Tourism Market Trends 2002: Americas (Tourism Market Trends)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Tourism Market Trends 2002: Americas (Tourism Market Trends)
    World Tourism Organization
    Manufacturer: World Tourism Organization Pubns
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Hospitality, Travel & TourismHospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 9284405564

    Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe: Growth and Regional Development in an Enlarged European Union
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe: Growth and Regional Development in an Enlarged European Union

      Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      ComparativeComparative | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      InternationalInternational | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 1843762412

      Book Description

      This highly topical book addresses the challenge of economic convergence within Europe, beginning with a thorough review of the theory of growth and related empirical research. Historical and more recent economic developments within the present EU and current accession countries are discussed, along with the design for the process of further integration of accession countries into the EU and the Euro area. Moreover, the potential to achieve a sustainable catch-up process in Western Balkan countries, the Ukraine and Russia is explored, focusing on the task facing the EU in designing proper policies vis-à-vis these countries. The contributors' varied perspectives ensure that the theories and policies postulated are linked closely with the actual situation in accession countries and offer up-to-date insights.

      Economic Convergence and Divergence in Europe will be of interest to economists and researchers of regional and European studies, particularly those with a focus on integration. Its accessible and non-technical approach assures its appeal to experts from the banking and governmental sectors.

      Engaging the State and Business: The Labour Movement and Co-Determination in Contemporary South Africa
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Engaging the State and Business: The Labour Movement and Co-Determination in Contemporary South Africa
        National Labour & Economic Development Institute
        Manufacturer: Transaction Pub
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: B000K81KCE

        1001 Lewdest Limericks: An Erotic Collection
        Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
        • If you like limericks, give this book a chance!
        • Dont bother
        1001 Lewdest Limericks: An Erotic Collection
        Ronald Stanza
        Manufacturer: Citadel
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        Limericks & Humorous VerseLimericks & Humorous Verse | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        AnthologiesAnthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 0806517743

        Customer Reviews:

        3 out of 5 stars If you like limericks, give this book a chance!.......1999-02-07

        I'll not be as tough on this book as was my fellow Ohioan. The title says "Lewdest Limericks," not cutsie clean ones. To me, lewd and dirty mean pretty much the same and I bought the book expecting what I got... good clean smut! If you are not turned off by explicit language and erotic content and have the patience to read each limerick in this book (remember, there are a thousand and one... and that's alot), you will find some real gems! In most large collections there are losers...and this book has it's share, but I'm not about to throw the baby out with the bath. Yes, it is too bad we do not know more of the "author" or compiler... and are these Stanza's own originals or ones gleaned from other sources. This is not the book to buy if writing your doctoral dissertation on the history and evolution of the classic limerick, but if you're not super critical and are looking to add another limerick book to your libary why not try it.

        1 out of 5 stars Dont bother.......1998-04-02

        I understand many if not most limericks *are* dirty, but these are awful; not even clever. So poor there are no acknowledgements, preface, background, nothin'. I can see why no one would want to take the credit for this. The lesson is, just because it comes up on amazon.com's "Top matches for this search" (search on "limerick") doesnt mean its any good. Hardly worth the effort to send back, but I sure dont want to encourage those involved in publishing this book by throwing it in the trash.

        The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own Cds & Cassettes
        Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
        • Good guide
        • Best of both worlds: practical and inspiring
        • A Definite Keeper
        • The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs & Cass
        • The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs & Cass
        The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own Cds & Cassettes
        Jana Stanfield
        Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        SongbooksSongbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        BusinessBusiness | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        PopularPopular | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        Recording & SoundRecording & Sound | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. All You Need To Know About the Music Business: 6th Edition All You Need To Know About the Music Business: 6th Edition

        ASIN: 0898798086

        Book Description

        This publication shows one how to produce their own albums and market them accordingly. Topics include financing the project, capturing your own unique sound on tape, designing the album package, selling albums at live shows, over the internet, through mail order, and in retail outlets.

        Customer Reviews:

        4 out of 5 stars Good guide.......2006-05-20

        An independent musician may be a frustrated and irritated person, this largely due to the hardships he encounters during the process of promoting his music. If you don't know anything about selling music and promoting talent, read this guide and learn it, it will be your guide throughout the entire process of making your music, to the intricate and multiple ways in which you can promote it. With a slightly heavy and complicated structure it doesn't even come close to the structure and ease of "How To Make A Fortune In The Music Industry By Doing It Yourself: Your Personal Step-By-Step Guide To Having A Successful Career In The Music Business. ... To Sell Music, Book Shows And Get Noticed!" by Ty Cohen, a great piece of writing that will be the next music industry bible .

        5 out of 5 stars Best of both worlds: practical and inspiring.......2004-12-03

        If you are looking for practical tips, you hit the jackpot with this book. There is so much useful and instantly usable information here that I happily read it cover to cover several times, each time gleaning new ways I could apply the info to my own budding musical career.

        This book is a godsend for independent musicians, for aspiring songwriters, for frustrated singer/songwriters and for anyone who has been unable to break into the traditional, mainstream music biz.

        It's inspiring to hear how Jana took control of her own musical career and she shows how we all can do it, too.

        It's rare when a book about 'making it' in the music industry doesn't either promise too much (while overlooking the harsh realities of the business) - or - goes too far the other way, focusing on doom and gloom. Jana's book is a fair and balanced look at the nuts and bolts of making and selling your music.

        I often go to this book as a reference for the practical tips, but always come away inspired by Jana's unique way of looking at life.

        5 out of 5 stars A Definite Keeper.......2003-01-01

        I'm seldom motivated to submit reviews on "how to's", however Jana's book is definitely worth the time. As a singer/songwriter, I've just released my first CD, independently published, and I found this book to be more than helpful... especially in creative marketing. There are some great detailed books on the "step by step" process of the music business, but few remark on the psychological/motivational side of "doing it"... whether we want to admit it or not, we ALL need encouragement at some point. Jana's stories of personal experience make it a very enjoyable read... "hey, I can relate" kind of feel. It may not be all that big bands look for, but every singer/songwriter should add it to their library.

        5 out of 5 stars The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs & Cass.......2002-08-07

        I ran across this book while trying to find ways to market my poetry. The book was packed with "hands on" information and the kind of cheerleading inspiration that helps you believe you can do this. While the book is oriented to the musician, it works for spoken word folks also.
        If you are unlucky enough to be stuck in a big city or major metro area, you may find that this is less useful to you. Consider moving to a smaller town to use the ideas.
        I have been a performer to supplement my income for many years. Her ideas have helped me open a new marketing opportunity. This is not an idle "thought process" for me. I have recorded and am selling my first CD and did the major recording for my second one earlier today. Her ideas helped me do it.
        If you are serious about being creative with your work, this will help you. If you are not serious, it is still a good read and you can pass it on to someone who will use it.

        5 out of 5 stars The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs & Cass.......2002-08-07

        I ran across this book while trying to find ways to market my poetry. The book was packed with "hands on" information and the kind of cheerleading inspiration that helps you believe you can do this. While the book is oriented to the musician, it works for spoken word folks also.
        If you are unlucky enough to be stuck in a big city or major metro area, you may find that this is less useful to you. Consider moving to a smaller town to use the ideas.
        I have been a performer to supplement my income for many years. Her ideas have helped me open a new marketing opportunity. This is not an idle "thought process" for me. I have recorded and am selling my first CD and did the major recording for my second one earlier today. Her ideas helped me do it.
        If you are serious about being creative with your work, this will help you. If you are not serious, it is still a good read and you can pass it on to someone who will use it.
        The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs & Cassettes
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs & Cassettes
          Stanfield Jana
          Manufacturer: Writer's Digest Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: B000UIG70E

          Dick Tracy and American Culture: Morality and Mythology, Text and Context
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Dick Tracy and American Culture: Morality and Mythology, Text and Context
            Garyn G. Roberts
            Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Library Binding

            GeneralGeneral | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
            CartooningCartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
            History & Price GuidesHistory & Price Guides | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
            Satire, GeneralSatire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
            ASIN: 0899508804

            Book Description

            In October 1931, Dick Tracy made his debut on the American newspaper pages. Through extensive research and interviews with Chester Gould (the creator of "Dick Tracy"), his assistants, Dick Locher (the current artist), Mark Allan Collins (who scripted the stories for 15 years), and many others associated with the strip, Dick Tracy as a cultural icon emerges. The artists are fully revealed and Dick Tracy paraphernalia and the 1990 movie Dick Tracy are discussed. Dick Tracy's appearances in other media-books, comics, radio, movie serials, "B" movies, television dramas, and animated cartoons-are fully covered.

            Voice-Overs : A Practical Guide with CD (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback))
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • Voice-Overs is EXCELLENT!
            • So You 've Got A Nice Voice
            Voice-Overs : A Practical Guide with CD (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback))
            Bernard Gr Shaw
            Manufacturer: Theatre Arts Book
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            VoiceVoice | Instruments & Performers | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            General BroadcastingGeneral Broadcasting | Radio | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            Acting & AuditioningActing & Auditioning | Theater | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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            1. The Art of Voice Acting, Third Edition: The Craft and Business of Performing for Voice-Over The Art of Voice Acting, Third Edition: The Craft and Business of Performing for Voice-Over
            2. The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording
            3. There's Money Where Your Mouth Is: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Voice-Overs There's Money Where Your Mouth Is: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Voice-Overs
            4. Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It
            5. VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor

            ASIN: 0878301151

            Book Description

            Voice-Overs is an insider's guide to voicing radio and television commercials. Bernard Graham Shaw draws upon his nearly 20 years of voice-work experience to teach valuable studio skills, such as how far away to stand from a microphone, and offers practical advice on how to build a voice-over career. The book includes scripts written for advertisements, documentaries, and training films, as well as helpful tips on interpreting your lines and looking after your voice. Voice-Overs also features a comprehensive list of on-line resources and contact addresses, an extensive glossary of voice-over terms, and free CD with backing tracks that can be used with the scripts in the book to make your own demo tape.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Voice-Overs is EXCELLENT!.......2002-10-26

            I found this book and the accompanying CD extremely helpful in timing, do's and dont's and how to slow down or speed up to fit in a spot. The accompanying jingles and examples are fantastic!

            5 out of 5 stars So You 've Got A Nice Voice.......2001-11-24

            This book makes it clear that having a 'nice voice' is as much a guarantee of geting voice-over work as 'having two hands' is a guarantee of being a famous concert pianist.

            The book is very detailed and thorough with many examples of scripts for the reader to try out. There is also a free CD with the book which has examples of good and bad voice-overs together with many backing tracks and jingles to accompany the scripts in the book.

            An excellent book which is rapidly becoming the definitive text on this exciting career.

            Final Cut Pro HD Hands-On Training
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • Anthony Kemp
            • New FCP User
            • By the Final Cut Newsletter Writer
            • THE book for FCP users!
            • This Book Is a superlative "Must Read" for FCP users!!!
            Final Cut Pro HD Hands-On Training
            Larry Jordan
            Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            GeneralGeneral | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
            Final CutFinal Cut | Apple | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Web Design | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
            Look Inside Computer BooksLook Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
            All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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            1. Final Cut Pro HD for Dummies Final Cut Pro HD for Dummies
            2. Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro HD (Apple Pro Training) Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro HD (Apple Pro Training)
            3. Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro
            4. Final Cut Pro HD for Mac OS X: Visual QuickPro Guide Final Cut Pro HD for Mac OS X: Visual QuickPro Guide
            5. Apple Pro Training Series: Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro HD (2nd Edition) (Apple Pro Training) Apple Pro Training Series: Advanced Editing and Finishing Techniques in Final Cut Pro HD (2nd Edition) (Apple Pro Training)

            ASIN: 0321293991

            Book Description

            As the first volume in Lynda Weinman's acclaimed HOT (Hands-On Training) series to cover Apple's video editing powerhouse, this is the guide you've been waiting for! In these pages, you'll find a series of hands-on tutorials that guide you through all stages of editing video with Final Cut Pro HD. As you follow the book's step-by-step instructions (using the lesson files included on the accompanying CD), you'll quickly progress through Final Cut Pro basics and on to more advanced topics like creating transitions and motion effects, correcting color, and choosing among filter and rendering options. In the process, you'll learn about all of the program's most important features, including those new to HD: the revolutionary ability to edit HD video over FireWire (no extra cables required!); real-time color correction; the ability to toggle between full-resolution, high-quality playback and preview mode; and more! Fun, project-based lessons; an engaging writing style; and a DVD packed with lesson files make quick work of Final Cut Pro HD.

            Customer Reviews:

            4 out of 5 stars Anthony Kemp.......2006-08-09

            I started with iMovie to edit videos as a hobby, but about two years ago, I decide to move on to Final Cut Pro (FCP). I first tried using the included manual. That was very slow and difficult. It great as a reference, but not as a trainer. I then ordered another book on Amazon, which was much better than the manual, but after I finished it, I still felt a little awkard with FCP. This book, Hands-on Training, is much better. The footage is very cool, and the training movies are excellent! The writer is down to earth and really helps you to feel comfortable using this advanced, but very cool program.

            5 out of 5 stars New FCP User.......2005-07-12

            I am new to FCP. I actually got FInal Cut Pro 5, but since FCP 5 books are scarce as of July '05, I decided to buy the HD version instead. No problem there, as everything that worked in FCP HD works in FCP 5.

            I have to say that this book is great for anybody wanting to learn FCP. It doesn't assume you are an expert, but you don't get the feeling that you are being talked down to, either. The videos on the DVD are great for visualizing what Larry is talking about. The lesson files are key in understanding the concepts as you go through the chapters. I am a newbie coming from iMovie and this book got me to change many things in my digital lifestyle workflow. Now, someone needs to write a DVD Studio Pro H-O-T book!

            5 out of 5 stars By the Final Cut Newsletter Writer.......2005-02-27

            Note: For Mac users only. But then again, most of the people wanting to do things like edit movies are using a Mac already.

            Final Cut Pro HD, is the latest version of the Final Cut program. HD stands for High Definition, and this version is indeed capable of editing HD video. But like with a lot of other software packages, the basic tools that you will use every day form the basics of the package, and they can be learned in a short time. Then as you reach points where you want to do more you can go back to the book to catch up on each point as you need it.

            Final Cut is suitable for editing the movies showing your new baby, or if you really want to you can use it to get just about as sophisticated as you need for that feature length film you are making with your A-List actor friends.

            After you read the book you'll want to go to the author's web site (given in the book) and subscribe to his newsletter on Final Cut. It's free (a very good price) and filled with information on what's going on with the program.

            5 out of 5 stars THE book for FCP users!.......2005-01-25

            Larry Jordan has recently published Final Cut Pro, Hands on Training. Because Larry Jordan publishes a monthly (free!) newsletter about FCP, he is very much aware the problems a user might encounter (whether novice or more experienced) and that shows in his book.
            His book is without doubt the only book one needs to learn FCP or to enhance one's ability to use all the many facets of FCP HD. The book explores in detail all the nooks and crannies and it contains a veritable cornucopia of problems a user might encounter and he gives solutions.
            The book is written in a very readable style, at times funny, like a good teacher.
            In addition the DVD with the book contains 11 Quick time movies in which Larry Jordan illustrates some of the contents of the book chapters, next best thing to have Larry Jordan as a private teacher.
            This is the only book one needs to become a very efficient and knowledgeable user of FCP HD.
            My only complaint is why Larry Jordan did not publish this book earlier, before I bought all the books that claim to teach FCP. They will now gather dust on my bookshelf.

            5 out of 5 stars This Book Is a superlative "Must Read" for FCP users!!!.......2005-01-16

            This Book Is a superlative "Must Read" for FCP users of all levels. I am Apple Certified in FCP 4.0 and have an insatiable appetite for new books on the subject. Larry Jordan's book is by far, one of the very, very best on the market. There are many good FCP books written by talented film editors and fine authors. Larry is both, to be sure. But, he is also one of the most gifted teachers on the subject as well. This may be what makes his book stand so far apart. The way the material is presented draws on his many years of practical editing experience and is personalized by his unique way of bringing the subject matter to his students. He presents you with easy to follow QuickTime movies which prep you for the full-bodied step-by-step versions set forth in the 500+ page book. The student lesson media which is included on the accompanying DVD is robust and exactly fits the needs of the tutorials. I might add that even if one skipped the lessons (which would be absurd!) what one would gain from the many tips and sidebars would be well worth the price of the book. This book boasts that it will take you from organization through editing to professional output using Final Cut Pro HD. And it does! The only thing that might top having this book would be to have Larry teach you the subject in person and, as I understand it, that too is possible.
            Final Cut Pro Hd Hands-on Training
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Final Cut Pro Hd Hands-on Training
              Larry Jordan
              Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

              Final CutFinal Cut | Apple | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
              ASIN: B000OUGPFK

              RAISING STANDARDS IN HISTORY EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF H (Woburn Education Series)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                RAISING STANDARDS IN HISTORY EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF H (Woburn Education Series)
                Alar Dickinson
                Manufacturer: Routledge
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                ReferenceReference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                HistoryHistory | Education Theory | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                Philosophy & Social AspectsPhilosophy & Social Aspects | Education Theory | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                ASIN: 0713002247

                Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States (Campaigns of the Civil War (Book Sales))
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States (Campaigns of the Civil War (Book Sales))
                  Frederick Phisterer
                  Manufacturer: Book Sales
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover

                  GeneralGeneral | World | History | Subjects | Books
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                  ASIN: 0785815856
                  Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States: A Treasury of Information About the U.S. Civil War
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States: A Treasury of Information About the U.S. Civil War
                    Frederick Phisterer
                    Manufacturer: John Kallmann Publishers
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover

                    GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | United States | Military | History | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
                    ASIN: 0965092615
                    The Statistical Records Of The Armies Of The United States
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      The Statistical Records Of The Armies Of The United States
                      Frederick Phisterer
                      Manufacturer: Digital Scanning
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      GeneralGeneral | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
                      GeneralGeneral | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: 1582185395
                      Statistical Report on the Sickness and Mortality in the Army of the United States, Compiled from the Records of the Surgeon General's Office; Embracing a Period of Sixteen Years, from January, 1839...
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Statistical Report on the Sickness and Mortality in the Army of the United States, Compiled from the Records of the Surgeon General's Office; Embracing a Period of Sixteen Years, from January, 1839...
                        Thomas Lawton and Richard H. Coolidge
                        Manufacturer: A O P NICHOLSON
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover
                        ASIN: B000UD7YDS
                        Statistical Record of the Armies of the United State (Campaign of Silver War Series)
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Statistical Record of the Armies of the United State (Campaign of Silver War Series)
                          Phisterer
                          Manufacturer: Broadview Pr
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover
                          ASIN: 9999894062
                          Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States *Campaigns of the Civil Wa
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States *Campaigns of the Civil Wa
                            Frederick Phisterer
                            Manufacturer: C. Scribner's sons
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover
                            ASIN: B000LI1I0C

                            Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
                            Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                            • "This sentence is false." So what?!?
                            • Brilliant and Thought Provoking
                            • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
                            • Essence of Mind and Pattern
                            • Warning to Present-Day Readers
                            Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
                            Douglas R. Hofstadter
                            Manufacturer: Basic Books
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

                            GeneralGeneral | Artificial Intelligence | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
                            Computer MathematicsComputer Mathematics | Artificial Intelligence | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
                            GeneralGeneral | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
                            Consciousness & ThoughtConsciousness & Thought | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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                            All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
                            Computers & InternetComputers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
                            NonfictionNonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
                            ScienceScience | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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                            1. Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
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                            ASIN: 0465045669

                            Book Description

                            A bestselling collection of brilliant and quirky essays, on subjects ranging from biology to grammar to artificial intelligence, that are unified by one primary concern: the way people perceive and think.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            2 out of 5 stars "This sentence is false." So what?!?.......2007-08-02

                            Before I begin, I want to first point that I gave Douglas Hofstadter's Godel Escher Bach which won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize, five stars.

                            His observation that the mathematics of Kurt Godel, the art of Maurits Cornelius Escher and the music of Johann Sabastian Bach which are all "shadows cast by the same source" managed to bring Platonic forms to life in a real and engaging way that, quite frankly, Plato himself failed to do.

                            Hofstadter discussed the liars paradox, perhaps most simply rendered in the expression "This sentence is false." Obviously, the statement can neither be true nor false in that -- if you accept it's falsehood -- it's an accurate statement about itself and alternatively -- if accept it's truthfulness in self description -- the statement belies its self representation. Either way, you're forced to create a third category by which you describe the statement. For mathematician Kurt Godel, that third category was refered to as undecideable.

                            And in 1931, Godel set the math world on its head with his paper "On formally undecideable propositions 1" ("1" because Godel thought at the time perhaps another paper may be necessary to make his point). The reason why his paper set the math world on its head was because it found that any sufficiently complex Godelian mathematical system would encounter propositions that it could neither prove true or false. Later research showed that Godelian mathematical systems could not even recognize which propositions they would be stymied by.

                            Because Godel's mathematical point of departure in proving his theorem was a mathematical version of the liars paradox, Hofstadter saw and wrote of similarities to this paradox in the art of M.C. Escher -- which featured such things as two hands drawing each other -- and the music of J.S. Bach -- which, e.g. the Crab Canon, could be played backwards or forwards.

                            In Godel Escher Bach, Hofstadter's main emphasis was on the way in which human consciousness resembled these self referential systems and in so doing shared their systematic limitations.

                            For this reason, I was kind of excited to pick up and read this book because I thought that Hofstadter -- having surveyed self referential systems in relation to consciousness -- would have perhaps been inclined to do so in relation to the natural world as well.

                            In that way, I remembered my John Wheeler. The physicist Wheeler, professor to Richard Feynman, was one of the great lights of 20th century physics. And in 1965 he said perhaps one of his most thought provoking ideas when he described what he referred to as the self aware universe. To understand his idea, we briefly revisit our Plato. As you may recall, Plato believed that the physical world we inhabit was but a manifestation of what he referred to ideal or perfect forms. Like prisoners chained to wall unable to directly observe each other, Plato said that all we really saw of each were our reflected shadows. In a similar way, Wheeler suggested that laws of nature gave rise to the physical world which -- in the case of certain individuals like us -- gave rise to a sentient world in which the laws of nature were themselves observed. From your quantum mechanics, you may recall that it the act of observation itself which causes probabilistic subatomic wave functions to collapse and thereby -- in a critical way -- "create" reality.

                            For those interested in an excellent statement of the foregoing, please read section 34 of Roger Penrose's Road to Reality.

                            In any event, the idea of a self aware universe, litterally creating itself from its own operations, seemed to me to be an excellent example of Hofstadter's self referential activity.

                            And admittedly, I was hoping somewhere -- anywhere -- in this book (originally a series of columns for Scientific American) -- he would note and discuss the natural connections.

                            But alas!

                            The book was merely more examples of ground he elegantly but thoroughly already covered in Godel Escher Bach.

                            In my own way, but like Hofstadter to be sure, I believe that recursiveness and self referential activity run to the heart of key aspects of how reality and consciousness work, but sadly books such as these only pound into irrelevance topics which legitimately (and maybe better than anything) give us a glimpse into the wonder and enigma of creation.

                            5 out of 5 stars Brilliant and Thought Provoking.......2004-04-20

                            This collection of Hofstadter's columns from Scientific American provides wonderful reading.

                            One of the gems is his simple, but brilliant analysis of the Prisoner's Dilemma. The usual analysis notes that the Nash equilibrium is for both players to defect. Hofstadter notes (correctly) that if both players are rational, then because the game is symmetrical, both players will choose the same strategy. So, the only choices are for both to cooperate or both defect. Since both cooperating has a higher payoff than both defecting, the rational strategy is to cooperate. The Nash equilibrium isn't relevant because it considers pairs of strategies which are impossible if both players are rational, i.e., the pairs where one player defects and the other cooperates.

                            Hofstadter notes that many people when presented with the above argument still say that they would defect. His descriptions of his attempts to reason with his friends and the results of the lottery he conducted (he told readers of his column they could send in entries for the lottery, but the more that entered, the smaller the prize would be) are, as he says, amusing, disturbing, and disappointing.

                            4 out of 5 stars The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.......2003-07-14

                            This collection of essays previously published as a column in Scientific American is very uneven. There are some true gems like he discussion of the game Nomic in which rule changes are part of ordinary play or the sections on self referential sentences. Basically everything is readable, but not all chapters make much sense.

                            Some parts are really bad. In chapter 5 he wonders why one can judge the intellectual content of magazines by their cover, not seeing the obvious solution that these magazines try to attract different audiences. He spends some time discussing the prisoners dilemma and he get's it completely wrong. He argues that a rational person would know that other rational persons would think along the same lines and therefore act the same way. So a rational person can use this knowledge to influence another person. This is complete bogus of course. People are rational when they act rational, if I cooperate in the prisoners dilemma, I am not changing the definition of rationality, I'm simply irrational. Hofstadter also discusses Axelrod's famous computer tournaments. A more realistic view on the topic is provided by a review of Axelrod's book by Ken Binmore. That review can be found on the web.

                            The book is still valuable for the good parts, but one should read the book with a sceptical eye. Hofstadter is a layman on many things he discusses, and sometimes this shines through. Another problem is that some issues like the cold war anren't really interesting anymore. People who like Hofstadter will surely like it and find enough pearls to make the buy worth it though.

                            4 out of 5 stars Essence of Mind and Pattern.......2003-05-20

                            At any level of scientific comprehension, this book provides an intelligent subscription to pattern. Includes essays and 'conversations' on Alan Turing, and clear and relevant description of common and interesting science. The most valuable information is hofstaedter's creative description of thought.

                            3 out of 5 stars Warning to Present-Day Readers.......2002-12-12

                            I liked GEB, and found it to have been a great influence in my decision to pursue computer science as a career. Much of this later book is similarly good. However, the political commentary that is interwoven throughout the book, and there is much of it, has not aged well. Dr. Hofstadter was a proponent of the popular (at the time) "Nuclear Freeze" Movement. Dr. Hofstadter pauses the narrative of the text often to expound on his beliefs in nuclear disarmament, nuclear war, and his support for activists like Dr. Helen Caldicott. Not only is this (arguably) off-topic and distracting to the narrative, but it seems somewhat aged (and naive) in the context of later lessons of history. These diversions would hardly be more distracting, and anachronistic, if he stopped every few paragraphs to laud how wonderful a President that Jimmy Carter was (or Walter Mondale will be), and why we should all vote for him in the next election, or even what a great invention brown polyester Sans-a-Belt (TM) slacks are, and why we should all wear them.

                            For example, we now know that this "Freeze" movement was influenced by the KGB, both via funding (cash, in U.S. Dollars, for full-page advertisements in the New York Times was air-lifted from Moscow in diplomatic pouches), and with personnel (lots of so-called "grass roots" local freeze groups were unknowingly populated by "agent provocateurs" who were members of the KGB. By way of analogy, imagine an "Inflation Freeze" movement heavily (and secretly) funded by corporations to influence labor unions by propagandizing such a movement as a grass-roots labor agenda. Consider the outrage among organized labor in response to a movement that used fear-mongering over inflation, economic recession, and potential job loss to pressure labor into rolling over and unilaterally accepting wage freezes and other labor concessions. Such freezes and concessions would be expected by management to be accepted without discussion or negotiation, including trying to correct present injustices, looking at the company's books, or verifying the future financial condition of the company. Look up the name "Lemuel Boulware" and the company "General Electric" for an example of how to negotiate in bad faith (and yes, I'm aware of the ironic connection to Ronald Reagan, see below).

                            If a nuclear freeze was adopted without question or consideration, or without even a workable verification system, it would have frozen into place a very tenuous situation with Soviet SS-20's poised over Western Europe and with nothing to counter them (or if countered, a hair-trigger nuclear standoff). What happened was that Reagan and Gorbachev negotiated a workable, verifiable, and stabilizing disarmament treaty that pulled back the SS-20's (and the U.S. missiles in Western Europe) and established a framework for realistic future treaty verification (leading to the establishment of a joint flyover program known as "Open Skies"). It was ironic that a individual recruited by Lemuel Boulware as a spokesman for GE would find GE Boulwarism and bad-faith "take it or leave it" negotiating tactics used against the United States by the Soviet Union. President Reagan's response, to approach from a position of mutual strength and dignity, and assure mutually-agreeable and verifiable terms, was almost pure anti-Boulwarism.

                            Very few people discuss, let alone advocate, a "Nuclear Freeze" today because the lessons of history have shown such a movement to be naive, tantamount to unilateral disarmament, driven mostly by emotion and FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt), infiltrated by foreign influences not in our best interests, intended by our adversaries as bad-faith negotiations, and substantially overcome by later events.
                            Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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                            • Metamagical Themas
                            Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
                            Douglas Hofstadter
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                            ASIN: 0553342797
                            Release Date: 1986-05-01

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                            5 out of 5 stars Metamagical Themas.......2006-08-27

                            In this entertaining and provacative book named after his recent column in Scientific American, Douglas Hofstadter persents a dazzling array of observations and ideas about how we perceive and think. With profound insight and an irrepressible sense of fun, he explores such subjects as artificial intelligence; sexist language in Chinese; experiments with the Prisoner's Dilemma; genetic evolution and its software counterpart; beautiful mathematical shapes known as "strange attractors"; nuclear war; and even National Enquirer hoaxes. Balanced between art and science, magic and logic, humor and rigor, Metamagical Themas (a rearrangement of the letters in "mathematical games") probes the deepest paradoxes and mysteries of the human mind and heart.
                            --- from book's back cover
                            Metamagical Themas:Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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                              Metamagical Themas:Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern

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                              An interlocked collection of literary, scientific, and artistic studies.
                              Metamagical Themas Questing for the Esse
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                                Metamagical Themas Questing for the Esse
                                Douglas Hofstadter
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                                Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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                                  Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
                                  Douglas R. Hofstadter
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                                  Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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                                    Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern

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                                    Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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                                      Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
                                      Douglas R. Hofstadter
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                                      Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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                                        Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
                                        Douglas R. Hofstadter
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                                        Metamagical Themas
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                                          Metamagical Themas
                                          Douglas R. Hofstadter
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                                          Metamagical Themas Questing for Essence
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                                            Metamagical Themas Questing for Essence
                                            Douglas Hofstadter
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                                            Conservation of Island Birds: Case Studies for the Management of Threatened Island Species (Technical Publications #3)
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                                              Conservation of Island Birds: Case Studies for the Management of Threatened Island Species (Technical Publications #3)

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