Hardhat and Stetson: Robert O. Anderson, Oilman and Cattleman

Customer Reviews:

Life of the party.......2006-08-29

A very enjoyable book. McDermott seems to have been the Alfred E. Newman ("What, me worry?") of the baseball world. McDermott is one of hundreds of lads who posessed an amazing talent to either hit a baseball or throw it, but for reasons unknown didn't fully make it to the top of the hill. So what? The reason this book is unique is that McDermott was so much more than a baseball player. He was talented in other areas, was full of vinegar, and was generally fun to be around. And that comes through in his book. Because of a strange bit of good fortune (as explained in the book), McDermott was able to reinvent himself - this is a true, real life happy ending.

An enjoyable read from a true character.......2005-05-17

I'll be honest, I had never heard of Mickey McDermott before I stumbled upon this book. I started reading it in a bookstore and found myself laughing out loud, a very good sign I will like a book. I bought it and was not disappointed. Mickey tells how he went from can't miss prospect to washed up and broke. He's had an interesting life filled with numerous hilarious baseball stories and drinking. Lots and lots of drinking, according to Mickey. He made mistakes throughout his life and Mickey owns up to them. Overall, a very good book about the golden age of baseball and a lot of laughs too.

A fun and hilarious read..........2004-07-20

I read this book, interesting enough, while on vacation in Cooperstown. I am a big fan of baseball and enjoy reading about our national pasttime. This book had me laughing out loud many times, drawing interesting looks from my wife, kids and other guests of the resort we were at. McDermott's recollections in this book are hilarious and was written in a very funny and lighthearted way. When he died a few months ago I felt I had known him from reading this book. If you enjoy reading funny baseball stories from both on and off the field, especially during the best years in baseball (40's-50's), buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

Not Quite!.......2004-03-11

I had a 3-week gap between the time I finished "A Funny Thing" and the time I wrote this review. In that interim, my enthusiasm for it cooled considerably. My original impression was that it was a howl- a truly entertaining tale of Major League Baseball in its' finest era. That would be the 15 or so years just after WW2 before free agency and most especially talent thinning expansion begot their dual horrors. But upon reflection, the stories of debauchery and wasted ability simply wore out their welcome. I also tired of reading how Mickey tossed away so many second chances. Even with his original skills dimmed by night life and arm trouble, McDermott had three things in his favor Friends, some residue of talent and a few baseball folks who believed in him. He blew those as well. I was almost angered by how he blew his last chance with the Cardinals in '62 or '63. Johnny Keane was right to dump him. Another minor gripe I had with "A Funny Thing" is there was no year by year box of McDermott's pitching career, a very rare -and strange-omission for a sports story. Two minor points: the old Senators catcher was Clint "Scrap Iron" Courtney, not "Cliff". And the real Yankees "Murderers Row" played in the 1920s, consisting of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel etc. However, I do give the author (or his editor) credit for his referring his readers back or forward to specific pages to recount incidents. Those searching for a solid baseball tale in the same time frame might enjoy "Baseball's Natural" by John Theodore. It is the story of the late Eddie Waitkus, who also hurt his career immeasurably with his nightlife. At least Eddie was a serious guy and decorated WW2 vet with "reasons" to drink. Would anyone enjoy "A Funny Thing"? Perhaps the hardest of hard core Red Sox fans that remember Mickey from his `48-'55 stint with the team. Sadly, that's about it.

Certainly Not the Type of Life for Everyone.......2003-07-12

Mickey McDermott is a name I remember from collecting baseball cards during the 1950's, and I wanted to read about players who were a part of that era in baseball. I found the book to be okay, but it became tiring reading about his alcoholic episodes with teammates and others during his life. Call me square, but I see little humor in anecdotes involving drinking. McDermott, himself, realized he had to get help and has now been sober for a number of years. I knew that Bob Nieman hit home runs in his first two at bats in the major leagues, but I didn't realize that both were hit off of Mickey McDermott. I did find two mistakes in the book. He mentions on page 17 that Walt Dropo's record for twelve consecutive hits over a three game period may never be broken. Mike "Pinky" Higgins shares this record with Dropo. Maybe Higgins did it over more than three games. Also, on page 103 he twice refers to his old catching teammate on the Washington Senators as "Cliff" Courtney. Old Scrapiron, as we all know, was Clint Courtney. I'm sure this may have been an oversight, but to mention it two times made me wonder. As I said, the book was okay, but I certainly didn't find it to be "uproariously funny" as it states on the cover.

Book Description

World War II-era Hollywood showed us fantastic possibilities and made them plausible, but in so doing it profoundly misled us about the nature of the war, our soldiers, our government, and the home front. Here Mr. Schickel, the film critic and biographer, sets the record straight about that view of the war, and he does it by illuminating the meaning of wartime films set against the background of his own growing up. An engaging and entirely original anti-memoir...A wonderful, provocative book. --John Dunne

Customer Reviews:

Thank you, Mr. Schickel.......2003-06-28

There are many book about American films made during World War II. What sets this book apart from most of those is that Schickel focuses on the movies he saw at the time of the war as a child, giving us a double perspective: the child watching the film then and the adult watching the films again now.

Thus there are some gaps. The young Schickel, unsurprisingly, avoided the Preston Sturges comedies, and so these do not play a big part in the book. However, what we do get is a believable and convincing look at how the public perceived these films (Hangmen Also Die, The Human Comedy, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo) at the time.

A nice thing is that Schickel, although he makes it clear he finds some of these movies mendacious, never takes a snide, wise guy attitude but remembers his childish delight in these films, while as an adult he can pick out the flaws.

The book is not just a look at films of 1941-5. It is also a memoir, so there is material about growing up and becoming a film critic. I found this interesting, as Schickel is one of my favorite critics. (His book on D. W. Griffith is superb.) However, people only interested in wartime films, and not also in Schickel, might be advised to get it from the library.

Fascinating! But is it too limited?.......2003-05-31

Richard Schickel's memoir of life and movies during WWII, is a book that not "only a film scholar could write", but one that only THIS film scholar could write. To those of us of, as they say, a certain age, it offers a fascinating re-evaluation of the films of WWII, as well as a compelling portratit of growing up in America at the time. Indeed, if the book has a flaw for those of us old enough to remember the films in their original release, it is the lack of precise dates of release of many of them. HOWEVER, one does have to ask (and my rating of 4, rather than 5, stars offers my answer), who, besides me, Schickel, and our co-age group, is the book for? While his insights into all the films he cites are meticulous, the vast majority of them are not only obscure to most film goers, but DESERVEDLY so.
The writing is, as one would expect, always compelling; the portrait of America, film, and the intertwining of the two to an impressionable public, is flawless. Indeed, the subject not only should have been covered, but needed to be. But, will the average film buff, let alone the average reader, be as enthralled as I was? Alas, I tend to doubt it, but I'm grateful it was done, anyway.

Review without Reading!.......2003-04-14

I heard an interview with R. Schickel on Public Radio and am quite interested in buying and reading his book. I grew up in the same Wisconsin suburb - Wauwatosa, WI and most likely the same time period that he did and am interested in his depiction of that time and place. I'm most interested in how he covers the question of Hollywood not dealing with the WW2 persecution of European Jews. Subject matter which was not publically known in the US until about March 1945, two months before the end of that war.

I rated this 3 stars because I couldn't submit a review without it.

Book Description

Designed as a guide, Sexploration thoroughly explains virtually every conventional and unconventional sexual practice readers may be interested in trying (or, in some cases, just reading about).

With straightforward text and bold visuals, the author details everything from anatomy and technique to exploring fantasies and boosting pleasure with sex toys. The wealth of information is balanced with practical advice and testimonials from real people. No area is taboo for the author, whose research includes sex during pregnancy, getting one's mojo back, and the truth about female orgasms.

Product Description

Five books about bird-watching in NORTH AMERICA and making bird houses--"The Bird Watcher's Bible - Second Edition, Revised and Updated" AND "The Bird Feeder Book" AND "An Illustrated Guide to Attracting Birds" AND "The Birdhouse Book" AND "The Bird House Book." (The last two are entitled as shown but are different books.) Authors are Laycock, George & Stokes, Donald & Stokes, Lillian & Warton, Susan (Editor) & McNeil, Don & Woods, Bruce & Schoonmaker, David, respectively. Four are oversized trade paperbacks; the fifth is an oversized hard cover with dust jacket. Most have color photos and illustrations; B&W diagrams for the bird houses.

Average customer rating:

The Fastest Way to C++

One of the best programming books I've read.

Great fast intro to C++ for programmers

Not that bad

Innovative approach for teaching C++

Accelerated C++: Practical Programming by Example
Andrew Koenig , and Barbara E. Moo
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference

Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs (3rd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)

The C++ Programming Language (Special 3rd Edition)

C++ Coding Standards: 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices (C++ In-Depth Series)

Thinking in C++, Volume 1: Introduction to Standard C++ (2nd Edition)

ASIN: 020170353X

Book Description

Why is Accelerated C++ so effective? Because it

*Starts with the most useful concepts rather than the most primitive ones: You can begin writing programs immediately.
*Describes real problems and solutions, not just language features: You see not only what each feature is, but also how to use it.
*Covers the language and standard library together: You can use the library right from the start.

The authors proved this approach in their professional-education course at Stanford University, where students learned how to write substantial programs on their first day in the classroom.

Amazon.com

If you don't have a lot of time, but still want to learn the latest in C++, you don't have to learn C first. You might learn more by digging into current language features and classes from the very beginning. That's the approach that's offered by Accelerated C++, a text that delves into more advanced C++ features like templates and Standard Template Library (STL) collection classes early on. This book arguably can get a motivated beginning programmer into C++ more quickly than other available tutorials.

What separates this title from the rest of the pack is that it jumps right in with samples that take advantage of the Standard C++ of today--from streams to built-in container classes, such as vectors and linked lists. Early examples are more complex than in other books, but the thoroughness and relaxed pace of the explanations will bring the novice up to speed. (Although it ships at a slender 350 pages, Accelerated C++ is packed with samples, tips, and example problems; about 10 per chapter.)

After a tour of basic C++, the book looks at more advanced C++ features, such as templates, including built-in support for containers. Besides tapping the strength of Standard C++, you also will learn to design with your own templates. (Other tutorials would defer this material until later on.) The authors have tested the approach in the book in their own teaching, and honed a set of worthwhile examples that will help anyone get familiar with these powerful language features. All examples make use of the command line and console (without GUI programs), but the advantage is that this code should run on any of today's operating systems and compilers. Later sections cover the basics of class design, which include good coverage of operator overloading and inheritance.

With its innovative approach to teaching the language, Accelerated C++ will challenge readers in the right way. It suggests that you don't need to learn C to be productive in C++. Written in an approachable style, it deserves a close look from any C++ novice. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Introduction to C++
Console I/O with stream classes
Basic string handling
Loop and flow-control statements
Arrays
Using functions and methods
Using Standard Template Library (STL) containers (vectors, linked lists, and maps)
Iterators
Sorting and generic functions
Basic class design
Pointers and arrays
File I/O
Memory-management techniques, including statically and dynamically allocated memory
Adding stream support to custom classes
Conversion operators
Operator overloading
Friend functions
Inheritance
Polymorphism and virtual functions
Handle idioms for classes, including reference counting
Quick reference to the C++ language

Customer Reviews:

The Fastest Way to C++.......2007-08-25

This book is the fastest way to get up to speed in programming in C++. No time is wasted. The reader is plunged immediately into writing C++ programs. There are no digressions into C, simply real-world problem-solving using the Standard C++ Library. Constructors, destructions, vectors, pointers, arrays, and memory management are all covered - in context - not as separate, abstract concepts. If you're trying to learn C++ programming, don't waste your time with other books. This is the one to buy.

Free C++ resources, such as compilers and the libraries are available for free at [...]

One of the best programming books I've read........2007-08-15

The book is surprisingly small, but the text is very well-written. It's concise, to the point, and remarkably thorough. It is written so that you dont even need a C background, and doesn't actually explain how to create your own class until the middle of the book. It's a very nice presentation.

I am very proficient in C, and was impressed on how many "tiny details" the authors were able to weave into the text. For example, they explain why three question marks should not appear in your source code (not even in string literals). I had never heard this before, but it is an example of the thoroughness the book provides.

The book is not exhaustive, and skips a lot of the C++ language -- on purpose as it immediately explains.

A great book. Highly recommended.

Great fast intro to C++ for programmers.......2007-07-13

As someone who knows "how to program" already, and knows several languages (C, Perl, PHP, Java, some Lisp and Forth, and enough Bash to get by), I wanted a book that would simply teach me "how C++ works", without reteaching me C or dragging on with explanations of what an "if" statement does and when you should use it.

I'm very happy with the book -- Chapter 0 (the first -- it gets bonus points with me for numbering this way) starts with a "Hello, world!" program, and by Chapter 2 (the third) it's already dealing with complex control structures. It dives right in to the STL, without explaining it. We simply learn that a vector holds a set of items in a certain order, and when it's fast and when it's slow. The book never burdens you with knowledge until you need it. (In comparison, another C++ book I've read, which will remain unnamed to avoid my own embarrassment, devotes entire large chapters to covering basic program structure, input/output, variables, arithmetic, if statements, for statements, and so on. It probably took the better part of a dozen chapters before they introduced useful STL types like vectors. This book just brings the concepts in when they're useful.)

I would recommend this book to anyone who already knows other languages and simply wants to pick up C++, or someone who doesn't know programming yet but can pick up logical concepts quickly. I would not recommend this book to someone who doesn't know how program and doesn't have that logical mind, because although it explains how things like control structures work, it doesn't beat them into the ground. (Having helped out with some Computers 1 classes at my high school, I know that some people naturally understand things like "if" and "while", and others struggle with applying the concepts even though they can perfectly explain what the control structures do.)

Not that bad.......2007-06-13

This is just an average book, I did not find anaything special

Innovative approach for teaching C++.......2007-03-06

Accelerated C++ uses an innovative approach for teaching C++. When I learned C++, we were taught all the details of defining C++ classes and constructing objects with no motivation or good examples of how to use C++ classes and objects. This book on the other hand uses classes from the Standard C++ Library as examples to teach the use of objects. Readers are able to start writing programs using the Standard C++ Library classes almost immediately.

The details of defining classes are not addressed until half way through the book. By this point the reader is comfortable with using objects and has seen several examples of useful classes. This approach is similar to what is often used to teach Java programming. I believe that this is the reason that Java programmers gain a deeper understanding of object oriented programming much more quickly than most C++ programmers.

I am now using this book to teach an in-house class in C++ programming for experienced C programmers. Everyone in the class has had good things to say about the book.

Average customer rating:

Thought provoking but...

Very Intriguing

True, Authentic Facts

A Fascinating Tour through World History

History as Detective Stories

Unsolved Mysteries of History: An Eye-Opening Investigation into the Most Baffling Events of All Time
Paul Aron
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Unsolved Mysteries of American History: An Eye-Opening Journey through 500 Years of Discoveries, Disappearances, and Baffling Events

More Unsolved Mysteries of American History

100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries: Strange Secrets

National Geographic Mysteries of History

The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy

ASIN: 0471442577

Book Description

Who built Stonehenge?
Why did the pharaohs build the pyramids?
Did Richard III kill the princes in the tower?
Could the Titanic have been saved?
Did Hitler murder his niece?

PRAISE FOR UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF HISTORY

"Like a sleuth, Aron pieces together the possible answers . . . It's an engaging way to learn more about history and the new evidence that sheds light on long-standing theories." --Daily Press

"Aron has produced a fascinating and judicious description of historical mysteries from the Neanderthals to Gorbachev. His entertaining account of historical controversies will leave every reader the wiser about the past." --Jack F. Matlock Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union

"With unerring good sense and in well-paced prose, Paul Aron solves as best he can the major who-done-its, did-it-happens, and did-it-have-to-happens of world history. Unsolved Mysteries of History should keep readers engaged well into the night."-- Adam Potkay, author, A Passion for Happiness

Customer Reviews:

Thought provoking but..........2006-10-31

Histories mysteries... Paul Aron delves into brief chapters (usually less than 10 pages each) on topics like Neandertal evolution, Who built the likes of Stonehenge and Easter Island heads, why were the pyramids built, mysterious surrounding deaths with Richard III, Romanovs, and Hitler, historical figures of Captain Kidd & Joan of Arc, as well as a number of other bafflers. I truly enjoy these books by Paul Aron but they do little to give you any more of an answer than before. He offers forth a few more popular theories but gives few 'conclusive' answers, still leaving the mysteries unsolved.

Overall, quite enjoyable reading material but doesn't help give you many answers. Certainly wouldn't use it for research paper material. However, I do like the "For further investigation" lists he gives at the end of chapters.

Very Intriguing.......2006-08-26

This is a great book that stimulates thought. In 25 chapters, Paul Aron explores some of the most baffling mysteries in our past, e.g. the resurrection of Christ, the statues on Easter Island, the Neanderthals, Stonehenge, the Pyramids in Egypt, the Nazca lines, Columbus, Shakespeare and many more. Explanations are not always offered. The book is great in that it offers synopses of the controversy/enigma surrounding many historical wonders; however, it lacks in detail by nature of its design (being a collection of many mysteries). This is actually a good thing in my opinion as the book stimulates curiousity, i.e. many chapters just provide a taste of their respective topics. As a result, I have read further on many of the subjects presented.

Caution: If you're a faithful Christian, you may find the chapter on the ressurection offensive, as a few of my acquaintances have.

True, Authentic Facts.......2005-12-23

Paul Aron has compiled some interesting stories based upon research in a number of areas. But for me, the greatest mystery is his editor's obvious lack of literary competency. The book's title, 'Unsolved Mysteries of History', is the most baffling, eye-opening example of tautology I've ever seen. By definition, a mystery is something 'unsolved' and historically placed. Perhaps when the book was proof-read, the editor was overseas in a foreign country at a particular time.

A Fascinating Tour through World History.......2005-11-16

This is an excellent and most enjoyable book. In 25 chapters, the author guides us through thousands of years of human activity, focusing on various unsolved historical mysteries. The fact that these mysteries are unsolved should not lead the reader to assume that this book offers solutions - it doesn't. However, in each of the 25 cases presented, the author brilliantly provides background information, describes the contentious issue, presents all (or most) sides in the debate and, where possible, indicates what the general consensus is today - all breathlessly condensed in less than 10 pages. In some cases, I was not even aware that there were any unsolved issues. The writing is clear and very engaging. At the end of each chapter, references are provided along with the author's comments on each one. What more can one ask for? This is a book that can be enjoyed by everyone, especially those interested in mysteries and detective stories - except that these ones are real. I now intend to seek out other similar books by this author with the expectation that they will be as fascinating as this one.

History as Detective Stories.......2005-08-30

Paul Aron is an award-winning reporter for the "Virginia Gazette" and an editor at Anchor Press and Simon and Schuster. The table of contents lists the 25 chapters, and the index. It covers many historical events from the Neanderthals, Stonehenge, and the legend of Theseus , to Freud, the `Titanic' and the Romanov dynasty. Reporters show up after an event, and reconstruct it from eyewitness accounts. Historians perform similar actions. So read these stories and be entertained. Each chapter has references for more information.

Chapter 1 discusses the relationship between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon humans. Varied theories conflict, and show that scientific belief is as constant as a weathervane. Chapter 2 explains the controversy about Stonehenge. If it was built to record the times of the year, Gerald Hawkins' book explains his findings. If the pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs, why do they lack a body (Chapter 3)? The different accounts of the four Gospels is typical of eyewitness accounts when there is no collusion to get their stories straight (Chapter 6). Using the Nazca lines to record the solstices of the year makes sense (Chapter 7). Extra lines could have been added to conceal the secret. Chapter 9 asks why the Mayan civilization collapsed leaving no traces of a disaster. It seemed due to "endemic warfare", drought, and disease.

What "sign" was given to the Dauphin by Joan of Arc (Chapter 11)? Joan was condemned in 1431, but posthumously rehabilitated in 1456. There is no mention of Giles de Rais ("Bluebeard" and his sponsorship of Joan. Could some magic trick have impressed Charles and then raised the morale of the French troops? Chapter 13 discusses Richard III, the last Plantagenet. [Is he missing the tips of two fingers in that portrait?] If he murdered the two Princes in the Tower that would follow the royal habits of those times. Chapter 14 discusses whether Columbus expected to discover a New World. Aristotle and Seneca discussed sailing west to the Indies. Chapter 15 teaches the unreliability of eyewitness identification, even in a small town. Chapter 16 tells of the Casket Letters, an example of forgery for political purposes. But Mary Queen of Scots wasn't fit for the throne (her bad judgment). Chapter 17 considers whether the little known owner of a theater company was the true author of all those famous plays. It shows how those with a point of view can find evidence for their positions. Was Captain Kidd a pirate or a political pawn (Chapter 18)?

Chapter 19 discusses Mozart's death and his `Requiem'. The movie `Amadeus' was Hollywood History. Chapter 20 tells of the faulty basis for Freud's "science of psychoanalysis". Did Freud invent the memories recovered from his patients (p.164)? Is the popularization of Freud's theory meant to distract from the science of Pavlov? Chapter 21 asks if the `Titanic' could have been saved if it didn't speed through the ice field. Why didn't they have enough lifeboats? Blame was given to the captain of the `Californian' for not going to the `Titanic', even though it would have been too late. Chapter 22 explains why none of the Romanovs survived. Chapter 23 tells of a young woman found shot in her uncle's home with her uncle's pistol. Was it suicide? Her uncle's alibi was a speeding ticket, but there were rumors about their relationship, and the uncle's strange sex life. Did this affect the uncle? Chapter 24 discusses Rudolf Hess's surprise flight to Scotland. Most likely the British Secret Service lured Hess to embarrass Hitler, just weeks before Hitler attacked Russia. Chapter 25 discusses the August 1991 attempted coup in Moscow and what Gorbachev did or didn't do. Did Gorbachev stand aside and plan to profit from the success or failure of this coup?

Unsolved Mysteries Of History - Eye-opening Investigation Into The Most Baffling Events Of All Time

Average customer rating:

Unsolved Mysteries Of History - Eye-opening Investigation Into The Most Baffling Events Of All Time
Paul Aron
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UYDXZU

Book Description

In lecture/essay format, Dr. Ben identifies and corrects myths about the inferiority and primitiveness of the indigenous African peoples and their descendants. Order Africa Mother of Western Civilization here.

Customer Reviews:

Black Man redemption?.......2007-09-25

It is true that African culture has been largely sidelined by European and US academics. The African contribution must in that case, by default, have been greater than Europeans make it out to be. However, to argue, as Dr Ben does, that all culture emanated from Africa and that Africa is the source of all Western Civilization is clearly nonsense. He goes as far as to maintain that Freemasonry has African origins. Why anyone would want to claim an aberrant system like Freemasonry as part of their heritage is beyond me!

St Clair Drake put it in a nutshell when he wrote: "Ben-Jochannen's books challenge the reader to exercise alert vigilance to distinguish between fact, statements with a high degree of probability, and assertions based merely on a will to believe" (Black Folk Here & There, p.326)

Most of Dr Ben's major works draw on a bizarre array of sources, including mystical and Masonic texts, and this is no exception. Anything he can find to throw at his ideological opponents he will pick up and throw, however, jumbled and incoherent it might be.

He argues for an African monoculture, whereas Africa is necessarily multicultural. He asserts that pre-Arabic Egyptian rulers were (apart from the Hyksos) Black people. He maintained that Egyptian culture has Ethiopian origins, that Greek culture had Egyptian roots, that monotheistic religion had its origins in Egypt, and that all science and art had African origins. Wow!

The book also contains basic factual errors, which prompts me to ask why we should believe that everything written by Black representatives is automatically true? In the interest of labelling Queen Cleopatra as `Black', Dr Ben overlooks the fact that her family (the Ptolemies) did not intermarry with their Egyptian subjects. While the Ptolemies basked in luxury and claimed to be gods (which is why they were allowed to practise incest), their subjects were downpressed and on the breadline. She was probably not `White', the Makedonians being of mixed ancestry, having married into both the Syrian and Persian royal families. But that does not make her Black as understood today. Additionally she was actually Cleopatra VII, not Cleopatra VIII (as repeatedly stated on p.112). Also Dr Ben writes: "Cleopatra VIII committed suicide after being discovered in a plot with Marc Antonio (Mark Anthony) to murder Julius Caesar" (pp.112-113). In reality Julius Caesar had been dead for 14 years when Cleopatra committed suicide.

As with all his works, he includes the charge that "white Jews' of the Western world are global impostors, having falsely hijacked a heritage which, according to Dr Ben, rightfully belongs to Black Africans. They have done this, he argues, by cunningly proclaiming their identity with the Israelites of the Bible. Consequently, he accuses them of propounding a racist creed from their very beginnings (pp.584-627).

If you want a serious study on the place of African civilization in human history, you will have to look elsewhere.

Very informative, but...........2005-03-05

I want to preface my remarks by saying that I am not an African history scholar nor have I read a lot about the subject. My purpose for purchasing this book was to learn about the origins of the great cultures that grew out of the African continent. I was partially satisfied.

Whereas much of the information that was provided was new to me, the total package left me wanting more. The format (a series of lectures) was very redundant with many chapters repeating the same information.

Being an American of African descent, I share the author's anger with the "experts" in the field that have re-written the history of Africa and her people to suit their own desires. However, I don't need to be reminded in every paragraph , in every chapter for 700 pages. I would have preferred more of the history and less of the diatribe.

One Hell Of a Book!!.......2003-11-02

Dr.Ben is an ethiopian jew by birth with knowledge of Hebrew, Greek,and Hieroglyphics, he is able to literaly read the hieroglyphics off the walls of ancient egypt and tell us how the people saw themselves and the world around them. He was a Professor at Al-Azhar University in Egypt teaching moden egyptians most of whom are descendants of arab invaders that ancient egypt is an african..i.e negro country, culture, religion, race,etc...Do you think they allowed him to do that to help him with his self esteem?...Or was it becuase he knew what he was talking about?

Average customer rating:

AFRICA - MOTHER OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
YOSEF A. A. BEN-JOCHANNAN
Manufacturer: BLACK CLASSIC PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PGN4OI

Customer Reviews:

Good Basic Text.......2005-06-06

This is a very good introductory petrology text which combines igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic petrology in one volume. With a publication date of 1996, it may be getting a little long in the tooth, however. For example, the book discusses the Wilson hot spot model without reference to mantle plumes. With the exception of some apparent confusion about the effect on seismic velocity of the asthenosphere, I found no significant errors nor editing problems. My only significant criticism is that all of the photographs are in black and white, and some are printed so darkly that details are hard to make out. One would think that, with a price approaching $100, the publisher would be able to include a bit of color in the appropriate places.

Geology students.......1999-02-13

This book can be very informative if you know what you're looking for in it. I would reccomend it to students who are geology majors if it is not already required.

Petrology: The Study of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

Average customer rating:

I beg to differ ...
Just read the dedication...

Petrology: The Study of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks
Loren A Raymond
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0073661686

Book Description

This text, designed for the middle-level undergraduate geology major, incorporates both fundamentals and information on recent advances in our understanding of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It provides an overview of the field of petrology and a solid foundation for more advanced studies. For each class of rocks -- igneous, sedimentary, and metamorhic -- the author describes textures, structures, mineralogy, chemistry, and classification as a background to discussing representative occurrences and petrogenesis (rock origins).

Customer Reviews:

I beg to differ ..........2000-11-17

... with the previous review. I used this text whilst studying second year igneous and metamorphic petrology (in Australia where the book is ~AUS$90 = ~US$45.) I found Raymond's writing style and use of language to be entirely appropriate for a text aimed at this level - if you are studying a science there is no point hiding from the jargon - the faster you learn it the more easier it will be at higher levels.

Raymod gives a good general overview of igneous and metamorphis petrology (I have not used this text for sedimentary petrology,) though I did find on some occasions that I was left wanting more detail, eg. regarding calc-alkaline basalts. However, the book is easy to read, and posses something that is often overlooked - figures and tables are generally kept on the same 2 page spread as the text refering to them. Colour reproductions of photomicrographs would be a welcome addition to a future edition.

Just read the dedication..........2000-05-10

...to learn the level at which this textbook was written. As thorough as it is painful, this book should not be used for normal, college-level petrology classes. The sheer vocabulary used is enough to make any passionate geology student think twice about his/her choice of major. There was no reason to make a class pay this price for this textbook. Such a hefty price ought at least to spread some color images and diagrams throughout the book -- beyond the cover.

Customer Reviews:

The Fearful Void.......2003-06-12

On my first visit to Los Angeles I could not see the nearby desert for almost a week due to the smog. When it finally was visible I realised that a desert was not merely like those which were photographed so well in Lawrence of Arabia, but were much more complex and diverse than I had ever imagined.

I am using those remarks to preface my review of this book because the contents opened up my mind to a much more diverse view of some of the most fundamental institutions of economic development, particularly the big three of United Nations, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. During my studies in Development Economics at the University of Northumbria, I had come to accept the explanation of the phenomena of expanding deserts given in many books and periodicals as due to overuse and over-exploitation.

This book blows the whole concept out of the water with a well argued and substantiated critique of the traditional explanations and the role that the supra-national organisations in conjunction with national governments in perpetrating such fictions. Julian Morris has done the developing world in particular a service in highlighting an economics of politics approach which shows the powerful position these organisations abise in manipulating the press, public and academic opinion to reflect their ulterior motives of bureau creation and expansion at the cost of immense human misery and loss of life.

Morris not only exposes the myths that are perpetuated and the extent to which the rich and powerful of the international community use these for their own ends but he also shows how the so-called peasants, looking after their own interests not only rationally take actions which prevent desertification, such as it is, but also are the best private solutions for reclamation.

This fascinating account is as gripping as many novels. In many respects it is like a novel as so much of it is hard to believe given the degree of academic and media manipulation which has occurred. Morris displays great tenacity in his research and observations and his closely argued work demonstrates considerable concentration to prove his point. I am particularly fond off his expose of the issue of the Land Degradation in the United States which he attaches as an appendix to the main text.

This is a courageous piece of work which deserves greater exposure to the widest possible audience.

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The Political Economy of Land Degradation: Pressure Groups, Foreign Aid and the Myth of Man-made Deserts (Studies on the Environment)
Julian Morris
Manufacturer: Coronet Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQD46C

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