Average customer rating:
- Cuts through the kitsch like a deathwatch beetle
- its decent reading, but uncaptivating
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Spectacular Nature: Corporate Culture and the Sea World Experience
Susan G. Davis
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ASIN: 0520209818 |
Book Description
This is the story of Sea World, a theme park where the wonders of nature are performed, marketed, and sold. With its trademark star, Shamu the killer whale--as well as performing dolphins, pettable sting rays, and reproductions of pristine natural worlds--the park represents a careful coordination of shows, dioramas, rides, and concessions built around the theme of ocean life. Susan Davis analyzes the Sea World experience and the forces that produce it: the theme park industry; Southern California tourism; the privatization of urban space; and the increasing integration of advertising, entertainment, and education. The result is an engaging exploration of the role played by images of nature and animals in contemporary commercial culture, and a precise account of how Sea World and its parent corporation, Anheuser-Busch, succeed. Davis argues that Sea World builds its vision of nature around customers' worries and concerns about the environment, family relations, and education.
While Davis shows the many ways that Sea World monitors its audience and manipulates animals and landscapes to manufacture pleasure, she also explains the contradictions facing the enterprise in its campaign for a positive public identity. Shifting popular attitudes, animal rights activists, and environmental laws all pose practical and public relations challenges to the theme park. Davis confronts the park's vast operations with impressive insight and originality, revealing Sea World as both an industrial product and a phenomenon typical of contemporary American culture. Spectacular Nature opens an intriguing field of inquiry: the role of commercial entertainment in shaping public understandings of the environment and environmental problems.
Customer Reviews:
Cuts through the kitsch like a deathwatch beetle.......2003-07-23
A devastating deconstruction of Sea World that gives jagged substance to the nagging feeling of dislocation and coercion that most of us feel when we are in a corporate theme park. Its also a handbook for rescuing environmentalism from greenwashers and the corporate media. Finally, its a sustained hymn of pure hatred and contempt, and everyone loves to read abuse. Enjoy!
its decent reading, but uncaptivating.......2001-03-15
Susan G. Davis's Spectacular Nature: Corporate Culture and the Sea World Experience examines Sea World from "economic, local historical, spatial, and experimental perspectives, as well as the point of view of its management and at least some of its customers. Her thesis encompasses the representation of nature and the environment by private corporations; Davis states that Sea World represents new private institutional uses for nature mainly as a product for mass consumption. Davis's primary objective is to discover a connection between public meanings, mass entertainment, and private enterprise as she tries to "understand the theme park form and its appeal to its customers, as well as critical questions about Sea World's cultural meanings and effects." Spectacular Nature makes one think more critically about their theme park experiences, specifically the place of the amusement park in society and American culture. It does this by proposing a question of intent: Is the theme park strictly here as a business enterprise with the purpose of making profit, or does it seek to be an environmental activist and educational philanthropist. Davis argues that Sea World is a combination of all three worlds; "it styles itself an urban public resource, a site of animal rehabilitation, marine conservation, research, and education." She argues that large corporations are responsible for shaping our culture by producing the locales of America's families. It is a bit disappointing when Davis reaffirms the fact that American culture is based on commercial centers funded by big corporations. One would think that there is more to our great hegemonic nation besides theme parks, movie theatres surrounded by an extremely commercial environment, shopping malls, and minors singing awful pop music. In Orange County, Davis notes that Disney has a tremendous influence and is planning on building a themed community to help demonstrate the redefining of social space. Not only are theme parks culturally relevant in our society, but also Sea World and other parks like it are replacing forest trails and lakesides as means of appreciating nature. Apparently some people believe that going to an environment with confined animals affirms their identity as caring, sensitive, and educated individuals that is possibly reinforced by the Sea World announcer saying "you show you care just by being here." She makes the point that nature has become an object for consumption and empathy. Unlike most money grubbing theme parks, Davis clarifies that Sea World at least offers educational programs to poor and unfortunate children. Although a field trip to Sea World isn't as educational as a trip to the tide pools, it provides excellent hands on experience for the hundreds of thousands of students from first grade to college. Davis states that the educational enrichment experience is slightly tainted by the Kodak moment with the children feeding and petting all the various wildlife. She also explains that despite all the parks educational efforts its first priority is to provide its parent corporation, Anheiser-Busch with a "fair rate of return." Another issue raised in Spectacular Nature is the matter of animal captivity. Of course animal rights activists want the animals in the wild ocean where they can swim freely without the constraints of their swimming pools. They also think that performing tricks and wearing props is demeaning towards the animals. Sea World has changed the whale acts and eliminated the props to make them seem more natural. Sea World wishes everyone to know that their animal performers are happy and cheerful, and if they weren't, there would not be a show. Shamu is Sea World's representative and Davis explains that the killer whale serves as a "mediator for the audience, Anheiser-Busch, and the larger corporate world. One of the most troubling factors of Spectacular Nature is that opens your eyes to the dominance of corporate America in shaping our lives and culture. There is no getting away from it because major corporations such as Proctor & Gamble and Anheiser-Busch distribute almost everything we consume. Even when we want to get away from suburbia and indulge in nature's majesty we either have to drive for hours or go to a zoo. I live in Orange County and I'm not pleased with Disney's continuous expansion because I fear one day my community will be a corporate stretch of neighborhoods. Davis doesn't intend to make us despise corporations she makes us more aware of their force in our culture.
Amazon.com
Despite the single letter at the heart of its hyphenated title, The E-Myth Contractor isn't another book about e-commerce. Instead, like previous entries in Michael E. Gerber's popular series, it focuses on a different e-word--entrepreneur--and the fact that most of us who go into business for ourselves are doomed to fail because we really don't understand business. This time, Gerber lays out the basics for starry-eyed newly self-employed contractors who know everything about their trade but precious little about being a boss. "I don't try to tell you how to do the work you do," he writes at the outset. "Rather, I share with you some profound insights into how great businesspeople think." In his easy-to-understand manner, Gerber explains the concept of Strategic Thinking and how it "will enable you to create a business that works apart from you instead of because of you." He addresses key topics like money, people, management and growth with an eye toward making related functions run seamlessly and effectively as we build our independent enterprises into true companies that have inherent value whether we stay involved or ultimately hand them off to eager buyers. Taken to heart, it could save more than a few worthy ventures as well as the people behind them. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Michael E. Gerber is a truly revolutionary business thinker. His unique E-Myth insights have helped transform hundreds of thousands of small businesses around the world. According to Gerber, The E-Myth is the myth of the entrepreneur. Most businesses fail to fulfill their potential because business owners are not entrepreneurs (as most people think them to be) but “technicians suffering from an entrepreneurial seizure.” After all, says Gerber, most Contractors start out as technicians -- electricians, plumbers, landscapers, et al. As a result, most Contractors don't own a true business, but a job -- the all-consuming daily routine Gerber refers to as “doing it, doing it, doing it.” Sound familiar? With The E-Myth Contractor, Michael Gerber focuses on the business of Contracting rather than the work of it. He reveals a radical mind-set that will free Contractors from the tyranny of the unprofitable, unproductive, perpetual routine -- estimating, hiring, firing, going to the bank, digging a trench, running the Job, doing everything that needs to get done. Drawing on thirty years of experience working with small-business owners, including many Contractors, Gerber provides revolutionary, practical, and enlightening insights on how to produce the best real-world results on the Job, in the field, in a Contractor's life. The E-Myth Contractor explores crucial topics such as planning, money, personnel management, sub-contractors, and customers. It teaches you how to
- implement the ingenious turn key system, a means of creating a Franchise Prototype that embodies your unique set of talents and that produces consistent, predictable results each and every time without your having to do everything yourself
- recognize, understand, and manage the four factors of money -- income, profit, flow, and equity
- nurture the power of change to transform your company and your people while enabling the firm to grow exponentially without your having to be there all the time
Anecdotal and always profound, The E-Myth Contractor also provides insights on a broader level. It leads Contractors to become business visionaries by relinquishing tactical work and embracing strategic work -- working on their businesses instead of just in them. Gerber's revolutionary ideas empower Contractors to build successful businesses and successful lives.
Customer Reviews:
Grade School Lessons & E-Myth Acadamy Advertisement .......2007-10-04
This is, at best the beginning part of a working business solution. Yes, Gerber makes a valid point about the E-myth concept (read other reviews if you don't know the concept) but it's really for beginners (newbs). All his books are really just advertisements,for his E-Myth Academy consulting business in the back of all his books. There is nearly no practical information. He makes his point about the E-Myth, then masterbates it endlesly, re-making that point six ways to Sunday, add nausium and leaves you wondering, well, but what should I do? Well, little lost lamb (newb), go to E-Myth web site or call the 800 number where they have a fast talking sales crew and sign up for 2 years of 700 plus a month (I haven't checked lately) consultation/classes.
After you get the point that to make your technical skill pay/function as a business you need to have business skills/know how. You can sign up for the 700 plus per month for 2 years advertised in the back of his books. Start looking elsewhere for actual practical information. Because there are no E-myth books or tapes that have that information. You can do a lot for your business with that kind of money. I'm always shocked at how newbs starting businesses throw money around. Something to buy and a place to buy it, no matter how pretty it all is, doesn't make a successful business, In my observations, it's the major reason new businesses fail. I'm sure some of you with deep pockets or You corperate types who have never had to find the guts or earn the money to build a small business without Sugar Daddy Warbucks help will think I'm wrong. This E-Myth stuff is valid but it it's grade school lessons made to look like some kind of super-profound truth/solution. Well, it is, grade school true, now what Mr. Gerber, where's the solutions, spend, what, nearly 17,000 Sign up for what I thought I was getting when I bought the Books and tapes? What a greedy little tight wad! When are you going to write a book with substance? Hey Newbs! Trust me, yes you need real business skills, there are plenty of great business books out there, take some of that 17,000 and buy some and be careful with the rest you're going to need it.
Excellent small business framework.......2007-07-23
Michael Gerber does a very good job outlining a basic approach to small business development. His approach may give some readers an enlightened perspective on their current small business dilemas. He has an insightful understanding of how typical contractors think and the challenges we all deal with everyday. This book won't solve your problems - you have to do that - but it will give you the basic groundwork needed to change the way you think about your business and how you run it.
Quick read explaining importance of CashFlow for business owners........2007-07-12
This is another in the series of E-myth books. While focused on (building) contractors, it is very applicable for any business owner. It breaks down the different ways to look at money related to business. A quick read, especially if you have read the e-myth Revisited. I usually go purchase a bunch for each new client to get them on the same page of understanding that running your business by the checkbook or float is a recipe for disaster. I recommend reading this after e-myth revisited and before e-myth mastery.
Awesome.......2007-03-14
Absolutley essential book. He shares some great business ideas that you might have otherwise overlooked.
Not worth the time or money.......2007-02-04
This book repeats a few of the strategies presented in "The E-Myth Revisted", trying to point them at the contractor. Unfortunately, except for a couple of good ideas from that book, there is nothing here but fluff and pep talk. At one point, I think you can actually tell where material was cut-and-pasted from the sister book about medical practices, where they accidentally forgot to change "practice" to "contracting business".
If you found some chapters of the "The E-Myth Revisted" to be a bit fluffy for you, you can count on an entire (although short) book of it here. Very dissapointing and not particularly useful.
Average customer rating:
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Cash and Finance in Construction Contracting (Advantage Contractor Business Success, Vol 4)
Gene Fessenbecker
Manufacturer: Construction Contracting Press
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ASIN: 1888198184 |
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Privatrechtsangleichung Durch Die Europaische Gemeinschaft
Martin Franzen
Manufacturer: Walter De Gruyter Inc
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 311016566X |
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Keeping the Land Alive: Soil Erosion, Its Causes and Cures (Soils Bulletin)
Hubert W. Kelley
Manufacturer: Food & Agriculture Org
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ASIN: 925101342X |
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Soil erosion and its control (Van Nostrand Reinhold soil science series)
Manufacturer: Van Nostrand Reinhold
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Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0442264410 |
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Erosion and its control in Oregon
Clifford Whitten
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ASIN: B0008C5N02 |
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Human sexuality;: Sense and nonsense
Herant A Katchadourian
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
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ASIN: 0716705834 |
Book Description
Sex: Sense & Nonsense underscores the biological basis of human sexuality while dispelling commonly held misconceptions. The book is organized as a series of concise, progressively structured exercises which engage the reader with informative, thought-provoking text capsules and expertly rendered illustrations.
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- An Outstanding Description of Chinese REE-Bearing Deposits
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Mineralogy And Geology of Rare Earths in China
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 9067642207 |
Customer Reviews:
An Outstanding Description of Chinese REE-Bearing Deposits.......2007-08-02
In common with many other books on this subject, this one begins with a description of the chemistry and geochemistry of rare earth elements. There is also discussion of the rare earth elements in lunar samples.
A large section of the book describes rare earth minerals in considerable detail. Color photographs are also provided of the same.
Most books on the REEs (rare earth elements) tend to be rather theoretical. This book, in contrast, includes an excellent summary of Chinese REE deposits (pp. 171-190). Details are given of each location, geologic environments, mineralogy, ore deposits, etc. There is also a broad-based description of REE occurrences in granites, alkaline rocks, carbonatites, skarns, pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, hydrothermal systems, sedimentary rocks, and placer deposits.
The book concludes with a description of the fleeting radioactive REE element Promethium (Pm).
Book Description
Originally Part II of Physical Chemistry, Second Edition, and now published as its own volume, Matter in Equilibrium: Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics simultaneously develops the statistical molecular theory and the classical thermodynamic theory of the bulk properties of matter in a mutually reinforcing fashion. Despite presenting both a microscopic and macroscopic approach, this sophisticated text offers a rigorous treatment of classical thermodynamics and allows professors to separate the two theories if desired. Packed with tables, graphs, and figures, it describes the equilibrium properties of bulk matter and develops the tools needed to study gases, solids, liquids, phase transformations, solutions of nonelectrolytes, and solutions of electrolytes. The book makes extensive use of computer simulations of molecular behavior and, where appropriate, uses experimental data to illustrate concepts and principles. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate level courses, Matter in Equilibrium broadens and challenges student perspectives while offering valuable information to researchers.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book........2007-09-22
This book is fantastic and is part of a 3 volume series. Ideal for the undergraduate and graduate student in engineering, physics, chemistry, and math. Concise and easy to read.
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Hydrodynamic Limits and Related Topics (Fields Institute Communications)
Manufacturer: American Mathematical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0821819933 |
Book Description
This book presents the lecture notes and articles from the workshop on hydrodynamic limits held at The Fields Institute (Toronto). The first part of the book contains the notes from the mini-course given by Professor S. R. S. Varadhan. The second part contains research articles reviewing the diverse progress in the study of hydrodynamic limits and related areas. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the theory and its techniques, including entropy and relative entropy methods, large deviation estimates, and techniques in nongradient systems. This book, especially the lectures of Part I, could be used as a text for an advanced graduate course in hydrodynamic limits and interacting particle systems.
Average customer rating:
- A good supplement to standard SM textbooks
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Topics in Statistical Mechanics (Imperial College Press Advanced Physics Texts)
Brian Cowan
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1860945694 |
Book Description
Building on the material learned by students in their first few years of study, this book presents an advanced level course on statistical and thermal physics. It begins with a review of the formal structure of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics considered from a unified viewpoint. After a brief revision of non-interacting systems, emphasis is laid on interacting systems. First, weakly interacting systems are considered, where the interest is in seeing how such interactions cause small deviations from the non-interacting case. Second, systems are examined where interactions lead to drastic changes, namely phase transitions. A number of specific examples are given, and these are unified within the Landau theory of phase transitions. The final chapter of the book looks at non-equilibrium systems and the way these evolve towards equilibrium. Here, fluctuations play a vital role, as is formalized in the Fluctuation-Dissipation theorem.
Customer Reviews:
A good supplement to standard SM textbooks.......2007-01-04
I used this book to enrich the examples in my lecture notes for statistical mechanics. It covers all topics in the standrad course for statistical mechanics, from thermodynamics to basics of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. The author provides many examples to illusrate the theory. The style of presentation, especially, the mathematics, is not so formal like the one by K. Huang and is very readable. In my opinion, it is a useful referrence to students and teachers for the course of statistical mechanics.
Average customer rating:
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Applications of the Monte Carlo Method in Statistical Physics (Topics in Current Physics)
K. Binder
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 0387176500 |
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- Hilarious
- Esoteric, yet entertaining and informative
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Invisible Forms: A Guide to Literary Curiosities
Kevin Jackson
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
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ASIN: 0312266065 |
Book Description
Dedications, Titles, Epigraphs, Footnotes, Prefaces, Afterwords, Indexes... These and other "invisible" literary necessities form the skeletons of many a book, yet these unacknowledged and unexamined forms abound in wisdom, curiosities, or eccentricities.
With both erudition and wit, and drawing on examples from every part of literature's history, ranging from the greats such as Shakespeare, Beckett, and T. S. Eliot to lesser known writers such as Fernando Pessoa. Jackson's mixture of serious literary analysis and jovial wit means Invisible Forms will appeal to anyone who is interested in books and in the art of writing.
It is the perfect companion for literature lovers everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious.......2002-07-07
In these postmodern times, a book about footnotes, indexes, acknowledgments, and so forth - was bound to be written. We should be grateful that such a book was written by Kevin Jackson. This book is hilarious, and should find an audience amongst graduate students, and more generally, bibliophiles. Jackson's book is a study (the better word is `celebration') of `paratexts', those matters which are an essential part of any book - footnotes, epigraphs, stage directions, indexes, and so forth.
One can only hint at the humour in this book.
For instance, in his chapter on pseudonyms, he discusses the reasons why Eric Blair decided to adopt the pseudonym "George Orwell", noting rather snidely in a footnote: "A cynic might add that `Blair' is an unlikely name for a socialist."
Or when discussing the merits of the last words of James Joyce in his famous short story, "The Dead," Jackson comments: "Lovely prose, Jimmy, simply lovely; not a dry eye in the parlour the last time I read it out to the servants."
Or his chapter on marginalia, which is about those awful scribblings on books made by readers. Jackson adds his own marginalia to his work - the underlining of the word `penis', with the comment "smut!"; or the bracketing of a paragraph with "come, now....", "typical", "Has this man never heard of Derrida?" and my favourite, "bamba, BAMBA!" Just the right touch of pomposity.
His chapter on indexes is classic. He quotes from Joe Queenan's book, If You're Talking to Me, Your Career Must be in Trouble:
Tesh, John
Likened to Adolf Hitler, 78
Obliviousness of, 76
Questionable goatee of, 78
This is funny, but at the same time it makes you realise how important indexes really are - and how much fun they can be. I have Queenan's book, but never even bothered to look at the index.
Sometimes, however, Jackson's trickery falls flat, like his chapter "Follies", which is devoted to literary experimentation. The beginning of each paragraph in this piece corresponds to a letter of the alphabet. I was only vaguely curious to see how one could begin a sentence with X and Z. For me, the form under which this particular essay was written detracted from what Jackson was saying (Actually, I felt that way about the chapter on marginalia a bit. The marginalia was so prominent - like all good marginalia! - that it was hard to concentrate on the actual text). Neither was his discussion on literary experimentation particularly interesting, and George Perec's famous book, written without the letter "e", is given more thought by Jackson's colleague, Gilbert Adair.
Still, overall, great...
Esoteric, yet entertaining and informative.......2001-10-22
You have to love books and the history of how and why they are the way they are organizationally and physically to enjoy this book. Subtitled "A Guide to Literary Curiosities," Kevin Jackson brings us deep into the world of book parts and how they came to be.
From introductions to prefaces, from pseudonyms to heteronyms, the author embellishes the book with the history that makes them what they are and uses many examples to illustrate his ideas. He describes the origins and uses of blurbs, dedications, epigraphs, and footnotes (which borrows heavily from Anthony Grafton's The Footnote: A Curious History).
Jackson looks at marginalia and stage directions, lectures and last words as used in books. Finally, he addresses the back matter of books: appendixes, bibliographies, and indexes.
This is excellent reading for the historically inclined and for bibliophiles.
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- Sur/Petition: Creating Value Monopolies When Everyone Else Is Merely Competing (Going Beyond Competition)
- The Book of Stratagems: Tactics for Triumph and Survival
- The Boundaries of the Firm: Critiques, Strategies and Policies
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
- Encyclopedia of American Women in Business
- Hamas: Political Thought and Practice
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- Herman Melville : Typee, Omoo, Mardi
- Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range
- A Survival Guide for Hotel and Motel Professionals
- Data Mining Solutions: Methods and Tools for Solving Real-World Problems
- Rogue's March: John Riley and the St. Patrick's Battalion
