Who's Who in Finance and Industry 2002-2003 (Who's Who in Finance and Business)

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive study on the relationship of propaganda to participatory democracy in the United States during the twentieth century. The Muckrackers were the first critics to question whether the standard practices of communications industries, such as advertising and public relations, undermined the ability of citizens to gather enough reliable information in order to participate meaningfully in society. The communications industry has countered that propaganda merely circulates socially useful information in an efficient manner and further, that propaganda is harmless to democracy because of competition and professional codes. This study critically examines these various schools of thought in an effort to determine and understand the contribution and effects of propaganda in a democratic society.

Book Description

Enka, a sentimental ballad genre, epitomizes for many the nihonjin no kokoro (heart/soul of Japanese). To older members of the Japanese public, who constitute enka's primary audience, this music--of parted lovers, long unseen rural hometowns, and self-sacrificing mothers--evokes a direct connection to the traditional roots of "Japaneseness." Overlooked in this emotional invocation of the past, however, are the powerful commercial forces that, since the 1970s, have shaped the consumption of enka and its version of national identity. Informed by theories of nostalgia, collective memory, cultural nationalism, and gender, this book draws on the author's extensive fieldwork in probing the practice of identity-making and the processes at work when Japan becomes "Japan."

Customer Reviews:

Tears of Longing: Nostalgia and the Nation in Japanese Popular Song.......2007-06-27

This book contained everything that I needed to do my research for the genre of Japanese enka. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to get to the whys and how the genre is different for others. It is a very detailed book.

ENKA!.......2007-02-04

This may be the only English-language book on the Enka genre, about which it is difficult to find any guides or other information unless you are fluent in the Japanese language. Dr. Yano's approach to this (sadly underappreciated) genre is more from a scholarly approach than as a "fan" of the music, by her own admission, but this book provides a wealth of information about the history, lyrics and visual style of Enka music and its performers. Personally I would have liked to have learned about the "stars" of this genre, particular Hibari Misora, undoubtedly its most famous performer. Also, Enka does exist in the US, though through mostly Japanese-American fans and performers, but this may be another subject of study. Enka may be a declining musical art form, but there are some notable younger performers, like Kitayama Takeshi and Komura Miki. I'm very grateful to Dr. Yano for the information provided by her book!

Average customer rating:

It's a setting, and an adventure (but not exactly)

Excellent resource for Greyhawk fans

It takes all kinds.

Save your money on this one.

Excellent ! - Not to be missed

Against The Giants: The Liberation Of Geoff (AD&D/Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 25th Anniversary adventure)
Sean Reynolds
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Dungeons & Dragons | Gaming | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (AD&D Accessory)

The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

Magic Item Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)

ASIN: 0786914130
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Customer Reviews:

It's a setting, and an adventure (but not exactly).......2003-08-19

The first half contains converted adventures from the original module. The second half contains the setting for Geoff, detailing sites and cities in the country.

There is a pretty good pre-cursor to the whole thing which helps you tie everything together, if you wish.

Personally, I used the book as a reference, and built my own campaign and plot around the setting. I took the three adventures and added them to my plot (with minor alterations). I have by no means used all the sites and the nice thing is you don't have to. Further, Reynolds does such a fantastic job of adding hooks into all the encounters, I have been able to build lots of side adventures as a break.

The shear amount of detail and possibilities in this setting is what makes this selection great. If you are in 3rd edition, the adventures will requires some work to convert, but the setting is pretty minimal.

Excellent resource for Greyhawk fans.......2000-09-02

I've always been a fan of Sean Reynolds work -- especially on the Star Cairns adventure and the Scarlet Brotherhood supplement -- and he does a good job here as well.

He's hamstrung by the reprinting -- verbatium -- of the original adventure. It's the only module of the 'silver' editions that's reprinted like this, and I found that annoying. Why not spend the time to update the text to be better linked with the second (and much more useful) part of the book?

Greyhawk fans, especially those with campaigns set in the southeastern Flanaess, should definitely pick up this book for its detailing of the lost kingdom of Geoff.

For those who don't know, Geoff was overrun by giant forces during the Greyhawk Wars; the second half of this book is dedicated to kicking the brutes out of the realm.

The book details more than a dozen locations in Geoff, and plants plenty of good adventure ideas. I would have prefered to see some more information on the Grand Duke of Geoff, but hey, I can do that myself.

The biggest flaws I see in this book are the lack on integration with the original adventure, and the pathetic, somewhat inaccurate insert map. This book is crying out for a nice color wall map, even a small one, and I would gladly have shelled out a few more books to have one.

I'm running it in my campaign now, and it provides a nice distraction from the ongoing intrigues of the group's home city (and provides a good place for them to run to when their enemies and/or the authorities start looking for them)

If you're a DM who likes to add flesh to the skeleton of an adventure, then this is a great campaign supplement (and that's what it is -- a supplement, not a module). If you're looking to be spoonfed, or want to run something off-the-shelf, then its a lot less useful (esp. if you've run through the original).

It takes all kinds........2000-08-15

Role Playing Games take all kinds of players, and all kinds of games. Some players prefer the original Against the Giants series - but these adventures were essentially hack and slash giant killing escapades. There was little to no backgournd information given because it wasn't needed - you simply teleported by conveniently left behind magic from one adventure to the next. Why the giants left the areas these teleports led to ungaurded is a far more serious plot failure than anything in the new material.

The originals are reprinted verbatim because they make good giant strongholds, and can easily be included in the overall scope of the campaign. And in this context, there is much, much greater detail about why these strongholds exist where they do, and how they interact with their surroundings.

The new material presents lightly detailed adventuring areas that offer a variety of challenges to a wide range of ability levels. There are secrets to be learned in every town and woods. Allies to be found, and enemies to be made. Unlike the original "Giants" series, there is ample opportunity for role-playing social interaction with the people, and even the monsters that inhabit the area.

The new material does go in a fresh direction, does flesh out the old material, and does offer plausible explanations as to why the Giants were successful (air support, the Greyhwak Wars depleting resources for the defenders, etc...).

Against the Giants, the Liberation of Geoff does have two downfalls. First, the writers do make you make some decisions on your own about what to include, why to include it, and how to present it to the players (eek! enforced use of the imagination!). Second, it trully is a large, almost monumental task to go about liberating every last little piece of the puzzle, and many groups may not have the stamina for it. Of course, there's absolutely NO REASON to approach the adventure that way, (give some clues a little early, and let the players get to the heart of the matter quickly)but if you do, it's an awful lot of work.

Save your money on this one........2000-07-05

I've seen excellent quality in the Silver Anniversay editions of The Keep on the Borderlands and White Plume Mountain, which makes me wonder how this one snuck under the radar. The promise behind these modules is that they are going to be retrofitted with logic, plot, rounded characters - qualities that sometimes lacked in the classic originals, but are demanded by today's players. The implied promise is that they will expand upon the original material, or take it in a fresh direction. That did not happen in this module. The first three giants modules (which I already bought from a used book store) inserted -intact - into the module. Guys, if I'd wanted the original modules, I'd have bought the original modules. I bought Silver Anniversary because I wanted more. Packing a lot more of the same around the first three modules intact, does not really expand upon my gaming experience.

Essentially, the rest of the Duchy of Geoff is packed around the 3 original giant fortresses. But this makes the module into more of a "world book" than an adventure module. There are X number of towns to liberate, each with a different kind of giant and smattering of orcs. But it's all much the same, and frankly, after the first 3 modules of giants, giants, giants, the rest of it will get tired quickly. There is a half-hearted attempt to provide a new motivation for the original giant attack on the Duchy of Geoff (a new villian) but strangely, the old villians still exist in the 3 intact main modules, with no acknowledgement of the new villian or motivation (and no interface for the players to discover it, in game). The DM notes offer a flake of bad advice on how to use the two kinds of villianous groups, explaining that they should use them to confuse the players. Without a good reason for either of them (the new villian's motivation is shaky, the original villians were just evil), the confusion is just frustrating. DM's need to do major tweaking of the plot to fix it.

Further, the giant combats get tired after a long time for players who want to play anything other than a skirmish game. If you like traps, tricks and thinking, forget about it. If you like flat out combat with lots of bad guys, here you go.

Finally, the story fails. I cannot accept, within the context of the Greyhawk world, that all the armies of Geoff were killed off by these giants, and that only a single party of adventurers will single handedly win the war. To patch it together, I've popped in a workable backstory, and I'm trying to put together an army to function as a backdrop for the characters. The players choose the general tactics of the army, and then take out key areas of the giants -commando style. It is clumsy though.

I'm going to fast forward through parts of this module, and get to White Plume Mountain as fast as possible.

Save your money and buy something else. There's not much here worth playing.

Excellent ! - Not to be missed.......2000-06-15

Against the Giants was a great classic D&D adventure module. However, to spite the fact that I've been role-playing for many years, I never had the opportunity to play the original, nor even own a copy. So for myself, and all other players/DMs who've never experienced this adventure before, this AD&D adventure is invaluable, and I highly recommend it.

Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff contains two separate adventures; Against the Giants, and Liberation of Geof.

Against the Giants is designed for high level play, with a minimum of 9th level characters. And Liberation of Geof was included to allow for some low level adventuring. Contrary to comments by a previous reviewer, these two theme's are linked and the adventures can be tied together and completed by the same set of adventures as part of a DM's (Dungeon Master's) campaign. Low level parties can continually return to Geof to battle the oppressing forces. As these parties gain in experience and levels, and eventually begin to liberate town after town, they will very likely gain the attention of those behind the invasion of Geof. A good DM can easily integrate this scenario in to a campaign that eventually leads into the Against the Giants adventure. The duration and nature of the campaign is entirely up to the DM and his campaign style.

Again, this is a must have for anyone without the original publication, and well worth the price. I found the entire book to be well written, easy to follow, and very entertaining.

Enjoy!

Book Description

Are you on a doomed project? Do you really believe that spiffy SEI rating or the latest software engineering fad will save you from working long nights, missing deadlines, or having a nervous breakdown? We’ve got news for you: your project didn’t get that way by accident. It took a lot of careful planning.

Want to learn how it’s done? In this book we’ll teach you the basics of killing a project. Instead of forcing you to rummage through a bunch of dry software engineering texts to identify potentially damaging approaches, we’ll equip you with 77 tactics proven on countless projects.

Customer Reviews:

Funny book, but a little narrow........2002-04-27

The book is quite funny, but displays the author's bias for government work. As a development manager/implementor, I have seen some of these 77 sins, but others are rather esoteric and limited to the author's domain. Purchase it for a laugh, to educate the ignorant, or to know you are not alone.

Great little book!.......2001-02-21

As a project management trainer, I often work with IT folks who are struggling with too many projects and not enough time to complete them. Typically IT people don't take the time to reflect and document management practices that drive them crazy and kill their projects. Instead, they just leave the company! In this rare book, two veteran soft developers irreverently vent their frustrations and provide plenty of insight for anyone wanting to better manage software development teams. While they provide a bunch of items related to technical and programming management issues, the also share some management-related sure-fire ways to kill a software project. Some hightlights from their list of items include: #13 -- Begin design while requirements are fluid. #18 -- Make developers fight for every purchase. #28 -- Concentrate on cosmetics, not functionality at inspections. #33 -- Forgo prototyping. #41 -- Give everyone beepers [... so they can be reached even in the middle of the night about cosmetic problems.] #47 -- Schedule as many meetings as possible. #58 -- Jump on the process improvement bandwagon. #59 -- Create lots of TQM groups. #60 -- Hire a TQM expert from outside the company. #68 -- Require overtime work without compensation. #70 -- Hire temp programmers [and pay them for all hours, even overtime, at a rate higher than staff] #73 -- Give humiliating performance reviews. #74 -- Get rid of developers over 40 [years old]. #75 -- Refer to people as "units."

This book is clean, crisp, and fun to read... and might well generate some valuable discussions in your organization that could improve the effectiveness of your projects!...

Book Description

Third printing. This thorough guide follows the '03 through its unparalleled tenure of service - covering all of the interesting variations, modifications and accessories of this highly collectible military weapon.

Customer Reviews:

I liked it..........2002-07-18

I liked this book in that it gave me a basic knowledge of the M1903 rifle - that's what I was looking for. It didn't go as deep as Scott Duff did in his books on the Garand, but still a good beginner's book. I recommend it.

Excellent introduction to the US Model 1903 Rifle........2000-08-01

This is a fast and easy read, and much more enjoyable than the more "authoritative" texts on the subject, such as Lt. Col. Brophy's volume. Canfield narrows his focus to only the 1903 variants that actually served in training and combat in the US armed forces. This narrower view allows him to cover the subject in 160 pages.

Canfield takes you step-by-step through the evolution of the Model 1903, with good close-up photographs showing design changes alongside of earlier or later models for comparison purposes.

There's a lot of great history in this book as well, with many excellent photographs of the 1903 in action, from World War One to the Korean War. Canfield includes a wonderful story about the demise of the early "rod bayonet" after President Theodore Roosevelt demonstrated its ineffectiveness by snapping it in two with one blow from his Krag rifle bayonet.

This is a great book for the entry-level collector, for the war history buff, or even someone who wants to find out more about that "old Springfield rifle" that was inherited from Father or Grandfather.

Average customer rating:
Collectors Guide To The 03 Springfield
Bruce Canfield
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LSSSYQ

Average customer rating:

one of the best books on Japanese/European history

I'm happy to have this book in my shelf

Move over, Richard Chamberlain

absorbing

Interesting, but uneven

Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan
Giles Milton
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | British | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Adventurers & Explorers | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
17th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Nathaniel's Nutmeg: Or the True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History

Big Chief Elizabeth: The Adventures and Fate of the First English Colonists in America

The Riddle and the Knight: In Search of Sir John Mandeville, the World's Greatest Traveller

White Gold: The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and Islam's One Million White Slaves

The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori

ASIN: 0142003786
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

With all the adventure, derring-do, and bloodcurdling battle scenes of his earlier book, NathanielÂ's Nutmeg, acclaimed historian Giles Milton dazzles readers with the true story of William AdamsÂ—the first Englishman to set foot in Japan (and the inspiration for James ClavellÂ's bestselling novel Shogun). Beginning with AdamsÂ's startling letter to the East India Company in 1611Â—more than a decade after heÂ'd arrived in JapanÂ—Samurai William chronicles the first foray by the West into that mysterious closed-off land. Drawing upon the journals and letters of Adams as well as the other Englishmen who came looking for him, Samurai William presents a unique glimpse of Japan before it once again closed itself off from the world for another two hundred years.

Download Description

The true story behind James Clavell's best-selling Shogun, Samurai William is the incredible tale of a man who tried to bridge two very different cultures during one of the earliest and most fascinating encounters between the East and West. Giles Milton has written a colorful, engaging, and eye-opening account of the enormous impact one Westerner had on the opening of the East.

Customer Reviews:

one of the best books on Japanese/European history.......2007-09-26

I'm moving to Japan in a few months and one of my buddies suggested I read the book before I go. It's very entertaining and gives you the mindset behind what makes the Japanese tick-truly amazing culture.

I'm happy to have this book in my shelf.......2007-06-06

In my case, I learned about William Adams watching the PBS Empire Series which I recommend as a complement of this delightful book. What a story, supposedly bound to the East Indies as part of a Dutch Enterprise, Williams Adams is one of the few to reach Japan after a long and difficult voyage. From there comes an exquisite recount of Adams stay in feudal Japan of the 1600 which include a view of their customs and cities and the efforts made by other English Men to establish a trade spot in the Land of the Rising Sun. Is impressive how Williams Adams became a personal advisor of the Shogun Ieyasu and how he became part of this culture that remember him even after 200 years of his death. This book was also an excellent portrait of the Portuguese and Dutch East Indies Company of the time, the expulsion of Jesuits and eradication of Catholicism from Japan, and also provide some interesting information about the natives of Africa's Guinea Ecuatorial and of course, the South of Chile (passing the Magellan Strait).

You can see a letter sent by Adams in 1613 in the British library site. Enjoy!!!

Move over, Richard Chamberlain.......2007-05-17

Everyone is familiar with "Shogun"; if not the book, then surely the lengthy TV mini-series. But the real story of the English pilot, William Adams is far more interesting. This is a wonderful book that encapsulate an era of exploration, the first halting attempts of economic empire-building, and the dawn of the Shogunate. And while Adams' personal story is not quite as dramatic as James Clavell's pilot, it is certainly more interesting and entertaining. Especially remarkable was to watch the speed of navigational developement and international operations over a period of a mere thirty years. One forgets at times that Jamestown and Plymouth were established within a few years after Adams' arrival in Japan, and by the time of his death, the Eastern Seaboard was almost entirely settled. A wonderful view of a time less well understood and frequently miscaracterized.

absorbing.......2007-05-06

Did you know that James Clavell's "Shogun" was based on the story of an actual Westerner who had gone native in Japan in the early 1600's? I sure didn't.

I thought Clavell was just spinning tales out of whole cloth. No, no; there really was a marooned Englishman there named William Adams, although as we learn from Milton's book, he wasn't quite as mixed up in high politics as was John Blackthorne.

Milton relates Adams's intriguing story in the straightforward style of popular history. It is not written in the form of fiction; Milton here is writing for a large non-scholarly audience. There are no footnotes: Any references or Japanese terms the general reader probably can't handle are explained in the running text.

In addition to an index, the book features several maps and black-and-white woodcut-type illustrations throughout the text.

Interesting, but uneven.......2007-04-16

"Samurai William" is not exactly a biography of William Adams. There is simply not enough evidence in English sources to know much about the most interesting part of his life: his reasons for remaining in Japan, his observations of Japanese life, his years spent as master of the lands granted him by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. It's easy to understand why the record of his life in Japan, which appears to be mostly a record of his travels, his contacts with his English compatriots, and his relationship with Ieyasu, irresistably lent itself to fiction. Nor is the book exactly about the opening of 17th century Japan, as the subtitle suggests, since the Portugese and the Dutch preceded the English. About half way through, the book becomes the story of the fitful process of establishing an utlimately unsuccessful English trading presence in Japan. Milton's accounts of the constant brawling, drinking, [...], and general bad behavior on the part of the English makes it rather easy to see why Japan entered the period of "sakoku," when it was closed to foreigners. These accounts also slows down the narrative considerably, since they all look pretty much the same. What the book does provide is an "opening" into a very interesting period in Japanese history. There is a good "Notes and Sources" section at the end of the book.

Samurai William : The Englishman Who Opened Japan

Average customer rating:

The True Story of the English Seaman William Adams.

Samurai William : The Englishman Who Opened Japan
Giles Milton
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KEQ3SE

Customer Reviews:

The True Story of the English Seaman William Adams........2007-09-18

When I was gathering material to complete my review on Mr. James Clavell's "Shogun" I saw a reference to this book and can't resist the temptation to bought it and read it. After finishing reading it, I was amazed by how deeply Mr. Clavell has grasped this exotic environment in his novel.

Mr. Milton has thoroughly researched the contemporary European sources to build this book. He took into account the diary & letters from William Adams (the historical character on which Clavell's book was based), Richard Cock, the chief English Factor at Hirado (Japan), Captain John Saris and other Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese sources. Japanese sources are omitted. This in my opinion, is not a great setback, because the author is telling the story of the hundred year relationship between Europeans and Japanese from the Europeans stand point of view, and he doesn't claim otherwise.

The amazement and shock, that such a different culture generated on these seamen and merchants is shown in their own words. In one hand the higher cultural level, reflected in the cleanness, sophistication and demeanor of the Japanese, seduce them. In the other hand the harsh justices applied: deaths for minor and major faults, without appellation or mercy, appall them.
The spicy language used by William Adams and his fellow merchants is shown, with minor standardization in order to render it intelligibly for modern readers, recreating their environment and mindset.
The book is very entreatingly and provides a colorful sight of that historical period and place.
Enjoy this reading!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Average customer rating:

Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan
Giles Milton
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ3NI8

Average customer rating:

SAMURAI WILLIAM. The Englishman Who Opened Japan.
Giles: Milton
Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W33LQ0

Average customer rating:

THE LAST RENAISSANCE MAN

One man's insatiable thirst for knowledge

An Important Read for those of Us Who Didn't Know...

Humboldt was much more interesting than this book is

Most famous guy I never heard of

Humboldt's Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Latin American Journey that Changed the Way We Se
Gerard Helferich
Manufacturer: Gotham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Central America | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent: Abridged Edition (Penguin Classics)

Cosmos: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe (Foundations of Natural History)

The Humboldt Current: Nineteenth-Century Exploration and the Roots of American Envionmentalism

Humboldt's Cosmos

Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804, Volume 1

ASIN: 1592400523
Release Date: 2004-04-12

Book Description

The thrilling story of the charismatic explorer who Simon Bolivar called Â“the true discoverer of South AmericaÂ” and the daring expedition that altered the course of science.

From 1799 to 1804 German naturalist and adventurer Alexander von Humboldt conducted the first extensive scientific exploration of Latin America. At the completion of his arduous 6,000-mile journey, he was feted by Thomas Jefferson and presented to Napoleon, and, with the subsequent publication of his findings, he would be hailed as the greatest scientific genius of his age.

HumboldtÂ's Cosmos tells the story of this extraordinary man who was equal parts Einstein and Livingstone, and of the adventure that defined his life. Gerard Helferich vividly recounts HumboldtÂ's expedition through the Amazon and over the Andes, highlighting his paradigm-changing discoveries along the way. During the course of the expedition, Humboldt cataloged more than 60,000 plants, set an altitude record climbing the volcano Chimborazo, and became the first to study the great cultures of the Aztecs and Incas. In the process, he revolutionized geology and laid the groundwork for modern sciences such as climatology, oceanography, and geographyÂ—and his contributions would influence future greats such as Charles Darwin and shape the course of science for centuries to come.

Published in time for the bicentennial of the expeditionÂ's completion in May 1804, HumboldtÂ's Cosmos is a dramatic tribute to one of historyÂ's most audacious adventurers, whom Stephen Jay Gould noted Â“may well have been the worldÂ's most famous and influential intellectual.Â”

Customer Reviews:

THE LAST RENAISSANCE MAN.......2006-02-06

Humboldt was a truly extraordinary character. He was a mixture of adventurer and scientist that has rarely been seen, especially with such developed expertise in both areas. This biography covers Humboldt's entire life, with special focus on his trip to Latin America between 1799 and 1804.

This book is written as an interesting narrative, explaining with only passing remarks the actual science behind his achievements. Advances that Humboldt made cover such different fields as botany, geology, geography, anthropology, climatology, magnetism, among others. The book is very good at outlining the spirit of those discoveries; if you would like an actual explanation, look in the Personal Narratives that Humboldt wrote himself.

As an adventurer, he criss crossed South America at a time when much of it was yet undiscovered and uncharted. He mapped the Casiquiare canal, which at the time was a legendary connection between the Amazon and Orinoco basins. He made it from Venezuela to Peru, climbing in the process some of the highest mountains in Latin America (including the Chimborazo, which at the time was believed to be the highest mountain in the world and yet unclimbed). He was for many years the high altitude record holder of the world.

It is amazing such a towering figure is not remembered among the ranks of Einstein, Da Vinci or Darwin. I highly recommend this book and finding out more about Humboldt, especially if you enjoy science, travel or adventure writing.

One man's insatiable thirst for knowledge.......2005-09-22

So pleasant how Helferich takes us back to the time when any man with enough interest and endurance could be a cutting-edge scientist and an explorer. When Alexander von Humboldt explored the northern part of the South American Continent, he observed and recorded everything -- the people, local flora and fauna, the geology, the temperature as a function of latitude and elevation, latitude by the elevation of the sun and stars, and longitude, estimated or reckoned with precision with the help of transit data of planetary moons. One of the most interesting passage was his field experimentation with animal electricity from electric eels and the conclusions about electricity in muscles and nerves that he was able to draw. Oh, Alexander von Humboldt, where are you now? Probably living in the spirit of Professor Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Steel and Germs.

An Important Read for those of Us Who Didn't Know..........2005-06-24

Thank you, Gerard Helferich for Humboldt's Cosmos! Although I had heard of Alexander von Humboldt I had no idea of the scope of the man's accomplishments. He was one of those "one-in-a-million" individuals who when most adventurers would have said, "That's enough; I'm going home now.." he just kept on going, and going, and going - something like that proverbial bunny that just doesn't know how to quit or when enough is enough. In fact, it's amazing von Humboldt and Bonpland survived the host of crocodiles, piranha, treacherous mountain passes, tropical diseases, rebellious natives, bandits, to name but a few of the "challenges" set before them. You were right when you provided the analogy of von Humboldt being like Einstein who, while developing his theory of Relativity, also managed to conquer Mount Everest. In my view, Humboldt's Cosmos is quite an accomplishment. The author took great pains to provide valuable context as the journeys unfolded. If there is a flaw it is, like the explorer himself, because the book did tend to go on and on through page after page of unbroken text. Although at first excited, and then humbled as we followed Humboldt's every move and thought down every river and over every mountain pass, by the end the reader is left somewhat exhausted. Also, there was no reference - perhaps because there is no concrete evidence to suggest one way or the other, on how Humboldt and Darwin got along. We know that Humboldt was a major inspiration for Darwin; but what about the later years? Humboldt did not live to see the publication of the Origin of the Species but, nonetheless, the men did meet. Presumably, Humboldt became an enthusiastic supporter, if not admirer of Darwin. But for Darwin, there was precious little said after his Beagle days were over.

Humboldt was much more interesting than this book is.......2005-06-22

Humboldt was a universal scientific genius who was also a genuine explorer into the wild. He had a mercurial personality and progressive political views. He was, in short, one of the most interesting people who have ever lived. Unfortunately, Helferich writes like a committee. His prose is clear in the way a company's annual report is clear. As a study of Humboldt's South American journey, the book is 100% derivative but it provides some basic information and has the advantage of being readily accessible. Basically the book is a retelling of Humboldt's own narrative, with too-few asides providing modern information on topics to which Humboldt turned his curiosity.

Most famous guy I never heard of.......2005-05-02

The subject of the book was amazing. Humboldt traveled and studied everything: geology, botany, sociology, geography, anthropology, archaeology, and astronomy. He created a new science, plant geology. He traveled all over South America and Central America. He was well loved everywhere he went. The book was a spellbinding read.

The only minor downside of the book is it does drag in the middle. Humboldt travels to many places and the author almost does a day-by-day journal. The amount of detail and the hundreds of locations just gets boring, but I stress, on the whole, the book relates a fascinating story about the most fascinating forgotten man in history. Putting the book down is hard.

To understand modern science, this book is a must read. This one man influences the development of almost every branch of science and contributes to the abolishment of slavery in several different countries. The book provides a glimpse into history that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Humboldt's Cosmos - Alexander Von Humboldt And The Latin American Journey That Changed The Way We See The World

Average customer rating:

Humboldt's Cosmos - Alexander Von Humboldt And The Latin American Journey That Changed The Way We See The World
Gerard Helferich
Manufacturer: Gotham Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RIYY6G

The search for Humboldt.(GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ESSAY)(Alexander von Humboldt)(Book review): An article from: The Geographical Review

Average customer rating:

The search for Humboldt.(GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ESSAY)(Alexander von Humboldt)(Book review): An article from: The Geographical Review
Laura Dassow Walls
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000PC6QVA
Release Date: 2007-04-11

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Geographical Review, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2006. The length of the article is 2609 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 search for Humboldt.(GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW ESSAY)(Alexander von Humboldt)(Book review)
Author: Laura Dassow Walls
Publication: The Geographical Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 96 Issue: 3 Page: 473(5)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Humboldt's Cosmos Alexander Von Humboldt and the Latin American journey that changed the way we see the world
Helferich Gerard
Manufacturer: Gotham Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UF255S

Book Description

Underlying all the contributions to this volume is the understanding that both political and economic considerations affect environmental outcomes. Political decisions largely determine the feasible uses of natural resources by defining and enforcing fundamental property rights and entitlements over matters with environmental consequences. By determining the rules of the game, political decisions determine the extent to which humanity is empowered to transform the world, the processes used, and the waste products remaining.

Environmental policies and thereby environmental outcomes emerge from a complex political process that accommodates a variety of conflicting interests. The essays in this volume examine the links between politics and economic interdependencies, using the modern tools of economics and public choice. Each essay develops a balanced and generally positive analysis of a particular environmental policy area ranging from international treaties on global warming to EPA regulations regarding pesticide usage.

Contributors use a variety of mathematical and statistical methods to examine policy formation in such policy areas as global warming, wildlife management, undersea oil rights, and the location of NIMBYs. The volume will be of interest to those who study environmental policy from the perspectives of economics, political science, public policy, and environmental studies.

Roger D. Congleton is Associate Professor of Economics and Senior Research Associate, Center for Study of Public Choice, George Mason University.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books