Localization: A Global Manifesto

Book Description

A great many people recognize that globalization is destructive, undermining local livelihoods, ways of life and environments. Governments hold up international competitiveness as the be-all and end-all of policy, presenting globalization as inevitable. It isn't, as Colin Hines shows in this persuasive and passionate polemic. Local economies, local autonomy and local democracy can all be protected - globally - if the aid and trade rules are changed. 'Localization' provides the arguments and examples for all those threatened by the onward march of a monolithic, undifferentiated, global consumer culture, and for those wanting to preserve local values and services – whether local food, local housing, education, transport or environment. It will be a rallying call against the runaway juggernaut of the global economy at the start of the 21st century.

Customer Reviews:

Love it or Hate it.......2005-06-16

Its really instructive to read the other reviews of this book. Anti-globalization folks love it, and anyone with even basic economics training will hate it. It tells you a lot about the division in world views that drives the debate over globalization, which is really about moral economics vs utilitarian economics. This is something people in the West have been arguing about for 200 years; anyone who read Polanyi or any of the romantic critics of British Utilitarianism will find the content of this book familiar.
I found the book a good statement of one of the more extreme, but increasingly popular positions of the anti-globalization camp, one which envisions a world where people become more self-sufficient, do more satisfying labor, and where justice is more important than profits. I have to agree with the sentiments. But unfortunately I can't go along with the program, which seems like the worst kind of romantic and unrealistic idealism. This does not mean I agree with the critics, who think the only alternative to localization is just more untrammeled free market capitalism. You would think that after 200 years people would have figured out that this particular set of polar opposites is pretty useless to think with!

Interesting about localization as opposed to globalization........2002-03-04

Mr Hines has written an interesting book about localization as opposed to globalization. It may not be quite as good as Michael Shuman's Going local, but Hines gives us a viable alternative to the hypercapitalism which pits Third Worlds countries against each other in the race for foreign investments. ... there is an alternative to pro-trade economy, see for example Herman Daly (Beyond growth) or Hernando de Soto (The mystery of capital) for an excellent overview of why trade is not a road to proper development.

There is no spoon.

A sustainable alternative to globalization.......2001-03-14

This excellent book explodes the myth that globalization is good for people or the environment, showing clearly how the harm it does usually outweighs any benefit. Localization, the proposed alternative, offers a real practical route to sustainable prosperity.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of the Community Development Society, published by Community Development Society on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1034 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: Localization: A Global Manifesto.(Book Review)
Author: Mary Emery
Publication: Journal of the Community Development Society (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: Community Development Society
Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Page: 183(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Localization: A Global Manifesto: An article from: The Ecologist

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Localization: A Global Manifesto: An article from: The Ecologist

Manufacturer: Ecosystems Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

Transformation and change are not the same. Innovations like TQM, reengineering, the learning organization, and benchmarking are certainly changes, but they require the fundamental revisions that can only be found in true organizational transformations--that is, in leadership style and organizational culture. Dr. Alkhafaji makes clear that change must be planned and have a clear purpose, and that managers must develop the special skills that are needed to prepare their organizations for change. His book presents a framework to assess corporate performance and thus to enhance long-term competitive advantage. It takes another look at the buzzwords and trends in light of the organizational transformation concept. Real world examples support theoretical research into strategic developments in global environments, laying out the essential components of transformation and the massive administrative changes required to implement it. The result is an important presentation of a crucial topic and an essential management-oriented guide. Among the several themes that Dr. Alkhafaji discusses are the current challenges to any business created by global competition, changing technology, environmental demands, and demographic shifts. He points out that organizations must continually improve the quality of their products and services, and that to do so, often requires massive change--transformations in the organization itself. He shows that these are not one-time events but ongoing revisions that require constant strategic management. To illustrate his argument he covers TQM, reengineering and other innovations and approaches, and shows clearly how they all require a deep, pervasive commitment to true organizational alteration. Dr. Alkhafaji examines leadership style, organizational culture, and specific topics such as building effective teams, the technical and personal competencies that need to be identified before teams can be selected, and the implication of restructuring for corporate performance. Also examined in the new light of organizational transformation are mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and the effect that globalization is having on today's organizations.

Customer Reviews:

Go Transformational!.......2003-07-28

Corporate Transformation and Restructuring: A Strategic Approach by Abbass F. Alkhafaji is one of the greatest books I have ever read that talked about Transformational Leadership. The book included different useful topics such Restructuring, TQM, Leadership and Transformational Leadership. and some more! I have spent great time reading about Transformational leadership aspects, elements, concepts and importance. The book is greatly supported and documented by real examples from the world of Business. I have used this book as a main reference for a research study on Transformational Leadership and I highly recommend it. Read this book and go Transformational!

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Gully Erosion and Management Methods and Application: A Field Manual
Savindra
Manufacturer: New Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 8186772081

Book Description

Wiley is proud to announce the publication of the first ever broad-based textbook introduction to Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics by a trained biologist, experienced researcher, and award-winning instructor. In this new text, author Jonathan Pevsner, winner of the 2001 Johns Hopkins University "Teacher of the Year" award, explains problem-solving using bioinformatic approaches using real examples such as breast cancer, HIV-1, and retinal-binding protein throughout. His book includes 375 figures and over 170 tables. Each chapter includes: Problems, discussion of Pitfalls, Boxes explaining key techniques and math/stats principles, Summary, Recommended Reading list, and URLs for freely available software. The text is suitable for professionals and students at every level, including those with little to no background in computer science.

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Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended.......2004-04-16

"...an intriguing work targeted toward biologists wanting to solve problems...provides a compendium of many biological insights and breakthroughs and will be a useful resource...highly recommended." (Choice, Vol. 41, No. 7, March 2004)

Excellent for bioinformatics from a user's perspective.......2004-03-10

Unlike the previous review, I found the user perspective, rather than the mathematical perspective refreshing. I have been teaching bioinformatics to CS students for several years and all too often the students are great at algorithms and theory but do not understand the user they are designing for. This book teaches just that -- how to use bioinformatics from a user or researcher's viewpoint. Medical students and biologists will find it useful for direct applicability to their work, but I also reccomend it for bioinformatics students who need to complement their theoretical background with practical use. All too often, CS students of bioinformatics can design a great database with powerful access tools, but with a horrible interface because they don't have this perspective.

Now, for the book itself. It is easy to read and covers all aspects of bioinformatics from a sequence perspective (information retrieval, BLAST, gene expression and microarrays, proteomics and protein bioinformatics, genomes and disease). The coverage of databases and URLs is thourough and the text is easy to read, yet useful. The book is comprehensive with one area seemingly missing -- it would have been useful to include a chapter on systems biology and/or cellular modeling and the tools available (i.e. E-Cell). The book is especially useful to a researcher who is trying to explore all aspects of a particular gene, protein, disease, or pathway using bioinformatics tools.

The book is in stark contrast to the other Pevser (that is Pevzner) who wrote a bioinformatics book that surveyed algorithm theory underlying bioinformatics.

This book is also useful for less technical professionals in industry -- the managers, lawyers and venture capitalists that pervade the biotech landscape all need to communicate effectively and they can surely learn that here, provided they have some background in cell biology first.

Bioinformatics for computational dummies.......2004-01-25

A genious attempt to present bioinformatics as if it is a discipline without any computational content. Perfect for students who lost any hope to understand what is the engine driving bioinformatics tools but want simply to memorize how to use them instead. Must be a very comfortable reading for biologists but is as exciting as a long carefully designed restaurant menu for a mathematician. If the author wants to raise a new generation of biologists with this book then biology and *real* bioinformatics will be divorced forever.

Computational Text Analysis: For Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics

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Computational Text Analysis: For Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics
Soumya Raychaudhuri
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Solutions Using R and Bioconductor (Statistics for Biology and Health)

ASIN: 0198567413

Book Description

This book brings together the two disparate worlds of computational text analysis and biology and presents some of the latest methods and applications to proteomics, sequence analysis, and gene expression data. Modern genomics generates large and comprehensive data sets but their interpretation requires an understanding of a vast number of genes, their complex functions, and interactions. Keeping up with the literature on a single gene is a challenge itself -- for thousands of genes it is simply impossible! Here, Soumya Raychaudhuri presents the techniques and algorithms needed to access and utilize the vast scientific text, i.e. methods that automatically "read" the literature on all the genes. Including background chapters on the necessary biology, statistics, and genomics, in addition to practical examples of interpreting many different types of modern experiments, this book is ideal for students and researchers in computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, statistics and computer science.

Algorithms in Bioinformatics: 7th International Workshop, WABI 2007, Philadelphia, PA, USA, September 8-9, 2007, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

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Algorithms in Bioinformatics: 7th International Workshop, WABI 2007, Philadelphia, PA, USA, September 8-9, 2007, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Data Mining | Databases | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Bioinformatics | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Algorithms in Bioinformatics, WABI 2007, held in Philadelphia, PA, USA in September 2007.

The 38 revised full papers presented together with the abstract of a keynote talk were carefully reviewed and selected from 133 submissions. All current issues of algorithms in bioinformatics are addressed, ranging from mathematical tools to experimental studies of approximation algorithms and reports on significant computational analyses. Numerous biological problems are dealt with, including genetic mapping, sequence alignment and sequence analysis, phylogeny, comparative genomics, and protein structure. Furthermore the papers feature high-performance computing approaches to computationally hard learning and optimization problems in bioinformatics and cover methods, software and dataset repositories for development and testing of such algorithms and their underlying models.

Grid Computing in Life Science: First International Workshop on Life Science Grid, LSGRID 2004 Kanazawa, Japan, May 31-June 1, 2004, Revised Selected and ... Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

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Grid Computing in Life Science: First International Workshop on Life Science Grid, LSGRID 2004 Kanazawa, Japan, May 31-June 1, 2004, Revised Selected and ... Papers (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3540252088

Book Description

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed postproceedings of the First International Life Science Grid Workshop, LSGRID 2004, held in Kanazawa, Japan in May/ June 2004.

The 10 revised full papers and 5 invited papers presented were carefully selected and went through two rounds of reviewing and revision. Among the topics addressed are grid environment for bioinformatics, grid architectures, database federation, proteome annotation, grid workflow software, functional genome annotation, protein classification, tree inference, parallel computing, high performance computing, grid infrastructures, functional genomics, and evolutionary algorithms.

BIOINFORMATICS FOR GENOMICS (Functional Genomics)

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BIOINFORMATICS FOR GENOMICS (Functional Genomics)
Galperin
Manufacturer: BIOS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Good Overall Guide.......2004-11-16

This is a good overall guide for taking care of an opossum. I purchased this book/guide for my uncle who found an "abandoned" opossum at his back door. For its size, the book is extremely thorough in explaining: where do opossums come from (why are there so many "abandoned" opossums around), how to care for an opossum (health signs to watch out for), how to feed, how to set up a proper environment, etc.

Book Description

STRIPPING: IT'S NOT JUST FOR BAD GIRLS ANYMORE.

When Shaundra finds an ambitious stripper's business card in her boyfriend's back pocket, she decides it's time to learn some new tricks. If dropping it like it's hot is what her man wants, then that's what she's going to give him.

She tells her girlfriends -- Shay, Brenda, and Karina -- and they make a pact to buy a stripper's pole and learn how to work it like the pros. Trash talking on a girls' night out is easy. But fulfilling the promises these best friends make under the influence of vodka martinis proves to be much more difficult for these suburban women who've never met a stripper, much less aimed to be one.

Shay is bored with her marriage and herself after ten years as a preacher's wife; Shaundra is the mother of a rebellious teenager; Karina is Weight Watchers' number one client; and Brenda is a peace officer who is ready to get wild for the first time in her life. These are desperate housewives and singles in search of Mr. Right, trying to keep love in their lives by projecting a good-girl image to the world but being bad girls in bed. These are four friends waiting to exhale . . . and make the earth move.

Riding the wave of mainstream popularity that the skill of stripping has among ordinary wives, mothers, and singles, Kimona Jaye -- a fresh new voice in sexy fiction -- delivers a fun and intoxicating adventure to be read and shared with friends and lovers alike.

Customer Reviews:

Hmmm...where can I get a pole?.......2007-07-26

Who said swinging from a pole was bad? Definitely, not this group of friends: Shanudra, Niecee, Brenda and Shay. They made a pact - buy a pole and learn how to work it. Shanudra is a single mom trying to win the heart of her current boyfriend. Niecee is Shanudra's older sister attempting to make something out of her life. Brenda is a lonely police officer living a meager daily existence. Shay is a preachers' wife that can't get her thuggish ex-boyfriend out of her system.

The pole is the change agent that these ladies needed. It brings them to life allowing them to experience their hearts desires. The secrets that come to the forefront once they start training and practicing on the pole will leave you shocked. Who knew that one $500 investment would change so much?

Jaye did her research with this story. The way that she describes working the pole leaves one to wonder how she knows so much. The character development and intricate storyline is prime reading for a quiet weekend. As some of the ladies live out their dreams, others fall to their demise. GOOD GIRLS POLE RIDERS CLUB is well worth the hardback price and may create an increase in pole purchases. Hmm, now where did Shanudra get that pole?

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Reviewing for Real Page Turners

It has that fire!!!.......2007-04-13

"Good Girls Pole Riders Club" by Kimona Jaye was a very intersting tale of friends trying to find themselves. They are trying to find love, where they fit in and discover who they really are.

It showed how one little incedent can snowball into some major things. Or rather bring some things to the light that had been hiding or sitting doormat for time. To me, it really touched me because she demostrated the importance of friendship. Real and true friends are hard to come by. When you find that type of friendship, it's what gets you through those hard and rough times.

My fingers turned the pages like they were on fire!.......2007-04-06

I could not put this book down! The past few books I've read have taken at least two months to finish. I read Good Girls in less than 24 hours. I hear part two is coming out and I can't wait to read it. This book is for anyone who like a book filled with heat, drama and friendship. A must read, pick it up!

Good Clean Fun!.......2007-04-06

Shaundra found a stripper's business card in her boyfriend's back pocket, and she is not happy. She wonders what he could possibly find in a stripper that he couldn't get at home with her. Shaundra decides its time to learn some new sexy tricks of her own. She and her girlfriends Shay, Brenda, and Karina decide to go in together to by a stripper's pole and to learn from the pros. But becoming their man's sexual fantasies proves to be the very least of their problems. Shay has been a preacher's wife for 10 years and is bored out of her mind. Shaundra is dealing with the difficulties of being a single parent. Karina has had a lifetime of weight issues and is Weight Watcher's number one client. Brenda is a peace officer and is ready to let loose for the first time in her life. What will become of these women?

Good Girls Pole Riders Club is an ambitious novel by Kimona Jaye. Jaye does a wonderful job of presenting everyday women with not so everyday problems. Although the main topic of this story is ordinary women pole dancing, there are a lot of other issues in this story that makes this story interesting. From the pressures of being a preacher's wife to being a predictable peace officer, these characters come from a variety backgrounds that makes this a fun story. Hopefully, we'll learn more about Karina's character in the sequel to this novel. Good Girls Pole Riders Club is a wonderful start Kimona Jaye's writing career.

Reviewed by:Radiah Hubbert
of Urban-Reviews (Rating Scale:4 Books=Impressive)

Toot That Thing Up Mami!.......2007-03-31

In Good Girls Pole Riders Club, Kimona Jaye writes a tale of four friends whose lives are not where they want them to be. You can take the girl out of the ghetto, but you really can't take the ghetto out of the girl. Shay has tried her best, even marrying a minister. At a cross roads in her marriage, Shay is looking for something to bring a spark back into their relationship and pacify herself. Shaundra is a divorcee and mother of a teenaged girl who is smelling herself. Her wild and reckless sister, Niecee, living in her home is not helping the situation nor is she a positive role model for her child. Brenda is so used to doing things by the letter of the law, she is looking to lose control for just once. Full-figured Karina is a prayer warrior giving everything up to prayer. Finding a stripper's card in Shaundra's boyfriend's pocket is the catalyst that has these friends agreeing to purchase a stripper's pole to be rotated among them. Will this trip on the wild side be just what these ladies need, or will it create more problems?

Let me start off by saying that in spite of my three star rating (on my scale that's an "okay" read), this is not a bad book. It just wasn't great and it could have been. Oh how it could have been! The title, cover and concept excited me, but the book didn't match that hype. Good Girls Pole Riders Club started off slow, but did eventually pick up a good pace. Despite the book's description, it was actually only about three friends. Karina went AWOL after chapter two with readers knowing little to nothing about her character or her role in this group of friends. When she reappeared in the last chapter, I had forgotten who she was. However, the three remaining friends all had interesting stories/issues, particularly Shay. I do wish, though, that readers had been given more of their background info before being put into their lives. It would have helped to understand them more. I had a hard time getting a feel for them, particularly Brenda. And just when I did, the story was over. Overall, I did enjoy reading Good Girls Pole Riders Club. Given the title, I expected more play with the pole. The potential is here and the potential is great. With the next book in the series, I hope that the author ups the ante, adds more spice, brings the heat and more pole action. If that's done, Good Girls Pole Riders Club will be a series that everyone will be talking about and I'll be inquiring about membership!

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Is good horsemanship really THIS difficult? Yes, it is...
Excellent book
Effective information, beautifully presented.
Very concise and methodical approach to riding technique.

For the Good of the Rider
Mary Wanless
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1570761442

Book Description

Mary Wanless reveals the "how" of riding, helping riders to understand and make use of the biomechanical principles that are the foundation of good riding at every level.

Customer Reviews:

Is good horsemanship really THIS difficult? Yes, it is..........2003-03-20

I want to express first off that I like this book and give it four stars. Much of what she is trying to present is valid to my riding and it was interesting reading about concepts I have had difficulty describing. However, if I did not already know and feel what she was talking about I could not get "there" from "here". It important to note that Mary also expresses great frustration in trying to use words to describe feel, and were I to attempt what she does I would fall far short of her effort. I think for many this book will be a help, but for those who really need it, they won't get it, even with the book. Of course it is unlikely that they will be reading the book in the first place. It is for those of us that DO read and try through intellect to understand more of our equine partner. For that we owe Mary a vote of thanks, she does a commendable job of presenting a nearly impossible task of getting you to visualise through her words and examples.
My main objection is her total lack of evidence to support her claims. She refers to 10,000 tries as a minimum to achieve a change, yet nowhere does she show that this number is scientifically valid, perhaps it is 100,000 tries. I mean jeez who has ever counted... The same goes for "Z" angles, where she presents drawings. I think her position is valid and would love to see human X-rays or any other photographic evidence to show real actual movement, and bone weighting, and other details to support her asumptions. And I'm not at all sure about her presentation of "center of gravities". Her description contradicts Henry Wynmalen's in his book "Equitation", and I find his explanation more true.

Riding well is as difficult as she makes it out to be. Reading her book raises awareness, however; One must also RIDE, WITH FOCUS, EVERY DAY, for years, and only then will you (perhaps) become a quality horseman.

Excellent book.......2000-04-10

I just started reading this book and think that it is wonderful. Mary Wanless is able to explain things in a very different way then I have ever been taught before. I find myself glued to this book. Since I am only able to ride once or twice a week, I use this book to prepare me for my next lesson.

Effective information, beautifully presented........1999-07-14

I keep this book near by and open it whenever I have a moment. It is beautifully written, the information is 'do able' for any one and the approach is respectful of our horses needs for non-conflicting training approaches. The book makes use of anatomy and bio-mechanics that anyone can follow,images,body balancing exercises for straightness and a respect for the struggles that are so inherent in the traditional approaches to learning to ride well. When the rider is correct, the horse has no choice but to balance himself. No jerking or spuring allowed. Extremely effective approach. Be willing to work, change, feel weird, and accept your responsibility up there. Riders of any level who are truly "students" will benefit from this book. I started to underline important parts and found I was underlining the whole book! I ride in her clinics and have seen horses improve greatly in a matter of hours or minutes !! E-mail me if you like. Martha Peddicord Fgeier@juno.com

Very concise and methodical approach to riding technique........1999-06-20

This book was very helpful in improving my riding position. I thought it was written very clearly with wonderful use of mental images.

Allan Quartermain Being an Account of His Further Adventures and Discoveries in Company With Sir Henry Curtis, Bart, Commander John Good, R.N. and one

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Allan Quartermain Being an Account of His Further Adventures and Discoveries in Company With Sir Henry Curtis, Bart, Commander John Good, R.N. and one
H. Rider Haggard
Manufacturer: Borgo Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0893705179

Allan Quatermain: Being an account of his further adventures and discoveries in company with Sir Henry Curtis, Bart., Commander John Good, R.N., and one ... Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy library ; v. 18)

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Allan Quatermain: Being an account of his further adventures and discoveries in company with Sir Henry Curtis, Bart., Commander John Good, R.N., and one ... Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy library ; v. 18)
H. Rider Haggard
Manufacturer: Newcastle Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Allan Quatermain; Being an Account of His Further Adventures and Discoveries in Company with Sir Henry Curtis, Bart, Commander John Good, R.n., and One Umslopogaas
H. Rider Haggard
Manufacturer: Longmans Green and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Good Form: Equestrian Etiquette (Compass Points for Riders)

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Good Form: Equestrian Etiquette (Compass Points for Riders)
Toni Cadden
Manufacturer: Compass Equestrian Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1900667231

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Good Luck To The Rider

Manufacturer: Angus and Robertson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I768ME

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Good Luck to the Rider
Joan Phipson
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0152317066

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Good Luck to the Rider
Joan Phipson
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPKZJ8

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Good Luck to the Rider

Manufacturer: Angus and Robertson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H4PQ6M

Product Description

Illustrated 1955 Reprint Edition. Rare and collectible vintage Horse fiction.

Customer Reviews:

A treasure -- with some awkward stumbles.......2005-05-22

This is an excellent reference book and I use it every time I write. I don't believe you have to be 'low class' if you need this, as some reviewers pointed out, but some of the excerpts used are outdated and useless in today's writing world. Sure, Hawthorne, Fitzgerald and the like were wonderful writers, and we can learn, but we don't write like that today. Also, there are some words that would just sound out of place or stupid when used. He has things grouped in chapters. ( Ears, looks with eyes, colors, shapes, hairstyles, etc.) For example, he has a chapter on "Eyes" but some of the excerpts don't always match up to descriptions about "Eyes", what's up with that? HOWEVER, there are times you might need a word or two, something that escapes you, or a way to describe a look, or feeling, or texture or shape and that's where this book comes in handy. I think if you have problems with description, this can really help.

Technical: Utterly Lacking in Creative Invention.......2003-07-13

How about this for the sole entry under "having turned in feet: pigeon-toed"? The entire volume is filled with inanities of this type. One would have to be pretty low on the vocabulary food chain to be incapable of readily summoning to mind almost any of the synonyms listed in this book. Also, the quotations sacrifice the sublime for the politically correct, and are therefore equally lacking in excellence. Don't buy it unless you are in the lower 20% of the populace in verbal facility, for you will be wasting your money.

Purely physical.......2003-02-13

Lots of fun and useful for physical descriptions of animal, vegetable and mineral. Not appropriate for writers looking for inspiration in abstracts, emotions or thought.

a useful book, but not perfect.......2002-07-22

This is a very useful book, containing brief excerpts from literary works on the left-hand pages, and lists of words broken down in categories on the right. It is interesting both to read - the excerpts are all excellent examples of descriptive writing - and to find the right word. However, I don't give it 5 stars because it has no index. To find a word, you need to look first to the chapter (main categories) then read through all the sub-categories.

Better then a Thesaurus--By Far.......2002-03-04

The reason I like this reference so much is that if I don't find exactly what I'm looking for, I may very well find something I like better. Further, this is the kind of reference you can actually read. Open this book to any chapter (segment) on, say, "hair." You'll find several quotes about "hair" that are entertaining and may stir your own creative juices before you even get to the part that lists adjectives for all kinds of-- ahem-- tresses, locks, strands, shocks, hanks, coils, tendrils, curls, ringlets or swirls...As you can see, this offering gives an author an idea of how the best might have handled the same problem she faces. Many are mightily amusing.
If you don't just keep reading instead of handling the problem at hand, you might eventually find adjectives for some 96 possible "hair situations" and one of them will likely be exactly what you need.

There are usually several descriptive words under each entry. So for "oiled hair" you will find, "greased, slicked, slick, pomaded , brilliantined, plastered, pasted." You can choose one, let one speak to you so you can come up with a simile or metaphor, or move on down the list to see if there's something more to your liking.

When I get into a writing snit, it's often this book to my rescue.

Customer Reviews:

A Terrific Dictionary and Great Review of Skilled Writing.......2002-03-24

Gramb's Describer's Dictionary is one of the finest books written about the written word. It's a dictionary, but it is much more than that. It's important to note the subtitle of this book (A Treasury of Terms and Literary Quotations for Readers and Writers) because this subtitle gets to the heart of what makes this book so special.

To begin, this dictionary/book lists over 2,000 useful words for describing things, animals, and people to include the following subgroups: shapes, patterns, surface and textures, size, position, relation, proportion, emblems, symbols, light, colors, building structures, terrain and landscape, climate, clouds, species adjectives (e.g., bovine and many many more), types, technical terminology, perceived attractiveness, body types, face, heads, hair, eyes, noses, ears, mouths, lips, teeth, skin coloring, hand, fingers, legs, knees, feet, jaws, walk, voices, necks, mannerisms, general appearance, and more. In other words, this dictionary will help reader, writer, and observer to economically and accurately identify his (or her) surroundings.
Just one look at the pages of this book should be enough to hook those who enjoy the art of description.

There are some great words in this book (some common, but many underused useful words are listed as well--even the most well-versed will find hundreds of gems in this book), but what really makes this book essential for those interested in accurately (and beautifully) describing their surroundings is Gramb's inclusion of passages from great literature. This gives the reader a real sense for how powerful (and beautiful) words are. Authors on display include Carver, Twain, Cummings, Updike, Baldwin, Percy, Dickens, Melville, Hawthorne, Woolf, Faulkner, Joyce, Orwell, Nabokov, and many more.

Those interested in words, description, and great writing will love this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The Most Valuable Resource for Writers Ever!!!!.......1999-03-18

Excellent Work by Grambs! If you need the cutting edge of literary description of anything from homes to people in incessant and meticulous detail. In fact, of my expansive and elaborate literary library, it is my favorite! Undeniably the best work for a beginning writer. Undeniably the best resource for writers needing to talk shop with their own souls. Irrepressible, benevolent, indeliable to the articulation of the imagination! Buy it Today!

Cameron Rowe

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The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms and Literary Quotations for Readers and Writers
David Grambs
Manufacturer: NORTON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Quotations | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000UCDHM6

Book Description

3D Modeling and Animation: Synthesis and Analysis Techniques for the Human Body covers the areas of modeling and animating 3D synthetic human models at a level that is useful to students, researchers, software developers and content generators. The reader will be presented with the latest, research-level, techniques for the analysis and synthesis of still and moving human bodies, with particular emphasis in facial and gesture characteristics.

Customer Reviews:

Truly dissapointed........2006-01-09

At first look the first impression about the book is the cover :JUST PLAIN. And this cover show a real preview about the book :PLAIN!.

When you talk about MODELING then aestheticism is a important matter but this book talk about MATHS. Just theory, nothing practice. You had 3dstudio, Maya, Lightwave or the cheap blender and want to start modeling?, then this book is not for you.

In my time in the university, all books are about equations, differentials and such, later i discovered that the real world is all but maths, usually you don't see a third degreed differential at work and when you saw one, then you can use a program to calculate it. It's the same about this book, you don't need the rotation matrix expressed in a equation, the program (even the old ones or the free ones) made all the job for you.

Modeling?... no way.
Animation?... just a few theory and not really focused in pro or semi-pro programs.
Human Body?.. too much about the face and some about the hand but feets and torso and the rest?.

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