Real Estate Marketing: Pat's Way... With Cherry Pits, Match Sticks & Alligators

Book Description

This Book Will Help You Sell Property!

REALTOR® Pat Stewart has combined some of her most outstanding (and profitable) marketing ideas into this easy-to-follow-guide.

Her down-to-earth advertisements combine humor and pique the interest of homebuyers everywhere.

Keep this one on your desk!!

Book Description

Devil in the Details is Moonstone's third all-new comic book featuring TV's original paranormal investigator, hard-nosed reporter Carl Kolchak! On the surface, this one looks like an open and shut case of embezzlement, as Chester Fredesen takes off with his company's loot while his brother (and business partner) Barry lies dying in a hospital bed. Soon, other members of the family begin to vanish, and Barry's disease goes into an impossible state of remission, as Kolchak tumbles headlong into a hi-tech horror story.

Customer Reviews:

Kolchak #5 maintains solid quality of renewed series........2004-02-15

When the lesser half of a troubled technology company vanishes into thin air reporter Carl Kolchak investigates. What he discovers is something far more macabre than simple corporate thieving. Moonstone has yet another feather for the straw hat of its Kolchak: The Night Stalker line. Once again they have captured the flavor of the series, bringing in the news room regulars (Ron Updyke, Miss Emily, and, of course, Tony Vincenzo) for comic relief and the monster Carl battles this time is arguably the best one yet. Another nice touch is the continuity and the growing frustration Kolchak is beginning to show with constantly running into the creatures of the night. That touch gives this series a realistic element that makes it all the more entertaining and addictive. Highly recommended. Be on the look out for issue #6, Pain Most Human.

The fifth Kolchak graphic novel.......2004-01-31

Jeff Rice and company at Moonstone have done a wonderful job with their KOLCHAK series of graphic novels. This one is no different, while the artwork might leave a little to be desired (sketchy, and Kolchak often doesn't look like himself-overly pointed nose) it is adequate to tell the wonderful storyline they cooked up this time. Devil in the Details starts off with some wonderful narration from our intrepid reporter. It then procedes to delve into some dark moments which immediately engages the reader with the characters and environment. It then continues with the same wonderful narration throughout the rest of the book. This is some of the best writing I have encountered in a comic in some time. Keep em coming Moonstone-
Recommended

In Search of the World's Worst Writers
Average customer rating:

It's all here

Laugh out loud (and READ out loud) funny!

Outstanding! Laugh out loud funny!

A roundup of amusingly bad poetry and prose

In Search of the World's Worst Writers
Nick Page
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Collections & Readers | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 000274094X

Book Description

There are writers whose works inspire and lift us, who move us to tears with their beauty, elegance, and profundity. This book isn't about them.

Customer Reviews:

It's all here.......2002-03-16

A considerable amount of research has gone into this excellent volume, which covers writers from the 1600s to the early 20th century. There have been many volumes of bad verse before (though few as thorough), but Nick Page has also generously included a few excerpts from bad playwrights and novelists as well. He also comments amusingly on many of the entries. The bottom line is, there isn't a page in here that won't make you grin or even laugh aloud. I think my favorite discovery herein is a man who tried to write a phrasebook of English for those learning the language, whereas he himself couldn't even speak it! Anyone with an interest in written English will not want to miss the outstandingly bad poetry and prose in this impressive collection. (Those who are fond of bad verse may also want to try to find a used copy of "Pegasus Descending," an anthology from the early seventies edited by James Camp and others. That volume is notable for its inclusion of clunkers by otherwise great poets such as Emily Dickinson.)

Laugh out loud (and READ out loud) funny!.......2002-02-25

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one. To laugh at bad movies has been in vogue since Mystery Science Theater. To laugh at bad music is a national past time. But to laugh at bad books... now THAT is a true appreciation of mediocrity. I have been a fan of putrid fiction since I chanced upon a yellowed 50s pulp western and spent the whole afternoon giggling over it. I have taken on universally heckled (and long-winded) gothic novelist Anne Radcliffe. Nick Page has managed to take the quest for the worst writer to a new level.

Yes, he finds who the worst writer is and I could not agree with him more. There is simply no way anyone could argue with him. (except for the author who maintained that all those nasty critics were just jealous!) But who can deny the following words from one of the author's two novels:

"...son of my strength, idolized remnant of my inert husband, who at this moment invisibly offers the scourging whip of fatherly authority to your backbone of resentment..."

And this is one of the better passages. But don't worry, there are other authors listed who are almost (though never quite) as bad. You have Margaret Cavendish Duchess of Newcastle whose poetry was all about some kind of macabre food, whose novels were hyper sci-fi trips, whose plays were so boring she actually put a warning in front of them! Or Pedro Carolino, who was going to write a Portuegese/English phrase book and wasn't about to allow the little fact that he did not actually speak english stop him! (He used a portuegese/french and then a french/english dictionary to translate everything. It shows.)

Useful English phrase:

He has spit in my coat

The author's asides are almost as funny as the quotations themselves. He always has something witty to say about the sometimes unreadable quotations. In fact, some of the best passages come from the Rules of Bad Writing. (Heart is more important than Art) And for anyone who just wanst to sample, all authors are organized into sub-categories. (Strange Subjects, Confused Syntax, Four stars or better)

Enjoy... I think.

Outstanding! Laugh out loud funny!.......2001-11-17

This mind-boggling compendium of the "world's worst" is, as the cover advertises, a "celebration of triumphantly bad literature." The author's acerbic commentary adds its own humor. Nick Page has dared to rate the world's worst authors -- one to five stars -- and has carefully cross-referenced each author to others who wrote of similarly dreadful subjects. Don't miss the ONLY five star author in Page's lexicon. This is a great gift for literate humorists. But be warned -- the person you give this book to will call you to read you his or her favorite bits.

A roundup of amusingly bad poetry and prose.......2001-06-04

So who's the worst poet or novelist ever? Give up? If you really want to know, grab this book, where Nick Page suggests many outstanding candidates notable for their bizarre subjects, excruciating rhymes, or outright lunacy. Some examples: Nancy Luce, the Chicken poet of New England; Francis Saltus Saltus ("Sad, on Broadway next afternoon,/I strolled in listless manner,/Humming her most detested tune,/And smoking a Havana."); and, my personal favorite, James McIntyre, the great Canadian cheese poet ("Who hath prophetic vision sees/In future times a ten ton cheese").

In all, there are 41 writers profiled here, each with a few pages of biographical notes ("Dentists are frightening enough, but dentists who write poetry are utterly terrifying"), choice samples of the writer's work ("Whene'er along the ivory disks are seen,/The filthy footsteps of the dark gangrene;/...Brook no delay, ye trembling, suffering fair,/But fly for refuge to the dentist's chair."), and samples of how the work was received ("reading it is the poetic equivalent of root canal work without anaesthetic"). Most of the book is more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny, but it's a pleasantly diverting read, and particularly fun if you read it with a friend, taking turns reading the good (bad?) bits aloud to each other.

Book Description

Explores how, since its apparent demise in the late fifties, the noir genre has been revitalized during the post-studio era.

Customer Reviews:

WEALTH OF INFO ON HOLLYWOODS 2ND GOLDEN AGE.......1999-04-01

I really like this book!!! I have about 50 pages to go and dread finishing it. I love the great films of the late sixties and seventies- Coppola, Scorcese, Ashby, Kubrick, and this book looks behind the scenes of the machine that produced them and the creative people who made them. Check it out. Only reason for 4 stars is that I would have liked more photos.

Book Description

The period since 1989 has been marked by the global endorsement of open markets, the free flow of finance capital and liberal ideas of constitutional rule, and the active expansion of human rights. Why, then, in this era of intense globalization, has there been a proliferation of violence, of ethnic cleansing on the one hand and extreme forms of political violence against civilian populations on the other?

Fear of Small Numbers is Arjun Appadurai’s answer to that question. A leading theorist of globalization, Appadurai turns his attention to the complex dynamics fueling large-scale, culturally motivated violence, from the genocides that racked Eastern Europe, Rwanda, and India in the early 1990s to the contemporary “war on terror.” Providing a conceptually innovative framework for understanding sources of global violence, he describes how the nation-state has grown ambivalent about minorities at the same time that minorities, because of global communication technologies and migration flows, increasingly see themselves as parts of powerful global majorities. By exacerbating the inequalities produced by globalization, the volatile, slippery relationship between majorities and minorities foments the desire to eradicate cultural difference.

Appadurai analyzes the darker side of globalization: suicide bombings; anti-Americanism; the surplus of rage manifest in televised beheadings; the clash of global ideologies; and the difficulties that flexible, cellular organizations such as Al-Qaeda present to centralized, “vertebrate” structures such as national governments. Powerful, provocative, and timely, Fear of Small Numbers is a thoughtful invitation to rethink what violence is in an age of globalization.

Customer Reviews:

Our moment in history.......2007-03-01

"Fear of Small Numbers" by Arjun Appadurai offers an exceptionally astute and often original analysis on the topic of violence and globalization. Drawing on his extensive knowledge gained over an impressive career as a scholar, consultant and activist, Mr. Appadurai brings an unique and internationalist perspective to bear on the subject. Written with a high degree of intelligence, clarity and conciseness, Mr. Appadurai's book convincingly explains how much of today's violence is tied to economic and social forces that are peculiar to our moment in history, thereby providing much-needed insight into how we might begin to address and resolve the problem of violence in our time.

Mr. Appadurai contends that globalization has created mass uncertainty by demolishing the state's ability to control its own economic destiny; as a consequence, the production of cultural cohesion has gained greater importance than ever for the nation state's bid to retain relevancy. Unfortunately, the globalization game can easily destabilize national borders and upset the state's attempts at social cohesion by creating mass unemployment and encouraging inflows and outflows of destitute workers. Under these conditions, the downtrodden can sometimes become scapegoats for the nation's failures; in extreme cases, the poor and disenfranchised may become victims of violent purges that are driven by the majority population's heightened social and economic anxieties.

However, Mr. Appadurai believes that terrorism constitutes the truly nightmarish side of globalization. Mimicking transnational corporations by organizing themselves in flexible, decentralized production networks, terrorist groups threaten the survival of the nation state. Terrorist rage is often directed at the U.S. as a consequence of its perceived cultural and economic hegemony as well as for its frequent exercise of military power around the world, especially in the Middle East. Mr. Appadurai points out that suicide bombers attempt to make political statements by personalizing themselves and their victims in deliberate and pointed contrast to the anonymous mass violence inflicted by U.S. air bombing campaigns. While Mr. Appadurai understands that some of these outsider perceptions of the U.S. may be difficult to accept, we probably need to acknowledge the author's point about how the unequal distribution of wealth and the sometimes indiscriminate and reckless deployment of U.S. power may be contributing to political destabilization and violent backlash if we wish to address some of the root causes of terrorism in a meaningful way.

Mr. Appadurai goes on to discuss how the rise and fall of the BJP in India illustrates how political struggle can coalesce around ideas of cultural identification and exclusion. We learn how relatively small segments of the population can challenge legal and religious doctrines in a manner that can seem threatening to the majority population, elements of whom sometimes lash out violently against perceived threats in ideologically motivated attacks. On the other hand, the author finds hope in the many grass-roots activist networks around the world who are working for positive socioeconomic change. Mr. Appadurai believes that such organizations can create a much-needed "third space" for democratic deliberation and decision making, thereby helping the global economic system to work towards just ends.

I give this timely and important book the highest possible rating and recommend it to everyone.

Terror and the fear of 'difference' .......2006-07-03

Appadurai draws on his former work on globalization in Modernity at Large, to propose a set of exciting and innovatively original reflections on the agendas set by post-September 11. The way terrorism is a sequel to former globalizing tendencies, and has been used in local contexts to deal in a discriminating way with 'difference', and 'minorities', is set against larger issues, such as the question of the role of the territorialized nation-state, and deterritorialized global terror. The interest of his approach resides in the fact that it considers a wide range of examples from South Asia to Europe, and the US, thus making the more evident how reductive - to say the least- are views of contemporaneity derived from Huntington's Clash of Civilizations. Appadurai is a genuinely original thinker, an exception in a world which sees a daily proliferation of repetitive and obvious approaches to such issues. An inspiring book I strongly recommend!

Frank Marshall, United States Chess Champion: A Biography With 220 Games
Average customer rating:

Superb biography of a leading player of his day

THE definitive book on Marshall ...

Quality reading

Frank Marshall, United States Chess Champion: A Biography With 220 Games
Andy Solits
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Garry Kasparov's Greatest Chess Games, Vol. 2

Can You Be a Positional Chess Genius

50 Essential Chess Lessons

Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors, Part 5 (My Great Predecessors)

Tal-Botvinnik, 1960

ASIN: 0899508871

Book Description

Frank Marshall (1877-1944) reigned as America's chess champion from 1907 through 1936-the longest stint of anyone. Marshall's life and playing style are fully examined here, including over 200 of his games (some never before published) with 190 positional diagrams. International grandmaster and New Yorker Andy Soltis, author of over 50 chess books, is the eight-time champion of the world-famous Marshall Chess Club.

Customer Reviews:

Superb biography of a leading player of his day.......2002-05-31

GM Andy Soltis certainly knows how to write fine books, and this is one of them. Even non-Americans should appreciate a book about this US Champion who was also one of the world's top 10 for almost 30 years.

The book covers Marshall's life set in its historical context, and also lightly annotates many Marshall games, including some draws and losses. Marshall was famous for his combinational ability, but Soltis shows that he had confidence, with good reason, of being able to outplay many opponents in the endgame.

Marshall's skill should not be underestimated although he lost matches decisively to Lasker and Capablanca. He won the enormously strong Cambridge Springs tournament of 1904 ahead of then world champ Lasker. At St Petersburg 1914, he was one of the five finalists, and Tsar Nicholas II awarded these players the original grandmaster title. In the mid 1920s, Marshall showed that he could cope with the new hypermoderns. Even in the 1930s, when his strength had lessened somewhat, he captained to USA team to victory four times at the Olympiads, and the USA teams have never risen to the same heights since.

THE definitive book on Marshall ..........2002-04-02

I used to have this book, I broke my own rules and lent it to a student and friend ... and he left Pensacola. (I never saw him, ... or the book again. But in his defense, he was in the Navy, and they move those guys around a lot.)
I also used to have an original copy of Marshall's book, but I have lost that over the years, too.

But the book is absolutely a treasure, I borrowed a friend's copy to do this review. (For accuracy's sake.)

I am too young to have known the man. (I played my first chess tournament in 1966.) But I knew Mr. Marshall's wife (Carrie) quite well. For many, many years; she was the lady who sat at the foot of the stairs and greeted you as you walked into the Marshall chess club. I feel very badly - I wish someone had told me who she was the first time I visited there. The Marshall's are a HUGE part of the history of the game of chess, at least here in the U.S.

What do you get when you buy this book? Quite simply one of the very best chess books ever written, at least in the area of a (chess) biography. It is very clear and very obvious that this book has been researched to a level I personally have never seen before.

By comparison, I am interested in history and very fascinated with several figures in history, notably Abe Lincoln and Andrew Jackson. (Among others.) I have read virtually every book I could get my hands on about these two persons ... and in the process I have found literally hundreds of mistakes. (One authors' chronological record itself was ridiculous, he had Jackson - MANY TIMES!! - in two different places at the same time!)

But in Soltis's book, I have yet to find a single error. This might be because Marshall himself left a tremendous amount of material behind. He wrote several books, kept journals, and filled literally hundreds of yellow legal pads with notes of his own. And the people who actually knew Frank Marshall told me he had a fabulous memory.

The former secretary of the club personally told me that Soltis spent hundreds and hundreds of hours there, pouring over records, making notes, and making copies of the material that is available there.

The result? A simply fabulous book that is virtually free of errors. I am NOT saying Andy made no mistakes, every human does. But Andy has worked VERY hard on producing a document/book that is about as error-free as any person could humanly try to do. Andy has gone well above and beyond the call of duty here.

"What about the book," you say? Well, it too is beautiful. A gorgeous hard-back book that is nearly 400 pages in length. 220 very deeply annotated games. Additionally, there are DOZENS of game fragments.

Personally, I do NOT think you would buy this book if your only interest was to improve your game, there are simply too many other good books devoted to that subject. (Check out the books by Capa, Reinfeld, Watson and Yermolinsky.) No, you would buy this book for many reasons - maybe because you consider yourself a Marshall fan. Or you consider yourself a student chess history, and want to learn more. And maybe you think you might benefit from studying one of the greatest tactical players the USA ever produced.

All the bases are covered here. A thorough index, photo's, match and tournament record ... quite simply there is not a topic or subject here that you can't think of that Soltis has not covered in great detail. (On page # 203 you can find Marshall's famous victory over Levitsky, Breslau; 1912.)

The only topic that I could not find was the list of Marshall's best games; perhaps Soltis did not feel qualified to make that judgment. You have over 200 of Marshall's games here, so after playing through them all, you could do your own list. (My own choice would have to come from one of the games from his monumental win at Cambridge Springs, 1904.)

If you are a fan of Soltis, as I am ... or want to learn more about chess history, then get this book. I will say no more.

Quality reading.......2001-03-16

I think Frank Marshall fans will find this book invaluable,it features many of his best games and plus it gives a good biography as the book progresses, perhaps the games could use some more notes but what is there is good enough.

Computer Forensics JumpStart (Jumpstart (Sybex))
Average customer rating:

Very Good Introductory Book

This is an eye opening book!!

Computer Forensics JumpStart (Jumpstart (Sybex))
Michael Solomon , Neil Broom , and Diane Barrett
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Encryption | Security & Encryption | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Hacking | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Network Security | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Forensics | Security & Encryption | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Windows Forensics: The Field Guide for Corporate Computer Investigations

ASIN: 078214375X

Book Description

Launch Your Career in Computer Forensics—Quickly and Effectively

Written by a team of computer forensics experts, Computer Forensics JumpStart provides all the core information you need to launch your career in this fast-growing field:

Conducting a computer forensics investigation
Examining the layout of a network
Finding hidden data
Capturing images
Identifying, collecting, and preserving computer evidence
Understanding encryption and examining encrypted files
Documenting your case
Evaluating common computer forensic tools
Presenting computer evidence in court as an expert witness

Customer Reviews:

Very Good Introductory Book.......2007-04-20

Like the previous reviewer I agree that the book does cover a fair breadth of material but not great detail. But, as a quick search will show, there are several hundred books on the subject. Most of those books are very technical and detailed unlike this book which is a great introduction to an incredibly complex industry. If your interested in getting more information about this field before jumping in this is a must have.

This is an eye opening book!!.......2005-05-03

The book I chose to review was a book on Computer Forensics. Computer forensics is a very helpful easy to read book on investigative techniques for corporate managers or law enforcement. Unauthorized Internet access for employees could potentially grow into a festering tumor for many employers. This book details how someone with basic computer skills could investigate a workstation to see if anything malicious has been occurring.
The authors do a splendid job of offering real work examples to show the damage of inappropriate access and use by certain individuals. The use of the Internet and emails as a method of destruction is particularly alarming. Criminals and people with a penchant for malice are using emerging and established forms of communication to pervert the original intent of creators. The examples give snap shots into the complexity of the world of 21st century crimes.
The book is does go into detail about fraud on web based commerce. Thing such as ebay and bargain shopping web sites, seem noticeably missed in the context of crimes committed. The interesting example they use is the theft of website design from one website. Criminals could then use such designs to their own professional credit. It proceeds to tell the audience how to retrace the computer footprints to determine if designs were stolen.
It surveys overall Internet issues such as domain name services and email servers. The subject matter is daunting to say in the least, but the authors keep an individual grounded in the fact they are a beginner. It gives the feel of becoming a modern Dick Tracy or Sam Spade. The section also covers encrypted passwords, which are becoming more commonplace due to online commerce.
My main criticism would be the overall simplicity the authors present when entering such a field. It almost smacks of snake oil salesmen bartering cure alls. The work seems admirable but a very vast field, which encompasses everything from the intellectual property rights of web designers to human resource managers keeping tabs on company employees. Other than those points, I would say this is a must read for anyone who plans to enter businesses, which conduct online based exchanges of information or capital. It was a real experience to discover the depth of emerging criminal conduct with technology.

Book Description

Riveting account traces careers of buccaneers of many nationalities across 2 centuries and around the globe — from the West Indies to the South Seas. True stories of such notorious brigands as Captain Kidd and Edward (Blackbeard) Teach, as well as such lesser-known pirates as John Quelch, Christopher Scudamore, and Erasmus Peterson.

Customer Reviews:

Arrr, Here Be Buried Treasure.......2006-09-29

An older text on pirates unabridged or altered from the original published in 1925. Seitz provides a large number of biographies of various pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries as well as a number from the early 19th century. This is not a rehash of Captain Charles Johnson's book on pirates as are so many other compilations of pirate biographies. Seitz seems to have drawn much of his detail from government records including many of the crewman names recorded in the trials.

The writing style is circa 1920s but still very readable. The only picture is the front-plate of Edward Teach. The names covered include all of the favorites: Teach, Kidd, Roberts, Every, Bonnet, Bellamy, England and Davis. He also includes a number of lesser known pirates: North, Bradish, Howard, White and Evens (to name a few). Ultimately, this is a very nice read and reference, although, like so many older books on piracy it lacks an index to really shine as a reference.
P-)

Book Description

Myth and Knowing is a rich resource of myths and mythology through the ages, in which scholarly and literary materials combine to provide a seamless portrait of this multicultural topic. Balanced and nuanced discussions explore the ways in which myths have portrayed both men and women. In addition, art and maps contextualize selected myths, providing insights into the cultures and religious traditions from which they originated.

Customer Reviews:

Great Text Book.......2007-06-27

This is a great book for an upper level anthropology class.
I'm reading it for my "Anthropology of Religion" class and it's been a very interesting book.

A New Standard.......2006-05-11

Though many have attempted such a feat, in Myth & Knowing, Leonard and McClure have finally written the foundational textbook for comparative mythologies, and, in doing so, have also created a remarkable text for exploring the transition from oral tradition to written text. As the title suggests, Myth & Knowing moves beyond a simple reiteration of the stories by grouping them into conceptual chapters (Creation Myths, The Female Divine, The Male Divine, Trickster Myths, and Sacred Places)which not only invites direct comparisons but creates archetypal structures that become the critical basis for analyzing modern mythologies and even modern epistomologies. I have used this text with great success in introductory mythology, religion, and literature classes.

Mythology class book.......2005-10-01

This was a book that I read for a Mythology and Folklore class. I liked the book because it was easy to read and it contained a lot of history. Having the background information to accompany the stories was helpful and made the reading more interesting. Highly recommended.

Great for class or just to read.......2004-03-19

Myth and Knowing was used for my Mythology in Literature class at University and it was a great book. The chapter divisions are helpful for the way my class was taught. The chapters are divded into groups like; The Male Divine and Creation Myths. In this format you can look at the many many different creation myths out there all in one section to see the differences and similarities. The book covers a huge range of cultures in the stories used for examples about the topic at hand. From Iceland to Africa and America it offers stories on how the many people groups of the world view the divine.

Stuff: The Materials the World Is Made of
Average customer rating:

This is the way to go for a primer in material Science

Materials Science Made Simple

GREAT

2 big thumbs way way up!!!

A good overview of materials science

Stuff: The Materials the World Is Made of
Ivan Amato
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Materials Science | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
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Transmaterial: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine our Physical Environment

ASIN: 0465083285

Amazon.com

"Stuff, stuff, everywhere stuff": Ivan Amato will make you appreciate how much ingenuity, history, and subtlety goes into even the most apparently mundane human-produced materials, such as paper or steel. Then he will astonish you by describing the Stuff of the future, the deliberate creations of today's materials scientists: Buckyballs, synthetic diamonds, designs crafted at the atomic level, self-healing materials, and biomimetics. A revolution is just beginning that is "comparable in scope and importance to the beginning of the scientific method."

Book Description

The way our world is, how it got there and where it's going, is a direct result of the stuff we make other stuff out of: the metals, composites, ceramics, plastics and semi-conductors found in every man-made thing around us. From antique china to airplanes, transistor radios and supercomputers--from the Stone Age to the Electronics Age and far beyond--science writer Ivan Amato takes on a remarkable journey through a breathtaking universe of enlightenment and challenge; revealing the secrets, exploring the astounding histories, introducing us to the genius personalities behind the discoveries, and unveiling the glorious future and possibilities of STUFF.

Customer Reviews:

This is the way to go for a primer in material Science.......2006-06-06

As a mechanical engineer, I was exposed to a rather dry subject of material science limiting to a choise of performance curves that satisfied the load requirements. I bought this book some years ago and I was amazed on the explanation and depth of the coverage. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about materials is somehow reflected here, the history, the facts the whys.. As a special bonus there is a graph (page 243)that shows the interplay of factors that influence steel behaviour, just this is worth the reading... I wonder why is out of stock?..

Materials Science Made Simple.......2002-11-06

Optimistic, easy-to-read, this charming history of the effect of new materials on society is filled with brilliant analogies. From the ceramics and bronze of prehistoric times through iron, steel, aluminum, polymers, transistors, silicon microchips and solid-state lasers, using personal interviews and a number of diagrams, Amato takes the reader on a joyful tour of what became Materials Science. This fount of good (but not excellent) explanations of many things is marred by a number of technical errors, and a Green Party stance on all of the current environmental issues. These flaws drag down what would have been a 5-star rating to 3 stars. The generally delicious writing style is marred by some problems with transitive verbs and a few slang expressions that may be hard to translate. Citation of sources is adequate.
...

GREAT.......2001-12-11

He manages to explain complicated things in a way me and you can understand them,and me makes you even more interested in the subjects he covers.

2 big thumbs way way up!!!.......1999-02-06

I think that stuff is a great book. If you are interested if the materials of the world, this is a great book.

A good overview of materials science.......1998-11-02

Ivan Amato's Stuff: The Materials the World is Made of is a good, workmanlike history and description of "materials science." Basically, materials science involves the fashioning of one material of nature into another; Amato imagines the first "materials scientist" as the caveman breaking rocks to make the first tools. Modern materials science, of course, is focused much more on atomic and sub-atomic levels, and Amato does a good job describing the state of the art today. Much of his writing is a bit "gee whiz", both over-written and over-enthusiastic for my tastes. He writes clearly and in a well-organized fashion, and I learned a fair amount from this book.

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