The National Tax Rebate: A New America With Less Government

Book Description

What would happen if the American public could set the federal government's spending priorities to fit their individual needs?

Book Description

Takezou's sister Shinano takes center stage. With Big Bro off in the U.S. spreading the good name of otakus everywhere, Shinano moves into the Maniac Road store and begins her new life at a new high school. The love of all things manga and anime runs strong in Shinano as she searches for others with the same passion.

Customer Reviews:

THE PRESIDENT OF NOTHING.......2005-09-23

Pretty Maniacs is a sequel to Maniac Road, the 3 volume manga about 3 sisters who take in an otaku named Takezou to remake their struggling electronics store into an otaku paradise. At the end of that series, Takezou was setting off for America to set up a shop there. Pretty Maniacs starts off with his sister, Shinano, taking his place at Maniac Road while she is attending school. She is appointed President of the manga club at the school but is horrified when she realizes she is the president of a club with no members! There is a beauty queen named Otowa who shares her interests but their tastes in anime and manga are so different that they often clash. In a plot right out of Genshiken, the annoying and bossy student body president gives Shinano one month to make the manga club a respectable and productive member of the school or it will be disbanded. But first she has to find members!

If you enjoyed Maniac Road, Pretty Maniacs is another winner. While not quite as educational as the first series, it does have more charm and character. The art is attractive and never seems cluttered or confused. It has the clean lines of an anime. It's also very funny and should be read by anyone interested in Japanese sub-culture.

I would suggest reading Maniac Road before reading this. Also check out the anime and manga versions of Comic Party and Genshiken, which cover the same ground in different ways.

Book Description

Essay contributors include Stan Brakhage, Fred Camper, Jack Chambers, R. Bruce Elder, Avis Lang, Sarah Milroy, Bart Testa, Peter Tscherkassky, Ross Woodman, and Michael Zyd.

Published by Cinematheque Ontario. Distributed in Canada by Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Distributed outside Canada by Indiana Unviersity Press.

Book Description

In the late 1990s the television landscape underwent a seismic change as the reality game shows Big Brother and Survivor won unprecedented audiences across Europe and the US. Subjecting their contestants to protracted seclusion from the outside world, the shows offered up a novel combination of mundanity and extremity, and bred a host of imitations which ranged from the absurdly inept to the outright sadistic.

Shooting People explores the emergence of the form, its relation to documentary and its significance in a globalized TV industry. Sam Brenton and Reuben Cohen draw parallels between some of the methods employed to control contestants and techniques of incarceration and psychological interrogation, and expose the nefarious influence of psychologists and psychotherapists in the business of reality TV. This "ultimate form of light entertainment" is also shown to be a perfect propaganda vehicle for an anti-political culture in which, in the absence of grand narratives, the personal focus, the detritus of selfhood, has become seen as the only story worth telling.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating and informative.......2006-03-10

"Shooting People" is a great read. Aside from its provocative title and cover art, the introduction is written in such a palatable way that I literally couldn't put it down. It begins with an awful retelling of the suicide of a European reality show contestant and continues to humourously describe the deluge of American reality shows. And it's a great read.

The book itself deals with a range of reality-TV related topics, all of which are worthwhile. It occasionally gets a little wordy, but the main points are important so phrasing shouldn't really be criticized.

Overall, the book takes the "reality TV is dumb" argument we hear all the time and actually backs it up with evidence and arguments. Definitely good reading for media students or anyone willing to open their mind a little about an overblown trend.

Anti-American Propaganda.......2004-05-17

Shooting People is a small thesis on how America exported reality TV to Europe and gave them bad habits. It blames the US for everything.
The last time I checked, we never forced Europe to watch television.

An in depth analysis of reality television.......2004-03-22

If you are a college student like myself forced to write an essay about reality tv, then this book is a great place to begin your research. The authors are significantly opposed to reality tv as they draw comparisons between the genre and military torture tactics and social psychology experiments from the 1960's and 1970's (in particular, a whole chapter dedicated to the Stanford County Prison Experiment). The book primarily looks at the big two: Survivor and Big Brother. The book mentions an upcoming reality show where contestants can compete to be candidates in the 2004 election. I found this hard to believe, but sure enough, such a show is in the works! (www.americancandidate.com). How far will reality tv go? This is an enduring question through out the book- as each new show tries to outdo its predecessors. Like I say, a great book for research into the genre. It has been a tremendous help in my own research.

A Scathing, Spot-On Indictment of the Plague of Reality TV.......2003-10-01

Cohen and Brenton's book is a scathing, spot-on indictment of the sickness that is reality television. It provides a detailed look at the genre and shows its twisted roots in torture tactics and behavioral experimentation. A deliciously arch tone and rich use of language make this book a pleasure to read.

The authors eloquently point out just how deep the global culture level has sunk into the trivia of the self, "the sprawling self-obsession now so omnipresent as to go unnoticed," and how this is the all-but-inevitable birthplace of reality TV. They describe one show as "a viewing experience not unlike being trapped in an elevator with two hysterical boy bands and an angry dog", just one example (and not even the best one) of the razor-sharp sarcasm found throughout the book.

The authors' conclusion is scary and, quite possibly, prophetic. Keep an eye on reality shows from politically-driven media moguls like Murdoch for their potential impact on future elections! We need more voices such as those of the authors. They may be shouting into the wind considering the popularity of so many reality TV shows, but our society and self-knowledge is richer for them nonetheless.

Customer Reviews:

the best RPG ever!.......2003-04-04

Sov Stone is the best ever! It's very original, very fun, very easy to learn and grasp the ideas. If you read the novels it's even better and easier! The Codex: Mysterium and all the other supplements are a must have, whether you play the game or not. They are simply fun to read! Now that the game is D20, it's easy to roll up characters and squeeze them into the game. There are two scenarios on the market and 2 more if you go to Sovstone.com. All 4 are fun, interesting, and very STORY oriented instead of hack & slash. So far my players are so intrigued they all pester me to death for more Sov Stone stuff to read, to get to know the world and the races. Also on the website you can find additional info all of the those things. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, of Dragonlance and DeathGate Cycle, wrote the books, and Margaret's company, Sovereign Press, puts out the game. Larry Elmore created it, and provides EXCELLENT cover artwork on all of the books, and the game books too! TRY IT YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!

Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook (d20 System)

Average customer rating:

Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook (d20 System)
Sovereign Press
Manufacturer: Sovereign Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NL0OUC

Product Description

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook 3rd ed.

Average customer rating:

Everything you

The Ultimate CompTIA Network+ Resource Kit

Manufacturer: Course Technology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Misc. Supplies

General | Networks, Protocols & APIs | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Ultimate Comptia A+ 2006 Resource Kit

The Ultimate CompTIA A+ Resource Kit

Managerial Issues of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

Process Redesign: The Implementation Guide for Managers (Engineering Process Improvement Series)

CompTIA Network+ Certification Kit: Exam N10-003

ASIN: 159863349X

Customer Reviews:

Everything you .......2007-03-26

This bundled package contains everything you need to prepare for the Network+ examination. Specifically that means a book -- 'Network+ 2005 In Depth' -- a computer gased training CD -- 'Network+ CertBlaster -- and a set of flashcards --'Network+ 2005 Indepth Flashcards.'

The book begins with an introduction to the fundamental building blocks that form a modern network, such as protocols, topologies, hardware, and network operating systems. Then, dive into the most important concepts in contemporary networking, such as client/server architecture, TCP/IP, Ethernet, wireless transmission, and security. When you are finished, you will be prepared to select the best network design, hardware, and software for your environment. You will also have the skills to build a network from scratch and maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot an existing network.

The CD has four complete exam simulators for a total of 448 test questions. The flash cards are just what you would expect, with the improvement that each one has the source chapter from the book referenced so that would simplify seeking further information about the questions.

Average customer rating:

A+ has changed, this product is obsolete, and wasn't that good to begin with.
Product is OBSOLETE and Nopassword for included CD
Comprehensive Maze
It's great for passing the test.
Do not buy this package!

The Ultimate CompTIA A+ Resource Kit
Thomson Course Technology , and CompTIA Press
Manufacturer: Course Technology PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

A+ | Certification Central | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Certification Central | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

PCs | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 1598630881

Book Description

"The CompTIA Press Essential A+ Resource Kit" provides three ways to prepare and study for the A+ exam - a comprehensive book, handy flashcards, and interactive, computer-based training CDs. The A+ In-Depth book covers both hardware and software including coverage of Windows XP, Windows 200, NT4, and Windows 9X. A grid provides a detailed breakdown of where to find all of the main exam objectives and where they are covered in the book, and the appendix offers a more detailed mapping. Each A+ In-Depth flashcard features and exam-based question one side with the answer on the other, as well as the source chapter within the book where the topic can be found. Finally, the two A+ CBT CDs contain a pre-test and over a thousand test prep questions that provide practice in a simulated environment. This combination of study material and test preparation questions provides a complete resource for exam success. The kit carries the CompTIA Press logo and approval and maps to the 2003 A+ Certification exams, the most current version of the exams.

Customer Reviews:

A+ has changed, this product is obsolete, and wasn't that good to begin with........2007-01-02

1) CompTIA has revised the A+ program. This kit is desinged for the 2003 series tests. Those tests were supposed to be retired in the US on 12/31/2006, but that date has been pushed back until June '07 due to caterwauling from the peanut gallery.

You are better off trying your hand at the 2006 series of A+ exams.

2) The kit (at least mine) came with two 20% off exam coupones. Those saved me $63 dollars when I took the two exams. Those coupons expired on 12/31/2006. Caveat Emptor.

3) I also bought the "Exam Cram 2" series of books, which I found to be better sequenced towards the exams. This large tome zig zagged between Hardware (exam 1) and Windows OS/DOS fundamentals (exam 2). "Exam Cram 2" also has a nice concise card you use immediately before you walk into the exam.

4) Others may have had problems with the CD ROM, I did not. I did not find it to be of much use.

5) The flash cards were slightly helpful, but I did not use them much. I used the Transcender exams to "bone up" on...

6) I do not like huge bound books like this. They are tough to read unless you are at a desk or table. Hard to use on airplanes, and in cars.

Product is OBSOLETE and Nopassword for included CD .......2006-12-20

The A+ Test has been revised. This book does not cover the new test.

Here's the password posted at publishers site:
Password for the CD that accompanies the book in
"The Ultimate CompTIA A+ Resource Kit"

The password is:

c_a+

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

~Thomson Learning CPG, PTR

Comprehensive Maze.......2006-07-17

Simply: The book is comprehensive, but poorly arranged.

The book is arranged logically if one wants to progress through the book by general topic, but I found it very poorly arranged with respect to the A+ Certification. The A+ test covers very definitive subjects in each of the two tests. A logically arranged book would cover the material on each test in seperate sections rather than mixed into the various chapters of the book. While (almost) all of the information is present, it can be hard to set up study sessions with this guide if you want to approach the tests one at a time. I used other, more logically arranged books to greater effect.

Second, the software that comes with the set does not allow you to take a realistic practice test. It isn't that the questions are poorly worded, per se... its just that the practice test does not follow the objectives of the actual tests. When I buy a book designed to help me learn the material necessary to pass, I want a realistic assessment, not someone else's view of what I should know.

On the up side, this book does help when you need to reinforce a concept with a different manner of instruction, or when you want to look something up quickly. It covers the material relatively well, even if it is poorly arranged. The resource CDs are great if you don't mind reading from a computer screen... lugging a book that feels like 20 pounds of dead weight can be tiresome.

In addition, some of the kits come with discount coupons for the test. Saving 20% on two tests goes a long way towards paying for this kit.

It's great for passing the test........2006-07-03

If your primary goal is to pass the test then this book is excellent. But as most things in life go, what you learn in books and what you see in the real world are totally diffirent. The technology this book talks about are obsolete and so are some of the solutions. But overall it is a good foundation to build upon and to get certified with.

Do not buy this package!.......2006-05-25

"That is my advice for anyone is going to buy this book simply because it dose not worth money although I bought it from for the best price online from somewhere else.
But why it dose not worth money? That is what I am going to tell you in the next points after I have read already the HARDWARE part:
1-Some figures/graphics are missing.
2-The publisher of the book never tells "even in their original website" about the real name of the Author! And the Author name is "Jean Andrews" just in case you want to know.
Actually at first I was thinking this is a work of a group of technecians but that was not true and it was suprise to me.
3-The answers of the questions of chapter like ""ALL ABOUT SCSI" which is chapter 22 are totally wrong and after answering some questions I stoped because I did not want to replace the rest of my information with corrupted information.
4-The chapter of hard drives is very complicated although it should not be.
5-Although the book seems updated when you read about it but the truth is that the book is
very outdated!
6-The hardware part is missed up with some software parts so you have to make some effort in order to skip some things you do want to read.
7- And the final one and biggest problem I face now is the CD of the book, I tried just today to open it to practise but I am suprised now by a message saying ""this Program is protected by a password"" which something I never heared about it in my life specially with something I already bought legaly.
There are other 2 CDs in this package but I did not open them yet and actually I am afraid to...
All these reasons combined is why I am giving this book two stars and actually I was debating with myself to give it one star but then I said to myself at least learned something from it.
Now after this problem of the CD I will try to contact the publisher to see what I should do.
There are alot of choices in the market to choose from when you are going for A+.
But my last advice for any newbie DO NOT EVER buy a book which dose not reveal the name of its real Author and DO NOT EVER buy a book just because it looks a good package, mostly the books which includes packages the publisher wants to hide behind it the weakness of the Author.
Last thing: do not buy something without reading reviews about it but why I bought this book is because I liked the package and I did not find on the internet a single review to tell me if this package is good or not. But now you know and my review maybe is the only review about this anonymous book package on the internet and
I wish from Amazon.com to write down the name of the Author which is Jean Andrews so it can help the customers in their research.
I really cannot believe that this book has been approved by CompTIA.

Thanks

The Ultimate Comptia A+ 2006 Resource Kit

Average customer rating:

A+ Resource Kit
Many strong points
#1 Book for A+
Everything you need to study PC Hardware

The Ultimate Comptia A+ 2006 Resource Kit
Jean Andrews
Manufacturer: Course Technology PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

PCs | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1598633961
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Product Description

The Ultimate CompTIA A+ Resource Kit provides three ways to prepare and study for the A+ exam a comprehensive book, easy-to-use flashcards, and an interactive, computer-based training CD. The A+ In Depth book not only provides thorough preparation for CompTIA s latest A+ certification exams but also provides real-world instruction on everything you will need to know to support and troubleshoot computer hardware and software. The flashcards contain an exam-based question on one side with the answer on the other, as well as the source chapter within the book where the topic can be found, all to help encourage good self-study habits. And, the kit s CD-ROM provides four exam simulations for each test and drill-downs for each exam objective to further test your knowledge as you go and to give you an impression of how you ll fare on test day. The Ultimate CompTIA A+ Resource Kit s combination of study material and test preparation questions provides the all-inclusive resource for exam success that you need to succeed.

Customer Reviews:

A+ Resource Kit.......2007-10-02

The resource kit is awesome! You get everything in both books for software and hardware by Jean Andrews for half the price! It's in black and white, but who cares if you are getting a deal like that, instead of buying both books in color?! Plus you get all kinds of ways on CD to test and prepare for the A+ Certification, as well as flash cars to quiz you for the test! This is great! Buy this instead of both of her books for hardware and software! This covers it all! Also Amazon sent it to me super-fast! It was in the mail before I knew it! Thanks Amazon!
Sincerely,
James

Many strong points.......2007-08-06

The book that comes with the kit is very well written. It's a pleasure to read one well-crafted sentence after another.

There are, however, just a few weak spots that show the author's technical knowledge is not as strong as the author's writing skills. Funny, one would think a book like this would be proofread by technical experts before going to press. But it's 99.9% ok. (Maybe they'll get it 100% right in the next edition.)

#1 Book for A+.......2007-07-22

The best study guid I have ever bought for the A+ besides A+ for Dummies. It's Fully loaded and make you prepare very well for the exam. This kit contains Video Clips that are very usefull especially for the beginners and Flash card (play cards style) for last moment before going to the exam. and also the A+ Q&A book with 800 questions, this book did really help me to pass the exam. I wish they make resource kit for Network+, Security+ and Server+

Everything you need to study PC Hardware.......2007-07-19

So here we have the CompTIA A+ Exam study guide with 2006 objectives. Yes, the year refers to the exam objectives, not the year the book is current and this book came out in 2007.

It's not quite as up-to-date as you would think because a lot of these books keep mentioning Viacom as a manufacturer of CPU's and this company has been out of business for years and I can't remember ever seeing one their chips of hearing of them used in a PC. You certainly can't buy one, unless it is a vintage collector's item on Ebay.

Well, the book is large and has really nice illustrations and photographs which is helpful. It's also helpful to go on some of the vendors sites and look at the specs for stuff. And it's very helpful to actually build your own PC from scratch, which really seems to help you remember what connects to what and the problems of having the wrong connectors and needing adaptors and so on.

These books are rather light on the troubleshooting techniques and what to do when things go wrong, but maybe that is because this isn't covered on the test in any great detail.

I found each chapter full of useful and in-depth information on everything and the explanations were very easy to understand. The videos I didn't find that useful, but it might just be another way to get to learn. The flash cards were too easy, I haven't even finished the book yet and I can answer 100% of the questions, or maybe it's just because this is a really effective learning tool, not sure.

Overall I highly recommend this book for studying for A+ or even if you're just curious about how computers work and are thinking about learning how to build them. If you want to master your PC this would be a great way to get started. Anyone studying for A+ I wish you luck and success.

Book Description

Now in its 4th edition, this increasingly popular guide contains the newest CSS policies, procedures, organizations, and methods for use in Army of Excellence divisions, Force XXI divisions, and interim brigade combat teams. Information and data are provided for planning and executing CSS in the attack, defense, retrograde, and during unconventional warfare and military operations other than war. Contains complete examples of orders, forms, and formats, and methods to establish, defend, and operate from a base support area. Includes automated logistics planning tools, complete references, glossary, and Internet directory.

Customer Reviews:

CSS Guide.......2007-09-27

I have used and observed this product in use for several years. It is an excellent, comprehensive entry level guide that serves to provide an instant source of information and leads one to other more specific source materials. Highly recommend the guide for entry level use.

Not satisfactory.......2006-11-10

I purchased the previous edition. Each time I hoped to find the proper consumption data for logistitic requirement estimate in the books. To my disappointment, they just showed some obvious things that can be found in the Field Manuals.

Not often used, but is more than worth it when it is........2000-06-29

Many fellow officers within my DISCOM would have this book on their shelves, yet one got the impression that it was just for show- and more often than not, that was the case. This book has quite a few "page fillers" which I felt shouldn't be in it. Considering that in the author's preface he says: "The purpose of this book is to aid Combat Service Support officers and officers of all branches who find themselves thrust into combat service support roles in the field." Things like -Perimeter Sector Sketches, -Handling EPW's, -noise and light discipline, -OPORD and FRAGO formats to cite a few examples. Not that the logistician would never need to concern himself with these, but those subjects are something that the CSS officer should be already well versed on, and should the CSS officer ever need a refresher, then his or her unit would already have their own Tactical SOP on performing such tasks. The overall effect is that there is a lot of information, as sound as it is, that just doesn't belong in this book and serves no purpose than to take up space. That said, there is some really useful information here. I personally found the Truck Cargo and Tactical Road March planning figures to be worth the price of the book. If you're a Quartermaster, there are pages upon pages of POL planning tables and such. As my field is Maintenance, I would have liked to have seen (and would recommend for future editions) similar tables which outlines recommended Organizational and DS Bench/Shop stock lists for common types of equipment. All in all, you'll probably hardly ever use this book, but when you do- you'll be real glad that you had it.

Average customer rating:

Combat Service Support Guide - 2nd. Ed.
USA (Ret) - Maj. John E. Edwards
Manufacturer: Stackpole Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QSCVXU

The Combat Service Support & Deployment Smartbook: Doctrinal Guide to Combat Service Support, Rso&i and Unit Movement Operations

Average customer rating:

The Combat Service Support & Deployment Smartbook: Doctrinal Guide to Combat Service Support, Rso&i and Unit Movement Operations
Norman M. Wade
Manufacturer: Lightning Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Commander's guide to combat health support medical services (SuDoc D 101.22:40-19)

Average customer rating:

Commander's guide to combat health support medical services (SuDoc D 101.22:40-19)
U.S. Dept of Defense
Manufacturer: Dept. of the Army
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010UILU

Customer Reviews:

Biography of an Indian Tribe.......2005-11-17

If you wish to read a book about a single Indian tribe, the Kickapoos have a history as varied and interesting as any. They first came into contact with the French in Wisconsin in the 17th century; in the 18th century they lived primarily in Illinois and Indiana; and in the 19th they separated into groups that took up residence in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and even Mexico. To this day, some remain in Mexico although most eventually -- and against their will -- were settled onto a reservation in Oklahoma.

The Kickapoos survived much better than most Indian tribes. Perhaps that is attributable to their social conservatism, warlike character, and contrary nature. They do not seem to have exerted themselves at fostering positive interpersonal relationships and endearing themselves to other tribes or Whites. A Texan, comparing them to the ferocious Comanches and Apaches, said the Kickapoos were "the worst of the lot" and the most vicious, calculating, and enterprising of Indians. The Mexican Kickapoos were described as the "meanest, least civilized, and most worthless" of all the Indians. Coming from Whites, those are impressive endorsements. The prickly Kickapoos didn't get pushed around much by anyone.

Macho Indians with guns and feathers are more interesting than downtrodden, doormat Indians and the Kickapoos fill the role perfectly. The author probably overestimates their historical prominence compared to other tribes such as the Shawnee, but he's compiled a fascinating history that brings the history of the tribe up to about 1910. This is an old book and readers may find it a bit politically incorrect. It's well worth a read, however, especially for the odd tale of how forest dwelling Indians from the north woods of Wisconsin came to live in the deserts of northern Mexico.

Smallchief

The Kickapoos, Lords of The Middle Border

Average customer rating:

The Kickapoos, Lords of The Middle Border
A. M. Gibson
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KLY2W6

Average customer rating:

The Kickapoos: Lords of the Middle Border
A. M. Gibson
Manufacturer: Univ of Oklahoma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: B000NPV9RA

Average customer rating:

Kickapoos: Lords of the Middle Border.
A.M. Gibson
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UYIXZ0

Average customer rating:

Kickapoos: Lords of the Middle Border.
A.M. Gibson
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M4PK0E

Kickapoos Lords of the Middle Border 1ST Edition

Average customer rating:

Kickapoos Lords of the Middle Border 1ST Edition
A M Gibson
Manufacturer: UNIV OF OK + PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PKW2MY

Average customer rating:

The Kickapoos, Lords of The Middle Border
A. M. Gibson
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KM16KQ

Average customer rating:

The Kickapoos..Lords Of The Middle Border
A.M.Gibson
Manufacturer: University Of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OQ48R6

Book Description

Today, many scholars show more interest in unscientific attempts to empathize with ancient peoples than in obtaining valid knowledge about the past. Archaeologists have become failed ethnographers, forever regretting the demise of the people they would like to talk to. Stephen Shennan provides an ambitious blueprint for a new approach to archaeology, based on the application of the latest neo-Darwinian evolutionary ideas.

What is the history of human populations? How are cultural traditions maintained and changed over time? Why did people destroy their environments in the past and were they ever conservationists? What led to the emergence of marked social inequalities? These are some of the important questions that evolutionary archaeology can answer.

Shennan opens with the study of animal behavior, as acted upon by natural selection, and goes on to demonstrate that the same ideas can be applied to human societies, not just through the genes but also through culture, our second inheritance system. He then looks in detail at population history, methods of subsistence, male-female relations, social evolution, and competition and warfare. Fascinating insights emerge. For example, the unique time-depth of archaeology can be used to show that human populations have expanded and then crashed far more frequently in the past than has hitherto been realized. Similarly, the rise of plough agriculture may well have led to increasing control of women by men.

Ranging from life history theory to game theory, and from the origins of farming to the collapse of societies, the book takes us on a thrilling intellectual journey. 50 b/w illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Superior Ideas in a Dry Wrapper.......2004-05-30

Shennan lays the groundwork for an archaeology beyond bones and tools and tells us where it can lead. He specifically addresses both the ability of archaeology to develop theories and its limitations when supporting them.
Of particular interest are his chapters of interpretation, which build on his rather dry theorectical framework. These include a fascinating description of the origin of agriculture and the role of women in early societies.
I found much of the book to be a hard read. Shennan's writing style is often long-winded and full of self-referential vocabulary used in a very precise way. One can perhaps forgive his style as the need to satisfy potential critics in his own academic community. Still, I have a strong preference for clear writing and Shennan does not always offer that.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to acquire a solid high-level understanding of the state of archaeological interpretation or the limits of the science, but be ready to find a quite room and a good reading lamp.

Genes, Memes, and Human History: Darwinian Archaeology and Cultural Evolution.(Book Review): An article from: American Antiquity

Average customer rating:

Genes, Memes, and Human History: Darwinian Archaeology and Cultural Evolution.(Book Review): An article from: American Antiquity
Hector Neff
Manufacturer: Society for American Archaeology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Antiquity, published by Society for American Archaeology on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 751 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: Genes, Memes, and Human History: Darwinian Archaeology and Cultural Evolution.(Book Review)
Author: Hector Neff
Publication: American Antiquity (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Society for American Archaeology
Volume: 69 Issue: 1 Page: 181(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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