Streetwise Paris (Streetwise)

Book Description

Revised yearly, STREETWISE is the best-selling map of PARIS, with coverage from Boulevard de Port Royal to Boulevard Haussmann. Points of interest such as museums, parks, and popular sites are highlighted and fully indexed. The Metro stops are clearly indicated on the main map, while a separate map of the Metro is also included. Laminated for durability, accordion folded to fit in your pocket or purse, STREETWISE gives you PARIS in a clear, concise, and convenient format.

Customer Reviews:

Navigating Paris.......2007-10-19

We just returned from a trip of more than a week in Paris. The Streetwise Paris map was invaluable! I can't name how many times my husband and I commented on how glad we were to have this handy map, especially since Paris is a city NOT designed on a neat grid. The drawings of landmarks and color coding made them easy to locate at a glance. Its compact size fit in my bag or my husband's jacket pockets. The accordian fold allowed us to open it to a specific section of the city, and the lamination kept it from getting tattered or falling apart like a paper map. Wonderful! Need I say more?

I wish I had had one of these for every city I visited.......2007-10-12

This map got me everywhere I needed to go in Paris. I had a few other maps with me, but this one ended up being my go-to map. It had every major destination (and most minor ones too) and clearly marked all the metro stations nearby. The size was convenient - small enough to fit in my purse without marking me as a tourist (no need for my bulky guide-book), yet large enough to read easily. The lamination is a life-saver as anyone who has spent multiple days in a city with a paper map can attest to - no wearing around creases/folds to blur the information. It also doubles as a rain shield - a very handy feature in drizzly Paris.

Don't Leave Home Without It!.......2007-10-06

This is the best street map of Paris I have seen. I used it extensively during my first trip to the city this past summer. Unfortunately, half way thru my stay I lost it. I then had to rely on the hotel hand out map - no comparison. I will be returning to Paris shortly and I purchased another Streetwise Paris.

Must have for the Paris Traveller.......2007-09-28

My wife and I recently spent 4 days in Paris with this map (and each other!). It was absolutely indispensable. It had everything on it from several of the monuments and museums we wanted to visit to all of the metro and RER train lines. We will definitely be taking this with us on our next trip to Paris.

great product! fast service!.......2007-09-24

This is the handiest map you'll ever use! Easy to use, easy to carry... and every single street is on there! You cannot get lost with this handy!!!

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Looseleaf Streetwise Paris
Streetwise Maps , and Michael Brown
Manufacturer: Streetwise Maps
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Map

Maps | Atlases & Maps | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Durante los últimos quince años, los países de las Américas han experimentado una verdadera revolución en la manera como comercian con sus vecinos. A mediados de la década de los años 80 y principios de los 90, varios países de América Latina y el Caribe iniciaron un proceso de liberalización del comercio y de las inversiones e implementaron reformas de apertura económica dirigidas a promover una modalidad de integración más abierta y dinámica en la economía mundial. Junto con América del Norte, América Latina y el Caribe han negociado modernos acuerdos comerciales que van más allá de la eliminación de las barreras arancelarias y no arancelarias e incluyen disciplinas sobre servicios, inversiones, propiedad intelectual, compras del sector público y solución de controversias. Asimismo, han participado en procesos de integración subregionales más profundos y amplios. Un paso natural, aunque también sin precedentes, hacia una mayor interdependencia económica en el Hemisferio ocurrió cuando los líderes de los treinta y cuatro gobiernos democráticamente electos de la región acordaron iniciar el proceso hacia el establecimiento del Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA) en la Primera Cumbre celebrada en Miami, en diciembre de 1994, y lanzar las negociaciones del ALCA, en la Segunda Cumbre de las Américas, que se llevó a cabo en Santiago, Chile, en abril de 1998.

Este libro hace un balance del notable progreso alcanzado hasta la fecha en el campo del libre comercio en las Américas. Examina las corrientes del comercio dentro de los grupos subregionales y entre los miembros de los diversos acuerdos. Los autores describen las principales características de los acuerdos comerciales firmados por los países del Hemisferio y exploran la evolución de sus disciplinas de comercio. Finalmente, el libro detalla los avances recientes alcanzados en la creación del ALCA.

Advances in Macroeconomic Theory: Volume 1 (International Economic Association Conference Volumes)
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Advances in Macroeconomic Theory: Volume 1 (International Economic Association Conference Volumes)

Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Macroeconomics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1403918902

Book Description

Leading world scholars analyze a range of specific departures from general equilibrium theory which have significant implications for the macroeconomic analysis of both developed and developing economies. Jacques Dreze considers uncertainty and incomplete markets and Nobel Laureate Robert Solow relates growth theory to the macroeconomic framework. Other issues examined are the implications for macro-policy of new research, including Joseph Stiglitz's warning on the misplaced zeal for financial market liberalization which partly engendered the East Asian and Russian crises.

Book Description

Mama's Got a Brand-New (Diaper) Bag

"Baby and Me" yoga classes, the hot new stroller, and scheduled deposits to the Ivy League college fund-all necessities for today's hip young mother. With a little help from the success of Desperate Housewives and the Britney baby-buzz, Adult Mad Libs hops on board the hot-mom bus to poke fun at all the advice books for young parents. Whether your child is in diapers or in high school, there is something in here for you, with laughout- loud advice from our very own "super nanny" and Dr. Spock-like characters.

Customer Reviews:

Fun for a Baby Shower.......2006-12-27

This was something I bought on a whim just to have a look at it. I now use one of the Mad Libs in a childbirth class on postpartum, which usually gets everyone laughing and learning. It would also make for a fun baby shower game.

Book Description

This volume offers an up-to-date overview of historical performance, surveying the various current issues (such as the influence of recording) and suggesting possible future developments. Its core comprises discussion of the period performer's myriad primary source materials and their interpretation, the various aspects of style and general technique that combine to make up a well-grounded, period interpretation, and a survey of performance conditions and practices, focusing on the period c. 1700-c. 1900. Many of the principles outlined are illustrated in case studies of works by Bach, Mozart, Berlioz and Brahms.

Download Description

Offering students and performers a concise overview of historical performance, this book takes into account the many significant developments in the discipline, particularly during the last decade. It addresses practical matters rather than philosophical issues and guides readers towards further investigation and interpretation of the evidence provided, not only in the various early instrumental and vocal treatises, but also in examples from the mainstream repertory. Designed as a parent volume for the series Cambridge Handbooks to the Historical Performance of Music, this book provides an historical basis for artistic decision-making which has as its goal the re-creation of performances as close as possible to the composer's original conception. It relates many of the issues discussed to major works by Bach, Mozart, Berlioz and Brahms, composed c. 1700-c. 1900, the core period which forms the principal (though not exclusive) focus for the whole series.

Customer Reviews:

The Historical Performance of Music:An Introduction.......2007-05-26

An excellent overview of the issues relating to the original instrumental performance

Classical and Romantic Performing Practice, 1750-1900 & The Historical Performance of Music: An Introduction.(Review) (book review): An article from: Notes

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Classical and Romantic Performing Practice, 1750-1900 & The Historical Performance of Music: An Introduction.(Review) (book review): An article from: Notes
Nancy November
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Online Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on March 1, 2001. The length of the article is 2240 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: Classical and Romantic Performing Practice, 1750-1900 & The Historical Performance of Music: An Introduction.(Review) (book review)
Author: Nancy November
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2001
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 57 Issue: 3 Page: 588

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Discovery of Painting: The Growth of Interest in the Arts in England, 1680-1768 (Studies in British Art)
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The Discovery of Painting: The Growth of Interest in the Arts in England, 1680-1768 (Studies in British Art)
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: Yale Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

European | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Pop Culture | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Culture | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0300038291

The Discovery of Painting: The Growth of Interest in the Arts in England, 1680-1768
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The Discovery of Painting: The Growth of Interest in the Arts in England, 1680-1768
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: Yale Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSDNU2

Book Description

Goes behind the scenes to reveal the colorful history of the broadcasting of Notre Dame football. Complete with interviews from broadcast industry leaders, university administrators, players and coaches, this is a one-of-a-kind presentation of the big business of sports broadcasting.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Read.......2002-01-24

This book does a fantastic job of tracing the history of broadcasting of Irish football, both radio and television. The only criticism I have of it is that it sometimes repeats itself from chapter to chapter. It's almost as if the chapters were seperate articles, or part of a serialized presentation which naturally requires repetition to "update" the reader. This is a very minor problem, however, which is vastly overshadowed by the depth of the research. It would have been nice to see an appendix that listed the various broadcasts by medium and by announcer(s) but this may very well be impossible considering the "open" policy that Notre Dame had in the early days, where anyone could broadcast if they had the equipment. A great work that I would not hesitate getting for anyone with an interest in Notre Dame or college football in general. Some who do not like Notre Dame may not feel that the book is objective enough to be a true "history" of college football broadcasting, but if they do not like Notre Dame, they probably can't read anyway (he says with tounge planted firmly in cheek.)

A "touchdown" for Dr. Gulifor!.......2001-12-22

This may be one of the best books on sports broadcasting ever written. Dr. Gulifor covers The Fighting Irish on air like a late afternoon fog covers South Bend in November. Great oral histories with some of the key personnel of Notre Dame broadcasts. The is a well researched book, and one that both scholars of broadcasting and football fans will appreciate.

Educational Value - Built In !.......2001-11-28

I picked up this book as another Notre Dame book for a Notre Dame fan, however, I received both a "really enjoyable read" and an education. This book is not my typical read. This book is an excellent reference to the history NCAA Football broadcasting, even if you are not an IRISH fan, and might even adjust your thoughts about Notre Dame with respect to their history and recent actions with NBC.

The Fighting Irish on the Air: The History of ND Broadcast.......2001-11-05

Dr. Gullifor has written a book that is both scholarly and readable. As an Indiana resident, I have always had an interest in ND, but until I read this book, I had no idea how ND helped secure their national prominance in football through the contracts they were able to negotiate. Dr. Gullifor has clearly researched his subject and has presented a very credible work.

A Must Read.......2001-10-15

A Must Read for anyone interested in Sports Media
Dr. Gullifor gives the reader an in depth understanding of the evolution of sports broadcasting in American culture, and examines the decision making process of broadast executives in regards to Notre Dame. This should be required reading for anyone interested in sports media.

Book Description

Thoroughly updated to AutoCAD® 2006, this easy-to-understand essentials edition explains how to use the commands required for 2D drafting of single drawings. All aspects of AutoCAD fundamentals are covered, from an introduction to computer hardware and CAD software, to learning to draw with objects, direct editing of objects, and plotting. Step-by-step tutorials make learning to use and apply AutoCAD 2006 and its commands a breeze, and will speed users to proficiency using the most current design capabilities of the software.

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Using Autocad 2006: Basics With Cdrom
Ralph Grabowski
Manufacturer: Autodesk Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6ZWT0

Amazon.com

Tim Judah lived in Belgrade from 1990 to 1995, reporting for the London Times and the New York Review of Books; and when the "ethnic cleansing" started in Kosovo, he was there. So his Kosovo: War and Revenge is well placed to offer some insights, variously scathing and compassionate, on the whole, sorry mess. It doesn't matter how many Serbian tanks you (allegedly) knock out with your high-tech bombing raids, "since the most potent weapon in ethnic cleansing is the cigarette lighter needed to set houses on fire." And Judah can evoke the madness of Kosovo in a single, startling set piece: vengeful Albanians rampaging through a Serbian Orthodox priest's house, smashing icons, stealing candles; French soldiers from KFOR "looking on amiably"; a nearby Gypsy house also on fire; and a passing French commander explaining to an open-mouthed Judah that the official NATO policy at this moment is "to let them pillage." Paraphrasing a Belgrade journalist, he notes sadly that Serbia has still not found its Adenauer, nor Kosovo its Mandela, which is what both so desperately need. The introductory chapter, summarizing Kosovo's tortured and tortuous history, is better rendered in Noel Malcolm's Kosovo: A Short History, and for a wider overview of the Balkans themselves, one would certainly prefer Misha Glenny's The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers 1809-1999. For an acerbic and perceptive personal account, however, Judah's book is hard to beat. --Christopher Hart, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

This is a revealing account of how Kosovo became the crucible of one of the twentieth century's most poisonous ethnic conflicts. Written by a seasoned journalist who witnessed the Balkan conflagration and its aftermath, the book presents a gripping analysis of the origins of the Serb-Albanian conflict, the course of the battle, the issues and personalities, and options for the future. In this second edition Tim Judah updates the story to, and beyond, the fall of Milosevic.

Customer Reviews:

Tragedy Without End.......2007-07-27

Perhaps nothing explains more about the reason for the war in Kosovo then a chart on page 313 showing the population change in Serbia from 1948 to 1991. The Albanian population ballooned from 498,242 to 1,606,690 while the Serb population barely budged from 171,911 to 195,301. Two groups, one Muslim the other Christian, old rivals, each claiming the tradition and ownership of Serbia. During World War II the Serbs sided with the allies inspiring many as the "Serbian David standing up to the Austro-Hungarian-German Goliath." Meanwhile the Albanians took up with the Axis gaining, "an unenviable reputation, apparently preferring rape, pillage and murder to fighting, particularly in Serbian areas". The Albanians managed to appall even the Nazi's (if that seems possible) who eventually disarmed them. Is it surprising that a people who were savaged in the past would fear and loathe a group that was so decidedly winning the population war?

It takes a bit of the book to get your bearings what with Albania and Kosovo and Serbia and Bosnia and Montenegro and on and on. It all becomes very confusing but basically it boils down to the Albanians and Serbians reveling in abusing each other whenever the opportunity arises. It's an age old battle with each side claiming ownership of the same piece of land. In this particular conflict the Albanians started by taking a Gandhi like tact of passive resistance towards the Serbian abuses unfortunately this was a failure and in Srebrenica, Bosnia 8000 Muslim men were massacred creating a popular guerilla movement.

I can remember how, after the NATO bombing ended, Slobodan Milosevic was described as a modern day Hitler but the author paints a very different picture. The author writes, "When trying to comprehend Milosevic it is vital to understand that the man has no long-term vision. His main interest is power and keeping it." Apparently Milosevic was more of a tin-pot dolt than a master strategist with his biggest blunder being the deporting of hundreds of thousands of Kosovars. Thinking that NATO was bluffing about bombing would run a close second. There were no grand designs or extra-regional desires. Milosevic was more a product of desperation.

In the end the NATO bombing forced Milosevic from power and now he's dead but the questions remain. Was it right to use NATO against a sovereign country which had not attacked any of them without a Security Council mandate? The Serbians had suffered at the hands of the Albanians and thus took revenge until NATO stepped in but afterwards almost a quarter of a million Serbs and others were forced to flee or find themselves ethnically cleansed. It was the Serbs who were now having their homes burned and their churches looted. The author writes, "While Albanians take their revenge today, the time may come for the Serbs to take theirs" So what was achieved in the end? As the author wrote the biggest lesson of Kosovo may be that no lessons were learned. It's just one more bloody example of ethnic hatred and revenge added to a very long list.

Excellent.......2007-04-28

Definitely the best book about Kosovo conflict 1998-1999, although it goes briefly through the entire Kosovo's history with increasing coverage as the time is progressing. The book treats fairly Albanian and Serb side.

Well researched, documented, and thought provoking........2007-03-29

This is a worthy exposé on the conflict in Kosovo. This work includes some provocative ideas as to Kosovo, and the numerous other conflagrations across the world, e.g.

ü ...much of the Kosovo conflict can be related to the fact that too many Serbs have never been willing or able to rid themselves of the idea that the Albanians, with whom they shared a state for the best part of a century, were not to be treated as equals. P 16
ü Serbian and Albanian propagandists now went to war armed with statistics, lies and half-truths, which far from helping either side in the long-run, were to embitter communal relations, pave the way for the rise of Milosevic, the destruction of Yugoslavia and the deaths of tens of thousands. Pp 43-44
ü ...many Kosovars successfully convinced many Westerners that the question of Kosovo was really one of human rights. In fact it was not. P 84
ü ...the police were not trained as specialists anti-insurgency fighters and so they had no idea how to take on a vastly popular guerrilla movement without driving out the village populations who gave them shelter and burning their houses. P 167

Hopefully, this book along with others will spark an interest and further study into solutions to current and future state of affairs involving low intensity conflict and law enforcement.

ü Despite this grim picture, it is also undeniable that huge progress has also been made. Serbs and Albanians are both being trained together for a new Kosovo Police Service.
ü Diplomacy is often viewed as a rather impersonal affair, in which men and women represent their countries and, in that sense, are all interchangeable. In fact, diplomacy is like anything else and personalities, contacts and friendships all count for something. P 275
ü ...optimistic UNMIK officials say that the future of Kosovo is `a process' which has only just begun. Citing the examples of Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel and the Palestinians, one said that, before any talks began, it would be `difficult and unnecessary to focus on the endgame'. P 301

Judah beats authors to the punch year after war.......2004-03-17

Overall, this is a much better book than Judah's previous work, Serbs. It appeared hardly a year after the conflict in Kosovo, and with the wealth of material that has appeared about Serbia, Kosovo, and Milosevic, it is slightly dated in its tone, though the many quotes and accounts of the happenings on the ground are valuable.

The dirty secrets of this conflict are touched upon: the recruitment of hardcore criminals to become members of MUP (interior ministry police who were tapped to murder civilians and suspected terrorists), the elaborate chain of command that Milosevic worked while avoiding any paperwork that could tie him directly to any war crimes, the flat out aggression by NATO against the civilian population of Serbia, the heightened humanitarian crisis that the bombing actually produced, etc.

While the Serbs are generally the Nazis of the 90s during the Balkan wars, with the Kosovo conflict it is Milosevic who begins to bear the brunt of the blame, while the Serb people are hapless bystanders punished for their support of a de facto dictator whose cynicism sealed his own fate.

The Kosovo war is beginning to take on a strange tint. The 'humanitarian' reasons for the war are suspect at best. The massive NATO bombing helped escalate the waves of violence on boths sides. It also helped them slap together a hasty indictment against Milosevic and his top brass, all charged with war crimes that occurred after NATO started dropping bombs on their heads. Go figure. Meanwhile, it was known from the outset that no ground troops would ever enter Kosovo or Serbia, so there was an expected rise in the ethnic cleansing.

What's interesting is also the cover. It shows the side of a building with a massive hole, the kind usually produced by bombing. Peering out is an Albanian man, suggesting that the 'humanitarian intervention' is, of course, anything but.

Perhaps not stressed enough is the wealth of disinformation about the conflict itself. The number of suspected dead was grossly exaggerated, the damage done to the Yugoslav army grossly exaggerated, and the overall success of the war completely questionable. Is it humanitarian intervention to blow apart a country from above while exacerbating the crisis you claim to be reversing? In many ways, Kosovo was a manufactured war against a trumped-up bogeyman. In a post 9/11 world, does this sound familiar?

The war did not solve the Kosovo issue, far from it. Its product was revenge killings of Serbs who had lived in the province for generations, while giving legitimacy to glorified terrorist organizations like the KLA, which officially disbanded, only to appear in modified form later, attacking people in Serbia proper while the UN stood around and watched. It also strained relations between the US and Russia and with China. It was a heavily protested war in Europe, and it didn't help when the Chinese Embassy was blown up 'accidentally' when it was clearly marked on common street maps of Belgrade. Oops! With characteristic contempt for international law, Clinton had his own war of aggression.

Of interest in this book are the accounts of some of the murderers, who speak in frank terms about their job. Overall, this is a better piece of work than the distorted book, Serbs.

Excellent coverage of Kosovo's recent history.......2001-06-21

When fighting in Kosovo began breaking out and hitting news tabloids in mid-1998, the problem was that few people knew about this region's history, let alone its location on the globe. No one could quite understand the motives of Serbs and Albanians, who were at odds with each other. When NATO began bombing rump Yugoslavia for its conduct against Kosovo Albanian civilians, uncritical (and heavily biased) media reports and press coverage were the only source of information that one could turn to for background. While this may have been better than nothing, this information was far from providing a critical and satisfactory explanation and understanding. This was the case, until Tim Judah wrote his second book, the current one now under review.

Judah is a Balkan expert, who speaks numerous languages (including Serbo-Croatian and Albanian) and has written several articles for many newspapers and magazines throughout the world. His previous book ("The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia" [New Haven, 1997 and 2000]) put the Bosnian war into its proper context, while the current puts Kosovo into its respective context. The first chapter is a short, condensed history of Kosovo leading up to the end of the Second World War, while the next sizable portion of the book details key events and personalities throughout the 1980s and 1990s that shaped modern-day Kosovo and unwittingly turned it toward a war-path. Judah discusses the outbreaks of violence in late 1997, the failed efforts of Western diplomats in stopping the bloodshed, a critical and thrilling chapter chronicling the failed Rambouillet peace accords in February 1999, a chapter chronicling NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, and the aftermath of Kosovo's tragic conflict: vengeful Albanians returning home and killing Serbs and Roma.

Integral to Judah's work is his assessment of NATO's conduct in the conflict. His thesis is that the entire war was one of "human error," where Western diplomats foolishly believed that they could make Serbia's Milosevic back down within one week. Milosevic, on the other hand, believed NATO to be bluffing and took the alleged bluff. Tensions mounted within the NATO alliance, other world superpowers (in the military sense, aka. Russia and China) began bracing themselves for toil with the US, while Albanian and Serb civilians were either massacred or blown up by NATO's firepower. Totally unprepared of what to expect, NATO carried out blunder after blunder, failed to stop massacres in Kosovo and perhaps made the Balkans even more tense and unstable than before.

It is imperative that readers consult Judah's work for every meticulous detail surrounding Kosovo's recent history. Readers should consult other recent works in understanding Kosovo's ancient past to determine if Serbs really have rightful historical claims to the province, for Judah's first chapter is merely a primer. Of course, there are those critics out there that will cite, as I mentioned in another review, that Judah is not a "professional historian." It is likely that his knowledge, experience and excellent writing style makes his book more valuable and a much better, thrilling and informative read than the work of any academic.

Kosovo: War and Revenge.
Average customer rating:
Kosovo: War and Revenge.
TIM: JUDAH
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORV8XC

Average customer rating:
Kosovo: War and Revenge
Tim Judah
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORUZS6

Average customer rating:
Kosovo: War and Revenge
Tim Judah
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSEYUU

Book Description

Easter Island, a World Heritage Site is still, after over 50 years since Thor Heyerdahl's work on the island, a fascinating area to explore and learn about a culture that has only remnants remaining, while documenting a marine ecology still mostly unknown.

Easter Island: Scientific Exploration into the World's Environmental Problems in Microcosm presents the research results from three years of interdisciplinary expeditions to Easter Island. The primary objectives were to investigate the effects of human population growth on the ecology of the island and to discover whether any dramatic climatic changes such as a prolonged El NiÃ±o could have disrupted the island's fragile ecosystem. The interdisciplinary scientific team were mainly researching the paleontology, archaeology, climatology, and geophysics of the island. This book now brings together the results of the three expeditions, identifies new areas of research, and hopefully will continue to inspire aspiring scientists to revisit this amazing island to explore and demystify this timeless enigma of human history.

Customer Reviews:

A List of Errors.......2003-09-18

This is not so much a review as a list of errors I encountered while reading "Easter Island: Scientific Exploration into the World's Environmental Problems in Microcosm". Some of the errors may seem minor, some are glaring, and some of simply odd. It's as if the editors really didn't do much editing. Not only is the writing rather clumsy and amateurish throughout (especially when John Loret is involved), but it seems as if the authors and editors didn't really do their homework when it came to prior research on the island. In the end, a good (even a mediocre) proof-reader would have made a big difference. (I haven't encountered this many problems in one book on this subject since Jo Anne Van Tilburg's "Easter Island".) Not that this book doesn't have anything interesting to contribute, but I eventually became distracted by the number of problems -- and, while I don't necessarily subscribe to the view that because a book has a handful of typos, it lacks substance (after all, the biggest fool can say the sun is shining but that doesn't make it dark outside), as my list grew in length I did begin to wonder about the quality of the research itself. More than likely I'll need to re-read the book, and try to focus on the larger issues.

Here's the list...

* Page vii: In an effort to reinforce the theme of Easter Island as microcosm, it is asserted that the Rapanui had the option to migrate to other locales, in contrast to the people of the Earth generally who have no where to go -- which essentially flies in the face of the closed system Easter Island is supposed to represent in this context (to say nothing of the fact that subsequent visits to, and departures from, the island probably never occurred because of the extreme isolation and difficulties involved in contact from such distances); ironically, later, on page 187, it is asserted that the Rapanui had "no other place to go".

* Page vii: Stonehenge is misspelled "Stone Henge".

* Page 2: Leica (camera manufacturer) is misspelled "Lica".

* Page 19: Petroglyphs is spelled "petrographs" (though throughout the rest of the book it's spelled "petroglyphs").

* Page 48: Papa Vaka is spelled "Paka Vaka" (this happens elsewhere as well, including in the index on page 236).

* Page 54: In a description of the Birdman competition, the hopu is referred to as a warrior rather than a surrogate and "presumably" climbed down the cliff face at Rano Kau; why "presumably"? has anyone suggested they dove off the cliff face? or that they reached the islet by boat from other parts of the island?

* Page 93: Caste is misspelled "cast".

* Page 95: Moai hands are described as being over the "groin area" -- essentially correct but in so far as the belly is believed to be the seat of the soul, the hands are really over the belly (if, yes, "above" the groin area).

* Page 95: Bas relief is misspelled "base relief".

* Page 98: There are repeated references to "verbal traditions" when what is probably meant is "oral traditions". Believe it or not, there is a difference between "verbal" and "oral".

* Page 98: It is asserted that Sonia Haoa, not Sergio Rapu, discovered the mata at Anakena. While Sonia Haoa was involved in the discovery (along with six other eye fragments), the point isn't so much the discovery but identification -- and that credit belongs to Rapu.

* Page 113: Isla de Pascua is referred to as "Isla Pascua".

* Page 225: Moai Kava Kava is misspelled "Mai Kava Kava".

* Page 235: Motu Kao Kao is misspelled "Motu Kau Lau".

* Page 235: Motu Tautara is misspelled "Motu Taurara".

* Page 239: Roggeveen is misspelled "Toggeveen" (moreover, while the index entry for Roggeveen lists several pages where the name appears, "Toggeveen" lists a page where Roggeveen appears but it's not listed in the index under "Roggeveen").

* Page 161: Figure 5 shows a picture of the beach and ahu at Anakena but the caption describes it as "Tongariki".

* Page 185: A chapter photo refers to the largest moai on the island (Tongariki) but for some reason doesn't actually identify it by name.

* Page 209: The legend of the Long Ears vs. Short ears is resurrected but, aside from a single line stating there is some dispute about the legend, there is no discussion about the etymology of the terms in use or the erroneous earlier interpretations of the meaning.

* Despite commenting about the detrimental impact of tourists touching the moai, there is a photo (Plate 1) showing someone actually hugging a moai at Rano Raraku.

* The caption for Plate 2 misspells Rano Raraku as "Rano Ravaku".

* The caption for Plate 7 misspells Motu Nui as "Motu Nai".

* Varying from chapter to chapter, Rano Kau appears as "Rano Kau" and "Rano Kao" (though, admittedly, Routledge is probably to blame somewhat for this).

* Varying from chapter to chapter, Puna Pau appears as "Puna Pau" and "Punapau" (somewhat understandable given Polynesian compound terms but it's the inconsistency that bothers me).

* Varying from chapter to chapter, El Niño appears with and without the tilde. (Accent and diacritical marks very from chapter to chapter as well.)

* The size of the island in square kilometers or miles varies depending on the chapters.

* The index lists entries inconsistently: there are entries for "Ahu Nau Nau" and "Anu Nau Nau III" (but no "II") and yet, later on, there are entries for "Nau Nau East" (?), "Nau Nau I", "Nau Nau II", "Nau Nau III", and "Naunau Site".

* There are frequent references to Bahn & Flenley's "Easter Island Earth Island" but relatively little of the other major "players" in EI publications -- and yet it seems as if information from Bahn & Flenley didn't entirely filter down to these chapters (e.g., the legend of the Long Ears vs. the Short Ears).

* The blurb on the back cover suffers from serious problems in punctuation and grammar.

Easter Island Scientific Exploration into the World's Environmental Problems in Microcosm
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Easter Island Scientific Exploration into the World's Environmental Problems in Microcosm
John (EDT)/ Tanacredi, John T. (EDT) Loret
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSKW2Y

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