The End of Laissez-Faire: The Economic Consequences of the Peace (Great Minds Series)

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The End of Laissez-Faire: The Economic Consequences of the Peace (Great Minds Series)
John Maynard Keynes
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (Great Minds Series)

Essays in Persuasion

A Tract on Monetary Reform (Great Minds Series)

Principles of Economics: Abridged Edition

Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition

ASIN: 1591022681

Book Description

In THE END OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE (1926), Keynes presents a brief historical review of laissez-faire economic policy. Though he agrees in principle that the marketplace should be free of government interference, he suggests that government can play a constructive role in protecting individuals from the worst harms of capitalism's cycles, especially as concerns unemployment. When the Great Depression struck a few years later, this work seemed very prescient.

Keynes first earned widespread prominence immediately following World War I, when he published THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE PEACE in 1919. This book gained a good deal of notoriety because of its withering portraits of both French premier Georges Clemenceau and US president Woodrow Wilson. Keynes criticized the Allied victors for signing a treaty that would have ruinous consequences for Europe, if not modified as he suggested. Unfortunately, few leaders appreciated Keynes's criticisms, and he saw his worst fears realized in the rise of Hitler and the devastation of World War II.

Keynes's brilliant mind and lucid writing are evident on every page. Both of these works are well worth reading for his profound knowledge of economics.

Book Description

This job search planning and implementation guide covers topics such as cultivating a positive attitude, organizing a workspace, networking, and writing and designing job search and application documents.

Customer Reviews:

Your Job Search Partner.......2002-10-05

This book really helped me get off my couch and take action to get a job. The easy-to-follow daily steps make it easy to be prepared for everything that can come up in the job searching process. I have already seen results in that I now have the confidence to get myself out there. All of my questions and concerns about job hunting have been addressed in this book! Thanks!

Wonderful, Expert Advice!.......2002-03-30

Cheryl Cage offers the Job Seeker invaluable tools to further their career. An excellent resource for anyone faced with a layoff situation or if they are interested in going down another career path. I highly recommend this book!

Book Description

Volumes 1 and 2 of Transgenic Plants assemble important information on transgenic crops which has appeared scattered in many different publications. These two volumes are a significant milestone in plant/agricultural biology, promote the practical application of recombinant DNA technology, and assist in transforming the agricultural industry.

Transgenic Plants: Volume 2; Present Status and Social and Economic Impacts

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Transgenic Plants: Volume 2; Present Status and Social and Economic Impacts
Shain-dow & Wu, Ray (editors) Kung
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M18126

Book Description

Recent advances in molecular pharmacology and brain imaging have revolutionized our understanding of how psychoactive drugs work. Now, from the authors of Principles of Neuropsychopharmacology, comes a new undergraduate textbook integrating these developments. The first section of the book provides extensive foundation materials, including the basic principles of pharmacology, neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, synaptic transmission, and methods in psychopharmacology. The second section describes key features of major neurotransmitter systems, including the catecholamines, serotonin, acetylcholine, glutamate and GABA. The third and fourth sections discuss theories and mechanisms of drug addiction and psychopathology. All major substances of abuse as well as drugs used to treat mental illness are covered.

Psychopharmacology: Drugs, the Brain and Behavior is unique in its breadth of coverage, ranging from historical accounts of drug use to clinical and preclinical behavioral studies to the latest research on drug effects in transgenic mouse models. Student engagement with the material is fostered by opening each chapter with a relevant vignette and by providing breakout boxes presenting novel or cutting-edge topics for special discussion. The book is extensively illustrated with full-color photographs and line art depicting important concepts and experimental data. Psychopharmacology: Drugs, the Brain and Behavior is appropriate for undergraduate psychopharmacology or drugs and behavior courses that emphasize relationships between the behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs and their mechanisms of action.

Customer Reviews:

Great basic review of pharmacology.......2007-02-20

I am very pleased with the basic explanation presented by the authors of this textbook. It is broken down that it is so simple, yet builds it up so you are able to understand, or reference back to previous topics of discussion when you approach complex topics.

One of the most helpful text-book I've ever used.......2007-02-09

Fantastic; Clear and precise with plenty of diagrams. The best introduction to psychopharmacology I could have received.

Useful book.......2006-12-16

It is relatively easy to read and very informative. Also, section summaries, in-text boxes, and figures are ample and fantastic! However, although very useful, at times there is too much extraneous information.

Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior: The Pharmacology of Abuse and Dependence (Haworth Therapy for the Addictive Disorders) (Haworth Therapy for the Addictive Disorders)

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book was good for it's purpose
Good basic intro, but weak overall

Drugs, the Brain, and Behavior: The Pharmacology of Abuse and Dependence (Haworth Therapy for the Addictive Disorders) (Haworth Therapy for the Addictive Disorders)
John Brick , and Carlton K. Erickson
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Drug Dependency | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychopharmacology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Pharmacology | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0789002744

Customer Reviews:

book was good for it's purpose.......2007-06-10

I used the book for a class on how drugs affect the brain functioning. I recommend you have some prior knowledge on psychology and the functioning of the human brain, even though the book helps you through hard to understand processes of the brain functioning.

Good basic intro, but weak overall.......2003-11-04

Good basic introduction to the major classifications of drugs, including alcohol, nicotine and steriods. However, the chapter on Cocaine and Other Stimulants does not even mention Crystal Meth - a serious flaw, considering it's the most popular street drug.

Book Description

Virtually all cultures consume drugs from psychoactive plants. Caffeine, for example, is probably the most common stimulant in the world, and many modern medicines, such as morphine and codeine, are derived from plant sources. In these cases, scientific research has revealed the composition of the plants and how they interact with the nervous system. There are also many herbal medications with reputed therapeutic value that have not yet gained acceptance into mainstream medicine, partly because there has not been enough research to support their usefulness. Instead they are regarded as "alternative medicines." This is an active research area, however, and many current studies are focusing on identifying the active components, pharmacological properties, physiological effects, and clinical efficacy of herbal medicines. This book compiles and integrates the most up-to-date information on the major psychoactive herbal medicines—that is, herbal medicines that alter mind, brain, and behavior. It focuses particularly on the effects on various areas of cognition, including attention, learning, and memory. The book covers all major classes of psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, cognitive enhancers, sedatives and anxiolytics, psychotherapeutic herbs, analgesics and anesthetic plants, hallucinogens, and cannabis.

Customer Reviews:

Can science and herbs co-exist? Yes!.......2003-12-30

What makes this book stand out from the many hundred others out on the market is that it approaches the effects of herbs on the nervous system from a scientific, rather than pseudo- or anti-scientific, perspective. Rather than viewing herbs as being "alternative" and separate from science, Spinella scrutinizes the empirical evidence for and against the claimed effects of herbs on the brain. This book should be in every psychologist's, psychiatrist's, and physician's book shelf.

Not just psychedelics.......2001-09-05

This book is a technical, complete and academic discussion of herbs that affect the brain, including therapeutic herbs, sedatives, as well as illicit herbs (herbs used to get a "high"). The author, Marcello Spinella, emphasis the importance of weighing all the risks and benefits of herbal medicine and discusses the latest research from scientific journals. Among the herbs reviewed here are valerian, chamomile, kava, passionflower and ginkgo. Also included is an overview of neuroscience and pharmacology. This is a very good reference book for someone serious about understanding how herbs affect the brain.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding!!

Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology

Manufacturer: Context Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Psychopharmacology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Pain Medicine | Pharmacology | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1878978365

Book Description

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of substances that are used to modify behavior. While different classes of substances have known effects, one has only to see a group of people drinking to excess to recognize that not everyone responds in the same way to a given substance. Why do substances have the behavioral effects they do, and why do individuals vary in their responses to them? This book provides a conceptual framework for answering such questions. It includes the following chapters:

Thomas Byrne and Alan Poling on Principles of Behavior Analysis Alan Poling and Thomas Byrne on Principles of Pharmacology Lisa Baker, Thomas Morgan, and Alan Poling on Neuropharmacology Alan Poling and Thomas Byrne on Assessing Drug Effects in Non-Humans Susan Snycerski, Sean Laraway, and Alan Poling on Basic Research with Humans Alan Poling, Thomas Byrne, and Thomas Morgan on the Stimulus Properties of Drugs Alan Poling on the Variables that Influence Drug Action Scott H. Kollins, Kristal Ehrhardt, and Alan Poling on Clinical Drug Assessment Sean Laraway, Susan Snycerski, Thomas Byrne, and Alan Poling on Drug Abuse

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!!.......2002-06-29

This insightful book is the best I've read in the field! I definitely recommend it.

Integrating Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy: Dissolving the Mind-Brain Barrier

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Integrating Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy: Dissolving the Mind-Brain Barrier
Bernard D. Beitman , Barton J. Blinder , Michael E. Thase , and Debra L. Safer
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Compulsive Behavior | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychoanalysis | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychopharmacology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychotherapy, TA & NLP | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Pharmacology | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Medicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0393704033

Book Description

A comprehensive program for clinicians. Treatment of mental illness requires mind-brain thinking. The dichotomy of mind and brain is now giving way to the beginnings of integration. Both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy can help people with psychiatric disorders. But how are the clinical effects of chemical and psychotherapeutic treatments maximized? This book summarizes research in combined treatments, and discusses the manner in which each can aid the other.

Catecholamines of developing brain: Preconditioning of behavior : aggression? anxiety?

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Catecholamines of developing brain: Preconditioning of behavior : aggression? anxiety?
Clara Torda
Manufacturer: Walters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006WVLUK

Drugs, brain and behavior: Survey on the state of psychobiology and psychopharmacology in Israel

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Drugs, brain and behavior: Survey on the state of psychobiology and psychopharmacology in Israel
Joel Elkes
Manufacturer: National Council for Research & Development, Prime Minister's Office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Physiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006CWGTA

Book Description

Traditional plant physiological ecology is organism centered and provides a useful framework for understanding the interactions between plants and their environment and for identifying characteristics likely to result in plant success in a particular habitat. This book focuses on extending concepts from plant physiological ecology as a basis for understanding carbon, energy, and biogeochemical cycles at ecosystem, regional, and global levels.
This will be a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students in ecology, plant ecophysiology, ecosystem research, biometerology, earth system science, and remote sensing.

Key Features
* The integration of metabolic activities across spatial scales, from leaf to ecosystem
* Global constraints and regional processes
* Functional units in ecological scaling
* Models and technologies for scaling

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Buy this as your second golf book

A roadmap to rapid improvement

The Ultimate Players Manual

The Book to have on golf

Help to Get It Up and Down

The Scrambler's Dozen: The 12 Shots Every Golfer Needs to Score Like the Pros
Mike Mcgetrick
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Golf | Coaching | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Golf | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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The Elements of Scoring: A Master's Guide to the Art of Scoring Your Best When You're Not Playing Your Best

Saving Par: How to Hit the 40 Toughest Shots in Golf

Getting Up and Down

The Ultimate Golf Instruction Guide: Key Techniques for Becoming a Zero Handicap Golfer or Better

The Art of Putting: The Revolutionary Feel-Based System for Improving Your Score

ASIN: 006273685X
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

In a perfect golfing universe, every drive would sail straight and every approach would land gently on the green, at tap-in range for birdie. Of course, there's no such thing as a perfect golfing universe. The best a golfer can do is be well-prepared for the harsh realities. As Bobby Jones once noted, golf's secret is the ability to convert a potential three strokes into two. In The Scrambler's Dozen, Mike McGetrick, the 1999 National PGA Teacher of the Year, identifies 12 shots that every golfer, regardless of handicap, needs to be able to pull out of the bag to help accomplish that.

McGetrick's arsenal moves from tee to green and includes both difficult recovery shots--such as exploding from a bunker, flopping, flyers, and hanging lies--and shots designed to work a ball with purpose, not just prayer--the lag putt, the fade, the feathered iron, and the standard pitch and its variations. For each, he clearly explains why and when you need the shot, how to approach it mentally, and--via photos--the physical set-up and swing required to accomplish it. Then he offers game-filled practice drills designed to help make learning this stuff fun, and to keep you working enough to trust the shots when you need them. Once that's laid out, he carefully summarizes his instruction with bullet points that include simple--and important--swing thoughts.

"Scrambling isn't reserved only for your off-days," McGetrick stresses. "Good golfers scramble every round." The key is scrambling with confidence. McGetrick's book will certainly help you lower your score. --Jeff Silverman

Book Description

In this invaluable book, Mike McGetrick, one of GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Teaching Professionals in America and 1999 National PGA Teacher of the Year, shows how to make the best shot possible and shave strokes off your game. Sharing the same methods he uses when coaching some of the best players in the world, McGetrick outlines 12 basic shots you can incorporate into your game without overhauling your technique.

Straightforward and easy to follow, The Scrambler's Dozen opens the door to a world of master strategy and shot-making virtually guaranteed to save strokes on the golf course.

Customer Reviews:

Buy this as your second golf book.......2003-11-27

I'm a high handicapper, however, this book is concise, clear and actionable. Mike describes 12 useable shots. The descriptions are technically clear and memorable. For example, the chapter on putting was simple and to the point, the 3 steps Mike recommends have helped me see green slope. The thoughts on hitting a low trajectory shot (a low shot requires a low finish) are simple to understand and stay in your memory regardless of if you are in a forest to the side of a fairway or on the practice range.

If you are not confident being able to get the ball into the air on the golf course you need a book on basics. Otherwise, this is a really good, valuable, actionable, short read. David Perz take note (please).

A roadmap to rapid improvement.......2003-05-23

I have read a number of books and magazine articles over the
years, but none have given me insight on what shots I need to
concentrate on most.

This book outlines the twelve most important shots and
describes in detail, how to go about accomplishing them.

This book is making me a better golfer in record time!
I highly recommend it!

The Ultimate Players Manual.......2003-02-27

This is the ultimate players manual--great information in a concise and logical format. I have been searching for the perfect golf manual for years and now I have found it. Practical, insightful, brilliant in its' simplicity. Well done!

The Book to have on golf.......2002-04-20

If there is one book to add to your golf bookshelf, this is the one. There is something to learn in every chapter and each one treats a specific point. You not only learn the basics but he shows you how through pictures and then explains in details the different aspects: setup;the swing; the strategy and the swing thoughts for each and every shot he teaches. To make it complete and very functional, he even gives you practice strategies and fundamental drills.
All in all, probably one of the best books I have read on shot making and shot shaping.

Help to Get It Up and Down.......2001-02-21

Golfers know that to recover is what it's all about. When you don't have your A game that day, to still score takes the shots that McGentrick gives in this book and the ability to pull them off with consistency.

From playing a fade to draw, to flyer lies to flop shot to restricted swings, this book gives chapter on each of these and seven others. In each is hints on setup, swing and strategy, followed by practice drills and what I find especially useful to learning it, competitive drills, i.e. drills which give you games to get the adrenalin going and groove the shot.

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Scrambler's Dozen : The 12 Shots Every Golfer Needs to Score Like the Pros
MIKE/ FERRELL, TOM MCGETRICK
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEVGAK

Book Description

• Do you misuse and mispronounce some words?

• Do you sometimes find yourself at a loss to express exactly what you mean?

• Do you fail to comprehend complex words while reading?

• Are you tired of having people seemingly talk "above" you?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then 30 Days To A More Powerful Vocabulary is the perfect solution. Millions of people have improved their academic performance, job skills, and self-esteem, just by spending fifteen minutes a day completing the simple exercises and self-tests within this bestselling guide!

You will learn, step-by-step, how to

• increase your language power with word "roots"

• find the words to sell your ideas

• learn new words daily

• check on your progress with 30 challenging tests

PLUS - Complete Index to New Words and Pronunciation Key
30 Days To A More Powerful Vocabulary

Nearly Four Million Copies In Print!

Customer Reviews:

Helpful.......2005-12-17

My brother-in-law recommended this book--he used it before he took his GRE tests, and found it really helpful. I also found it to be a helpful vocabulary book.

Each `day' introduces 10-20 words based on a specific theme or idea-sometimes, it is a group of words with similar roots (monologue, monogamy, etc.), sometimes it has words with opposite meanings, words are grouped by parts of speech.

The chapters/days then spend a few pages reviewing those new words through various methods--the author's theory is that by forcing you to write down and select the words within a number of contexts, you will learn the words faster.

Reviewers are correct that some words are used less often than they were in 1942, and one individual did not like the old practice of referring to generically to a doctor as "he" (by the way, all generic occupations/identifications were referred to as "he," including negative connotations such as thief, prisoner, and used-car salesperson).

This book is not a miracle--cure--don't toss out your high school GED just yet. Although you will learn a few scores of new words know how one goes about incorporating more, there is a long way to go. Just think of this book as a good start.

How To Double Your Vocabulary, but not in 30 Days.......2003-10-27

Despite advertising hype - 30 Days To -, no ONE book will double your vocabulary, but reading several vocabulary-building books can double your vocabulary. Different vocabulary-building books have different words and different explanations. If you don't learn a word from one book, you can learn it from another book.

Any vocabulary-building book will have many words, a fourth to half the book, that you already understand. You can always skip or skim the easy-to-you words.

Varied, incomplete word selection is another reason for using several books. Some books just take words used on past-standardized tests, neglecting other words. Other books, limit their words to words based on word roots, neglecting others. Often authors have thrown in personal favorite words, even if others rarely use the words. If you see a word in two or three books, it's generally a need-to-know word.

The main weakness of 30 Days To A More Powerful Vocabulary, and no book is perfect, is the word selection. As one other reviwer noted: some of the definitions are dated. But the price is right and if you read several vocabulary-building books, you will not have a problem identifying the few dated words.

Other Books: Cartoon/Mnemonic vocabulary books have their fans who like the mnemonic memory aids, which are useful before tests. But with only one word and one cartoon per page, these books may only have a few hundred words and are expensive on a per word learned basis. Audio vocabulary books such as Elite Word Power, let you hearing each word pronounced correctly, helpful for improving speaking vocabulary.

A Great Book.......2002-05-28

Ahh...the pleasure of words, how could a man deny himself this Empyrean delight! Asceticism, at least in the realm of vocabulary, is a mortal sin that a true logophile should not hesitate to denounce.

The organization of the book is worth heaping praises upon. Chapters, each of which should be finished in a day, are ordered thematically (eg Power Verbs and Foreign Words), that I personally found myself actually reading the book at whichever interesting chapter depending upon my particular inclination for that day. However, my advice should be taken with caution as the authors seemingly intended the book to be read in a particular order of progress. Well, tastes and aptitude may vary.

The book begins with an initial assessment of vocabulary and general language skills already possessed. Subsequent chapters are also supplemented with exercises (which are accompanied by helpful hints themselves), and the book ends with a final assessment of success.

At times the authors seem to be sermonizing on the values of the "American" language (as the authors call it), at times to be touting the importance of national linguistic pride, at times busily engaged in an exercise in Oprahesque you-can-do-it ad nauseam. As some reviewer(s) noted, the book has not been expurgated of the prejudices particularly prevalent at the time it was first written.

Despite the flaws which all books are guilty of in some degree or another, Dr Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis have shown the path towards a greater experience of this esoteric enteprise. A path that is delightfully fun, rewarding and entertaining; it is definitely worth every penny!

Excellent aid to a more powerful vocabulary.......2001-12-20

On the back cover there is the promise that the book will "make words your slaves". Well, not quite but with perseverance, you are destined to achieve at least 50% of the intended result. You need 30 days of persistent study and more days for reinforcement. A bonus is that by the end of the book you would probably be inspired to acquire a lifetime habit of increasing your vocabulary.

Those who find this book useful should also consider the brilliant "Word Power Made Easy" by Norman Lewis, one of the co-authors of this book.

Though new words were added, some 1942 prejudices remain.......1999-08-19

While the exercises and word lists are good, the editors of this 1998 update of a 1942 classic unfortunately failed to update all of the definitions. If you wander through the medical fields, you'll note that all doctors are referred to as "he." Also, the example for the word "sublimate" describes a woman who accedes to power in an all male environment as sublimating her distaste for men by dominating them. Not recommended for purchase by libraries or schools (or liberal thinkers!).

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary (New Revised Edition)

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30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary (New Revised Edition)
Dr. Wilfred Funk , and Norman Lewis
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

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30 DAYS TO A MORE POWERFUL VOCABULARY
Wilfred and Norman Lewis Funk
Manufacturer: Wilfred Funk Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ICXLEW

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30 Days To a More Powerful Vocabulary
Wilfred & Lewis, Norman Funk
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L3N11G

Average customer rating:

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary
Dr. Wilfred & Lewis, Norman Funk
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W0OC98

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30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary
Wilfred; Lewis, Norman Funk
Manufacturer: Wilfred Funk, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000W0SB54

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30 Days To A More Powerful Vocabulary
Funk
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary
Wilfred Funk , and Norman Lewis
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0671805614

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30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary
Wilfred & Lewis, Norman Funk
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VQ312W

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30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary
Funk and Lewis
Manufacturer: Wilfred Funk
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QRBB8W

Book Description

A biography of the mapmaker who revolutionized geography

The story of discovery and mapmaking is one of pushing back shadows,” writes Andrew Taylor, and “none in the last two thousand years achieved as much as Gerard Mercator in extending the boundaries of what could be comprehended.” His life encompassed most of the turbulent, extraordinary sixteenth century, a time when revolutions would engulf religion, science, and civilization. Almost extinguished by the Inquisition, Mercator’s genius lay in making maps, and his achievement did nothing less than revolutionize the study of geography.

Appropriately for an era undergoing radical change, Mercator was full of contradiction, tied to knowledge and beliefs of the past while forging a new path. He never traveled beyond northern Europe, yet he had the imagination to draw the entire world anew and to solve a problem that had baffled sailors and scientists for centuries: how a curved Earth could be faithfully rendered on a flat surface so as to allow for accurate navigation. His “projection” was so visionary that it is used by NASA to map Mars today. Andrew Taylor has beautifully captured Mercator amidst the turmoil and opportunity of his times and the luminaries who inspired his talent—his teacher and business partner, Gemma Frisius; the English magus, John Dee; his benefactor, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, his cartographic collaborator, Abraham Ortelius. The World of Gerard Mercator is a masterful biography of one of the men most responsible for the modern world.

Customer Reviews:

The Man Who Sold The World.......2007-01-07

The history of maps seems to be an understudied element of history. Yet it had political, economical and religous ramifications and influences.

If you stand in a classroom and look at a map chances are you are looking at a map of which its basic ideas were theorized by Gerard Mercator, a Flemmish born mapmaker who spend most of his life in Duisburg.

In the first chapters we read about his predecessors and influences that made him into the most important cartographer up to this day. It's a book about his personal life, his political life, his economical life and also his religious life.

By challenging some of the basic ideas of the Church, based in part on the ancient Greek Ptolemy, his maps could be seen as heretic. He was jailed for a while but got away with it. He keeps working on new maps, but is constantly haunted by a question: how to draw a 2D map of a spherical 3D world. He eventually came to some conclusion by shortening the lines nearer to the poles; this was both a better way of representation than before, but nowadays somewhat seen as eurocentric, since it makes Europe seem bigger than it really was.

This book is great. Written in simple language so everyone will enjoy it. The author has taken great care into mentioning the political and religious reasonings on mapmaking and also why certain maps look like they do. It's a great book for any lover of ancient maps.

The World of Gerard Mercator: the Mapmaker Who Revolutionized Geography

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The World of Gerard Mercator: the Mapmaker Who Revolutionized Geography
Andrew Taylor
Manufacturer: Walker & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NV6E5Q

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