Income Property Appraisal and Analysis

Product Description

James Ryman's first collection of stunningly delightful demons and terrifyingly gorgeous women was so well received, we decided to do it again! This second volume contains all new material that delves deeply into the mind of this most talented and disturbed individual! James' ability to create all new levels of hideous beastie and sultry beauty puts him on the fast track to fantasy art supremacy. Fables, myths, legends, nightmares - it's all open for Ryman's bizarre and amazing interpretations!

Customer Reviews:

kind of hit and miss.......2007-03-07

I love Ryman's style, but way too much of this book is dedicated to NOT beautiful creatures; various monsters and undead critters and the like. The women that ARE in here, though, are beautifully drawn, and very good for art reference and (ahem) other reference.

Look for both books.......2005-12-15

There's two books: "Beautiful Creatures" and "Beautiful Creatures 2." The first has awful binding unless you are looking for a collection of B&W pinups. No worries about torn pages there.
Beautiful Creatures 2 is better than previous, not just because of the binding, but also because there is a bit of organization to the drawings. Sketches illustrate the drawing evolution a bit more. On the other hand, the first has more pin-up quality pix. Both would be appropriate for illustrating fine points to budding adolescent artists... Does not begin with the step-by-step illustarations, nor does Mr. Ryman explain which pictures portray textures or 3-dimensional qualities better.
And I would have really appreciated a reference to where the picture was used in order to better understand the story that's represented by the picture.

BEAUTIES AND BEASTS.......2005-10-07

Sal Quartuccio Productions has released two volumes in the Beautiful Creatures series collecting the fantastic art of James Ryman. While the front and back covers to theses volumes have been produced digitally, the interiors show off Ryman's outstanding pencil work in both preliminary sketch and finished examples. Beautiful Creatures doesn't really tell the whole story however. Ryman's women are sometimes bold and ballsy, sometimes dark and seductive, and sometime playful and demure. His gorgeous women are often in contrast to the Hellish creatures that surround them.

Ryman's beasts are some of the most imaginative I've ever seen. Grotesque demons, gargantuan insectoids, and ravenous undead populate his art, sometimes serving; other times being served, by lovely women. There are several eye-popping, two-page spreads in the book. One of my favorites shows a nude captive female being led by two slug-like creatures to their immense leader...perhaps as a meal or something worse!

Another great two-page spread depicts a spider queen accompanied by a brutish half-ape, half spider beast, surrounded by a horde of smaller spiders. I also love the piece of the nude woman riding atop the back of a giant crocodile. Ryman can also do some fantastic pin-up-style art but with his own gruesome twist. One in particular shows his female subject holding a devilishly leering pumpkin. I also love the drawing showing a chaotic warrior in the foreground with the burning "wickerman" in the background. By the way, the Wicker Man is a great film!

There's a lot of work in this 64 page book. While Ryman has worked in video game development as well as for the RPG industry, many of his sketches look like the kind of production drawings used for designs in film. I would not be surprised if that is the next media format he decides to conquer. If you never seen his work before I highly recommend picking up both this and the second volume in the series.

Book Description

Special Features
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Odes I.1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 22, 23, 24, 25, 37, 38
II.3, 7, 10, 14
III.1, 9, 13, 30
IV.7
Satire I.9
Also includes an introduction to each ode, running vocabulary and notes, and complete vocabulary in back.

Teacher's Guide features:
Latin text in large, reproducible format
Literal translation
Sample tests
Extensive, up-to-date bibliography

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Comprehensive Approach.......2003-07-17

Having taken the AP Latin: Literature test with Catullus-Horace, I strongly recommend this book to prepare for the Horace portion of the test. Even though a page may have twice as many notes as actual text, helping with vocabulary and grammar, the book is a manageable size because it contains only those Odes which may be on the AP test. The notes themselves are large enough to be seen, unlike many other texts, and they are numbered by corresponding line in the Latin poetry for easy correlation.

With an introduction that describes not only the historical context of the poems, Horace's biography, but also Horace's style of writing, the book ALSO has maps of the places described in the poems--further helping to put the poems in context with the rest of the Ancient world. Moreover, a preface to each ode describes the underlying themes, which is extremely helpful in preparing for the essay portion of the AP test.

Of course, besides understanding the context of the poems, students also have to be able to scan the meters of the odes themselves, and the book has a clear and helpful explanation of different meters in the back, listing which poems are written in each meter.

Overall, Ronnie Ancona's edition of Horace's odes and Satire 1.9 is an excellent, comprehensive review for the AP test. A final symbol of its usefulness can be seen in the reprinting of each poem in the back of the book, only without notes, so that students can be sure that they will be able to scan, translate, and analyze these odes on the AP test without any help. From Horace's life and style to the themes he writes about, this book covers every aspect of the poetry to help students gain a fuller understanding of this poet laureate of Rome.

Book Description

This volume in the Arthurian Characters and Themes series treats the fascinating character of Perceval (or Parzival), the naive and flawed but gifted youth who becomes the Grail hero in some texts and yet is eclipsed in others by Galahad. Concentrating on medieval and modern literature, film, and Wagnerian opera, the book gathers both classic studies and new essays commissioned for this volume. Also includes eight musical examples.

Customer Reviews:

Too dear by a bow shot........2007-02-17

For almost a hundred dollars I thought I'd be getting larger print, better paper, wider margins, maybe some color plates--a nice book as objet in other words. Not so. The print is an agony to my boomer eyes, the pages are cramped, and the design and layout rudimentary.

Hardly important though since the essays, while I haven't actually read them, seem to strike out on rewarding quests, avoiding the plethora of regurgitated pap that dominates books of this field, especially nice looking ones.

Amazon.com

This is the definitive guide to the influence of East on West. Exhaustively searching out those aspects of Asian religion, art, language, culture, and inventiveness that have made their way West, the staff of A. Magazine, the only national magazine dedicated to the experience of Asian Americans, have provided a brilliantly packaged, endlessly amusing compendium of articles, images, and ideas. Need to know the coolest and strangest candies from the Western Pacific? The hottest Japanese cartoons and comic books? The basics of Buddhism? Origami's origin? Look no further. In hundreds of articles, presented with eye-catching imagery and a consistently funny and mildly snide attitude, the collision between the worlds of Astro Boy and Superman is brought to life in this delightful read.

Book Description

For everyone who's ever wondered how to order Korean barbecue and Chinese dim sum; what "good feng xui" is and how to make sure you have it; where to find the ten greatest Nintendo games never released in the States, and which is the deadliest martial art, here is the long-awaited guide to Asian cultural literacy: the key concepts, events, people, trends, and products that have been imported from Asia to America and become part of our way of life. A Mariner paperback original.

Customer Reviews:

i'm chinese-canadian and i loved this book!.......2003-04-03

i bought this book 3 1/2 yrs ago and it's been one of my favourites ever since. it is humourous and easy to read. the book touches on a huge range of subjects concerning a variety of cultures (chinese, korean, japanese, indian, thai, taiwanese, filipino, etc. )which is something no other book has done. because of this i think everyone will learn something new.

for all those critics who didn't like the book, i think you take yourselves too seriously... the book is suppose to be a fun introduction to asian culture, not an in depth study of all things asian.

Fun grab bag of Asia-related influences on U.S. pop culture.......2002-08-16

This is an enjoyable, fun survey of Asian influences on American pop culture. Some of the reviews above are a bit harsh. Take this for what it is: a grab bag of very short, engaging nuggets of pop-Asian trivia, written with an American/Canadian audience in mind, formatted in an off-beat manner (altho the layout can be a bit hard to read at times, if you sometimes have trouble reading Wired Magazine because of the fonts, backgrounds, etc, you may find the same difficulty here).
I haven't found anything else like this anywhere -- pretty much a one of a kind resource.

Pathetic Attempt to Showcase Asian Heritage.......2002-04-26

This is truly a pathetic attempt to showcase anything dealing with the Asian Heritage. I love learning about the Asian culture, but this just demeans it and enlightens no one. They shouldn't put the name of Buddah on a book to sell it. Don't bother reading this junk. If you're Asian, you'll be embarrassed. If you're non-Asian you'll laugh at the Asians.

Disappointing.......2000-05-13

This book attempts to cover culture in ALL of the countries of the "far east", and in doing so has no depth or substance on any one topic. It also has no suggestions for further reading if you are intrigued by a particular topic. A much better book along these lines is the JAPANESE POP CATALOG which does contain fascinating detail, though admittedly it "only" covers japan.

Personal agendas aside, this is a great book.......2000-01-20

I'm surprised by how personal and vicious some of the reviewers of this book got when writing... some of whom seem to have a personal beef with A. Magazine, some of whom have racial issues of their own. Can we just review the book and not our own lives? Based on the book itself, I would have to say that it's excellent--well-researched, very informative, very well-writtten. I couldn't find any other book on the market that offers this comprehensive and in-depth directory of Asian trends and phenomena. This book sold out in bookstores here in Singapore.

Cashing In With Content: How Innovative Marketers Use Digital Information to Turn Browsers into Buyers
Average customer rating:

Serious Business Strategies with Serious Free Information

Not a lot of insightful ideas

Good book depending on your needs

Cashing in on nothing.

A MUST HAVE!!!!

Cashing In With Content: How Innovative Marketers Use Digital Information to Turn Browsers into Buyers
David Meerman Scott
Manufacturer: Information Today, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Retailing | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Internet | Home Computing | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books | Internet & Education | Online Searching | Web Browsers | Web for Kids
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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E-Commerce | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Similar Items:

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly

The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right

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Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results

Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking

ASIN: 0910965714

Book Description

In failing to provide visitors with great information content, most of today's Web sites are missing a golden opportunity to create loyal customers-and leaving a fortune in new and repeat business on the table. According to Web marketing expert David Meerman Scott, too many marketers focus on style over substance. While a site may win awards for graphic design, Scott demonstrates that the key to Web marketing success is compelling content, delivered in new and surprising ways. In Cashing in with Content, he interviews 20 of today's most innovative Web marketers, sharing their secrets for using content to turn browsers into buyers, to encourage repeat business, and to unleash the amazing power of viral marketing. The book features a diverse range of content-savvy organizations from the worlds of e-commerce, business to- business, and government/not-for-profit, including the Wall Street Journal Online, CARE USA, Kenyon College, Alcoa, Tourism Toronto, Weyerhaeuser, Booz Allen Hamilton, and United Parcel Service.

Customer Reviews:

Serious Business Strategies with Serious Free Information.......2007-09-18

I read a lot of books on Internet marketing, some useful, but many are too confusing to be practical.

Not so with David Meerman Scott's Cashing In With Content (CyberAge/Information Today, 2005). Scott shows how to make money by giving away good information strategically. He provides strategies-by-example for the kind of win-win that seems to drive successful Internet marketing these days.

Scott tours 20 organizations' successful free content strategies. (He says he searched about 1000 sites to find the stories.) They are as varied a lot as one could hope for--from 100+ year old Alcoa to CARE International to popular rock band Aerosmith. Each example is explored through the same format: "What's for Sale," "What's So Interesting," "Why You Should Care," and "Cashing In." In each case, he shows how seriously useful, free information can induce visitors to complete a sales process.

The last chapter summarizes 12 best practices. Example: "Push users with content to pull them back to your site." Another example: "Consider making proprietary content free."

As I read, my imagination popped with ways to cash in with my own content. Highly recommended.

Not a lot of insightful ideas.......2007-09-07

I'm afraid I have to agree with some of the reviews that suggest there is no real explanation of "how innovative marketers are using digital information to turn browsers into buyers". The book is written in a very journalistic style such that you feel you are reading a collection of newspaper articles. Sadly, the information provided is about as high-level as you would read in a newspaper.

For example, the chapter on Alcoa's website insists that the company is providing supplies for the Apple computer, but it does not specify what kind of content attracted Apple causing them to do business with Alcoa. The chapter mentions an article explaining how aluminum is manufactured, but I'm doubtful that was the cause of the new business.

At least, in the chapter on a small college, the author does suggest that they put a button on their site saying "Give Now" and an article explaining how to put the college in your will. I'm certainly glad the college is doing that, but I have to wonder who wouldn't put such a button or an article on their site. Analogistically, it would be like Amazon allowing you to put things in the cart but never providing a way to buy things.

Like others here, I had purchased the book hoping to get suggestions on how to create and benefit from website content as an author myself and a consultant. I feel that the book was not worth the cost, but more importantly, it wasn't worth my time. And please look at my other reviews. I rarely feel bad enough about a book to give it a low review. Being an author, it's hard for me to do that to another author, but this book just didn't deliver for me.

Good book depending on your needs.......2006-06-11

First off, I really feel inclined to say this book isn't for people who are looking to get rich off of the Internet. Please do not buy this book if you are just looking for a get rich quick by shoving content online, and hoping that google adwords will pay off. This book will not assist you in this.

What this book does well is describing effective websites, and sharing good points for developing websites that people will want to use and return to for a long time. He uses commerical websites, non commerical ventures, as well as e-commerce websites to demonstrate good techniques. This book will assist in those who are wanting to really work on high qualtity sites.

I think he does a good job of giving solid techniques and ideas on developing websites that will serve the readers well. So if you are looking to develop websites for the long term, and just want to know what best business practices are in terms of websites, I really think this book is ideal in helping with website development.

Cashing in on nothing........2006-04-03

First I want to say I'm sorry I didn't write this review before getting rid of the book. The information in the book was so useless that I actually already forgot nearly all of it.

There are about 20 or so profiles of different websites ranging from schools to magazines to steel producers. The writeups are very boring and don't really offer any insight on how to cash in on content. If you want to read boring information on how such and such college publishes its fall schedule on line then knock yourself out.

I purchased this book wanting to learn how I could cash in on content. I thought this book would provide examples of the types of content you could try to offer from visitor/user generated, to out right company creation, to purchasing. I expected there to be an overiew of different types of content which you could use to build your website. In fact even a review here mentions how Amazon is brilliant for having users like me and you create content for them. That little nugget and others like it was what I was looking for. Too bad nothing of the sort is even mentioned in the book. You gather more insight about content from that one review than the entire book.

The book is cashing in on suckers with misleading reviews. This book will not help you figure out what content is, what makes it unique, and how to obtain it. The only thing it will do is outline about 20 companies that have websites and how they got to where they are. The majority of pages are about their backgrounds.

Being negative is not something I enjoy, but this book really rubbed me the wrong way.

Look else where if you are looking for inspiration.

A MUST HAVE!!!!.......2006-03-12

This book is everything it promised and more. You can take everything that is covered and apply it to your website to make it some place buyers wish to go when they are ready to buy. It is well writen, easy to read and very informative. The only way this book won't work for you is if you read it and don't apply the ideas you've learned from it to your website.

Product Description

The Founders' Almanac is an easy-to-use guide to the origins of American democracy - focusing on information that is especially valuable for our day. The calendar describes important events of the era. Biographical essays introduce the leading Founders -- including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams -- and discuss the major themes of their statesmanship. An extensive compilation of quotations reflects the wit and wisdom of the Founding generation, and an annotated bibliography suggests additional readings. Historical documents -- the Declaration of Independance, the United States Constitution and Washington's Farewell Address -- and interpretative essays reaquaint the reader with immortal words and their contemporary meaning.

Download Description

The Founders' Almanac is a practical guide to the notable events, eloquent words, and greatest leaders of the American Founding. It provides policymakers, political leaders and informed citizens needed information about America's origins, including a calendar explaining important events, speeches and writings from the American Founding, introductory essays on leading Founders, hundreds of useful quotations by category, key documents, and an annotated bibliography. The Founders? Almanac is an essential reference tool for anyone interested in conserving the principles of the American Founding and rekindling its spirit in the public life of our nation.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2004-12-01

I added this fine work to my library about 4 months ago and already the pages are showing signs of wear. I can't begin to say how many times I have turned to this fine work for a reference source..

Mr. Spalding has put together a very readable sourcebook. The book begins with a calendar of notable events, followed by six outstanding essays on six of America's most notable founders. All six essays come from different authors and each one is equally well written.

The last half of the book is devoted to notable quotations, founding documents and additional resources. The quotes are divided into numerous indexed categories. The documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, have quick reference sidebar notes. You won't regret adding this fine work to your personal library.

Invaluable resource.......2003-01-20

The last half of the book is devoted to notable quotations, founding documents and additional resources. The quotes are divided into numerous indexed categories. The documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, have quick reference sidebar notes. You won't regret adding this fine work to your personal library.

A History of Russia: Volume 2: Since 1855 (Anthem Slavic and Russian Studies)
Average customer rating:

An easy and interesting read

A History of Russia: Volume 2: Since 1855 (Anthem Slavic and Russian Studies)
Walter G. Moss
Manufacturer: Anthem Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Russia | History | Subjects | Books
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A History of Russia, Vol. 1: To 1917 (Anthem Slavic and Russian Studies)

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Russian Rebels, 1600-1800 (The Norton Library ; N836)

Readings in Russian Civilization, Volume 2: Imperial Russia, 1700-1917

ASIN: 1843310341

Customer Reviews:

An easy and interesting read.......2000-07-23

Written by a professor of history at Eastern Michigan State University, this book is chiefly concerned with the social, cultural and economic history of modern Russia. Military history is touched upon briefly and always with an eye on the social impact upon Russian society. World War I is discussed in only a few pages. World War II has its own chapter, but it is only 13 pages long. Education, religion, literature and the arts receive more attention than all military conflicts combined. This book is for readers looking for an overall picture of Russian life. Those individuals will be rewarded with briskly paced chapters that paint a rich picture of Russia. Even at 500+ pages I was never bored or tempted to skip through any sections. Since reading this book, current events in Russia seem perfectly comprehensible (almost inevitable). Each chapter ends with an extensive list of suggested readings and the general bibliography contains 12 pages of additional sources.

A History of Russia: Volume 2: Since 1855

Average customer rating:

There are better books on Soviet history

A History of Russia: Volume 2: Since 1855
Nicholas V. Riasanovsky , and Mark Steinberg
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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A History of Russia: Volume 1: To 1855 (2005)
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A Revolution of Their Own: Voices of Women in Soviet History
Exploring Russia's Past: Narrative, Sources, Images Volume 2: Since 1856

ASIN: 0195153936

Book Description

Now completely revised in this seventh edition, A History of Russia covers the entire span of the country's history, from ancient times to the postcommunist present. Featuring a new coauthor, Mark Steinberg, this edition offers extensively updated material based on the most current research, including documents from recently opened archives. Keeping with the hallmark of the text, Riasanovsky and Steinberg examine all aspects of Russia's history--political, international, military, economic, social, and cultural--with a commitment to objectivity, fairness, and balance. This seventh edition contains a wealth of new images and a fully revised bibliography and reading list. Two new chapters on politics, society, and culture since 1991 explore Russia's complex experience after communism and discuss its chances of becoming a more stable and prosperous country in the future. Widely acclaimed as the best one-volume history available, A History of Russia is being offered in paperback for the first time. In addition to the one-volume version, it is now also available in two split volumes--the first covers early Russia through the nineteenth century and the second ranges from 1855 to the present. Volume II features an additional introductory chapter that links Russia's modern history to the events that preceded it.

Customer Reviews:

There are better books on Soviet history.......2006-04-10

One of the things that really frustrated me about this book is the fact that the authors do not use citation. Many questionable passages in the book were of interest to me, but alas I could not research the background or validity of those passages. Furthermore, from time to time, the authors' writings seemed ideological and one-sided; certain sentances burried throughout the text had no apparent purpose but to denigrade USSR. There are better and more objective books than this one - Hosking's Russia and the Russians, for example. Better yet, try to learn history from the original sources as much as possible.

Average customer rating:

Events That Changed Russia since 1855

Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0313328153

Book Description

Since Alexander II ascended to the Russian throne in 1855 and implemented a series of modernizing reforms, including the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, Russia has found itself in the throes of continuous upheaval, caught between the autocratic traditions of empire and the dawn of the modern era. As the advent of industrialization and two world wars thrust Russia onto the global stage, the ramifications of its tumultuous history have been felt throughout the western world. This unique resource presents and evaluates ten of the most critical events in modern Russian history from the pivotal years of 1855-1991, including the Russian Industrial Revolution, the fall of the monarchy, the Stalin era, the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. A full chapter is devoted to each event, and each chapter includes a factual introduction to the event, as well as an in-depth interpretative essay exploring its underlying causes, factors, and effects. Coverage for each event also includes an annotated bibliography of works suitable for students and an illustration for each. A glossary of terms, a timeline of Russian history from 1853-2004, a list of Russian/Soviet rulers and a population chart serve as ready reference materials for students looking to understand this critical period in world history.

A History of Russia: Since 1855, Volume II

Average customer rating:

A History of Russia: Since 1855, Volume II
Walter G Moss , and Walter Moss
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0072839147

Book Description

This is the second volume of a two-volume text that focuses on three main topics: the struggle for and against political authority, the expansion and contraction of Russia and its dealings with non-Russian nationalities and foreign powers, and the life and culture of the Russian people. This approach contributes to the book's stress on the continuities in Russian history from its beginnings to the mid 1990's. The text provides a balanced and comprehensive coverage of political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual history.

Distinctions • A two-volume format, with the material on Late Imperial Russia appearing in both volumes. • Incorporates the latest scholarly findings and briefly mentions scholarly controversies. • A clear overview stressing main themes is offered at the beginning of each historical period and the beginning of each chapter. • Chapters are organized in a chronological/topical manner and written in a clear style interweaving narrative and analysis. • Offers greater treatment of such topics as nationalities issues, political opposition, women, eating and drinking, health and sickness, law, crime and punishments, and popular culture. • Much stronger coverage of social history than its competitors. • Extensive and current list of sources at the end of each chapter. A more general source list at the end of each volume includes references to media sources and internet sources. • Primary source inserts drawn from memoirs, letters, foreign observers accounts, and Soviet dissident literature are all included in each chapter.

Russia in Revolution Selected Readings in Russian Domestic History Since 1855

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Russia in Revolution Selected Readings in Russian Domestic History Since 1855
Stanley W. Page
Manufacturer: D. Van Nostrand Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CMJC2

Russia in revolution;: Selected readings in Russian domestic history since 1855, (University series in history)

Average customer rating:

Russia in revolution;: Selected readings in Russian domestic history since 1855, (University series in history)
Stanley W Page
Manufacturer: Van Nostrand
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006D782Y

Average customer rating:

HISTORY OF RUSSIA V2 SINCE 1855 7E
RIASANOVSKY/STEINBERG
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKQJGK

Time's Pendulum: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks, the Fascinating History of Timekeeping and How Our Discoveries Changed the World
Average customer rating:

Good overview

Two books in one, both interesting!

If I could keep time in a bottle....

An interesting book

A compelling introduction to the history of clockmaking

Time's Pendulum: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks, the Fascinating History of Timekeeping and How Our Discoveries Changed the World
Jo Ellen Barnett
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0156006499

Amazon.com

Likely you've heard that the mechanical clock is one of humanity's most significant inventions, comparable to the printing press, or electricity, or the automobile. But first-time author Jo Ellen Barnett admits that most of us, if we're honest, don't quite see why. Our perception of time, and our artificial division of it into little, repeatable pieces, is so ingrained in us that we forget it's an invention.

Barnett, who admits to having been fascinated by time all her life, seems the perfect person to clear up this conceptual blind spot. Drawing from many disciplines, she's conducted a sweeping survey of our relationship with time, from our earliest attempts to measure and understand it to our more recent breakthroughs with carbon dating and atomic clocks. Time's Pendulum never skimps on the science, with its detailed explanations and unapologetic technical discussions. But what makes the book so very likable (and readable) is Barnett's passion for meditating on time's cultural and even spiritual mysteries. If you're already intrigued by time, Time's Pendulum makes for a satisfying, meaty read, rich in insights and historical anecdotes; if you aren't already intrigued, you will be. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

A perfect balance of science, history, and sociology, Time's Pendulum traces the important developments in humankind's epic quest to measure the hours, days, and years with accuracy, and how our concept of time has changed with each new technological breakthrough. Written in an easy-to-follow chronological format and illustrated with entertaining anecdotes, author Jo Ellen Barnett's history of timekeeping covers everything from the earliest sundials and water clocks, to the pendulum and the more recent advances of battery-powered, quartz-regulated wrist watches and the powerful radioactive "clock," which loses only a few billionths of a second per day, making it nearly ten billion times more accurate than the pendulum clock. A tour of the discoveries and the inventors who endeavored to chart and understand time, Time's Pendulum also explains how each new advance gradually transformed our perception of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Good overview.......2007-06-15

I've already had some interest in the topic, but wanted to pickup another book and see what else I could learn, so got this one based on the reviews. A very good book, would highly recommend for someone who wants to learn about the history of keeping time.

Two books in one, both interesting!.......2004-03-10

Jo Ellen Barnett has written two books here, hidden between one set of covers. The first part goes over the history of how we have measured (and, truly, how we have defined) the time of day, starting with the "temporary hours" of a sundial (longer in summer, shorter in winter, and not even counted during the night), and transitioning to equal (but still based on the sun) hours (local apparent time), then to local mean time, to standard (time-zone) time, and ending up with the current Coordinated Universal Time, based on atomic phenomena. The story is absorbing and well written, and would be an enjoyable book all by itself.

Then she has a second part, concerned with the way we have determined the age of the earth. This could be said to start with the speculations of the Babylonians and Greeks, but really took off in earnest with medievals' attempts to build everything on a Biblical basis, reading into the Biblical account whatever they needed to build their chronology. When the geologists tried to account for their own observations, however, it was clear that the few thousand years the Bible literalists derived for the age of the earth was far too small, but physicists like Lord Kelvin (while arriving at a longer time than the Bible provided) still reached an age of the earth too brief to mesh with the geological evidence. Only with the discovery of radioasctivity and the refinement of the techniques of deriving chronological data from radioactivity measurements could the physicists and geologists be reconciled.

Both parts make it clear that ultimately time has become defined in terms of atomic phenomena (though different parts of the atom) and only through our measurement of these can accuracy be attained (whether in the case of the time of day or the time the earth has taken to evolve since its origin).

Unlike some other two-part books I have reviewed, this one puts them both together successfully. It is a very interesting book.

If I could keep time in a bottle...........2002-10-27

How many times a day do we unconsciously look at our watches, or the clock on the stove or the VCR (provided it's not permanently blinking 12:00)? Yet for many years, the capture of time to a clock was at best around the right hour of the day. Bernett takes us through the refinement of clock technology and clock making, and how this more exact time changed our lives, some would argue with the idea of a change for the better. She takes us on a simple and entertaining sweep of time from sundials to measuring the beats of an atom in order to tell what time it really is. Along the way there are arguments about the prime meridian and time zones as we are forced to go from telling time by the sun above each of us, to entire time zones on a single time, irregardless of where the sun exactly is. At least the trains could run on time.

Then Barnett pulls back and looks at the greatest clock around - the planet Earth itself. The question of how old the Earth is was a question that kept pushing the answer back and back further in time. Of course the Earth was only 6,000 years old, according to biblical interpreters. That is until the strata and fossils began to be understood, and then half life of radioactive elements could fix time ever more exactly. Now that we are able to "read" a good part of the clock that is the Earth, our placement of ourselves in time has also settled. So now we have a concept of where we are in time, and how to find it. At least until the earth slows some more due to friction in the tides. An interesting book that doesn't delve too deep and pulls you along on an interesting, everyday subject.

An interesting book.......2001-06-15

Time's Pendulum is a book not only about time and how time is measured, but also about our perception of time -- from the moment we as a species started worrying about it right up to today. Barnett does not only discuss clocks and how clocks work but the importance of time in daily life. Also excellent is her discussion of 'deep time' -- thinking about time on astronomical scales. I was also pleased by the more subtle connections. For example, the influence of the railroads on not only synchronizing watches over extending longitutes (i.e., time zones), but also their contribution to geologic time through uncovering the fossiliferous rocks during their construction.

A compelling introduction to the history of clockmaking.......1999-05-08

This is really two books--the first is a chronological history of time measurement devices, and the second is a history of humankind's perception of the age of humanity, the earth, and the universe. The first book is fascinating and well written. Writing for a general readership, Barnett explores the development of clockmaking and how the existence of ever more accurate clocks has irrevocably changed everyday life for us all. Her detailed explanation of the verge-and-foliot escapement was especially fascinating, as was her discussion of "the equation of time" and how it gives rise to the Mean in Greenwich Mean Time. Overall, the first half of her book is a wonderful introduction to an underappreciated portion of humanity's history. The second half of Barnett's book, however, is a rehash of material that Isaac Asimov explored fully in his nonfiction writings in the 1960s and 1970s. It may hold the interest of readers unfamiliar with Asimov, but for me it was a real disappointment, especially after such a compelling introduction to the history of clocks and clockmaking.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Parks & Recreation, published by National Recreation and Park Association on February 1, 2004. The length of the article is 826 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: Florida: Miami-Dade Parks opens new soccer fields.(NPRA in Action)
Publication: Parks & Recreation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2004
Publisher: National Recreation and Park Association
Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Page: 88(2)

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