Decision Making and Accounting: Current Research

Book Description

Virtually everyone is subjected to one form or another of testing. We are tested to get into schools and once we are in schools. We are often tested when we apply for a job and once we get a job. In spite of the pervasiveness and criticality of decisions made based on test scores, testing has been, and continues to be, a source of controversy. Is testing equally fair to all people? Are decisions based on tests fair to all members of society? Test-score banding is a method to interpret test scores that takes into account the fact that tests used in human resource selection are never perfectly accurate. This book analyzes the use of test-score banding from technical, legal, and societal points of view. It includes controversial arguments in favor and against the use of test-score banding, useful guidelines for practice, and innovative suggestions for research. For the past decade, organizations have relied on banding to select employees by forming groups of "bands" of applicants based on their scores on tests, interviews, and any other measure. Because test scores are never perfectly accurate, these bands render applicants within the same band indistinguishable. Secondary criteria, such as ethnicity and gender, then are used to "break the tie," allowing organizations to increase diversity by increasing the proportion of employees who are members of underrepresented groups.

Book Description

Astrophysics Updates: is intended to serve the information needs of professional astronomers and postgraduate students about areas of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology that are rich and active research spheres. Observational methods and the latest results of astronomical research are presented as well as their theoretical foundations and interrelations. The contributed commissioned articles are written by leading exponents in a format that will appeal to professional astronomers and astrophysicists who are interested in topics outside their own specific areas of research. This collection of timely reviews may also attract the interest of advanced amateur astronomers seeking scientifically rigorous coverage.

Book Description

As compared to engineering polymers (EPs) and polymer composites, polymer liquid crystals (PLCs) have many attractive properties. Moreover, ordinary equipment for thermoplastic processing can be used for PLCs; often PLCs have lower viscosities than EPs, or addition of a PLC to an EP lowers the viscosity of the latter by two orders of magnitude. This book covers inorganic, organic as well as non-covalently bonded PLCs. It describes their mechanical properties and performance, thermophysical characteristics, which is the basis for intelligent processing, and also relations between properties of blends and of individual components. A chapter on computer simulations, explaining how computer modeling is being used to develop stronger polymer-based composites, is included.
This book will prove an invaluable reference to all those working with polymer liquid crystals and advanced materials.

Thermophysical Properties of Liquid Crystals

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Thermophysical Properties of Liquid Crystals
A. L. Tsykalo
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Crystallography | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Thermophysical Properties of Liquid Crystals offers directions for the theoretical study of the structure and properties of nematic, smectic and cholesteric liquid crystals. It elucidates the molecular structure of chiral nematics and examines the optical and thermodynamic properties of liquid crystals in supercooled states. Further, it provides data on solutions of liquid crystals, including information on density and enthalpy, gives state diagrams of different types of solutions, and covers other important characteristics of those solutions which best meet the requirements of modern technology.

Amazon.com

Daniel Keyes wrote little SF but is highly regarded for one classic, Flowers for Algernon. As a 1959 novella it won a Hugo Award; the 1966 novel-length expansion won a Nebula. The Oscar-winning movie adaptation Charly (1968) also spawned a 1980 Broadway musical.

Following his doctor's instructions, engaging simpleton Charlie Gordon tells his own story in semi-literate "progris riports." He dimly wants to better himself, but with an IQ of 68 can't even beat the laboratory mouse Algernon at maze-solving:

I dint feel bad because I watched Algernon and I lernd how to finish the amaze even if it takes me along time.
I dint know mice were so smart.

Algernon is extra-clever thanks to an experimental brain operation so far tried only on animals. Charlie eagerly volunteers as the first human subject. After frustrating delays and agonies of concentration, the effects begin to show and the reports steadily improve: "Punctuation, is? fun!" But getting smarter brings cruel shocks, as Charlie realizes that his merry "friends" at the bakery where he sweeps the floor have all along been laughing at him, never with him. The IQ rise continues, taking him steadily past the human average to genius level and beyond, until he's as intellectually alone as the old, foolish Charlie ever was--and now painfully aware of it. Then, ominously, the smart mouse Algernon begins to deteriorate...

Flowers for Algernon is a timeless tear-jerker with a terrific emotional impact. --David Langford

Book Description

With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful, heartbreaking novel!.......2007-10-04

I think this is one of the best books I have ever read! The story takes place mainly in New York City, USA. Charlie Gordon, 32, is mentally retarded, and is taught by Miss Alice Kinnian. The book is written in the form of chronological Progress Reports written by Charlie. (His early reports were filled with spelling mistakes.) He is given the opportunity to be the first to take part in a scientific procedure that can triple his intelligence. After the operation, he is timed in a maze race against a mouse, Algernon, who has had the same operation on his brain. He begins to beat Algernon after a few times.

Charlie's rapid increase in intelligence makes him eager to learn more and more. He recalls memories of his past life. Once Charlie has reached his peak in intelligence, he and Algernon are to be presented at a psychological convention. He realizes during the presentation that one of the doctors believes that Charlie was not yet 'created' before the operation. This infuriates Charlie. He travels back to New York City with Algernon. He notices that Algernon is becoming lethargic. Charlie begins to worry that this regression Algernon is experiencing may soon happen to him. Sure enough, he soon begins to notice some signs of deterioration. He visits his family for the last time. He sees that the masked, retarded Charlie, deep in him, is returning. Then, Algernon dies. Many of the people that were close to him get very sad for him. (During these last few pages, I almost began to cry!) His last request of all of his freinds is: "Please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard."

I believe this novel is a fascinating must-read for everyone. It teaches you that not everyone may have the talents you do, and that you should respect them. There are many other lessons nestled in this page-turner that you should definitely discover.

--Aidan Bevacqua

"Brilliant" And "Masterpiece" Are Not Hyperbole In This Case.......2007-09-24

If you are a true lover of literature, you probably have a handful of novels that will always be cherished for as long as you live. For me, "Flowers For Algernon" is such a book. (I have read both the original 'novella' as well as the expanded novel, and like the novella the best. Also, I eventually saw the movie "Charly", based on this story, and thought it was hugely inferior to the book).

I will never forget my beloved 7th grade ('76-'77) 'high-English' teacher, Mrs. Colette Heideman -- my favorite I ever had, I think. Among the many terrific things she did was to assign this story for us to read. It moved me deeply, and does to this day. The story shows so powerfully how profoundly wrong it is to equate a human being's true worth simply to their IQ, and such like. No, the essence of what makes a person worthy of dignity and decency is something much deeper. (I believe it is derived from their being created in the image of God Himself).

Spoiler Warning.

The hardest I've ever cried while reading a story happened with this one. At the end, as Charlie's intellect is deteriorating, he realizes what is happening. In his journal he writes something like (I'm going from memory), "i dont know why im dum agen. maybe I dint try hard enuff." When I read these words my insides collapsed in a gush of tears. Fortunately I was alone in my room.

I use words like "brilliant" and "masterpiece" sparingly, but "Flowers for Algernon" truly merits such superlatives. BTW, adding to this story's poignancy for me, dear Mrs. Heideman was killed in a car accident three years after I had her as my teacher. I loved her and always remember her when I think of this story.

I love this story!.......2007-07-12

I read this book when I was in high school and it made me cry...twice! I cannot wait to finish it again and to see if it has the same effect.

Easily one of the best books I've read this year........2007-07-05

Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon (Bantam, 1966)

There are some people who simply deserve to be beaten with their own severed limbs for being such monumental genetic screwups. No, I'm not talking about Charlie Gordon, the protagonist of Daniel Keyes' wondrous little novel Flowers for Algernon; I'm talking about his mother Rose, a woman for whom getting stoned (in the Biblical sense) is not good enough.

Perhaps, though, I'm getting ahead of myself. The plot, in case you (like me) are one of the handful of people who never got the book assigned to them in school: Charlie Gordon is a mentally retarded adult who is chosen to undergo what is believed to be a breakthrough treatment. After the surgery, the treatment slowly beings to work, but then the changes pick up speed; soon Charlie is a supra-genius, far outstripping those who put him under the knife in the first place. Therefore, it's Charlie, with the help of Algernon, a mouse who has also had the surgery, who finds the devastating monkeywrench about to be thrown into the works. The book is narrated from Charlie's point of view, as well, which adds that little extra twist to the knife.

You get the feeling, though, that so many of the kid's problems (that come through with him to his adult life) could have been avoided had his mother not been a braindead Neanderthal who's so incapable of seeing what's right in front of her face that it causes her more pragmatic husband to flee the household. There is a method to Keyes' madness, and it is named Rose. It is a testament to both Keyes' ability to draw character (even minor characters; aside from in Charlie's memories, Rose only gets a few pages of screen time) and his ability to manipulate through perspective that make Rose the monster she is. That, of course, is secondary to the overall plot here, but it is synecdochic of the brilliance in this novel; I'm not pointing it out because it's the bright spot in an otherwise dull affair, but because it's one of the many highlights in a scintillating character study. Charlie himself is equally convincing as both a mentally challenged individual and a supra-genius. (And imagine the rage if this book, which uses such terms as "bright-moron" and "retardate", were released today; I'm honestly rather surprised I haven't stumbled across reports of its being challenged in schools, and I figure this has more to do with my not coming across the reports, rather than it simply not happening.) Just as important, if not more so, his perceptions of others, as they change, remain faithful.

While I'm spending a great deal of time rhapsodizing over the characterization, I'm neglecting the plot. Which I shouldn't do, because it's amazing. But--and this is a point I try to make repeatedly when I give bad reviews (maybe it'll come across better in a good one)--the plot is only as strong as its supporting acts. You can have the best plot in the world, but if you don't fit it with realistic characters, it's just not going to work. I'm going to start using Flowers for Algernon as a shining example of how the two, packaged together, make for a much stronger book than either piece standing on its own.

Add to this Keyes' eye for detail. He adds just enough extraneous detail to the book to add another thin veneer of plausibility to it; stuff that you might notice in passing and forget about. Charlie notices these things, and since he's (in the latter half of the book, anyway) dictating into a tape recorder, he notices them, talks about them, and then goes on his way. I mean, think about it. As a side note, given a performance worthy of the material, this would make an awe-inspiring audiobook.

Flowers for Algernon is beautiful, it's heartbreaking, it's funny and sweet and sexy and spiteful and nasty and hateful and just plain great. If you managed to avoid it during your school years, I cannot recommend highly enough going back and reading it as an adult. Put simply, it's genius. **** ½

Great on many levels.......2007-06-03

I really, really like this book, and one of the best things about it is that it's accessible and enjoyable on many levels.

On the most basic, it offers a fascinating premise with memorable characters that behave and change in believeable ways. It's well written -- extremely well written -- in a journal style that eloquently captures the changes the main character undergoes as he gains (and loses) over 100 IQ points. This sort of style is difficult for an author to pull off because not only does the voice have to be believeable, but it has to be evident to the audience what's REALLY going on even when the narrator himself doesn't "get it." Keyes accomplishes this, masterfully, and the result is a riveting read.

That said, I really mainly enjoyed the novel for the themes it struggles with. There's the obvious one, the one about the loneliness that comes from being "abnormal" (in either direction - super smart or super stupid) in our society ... it's a good theme, and very well explored by the novel -- neither tendentious nor overly schmaltzy, and always honest. But it's also a bit of an overused, feel-good theme, and if that were all this novel was about I would like it less than I do.

The book is actually a meditation on knowledge, and an honest, piercing exploration of the dual questions, "Is ignorance bliss?" and, "If so, should we then choose it?" (The book doesn't give easy or clear answers, either, which is one of its great strengths). The obvious instance of this in the character of Charlie himself, as he first chooses to become smarter without ever really understanding what it will mean, then wrestles with the consequences and implications of this choice, and finally he deals with the shattering loss of his intelligence. Some of the most amazing parts of the book are when new knowledge causes great pain: as when, for instance, he realizes that the people he once saw as his friends were making fun of him; or when he returns to his original IQ level but can no longer be as happy as he once was because he now knows what he is missing. The same theme is explored in the scientists themselves: you can't read the book without wondering if their work is moral, if it's really "right" in a deep sense to manipulate IQ this way. And would the answer to that question change if their experiment had worked?

It's just a very good book. The writing is accessible even to young teenagers, but the theme and ideas make it worth anyone's time.

Average customer rating:

Sweet Read

Entertaining

A wonderful addition to the Elm Creek series

The Sugar Camp Quilt

Very informative

The Sugar Camp Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)
Jennifer Chiaverini
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Christmas Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)

Circle of Quilters: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)

The Master Quilter (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)

The Quilter's Legacy (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)

The Runaway Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel

ASIN: 0743260198

Book Description

History is thick with secrets in The Sugar Camp Quilt, seventh in the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series from bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini. Set in Creek's Crossing, Pennsylvania, in the years leading up to the Civil War, the novel follows Dorothea Granger's passage from innocence to wisdom against the harrowing backdrop of the American struggle over slavery. She discovers that a quilt she has stitched for her uncle Jacob with five unusual patterns of his own design contains hidden clues to guide runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad. The heroic journey she undertakes leads to revelations about her own courage and resourcefulness -- newfound qualities that may win her the heart of the best man she has ever known.

Customer Reviews:

Sweet Read.......2007-09-04

This is an another wonderful book in the Elm Creek Series. I loved it.
This book is more historical in nature, giving background for the Runaway Quilt.

Entertaining.......2007-09-01

This is an entertaining history of the Elm Creek area and it's participation in the Underground Railroad before the Civil War.

A wonderful addition to the Elm Creek series.......2007-07-26

In my opinion I thought Ms. Chiaverini created a wonderful story. I've enjoyed all of the Elm Creek Quilters novels and I believe that "Sugar Camp Quilt" is the best of the series. Her writing talents excelled in this book and I can't wait till she releases another book. I won't hesitate to recommend this book to all my friends. Bye.

The Sugar Camp Quilt.......2007-06-12

All of the books by this author, Jennifer Chiaverini, are excellent. Just wish there were more of them.

Very informative.......2007-05-25

All the Elm Creek Quilts novels are excellent. Sugar Camp Quilt is historical and gives a great picture of the slave times and the good people who helped them.

Average customer rating:

The Sugar Camp Quilt
Jennifer Chiaverini
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

The Christmas Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)

ASIN: 0739452649

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The Sugar Camp Quilt
Jennifer Chiaverini
Manufacturer: Recorded Books LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 1419338978

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Sugar Camp Quilt
Jennifer Chiaverini
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UMJS3I

Book Description

David R. Francis was a brash, plain-spoken man whose political savvy guided him to positions of prominence at all levels of American government. He served as both mayor of St. Louis and governor of Missouri, and later entered national and international politics as ambassador to Russia from 1916 to 1918.

Appointed to that post by President Woodrow Wilson, Francis possessed a background in agricultural trade and banking and also impressed Wilson with his experience wooing heads of state as president of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. As U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Francis went on to confront the impossible task of hammering out a trade treaty with the country while revolutions and World War I raged.

This challenge and others are recounted in the biography, Standing on a Volcano: The Life and Times of David R. Francis, by accomplished St. Louis journalist Harper Barnes. In this fascinating book, Barnes discusses how Russia’s internal volatility frustrated the diplomatic efforts of Francis, a maverick statesman who sympathized with Russia’s poor and sought to stall the Bolshevik uprising. Though criticized by some historians for bold, unthinking calls for American intervention—advice President Wilson dismissed—Francis showed an unflagging commitment to Russia and to the hope of ushering in a democratic government.

Despite his mixed legacy, that Francis remains a figure of great historical significance locally, nationally, and internationally is evidenced at the Museum of the Diplomatic Corps in Vologda, Russia, where he is the primary subject. St. Louisans and U.S. history buffs alike will marvel at the man and his story.

Customer Reviews:

As exciting as a spy novel.......2002-02-19

Journalist Harper Barnes' biography of David Rowland Francis,
American politician and diplomat whose career ranged from St. Louis in
America's heartland to the depths of Russia during the Bolshevik
revolution (1917-19), is full of surprises. As the youngest mayor of
St. Louis and governor of Missouri at the turn of the 20th century, he
lead progressive Democrats and fathered the St. Louis World's Fair in
1903-04. Appointed ambassador to Russia by President Woodrow Wilson, he
endured terrible hardships during its revolutionary period, aided by his
articulate and loyal friend and valet, African-American Philip Jordan.
Much of the Russian story reads like an exciting spy novel. Wonderfully
researched and well written, it is a compelling account that enriches
both United States' and international history. It captivates the reader
and offers heretofore unknown insights into not only a remarkable
American but United States foreign policy at a pivotal time in world
history.

Standing on a Volcano: The Life and Times of David Rowland Francis

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Standing on a Volcano: The Life and Times of David Rowland Francis
Harper Barnes
Manufacturer: Missouri Historical Society Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K07760

Book Description

The sting of the Great Depression had hit with a blow so severe that many people were sick and desperate... some even died. Mama had tuberculosis and she was one of those people. Her untimely death came.

Later, Daddy met and married a much younger woman from North Carolina. She stepped into our lives with a force so destructive it made the Depression seem dull and not out of the ordinary.

We had Aunt Lucy, a short black woman with skin the color of midnight. Her large black eyes twinkled like the Evening Star. We children loved her with a love that only Elizabeth Barrett Browning penned.

This is my story.

Customer Reviews:

"A Walk in My Shoes".......2001-08-30

I have read this book several times. I have read thousands of books and am an avid reader, but this book seems to draw me back to open it's covers again. It makes me lose myself in Frances' pain, feel the laughter, feel the closeness to Aunt Lucy, and seem to experience the emotions that Frances goes through in every aspect of the book. I wanted to fold her close to me during the pain of the abuse, the rape, the icy indifference from the step-mother as I could actually feel her anguish ripple through me. I have felt such anger at the rapist, and caught myself wondering if the step-mother had any idea that this would happen to this child. The bond I wove with the subject of the book bound me to her and kept me spellbound throughout the entire reading. I could almost envision "Aunt Lucy" as having wings, and a generous lap and ample bosom to rest your sad, weary head on. I can not wait for this author to write another book and I certainly hope it comes out soon.

At Midnight I Cried.......2000-11-01

I cannot put into words how moved I was by this book. This one book you surely should not miss the chance to read.

At Midnight I Cried.......2000-11-01

I can't put into words how moved I was with this book.It surely is one you should not miss a chance to read...Charlotte N.C.

At Midnight I Cryed.......2000-11-01

I can't put into words how moved I was with this book...It was just one you should not pass up a chance to read.Charlotte N.C.

Exceptionally well written.......2000-10-02

Only once before was I so impressed with a book that I felt compelled to write a review. I wanted the story to go on and on and cannot wait until "Black Cotton" comes out!

Customer Reviews:

we've all got problems.......2003-11-03

the message of this book seems to be that transsexual people are more than just transsexuals. they are people. yes, thank you mr. rees. thank you for beating that message into me for 184 pages. seemingly without direction, he pounds out the events of his life, giving the reader the name of every friend along the way. oh, and thanking each of them, again and again. a look into a life with conflict, but we all have problems. read it if you somehow think homosexuals are the same thing as transexuals, but by and large an un-enlightening book.

TO SIR WITH LOVE..........2001-03-11

This autobiographical account of the author's life focuses on gender identity issues which appear to have governed most of his life. Anatomically a female, though somewhat androgynous in appearance, the author, named Brenda at birth, always felt as if he were a male trapped in a woman's body. This created many difficult life situations for him as he was growing up. The difficulties compounded themselves when "Brenda" reached puberty, as one may well imagine.

Never feeling that he belonged, yet wanting to be like other people, he struggled alone with these gender identity issues for many years. At one point in his young adult life, he was so depressed over his situation that he voluntarily entered a psychiatric hospital. His autobiographical account is a bird's eye view of the suffering that society can inflict on a human being who means no harm to anyone, and who is only trying to find a way to fit in with that society.

It was not until he realized that he was not alone, that there were others like him, that he began to realize that he could be helped. It was as a mature adult that he made the transition from female to male and became "Mark". Only then did he start feeling a little more comfortable in his own skin. Yet, despite dressing as a male, hormone therapy, and surgical modification, he still had issues, as society would only legally recognize the gender assignement made at birth. This would forever consign him legally to being a female, placing him in a sort of legal limbo.

The book is often poignant in that the author's desire for having a normal life is palpable. He really just wants to be like everyone else and do the things that everyone else does, such as, get a job commensurate with one's education and abilities, fall in love, get married, and have a family. Yet, all this seems to have eluded him, because of the gender identity issues which made it so difficult to attain his desired goals. Even after having become an elected official in the town where he grew up, the taunts of local children still plague him. Society may have come a long way in its understanding of these issues, but it, undoubtedly, has a long way to go.

This book addresses issues that are in the social forefront today, but the author, though clearly intelligent, has a prosaic style of writing that does not fully engage the reader. His is a voice with which to be reckoned, however, due to the dearth of literature on transexualism and its attendant, ancillary social issues.

Recommended for Trannies and Their Families.......2000-09-13

I found Dear Sir or Madam while looking for appropraite reading for my mother that was both heartfelt and honest, but not grim or especially detailed regarding surgery, etc. This autobiography paints a very accurate portrayal of growing up male, though confined to a female body. This is good reading material for people just beginning their transition, their friends and family, and supporters. In the wake of many other books that leave us feeling pitied, you will be nothing shy of uplifted and celebratory of Mark Rees' journey and conquest.

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