniques. Starting with an overview of the historical development of unarmed combat, this book works through training (both physical and mental), vulnerable areas of the body, and particular techniques: punching and kicking, blocks, chokes and headlocks, breaking holds, throws, and ground fighting.The techniques used by special forces around the world are examined here: the lethal strikes of the Spetsnaz, locks and constrictions used by the Egyptian special forces, U.S. Army throws and holds, and elementary methods taught to Britain's Parachute Regiment. The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat spells out the elements of hand-to-hand fighting from the soldier's point of view.

Customer Reviews:

not so good.......2007-08-26

I must admit I was rather disappointed with this book. It seems to waste a lot of time on history and background rather than discussing actual techniques in detail. If you're seriously interested in unarmed combat techniques and self defense, a book like "Complete Krav Maga" or "Get Tough" is a much better bet.

Good for references but not really a manual!!.......2006-06-26

When I saw the cover of this book at Amazon.com I expected something like a step-by-step self-defense manual especially written for military personnel. Unfortunately the cover page is misleading.

Overall, the book is mainly written for readers who are already engaged in martial arts or self-defense. Whether this was actually the author's initial intention I do not know. Beginners will probably run into difficulties when trying to apply the techniques described in the book.

One of the main reasons for these difficulties is that the author presents the different types of techniques and situations verbally, using hardly any photos or drawings. After a short period of time it becomes rather difficult even for an experienced person to follow all the steps. If the author had added more step-by-step pictures the text would not seem so complicated.
He incorporated many individual photos of different techniques in his book, but unfortunately they do not show the progression of the techniques.

To be fair, some techniques are represented as drawings but unfortunately the relevant paragraphs are usually on different pages. References such as (see Fig. ...) are missing as well.

I also noticed that the author does not give credit to all participants in his book. Russian, British and US forces are always individually named when shown but, for example, the soldiers of the German armed forces, who appear quite often in the book, are not mentioned. These guys would probably appreciate it too if they got some credit for their performance. But this is just a personal opinion!

Overall I have to say the book is good for reference purposes but if a reader looks for a step-by-step manual to train in self-defense techniques he might be better off with a jiu-jitsu manual/ book. However, a book will never be able to replace a good instructor!!!

A good contribution to the field of self defense.......2005-06-26

To give you a quick and concrete idea of what is contained in this book, here is an example.

What is the best way to reply if you are forced to the ground by an opponent who is on top of you? A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu book would tell you to wrap your legs around him and maneuver for a choke or an armlock. This book tells you to wrap your legs around him and snap his neck.

I see no reason to criticize this book. Sometimes, people criticize in order to show off. If you are dissatisfied with what an expert or author is doing, that must mean you know more than he does.

But the fact is, this book does have a lot of good information in it. That's the bottom line. There are hundreds of self defense books. This book can't be all of them.

If you want the ultimate self defense instruction, here's what you do. Stay home. Watch tv. You'll be fine. Just don't slip in the shower.

When you really think about it, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don't fall asleep on the subway. Don't be out at night. So to those of you who are dissatisfied with the advice in this book, will your own personal favorite self defense book protect you as well as the advice I just gave you? I don't think so.

So take the book for what it's worth, appreciate the gift the author has shared with us, and stop complaining and showing off.

A good, informative review should show how this book differs from the others you can buy. Well, this one is from the point of view of a soldier who could care less whether he kills his opponent, and has no fear about being charged with murder.

A lot of the techniques are along these lines. Avoid the blow, secure the attacker's arm, whack him til he sees stars, execute a judo throw, and strangle the s.o.b. to death.

The martial art it reminds me of most is Krav Maga. It isn't like the more technical ground fighting of BJJ or Sambo. It's the art and science of what works, for those who aren't about to spend six years learning complicated moves.

The pictures are easier to follow than the explanations. Seeing something, having it make a visual imprint in your brain, makes it a lot easier to absorb. You look at the series of drawings and think to yourself "yeah, I can do that".

Anyway, like me, you probably have had a lot of martial arts training, so this stuff isn't really that new to you. It's a way of selecting from all the moves you have already learned and focusing on a few that you should think of first.

Okay, bring em on, eight opponents at once, all armed with knives and clubs, I'm ready. I pity them. I'll be spraying their eyeballs all over the street, and they'll be gasping for one more breath.

I wonder if anything good is on tv tonight.

Very good for the very basic........2005-04-26

This is a very good book for a beginner who wants to learn the basic concepts of effective unarmed combat. These basic concepts are taught to special forces of many of the world's militant forces, so it is an excellent starter book for someone wanting to train in REAL and EFFECTIVE self defense. By reading this book, a begginer will efficently expose him/herself to defense tactics which can be used in real life self defense, and it may also help the reader select a martial art that can be applied to real life. I'm not trying to say that many of the martial arts out there are ineffective in real life situations, but the concepts covered in this book are used by militant forces that must use these techniques in order to survive, so they MUST be effective.

This book, however, will be relatively useless to an expirienced or advanced fighter/ martial artist.

What I expected....So I'm pleased........2005-04-17

This book is excellent for training any soldier or even an Unarmed Combat Instructor. The book tells you everything you need to know. It tells you how to get started and how a general 6 week C.1/4.C. coarse is laid out. This stuff is easily applicable to "over the water" work in a bar fight with some mean buggers that want your beer money and maybe your anal virginity or to shake someone's brain in a good old street fight. This is how scraps are. When a group of hostiles crowd you, all you have is your instincts. Tecnique goes out the window. Your primal instincts are to smash, bash, bite, rip, poke, gouge,kick and stomp. This book was what I expected down and dirty. The only thing I would have liked to see was a little more ground work. If you buy this book don't go around throat punching people. For god sakes use the least amount of force needed to put the guy down. Sure you can smash him and bash him, but don't kill the man it's just a bar fight.

The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat

Average customer rating:

The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat
Ron (Author) Shillingford
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTCTO2

Book Description

"In real life–especially off the Florida coast–things can have fatal consequences. Fatal Treasure is a truly compelling read."
–Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Sacrifice and All She Wanted

When the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank off the coast of Florida during a hurricane in 1622, it went down with forty tons of treasure–thousands of silver and gold ingots, enormous grass-green emeralds, thirty-five treasure chests, and other smuggled booty. Three and a half centuries later, the legendary Mel Fisher set out to find it.

In Fatal Treasure, Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist Jedwin Smith tells the true untold story of the Fisher family's relentless quest to find the Atocha and reclaim her priceless cargo. Combining the rousing adventure of Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea with the compelling personal drama of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Smith captures, as no writer ever has, the romance and suspense of big-time treasure hunting–and the enormous price in lives that the Atocha has exacted from those who would disturb her undersea grave. Drawing on more than fifteen years of exclusive and intimate access to the Fisher family and the divers, Smith tells an unforgettable tale of courage, obsession, loyalty, heartbreak–and a mysterious, demanding ship that still calls to us from the sea.

Customer Reviews:

See also OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER by Jedwin Smith - Great Gift Books for Dad!.......2006-06-10

It is a miracle to me, and highly admirable, that Jedwin Smith was able to finish and sell this book to John Wiley & Sons on a two-book contract, at the same time investigating and writing his incredible Vietnam War memoir, OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER. This is an amazing author, and I highly recommend either or both of his books as great gifts for Dad.

FATAL TREASURE is less a personal and intimate memoir than the author's incomparable OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER. FATAL TREASURE is more an objective biography of Key West treasure-hunter Mel Fisher and his quest for gold, although readers will enjoy the same first-person, fast-paced, adventure writing, since Jedwin Smith was a part of the crew and a close confidant of the Fisher family for 15 years in researching this book. FATAL TREASURE is a part of the Jedwin Smith story, too.

The focus of FATAL TREASURE, however, is on Mel Fisher and his family and the obsessive quest for legendary gold and emeralds lost at sea when the Spanish galleon, Nuestra Senora de Atocha, and her sister ship, the Santa Margarita, sank off Key West in a hurricane in 1622.

Mel Fisher appeared on the scene in Key West three centuries later, in 1969, and became a well-known legend in his own right until his death in 1998, and even beyond that -- who has visited Key West and not visited, or at least heard about, the infamous Mel Fisher Maritime Museum?

FATAL TREASURE is the saga of the treasure-hunter and his family, through triumph (finding treasure) and tragedy (losing his son and daughter-in-law in an explosion at sea that killed five divers). It is a fantastic adventure story.

-- Sherri Caldwell, Humor Columnist & Reviewer at www.RebelHousewife.com
Co-author, The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss!

The definitive book on the 'Atocha' treasure hunt...........2005-03-05

A lot has been written on the search for the legendary treasure galleon 'Atocha.' Unfortunately, not much of it makes for very entertaining reading. Too many writers have taken a great story of persistence, tragedy and faith and turned it into a clinical and boring historical tome. This book however by Jedwin Smith is a great look at Mel Fisher and his 16-year quest to find the mother lode. The author helped dive on the wreck numerous times starting in May 1985 and then several years later. It is this intimate familiarity with the cast involved that brings the story closer to home for the reader.
Mel Fisher is profiled here in all his larger-than-life glory; huckster to his investors, devoted father to his family, and dreamer extraordinaire. Beyond just the glory of July 20, 1985 when his divers uncovered the bulk of his $400 million dollar prize, we learn of all the tragedies that led up to that moment. From the loss of his eldest son, daughter-in-law and another diver in a boating accident ten years to the day before. To the loss of others involved in the 16-year search along the way. It also becomes obvious to the reader that Mel uncovered A LOT of "dry holes" off of Key West over the years in his long and arduous search. Frustration and utter despair would've crushed most treasure hunters. And where those failed, a collapse in the financing would've taken over, but Mel Fisher is portrayed as a forever optimist with his famous saying: "Today's the day."
It is easy to see from 'Fatal Treasure' how his infectious dream and optimism motivated others to help him in his ultimately successful quest. Great annecdotes are also provided here by the author including one about how Jimmy Buffett came aboard Mel's boat the day of the big find to perform 'A Pirate Looks At Forty.' He (Fisher) was named 'President in Perpetuity of Key West' because he so embodied the laid back, drop out of the rat race lifestyle. A little known fact presented is that the author's brother along with Fisher's son Kim and others have continued the quest for the even richer stern section of the ship right up into the present day. Although the pictures in this book are in black and white, the reader gets a good feel for the massive amount of gold, silver and emeralds found. It is over-the-top with regard to bringing this fascinating true adventure to life!

A vicarious adventure.......2003-09-03

Reading Jedwin Smith's book, Fatal Treasure, is like going on an exciting and dangerous underwater mission, but with someone else taking all the chances. It is a vicarious experience I'll never forget. This is a wonderful book, a treasure about finding treasure.

Not worth the time.......2003-08-27

Poorly written rehash of better work by others--too much space dedicated to author's many phobias

The Last Great Treasure Hunt.......2003-06-19

Jedwin Smith takes the reader on a whirlwind ride through the hurricane's eye of decades of Mel Fisher's treasures, triumphs and tragedies while searching for the elusive Spanish Galleon, Atocha. Smith, being one of the few journalists who actually kept coming back for more, was caught up in the search and after some personal introspection, proved to have what it takes to be an accepted member of the crew.

Mel Fisher was a 20th century adventurer who loved to explore the sea's tightly held secrets of the past and its many treasures. He was a man who would share his dream with anyone who would listen; those that did, would be offered the opportunity to experience that adventure first hand; if they accepted, they usually got much more than they could have ever imagined.

Although the title, "Fatal Treasure", reveals the worst tragedies Mel and his crew had to endure in the course of their 16-year odyssey, the book also deals in great detail with the mindset of those who would spend their lives probing the depths to make one man's dream their own obsession. As for Mel Fisher's explanation as to why he did what he did, he had a rather simple quip to his most complex vocation. His response would be- "for the fun, romance and adventure"; an attitude and spirit of mind that embraced life and all who knew him.

"Fatal Treasure" is really a story about an American hero who would not allow government interference, financial ruin or great personal tragedy sway him from what he believed was his right as an American citizen to pursue. This is the "gift" he bestowed on his crew, and became the real treasure to be found and understood. If there is an underlying theme to Smith's narrative, it would certainly be a lesson in civics about personal freedoms and how easy it would be for us to lose them, and if we do, "Fatal Treasure" just may become the story of this country's "Last Great Treasure Hunt." A Great Read! 5 stars

Book Description

A Volume in the Wiley-Interscience Series on Laboratory Automation.

The complete, step-by-step guide to using Visual Basic(r) in a laboratory setting Visual

Basic(r) is fast becoming the de facto laboratory programming language, yet existing books typically discuss applications that have nothing to do with science and engineering. This primer fills the gap in the field, showing professionals seeking to improve the productivity of their laboratories how to use Visual Basic(r) to automate laboratory processes.

Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with Visual Basic(r) helps laboratory professionals decide when and if to use Visual Basic(r) and how to combine it with the many computing technologies used in modern laboratories such as RS-232 port communications, TCP/IP networking, and event-driven control, to name a few. With an emphasis on getting readers programming immediately, the book provides clear guidelines to the appropriate programming techniques as well as custom-developed software tools. Readers will learn how to build applications to control laboratory instruments, collect and process experimental data, create interactive graphical applications, and more.

Boasting many working examples with the complete source code and backward compatibility to previous versions of Visual Basic(r), Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with Visual Basic(r) is an indispensable teaching tool for nonprogrammers and a useful reference for more experienced practitioners.

Customer Reviews:

Worth the money.......2007-07-24

It feels good to spend money on something worthwhile. Especially after recently getting duped on another similar book. This one has MEAT.

Excellent.......2006-03-16

Excellent text for engineers seeking to interface their projects with the PC. I waited for a long time for a text like this to emerge. It contains all the practical stuff you won't see in generic computer science texts. Highly reccommended.

Useful addition to your reference library..........2001-08-28

I am surprised at some of the negative reviews of this book. This book contains some very useful material especially the TCP/IP and Parser Class topics. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is because of the space wasted on a review of the Visual Basic Language. I used some of the ideas in this book in a VB Human Machine Interface (HMI) application that I developed. The source code is available at ....

Nice book on Automation with Visual Basic.......2001-01-20

If you want to study Visual Basic with this book, it may not be a right choice. However, if you want to do automation with VB, this is a right book. Several topics in this book are very useful to me. 1)Communication methods with VB. One of the foundamental thing in automatic control of devices/instrument is to establish the communication between computer and devices/instrument. Several useful methods are covered. They are Dynamic Data Exchange(DDE), RS232(computer serial communication), and TCP/IP. This book will not enable you to understand in deep details what's really going on in RS232 or TCP/IP communications, but this book will definitely enable you to implement these methods. Actually, in most cases if not all, we do not need to know what's really going on in RS232 or TCP/IP communications at all. 2)Device control and data handling. This part covers how to handle the data transferred in communication--parsing, and control multiple devices/instrument. 3)Graphic interfaces, which will enable developers to build a friendly interface between the control system and end users. Please do not overlook this, it is most probably that the users' commends on your system depend a lot on this interface, because this is what they can see and handle with.

This book is one of the valuable books on my shelf, and I would like to recomment to other people. Anyway, all depends on what you need and what you expect. This is just my 2 cents.

Good luck in finding a book valuable for your use.

Waste of Time and Money.......2000-12-14

Based on the earlier reviews, I though this is a good book to read. But I was wrong. I think all earlier reviewers (other than one review that rated it one star) probably do not know how to use help in Visual Basic. If you want to use PCs for monitoring project, just read VB help for comm port control. This book is full of examples and not much explaination about understanding of serial communication. I totally agree with review of December 9, 1999 that any one who has any knowledge of VB should not buy this. Reading this book was a total waste of time and money.

Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with Visual Basic.Net

Average customer rating:

Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with Visual Basic.Net
RUSSO
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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