Get a Jump Midwest 2001 (Peterson's Get a Jump)

Book Description

Comprehensive guide to help students and parents compare colleges within a specific geographic area (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wisconsin). Accredited regional colleges and universities are profiled with the latest information on financial aid, admissions, and student body statistics. Additionally, articles on the college application process, successful college visits, and transferring put all the pieces of the puzzle together so that parents and students can make informed choices.

Book Description

This unique study of labor relations and the phenomenon of peripheral bargaining focuses on the high-profile and bitter dispute at the New York Daily News in 1990. Using a dramatic case study involving one of New York City's oldest newspapers, 10 entrenched unions, the Chicago Tribune Company, publishing magnate Robert Maxwell, and 1.2 million Daily News readers, Kenneth Jennings provides systematic and extensive analysis of a rancorous collective bargaining effort, revealing a new development in labor-management relations; peripheral bargaining. This development threatens to erode the well-established practice of traditional bargaining and usher in a new, more hostile labor-management era.

Labor Relations at the New York Daily News: Peripheral Bargaining and the 1990 Strike

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Labor Relations at the New York Daily News: Peripheral Bargaining and the 1990 Strike
Kenneth M. Jennings
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR9ZT6

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A Smile of a Read!

A Wonderful Read

A delightfully chuckle-worthy tour

Laugh Out Loud!

A Tongue in the Sink Touches the Soul

A Tongue in the Sink: The Harrowing Adventures of a Baby Boomer Childhood
Dennis, Ph.D. Fried
Manufacturer: Eiffel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | History & Criticism | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

More Memoirs of a Papillon: Diary of a Mad Dog

Memoirs of a Papillon : The Canine Guide to Living with Humans without Going Mad

ASIN: 096793351X

Book Description

Are the current events of your childhood now showing on the History Channel?

Do you look at today's kids and suspect that they're aliens?

Have you ever assaulted an electronic device?

Have you been ridiculed in the recent past for using paper and pencil?

Do you forget whether some of your favorite movie stars are dead or alive?

Have you been saying "When I was a kid" more and more lately?

Then meet Dennis Fried, former philosophy professor and stand-up comic (just your normal, everyday career path), and author of the popular Memoirs of a Papillon: The Canine Guide to Living with Humans without Going Mad. Return with him to the days when kids actually went outside to play! When SUVs were not only unknown but unneeded, since no self-respecting kid wanted to be seen being dropped off by his parents. When gym teachers issued directly from the "walk it off" school of pain management. Back to the days of Saturday afternoon double features, A-bomb drills, and the always-dangerous Big Kids.

This wry, incisive memoir about growing up in a small town in the 1950s will fill you with laughter, nostalgia, and reflections on the changing nature of childhood. If you were ever a kid, this is your story.

Customer Reviews:

A Smile of a Read!.......2005-11-28

I love a book that is interesting and also makes me smile;
I found such a read in Mr. Fried's work, " A Tongue In The Sink."
It was like a breath of fresh air to me, one enjoyable read for sure.
Taking us back to his childhood in the 1950's, our author shares his childhood in a fun and entertaining way. He packs his work full of stories that will make you giggle and chuckle,but you will find you will also feel the stirring within you of your own heartstrings as you remember your own growing-up years. Good or bad.
This is a great read and I am proud to recommend it to you. Sit back and enjoy. A top of the notch work that should not be missed.

A Wonderful Read.......2004-05-15

This book is one of the best, funniest, and most entertaining books I have ever read. Both my husband and I enjoyed it so much. The day I bought it, I spent the rest of the day reading it....and just couldn't put it down until I finished it. Reading this book causes fits of giggling, snickering, chuckling, and laughing right out loud from cover to cover. Both Genevieve and her human, Dennis Fried, are wonderful writers who know how to entertain their readers. Anyone who ever was a child will truly enjoy this book, regardless of their age or when or where they grew up. It is filled with insight and humor and brings back a lot of memories of "the good old days" when we were younger. Genevieve has counseled her human well...and should encourage him to write more books.

A delightfully chuckle-worthy tour.......2004-03-08

Dennis Fried's A Tongue In The Sink: The Harrowing Adventures Of A Baby Boomer Childhood is a laugh-out-loud memoir of growing up in a small town in the 1950s about mistrusting today's youth, the seemingly bizarre yet omnipresent electronic technology, the inability to remember whether one's favorite movie stars are dead or alive, and so much more. A Tongue In The Sink is a delightfully chuckle-worthy tour of one man's adaptation to changing eras, and sure to strike a chord in the hearts of his fellow baby boomers.

Laugh Out Loud!.......2004-02-26

How many books make you laugh out loud? If you want to take a look back at growing up in the 50's and 60's and reflect on the antics of your own childhood, then this book is a must! I havn't laughed so hard since reading Dave Barry's Big Trouble. Denny Fried's blend of humour and personal philosophy make for a delightful journey into yesteryear.

A Tongue in the Sink Touches the Soul.......2004-02-26

It's true that Denny Fried's look back to see what was gaining on him in his youth will make you laugh, as the book cover warns. But be prepared to experience deep nostalgia, even, amazingly, for places you haven't been and cultural corners you haven't explored. Fried draws readers into his childhood while at the same time hurling them back into their own. A terrific read--for boomers and everyone else.

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The Great Impostor, the Amazing Careers of the Most Spectacular Impostor of Modern Times
Robert Crichton
Manufacturer: PERMA BOOK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HR9HA0

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GREAT MOVIE SPECTACULARS

Manufacturer: ARCHWAY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0671298429

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Great movie spectaculars
Edward Edelson
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Multilingual | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0385111797

Book Description

Provides the first comprehensive post-structuralist reading of dramatic texts and a new theory of a nonelitist theater

Customer Reviews:

A well written look at theatre and theory.......1997-04-02

The Author, such as it is, has managed to trace, in the main body of the book, the various stages of deconstruction and post-structural theory in this country. Yet this is not a history per se, rather an attempt to write within the three categories of contemporary thought the book outlines: deconstruction, post-structural and post-colonial. It's too bad that it is not more widely availabl

Book Description

Provides a set of weapons against the Catalan and English. Includes 150 diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

Watch out, not a complete repertoire against Flank Openings!.......2004-02-01

About two years ago I decided that the level at which I was playing, Class A USCF, demanded a systematized opening repertoire if I wanted to keep climbing in rating. I set out to do this and started playing with black the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon against 1.e4, the King's Indian against 1.d4 and the Symmetrical English (which can transpose into some variations of the Accelerated Dragon) against 1.c4. At this point I needed some help with my variations against 1.b4, 1.b3, 1.g3, 1.g4 and 1.f4, although it is fair to say that some of this can transpose into the previous mentioned openings. For example, 1.g3 a lot of times transpose into the King's Indian fianchetto variation.

I started looking for a book that could help by giving a comprehensive repertoire against the flank openings. I was delighted when I found "Beating the Flank Openings", since by reading the description of the book, it conveys the idea that it gives black the tools to win against ALL flank openings. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when I received the book and found out it covered only the English (variation 1.c4 e5) and the Catalan openings! This meant that the book was completely useless to me, since against 1.c4 I play 1...c5, and since I play the King's Indian, the Catalan is of no use to me.

I hope this advice helps future buyers in avoiding this book if you are looking for a solution similar to the one I was seeking. If on the contrary you are looking for help with the Catalan or English then this book may prove helpful. I browsed through the explanations the author gives and the games selected to depict these two opening and have to admit that Kotronias makes a good job in conveying his ideas and concepts. This is the only reason why I give the book 2 stars instead of 1.

Book Description

Arguably the most capable of all the open source databases, PostgreSQL is an object-relational database management system first developed in 1977 by the University of California at Berkeley. In spite of its long history, this robust database suffers from a lack of easy-to-use documentation. Practical PostgreSQL fills that void with a fast-paced guide to installation, configuration, and usage. This comprehensive new volume shows you how to compile PostgreSQL from source, create a database, and configure PostgreSQL to accept client-server connections. It also covers the many advanced features, such as transactions, versioning, replication, and referential integrity that enable developers and DBAs to use PostgreSQL for serious business applications. The thorough introduction to PostgreSQL's PL/pgSQL programming language explains how you can use this very useful but under-documented feature to develop stored procedures and triggers. The book includes a complete command reference, and database administrators will appreciate the chapters on user management, database maintenance, and backup & recovery. With Practical PostgreSQL, you will discover quickly why this open source database is such a great open source alternative to proprietary products from Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft. Also included is a CD-ROM with Command Prompt's PostgreSQL Application Server, LXP. The CD covers LXP version 0.8.0 and PostgreSQL version 7.1.3.

Customer Reviews:

Written ages ago.......2007-03-08

This book used to be a good reference for PostgreSQL 7.4. However there is much more to PostgreSQL nowadays then it was six years ago.

This book has a problem that I guess most SQL books suffer from. It has a very long introduction to SQL itself. Which is not bad if you are a complete beginner. The book is somewhat boring to read, without that additional value because of which you buy a book. It lacks additional information on advanced PostgreSQL features, programming in PL/pgsql, replication, administration and some other interesting topics. On the other hand it's not that "practical" but rather a PostgreSQL reference.

All in all this book has too much reference which makes it hard to read. With that and the fact it is somewhat outdated, you might want to decide on skipping it.

Nice for PostgreSQL intro, but not a master piece.......2004-12-10

The book covers the basics of PostgreSQL, but it lacks usefull info for the more avanced tasks like tuning the database.
The 'stored procedure' (PL/pgSQL) chapter was for me the only interesting part of this book for me.
When I bought this I was hoping for the PostgreSQL 'Bible', but it was a big dissapointment.

My advice for improvement for the next release:
- much better index
- drop LXP chapter
- chapter about how to tune (not just SQL statements, but the postgreSQL server itself) and benchmark PostgreSQL.
- a chapter about 'schema' and when to use them.
- extend PL/pgSQL chapter with some 'real world' examples and how to do PL/pgSQL trouble shooting, PL/Perl(?)

- general advice how to manage PostgreSQL on 'day to day' basis
- maybe have a chapter about the SLONY replication add-on
- Postgresql 8.0 features

Very Practical, Very PostgreSQL.......2003-08-31

The Command Prompt guys did a fine job of writing this book. It contains basic topics, like retrieving rows from a table, and advanced topics, like session encryption, JDBC, and PL/pgSQL, and everything in between. A very complete SQL command listing is available at the back of the book, as well, for those times when you can't quite remember proper syntax.

Furthermore, it covers all the tools provided with PostgreSQL distributions (vacuumdb, etc.) and has a chapter on the included LXP software, which I haven't tried because I don't need it.

This text, in conjunction with Programming the Perl DBI, got me from a PostgreSQL/DBI newbie to accidentally memorizing common SQL syntax, writing my own Perl DBI wrapper, and programming some simpler PL/pgSQL functions in about four days.

I highly recommend it both as a tutorial and as a reference. Be warned, though -- the index is a bit sparse. Using it as a reference might require putting sticky tabs at the tops of your pages, as I've done.

The critics are unfair, this book is VERY good.......2003-06-18

I wanted to buy this book a few months ago, but after reading the reviews I relented. Finally, a few weeks ago I needed a book on PostgreSQL and it was the only one available, so I bought it. Since then I have referred to it almost everyday in my database programming duties. It is well made, well presented and goes into minute details that other books simply skip.

Normally I would have given this book 4 stars, but after being misled by the bad reviews below I decided it well deserved the extra star. My only concern with this book, is that it leaves out PHP, which is a shame. Because most people I know use PHP to interface the web with PostgreSQL.

if you need a book on the best Open Source database at the present, then this book should be amongst your top picks.

Excellent book, Learning PostgreSQL a better title.......2003-04-26

This is an excellent book to begin learning about the most advanced open source database available, it covers the theory and history of PostgreSQL and includes instructions on installing the database server.

The authors clearly explain the topics covered in the book, I've given the book to several co-workers who were interested in the book and they also view it favorably.

I recommend this book to the person interested in learning more about PostgreSQL or the person who has never used a database server before.

This book does not get into the advanced features of PostgreSQL but all in all this is a quality reference and handbook, perhaps better named as Learning PostgreSQL.

Average customer rating:

A virtual life saver

A powerful presentation.

Unequal Sisters: A Multicultural Reader in U.S. Womenªs History

Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Born for Liberty

Women and the American Experience

Natives and Strangers: A Multicultural History of Americans

When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America

Through Women's Eyes: An American History with Documents

ASIN: 0756760895

Book Description

Since the publication of its first edition in 1990, Unequal Sisters has been considered one of the most influential and groundbreaking works in the field of women's studies. Bringing together a broad, multicultural view, it presents the best scholarship available on the issues of race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and class in its attempt to provide a more accurate and more inclusive history of women in the United States.

Now, featuring more than twenty new essays and works by a number of exciting young scholars, this third edition maintains the essential themes and strong emphasis on women of color of earlier editions, but will incorporate many new developments in women's history: emerging views on American women in global perspective, considerations of masculinity, explorations of women of privilege, and increased emphasis on lesbians and Jewish women. Addressing questions regarding the rise of multiculturalism its impact on women's history, political changes, and the hope for a more equitable future-Unequal Sisters continues to dominate the field of women's studies as an unequaled source of brilliant writing, groundbreaking scholarship, and timely commentary on what it means to be a woman in the United States today.

Contributors: Joyce Antler, Yamila Azize-Vargas, Mary H. Blewett, Jeanne Boydston, James F. Brooks, Elsa Barkley Brown, Antonia I. Castañeda, Ellen Carol DuBois, Cynthia Griggs Fleming, Evelyn Nakano Glenn, Linda Gordon, Melanie Gustafson, Ramón Gutiérrez, Jacquelyn Dowd Hall, Nancy A. Hewitt, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Daniel Horowitz, Kumari Jayawardena, Susan Lee Johnson, Gail Paradise Kelly, Elizabeth Lapovosky Kennedy, Yolanda Chávez Leyva, Tessie Liu, Valerie Matsumoto, Joanne Meyerowitz, Alice Yang Murray, Annelise Orleck, Peggy Pascoe, Kathy Peiss, Theda Perdue, Barbara M. Posadas, Vicki L. Ruiz, Rickie Solinger, Brenda Stevenson, Rebecca Tsosie, Devra Anne Weber, Judy Yung

Customer Reviews:

A virtual life saver.......2001-06-01

Were it not for this book, I seriously doubt I would have passed my women's history course. The editors were able to compile an impresive selection of scholarship that explained what my instructor could not.

Women's accheivements struggles and setbacks could not be properly examined unless one made a serious committment to understanding the interrelated issues of race, class, disability and sexual orientation in relation to gender and the predominant traits of the larger society. While the early women's history movement has been faulted for being predominantly middle class heterosexual and white, this book attempts to build a more complete future by giving a voice to the issues.

I wish everybody had access to this substantive piece of literature because it provides an excellent introductory and supplementary framework for research and even political organizing. While primarily intended for use in history courses, I believe it could be adapted for political science, sociology or even psychology.

A powerful presentation........2000-04-06

The third edition of this superb multicultural reader in U.S. women's history provides an essential work of powerful resources blending voices new to this edition with excellent feminist perspectives. Unequal Sisters includes over twenty new essays written by women in the six years since the last edition, with contributors ranging from Joyce Antler and Ellen Carol Dubois to Vicki L. Ruiz. A powerful presentation.

Book Description

Avihu Zakai analyzes Jonathan Edwards's redemptive mode of historical thought in the context of the Enlightenment. As theologian and philosopher, Edwards has long been a towering figure in American intellectual history. Nevertheless, and despite Edwards's intense engagement with the nature of time and the meaning of history, there has been no serious attempt to explore his philosophy of history. Offering the first such exploration, Zakai considers Edwards's historical thought as a reaction, in part, to the varieties of Enlightenment historical narratives and their growing disregard for theistic considerations.

Zakai analyzes the ideological origins of Edwards's insistence that the process of history depends solely on God's redemptive activity in time as manifested in a series of revivals throughout history, reading this doctrine as an answer to the threat posed to the Christian theological teleology of history by the early modern emergence of a secular conception of history and the modern legitimation of historical time. In response to the Enlightenment refashioning of secular, historical time and its growing emphasis on human agency, Edwards strove to re-establish God's preeminence within the order of time. Against the de-Christianization of history and removal of divine power from the historical process, he sought to re-enthrone God as the author and lord of history--and thus to re-enchant the historical world.

Placing Edwards's historical thought in its broadest context, this book will be welcomed by those who study early modern history, American history, or religious culture and experience in America.

Customer Reviews:

Most persuasive argument.......2003-04-25

The author clearly situates Edwards in his historical and intellectual context. He shows where Edwards comes from, what traditions he confronts, and the dialectic between his history and providentialism. Very intelligent, very readable. A superb history.

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The Americana Buff's Word Companion
W.R. Runyan
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Vocabulary, Slang, & Word Lists | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

History | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Reference | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1412042879
Release Date: 2001-03-04

Product Description

This illusterated word guide is a compendium of words that have disappeared over the last hundred years as technological advances and changes in society preferences have made them obsolete. It's most obvious use is to look up the early 1900s meanings of unfamiliar words.

Such words are often encountered when reading early twentith century literature, and in particular, when reading or listening to accounts of life in the early part of the twentith century. However some of the word discussions are detailed enough to be historical vingnettes in themselves. Thus many word users will find it of interest to consider the book as a collection of short historical notes and use it as a historical reference.

Illinois Historical Journal: Spring 1988 (formerly: Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, LXXXI (41))

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Illinois Historical Journal: Spring 1988 (formerly: Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, LXXXI (41))

Manufacturer: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Contents: Black Strategies for Change at the Chicago World's Fair (1933-1934), The Northwest Ordinance, Excerpts from the Letters of Lewis Omer to Allan Nevins (1930-1953), Forgotten Confederate Soldiers (1862-1863), McCarthyism and the FBI, and Book reviews.

The Open Sea, It's Natural Histroy : Part 1, The World of Plankton

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The Open Sea, It's Natural Histroy : Part 1, The World of Plankton
Sir Alister, Illustrated by Wilson, Douglas Hardy
Manufacturer: London: Collins,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV73UA

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Voices in the Wilderness
Anthony Pyle
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1412028906
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

Living within the Nazi regime that had created a physical, moral and social wilderness, were ordinary Germans repressed and fearful of harsh punishment? How did they react and survive?

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World Histroy

Manufacturer: Past Times
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1904041930

WORLD TRADE UNION MOVEMENT (Outline Histroy)

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WORLD TRADE UNION MOVEMENT (Outline Histroy)
William Z. (U.S. Communist Party Presidential Candidate, 1932) Foster
Manufacturer: International Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0JW2S

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Amazon.com

Humans have been studying the earth and its ways for millennia. But, writes James Lawrence Powell, only in the last century have we had the tools and theories to "place our planet and our species in time and space."

Powell focuses on three major breakthroughs in understanding. The first has to do with the age of the earth, which had been guessed at through such things as biblical genealogies and the poorly understood fossil record. Thanks to the development of tools to gauge isotopic dating and other indexes, the solar system and our own planet are known to be 4.5 billion years old. The second has to do with the understanding of plate tectonics, which explains what were mysteries of geomorphology, proposing a "motor" for geological processes. The third, far less widely known than the first two, has to do with the history of meteoritic collisions with the earth--collisions that may have put the moon in the sky.

"If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it," Albert Einstein once remarked. Powell offers a readable overview of three theories that were once scorned by the scientific establishment and that now underlie contemporary geological thought. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

In Mysteries of Terra Firma, James Lawrence Powell tells an engrossing three-part tale of how we came to understand the ground on which we walk, and how that ground holds the key to the greatest secrets of deep space and time. Naming his profound stories Time, Drift, and Chance, he tells of the three twentieth-century revolutions in thought that created the amazing science of Earth -- and of all planets to the edge of the universe.

The riddle that drove the first revolution is obvious and yet in 1904 remained impenetrable: how old is Earth? An encounter between the imperious Lord Kelvin and a New Zealand farm-boy-turned-physicist, Ernest Rutherford, set the stage for the solution and launched a golden century of geology. As a result, scientists learned that if the 4.5 billion years of geologic time were compressed into a single twenty-four-hour period, Homo sapiens would have arrived only in the last second. The geological Revolution of Time reveals how long the ground on which we walk has existed, and how briefly we have trod that ground.

In the early twentieth century, German meteorologist and polar explorer Alfred Wegener proposed a counterintuitive, heretical theory: that terra firma is not so firm; instead of being fixed in place, continents drift. In 1926, petroleum geologists convened in New York City to discuss Wegener's radical idea, where it was met with outrage and skepticism: "If we are to believe Wegener's hypothesis we must forget everything which has been learned in the last seventy years and start all over again," one attendee said. Forty years later, a new generation did exactly that. The Revolution of Drift, the second part of Powell's narrative, showed us how the ground on which we walk moves.

Throughout geologic time, meteorites have incessantly bombarded everything in the solar system. Far from serene and predictable, the planets are ruled by random violence on an unimaginable scale. Once a mountain-sized meteorite flew through space, struck the Earth, killed the dinosaurs and two-thirds of all species, and spared the small hamster-sized creature that happened to be our ancestor. The chance of that happening again is essentially zero. So, the final revolution in Powell's history of a golden century of geology is the Revolution of Chance. Simply put, this revolution in thought has transformed our understanding of how lucky we really are.

If we can learn so much from considering no more than the rocks beneath our feet, what will we learn when we begin walking on other planets? Mysteries of Terra Firma is both charming in its storytelling and staggering in its implications. Discovering the ground on which we stand is a fascinating journey into our past -- and our future.

Customer Reviews:

Revolutions in geology.......2003-10-29

James Powell has a rare talent for explaining the concepts of science while making the story fresh and exciting. As in his previous book, Night Comes to the Cretaceous, Powell explores the revolutions in our understanding of the Earth's history that took place during the 20th century. Here he selects the three really big discoveries that transformed our view of the world on which we live: dating the Earth (the discovery of deep time), developing the theory of plate tectonics, and recognizing the role of impacts by comets and asteroids that shape the surfaces of both the Earth and the other planets and satellities. I found this to be one of the best books about science that I have read in recent years -- factually accurate yet crafted with the skill of an adventure story.

Mysteries of Terra Firma:The Age & Evolution of the Earth.......2002-10-19

Mysteries of Terra Firma: The Age and Evolution of the Earth written by James Lawrence Powell is a very well-written, cogent, lucid, and extremely lively book that is about the age of the Earth. Through discoveries in deep time, tectonics and extraterrestrial impacts, the mysteries of time, drift and change have established with admirable clarity how geologists came to discover the true nature of the Earth.

This book is a story of three parts... time, drift and change these three profound stories have affected the Earth and life as we know it today. Without knowledge is these three disciplines the true nature of our Earth would still elude us.

Have you ever asked yourself, "How old is the Earth, the Universe? How firm the the Earth? How do meterorites affect the Earth? Well, this book takes on these tough questions and gives us some startling answers.

First, time... How can we understand the ground on which we walk, or how that ground holds the key to the greatest secerts of deep space time. Lord Kelvin and Ernst Rutherford helped set the stage for the calculations for the solution of the age of the Earth. When they were finished a number 4.5 billion years of geologic time was the answer... the universe is 13.5 billion years old, enough time for our solar system to die and another to be reborn. If this were all condensed to a 24 hour clock, man would only be found on the very last second.

Second, drift... Without drift, life would no exist. What the author is talking about is plate tectonics or continential drift. Believe it or not this theory was not accepted when first proposed, by a German meteorologist and polaer explorer Alfred Wegener, espicially in the petroleum industry. So, how firm is Terra Firma... well that depends upon where your perspectives lay... but for all intents and purposes, yes the Earth moves.

Third, chance... Throughout geologic time meteorites have been bombarding everything in the solar system. From a grain of sand to a mountain-sized meteorite have flown through space, struck the Earth, killed the dionsaurs and almost everything else on Earth, leaving a very small mammal the size of a hamster as our ancester. Powell says, "The chance of that happening again is essentially zero."

Ernst Mayr says much same thing, "...highly intelligent life originated only 300,000 years ago, in a single one of the more than one billion species that had arisen on Earth. These are indeed long odds."

If you are looking for a book about the study of the Earth, geology, and plate tetonics, this is a very good choice considering no more than the rocks beneth our feet.

Time, Drift, and Chance: Geology's Triple Play.......2002-01-04

Mysteries of Terra Firma by James Lawrence Powell, author of Night Comes to the Cretaceous, is an excellent introduction to what are arguably the science of geology's greatest contributions to humankind's knowledge of the universe. These great discoveries are the age of the Earth [4.55 billion years old], the theory of plate tectonics, and the knowledge that the impacts of comets and asteroids are an important force in our solar system, including here on Earth. In each of the three sections of the book, Powell takes the reader through the convoluted histories of each of these great discoveries, showing geology and the geologists, warts and all. These histories illustrate the fact that science can be slow and imperfect, but ultimately does a good job at pushing our knowledge of the universe forward. Mysteries of Terra Firma is an excellent read and should be enjoyed by anybody with an interest in geology, the Earth, or the history of science. I also recommend that college and high school earth science teachers append this title to their supplementary reading lists as soon as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed Mysteries of Terra Firma and I think you'll enjoy it, too.

Book Description

Governing for the Environment explores one of the dimensions of the value-knowledge system needed in any movement towards humane governance for the planet: the ecological sustainability and integrity of the Earth's environment. The book begins from the premise that while environmental knowledge and values have developed rapidly, their development must not overwhelm consideration of other core 'humane' values: peace, social justice, and human rights. The book's contributors explore a variety of ethical issues that must inform future global regulation of the Earth's environment.

Governing for the Environment: Global Problems, Ethics and Democracy.(Book Review): An article from: Ethics & International Affairs

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Governing for the Environment: Global Problems, Ethics and Democracy.(Book Review): An article from: Ethics & International Affairs
Vivian Bertrand
Manufacturer: Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Ethics & International Affairs, published by Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs on April 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1512 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: Governing for the Environment: Global Problems, Ethics and Democracy.(Book Review)
Author: Vivian Bertrand
Publication: Ethics & International Affairs (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2002
Publisher: Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs
Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Page: 164(4)

Article Type: Book Review

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