Simple Genius

Book Description

In a world of secrets, human genius is power.And sometimes it is simply deadly...A three-hour drive from Washington, D.C., two clandestine institutions face each other across a heavily guarded river. One is the world's most unusual laboratory, whose goals and funding are a mystery. The other is an elite CIA training camp shrouded in secrecy. Now a man and a woman are about to run a gauntlet between these two puzzle factories, straight into a furious struggle to exploit a potentially world-shattering discovery--and keep some other secrets underwraps forever...Former secret service agents turned private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell have seen their lives splinter around them. Michelle lies unconscious ina hospital bed after a night of suicidal violence. And Sean is forced to take on a thankless investigation into the mutder of a scientist just inside the CIA's razor-wire fence near Williamsburg, Virginia.Soon he is uncovering layer after layer of disinformation that shields a stunning world filled with elite mathematics, physicists, war heroes, spies, and deadly field agents. Amid more murder, a seemingly autistic girl's extraordinary genius, and a powerful breakthrough in the realm of classified codes, Sean soon learns enough to put his life at risk. Now more than ever, he needs Michelle--at her best--to help stop a conspiracy of traitors operating in the shadow of the White House itself.From Michelle's courageous struggle to defeat her long-buried personal demons to a centuries-old secret that surfaces in the heat of action, SIMPLE GENIUS pulses with stunning, high-intensity suspense. The heroes of Split Second and Hour Game, David Baldacci's #1 New York Times bestsellers, are back--as you've never seen them before.

Customer Reviews:

A Terrible Book.......2007-10-05

As a long-standing fan it pains me to write a negative review for Mr. Baldacci's latest novel, but it seems as if he phoned this one into his publisher. Flat characters, over-plotted, silly dialogue...and those are the book's good points. Don't waste your time or money.

Poor writing,characters and storyline=bad book.......2007-09-24

A member of our book group chose this book for us. We had read Camel Club and found the characters amusing and the story OK, but Simple Genius is embarrassingly boring. The characters lack any depth, the storyline is ridiculous and not even marginally believable;and the dialogue could have been written by a first grader. Do yourself a favor and don't buy this one.

Baldacci comes through again.......2007-09-17

Briefly, an enjoyable "page-turner." It was hard to put down, both for the action and for the 3-dimensional main characters. Not a criticism, but the author in his credits should have given a nod to Clive Cussler.
Thanks, David. I'm awaiting your next one.

Another good one............2007-09-15

I will never forgive Baldacci !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He got us started with these audio cd's with The Winner back in 1997- 98 ?

and found the perfect match for our love of driving trips !

As soon as he comes out with one, we get it... and have been enthralled every time !!!

I highly recommend Simple Genius!

Simple Genius is Simply Great.......2007-09-13

Simple Genius, like all of David Baldacci's novels, is "simply great". This novel mixes suspence, a spy thriller, and detective mystery all into one speel-binding "edge of your chair" masterpiece. I couldn't stop listening to the un-abridged audio CD set. Great audio book. Recommended to all that enjoy this type of novel or this author.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

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Fantastic
Excellent
Fantastic!
TEAM OF RIVALS
team of rivals

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743270754

Amazon.com

The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.

Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. --Shawn Carkonen

The Team of Rivals

Team of Rivals doesn't just tell the story of Abraham Lincoln. It is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis. Here, Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles five of the key players in her book, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination and all of whom later worked together in Lincoln's cabinet.

1. Edwin M. Stanton
Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt at their initial acquaintance when the two men were involved in a celebrated law case in the summer of 1855. Unimaginable as it might seem after Stanton's demeaning behavior, Lincoln offered him "the most powerful civilian post within his gift"--the post of secretary of war--at their next encounter six years later. On his first day in office as Simon Cameron's replacement, the energetic, hardworking Stanton instituted "an entirely new regime" in the War Department. After nearly a year of disappointment with Cameron, Lincoln had found in Stanton the leader the War Department desperately needed. Lincoln's choice of Stanton revealed his singular ability to transcend personal vendetta, humiliation, or bitterness. As for Stanton, despite his initial contempt for the man he once described as a "long armed Ape," he not only accepted the offer but came to respect and love Lincoln more than any person outside of his immediate family. He was beside himself with grief for weeks after the president's death.
2. Salmon P. Chase
Chase, an Ohioan, had been both senator and governor, had played a central role in the formation of the national Republican Party, and had shown an unflagging commitment to the cause of the black man. No individual felt he deserved the presidency as a natural result of his past contributions more than Chase himself, but he refused to engage in the practical methods by which nominations are won. He had virtually no campaign and he failed to conciliate his many enemies in Ohio itself. As a result, he alone among the candidates came to the convention without the united support of his own state. Chase never ceased to underestimate Lincoln, nor to resent the fact that he had lost the presidency to a man he considered his inferior. His frustration with his position as secretary of the treasury was alleviated only by his his dogged hope that he, rather than Lincoln, would be the Republican nominee in 1864, and he steadfastly worked to that end. The president put up with Chase's machinations and haughty yet fundamentally insecure nature because he recognized his superlative accomplishments at treasury. Eventually, however, Chase threatened to split the Republican Party by continuing to fill key positions with partisans who supported his presidential hopes. When Lincoln stepped in, Chase tendered his resignation as he had three times before, but this time Lincoln stunned Chase by calling his bluff and accepting the offer.
3. Abraham Lincoln
When Lincoln won the Republican presidential nomination in 1860 he seemed to have come from nowhere--a backwoods lawyer who had served one undistinguished term in the House of Representatives and lost two consecutive contests for the U.S. Senate. Contemporaries attributed his surprising nomination to chance, to his moderate position on slavery, and to the fact that he hailed from the battleground state of Illinois. But Lincoln's triumph, particularly when viewed against the efforts of his rivals, owed much to a remarkable, unsuspected political acuity and an emotional strength forged in the crucible of hardship and defeat. That Lincoln, after winning the presidency, made the unprecedented decision to incorporate his eminent rivals into his political family, the cabinet, was evidence of an uncanny self-confidence and an indication of what would prove to others a most unexpected greatness.
4. William H. Seward
A celebrated senator from New York for more than a decade and governor of his state for two terms before going to Washington, Seward was certain he was going to receive his party's nomination for president in 1860. The weekend before the convention in Chicago opened he had already composed a first draft of the valedictory speech he expected to make to the Senate, assuming that he would resign his position as soon as the decision in Chicago was made. His mortification at not having received the nomination never fully abated, and when he was offered his cabinet post as secretary of state he intended to have a major role in choosing the remaining cabinet members, conferring upon himself a position in the new government more commanding than that of Lincoln himself. He quickly realized the futility of his plan to relegate the president to a figurehead role. Though the feisty New Yorker would continue to debate numerous issues with Lincoln in the years ahead, exactly as Lincoln had hoped and needed him to do, Seward would become his closest friend, advisor, and ally in the administration. More than any other cabinet member Seward appreciated Lincoln's peerless skill in balancing factions both within his administration and in the country at large.
5. Edward Bates
A widely respected elder statesman, a delegate to the convention that framed the Missouri Constitution, and a former Missouri congressman whose opinions on national matters were still widely sought, Bates's ambitions for political success were gradually displaced by love for his wife and large family, and he withdrew from public life in the late 1840s. For the next 20 years he was asked repeatedly to run or once again accept high government posts but he consistently declined. However in early 1860, with letters and newspaper editorials advocating his candidacy crowding in upon him, he decided to try for the highest office in the land. After losing to Lincoln he vowed, in his diary, to decline a cabinet position if one were to be offered, but with the country "in trouble and danger" he felt it was his duty to accept when Lincoln asked him to be attorney general. Though Bates initially viewed Lincoln as a well-meaning but incompetent administrator, he eventually concluded that the president was an unmatched leader, "very near being a 'perfect man.'"

The Essential Doris Kearns Goodwin

Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream

More New Reading on the Civil War

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk
Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War by Charles Bracelen Flood
The March: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow

Book Description

This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-10-19

This fine book transported me back in time. I was able to observe historical events as they unfolded. I now know Abraham Lincoln and his close associates. They will forever remain good friends of mine.

Excellent.......2007-10-17

Fast and reliable service, the book was in excellent condition. I would definitely order again from the seller.

Fantastic!.......2007-10-15

Excellnt book. I just wish that the author had continued on after Lincoln's death to discuss post-war reconstruction. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating look at Lincoln and his cabinet.

TEAM OF RIVALS.......2007-10-13

TEAM OF RIVALS IS AN EXCELLENT REPRESENTATION OF LINCOLN'S CABINET WHICH WAS CURIOUSLY MADE OF FOUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND THREE PARTISAN MEMBERS. DORIS KEARNS GODWIN, WELL KNOWN HISTORIAN, DESCRIBES THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND THEIR POLITICAL DIFFERENCES WHICH INVITES THE READER INTO THEIR CHARACTERS, POLICIES AND BACKGROUNDS. IT IS A NEW VIEW OF LINCOLN, AS WELL AS, HIS CABINET. IT IS SO INTERESTING THAT ALTHOUGH LONG, YOU WON'T WANT TO PUT IT DOWN.

team of rivals.......2007-10-05

great look at the inner workings of the executive branch This cabinet was hardly a "team". In comparison to the way cabinets members are selelected in our era of political, Lincoln showed incredible political courage to select this group.

The Genius of Flexibility: The Smart Way to Stretch and Strengthen Your Body

Average customer rating:

Stretch Your Body, Mind and Spirit
Rehashed hype
Nothing New
Stretching Breakthrough!
this book was the key to recovering from knee injuries/pain

The Genius of Flexibility: The Smart Way to Stretch and Strengthen Your Body
Bob Cooley
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0743270878

Book Description

Something The World Hasn't Yet Seen -- You Can Forever Be More Flexible.

The Technique: RESISTANCE STRETCHING® offers immediate, cumulative, and permanent increases in flexibility, takes the pain out of stretching, and protects you from injuring yourself by overstretching.

The Program: THE MERIDIAN FLEXIBILITY SYSTEM® provides stretches for sixteen unique muscle groups with physiological and psychological benefits.

Customer Reviews:

Stretch Your Body, Mind and Spirit.......2007-07-30

I picked up this book while wandering through the bookstore one day. I looked at the cover and my intuition told me that this book was going to dramatically change my life. I have been using the Meridian Flexibility System for 3 years now and every stretch is still an adventure. I would say this book is but a brief overview when you contrast it with the transformational possiblites it brings to your life. The personality aspects have given me another tool to understand how we "be" in this world and has brought a new level of compassion and understanding for myself and humanity. My only complaint is that Bob is not releasing the sequel fast enough! I have benefited athletically, physiologically and spiritually from this book. It does require you to expand your mind in ways you haven't before and to really get to know and feel your body at a deep level. This is different from a "core" concept because you bring emotionality to the experience-something those from the "physical" world might have a more challenging time tapping into. I work in the field of natural medicine and have used this system with my clients...for athletic rehab, sport training, psychological and physiological therapy. While the system can at first seem difficult to understand you can intuitively and with a little common sense see life altering results. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do this per se. Many people don't know about meridians or muscle groups the beauty of this system is that you don't need to know. Just start resisting and watch the beautiful transformations that will occur to your whole being. So here's a tip for those that are scratching their heads about the pics, muscles, meridians etc...start with an area of your body that you know to be tight start moving in the direction that FEELS the tightest and RESIST-use your own body, someone elses or a door, floor or anything else that you can leverage to create resistance, have fun and be creative-the key is to RESIST during the entire motion whereever it is on your body that is tight. For all of you in the "mental/thinking" world-you will receive the benefits whether you UNDERSTAND all of it or none of it. Once you try this "free-form", where you don't rely on the book or diagrams but just get down on the floor and start resisting where you are tight you will then be able to go back to the book, if you want and the pieces of the puzzle will start to fit together because you will have already EXPERIENCED what he is talking about! Most of the MF trainers will do inexpensive workshops for small/large groups some will even travel to your area. Bob does an amazing job of tying together lots of persoanl experiences,systems and methods for personal growth and transformation in a short book.It's a STARTING point for something that is largely experiential and unique to each person and that is the beauty of what he is trying to convey. Much of the book's concepts are ideas that we have been trying to implement and understand universally for a lifetime. I think Bob has made huge strides in tying it all together into a comprehensive system. I can only hope that he will continue to document and release his findings so that we can all share in the many possibilites of our own multifaceted transformation. If you are looking for a technical manual on anatomy and muscle groups and want to stick with traditional fitness only concepts this book doesn't fit in that box. If you want to explore more possibilities for powerfully STRETCHING yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually than this is the book for you!!!
Much love and respect to Bob and the whole Meridian Flexibility Family.

Rehashed hype.......2007-07-26

There is no "genius" to this system except getting an endorsement from an Olympic swimmer.
The author contends that he healed himself through stretching. In the process, he also seems
to have found the answer to Life. Just do his program and you will become enlightened in the
process. As a former gymnast and professional dancer who has experienced many systems of stretching and bodywork, I find the book terribly tedious and difficult to follow.
Mr. Cooley does not name the muscles of the body and shows no diagrams for people to
follow. Almost all his stretches come from yoga. A lot of them need partner assistance. That stretching assists meridian flow is obvious to anyone who has studied yoga and hardly a new concept. The book seems geared to selling his rather expensive sessions and getting people to
sign up for his workshops. When I checked his website I found his associates do not seem to
have formal training or degrees other than what Mr. Cooley himself offers. His training seems
to be limited to his own healing which we are to take on faith. If you really want to learn about flexibility check out Pavel Tsatsouline's work. He's funny, down to earth,no-nonsense and has solid credentials. Other great books: Kit Laughlin's Stretching and Flexibility and Sang Kim'sUltimate Flexibility. These are people with solid backgrounds and their books show clear and concise ways of stretching without any snake oil promises of metaphysical rapture. And you don't have to go organic either.

Nothing New.......2007-07-19

I read the book and found nothing new in this book that you wouldn't find in the book Accu-Yoga by Michael Reed Gach which came out in the late 70's or early 80's. Accu-Yoga broke down the effects of Yoga on the physical body and the meridians which are expounded in the TCM system. A lot of the exercises in Mr. Cooley's book are straight from Hatha yoga, although from what I understand the way Hatha yoga is taught today is much more physical, and outward than in the time I came to yoga. Most yoga asanas[poses, postures], naturally have the stretch and resistance aspect built in to them, if you practice them in an concious way. Paying attention to the breath and the inner movement of the body, is the way that I thought yoga was suppose to be. Nothing New!

Stretching Breakthrough!.......2007-06-28

Bob Cooley's, The Genius of Flexibility: The Smart Way to Stretch and Strengthen Your Body, has been a "breakthrough" manual for myself and my patient/clients. As a doctor of chiropractic, I have integrated neuromuscular therapy techniques with chiropractic adjustments for over 30 years. The past 5 years I have added yoga to my own fitness routine and encouraged others to take it up in their's. Stretching has always been in the mix as well, yet I never could "see" how to get past or through the stretch reflex of contraction we all seem to arrive at. Bob Cooley's "aha" during his own journey to health, spoke to me immediately. As I put his technique of "The Principle of Resistance",(contracting the muscle you are lengthening while stretching it) to work, the "aha" happened in me as well! His basic 16 stretches are as far as I've been able to comfortably go during this 1st month, however I look forward to the greater flexibility I know I am moving into. Yes, he does go in a multitude of directions in his book, yet I've never encountered anyone who has experienced life altering experiences not to rebound in ever expanding directions during and following their recovery.
So, for anyone who has a basic knowledge of their body and is led to the concepts of stretching, this is a must read! By the way, page 255 will help one focus on muscles and any specific areas of injury.

this book was the key to recovering from knee injuries/pain.......2007-06-01

This book introduces stretches and strengthening exercises unlike any other I've come across. It is easy to follow, a delight to read and apply. Filled with anecdotes, pictures and a lifetime of research this is a gem for anyone in any shape/size body! It has been the key to heal my knees (from mulitiple injuries), and has helped me recover without needing surgery. The book is practical, eye opening and useful. Truly genius!

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Average customer rating:

Amazing!
a heartbreaking work of staggering genius
I tried to get my money back
Wonderful, one of the best books I've read all year
Please read this book!

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Dave Eggers
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375725784
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Amazon.com

Dave Eggers is a terrifically talented writer; don't hold his cleverness against him. What to make of a book called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Based on a True Story? For starters, there's a good bit of staggering genius before you even get to the true story, including a preface, a list of "Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of This Book," and a 20-page acknowledgements section complete with special mail-in offer, flow chart of the book's themes, and a lovely pen-and-ink drawing of a stapler (helpfully labeled "Here is a drawing of a stapler:").

But on to the true story. At the age of 22, Eggers became both an orphan and a "single mother" when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers. In the ensuing sibling division of labor, Dave is appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher. The two live together in semi-squalor, decaying food and sports equipment scattered about, while Eggers worries obsessively about child-welfare authorities, molesting babysitters, and his own health. His child-rearing strategy swings between making his brother's upbringing manically fun and performing bizarre developmental experiments on him. (Case in point: his idea of suitable bedtime reading is John Hersey's Hiroshima.)

The book is also, perhaps less successfully, about being young and hip and out to conquer the world (in an ironic, media-savvy, Gen-X way, naturally). In the early '90s, Eggers was one of the founders of the very funny Might Magazine, and he spends a fair amount of time here on Might, the hipster culture of San Francisco's South Park, and his own efforts to get on to MTV's Real World. This sort of thing doesn't age very well--but then, Eggers knows that. There's no criticism you can come up with that he hasn't put into A.H.W.O.S.G. already. "The book thereafter is kind of uneven," he tells us regarding the contents after page 109, and while that's true, it's still uneven in a way that is funny and heartfelt and interesting.

All this self-consciousness could have become unbearably arch. It's a testament to Eggers's skill as a writer--and to the heartbreaking particulars of his story--that it doesn't. Currently the editor of the footnote-and-marginalia-intensive journal McSweeney's (the last issue featured an entire story by David Foster Wallace printed tinily on its spine), Eggers comes from the most media-saturated generation in history--so much so that he can't feel an emotion without the sense that it's already been felt for him. What may seem like postmodern noodling is really just Eggers writing about pain in the only honest way available to him. Oddly enough, the effect is one of complete sincerity, and--especially in its concluding pages--this memoir as metafiction is affecting beyond all rational explanation. --Mary Park

Book Description

The literary sensation of the year, a book that redefines both family and narrative for the twenty-first century. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is the moving memoir of a college senior who, in the space of five weeks, loses both of his parents to cancer and inherits his eight-year-old brother. Here is an exhilarating debut that manages to be simultaneously hilarious and wildly inventive as well as a deeply heartfelt story of the love that holds a family together.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is an instant classic that will be read in paperback for decades to come. The Vintage edition includes a new appendix by the author.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing!.......2007-10-10

Dave Eggers has said he wouldn't recommend starting a writing career with a memoir as open and honest as this one but I beg to differ. His open honesty about his life is what made me an everlasting fan. To use your own life to show others they are not alone in this insane world is the greatest gift a writer can give.
If you haven't read this book yet, you are missing something great in your life.

a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.......2007-09-30

My high school book club wanted to read this book. It's a Catholic school and 2 students loved the book. I foraged through the whole thing looking for topics that would work with my students. Maybe I'm a prude but with so many expletives and other objectionable topics in this junker, I thought I could be hauled off to the "big house" if we read this book.

Yes, Dave Eggers has done a truthful account of his life and I did feel for him at times, but the ending really made me feel ripped off and used.

I tried to get my money back.......2007-09-18

I suggested this book to my book club without having read it first. Big mistake! All of us hated this book so much, that we wrote a letter to the publisher asking for our money back. Perhaps we don't understand Gen-Xers, but it seemed to all of us to be a book about NOTHING. At least Seinfeld made us laugh!

We now have a rule that no book is to be recommended to the club without having first read it yourself!

Wonderful, one of the best books I've read all year.......2007-08-24

Absolutely wonderful. This is without a doubt one of the best books I've read all year. Eggers' self-referential humor and heartbreaking asides weave a tapestry worthy of praise. I highly recommend this book to almost any audience. Audacious and thought provoking. An affirmation of living life and a meditation on mortality. It is probably the best example of what it is like to be a single twenty-something living in the U.S. in the modern era. Definitely worth the time.

Please read this book!.......2007-08-21

What an incredible account of the author's pain, hope, love, fears, hatred. It's the menoir of author, Dave Eggers, showing his life as guardian of his young brother after the death of their parents.

I don't think I have ever read anything so honest and stark in its emotional content. Particularily being a first-hand personal account of the events, the story shows the jumbles mess of emotions coming with such responsibility and stress.

Please do yourself a favor and read the book!

When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management

Average customer rating:

Illuminating and Fascinating Business Classic
Incredible story
great book
A fantastic tale of risk, reward and rue
Great insight into market movements

When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management
Roger Lowenstein
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0375758259
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Amazon.com

On September 23, 1998, the boardroom of the New York Fed was a tense place. Around the table sat the heads of every major Wall Street bank, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and representatives from numerous European banks, each of whom had been summoned to discuss a highly unusual prospect: rescuing what had, until then, been the envy of them all, the extraordinarily successful bond-trading firm of Long-Term Capital Management. Roger Lowenstein's When Genius Failed is the gripping story of the Fed's unprecedented move, the incredible heights reached by LTCM, and the firm's eventual dramatic demise.

Lowenstein, a financial journalist and author of Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist, examines the personalities, academic experts, and professional relationships at LTCM and uncovers the layers of numbers behind its roller-coaster ride with the precision of a skilled surgeon. The fund's enigmatic founder, John Meriwether, spent almost 20 years at Salomon Brothers, where he formed its renowned Arbitrage Group by hiring academia's top financial economists. Though Meriwether left Salomon under a cloud of the SEC's wrath, he leapt into his next venture with ease and enticed most of his former Salomon hires--and eventually even David Mullins, the former vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve--to join him in starting a hedge fund that would beat all hedge funds.

LTCM began trading in 1994, after completing a road show that, despite the Ph.D.-touting partners' lack of social skills and their disdainful condescension of potential investors who couldn't rise to their intellectual level, netted a whopping $1.25 billion. The fund would seek to earn a tiny spread on thousands of trades, "as if it were vacuuming nickels that others couldn't see," in the words of one of its Nobel laureate partners, Myron Scholes. And nickels it found. In its first two years, LTCM earned $1.6 billion, profits that exceeded 40 percent even after the partners' hefty cuts. By the spring of 1996, it was holding $140 billion in assets. But the end was soon in sight, and Lowenstein's detailed account of each successively worse month of 1998, culminating in a disastrous August and the partners' subsequent panicked moves, is riveting.

The arbitrageur's world is a complicated one, and it might have served Lowenstein well to slow down and explain in greater detail the complex terms of the more exotic species of investment flora that cram the book's pages. However, much of the intrigue of the Long-Term story lies in its dizzying pace (not to mention the dizzying amounts of money won and lost in the fund's short lifespan). Lowenstein's smooth, conversational but equally urgent tone carries it along well. The book is a compelling read for those who've always wondered what lay behind the Fed's controversial involvement with the LTCM hedge-fund debacle. --S. Ketchum

Book Description

John Meriwether, a famously successful Wall Street trader, spent the 1980s as a partner at Salomon Brothers, establishing the best--and the brainiest--bond arbitrage group in the world. A mysterious and shy midwesterner, he knitted together a group of Ph.D.-certified arbitrageurs who rewarded him with filial devotion and fabulous profits. Then, in 1991, in the wake of a scandal involving one of his traders, Meriwether abruptly resigned. For two years, his fiercely loyal team--convinced that the chief had been unfairly victimized--plotted their boss's return. Then, in 1993, Meriwether made a historic offer. He gathered together his former disciples and a handful of supereconomists from academia and proposed that they become partners in a new hedge fund different from any Wall Street had ever seen. And so Long-Term Capital Management was born.
        In a decade that had seen the longest and most rewarding bull market in history, hedge funds were the ne plus ultra of investments: discreet, private clubs limited to those rich enough to pony up millions. They promised that the investors' money would be placed in a variety of trades simultaneously--a "hedging" strategy designed to minimize the possibility of loss. At Long-Term, Meriwether & Co. truly believed that their finely tuned computer models had tamed the genie of risk, and would allow them to bet on the future with near mathematical certainty. And thanks to their cast--which included a pair of future Nobel Prize winners--investors believed them.
        From the moment Long-Term opened their offices in posh Greenwich, Connecticut, miles from the pandemonium of Wall Street, it was clear that this would be a hedge fund apart from all others. Though they viewed the big Wall Street investment banks with disdain, so great was Long-Term's aura that these very banks lined up to provide the firm with financing, and on the very sweetest of terms. So self-certain were Long-Term's traders that they borrowed with little concern about the leverage. At first, Long-Term's models stayed on script, and this new gold standard in hedge funds boasted such incredible returns that private investors and even central banks clamored to invest more money. It seemed the geniuses in Greenwich couldn't lose.
        Four years later, when a default in Russia set off a global storm that Long-Term's models hadn't anticipated, its supposedly safe portfolios imploded. In five weeks, the professors went from mega-rich geniuses to discredited failures. With the firm about to go under, its staggering $100 billion balance sheet threatened to drag down markets around the world. At the eleventh hour, fearing that the financial system of the world was in peril, the Federal Reserve Bank hastily summoned Wall Street's leading banks to underwrite a bailout.
        Roger Lowenstein, the bestselling author of Buffett, captures Long-Term's roller-coaster ride in gripping detail. Drawing on confidential internal memos and interviews with dozens of key players, Lowenstein crafts a story that reads like a first-rate thriller from beginning to end. He explains not just how the fund made and lost its money, but what it was about the personalities of Long-Term's partners, the arrogance of their mathematical certainties, and the late-nineties culture of Wall Street that made it all possible.
        When Genius Failed is the cautionary financial tale of our time, the gripping saga of what happened when an elite group of investors believed they could actually deconstruct risk and use virtually limitless leverage to create limitless wealth. In Roger Lowenstein's hands, it is a brilliant tale peppered with fast money, vivid characters, and high drama.

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Customer Reviews:

Illuminating and Fascinating Business Classic.......2007-10-07

Roger Lowenstein's 'When Genius Failed' has been justly acclaimed as a business classic. In the wake of the 2007 credit crunch, Lowenstein's riveting study of the 1998 collapse of Long Term Capital Management (LTCM) retains its relevance and has much to teach market observers.

Ironically, LTCM had much going for it. The firm was founded by savvy Salomon Brothers veterans, and its luminaries included Nobel Prize winner Myron Scholes, the creator of the acclaimed Black-Scholes options pricing model. LTCM was also established on the premise of hedging risk and thereby minimizing financial loss.

The unraveling of LTCM, lucidly and compelling depicted by Lowenstein, has many parallels with the subprime mortgage meltdown of 2007:
--An unwavering faith in financial engineering, coupled with the erroneous belief that financial structures will protect against substantial losses.
--The insatiable search for higher yields in crowded markets, which ultimately drives even savvy managers to investments with unfortunate risk profiles.
--The use of significant amounts of borrowed capital to boost returns. Sadly, the use of leverage forces the rapid liquidation of positions to repay lenders during declining market conditions, excarbating market slides and the withdrawal of credit.
--Hubris. Hedge fund managers and successful traders tend to get overconfident after a run of good luck, leading them to take riskier positions with borrowed capital.

Together, these factors led to the downfall of LTCM and to the 2007 subprime meltdown.

Kudos to Roger Lowenstein for demystifying the arcana of derivatives trading and the Black-Scholes model-- if you want an account that describes these subjects lucidly, this is your book. As well, Lowenstein offers a riveting depiction of the 1998 market slide that sent LTCM reeling toward insolvency, and the rescue events coordinated by the Federal Reserve and undertaken by an international capital consortium.

Bottom line: a five star financial read that maintains its relevance.

Incredible story.......2007-10-06

Two things make this a great book: a riveting story (losing hundreds of millions a day is mind-boggling) and excellent writing. Roger Lowenstein, first of all, is a master of using analogies explain complex things, like financial derivaties and how the big investment banks operate. Long Term Capital Management was a gang of complex gamblers (including a couple of Nobel Prize winners to boot) that employed equations and theories from the academic world of finance to build an enormously successful hedge fund that sucked in the big banks of Wall Street. Lowenstein details the rise of LTCM (it seems it had to have taken place with an interesting mixture of Luck, Smarts, and Arrogance) and their massive and rapid failure with a cadence that makes it difficult to put the book down. When Genius Failed offers a glimpse into the world of big-time finance and the unrepentant and bizarre characters that it attracts (the money these guys rake it in and how they do it will stun you if you aren't familiar with Wall Street). Highly recommended - even a decade after the collapse of LTCM!

great book.......2007-09-20

Great read. Didn't want to put it down and finished it in a few days. Great to read how these smart guys lost all their money by being too greedy. Thumbs up for sure.

A fantastic tale of risk, reward and rue.......2007-09-20

It's a wonderfully written account of a remarkable risk taking adventrue crafted by the best of wall street's arbitrage mavens and acclaimed academic laureates. Author has done a supreb job as a slueth who followed the trail that aparantly divulged very little about its journey into the financial debacle that could've brought the whole financial world down. Throughout the work of the author, one can perceive the vastness of his research into this matter, his depth of knowledge in the world of arbitrage and his exquisite story telling skill.

He portrayed each character with great care that went above and beyond what I expected. Though at times the deatils seemed a bit overwhelming and unnecessary, it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Besides gaining a great deal of knowledge about bond trading, risk arbitrage and about all the parties associated with it, it also gave me a good picture about the human inter-relations that plays into the rise and fall of such wall street ventures. One thing I wanted to see in this book is Greenspan's involvement and opinion on this. But, not sure why his role in the shoring up of LTCM wasn't covered. I earlier read a book on Greenspan where his rebuttal on the criticism of Fed's involvement with the bail out LTCM was deatiled. I expected Lowenstein to cover this as well.

I first came across the story of LTCM from Taleb's "Black Swan", then went to wikipedia to know more about it, and finally got a hold of this book and I'm glad that I did. I love real life stories where turns of events and drama unfold from the work of an invisible hand, not from that of a gifted writer. I would love to see the story of LTCM on big screen one of these days. I caught a glimse of the NOVA's episode "The Trillion Dollar Bet [2000]" which covered LTCM, but I couldn't get a hold of the full content.

It's a must read for anyone who has interest in wall street, business, risk and how they all work. Lowenstein is a great writer in my opinion and I will move on to reading his pervious work on Buffet.

Great insight into market movements.......2007-09-12

The LTCM story is fascinating, and Lowenstein makes clear enough what kind of 'hedging' they were doing. The most valuable details to me were the intertwining of instituions and trades. I thought it illuminated how forced trading and fear can spread. Also captures the mood of the nineties well, I'd like to find detailed history of other market eras.
And from an academic viewpoint, his discussion of 'fat tails' was great.

No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

Average customer rating:

A good begining
Excellent Intro to Islam
3 1/2 Stars. Not objective like the author intends, but still a good read
Know thy enemy
Wishfull thinking

No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
Reza Aslan
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0812971892
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Book Description

Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear for much of the West. In No god but God, Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed scholar of religions, explains this faith in all its beauty and complexity. Beginning with a vivid account of the social and religious milieu in which the Prophet Muhammad forged his message, Aslan paints a portrait of the first Muslim community as a radical experiment in religious pluralism and social egalitarianism. He demonstrates how, after the Prophet’s death, his successors attempted to interpret his message for future generations–an overwhelming task that fractured the Muslim community into competing sects. Finally, Aslan examines how, in the shadow of European colonialism, Muslims developed conflicting strategies to reconcile traditional Islamic values with the realities of the modern world, thus launching what Aslan terms the Islamic Reformation. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account of a magnificent yet misunderstood faith.

Customer Reviews:

A good begining .......2007-08-27

If your interest in Islam stems from the media attention the religion receives then this book is a wonderful way of learning about the beginning of it all. Aslan's work is clearly structured and unbiased. I wants the reader to understand the gentleness of the religion as well as the powerful protectiveness of the muslims that practise this faith.
War can be found within any religion, just look at the Crusades.
The book is a wonderful piece that I would highly recommend to people who would like to learn more and make their own opinion rather than rely on the views of others.

Excellent Intro to Islam.......2007-08-18

After 9.11, there has been a sudden obsession with Islam. The extreme right-wing media would like to portray the religion as spewing hate and preaching violence. But what is the truth? There are so many versions out there trying to explain Islam to you -- but as an ignorant person, how do you determine what is true and what is fiction?

My knowledge of Islam is practically nil. With growing interest in the religion and my curiosity to learn the origin and spiritual leanings of Islam and the reasons behind the fanaticisms that seem to pervade through a section of the middle east - I decided to read No God but God. Basically, I wanted to form my own opinion rather than being fed with half-baked truths by the media, erroneously termed as facts.

I should also confess - I chose this book because of the author. Reza Aslan has appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher and on the Daily Show. On these shows, he appeared intelligent, eloquent, and exuded a firm grasp of the politics and history of the underpinings of the Islamic movement and the religion itself.

Needless to say, I was impressed. I wikkipedia-ed and googled him; read through his website and discovered he was a scholar - a major plus. Obviously, there are many books out there on Islam. However, as a researcher myself, I decided to go with my kind. I was not wrong with my choice.

The book is very well written. At no time, do you feel that you are getting a boring history lesson. The information is overwhelming, but at the back of my mind, I kept thinking - Does the author have an ulterior motive? Is there a hidden agenda? Is he espousing something specific? Unfortunately, it is difficult to know because I have nothing to compare to. He is a research scholar not the average novelist and therefore, I am inclined to accept his explanations and historical accounts.

The book does not disappoint, it is a fascinating read. I learned a lot and now have a better understanding of the nature of Islam and also, why a faction of Muslims are imposing their myopic interpretation of Islam.

He does a great job in narrating and combining history with current happenings. He beautifully leads us through the origins of the Prophet, his beliefs, principles, and persuasions behind the characterization of the Quran. You also read about the Ka'ba at Mecca, its inextricable link with the origins of Islam and the politics of the rulers that came and went. You learn about the struggle to dissociate Islam, the religion, from the politics of establishing law and governance, as espoused by the various Islamic sects. And finally, you learn about the continuing struggle - as Islam and its believers unravel what the Prophet truly hoped to establish and the future direction of this massive religious movement.

What I found most interesting was the confluence of the origins and teachings of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Ironically, despite the clear commonalities between these main religions, there is so much strife and hate.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Reza's work.

[...]

3 1/2 Stars. Not objective like the author intends, but still a good read.......2007-06-20

As a Muslim, I read this book with interest. In NO GOD BUT GOD, Reza Aslan attempts to narrate and analyze the Origins and Evolution of Islam, and a vision of its Future.

Starting with an exploration of Pre-Islamic Arabia, he details the life of the Prophet Muhammad (s), and follows up with the 4 Rightly Guided Caliphs. He then focuses on the evolution of Islamic thought, including the development of the Ulama in Sunni Islam, and the development of other schools of thought/sects such as Shiism and Sufism. He finishes by detailing the response of the Muslim world to colonialism, and modern issues today, especially Islam's struggle towards democracy.

Aslan aims to portray what he feels is an 'objective' portrayal of Islamic history, by correcting what he feels are errors by past scholars, especially Muslim scholars with idealized views. However, ultimately, he is not very successful in his quest. While he criticizes early Islamic historians for portraying '9th century Baghdad' rather than '7th century Madina', one can argue that his view of Islamic history is '21 century American' rather than '7th century Madinan.' His biases are evident, and are typical of 21st century America and the West: Denial of supernatural events, resistance to established historical (especially religious) authority, preference for free-flowing spirituality versus formalized doctrines of law, and importance given to issues such as democracy. (Note, as an American, I share some of these biases, but its important to note their existence as biases in a quest for objectivity.)

Aslan usually starts each section by presenting 'the idealized' view of a topic, as narrated by early Muslim scholars (what he terms as 'myth') and then presents what he believes 'really happened' (history). Myth typically includes miracles, and heroic portrayals of people involved. Those inclined to believe in miracles (and I am one) may have difficulty with this approach, as he flatly says that it doesn't matter whether or not miracles happened (ie, whether Jesus raised the dead) but rather, what role such myths play in shaping the beliefs of a particular religious community. I heartily disagree with Aslan here- I believe it matters a great deal whether or not the beliefs of a religious community are shaped by actual historical events (including wonderous, amazing ones) or whether such beliefs are based on, in the end, lies and falsehood. In any case, Aslan was not there to witness events such as Lazarus rising from the dead, and neither were the early historians, so ultimately, it is up to each person to make up their own mind about the actual historicity of such supernatural events.

Aslan also occasionally over stretches himself in his attempts to deny miracles. For instance, he suggests that its unlikely that the Prophet (s) was illiterate, because as a merchant, he supposedly had to be able to read and write. Clearly Aslan has not spent much time with illiterate people- and is unable to recognize just how much these people can do without reading and writing. (illiterate people today are health workers treating pneumonia and malaria using complex medical regimens, and performing internationally recognized research, including recording results, about endangered species).

However, I must admit that I greatly appreciated Aslan's candor about the religious personalities involved. Sunni Islamic scholarship presents early Islamic historical figures (such as the first 4 Caliphs) and the early Muslim community as incredible, nearly error free, almost absolutely perfect, human beings- almost super-beings. I was always struck at the incongruity of such idealized descriptions and the fact that within a few decades after the death of the Prophet (s), the early Islamic community entered a massive civil war from which one could argue Islam never recovered. I wondered, how could such a supposedly perfect community made with such supposedly perfect people get into such a serious mess so quickly? Reading Aslan's descriptions (which included Sunni, Shii, and western sources) of the personalities involved was very helpful in this regard: they weren't perfect people, but were deeply religious, well meaning people who, yes, had their share of faults, misunderstandings, and disagreements (about Islam and a lot of other things) which built up over the years, and in the chaotic transition after the Prophet's death, exploded into civil war.

Aslan is unable to hide his obvious disdain of the Ulama (Islamic Scholars who have codified Islamic Law, or Shariah). He paints them entirely in a negative light, as a power hungry, control-mad group which has stifled all flexibility from the religion. While this view undoubtedly has a good deal truth to it (I am extremely sympathetic), it must also be admitted that the Scholars did a great deal of work to preserve the religion, and its history, without which we may not even have the religion today, and certainly would know far less about the events surrounding its birth and rise. Aslan is equality negative about the Ayatollah Khomeni, who he feels promised democracy but in reality bamboozled the Iranian people into accepting a theocracy (in reality, a dictatorship under his rule) through his powerful persona. Aslan's views on Khomeni are understandable given the fact that he lived his early life in Iran, experienced the hope that the Iranian people felt during the revolution, only to have to flee the country with his family.

On the other hand, Aslan is quite positive about Sufism, the spiritual branch of Islam, defending all its variations, despite admitting that at least some Sufi beliefs don't square very well with the basic Islamic creed, "No God but God." Aslan correctly states that Sufism is quite complex, and is not generalizable. However, he occasionally tries to generalize anyway, with a view of defending Sufism against the barrage of negative criticism it has received for the unorthodox views of some of its branches. However, this approach leads to occasional contradictions: for example Aslan states that all Sufis follow Islamic acts of worship such as 5 daily prayers, but then also says that some Sufis believe acts of religious worship are only important for the masses, and others believe it is a shell that can be cast off once deeper layers of spirituality are realized.

Aslan's biases are finally represented in his vision of Islam's future. He clearly believes in Islamic pluralism, and believes that it can best be represented by a democracy. Furthermore, he believes that when God's law and the popular will contradict, the popular will should win out. The limits of Islamic pluralism is hotly debated today in the Muslim world, but for me, the claim, "No God but God" is the key to Islam, along with the belief in Muhammad (s) Prophethood. These two aspects should be the backbone of anyone calling themselves a Muslim.

The issue of popular sovereignty over divine law (properly understood and contextualized) is considerably more complex. I ultimately agree with Aslan, one cannot force on a community any law, including a law from God, over a people who do not believe in it, or do not want it implemented in their community. However, Aslan leaves it there, as if that is the end of the story. I would argue that every effort should be made to make the community see the wisdom of divine laws, emphasizing positive consequences in implementing them (improved justice, equality, social harmony, etc) and pointing out negatives of not following them (chaotic society, broken down families, etc), both in this world and in the afterlife.

As other reviewers mention, Aslan is a good writer. His writing is clear and he is able to explain complex concepts deftly. I actually found his 'idealized' sections (the 'myths') often even better written and more powerful than this supposedly objective analysis that follows: his 'myths,' whether of the Prophet (s), the companions, the Caliphs, or Sufi legends are dramatic and pulsating with life. After reading them, it was a bit of a let down (and at times, even irritating) to be told, 'well this is what REALLY happened' and reading an analysis of events that I did not find objective. Aslan should try his hand at fiction!

Know thy enemy.......2007-06-10

Being an agnostic, I look at this book as an analysis of Islam from a present and future aspect. I did not realize that there were so many sects within Islam. Most members of this faith that I have known or been acquainted with have been normal members of society,mainly of Pakistani origin. I am of Jewish origin and some Islamists, mainly from Egypt, would not talk to me. This is against the teachings of Mohammed, a fact unknown by most Mohammedans. The politicalization of this faith is also contrary to his teachings.Since there is so little organization within the relgious factions, I can now understand how the faith can be manipulated by a few. It is almost like the takeover of Germany in the 1930's by Adolph Hitler and his group. I used to think it was sloganism when people said that the faith was hijacked by radical politicians. Now It seems to me, after reading this text, to be a reality .I think it should be a must reading especially by our politicians,but also people of all faiths, especially Islamists!

Wishfull thinking.......2007-06-08

Not in our grandchildren's lifetimes will they see anything remotely resembling enlightened Islam. The author's major problem is that he grew up in America, and understanably, sees the Islamic world and history from that Christianized perspective. The Koran is written in an old fashioned language and script that is not easily accessible to the modern arabic reader. Couple that with the fact that illiteracy rates are very high in many Islamic-dominant countries, except his home country of Iran, and they are at the mercy of the mullahs who preach and teach whatever they interpret as "holy writ". With over 240 admonitions to control, convert, or kill the infidel, and only one or two mentions of Love in a Christian sense, it's no wonder the Islamic fundamentalist have won the reformation battle. Game over. Anyone who espouses a modernistic reform agenda will be be rooted out, and struck down. It's dangerous wishful thinking otherwise.

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

Average customer rating:

Just what I needed on the Dome in Florence
A Thinker's Book
Can culture be thrilling?
great read
Read this book before you go to Firenze!

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
Ross King
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Renaissance | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0142000159
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Amazon.com

Filippo Brunelleschi's design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence remains one of the most towering achievements of Renaissance architecture. Completed in 1436, the dome remains a remarkable feat of design and engineering. Its span of more than 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington, D.C., making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. The story of its creation and its brilliant but "hot-tempered" creator is told in Ross King's delightful Brunelleschi's Dome.

Both dome and architect offer King plenty of rich material. The story of the dome goes back to 1296, when work began on the cathedral, but it was only in 1420, when Brunelleschi won a competition over his bitter rival Lorenzo Ghiberti to design the daunting cupola, that work began in earnest. King weaves an engrossing tale from the political intrigue, personal jealousies, dramatic setbacks, and sheer inventive brilliance that led to the paranoid Filippo, "who was so proud of his inventions and so fearful of plagiarism," finally seeing his dome completed only months before his death. King argues that it was Brunelleschi's improvised brilliance in solving the problem of suspending the enormous cupola in bricks and mortar (painstakingly detailed with precise illustrations) that led him to "succeed in performing an engineering feat whose structural daring was without parallel." He tells a compelling, informed story, ranging from discussions of the construction of the bricks, mortar, and marble that made up the dome, to its subsequent use as a scientific instrument by the Florentine astronomer Paolo Toscanelli. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Ross King has a knack for explaining complicated processes in a manner that is not only lucid but downright intriguing. . . . Fascinating." (Los Angeles Times)

By all accounts, Filippo Brunelleschi, goldsmith and clockmaker, was an unkempt, cantankerous, and suspicious man-even by the generous standards according to which artists were judged in fifteenth-century Florence. He also designed and erected a dome over the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore-a feat of architectural daring that we continue to marvel at today-thus securing himself a place among the most formidable geniuses of the Renaissance. At first denounced as a madman, Brunelleschi literally reinvented the field of architecture amid plagues, wars, and political feuds to raise seventy million pounds of metal, wood, and marble hundreds of feet in the air. Ross King's captivating narrative brings to life the personalities and intrigue surrounding the twenty-eight-year-long construction of the dome, opening a window onto Florentine life during one of history's most fascinating eras.

Customer Reviews:

Just what I needed on the Dome in Florence.......2007-08-27

This slim volume contains a lot of detailed information - both on the construction of the dome, and on the politics and rivalries behind the scenes. It is well presented and makes for an absorbing read.
The drawings of the unique hoisting equipment developed by Brunelleschi showed that he was as much an engineer as an architect.
I'll be visiting the dome this fall and now have a wealth of information to make my tour more meaningfull.

A Thinker's Book.......2007-07-23

Some books are for cruising,easy reading with the mind in overdrive, even serious books like King's Judgement of Paris, the reading of which brought me to this book. Yes I know it should have been the other way around. I had picked this text up a few times in my bookstore strolls, but always was tempted elsewhere. Then I read that fine work on the birth of Impressionism and its Hercules like incunabula strangulation of the python of Beaux Arts . It was a wowser!! and I wanted a bit more of this author's breezy erudition. Kind of like a great graduate class with that perfect professor; so I went back and bought the "Dome." Well, it was no smoothie. Yes this earlier book has the artists achieving grand feats, there is the rivalry of big egos, there is even the conflict(inevitable) of creative minds mostly in agreement. But it does not have all the same zip as Paris. Maybe because with the passage of time the bits and pieces of these rivalries have been obscured , darkened like Michaelangelo's chapel by all the years smudges and wisps of smoke until when we clean them up, they no longer are what we have come to treasure. The physical difficulty, the inventiveness, the sheer bravado of construction at great height are a big part of this book. To me the tools are so many large ratchets and socket wrenches. Then too, there is the amor loci of architecture. How many copies of the Parthenon have we seen, and yet they are just not the Acropolis. So the Duomo. It is difficult to envision the redtiled Florentine skyline elsewhere. But the objects of Manet, Degas, Cezanne are transportable and have become loved items. Certainly the physical achievement of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Flowers far surpasses that of The Alba Madonna, but Raphael is after all with us and as has been said the near dear drives off the distant beloved. So I guess the subject cannot carry all the discussion of the mechanical wow. I am glad I took the course, learned a lot, but would be cautious in whom I would tell to just go ahead, you'll love it.

Can culture be thrilling?.......2007-06-27

I find books about engineering, art and architecture more interesting when they are written as cliff-hangers. 'Brunelleschi's Dome' by Ross King is one of them. As are his 'Michelangelo and the Pope's ceiling' and King's latest 'The Judgement of Paris'.
Superbly documented and written with great speed, they kept me reading instead of looking at the real thing. Coming back to the real things I find myself looking through different eyes!
If you like this type of reading, be sure to look for 'The Lighthouse Stevensons' by Bella Bathurst (HarperCollins, 1999) and 'St Peter's' by Keith Miller (Profile Books, 2007)!

great read.......2007-05-14

a well researched and very readable account of a staggering masterpiece, which at the time was considered impossible to build and of its creation and creator.

Read this book before you go to Firenze!.......2007-05-13

I often give a copy of this book to friends planning a trip to Italy... A quick read and a marvelous story about the intrigue...everything about renaissance Italy was an intrigue!... and history surrounding the building of the dome for il Duomo...I could almost feel Brunellschi climbing the stairs to the top dome with me...
This, and "Michaelangelo, The Popes Ceiling" also by Ross King, ought to be required reading for any student of history or anyone going to Italia... they breath life into Italian history.

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day

Average customer rating:

OK, but Leonardo was a late blooming 'genius'--400 yrs late
Think Like da Vinci by Gelb
Mostly other people's ideas
Stirring our thought models
Disappointing

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
Michael J. Gelb
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Creativity | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0440508274
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Amazon.com

Here's a personal growth guidebook that's won the admiration and recommendation of Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate of England. He calls this "a brilliant, practical guide to awakening and training our vast, unused resources of intelligence and ability." Author Michael Gelb, founder of High Performance Learning and consultant for companies including AT&T and National Public Radio, says that we all can unlock the "da Vincian" genius inside us. Gelb says there are seven critical principles that need to be followed for success, whether you're learning a new language, studying to be a gourmet chef, or just hoping to be more effective on the job:

Curiosita: An insatiably curious approach to life.
Dimonstratzione: A commitment to test knowledge through experience.
Sensazione: The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to clarify experience.
Sfumato: A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.
Arte/Scienza: The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination ("whole-brain thinking").
Corporalita: The cultivation of ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.
Connessione: A recognition and appreciation for the connectedness of all things and phenomena; "systems thinking."

Gelb discusses each of these principles in relation to what da Vinci accomplished, thereby giving this book a built-in history lesson. The illustrations from the master's work and time add a nice warmth to the work. As the president of NPR said after working with Gelb, this is a program recommended for "anyone who wants to experience a personal and professional Renaissance."

Book Description

Genius is made, not born. And human beings are gifted with an almost unlimited potential for learning and creativity. Now you can uncover your own hidden abilities, sharpen your senses, and liberate your unique intelligence—by following the example of the greatest genius of all time, Leonardo da Vinci.

Acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb, who has helped thousands of people expand their minds to accomplish more than they ever thought possible, shows you how. Drawing on Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, Gelb introduces Seven Da Vincian Principles—the essential elements of genius—from curiosità, the insatiably curious approach to life to connessione, the appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. With Da Vinci as your inspiration, you will discover an exhilarating new way of thinking. And step-by-step, through exercises and provocative lessons, you will harness the power—and awesome wonder—of your own genius, mastering such life-changing abilities as:

Problem solving
Creative thinking
Self-expression
Enjoying the world around you
Goal setting and life balance
Harmonizing body and mind

Drawing on Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb, introduces seven Da Vincian principles, the essential elements of genius, from curiosita, the insatiably curious approach to life, to connessione, the appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. With Da Vinci as their inspiration, readers will discover an exhilarating new way of thinking.

Step-by-step, through exercises and provocative lessons, anyone can harness the power and awesome wonder of their own genius, mastering such life-changing skills as problem solving, creative thinking, self-expression, goal setting and life balance, and harmonizing body and mind. —

Customer Reviews:

OK, but Leonardo was a late blooming 'genius'--400 yrs late.......2007-10-07

Haven't read this book but keep in mind Leonardo's notes were only deciphered and published in the late 19th century--if he's a genius, and he probably was, though from an engineering point of view some of his stuff was conceptual and won't work, and was conceptualized before him--he's an undiscovered genius like American scientist Willard Josiah Gibbs, who made fundamental contributions that were not recognized at the time since he never published them correctly. What does that say about life--you have to promote yourself? But if you did that in the Renaissance that was sometimes dangerous; better to lie low.

Think Like da Vinci by Gelb.......2007-09-01

The author discusses some classic thinking processes which help with
creativity and invoking the genius in us all. Some of these qualities
are recognizable. i.e.

o curiosity
o testing knowledge via experience
o interconnectedness
o refining the senses
o embrace and ponder on uncertainty and ambiguity
o cultivate grace and poise
o balance scientific and artistic notions
o promote "whole brain" thinking

I would add some others to this list. i.e.
o patience
o analysis but avoidance of "analysis paralysis"
o quality rest and simulating a stream of consciousness and relaxation
o encounters with nature
o spontaneous refinement of ideas

The book centralizes some very important aspects of creativity worthy
of emulation.

Mostly other people's ideas.......2007-07-29

If you are new to techniques mentioned in this book, you may be thrilled - if you are familiar with them, you may be dissapointed. Most of techniques presented here are nothing new - some are from the book the Einstein Factor, some are from Tony Buzan's books (i.e. mind-mapping), there is a touch of biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. A good deal of questions that are designed to jog your creativity in this book are questions that are part of just about any goal-setting workshop, and here for example, Tony Robbins comes to mind. And there are few questions which I believe anyone who has ever had even a remote interest in spirituality has already asked - as in "What is my purpose in life?" and "How can I best serve my Creator?" All in all I have expected some original ideas from the author, but what I've found is mostly a summary of methods, techniques and exercises offered through other sources.

Stirring our thought models.......2007-07-28

Don't you just love the job application letter Leonardo writes? This book focuses us on the superb all-rounder life of Leonardo, and prompts us to be a little more curious, more adventurous and more aware.

I picked up my copy at the Indianapolis airport which made the flight back to New Zealand seem much shorter and more productive.

At some points the concepts Michael extrapolates from Leonardo's life are a bit tenuous and occasionally touchy-feely eg corporalita at work, but I didn't mind as you can utilise those ideas you feel are of value. I'm a regular mind map user, even if Leonardo's jottings appear a big jump to Buzan's approach today which Michael shares.

I did like Leonardo's notion of building a lexicon to enrich our vocabulary, or sketching regularly, or listing questions - big or small, to keep us searching.

In essence, a useful thought-stirrer. We can all do a great deal more than our current thought models allow.

Disappointing.......2007-05-23

I've studied Da Vinci, and, because of that I looked forward toward reading this book. I was sorely disappointed. This is mostly a made up fiction which makes me wonder about why a publisher publishes a book like this without even an elementary attempt to check the facts.

Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius : 28 Build-It-Yourself

Average customer rating:

Definitely worth buying
Arcs, sparks, and blue flashes.
Interesting and enlightening
Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius
Rather incomplete.

Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius : 28 Build-It-Yourself
Robert E. Iannini , and Robert Iannini
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071426094

Book Description

The do-it-yourself hobbyist market, particularly in the area of electronics, is hotter than ever. This books gives the “evil genius” loads of projects to delve into, from an ultrasonic microphone, to a body heat detector, and all the way to a Star Wars Light Saber. This book makes creating these devices fun, inexpensive, and easy.

Customer Reviews:

Definitely worth buying.......2007-07-18

This do it yourself book is great for anyone looking to gain greater knowledge of the very interesting world of electronics. the project are usually within budget, and always worth every penny.

Arcs, sparks, and blue flashes........2007-06-08

This text has the best instructions for building a Tesla coil!

Interesting and enlightening .......2007-03-24

So buy this book if you are curious and want to know how to build things. Do not buy this book if you have no intention of wanting to learn how to read electrical schematics. You will need to know how to read electrical schematics if you want to build anything in this book. Other than that, It is awesome!!!!!!

Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius.......2007-01-18

Has alot of useful facts on topics. Parts lists are out of date. Electrical supply houses and Radio Shack have most of the parts but never enough to finish a project.

Rather incomplete........2007-01-11

It's an interesting glance-thru, but the projects are out-of-scope for most people and require buying supplies from the publisher.

A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys)

Average customer rating:

An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy
a few good bits
The Best of All Worlds
A repentant look at Christianity
McLaren the theologian?

A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, ... anabaptist/anglican, metho (Emergentys)
Brian D. McLaren
Manufacturer: Zondervan/Youth Specialties
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310258030

Book Description

By celebrating strengths of many traditions in the church (and beyond), this book will seek to communicate a “generous orthodoxy.”

Customer Reviews:

An excellent vision of a Christian orthodoxy.......2007-09-29

I absolutely loved Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian", a book that opened up a whole new world for me of possibilities of staying within the Christian faith, something on which I had almost given up. Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis", in a different way, did the same. So I approached this next book by McLaren feeling exceptionally positive towards him and his writing.

I wasn't disappointed. However this book is very different than "A New Kind of Christian". Once you get past the amusingly-titled but a little wordy Chapter 0 McLaren goes on a tour through different denominations and styles within Christianity, highlighting the good points about them (as well as looking at the bad), showing what we can all learn from this part of the church, and taking those good parts in order to build them into a new 'generous' orthodoxy. It's a great idea and it's also good to read a book which is very positive about so many denominations.

Of course there are the negatives, and Brian says that he is from a particular part of the church and so perhaps he gives them a harder time (the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist wing). As this coincides very much with how I feel about that branch of Christianity that's no problem for me but I suppose readers from that tradition might find it uncomfortable reading at times. We're left in no doubt that McLaren is not a big fan of televangelists but he is a strong supporter of the green movement, that he is learning more to value the Roman catholic and Anglican ideas about liturgy and the mystical side of the church.

What works very well is that each of the different elements in the book (missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetical, biblical etc) get their own chapter where he delves into that tradition/idea and often gives the history of the movement which was fascinating for me with many of these. He seems able to see the bigger picture with many of these denominations and,