DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF ABOUT MONEY: SPIRITUAL AND PRACTICAL WAYS TO CREATE ABUNDANCE AND MORE FUN IN YOUR LIFE (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (Hyperion))

Book Description

Newly repackaged and updated! This #1 national bestseller offers you practical advice on how to achieve financial success by eliminating stress, worry, anger, and fear.

In this practical and simple book, Richard Carlson turns his attention to two of the most important issues in our daily lives-stress and making money. Newly repackaged and updated with 10 new essays, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money offers 100 brilliant strategies for living more fully and worrying les as a means of attracting more wealth into our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book for College/University students!.......2005-09-09

"Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" By Richard Carlson, PH.D (printed in the United States. Published by Hyperion, 77 W. 66th Street, New York, New York 10023-6298 (previously published as 'Don't Worry, Make Money').

This book is a non-fictional, self help/motivational book.
The main theme of the book is how to live a life that is more productive, wealthy and carefree. It consists of one hundred short chapters, each with its' own philosophy like 'Be willing to change' or 'Remind yourself that your life isn't your enemy, but your thinking can be'.
Richard Carlson has created a whole series of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" books. When you read one, continue and read them all, they all go hand in hand. He is a frequent guest on many National Television and Radio programs. He lectures many enthusiastic audiences, both in the United States and Internationally. Recently, he was featured on PBS in a special about his don't sweat philosophy. He has paired up with his wife Kristine Karlson to write 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love'. What a great idea!
Don't Sweat The Small Stuff About Money" covers everything from getting rid of fear, anger and stress by providing practical solutions. In these one-hundred short chapters, Richard Carlson motivates his audience with his own philosophies on life and money combined.
The "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" series of books all have a philosophy with each chapter. I find it motivating to learn different strategies on how to deal with life and its' problems. I love receiving constructive criticism, and there are lots in this book! My favorite chapter in the book was "Give, Give, Give". In this chapter he states that "giving is its' own reward". I am a firm believer in giving whenever possible. I believe this is the only way things will come back your way. Overall, I would say the book was instructive, memorable and inspiring.
The book greatly affected the way I budget my money, and the way I deal with not having a lot. He taught me that you don't have to be rich to live an abundant life.
I would certainly recommend this book to any college/university student, as most of us are struggling to get by! It enlightens you as you read, as it helps to know you are not alone in the money struggle. Great book!

Nice Essays.......2001-06-02

I gave up reading Richard Carlson's "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money" (formerly titled "Don't Worry, Make Money"), but only because I have other books that I'd rather be reading right now. Carlson's book consists of 100 short sermons about getting along in life, and it's all good stuff. Most of the lessons are obvious from their titles: Express Your Gratitude Toward Others; Think BIG!; Ask for What You Want; Charge What You Are Worth; Think About Purple Snowflakes; etc. Each is backed up with an anecdote and a bit of explanation. (OK, "Purple Snowflakes" is about being different when you need to get someone's attention -- such as taping your message to a football and mailing that, to make sure your letter will be noticed and opened.) I particularly liked Lesson 15, "Remind Yourself that Your Life Begins Now," in which Carlson points out that a ship's wake does not power or steer the vessel. We have momentum, of course -- and other constraints -- but it's up to us to decide each day in which direction to steer. If this sort of thing inspires you, Carlson's bibliography of 29 similar positive-thinking book may be of use. Or look for his other six Don't Sweat the Small Stuff titles. Good advice, all of it. The more seriously you take it, the more it will benefit you.

Genius.......2001-01-24

This book has been incredibly useful. I now recommend it to everyone for personal and business uses. The insight it provides is unmistakebly worth every penny and the gas to go and get it!

Average customer rating:

Don t Sweat The Small Stuff About Money
Richard Carlson
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money
Richard Carlson
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money
Richard Carlson
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money: Spiritual and Practical Ways to Create Abundance and More Fun in Your Life

Average customer rating:

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money: Spiritual and Practical Ways to Create Abundance and More Fun in Your Life

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0739415433

Product Description

Previously published as Don't worry, Make Money, a #1 National Bestseller, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money, is revised and updated to join Richard Carlson, Ph. D.'s phenomenal Don't Sweat series. With twelve brand new essays and a new introduction by the author, this book shows us how to: Learn more about the relationship between moods and money. Be aware of what you don't know, and what you're not good at. Spend the bulk of your time on the "critical inch" of your business. Avoid giving away your power -much more. Replete with fascinating ideas and concepts for everyone from businesspeople to those who manage the money in their households, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff About Money reveals how to live a life that's more wealthy, productive, and carefree.

Book Description

Deregulation in banking and finance may hold promise for consumers, but what actually seems to be developing is trouble. Large banks are combining into small clusters of mega-banks with national and global reach, supported by government safety nets premised on fears they are "too big to be allowed to fail." One result, among several, is that retail banking suffers. Shull and Hanweck evaluate existing bank merger policy and offer workable proposals for new legislative actions that would enhance the benefits of bank mergers without exacerbating the weaknesses. They review the historical role of governments in protecting banks from competition, then the modern policy that promotes competition, and present a model to explain and highlight the problems that today's policies are causing. In the end they turn to their own research and conclude that while a special bank merger policy is still warranted, it needs to be adapted in ways that would rein in the trend toward bigness and soften the impact this has domestically and internationally. A far reaching study essential for executives in all corners of the banking and financial services industry, academic and government researchers, and teachers of business, finance, and public policy. Many argue that deregulation and technological change have so intensified competition among banks that bank mega-mergers should cause little concern. Shull and Hanweck conclude, however, that a special bank merger policy is still warranted but it needs to be adapted to the way things are today, mainly, the impact that larger banks are having domestically and on the international scene as well. They provide a history of how governments in the U.S. and elsewhere sought to suppress bank competition; then, the unique procompetitive policies that developed in the second half of the Twentieth Century, including the introduction of antitrust standards and deregulation. From their theoretical and empirical evidence they show that the newly combined banks are "competitively suspect." From other evidence they find that pricing of retail banking services in local markets does not reflect the improvements that deregulation and rapid technological change have led us to expect. They also describe how current bank merger policy, implemented by the Federal Reserve, other Federal banking agencies and the Justice Department, facilitates the growth of large banks and augments the new structural configuration. Can these problems be solved? Shull and Hanweck believe they can be and propose detailed, workable changes in public policy to do so.

Book Description

Hantos, Elemer. The Magna Carta of the English and of the Hungarian Constitution: A Comparative View of the Law and Institutions of the Early Middle Ages. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1904. xxxi, 209 pp. Reprinted 2005 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1-58477-466-2. ISBN-10: 1-58477-466-5. Cloth. $90.

* The history and contents of the Magna Carta (1215) and the Bulla Aurea (1222) are remarkably similar, so much so that the latter document is often called the "Magna Carta of Hungary." These similarities are remarkable given the differences between the nobility of England and the Holy Roman Empire. In this fascinating study Hantos traces Hungary's constitutional development during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Turning to the laws and institutions they engendered, Hantos considers examples where developments were similar or divergent. This study will interest students of medieval law, comparative law and constitutional history.

Book Description

PProtected areas are vital for life on earth. They safeguard biological and cultural diversity, help to improve the livelihoods of local communities, provide the homelands for many indigenous peoples and bring countless benefits to society at large. It is now generally understood that conservation planning cannot just be site-specific; plants and animals do not recognize national boundaries, nor do many of the forces that threaten them. Strategies to conserve biodiversity in the 21st century must therefore emphasize transboundary co-operation , and may at the same time foster better co-operation and understanding between countries. This publication reports on the work undertaken by IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas to focus attention on the conservation and security benefits of transboundary protected areas.

Book Description

This book describes the various methods currently used to deposit highly ordered organic films, and the physical techniques employed in characterizing their properties. Beginning with a discussion of the necessary basic physics and chemistry, the book proceeds to a description of the main topics of current research in this field. The author discusses in detail the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, self-assembly, and methods of film deposition exploiting the ordered structure of mesophases. Finally, he treats liquid crystals, films at the air/water interface and biomembranes.

Second-Order Organic Nonlinear Optics: 21 July 1998, San Diego, California (Proceedings of Spie--the International Society for Optical Engineering, V. 3474.)

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Second-Order Organic Nonlinear Optics: 21 July 1998, San Diego, California (Proceedings of Spie--the International Society for Optical Engineering, V. 3474.)

Manufacturer: Society of Photo Optical
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0819429295

Customer Reviews:

Chick Lit Christmas Style....................!!!!.......2005-12-20

Madison Greenwood is not happy with her life; being thirtyish, childless and manless (with no prospects in sight) is not exactly how she envisioned her thirties to be. And despite the presence of her two awesome best friends--Leo and Sugar--she has chosen Christmas to reflect on "the ghosts of boyfriends past" and what went wrong in those past romantic dalliances....

Readers should have great fun in revisiting with Madison her great romances over the past decade...and they should have no trouble finding the one constant throughout. Predictable and fun, this is a light tale that will certainly get single girls everywhere into the Christmas spirit.

DYB

Aweful - what a shallow slut. .......2005-12-09

This is the story of a girl who doesn't mature. Ten years after college, she's still searching for love. At the holidays she reflects on the boyfriends of her past and of the disastrous relationships, all revolving around Christmas. However, Madison is an unlikeable, shallow slut. She falls into bed immediately with any guy who sticks his tongue in her mouth. "oooh, this must be love, we're having sex" - is essentially what she's thinking. One Christmas, she has sex with 3 different guys. ick!
I kept reading this poorly written novel with the hopes of seeing Madison mature and find her soulmate. But even after 10 years, she is still a shallow, self-centered, immature over-drinker. She only discovers her "love of her life" when she dumps him off on someone else, then gets jealous.
Characters are underdeveloped, dialoge is oh-so-trendy, and the main character is thoroughly unlikeable. Pass on this drivel and read a real love story.

3 Flags from Euro-Reviews.......2005-07-24

Madison Greenwood is a woman who has looked for love throughout the years. She thinks she knows exactly what she wants, but why aren't things working out for her? Many times she's looked in all the right places but has found all the wrong men. She just can't seem to find that one person who's the perfect match for her.

As the story begins, the readers are introduced to Madison and her friends, Leo and Sugar on the present date. They are in New York and Christmas is right around the corner. While out and about with her friends, Madison starts to reminisce about her past with men.

As the story goes on, the readers continue to visit Madison's past loves. Readers get to see first hand, why Madison chose her boyfriends and why her relationships didn't work out. It seems like Madison just can't get a break in the love department. But something special finally sneaks into her heart. But will Madison be able to share her love with that special someone?

Ghosts of Boyfriends Past takes the readers on a journey into the past during Christmas time. Where the main character's boyfriends and loves of yesteryear are revealed. Madison is the perfect example of many women today, who seek the love of a good man but can't seem to find it anywhere. Carly Alexander knows how to bring a smile to her readers' faces by blending that comical edge into her writing. The plot is carried out brilliantly. The writing style is straightforward and easily understood. The ending of Ghosts of Boyfriends Past will leave readers content with the outcome of Madison Greenwood.

Reviewed by Chantay for Euro-Reviews(...)

Horrible.......2004-12-28

There was no character development in this book's heroine and she wasn't even likeable to begin with. Her life revolves around sex and alcohol, alcohol and sex. You don't find yourself rooting for her that she'll find Mr. Right. I enjoyed one character in this book- Leo. Nothing in this book was worthwhile - all the characters are constantly drinking, going to parties, and having sex. One wishes they would find something more worthwhile to do.

Smart and Sassy and Fun.......2004-12-11

Madison's tale into reliving her boyfriend mistakes is a light hearted and enjoyable read. The book spans the 10 years of Madison's life since she graduated college. And her 2 major relationships, 2 major job changes, and the 3rd chapter in her life, her 3rd job and trying to find the one.

Being a woman, I could relate to her relationship mishaps and desire to find the one. We all hope that we have him, and her imagination just goes to extremes with the men. It's funny to look at a character and see a little piece of myself in her.

This book had a quirky cast of characters, but some of the minor ones were under developed. But I enjoyed every moment Madison spent being consoled by her friends and consoling in return.

Don't we all have moments of when our past relationships come back to haunt us at the most horrible times?

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Ghosts Of Boyfriends Past
Carly Alexander
Manufacturer: Strapless
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000V8278E

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German Airborne Assault on Crete in WW II

Excellent maps, interesting read

quick review of German Crete campaign book

Good illustrations, but entirely conventional discussion of the battle

Good Maps, Synthesis Narrative

Crete 1941: Germany's lightning airborne assault (Campaign)
Peter Antill
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | Germany | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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Operation Barbarossa 1941 (2): Army Group North (Campaign)

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ASIN: 1841768448
Release Date: 2005-02-05

Book Description

Operation Mercury, the German airborne assault on the island of Crete in May 1941, was the first strategic use of airborne forces in history. The assault began on 20 May, with landings near the island’s key airports, and reinforcements the next day allowed the German forces to capture one end of the runway at Maleme. By 24 May, the Germans were being reinforced by air on a huge scale and on 1 June Crete surrendered. This book describes how desperately close the battle had been and explains how German losses so shocked the Führer that he never again authorised a major airborne operation.

Customer Reviews:

German Airborne Assault on Crete in WW II.......2006-11-16

I bought this book as part of my research into a presentation on "The Role of the Glider in WW II", and found it to be well written and not only an excellent historical record of the German assault on Crete, but also providing much descriptive contextual material, and is well illustrated. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a detailed analysis of WW II events, as well as those enjoying war stories as a good read.

Excellent maps, interesting read.......2006-06-30

Crete 1941 is another solid edition in the Osprey military history series. I bought this one since I am very interested in military airborne operations. The author does a fine job of setting the stage with background material about the campaign, its participants, and the opposing strategies. Then he takes the reader through this interesting operation detailing the various battles that ensued after the initial airborne assault onto the island of Crete.

I rather enjoyed this book for a few reasons. First, as others have mentioned, the maps and graphics are top-notch. The photos in this book are actually pretty good as well. Secondly, I think the author's analysis about this important and somewhat unique operation is on target. The Allies could have held with more timely decision making. Lastly, the book is about the right length. While other battles, such as the Battle of the Bulge, deserve a much longer treatment - this one can be covered in about 100 pages.

If you are interested in WWII history, especially Airborne warfare (in this case the paratroopers are German) then you will find this book interesting, and I recommend it.

quick review of German Crete campaign book.......2006-03-10

great detail, well written with excellent supporting pictures and diagrams. If you're interested in military history, this is a good book to read.

Good illustrations, but entirely conventional discussion of the battle.......2005-08-22

"Crete 1941" is one the Osprey Publishing's Campaign series. As such, it's profusely illustrated with good photographs, 3D computer generated maps, and paintings. The maps are outstanding, showing how terrain shaped the battle. The units are captioned to show the battle's flow and clearly describe the German plan, and the Commonwealth defenses. However, the narration is entirely conventional, with very little of the latest research on this near-disaster apparent. The best section is probably the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing forces; as good as in any more in-depth work. Ultimately I would suggest Anthony Beevor's excellent "Crete The Battle and The Resistance" for the battle's analysis, and this book for supporting illustrations.

Good Maps, Synthesis Narrative.......2005-03-18

Osprey's Campaign #147, Crete 1941 by Peter D. Antill, summarizes the first division-size airborne operation in the Second World War. Operation "Mercury" - the German airborne attack on Crete - succeeded in defeating the Allied garrison and capturing the island, but at the cost of crippling losses. The German attack on Crete is also interesting for study because British access to German plans via Ultra code-breaking gave the Allies advance-warning of the attack. The author does a creditable job laying out these issues in the volume and his campaign narrative is sound, which should provide a decent introduction to this campaign for readers new to this campaign. However, with readers with more background on the Second World War or the Crete campaign, this volume appears as a synthesis product of other secondary sources and doesn't offer much new material, except for the detailed and colorful maps.

The author provides a rather lengthy introduction in which he appears to misrepresent German strategy in 1941. According to the author, Hitler decided to opt for a peripheral strategy" after the invasion of Britain was cancelled in September 1941, with "the aim of bringing Britain to the negotiating table." While Hitler did hope for a negotiated settlement with Britain, the planning documentation available today clearly shows that he was focused on destroying the USSR before embarking on "peripheral missions." Furthermore, Hitler's strategic planning was heavily based on gaining access to vital economic resources; the oil and minerals that Germany needed were in the USSR, not in the Mediterranean area. Antill's section on opposing commanders is fairly comprehensive, but the two best opening sections are opposing forces and opposing plans. Antill makes the crucial point that, "German intelligence badly underestimated the Allied strength on the island," presuming that there were only 10,000 Commonwealth troops instead of the actual 32,000. This failure of German intelligence analysis led to a flawed airborne plan, with the paratroops scattered too thinly to seize their objectives. In fact, it's not clear to me that General Student even identified a main effort in the initial plan; Maleme airfield only became the main effort once all the other attacks failed to seize their objectives. Antill does not mention that the staff of the German 7FJ Division was fairly junior and inexperienced, conducting a novel operation of unprecedented scale, which probably also contributed to the heavy losses.

The author's order of battle is decent, but he leaves out units like the 5th Company/31st Panzer that were shipped to Crete (he only mentions the 5th Panzer Division without identifying sub-units). The maps in the volume are excellent. The six 2-D maps are: the Balkans Campaign, April 1941; Crete; Souda Bay and Prison Valley; Rethymnon; Heraklion; and the German advance, 27-31 May. The 3-D maps are: Maleme, 20-22 May; the German advance on Platanias, 23 May; and the German advance on Galatos, 24-26 May. The three color battle scenes are: the Genz Glider detachment landing southwest of Canea, 20 May; the 2nd Battalion, 1st FJ landing west of Heraklion airfield, 20 May; and the Australian counterattack against the 1/141st Mountain Regiment, 27 May. The author probably should have provided a 2-D map detailing the air-sea actions around Crete, including all the RN warships sunk. As for the photographs in this volume, they are rather mundane, with far too many photos of ANZAC troops in transit camps or being evacuated.

The author's campaign narrative itself is crisp and clean, and he does a good job pointing out both the German mistakes (dropping single battalions, trying to seize too many objectives simultaneously) and the Allied mistakes (focused more on coast defense, failure to disable airfields, slowness to recognize German main effort and organize counterattack). The author also does an excellent job coordinating his narrative with the maps, enabling the reader to easily follow the flow of combat. He also adds interesting items, like the Germans surprising the Allies by introducing recoilless guns. The Battle of Crete essentially came down to the fight for Maleme airfield, and while Antill does a decent job outlining the course of fighting there, I'm not sure he strips away much of the uncertainty as to how and why the British defenders - who outnumbered the paratroopers - failed to hold the airfield. Antill runs down the standard reasons given - poor communications, fog of war, wounded leaders - but I'm not sure that this rote recitation really answers why the battle was won or lost.

I was also hoping that the author would incorporate some fresh research, particularly about German casualties, but he seems content to stick with the standard (and not very informative) numbers seen in other secondary sources. In sum, Peter Antill's Crete 1941 is a decent first effort, but lacks the original research or incisive analysis needed to make this more than a synthesis product.

Crete 1941: Germany's lightning airborne assault

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Crete 1941: Germany's lightning airborne assault
Peter Antill; Illustrator-Howard Gerrard
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VUUIJW

Book Description

Although coverage chronologically spans from prehistory to the present, the emphasis is on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is written in a readable, flowing manner and is deeply rooted in native traditions and lore. The title is a reference to a message sent by President Andrew Jackson to the Choctaws and Chickasaws indicating that, as a friend, he planned to move the people to the Trans-Mississippi West to "land of their own, which they shall possess as long as grass grows or water runs."

Customer Reviews:

Best Native American History Text Ever.......2007-02-24

This is the best American Indian textbook on the market today. Trafzer not only writes in a clear and compelling manner, he also presents the incredible complex histories of Indian societies in a clear fashion. He has an eye for details, which he connects in a fine intellectual fashion to the greater, overarching historical themes. This is also the ONLY Native American history text that tells the history of American Indians from the vantage of American Indians; one of its many significances. This is a must buy for those interested in this field.

This book needs an editor........2003-09-23

This book could have used a serious trimming by an editor. The author will state a fact, then proceed to repeat it two or three times with slightly changed phrasing. I often felt as if I was reading the rough draft of someone's Masters thesis and not a published book.
Contentwise it covers a lot of ground. But due to the repetitous style in which it's written, I recommend seeking another book if you're buying this for pleasure.

Book Description

A tiny scrap of genetic information determines our sex; it also consigns many of us to a life of disease, directs or disrupts the everyday working of our bodies, and forces women to live as genetic chimeras. The culprit--so necessary and yet the source of such upheaval--is the X chromosome, and this is its story. An enlightening and entertaining tour of the cultural and natural history of this intriguing member of the genome, The X in Sex traces the journey toward our current understanding of the nature of X. From its chance discovery in the nineteenth century to the promise and implications of ongoing research, David Bainbridge shows how the X evolved and where it and its counterpart Y are going, how it helps assign developing human babies their sex--and maybe even their sexuality--and how it affects our lives in infinitely complex and subtle ways. X offers cures for disease, challenges our cultural, ethical, and scientific assumptions about maleness and femaleness, and has even reshaped our views of human evolution and human nature.

Customer Reviews:

"The glories of the X chromosome at a cracking pace!".......2006-05-22

How do we become male or female? The X in Sex: How the X Chromosome Controls Our Lives, by David Bainbridge writes a compelling and enjoyable book that explains the X and Y Chromosomes having a profound impact on our lives, determining what sex we will be and also influencing how we live. Bainbridge takes readers into a neat over view of the X chromosome, mentioning its importance in the genetic makeup of the person. He makes an argument that the Y chromosome plays a more significant role in mediating subsequent sex differences. He uses exquisite analogies, and wit to provide the readers with some entertainment.
How the Chromosome Control Our Lives takes you back to history of the X chromosome and its influence on differences between sexes. The book is easily understood and is broken up into three main chapters. The first chapter, Making a Difference, reveals that Sry, a gene on the Y chromosome causes XY embryo to develop as male. He uses catching analogies revealing his humor, such as `Think of sex as a restaurant, with sex chromosomes for customers. This may not be the kind of the of restaurant you want to eat in, but bear with me.' He makes his point through a real life story connecting present day information with evidence and technology.
He then exceeds to his second Chapter, and explains why sex-linked conditions; Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, Hemophilia and colorblindness are more prevalent in males. This is because men only have one X, therefore they get one copy of each of its genes. He then goes on and tells us the effects, if one of these genes is damaged, significant changes can occur. The third chapter focuses on how the X dosage and X in activation influences female physiology, providing several images to help the reader understand somewhat complex information. Bainbridge makes great efforts to provide familiarities to all readers.
This book is highly recommended for all. It is very interesting and makes you want to further your reading on the same topic. David Bainbridge does an excellent job of describing how and why we live, in a very clear and somewhat challenging way.

A few interesting tidbits at the end of the book...........2004-10-09

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no more." This book simply goes too far in the direction of the "simple."

"Did I manage to slip in the word 'gene' unnoticed?" the author asks on page 18. Well, if you are the type that will be amazed to learn that there are these things called "genes" then this will be a fun book for you.

THere are so many anoying typos. For example, singular anticedent (a bioligist) and plural pronoun (them), p.52. "vice-like hold" (should be vise-like, p. 54). "A common misconception 'abut" the ..." (p. 65) and so on. A human baby is referred to as an "it" while an inantimate object such as a chromosome is referred to as a "he".

Most of the book has nothing new, and is anoying to read. The one interesting thing is that, in our species, women have 2 X-chromosomes but men have only 1. So something must be done so that the the genes on the X-chromosome are expressed in the same degree/amount in both genders. In our species, females (and some males, who are YXX !) inactivate all but one of the X-chromosomes as a developing embryo. From that point on, all daughter cells have the same X-chromosome(s) inactivated. In Calico cats, the pigmentation is carried on the X-chromosome, so the pattern reflects the pattern of chromosome inactivation. This has interesting implications for other genes carried on the X-chromosome.

So, there are a few interesting tidbits in the back of the book, if one has the patience to get that far.

The author also makes statements of fact, then later "confesses" that they are not completely true, pointing out some exceptions. So, if you see some "fact" in this book, before you go quoting it, better read the rest of the book carefully, in case the author was only "kidding" about that fact.

Interesting and entertaining.......2003-11-15

This book presents a few tidbits about the X chromosomes and the genes resident on it and how they affect our lives. Topics discussed include autoimmune diseases, color blindness, disease transmission vectors (due to mutated genes), X chromosome inactivation in anyone possessing multiple X chromosomes...etc

Overall, this is a good, entertaining layman read. It is not an overview on the biology of the X chromosome. Rather,a good afternoon read for one's infotainment.

Already out of date..........2003-06-19

See David Page's (at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass.) new research, first hitting the news on June 18, 2003.

The Strange Tale of The X Chromosome.......2003-06-15

I love to read science books because they continually amaze me with the hidden worlds that they reveal. This book is no exception. Author Bainbridge has written a slim book of 181 pages, that tells us the marvels, eccentricities, and terrors hidden away in the X chromosome. It always amuses me when people extol the human body as the epitome of creation excellence. When you look deeply into our physical engineering, though, you usually start wondering if perhaps we were designed by a fractious committee.

It is the male Y chromosome, and specifically the "Sry" gene on that chromosome, that actively sets out to make any cell blob containing it to turn into a male. But the Y chromosome is really just a dried up fossil of a gene that serves no other purpose than determining sex. It is the X that has many functions.

The book answers many questions. Why are diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and hemophilia mostly limited to males? Why are male identical twins really identical, while female identical twins are not totally identical? Why are approximately 50% of female body cell X chromosomes different from the other 50% while in a male the cells are all alike? Why are women the main sufferers from autoimmune diseases? What happens when a woman is born with only one sex chromosome, a single X? Why is it that color blindness affects mostly men, and why is color blindness almost inevitably red-green, and almost never blue-yellow?

We also learn that many other mammals live and reproduce perfectly well with no Y chromosomes. Armadillos generally give birth to identical quadruplets. And on and on goes Mr. Bainbridge with the facts about the unusual X chromosome that is an astounding two inches long yet is able to intricately fold itself to fit into every tiny body cell.

This is a very accessible book that should educate and, indeed, entertain anyone who picks it up.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Parks & Recreation, published by National Recreation and Park Association on September 1, 2004. The length of the article is 3319 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: Going for the gold: meet the finalists for the 2004 Gold Medal Awards.
Author: Amy Kapp
Publication: Parks & Recreation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2004
Publisher: National Recreation and Park Association
Volume: 39 Issue: 9 Page: 76(10)

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