China's Enterprise Reform: Changing State/Society Relations After Mao (Routledge Studies in China in Transition, 3)

Book Description

The author demonstrates how China's post-Mao reforms have produced a quiet revolution from below as the process of political and economic liberalization has accelerated.

China's Enterprise Reform: Changing State/Society Relations After Mao. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of Contemporary Asia

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China's Enterprise Reform: Changing State/Society Relations After Mao. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of Contemporary Asia
Rusell Smyth
Manufacturer: Journal of Contemporary Asia Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Contemporary Asia, published by Journal of Contemporary Asia Publishers on August 1, 1998. The length of the article is 3061 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: China's Enterprise Reform: Changing State/Society Relations After Mao. (book reviews)
Author: Rusell Smyth
Publication: Journal of Contemporary Asia (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 1998
Publisher: Journal of Contemporary Asia Publishers
Volume: v28 Issue: n3 Page: p402(7)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This updated guide to all aspects of divorce in Alabama provides detailed information on avoiding or seeking a divorce, how to deal with the division of personal property, and what to do about children. Included is information on new laws on the relocation of children of divorce and access to children by grandparents and other family members and friends. Vignettes and informational tidbits from attorneys in other areas of the law such as taxes, estate planning, and business litigation, as well as from financial planners, certified divorce planners, therapists, real estate experts, and private investigators, help individuals emerge from a divorce emotionally and financially intact.

Book Description

This exciting new book describes the use of DNA fingerprinting and its application in a wide area of plant and fungal research. It presents a thorough theoretical introduction to DNA fingerprinting, the practical aspects of extraction of DNA from the plant or fungus under study, and the statistical analysis of the data. An overview presents all species to which DNA fingerprinting is currently being applied and highlights many future technical developments.

Customer Reviews:

DNA Fingerprinting in Plants and Fungi.......2001-02-24

This book has a wealth of information for anyone new to fingerprinting techiques. It provides all the know-how to get a program started and lots of references (841 to be exact) to aid in digging deeper. Definately worth reading.

DNA fingerprinting in plants and fungi.......2000-10-10

A practical revision on the most commonly used methods on DNA molecular variation analysis. This book discuss DNA fingerprinting using restriction enzimes (RFLP) and Polymerase Chain Reaction as well. Several protocols are included for DNA extraction, digestion and amplification. Full of illustrations and photos. Highly recommended for starting researchers on plant molecular biology, plant breeders, agronomists and botanists.

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THE BOOK OF PH: A SIMPLE AND COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF THE MEASUREMENT PH AS APPLIED TO SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

Manufacturer: George Newnes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HLRQOU

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The book of pH;: A simple and complete description of the theory and practice of the measurement of pH as applied to science and industry
R. B Webber
Manufacturer: G. Newnes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AVBJ8

Book Description

This text covers a host of fullerene applications, including nanotubes, compounds of fullerenes with other elements and structures and polymerized fullerenes. It discusses properties of photoexcited states of fullerenes, neutral and charged states, nonlinear optical response (NLO) and electron-electron interactions.

Customer Reviews:

excellent work.......2000-04-19

The best work I've seen on the subject yet. A must read.

The History of England From The Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution In 1688 In Six Volumes

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The History of England From The Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution In 1688 In Six Volumes
Hume David
Manufacturer: Harper & Brothers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDNTMS

The History of England From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688 in Three Volumes (Volume 1)

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The History of England From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688 in Three Volumes (Volume 1)

Manufacturer: Ward, Lock, and Tyler
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E6KM9O

Product Description

index 705-740 plus advertisements.

The History of England From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688 in Three Volumes (Volume 2)

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The History of England From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688 in Three Volumes (Volume 2)

Manufacturer: Ward, Lock, and Tyler
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E6KMPS

Product Description

index 605-640.

The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688, 3-Vol. Set

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The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688, 3-Vol. Set

Manufacturer: The Columbian Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GQ1EQM

The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688 (6 volumes)

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The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688 (6 volumes)
David Hume
Manufacturer: THE EASTON PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000IY4ZOU

The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688 (volume III)

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The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688 (volume III)
David Hume
Manufacturer: THE EASTON PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UX8K4U

The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688 (volume V)

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The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688 (volume V)
David Hume
Manufacturer: THE EASTON PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UX5EPI

The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution, in 1688 in Four Volumes. A New Edition with the Author's Last Corrections and Improvements to which is Prefixed A Short Account of His Life Written By Himself. Missing Vol. 4

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The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution, in 1688 in Four Volumes. A New Edition with the Author's Last Corrections and Improvements to which is Prefixed A Short Account of His Life Written By Himself. Missing Vol. 4

Manufacturer: Bennett & Walton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HFK1E8

The History Of England V1: From The Invasion Of Julius Caesar To The Revolution In 1688

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The History Of England V1: From The Invasion Of Julius Caesar To The Revolution In 1688
David Hume
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0548139687

Book Description

This is the first book-length study to provide a structured interpretation of the significance of Michael Oakeshott's critique of the Enlightenment. By seeing the thinker as a 'sceptical idealist'posing a serious challenge to the intellectual positions informed by the Enlightenment, this book attempts to resolve some of the issues debated by Oakeshott scholars.

Book Description

Captain William Bligh's account of the fatal voyage of the Bounty, and his subsequent 3,600-mile trip to Timor in an open boat. Bligh was not the tyrant of legend--in fact, he may have been one of the most lenient commanders of a Pacific exploration ship of that period.

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Naval Officer in History.......2007-05-07

This book like the 1984 film dispels the myth of the evil Capt Bligh and the heroic and dashing Mr. Christian. William T Bligh was the greatest naval officer in history. The mutiny itself was not shocking in as much as Bligh's command of it's open launch and the 2600 mile journey he made in it with his loyal officers and men. Such a feat would be incredible today given the size of the Bounty's launch and the meager food and water given to them by the mutineers.

One heck of a book!!!.......2004-04-19

In The Mutiny on Board HMS Bounty is about man named William Bligh who as a boy of only 16 starts sailing on British ships. The events that happen to this man happen mostly on the South Seas. William eventually becomes a captain of a vessel called the HMS Bounty. He never expected the most dastardly dead that men can do on a ship would happen to him especially by the one man he trusted most Fletcher Christian. Christian was an officer that Bligh had taught everything to he was going to be his successor. Evidently Fletcher Christian wanted to be the successor earlier than planned.

As I started reading The Mutiny on Board HMS Bounty I thought that Bligh was a tuff commanded that treated his men very harshly. As I read on though, he may not have treated them harsh enough to keep them from committing mutiny. They committed the worst crime a sailor can commit out on the open seas. A crime that is punishable by death. If he would have treated them more severely when they took extra food and water that he ordered them not to take they may not have committed what they did. "I found necessary to punish Mathew Quintal, one of the seamen, for insolence and mutinous behavior" (William Bligh 40).

William Bligh is the only captain that I know of that could captain a rotten, smaller vessel that barely fits all eighteen of his men, fight off hostile natives and eventually make back to England. He also managed to keep his men's spirits up when the times were really tough. He even gave away part of his rations to keep his men healthy. "Come back, man! You'll be killed!" (Bligh 164).

One part of this book that bothered me the whole time until the very end was, "Why did then men of the Bounty commit mutiny and leave the captain with the mostly skilled workers when they new if the men that were set adrift made it back home they would be hung when found by the English government. "When we were put of the Bounty, we had only enough food for five days. The mutineers must have decided that we could find shelter only at the Friendly Islands" (Bligh 234).

I think readers learn a lot from this book. Not only is it a great book it teaches readers that if you believe in what you want to achieve anything can happen. The men on the little raft believed and they made it to the English settlements and eventually made it all the way back to England which was a wonderful achievement. These men believed in there leader (William Bligh) and he came through for them by leading them to safety and only losing six men.

From the Horse's Mouth makes this a Must Buy!.......2003-07-14

You are going to buy this book, of course you are. How can you not, for it is the actual book written by the notorious Capt. Bligh himself. If you are the least bit interested in the voyage that became the Mutiny on the Bounty and its aftermath, you've got to get to it. This book is fascinating not so much because of the description of the mutiny because Captain Bligh surprisingly has very little to say on the subject. No, you'll find this fascinating stuff because it allows one a glimpse into life in the South Pacific hundreds of years ago, and how miserable a castaway crew can become. You will also be able to form your own opnions about the sort of man Captain Bligh was. It is an interesting and challenging task to do so, however, because the man is careful to conceal most of his personality and emotions behind a rather dry and unimaginative journeyman's description of this adventure. Actually, it is this mechanical and rather bloodless recitation of facts surrounding what was a most terrifying and terrific adventure that clues one in that Captain Bligh, despite being an extraordinary seaman was certainly obtuse and even a bit of a creep (pompous ass, at the very least); at least he made my skin crawl at times. He also caused me to marvel at his many skills and tenacity (orneriness?), and even he was unable to completely suppress his emotions and allow himself free rein to personalize a few of the incidents that occured along the way. Few people could have accomplished his feat, that is to sail more than one thousand miles across the ocean in a small wooden boat filled with a hopeless and starving crew always teetering on the brink of disaster. It's also funny that Bligh turned up in all sorts of places around the globe in his life time and one finds him sprinkled throughout history. Did you know, for instance, that he commanded a ship under Lord Nelson in at least one of that man's most famous battles? He also accompanied the famed Captain Cook on one of his famous voyages which is how he got the job on the Bounty. I've ranked this only four stars because the book is really not a joy to read, Captain Bligh's skills most certainly lay in the nautical world. In this day and age, he probably would have found a ghost writer to lively up his self. Yet, this book is essential grist for the mill of Bounty hunters.

Book Description

Nemesis is the name given by scientists to a (theoretical) small companion star to our sun. Every 26 million years, Nemesis's orbit brings it close enough to the sun to bombard our solar system with billions of comets. While most of the comets will float harmlessly beyond the outer planets, some passing through the sun's Oort Cloud will be deflected by its gravitational force toward Earth. Such a "large-body impact," the Nemesis theory holds, was responsible for the mass extinction that led to the demise of the dinosaurs. The next impact, millions of years from now, might very well extinguish humanity. In this lively, fascinating, and often disturbing book, updated and revised with the latest scientific evidence on terrestrial impacts, David M. Raup re-explores the controversies of the Nemesis theory from the trenches of the scientific community, and investigates the issues--both scientific and philosophical--of mass extinction.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book.......2006-08-22

David Raup is a brilliant writer. Although slanted he does present alternative view points and hypotheses. A very interesting book on extinction theory as well as insight into the scientific process and its flaws.

A companion star causing comets here on earth?.......2004-06-29

According to the hypothesis a small companion star to the earth, like a binary, but smaller and more distant (perhaps two light years distant) passes through the Oort belt approximately every 26 thousand years (don't hold your breath), causing some comets to veer from their paths and impact the earth and its neighbors, causing a large scale extinction of species, among whom in the past were the dinosaurs, and giving others, like us and our cousins, a better chance for survival.

The author points out that the star, long known as "Nemesis," or the "Dark star", has never been seen--nor, for that matter has the so-called Oort belt. They are both hypothetical, with no evidence of their true existence.

The whole idea of why species go extinct, with a life span of from one to ten million years on average, depending on the species involved is a mystery to scientists--much like the mystery of why individuals within a species must necessarily die, perhaps.

Although the author defends, as well as finding fault with, scientific method, it sounds much like turf wars between gangs or political parties. And some of their favorite ideas sound, well, less than reasonable shall we say. They seem more impressed with each other's credentials and reputations than the reasonableness of their pet projects. Is a star--even a small one--so hard to see with the optics, radio telescopes, etc., that are available today?

Yet, this hypothesis is no more far-fetched than many others, and may well turn out to be true, yet. Mr. David M. Raup is most persuasive in his presentation.

There are some good points made herein. For instance the author's point that almost all species that ever existed on the earth have gone extinct--both plant and animal life forms. He also mentions that often they simply change form, from environmental necessity, or gradually spawn new life forms. It would seem inevitable, either gradually or catastrophically for any given species to cease to exist and another to arise. If they died out and were not replaced, soon all life would become extinct, or if they did not necessarily die, then life forms would certainly overwhelm the earth at some point. So, a balance is achieved, which, for whatever reason seems to be the order of things.

And the ecologists who continually fret about how the human race is responsible for all of the earth's problems, and want to "save" all its species except their own--(an impossible task, even if they successfully destroyed all of the "evil" human beings, cockroaches would probably survive) would find that all species would continue to die, and others be reborn. An exercise in futility, gone awry.

I suspect that, while the sciences are playing their guessing games and one-upsmanship, the earth will continue to revolve around its poles with a jolly little wobble, continue its orbit around the sun, at least until it implodes, or explodes, and the inhabitants, individually and collectively, will continue to be born, and die, and think that they are so important that they are causing it all. And when Mount Pinatubo or St. Helens erupt they will put out hundreds of time more particulate matter in 24 hours than all of the "pollution" their own insignificant species, Homo Sapiens, will produce in 100 years.(...)

The Birthing Pangs of an Idea.......2001-02-10

David M. Raup has written an interesting account of the scientic process in The Nemesis Affair (A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs and the Ways of Science). This is a perfect book for the non-specialist as it gives a glimpse into the larger world science inhabits beyond the minutiae of scientific details. This book shows the ways in which the scientific community, the popular press, and the general public all compete and struggle in creating and accepting (or dismissing) new ideas. The belief that dinosaurs died out partially due to a meteor or comet colliding with earth is one such idea and its genesis from a small spark of inspiration into common belief is told in a clear and entertaing fashion. This is a book that is interesting for the scientific idea it is trying to postulate as well as for the way it illuminates the larger world science is trying to inform and shape.

An exciting example of how science works.......2000-07-25

In the June, 1980 edition of Science an article written by four UC Berkeley scientists, led by Walter Alvarez, was published. This article claimed an extraterrestrial cause for the extinction of the dinosaurs and other species 65 million years ago. Reaction from paleontologists and others was immediate and largely negative. They saw it as a splashy, media-darling type of catastrophic explanation anathema to most working scientists. Author David Raup and his colleague Jack Sepkoski were however among those paleontologists (Stephen Jay Gould was another) who liked the idea. Since there are a number of other mass extinctions in the fossil record, they wondered if these events might be connected and how. They began a statistical analysis of the record, and in February, 1984 published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrating a 26-million-year periodicity. This led to the question, why would these extinctions be regular and what caused them? The answer came from astrophysicists who postulated (among other theories) a "Death Star" companion to the sun, dubbed Nemesis. This star would periodically come close to the sun, disturbing the Oort Cloud of comets, sending some of them to rain down on Earth, thus killing substantial amounts of life on earth.

It's a great theory and I love it. Unfortunately no one has ever seen this Nemesis star, which is not due to return for another 13 million years or so. In fact no one has seen the Oort Cloud either, although I understand most astrophysicists believe it is there. And of course paleontologists do not like catastrophic explanations for mass extinctions. In fact they hate them for both theoretical and personal reasons.

Thus we have the ingredients for an engaging and very human story about how science works and how it doesn't work. In this extremely readable book Raup reveals how scientific ideas develop, how they are rejected and accepted, and how some theories can neither be confirmed nor rejected, and how the scientific community treats such ideas, and how the media is involved. The blurb on the book cover has a quote from James Trefil comparing it as a memoir to The Double Helix, James Watson's personal story of how he and Francis Crick got credit for discovering the structure of the DNA molecule. I agree that this book is as readable as that very involving story, but Raup's book is more on the order of readable journalism, while Watson's book was more like a novel.

What is intriguing in both books is the sheer humanity displayed in both a positive and a negative sense. Here we see a kind of knee jerk, turf-protecting rejection of new ideas by the established cadre of scientists, especially in paleontology. In one sense this is understandable. If you work all your life to help build a certain view of the way things are in your chosen field, and along comes an idea that completely overturns your life's work, you are not going to be happy. You will rail against it and try to show that it is false. We see this in all fields of science since all fields are staffed by humans. I notice in psychology, for example, that the old cognitive and psychoanalytical people find it very difficult to accept the findings of evolutionary psychology, some of which make Freud, for example, look very much mistaken. In this sense scientists are like the Victorians who fought against the ideas of Darwin that threatened to overturn their view of the world (and did!).

Part of what makes this book effective is the openness with which Raup tells the story. He is candid to the point of showing and admitting his own faults and prejudices. He shows how success in science is gauged, not by dollars or fame, or even necessarily by what's discovered, but by prestige among colleagues. He writes on page 211 that "one's success as a scientist can be measured more by the number of people he or she puts to work on new problems than by the correctness of specific research results."

This book is a revision of the 1986 edition with a new introduction and a new final chapter entitled "Update 1999." The Nemesis Affair is not over with. Raup lets us know that the crater has been found for the K-T extinction of the dinosaurs, and that most scientists now accept the Alvarez scenario for Cretaceous extinctions. However neither a dark star nor a tenth planet has been found, and so the acceptance of the periodicity of mass extinctions is on hold.

To show how ideas in science can lead to totally unexpected advances elsewhere, note that the work done in understanding how the dinosaurs died after the impact of the K-T meteor led to a realization of the possibility of "nuclear winter," which in turn was a factor in ending the cold war. It is somewhat amazing to realize that the work of Alvarez and his colleagues may have helped to prevent a nuclear holocaust. Some people think that money spent on SETI or on space exploration is wasted. I think that knowledge gained is always valuable, and sometimes, spectacularly so.

Good Account of Science Interaction.......2000-03-24

The book, though now outdated, presents a wonderful insight into science and how it works. Especially well written, the author clearly explains the interlocking processes and activities that makes science what it is. He also reveals some of the deep biases that often exist among scientists committed to a paradigm. A recommended read for anyone interested in dinosaurs and their demise.

The Nemesis Affair : A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs & the Ways of Science

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The Nemesis Affair : A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs & the Ways of Science
David M. Raup
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HMJR46

Nemesis Affair: A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs and the Ways of Science

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Nemesis Affair: A Story of the Death of Dinosaurs and the Ways of Science
David M Raup
Manufacturer: NY 1986.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MA4ZY0

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