Macroeconomics: Principles and Policy with Xtra! Student CD-ROM and InfoTrac College Edition

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A good introduction to macroeconomics

macro class textbook

Very fast shipping. Excellent book condition

Perfect for Intro-level course

the authors clearly know how to teach

Macroeconomics: Principles and Policy with Xtra! Student CD-ROM and InfoTrac College Edition
William J. Baumol
Manufacturer: South-Western College Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0030355095

Book Description

Macroeconomics: Principles and Policy remains a proven leader in the world of economics. Since introducing the aggregate supply/aggregate demand model as a fundamental tool for learning economics over two decades ago, William J. Baumol and Alan S. Blinder continue to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to apply modern economics to their world--now and in the future. This is all the more true today, as the U.S. economy enters its first recession in more than a decade.

Customer Reviews:

A good introduction to macroeconomics.......2003-12-25

"Increasing demand leads to rising interest rates which leads to reduced investment spending and appreciating currency exchange rates..." The authors of "Macroeconomics" effortlessly provide the economic reasoning that underlie events like these such that they really make common sense - and without the need for rote memorization on the part of the reader. A previous reviewer from Los Angeles did an excellent job in praising Baumol and Blinder for their clear and concise teaching, and I strongly agree with his comments. Instead of going into abstract theories and ideas, Baumol and Blinder focus on making the reader understand the "real world" implications of macroeconomics. For example, each chapter in their book introduces a different contemporary economic issue as a way to illustrate the ideas being described in the text. Additionally, the authors outlined eight take-home messages that they believe the reader should remember after finishing the book. Although the authors label these take-home messages as "Ideas for Beyond the Final Exam", these ideas are equally relevant for student and non-student alike.

It should be kept in mind that the eighth edition of this textbook was published in 1999, so most of the "contemporary" issues that are discussed within are now out of date. In one chapter, for example, the authors' upbeat commentary on America's 1998 budget surplus seems sadly ironic considering the large budget deficit that we are currently dealing with in financing the War on Terror in 2003. Additionally, I thought many of the examples in the book were a bit "pro-Clinton", and depending on one's own political orientation, that may or may not be welcome. I have not looked at the ninth (and latest) edition of "Macroeconomics", but assuming that the fundamental principles remain the same, I would encourage the reader to pick up that copy in order to have a more current and up-to-date illustration of ideas.

Readers looking for mathematical models and equations to play with will be sorely disappointed, as the only foray into mathematical analysis involves deriving the demand-side equilibrium condition of the Keynesian economic model (a simple algebraic equation). But considering that the slant of this book is towards "real world" understanding, I think the authors were probably justified in keeping the mathematical equations to a minimum.

All in all, I think "Macroeconomics" by Baumol and Blinder would be an excellent introduction for the economically-illiterate person (as I was before reading this book). Although many of the examples in the eighth edition are a bit out of date, it is true that the fundamental economic principles that are discussed endure throughout all of the editions of this textbook.

macro class textbook.......2003-03-12

this is a good straight forward text that does not get bogged down in the unecessary details for an introduction to the subject. It is simplified, and straightforward, while trying to be enjoyable reading.

Very fast shipping. Excellent book condition.......2002-01-17

Very fast transaction. Happy with the transaction

Perfect for Intro-level course.......2002-01-10

Baumol and Blinder explain all the important concepts of macroeconomics with tremendous clarity. Students with little or no knowledge of economics will find this book most straight-forward. Interesting real world examples are given to reinforce key ideas. For example, the authors describe the Asian crisis of 1998 to illustrate the shortcomings of a fixed exchange rate system. Secondly, unlike other econ. textbooks, this one is filled with colorful graphs and even photographs. I wouldn't be too surprised if this book succeeds in piquing the interest of those students, who are averse to econ. Finally, the attempts at humor are generally unsuccessful but provide a refreshing change from the unceasing monotony of most college textbooks.

the authors clearly know how to teach.......2000-04-04

I think this introductory econ book is exceptionally good as a text book; a book that truely deserves 5 stars. If a book explains things clearly, I usually give it 4 stars, but this book goes beyond that. The authors made a concious effort to make learning easy and meaningful.

Right at the beginning, the authors will tell you that they don't expect you to be a econ fanatic and remember every little detail - in fact, the authors seem to completely understand why we students forget most details soon after the final exam. So, right a way they list out the main ideas - in their own words: "ideas for beyond the final exam". Not only did the authors filtered out the most important material, they also truly believed that the material will be improtant beyond the final exam - in life that is. It is the first text book I saw that has such a candit and honest attitude because so many books and so many people talks down to me rather than at me.

Also, for each chapter, the authors always begin with some kind of "bait question", something that the reader understands but usually can't answer right a way. This is a great way to focus the chapter and entice people to read. And all the examples the authors use are either famous or recent (or both). One effect is to make you think what you are learning is truly useful because you can use it to analyze so many things from the news. A more subtle impression is that the authors really did update the book every few years to reflect important events that just occurred. As a computer science engineering major, I have seen countless "8th editions" that's just like the prior ones - but I seriously doubt the prior editions of this econ book talked about Asian economic crisis or the booming economy of the 1998 / 99

clear book + impressive effort = 5 stars

Book Description

Offering a solid grounding in the historical and contemporary concerns of the field, Central Currents in Organization Studies I & II presents an innovative and thematically coherent selection of seminal articles. This eight-volume set provides an essential benchmark reference to any library concerned with the field of organization studies.

In addition to over 160 key original articles included in the collection, the each set opens with an introductory editorial essay by Stewart Clegg setting out the rationale behind the selections, and providing an illuminating discussion of the development of organization studies and its theoretical foundations.

Book Description

Offering a solid grounding in the historical and contemporary concerns of the field, Central Currents in Organization Studies I Volumes 1-4 presents an innovative and thematically coherent selection of seminal articles. This four-volume set provides an essential benchmark reference to any library concerned with the field of organization studies.

Presenting the most influential and provocative contributions to the field, this major work reviews the development of organization studies, including both mainstream and more innovative topics, leading through to recent debates on the status of organizations. In addition to over 70 key original articles included in the collection, the set opens with an introductory editorial essay by Stewart Clegg setting out the rationale behind the selections, and providing an illuminating discussion of the development of organization studies and its theoretical foundations.

§ Volume One: Historical Perspectives and Emergent Tensions looks at the early history of organization theory, including the capitalist versus religious roots of modern organizations and the historically contested reasons for the emergence of modern organizations. It also addresses the emergent tensions in the field as it begins to become a specialist area of study.

§ Volume Two: The Foundations, presents formal theories of modern organizations, addressing the significant founding attempts to have an empirically based science of organizations, which built on the work of the German sociologist, Max Weber. This volume then addresses the landmark studies that began to build systematic foundations for Organization Theory based on empirical analysis, with the work of Hage, Perrow, Pugh and Blau.

§ Volume Three: Debating Organization Contingencies, addresses the central theories of organization, beginning with Contingency Theory, an approach which has become the mainstream of organization theory scholarship, but which has also attracted criticisms from rival perspectives. Those involved in the debate include Child, Mindlin and Aldrich, Donaldson, Pennings, and Powell. The second part of this volume, 'The Environments of Organizations', considers seminal work that stressed specific contingencies as determinate factors in how organization structuring was addressed, involving the work of Trist and Bamforth, Hickson, Pugh and Pheysey, Child and Mansfield, Aldrich, Ford and Slocum.

§ Volume Four: Institutions and Economics, first addresses the distinct institutional approaches that were inspired by the work of Selznick on Weber, which had formed foundations forty years earlier. This volume includes work by Hirsch, Meyer and Rowan, DiMaggio, Powell, Ranson and Hinings, Granovetter, Scott and Suchman. The volume then considers economics, ownership and organizational forms, revealing attempts by the economics profession to address central organizational agencies in their theorizing, starting from Coase, and also Williamson, who was responsible for introducing 'organizational economics' and moving on to the work of Boisot, Ouchi, Fligstein Donaldson, and Barney and others.

Taken together these four volumes represent a diverse and valuable set. The volumes will enable any instructor to construct a coherent and evolutionary course on 'organizations'. Central Currents in Organization Theory Volumes 1 - 4 presents all the main works that lead to the emergence of organization theory and which still constitute central debates in the field.

Book Description

There are many challenges involved in protecting biodiversity in tropical terrestrial and coastal ecosystems and conservation projects teach many practical lessons. The procedures and attitudes of governments, NGOs, donor agencies, development banks and consulting firms are crucial. These key topics are all dealt with, drawing on the author's extensive experience with conservation projects he designed in Sarawak, Nigeria, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Costa Rica. Project descriptions illustrate two important themes in conservation: increasing the awareness of the economic value of biodiversity among decision makers, and enabling and encouraging local people to participate in designing and implementing projects. The book sets out guidelines to help others design projects that are practical and effective, yet more complete and more robust than some of those designed in the recent past and will be useful to professionals in environmental biology, conservation, and land use policy.

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Great book for scientists and non-scientists alike

This book is GREAT!!!

Gripping true stories of life-threatening events

Couldn't put it down.

Interesting stories, but lost in poor writing

Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC
Joseph M.D. McCormick , Susan Fisher-Hoch , and Leslie Alan Horvitz
Manufacturer: Turner Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570363978

Amazon.com

The hemorrhagic viral diseases, such as Ebola, are among the most elusive and gruesome diseases known to man. Joseph B. McCormick and Susan Fisher-Hoch, a husband-and-wife team formerly of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, have spent their lives tracking these pathogens, traversing the globe in heroic efforts to confine them and prevent epidemic. In Level 4, McCormick and Fisher-Hoch recount their most gripping and rewarding experiences, and give insight into the stubborn bravery and driving curiosity that compels them to continually put their own lives at risk for the welfare of humanity.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for scientists and non-scientists alike.......2004-07-09

I just finished reading Virus Hunters and I was very impressed. The book is written in a very scientific fashion, but is not overloaded with science at the same time. I liked how the authors took the time to explain the procedures they used in their work. Especially interesting were the ways the authors had to improvise their work in Africa, it makes you realize just how much western scientists take for granted in our nice clean constantly powered labs.

The book is more than interesting science, it also tells a great story, or several great stories. The book is essentially made up of the two authors' accounts of the different events in their long careers. They take as much time describing the human side of these diseases as they do the scientific side. The suffering inflicted by these diseases on both the patient and community are shown quite well.

This book is GREAT!!!.......2004-07-08

The reader becomes a member of the lab team. All the conflicting emotions, compassion vs. self-preservation and the sense of urgency are expressed throughout the book. As you read, hope and perseverance becomes the strength that binds the individuals together. The knowledge of the mission of a biotech's life is unveiled. The blessings of good health vs. the viral destroyers of mankind is brought from the shadows into the open

Gripping true stories of life-threatening events.......2004-01-18

This is an outstanding book. First-hand true-life recollections of a diverse range of natural disasters across Africa over 3 decades.

The authors tell their stories well, putting you right there in the bush. They retain their sense of humanity throughout so you really feel for their patients and their families as human beings.

1 quibble : only towards of the end of the story do they get married; at the very end of the book they both thank their first spouses for their respective sacrifices - but you never even get to know their spouses first names - what sort of acknowledgement remains anonymous?

2 mysteries : whilst there are plenty of good maps, there are no photos; no pictures of colleagues or patients, and no pictures of the offending Viruses and Bacteria - why not?

Great value for money - I've had to pay much more for far lesser books.

Couldn't put it down........2003-12-15

Joe McCormick and his wife's real-life account of their scary brushes with death and the cold, harsh reality of the heathcare nightmares in the small villages of Africa is a truly wonderful read. Their skills as both physicians and skilled epidemiologists are very impressive, as well as the way they convey their experiances out in the field. Having been a major fan of Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone" when I began reading about the real-life virus hunters, I have much more of an appreciation for the McCormicks' stories, especially as I began to notice errors in Preston's "factual account" of Ebola. Overall, Virus Hunters is a wonderful read that I highly recommend.

Interesting stories, but lost in poor writing.......2003-10-25

When I purchased the book, I was excited by the chance to see these deadly viruses from an insider's perspective. The first hand accounts of the authors' experiences with Ebola, Lassa and other viruses were interesting, but difficult to follow as they skipped back and forth in time and, in some cases, between each of the two author's perspectives. My overall impression was that the book needed a good editor. For those who are interested in the topic, I agree with others' recommendations to read The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett. It's very long, but very readable, and offers a much more coherent reporting of many of the events discussed by McCormick and Fisher-Hoch.

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LEVEL 4 VIRUS HUNTERS OF THE CDC

Manufacturer: Turner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H1WT7O

Virus Hunters of the CDC, Level 4, Updated Edition

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Virus Hunters of the CDC, Level 4, Updated Edition
Joseph B. McCormick
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RMNLQG

Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.: An article from: American Scientist

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Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.: An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Level 4 Virus Hunters of the CDC
Joseph B. McCormick
Manufacturer: New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc. 1999
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXHZ0W

Book Description

Some fears about potentially dangerous wild animals--bears, cougars, coyotes, wolves, buffalo, javelina, and moose--are based on common but erroneous beliefs. Learn the truth about these animals and what to do in the worst-case scenario.

Includes:
Strategies for avoiding confrontations in with wildlife
Real vs. imagined dangers faced by humans in the wild
Pre-trip planning tips on hiking safely with children or dogs
The powers and perils of pepper spray
Up-to-date information about rabies--how to recognize it and what to do

Customer Reviews:

Cougar or grizzly - I'll be prepared.......2005-04-01

I hope I never have to confront a grizzly bear or a cougar, but given there are grizzly bears near our ski condo and cougars have been seen in a local nature preserve I'm not taking chances.

You probably know the basics of hanging your food in a tree and not letting bears see your cooler in your car. This little book goes way beyond the basics. With a chapter per animal, it explains animal behavior and takes you through your options. You can find out whether a bear is predatory, how to select a campsite and what a cougar does before it pounces. Be careful of those buffalo in Yellowstone - it lists the other parks where you might find them too. It also tells you about javelinas - a risk I had never considered.

There is an excellent section on pepper spray. It has good statistics - like the weight of a moose or the number of people that die of rabies. Your odds of getting eaten alive are pretty low - but why take chances. As it says "Hiking in grizzly country is dangerous and that's all there is to it."

Read this book - the techniques for each animal are different.

Book Description

Western scholars and educators are generally far less familiar with the samurai in his original--and, ostensibly, primary--role as warrior and master of arms than in his other functions as landowner, feudal lord, literateur, or philosopher. Yet any attempt to comprehend fully the samurai without considering his military abilities and training (bugei) is futile. Even during the peaceful eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the samurai had long since left the battlefield, he never ceased to see himself as a warrior. Although the samurai as a class were abolished in the nineteenth century, their military skills and values continue to be taught at dozens of schools (ryuha) throughout Japan. The classical bugei practiced today are a living legacy that continues to propagate the beliefs and tools of a warrior class that disappeared more than a century ago. By studying the bugei, historians can recover much about the manner in which samurai acquired their convictions and physical abilities, thereby enriching our knowledge of late medieval and early modern warrior education and affording new insights into samurai culture.

With verve and wit, Karl Friday combines the results of nearly two decades of fieldwork and archival research to examine samurai martial culture from a broad perspective: as a historical phenomenon, as a worldview, and as a system of physical, spiritual, and moral education. Legacies of the Sword is the first attempt by a Westerner scholar trained both in bugei and in Japanese studies and historical methodology to discuss this major and compelling component of Japanese culture. It presents a case study of the Kashima-Shinryu, one of the oldest of the extant samurai training organizations, and was written in close collaboration with its current headmaster, Seki Humitake. The volume illuminates the extraordinary complexity of the bugei and the manner in which various physical, technical, psychological, and philosophical factors merge to produce a coherent art that guides the lives of those who practice it.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2006-03-03

This book is simply and utterly outstanding. The academia put into this book is matched only by the author's experience, who actually practices Koryu bujutsu (unlike many, many other authors).

A great blend of history and martial arts.......2004-08-07

Legacies of the Sword can be a bit of a dry read. But, I blame that more on society than the book. It covers the history of koryu and Japanese sword arts in detail fitting a college textbook. As such, it's a very heavy read, unlike most intellectual "cheeseburgers" that make the best-sellers list. However, the slow, careful academic style used by Dr. Friday is the only way the history part of the book can be approached successfully. So, when reading this book, you have to take your time with it to enjoy it.
Many other reviewers find fault with how Dr. Friday approaches the martial arts side of the book. I think this is only because of how it contradicts the historical side. However, I think that contradiction is only on the surface. Both aspects of the book are dealt with in the same careful fashion. Dr. Friday writes what he knows and has researched, laying the facts out in the same manner. The problem is that the facts about Kashima Shin Ryu are much different than the historical facts. Theories of pressure points and meridians are still used in martial arts today, so Dr. Friday must write them as he knows them. The same with the application of power. From his training with Seki, I'm sure he has experienced how a master has trained to gain great power in a short time from a small motion while a beginner requires a longer time and a larger motion. The principle of motion and stillness are one also starts as fact. Baseball batters often move their bat in small circles above their head. It's easier to make an already moving object move faster than to make a still one move (of course, as a physicist, I must add that that is relative and depends, etc. etc., but it is true in the sense that he is describing). Seki, Dr. Friday's instructor, embraces this pronciple, but moves so minutely that only he can sense it. True or untrue, this is what Dr. Friday had learned during his study of Kashima Shin Ryu, so he must write it down. If you don't believe it, that's fine, but at least he has written it for you to consider. Also, most people who had come in contact with Kunii Zen'ya, Seki Fumitake's predecessor, have the same awe for him. From what I've heard, he was one of the last of the Old Blood, one of the last true samurai, and quite the character.
On a personal note, I study Kashima Shin Ryu, and had the pleasure of training with Dr. Friday, a shihan (model and instructor) of the style for a weekend. On Sunday night at dinner, he told stories of his experiences training with Seki. Some of them were a bit crazy, like Seki trying to hunt bears with a short sword in British Columbia, as well as the story of defeating a bear with a kiai. Stories like this may be a bit false, but they're legend and always hold a bit of truth.

Detailed study of important tradition.......2004-02-19

This is the most detailed account of the historical origins, techniques, and philosophies of one of the most important koryu or old martial arts schools that I've seen so far. If you're familiar with Dave Lowry's books this would be a good book to read next, although be advised that it's more technical, and being an academic work the writing style is dryer than Lowry's also. But that's a small price to pay for the great amount of information and detail it contains.

The book focuses mostly on iaido, specifically the kashima-shinryu style, but much of it is relevant to the other sword styles as well. You'll also learn a fair amount about many of the other arts and how they were used on the battlefield, such as the naginata, spear, and bow. For example, I knew that the naginata became a favorite of samurai women, as well as monks, but I didn't know that kyudo or archery was originally a ceremonial and not a battlefield art back in the 8th and 9th centuries, the period during which the foundations of the later samurai-dominated social order were first laid.

In addition to discussing in detail the sword arts and a number of other martial traditions, Friday also gives a good account of Japanese history from the 9th to the mid-19th century, when the samurai order was finally abolished. The lineage of quite few iaido styles and their most important masters and exponents, and their lives and exploits, are also often colorfully discussed in detail, perhaps in more detail than most people will want, but since this is an academic work that pretty much goes with the territory. But I suspect the average reader of this book will have at least some previous knowledge of Japanese history and martial arts, so that shouldn't be a problem. But the book will probably be most useful to those readers with some first-hand experience with iaido who also have a more than a passing interest interest in Japanese martial history and culture.

I note the comments by a previous reviewer that the author's command of the physics is less than impressive, but as he concedes, most writers on the martial arts aren't that good with the physics and often get it wrong. Although this is an academic work, and as he says, should be held to higher standards, I'm more interested in the author's historical expertise, which is his forte, rather than his knowledge of the physics, since I have enough background there to figure that out for myself. Since the author is a professor of Japanese history, I assume he can read Japanese fluently and can therefore consult original sources, which is an important point, and he lists many of these under "primary sources" in the back of the book.

As has also been pointed out, the author is too uncritical in accepting the tales of his master's exploits and many matches and duels in which he says remained undefeated, but again, this is a typical attitude among most martial arts students, no matter how advanced. Worse in my opinion, is that the author seems to subscribe to Chinese medical theories such as the circulation of the Chi and the theory of meridians which have no basis in fact whatsover and are best regarded as pre-scientific and metaphorical depictions of physiological processes rather than truly scientific theories. A better approach would be some discussion of the relevant neurophysiology and biophysics, but that would likely be too technical for a work such as this, although much has been learned in this regard in recent decades (this was my own field of doctoral study) and there have been Nobel Prizes awarded for work in this area. Anyway, I don't expect a history prof, however proficient in his own specialty, to have a "black belt" in physics or neurobiology, so that wasn't really a problem for me, either. The book more than makes up for the above problems with the author's ability to read the original sources in Japanese, its wealth of historical detail, and its in-depth discussion of one of the most important weapons schools of the samurai era. For anyone interested in koryu this is an exhaustively reseached and detailed study that is well worth your time and money.

interesting but flawed.......2002-02-15

In Legacies of the Sword Karl Friday writes that he entered a traditional school of martials arts (or ryuha) and explored it as an anthropologist might explore a culture. In doing so he has produced an interesting work that examines the role of the ryuha during different periods in Japanese history, and the value of studying a traditional martial art for people today. The book will give students of modern cognate arts (karate, judo, aikido, kendo etc.) an appreciation of their art's roots and history, and how they differ from the traditional `bugei' arts that produced them. Issues such as the debate over the superiority of pattern practice and sparring as training tools, and the relationship between fighting with and without weapons are presented in an informative way and in historical context.
The book also has an extensive explanation of the principles of combat as practiced in the Kashima Shinryu (KSR)( the particular ryuha the author studied), and examples of pattern practice that illustrate these principles. The discussion of aiki was particularly valuable, and I believe most aikidoka would find it of interest.

The book is not without serious flaws, however. Very often writers on the martial arts explain the techniques and principles of their arts using the language of physics, and the result is almost uniformly a painful thing to read for anyone with any training in the subject. Sadly, Legacies of the Sword is no exception. The author is unaware that momentum and power are distinct concepts, and doesn't understand what a vector is. The principle of "Motion and Stillness as One" (one of five basic principles in KSR theory) is given a long treatment, where the argument is made that the expert can deliver more power (or momentum!) than his (presumably stationary) untrained opponent because the expert is always moving, even if imperceptibly. However, from the point of view of power delivery as explained in the text, small motion is no better than standing still. Also ignored is the fact that in order to deliver increased power, one would have to be moving along the line of attack before the attack is delivered. However, to appreciate this point, one needs to know that velocity, position, and acceleration are vectors, while `wedges' and `spirals' are not.

In popular discussions of martial arts one is accustomed to these sorts of errors. In fact, they are expected. Legacies of the Sword aims higher than this, as it is presented with the trappings of academic rigor (the author is a tenured member of a respected institution, the book is published by a university press, and is exhaustively footnoted), and so invites judgement according to a different standard. Unfortunately, Dr. Friday fails to meet this standard in an important way. As stated above, for the purpose of this work he attempted to act as an anthropologist, and his time in the ryuha is referred to as `field work' on the book jacket. The problem is that study in one of these very traditional ryuha involves deep personal commitment on the part of the student to the school and its teachers. This would be difficult (maybe impossible) to do without compromising the objectivity one expects from scholarly work done at a modern western university. Dr. Friday is clearly in awe of the current headmaster of the ryuha (Seki Humitake) and his predeccessor (Kunii Zenya), repeating without substantiation (or question) claims of their undefeated records in no holds barred matches with other martial arts practitioners. We learn they won many fights, but we never get the names of who they defeated. Given that the martial arts subculture is rife with people making incredible, but always unsubstantiated claims about the superiority of their arts and abilities, more is needed before such claims can be accepted. It might be noted that there are descriptions of Kunii Zenya's defeat of a Greek orthodox exorcist in a duel of psychic energy, and of Seki Humitake frightening a bear with a `kiate' attack, given without apparent irony.

These problems aside, I believe the book is of value and interest to most martial arts practioners. However, the problem of balancing scholarly objectivity with an insiders understanding of a martial tradition is a very serious one, and is one the author needs to address.

An amazing text of an amazing culture!.......2000-06-10

The writers have done an amazing thing for the students of Kashima-Shinryu, and for those who study Military History and Japanese Martial culture, by collecting the knowledge of those who live this culture today and making it available to the English speaking world.

This book would be a valuable addition to any Japanese Military History collection, Samurai Philosophy collection, or general Military Studies collection. Not to mention collections on martial arts, sword studies, and guys named after days of the week.

Well written! Get this book!

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Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture.(Review)(Brief Article): An article from: Pacific Affairs
Eyal Ben-Ari
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00098TQM6
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on March 22, 1999. The length of the article is 423 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: Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture.(Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Eyal Ben-Ari
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1999
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: 72 Issue: 1 Page: 116(1)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Priceless Book

Extort your friends and family!

ridiculous

Not worth it

Ironically, not much bang for the buck

Priceless Weddings for Under $5,000
Kathleen Kennedy
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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1001 Ways To Save Money . . . and Still Have a Dazzling Wedding

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ASIN: 060980460X
Release Date: 2000-12-05

Book Description

A priceless wedding is one that emphasizes the unique personalities of the couple getting married. Priceless Weddings for Under $5,000 proves that you can celebrate the spirit of love, hope, joy, and community -- without spending a fortune.

Caterer and event planner Kathleen Kennedy offers insights on how to personalize a wedding inexpensively. She shares her savvy, insider techniques and tips to help couples save money on the many high-ticket items on their to-do list, showing where to cut corners and where to go all out. Included are:

* A questionnaire to help the bride and groom decide on their top priorities Tips on how to find and book a great low-cost wedding site Guidelines on how to determine a budget, and stick to it

* Negotiation tactics for dealing with caterers, florists, musicians, and photographers.

Priceless Weddings for Under $5,000 covers every single aspect of your special day, including strategies for finding the perfect dress, great ideas for what to serve for the reception, sample wedding vows and readings, innovative decorations and invitations, and ways to incorporate children into the ceremony for second marriages. Throughout the book, inspiring stories of real-life priceless weddings, with complete budget breakdowns, show how resourceful couples around the country created their own unique celebrations.

Priceless Weddings for Under $5,000 is the ultimate guide for couples who want their special day to live on in memory, not through bills.

Customer Reviews:

Priceless Book.......2007-08-20

I scoured all of the local libraries for books on wedding planning, and of the dozens that I read, this was by far my favorite book. While some of the advice is rather obvious, as other reviewers have mentioned (have your photographer friend take your pictures, etc.), I found this book to be such a refreshing departure from the typical books and bridal magazines that I have read. It provided such reassurance to me that it's okay to not want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on one single day of your life. When I was feeling the pressure to follow all of the expensive traditions that usually go along with a wedding, this book helped to remind me that our wedding day is about celebrating my fiance and I as a couple, not impressing people or living up to expectations. I've had so much fun finding really amazing bargains on everything from favors to decorations to invitations and more, and every time I really hit the jackpot with a deal, I wish that I could be in the book to tell our story.

Extort your friends and family!.......2007-04-03

According to this book, the way to have a "Priceless Wedding for under $5000" is to rope your friends and family into footing much of the bill by providing to you, free of charge, catering services, music, photography, ceremony and reception locations, flowers... and so on. In the price breakdowns in the book, huge ticket items are not even counted as costs if someone other than the bride or groom writes the check or does the work. Oh, and items bartered for are also counted as a "free" items. Also, the rings, the honeymoon, "pre-wedding" stuff, such as the rehersal dinner, are not counted in the cost. Finally, some of the figures in the sample budgets are totally unrealistic. For example, in at least one incident, under stationary (for 100+) the total would not even pay for the postage (invitation, RSVP, thank-you notes) let alone the stationary itself...

ridiculous.......2006-11-15

The title of the book should be " How to be cheap without losing your dignity". It's impractical for most people outside of the midwest. I was given this book as a gift and I promptly donated it to my local public library. I wouldn't dare pass it on.

Not worth it.......2006-01-07

It was definitely neat reading about others' weddings, but the advice in here is impractical, and impossible to follow depending on your situation. As previously mentioned, most of the couples in the book managed to have a cheap wedding by having friends and family donate things - food and photography services, in particular. If you don't have chefs or photographers in your family, this book's not going to be much help.

The weddings written about are definitely creative, but if you have a large family or are dreaming of a traditional wedding instead of a $5000 elopement to Disneyland or a casual barefoot-on-the-beach affair, you'll be out of luck with this book.

Ironically, not much bang for the buck.......2004-11-25

This book would be great if it were the only one out there. However, it is most certainly not. The only original parts of the book (and by that I mean ideas that you couldn't find elsewhere) were the dollar breakdowns of some actual weddings for less than $5,000. Those examples were very specific scenarios, and if you weren't one of those similar situations(ie: having a friend or family with a home large enough for your guestlist), there wasn't much value gained from the book.

Given the target audience for the book are couples trying to get the most for their dollar, the book itself fails to carry it's own weight. Page for page, better value can be found elsewhere, such as Bridal Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields. There wasn't a single idea in Priceless Weddings that I didn't find in Bridal Bargains.

Average customer rating:

Memories of a true shopping experience!

Hudson's: Detroit's Legendary Department Store Review

Regional Department Stores - a thing of the past.

A DETROIT LEGEND

Hudson's: Detroit's Legendary Department Store (MI) (Images of America)
Michael Hauser , and Marianne Weldon
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Retailing | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Michigan | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0738533556
Release Date: 2004-10-27

Book Description

For over a century, the J.L. Hudson's Department Store on Woodward Avenue was more than just a store—it was a Detroit icon and a world-class cultural treasure. At 25 stories, it was the world's tallest department store, and was at one time home to the most exceptional offerings in shopping, dining, services, and entertainment. The store prided itself on stocking everything from grand pianos to spools of thread. In addition to departments offering fashionable clothing and home furnishings, the original Hudson's store featured an auditorium, a circulating library, dining rooms, barber shops, a photo studio, holiday exhibits, a magnificent place called Toytown, and the world's largest American flag.

Customer Reviews:

Memories of a true shopping experience!.......2007-08-09

Anyone who shopped in Detroit's once bustling downtown Woodward corridor should have this book. Starting in the 1930's my grandmother would take the bus downtown at least once a week to shop at Hudson's and the surrounding stores. As a young girl in the mid 1960's, I occasionally traveled with her and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of wandering around the upper 12 floors and two basement levels of merchandise. You would drop your coats off on the forth floor, have lunch on the mezzanine or perhaps the basement cafeteria, shop all afternoon, catch an early dinner at the Riverview room on the 13th floor and then head home with your purchases shipped to your home within a day or two. It was truly an experience that no mall today can come close to. The book consists mostly of photographs and each is sure to spark memories for anyone who had the pleasure of shopping at Hudson's. Photographs cover the start and gradual expansion of the store through it's heyday years in the 1950's followed by it's slow demise in the late 1960's up to demolition day. The most enjoyable photos for me were of ToyTown that covered the usual toy department along with a massive Christmas holiday display and home to the "real" Santa Clause in the adjoining two story auditorium on the 12th floor. I cried the day the store was demolished and I am sure that Grandma was rolling in her grave but this book helped to rekindle my memories of the place and relive a very enjoyable part of my childhood.

Hudson's: Detroit's Legendary Department Store Review.......2007-01-18

A very good book for old Detroiters that brings back many good memories!

Regional Department Stores - a thing of the past........2006-01-29

In today's increasingly competitive retail market, it's nice to see books documenting regional department stores. I have my fond memories of J.L. Hudson (known to me as just "Hudson's").

Before the merger with "Dayton's" and then then later re-named as "Marshall Field's" in the 1990's, I have fond memories of Hudson's - particularly the downtown Detroit location. When I was a child, my sister and I would be overwhelmed with the Christmas decorations. The picture with Santa; the imfamous "Santa Bear" - (later adopted by Field's). My mother would enjoy shopping in the "Oval Room" for her shoes, along with "Woodward" suits for my dad. It was the place for that one stop shopping: clothing, furniture, even appliances.

Nevertheless, what gave Detroit, particularly Michigan, an identity - other than the big three auto companies, K-Mart, Meijer, and Motown music, was Hudson's.

The effects of the current onslaught of department store mergers is evident. In several metropolitan areas, communities are losing their store (i.e. Kaufmann's; Robinson-May; Foley's, etc) "identity" as Federated Department Stores continue with re-branding old time stores into "Macy's" into a national brand.

A DETROIT LEGEND.......2004-12-04

I was too young to remember Hudson's dept. store in it's heyday of the 40's and 50's. But I do still have fond memories of staring at the wonderful chrismas displays in their windows when I was a child attending the annual Hudson's Thanksgiving day parade.

This wonderful little book by Michael Hauser details hudson's history from it's initial construction to it's final, sad, demolition. At it's peak, the massive Hudsons store spanned an entire city block and employed more than 10,000 employees.

Through his text and archival photos, you'll see as Hudsons was built from a single building to a sprawling complex of many buildings over the years. The great photography includes many shots of those great christmas displays in the windows as well as the yearly interior holiday decorating themes, and shots of the classic parade.

This is the tale of a store that was once a one-stop shopping location for everything: Clothes, Furniture, appliances, Toys, tools...truly the days of a multiple floor dept. store. And Hudson's serviced everything, from appliances to fur coats.

Among the most interesting parts and photos deal with the amazing instrastructure of the store...the massive power and boiler rooms to keep the place heated and lighted...the floor dedicated to the storage of over 500 elevator motors. The multitude of pneumatic tubes that went to every corner of the complex, the in house switchboard and operator dept. The store even had its own on-site hospital with 4 full-time doctors and 6 nurses.

Hudson's was truly a city unto itself in its prime. A place for members of high society to shop for expensive fur coats and jewelry and for the common man to shop for t-shirts, get a haircut, or a shoeshine.

A step back in time to an era we will never see again. Highly recommended!

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