Book Description
Singer and Avery present in popular language supported by in-depth scientific evidence the compelling concept that global temperatures have been rising mostly or entirely because of a natural cycle. Unstoppable Global Warming explains why we're warming, why it's not very dangerous, and why we can't stop it anyway.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-10-17
Fred Singer tells it like it is. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for the facts of global warming rather than the hype.
Singer is truly a gem.
Enjoyable Read.......2007-10-16
Back in the late 70's when I was in college, I started out majoring in Environmental Earth Science. Before coming to my senses and switching to something more practical, one of the things I remember (besides those endless field trips measuring pollution levels in streams) was all of the talk about the impending next ice age.
Several pleasant decades of ignorance followed. In the last few years, I started comparing my recollections of those convincing lecturers with the human-powered global warming alarmists, now in fashion.
Funny how similar and tenuous their arguments seem to me.
Now about the book... As a non-scientist with a good grasp of the scientific method as well as physical processes, I found this an enjoyable, disciplined and methodic counterpoint to the Oscar-winning slideshow-think in the popular news outlets.
Unstoppable Global Warming - Singer and Avery .......2007-10-03
This is an excellent book that answers real questions and concerns about global warming. It counters the "sky is falling" syndrome propagated by those who do not know the real facts or insights related to the warming trends. The book focuses on adapting to a common cyclical environmental event versus approaches that are a waste of time trying to stop the warming. Overall the book is well written but is somewhat academic. There is a detailed effort to outline the warming trend with factual information and details. Is well worth the read.
A Must Read.......2007-10-02
Singer and Avery offered a well documented, heavily researched, and easily read analysis of the global warming issue.
Their conclusion: Yes, the earth is currently warming, however so slightly. No, man is not the cause of this warming. Rather, it is dependent upon 1,500 year climate cycles embedded within larger ice-age and non-ice-age shifts (which take millions of years, according to the authors). All of which is dependent upon the amount of the sun's radiance hitting the earth, which in turn varies upon the amount of solar winds intercepting said radiation. (Note: this is the summary of a layman, and is dramatically over simplistic.) This is supported by the analysis of literally hundreds of studies.
Accompanying the scientific support of the 1,500 year cycle and refutation of the greenhouse gas theory, Singer and Avery include a poignant and absolutely necessary look at the implications of acting upon the greenhouse gas theory. Truth in this issue is not a matter of simply proving one's point, of social/political standing, or of a voting platform, but one of life and death importance.
This being a heavily scientific book, perhaps "easily read" was an exaggeration. Rather, "well written" would suitably describe this readable, yet challenging book.
The authors, while being experts in the field of global climate studies, are not devoid of a sense of humor, one at which greenhouse gas theorists would certainly take issue.
The Amazon reviewer Crosslands sums up my personal opinion of this work well:
Pseudoscientists and others with a vested interest in controlling the global economy by use of the global warming hoax will not like this work. However informed readers concerned with human welfare and human progress will find this book invaluable. This book should be read by all Amercians and really by everone else in the world.
Global Warming Evaluation with Documentation.......2007-09-22
I have read this book thoroughly and enjoyed it very much. I was very impressed with the breadth, depth and documentation included with the book and range of topics presented by the authors. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in assessing the true status of the "Global Warming" Hypothesis.
Dr. James F. Howard, Ph.D.
Geo and Environmental Sciences
Book Description
BIOLOGY is an authoritative majors textbook with evolution as a unifying theme. In revising the text, McGraw-Hill has consulted extensively with previous users, noted experts and professors in the field. It is distinguished from other texts by its strong emphasis on natural selection and the evolutionary process that explains biodiversity.
Customer Reviews:
graphs are incredible, text is wordy.......2006-08-27
The graphs summarize lots of important information in a clear and easy to understand format.
Some part of the text is wordy, not very concise. It helps to develop the breadth and depth of the text but meanwhile it's quite distracting and sometimes confusing for grasping the key concepts.
The best biology book ever.......2005-08-05
I absolutely love this book. The explanations are thorough and understandable and the pictures and diagrams cannot be beat. Truly a great read. The book goes into enough detail, but not too much that you get confused. Thank you Purdue bio department for choosing this book!! Highly recommended!
Excellent book for College Biology.......2004-12-24
I utilized this book for my college biology classes. It was very complete and had great details on photosynthesis, Krebs cycle, glycolysis. I even liked the chapters on animal structure and function, quite interesting. However, the chapter on genetics was the hardest to read. I had to re-read pages over again to understand what Raven was trying to teach. If you want to know what is the best study guides for college biology to study from, get the following by Patrick Leonardi--
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 1)
Topics: Organziation of Living Things and Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of the Cell and Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics.
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 2)
Topics: Evolution, Ecology, Kingdom Bacteria, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Viruses, Plant Form and Function
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 3)
Topics: Kingdom Animalia, Organization of the Animal Body, Animal Form and Function, Animal Reproduction, Development and Behavior.
The last three study guides prepared me for the kind of questions that were asked on my college exams. This helped me cut a lot of time in my studying because now I new what to focus on. Raven's book is a also a must buy.
Book Description
Teens love this Bible because its articles are more indepth, it touches on topics deeply important to them, and it speaks in language they can understand. This revised edition includes a concordance, sixty more articles to help young people pray, study, and live the Bible, an expanded lectionary reading plan, nine full-color maps, eight reading plans, four special indexes, a full-color timeline, and four pages of full-color maps.
Customer Reviews:
Catholic Youth Bible.......2007-10-11
We were very pleased with these books as we use them with our youth group. They are written well and are easy for the students to use.
Catholic Youth Bible.......2007-10-10
This is an awesome Bible for kids- especially young teens. We give them to our 6th graders each year and they use it for study through high school.
We have always purchased them through the publisher and they have become quite costly. By buying through Amazon, I saved over $300.00! Yes, I will check here for purchases in the future.
Not only for youth!.......2007-09-29
We have been using this version of the Bible for people entering into the Catholic Faith (RCIA). Everyone loves it. It not only explains the meaning of passages but offers insight into the teaching and traditions of the Catholic Faith and has prayers tucked here and there. Also, it applies the biblical message to different situations, cultures and ethnicities. Add all that up and you have a bible that is easy to read and understand and a way to understand Catholic teaching.
Great Bible!
Ordered for school.......2007-09-20
I ordered this book last minute for my daughter (who didn't know it was a requirement until after school started.) It came in a timely manner which is what we needed. The book stores in the area did not have it on hand.
The Catholic Youth Bible Revised.......2007-09-10
My son needed this book for school and we received in time for school. Great service!
Book Description
The only performer to earn 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame--for film, recordings, TV, radio, and live performance--Gene Autry was the singing cowboy king of American entertainment. Now, in Public Cowboy No.1, Holly George-Warren offers the first serious biography of this singular individual, in a fascinating narrative that traces Autry's climb from small-town farm boy to multimillionaire. Here for the first time Autry the legend becomes a flesh-and-blood man--with all the passions, triumphs, and tragedies of a flawed icon. George-Warren recounts stories never before told, including revelations about Autry's impoverished boyhood, his adventures as an up-and-coming singer, and the impact his unbelievable success had on his personal life. She describes Autry's loving but doomed mother, who died on the brink of her son's success, and his ne'er-do-well father, who married five times and wandered the west. Autry battled his own demons but emerges here in a positive light, an immensely personable man, one of America's most charitable benefactors, known for his boundless generosity, and a patriot who enlisted during World War II. The book provides equally colorful details of Autry's lengthy radio and recording career, which included such classics as "Back in the Saddle Again" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; his movie career, where he breathed new life into the Western genre; and his role in early television, being the first movie star to develop his own TV shows. And along the way, we see how he invested shrewdly in radio, real-estate, and television, becoming the owner of the California Angels and the only entertainer listed among 1990's Fortune 400. Based on exclusive access to Gene Autry's personal papers, as well as interviews with more than 100 relatives, employees, colleagues, and friends, this engaging biography brings to life a major Hollywood star--a man who, more than anyone else, put Western music and style on the American cultural map.
Customer Reviews:
All About Gene.......2007-09-25
This is a big book all about the career of Gene Autry, and not enough about his personal life, which is usually what I like to read. I don't need to know about every record he made and when and every performance, etc., etc., etc. And I don't need to know about all his business dealings. But I like to know about what stars did behind the scenes, etc., and surprisingly this seemed to involve a lot of drinking and womanizing which I didn't think Autry had done. Oh well. There just wasn't enough about him personally for my reading taste, but the guy had no children and had a solid marriage, so I guess there isn't much dirt on him.
Autry Fans - Buy It!.......2007-08-12
Anyone who was a fan of Gene Autry or who liked westerns during their golden years or who just enjoys good biography will find this a very compelling story. It tells the story of a very good, but a very complex man who grew up in poverty, endured a difficult childhood, and displayed very human flaws. This book is endorsed by the Gene Autry Corporation but doesn't coverup or sugarcoat the fact that, despite his image, Gene drank heavily after WW2, maybe to the point of alcholism, and was not always faithful to his wife. Yet he never failed to visit children's hospitals, give supergenerously to those in need, take care of family and non-family alike, and do much good for many people. This includes several generations of children to whom he was always the ideal role model.
Holly George-Warren did an admirable job and deserves to be congratulated. One criticism: I wish Ms George-Warren had gone into greater depth into the extraordinarily complicated relationship between Gene and his wife Ina.
Memories of one of my favorite cowboys.......2007-07-31
This book brought back many great memories of Saturday matinees at our
neighborhood theatre. Gene Autry was one of my favorite western movie
stars. My favorite western movie star was Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid.
Our local movie "show" was a Columbia theatre which showed Columbia
movies including Columbia serials, the Durango Kid and assorted Columbia
"B" movies susitable for the kids' matinees. I enjoyed the Gene Autry 30's
and early '40's westerns more then the later ones he made. This book will
certainly return one to the "days of yesteryear." Excellent book!
Gene Autry, An American Idol.......2007-05-31
Public Cowboy No.1: The Life And Times Of Gene Autry, by Holly George-Warren
A book review by Jerry Rojo, May, 2007
Gene Autry, An American Idol
Holly George-Warrne's biographic tome is a definitive must-read, not only for the worldwide legions of the American cowboy moviegoing public, young and old, but also, anyone interested in a prototypical American dreamer on a lifelong trek, as defined by the arts and entertainment industry's dream factories from Hollywood to Madison Avenue. George-Warren's impeccably researched Gene Autry story, interestingly, is somewhat reminiscent of Doris Kerns-Goodwin's recent Abraham Lincoln book, Team Of Rivals, that chronicles the president's rags-to-riches life in the political arena. Both authors masterfully use the biographic form to convey their respective visions, yet provide the reader scholarly researched stories to ponder any number of themes and ideas about their subject. Like Lincoln, Autry was dirt poor, grassroots, self-made and ambitious; carefully grooming his career with a lifelong, unrelenting, innate ability to charm colleagues, friends and the public at large. Lincoln, too, was a performer. He cherished the spoken/written word, and the theatre, to the chagrin of his aristocratic, snobbish cabinet. Ironically, he was assassinated by a Shakespearean actor. The Autry book, like Lincoln's, defines his respective context/time in America. The political-rodeo arena is a metaphor for our country's so-called "culture", epitomized by the American Idol phenomena, with its demigod-like celebrities from respective realms of, popular entertainment, sports, politics. religion and, now a days, big corporations, all of which defines the current American ethos.
My can't-put-down read of George-Warren was fueled not only by her writing, but by my own childhood spent idolizing Gene Autry while growing up in Illinois, and, my subsequent professional interest in dramatic arts adds to the attraction. A compelling aspect of the book traces Autry's genealogy from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to pre-great depression Texas/Oklahoma, where Autry's story begins. During that period, one is amazed by his personal and professional character development, growing up in a family of six in abject poverty, with an on-and-off absentee, hard-drinking father, and by contrast, a deeply religious and nurturing mother. Everyone knows Autry's interest in the great American pastime, baseball, but a telling tidbit reveals that he was a pretty good sandlot player, and was offered a chance to play for a minor league team, but, declined because he was making more money working on the railroad and needed to support his family. That anecdote helps define this complex man. His devotion and generosity to family, friends and associates throughout his long life was always balanced by his knack for good judgment when it came to decisions about human welfare and the business of life.
It was during the seven odd years in the late 20s early 30s, while in the Chicago/Midwest, that young Autry began his "singing cowboy" career. But there was no overnight success here, instead, an astonishing story of how to succeed in show business--a methodology that paved the way for popular entertainers ever since. With a modicum of musical talent Autry used love of performing, hard work, determination, his WASPish good looks and savvy business acumen to mold a career that would lead to five-star recognition at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The book documents, in wonderful detail how he shrewdly evolved his signature persona-image, which, once established, never changed. At 91 he died with his boots on.
Before his Chicago days, Autry didn't start out as a cowboy singing around the campfire soothing a restless herd of cattle. He had his sights set on the popular music of the roaring 20s tin pan alley, which featured the likes of Gene Austin and Rudy Vallee (Autry's first name, Orvon, was substituted for Austin's). Ultimately, Gene Autry changed his musical style by literally imitating yodeling Jimmie Rodgers, the father of country/hillbilly music, who's great popularity appealed to blue-collar folks from the South and Midwest. After a brief trip to the Big Apple--before giving up his day job on the railroad--a failed audition with a record company sent Autry home to gain experience singing on local radio stations and other venues. He actually sang with a medicine show, a lesson learned, hawking products. Professional contacts and an established country-folk sound led him back to New York to make records. His recordings caught on, and with astute self-promotion Autry's popularity grew, garnering a spot on Chicago's popular WLS radio station's National Barn Dance program. There, his image was transformed to The Singing Cowboy.
With royalties from a national smash hit record, "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine" in his hip pocket, a newly minted Martin guitar with his ivory signature on the frets, a new Hollywood-like-Tom Mix cowboy "look" and Buick automobile, he barnstormed the environs of Chicago, Illinois. There, he discovered a key player on the road to success, the highly talented musician, singer, song writer and naturally gifted comedic performer, Smiley Brunette. Autry always had a keen eye for talented associates, musical and otherwise. Back in Chicago on the airwaves, and on tour, they soon developed their signature hero/sidekick routine.
Unlike the multitude of American denizens, then and now, seeking instant success in golden California, Autry didn't go to Hollywood; Hollywood came to Autry. He was already a "star", self-made, and, at a time when the Great Depression was raging world wide. Now, only in his late 20s, part two of his odyssey begins at a B-Western studio factory that Autry would bale-out of near financial ruin, Republic Pictures. Here, Ms George-Warren really delivers the goods with a compendium of data-based facts of tinsel-town fiction that chronicles Autry's American idol success story.
It was 1934, but he didn't have an auspicious start in the movies. After an initial bit part in a Ken Maynard flick, studio executives had reservations--with good reason--about Autry's abilities. It seemed clear, he excelled at nothing cinematic: a marginal singer-guitarist, bad acting, awkward in the saddle and, most of all, he lacked gunslinger machismo, a staple at the time. But, no matter, the audience Autry already established, had a different opinion. He had something!! And it didn't take but a couple of years or so for the Studio and Autry, tinkering with the chemistry, to come up with THE original Gene Autry that would become a one-of-a-kind icon. By 1939 he was in the big leagues with Clark Gable/Gone With The Wind, if you consider audience appeal and box-office numbers. Now, cash-cow-boy Autry played to millions of adoring fans of, so called, sophisticated folks from the East, NYC to Boston, and, Great Britain, where he seduced hundreds of thousands from across the island empire, evidenced by massive turnouts on tour. It was 1942, a turning point in Gene Autry's fame if not fortune. Here again, he makes a watershed career decision. Much to the dismay of Republic Pictures/Hollywood, he joins the military to fight in World War II. George-Warren reveals insightful, detailed stories of the war years that further defines this remarkable man. For example, why, arguably, at the pinnacle of popularity and performance-form does he do it? Is he a consummate patriot, or as he says, protecting his image-based code of cowboy ethics? He survives air force missions, military boredom and keeps in tune doing a stint with the USO at the end of the war, meanwhile at home, movie reruns and other strategies kept him in the public mind's eye. After the war Autry picked up where he left off with his still adoring fans, donning his cowboy persona, producing and performing a mind-boggling schedule of entertainment engagements, including burgeoning TV (he was the first Hollywood star to do so); but, it WAS the beginning of the end and not the end of the beginning, as Churchill coined. Then, in the early to mid 60s the fame-flame goes out, but the fortune doesn't. Now, Gene Autry transitions to the business tycoon still wearing cowboy clothes, occasionally sporting an LA Angels baseball cap. Autry scrupulously designed and protected his public image that, except for in the military, never changed. As entertainer he performed the SELF and when he hung up the guitar in the early 60s he took on the role of CEO, Gene Autry Enterprises, but little else changed.
But what was at the heart of that masked man? It's all there in Holly George-Warren's biography that unearths the Man UNDER the persona, and as she perceives you don't need his purely business-life endgame story. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone, public or private that hated or disrespected Gene Autry, then or now. And he was no pushover while wheeling and dealing in either his business interests or performance career. That's evident by his tough, recalcitrant stance with the tightfisted studio honchos, which, by the way, help lead to Actors's Equity and the independent film makers of today. And yes, the book gets into the nitty-gritty of his postwar performing years of womanizing and binge drinking but that served to make him more human and strengthen his character. A shrink would have a field day, given young Autry's polarized parenting. As a 10y.o. boy I idolized that innovative kind of cowboy-man who was good and strong, and that seemed to portray the best of American values (My grandsons have his 10 Cowboy Commandments, framed.). Singing and playing the guitar as a real-life person his pictures were action-filled musical westerns, portraying the American mantra during that time: talk softly and carry a big stick; he toted a six shooter but never killing the bad guy. My growing up after the war, it was easy to see his weakness as an aging performer and ever more commercializing career strategy, but in the long run, that never led to diminishing the demigod I worshiped circa 1942.
Gene Autry represented as performer and citizen the "God and Country" ideology. The ancient Greek and Romans worshipped a pantheon of Gods who were half-God and half-Human. A recent book, The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins offers a view on the subject of the human need for God/demigods: it's in the genes, a kind of inner quest for survival. The American mystique seems particularly wedded to the phenomena of super hero, professing a particular moral/ethical/ism standard, albeit augmented by commercialism. Some Heroes are good and others not so, Abraham Lincoln/Adolph Hitler obvious opposites, others, Brittany Spears, Babe Ruth, Jerry Falwell, and Bill Gates fall somewhere in between. Gene Autry was clearly one of the good guys/entertainers, among American's pantheon of God/demigods, further identified in the Epilogue, that points to the multimillions he gave to charity in his lifetime, contributing to schools, hospitals and building a world-class western art museum and institute for western studies. Holly George-Warren's book gives us the arc of this complex quintessential American, who was Gene Autry.
A VERY PUBLIC COWBOY by John Paddy Browne.......2007-05-10
Whatever Holly George-Warren says in her new biography of Gene Autry; however much detail she covers; however many previously unpublished facts she unearths, she is never going to please everyone. Even a monumental biography such as this one, packed to bursting as it is with dates and names and stories, will never record everything that we, the readers, will want to see.
The problem is not Ms George-Warren's. When she says she could have written a book twice this size, I believe her.
No, the problem was created by Autry himself. He lived to a mighty age, and into that great expanse of time he packed enough life experiences to fuel any number of books and magazines and newspaper articles. One glance at George-Warren's footnotes and bibliography shows how the world has been flooded with Autry newsprint throughout a career - no, several careers - that spanned 70 years. And that doesn't take account of his austere childhood (a story in itself that George-Warren tells in remarkable detail), or the vast amount of Autry material that has appeared since his death in 1998: the DVDs, the CDs, the books, the websites - even the belated victory of his Angels team in the World Series. Look at any of the online auction sites any day of the week and you will get an idea of just how much stuff Autry left behind: the supply seems endless, and endlessly varied, and all of this is merely an illusion of the man's actual working life.
Autry was a workaholic, driven, it seems, to be always doing something. When his contemporaries Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and Tyrone Power finished their day's work at the studio, they went home and put their feet up. Not Autry. As George-Warren records in breathless detail, even while shooting a movie, Autry would be called to the phone to deal with some other business in which he was involved elsewhere: or he would receive commercial partners for discussions on set. There simply weren't enough hours in the day for him.
This handsome biography could never hope to cover everything in such an industrious life, and some of the material that is missing has been judiciously excised for purely logistical, editorial reasons. Quite rightly, the author almost completely eschews Autry's involvement in baseball (a blessed relief for those of us not interested in sports), and instead concentrates a good deal of time to his early radio and recording work. A fascinating account of Autry's notorious shoot-out with Herb Yates at Republic Studios, usng the evidence of surviving documents, brings that painful episode to vivid life. George-Warren skirts around the hackneyed stories, veracious or otherwise, that Autry told so many times that he eventually believed them himself. She neither confirms them or denies them, but puts them into a sort of context from which the reader may draw his or her own conclusions about their probability.
Not that any of this matters, except insofar as how it paints a picture of a man who was as much a media creation as a real-life figure, and possibly more so since he carried the cowboy image into his private life by wearing his Western-styled clothes - his uniform - in public and at home, away from the working environment of the studios. He put on this uniform in the same way that Superman or Santa Claus put on their uniforms, and became a figment of our collective imagination. It was how he made money.
And money is the one constant in Gene Autry's life. Whatever he did, and he did an inordinate number of different things, money was at the heart of it. "Working with figures is what I do best," he allegedly said. "What I do less well is act, sing and play the guitar." There is no hint whatever in the 400-plus pages of Holly George-Warren's book that Autry ever did anything for the love of it. He frequently spoke about how "proud" he was of certain of his achievements, and he had every reason to be proud of them - but that's not the same as "love". No-one ever got him to say that he sang certain songs because he loved them, in the way that, say, folk singers might sing songs for the love of them. Autry sang stuff that would make him money, and that was the criterion for performing and recording it.
His pursuit of money, indeed, seems to have been the one true love-affair of his life - and he has said as much. No-one will begrudge the man becoming one of the richest people in America when he worked so diligently and tirelessly to attain that pleasant state. Nobody gave him his wealth: he went out and worked for it. Ms George-Warren could easily have published a page from any one of Autry's touring schedules (and I've seen them) that would have shown him to be working in a different town or city every single day for months at a stretch. None of your two-days-on and four-days-off for him.
Along the way he gave the illusion of being a happy, carefree cowboy, bestowing a bounty of delight on his fans - fans who would carry their affection for him and loyalty to him into their old age. Autry's trick, if this does not sound too cynical, is that he made them feel that they all mattered to him when, in fact, everything he did, be it hospital visits to chat with sick children, merchandising his name relentlessly, [...] or claiming writing credits for someone else's work - and even his enlistment into the armed forces in World War 2 - all of it had a "money handle" - and he saw it all as a means of furthering his career.
Autry's publicity as high-flying business magnate, which so fascinated the Hollywood press, has done his artistic reputation no favors. Dismissed as "commercial" and superficial by many, it has been an uphill struggle for those of us trying to keep his memory alive, to justify his place at the top of so many lists of achievements in the arts. Indeed, the juxtaposition of the name "Autry" with the word "art" is almost an oxymoron - a contradiction. Yet the trail that Autry left behind him, that so many fledgling artists have followed to their benefit, speaks volumes for the influence he has had on the cultivation and development of the Country and popular music of America and other English-speaking countries. Academically, though, he was never recognised in his lifetime, nor was his work and contribution ever seriously analyzed or documented.
At the end of the day we, his fans, seem not to be troubled by any of this, and even Holly George-Warren's commendably open, impartial and well-written book, with its tales of risque songs, binge drinking, and amorous dalliances with his leading ladies (and some of his female Fan Club members) does nothing to lessen the man's stature. If anything, it reveals him to be more human than the singing cowboy of the screen ever was: the sort of man we are able to relate to: a flawed hero we can identify with.
And if this flies in the face of that famous remark made by the fictional editor of the Shinbone Star: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend!" what it may do is make the legendary figure of Gene Autry a more approachable figure to a new generation of admirers. And in our hero, the Singing Cowboy, they will find a great deal to admire. Holly George-Warren has seen to that. --JOHN PADDY BROWNE
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Adolescent Substance Abuse: A Guide to Prevention and Treatment (Child & Youth Services Series) (Child & Youth Services Series)
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Book Description
Yarns made from plant fibers, modern synthetics, and silk take the spotlight in this collection of 21 classic knitting patterns for socks, scarves, hats, bags, vests, sweaters, and even a luxurious bathrobe. Some knitters are discouraged by the thought of baggy hemp sweaters and droopy cotton socks when they consider vegetable fibers, but this authoritative, fun, and light-hearted guide promises that, while wool has no equal when it comes to elasticity and warmth, the right tricks and techniques produce non-wool fashions that fit well, wear well, and hang beautifully. Knitters are taught to knit swatches to study the behavior of a yarn, to choose an appropriate pattern, and to master techniques for reinforcing stitches and inserting knit-ins of springier yarn to keep cotton, silk, and other fibers from sagging. Key information about durability, weight, pilling, and special handling is provided for acrylic, bamboo, cotton, hemp, Ingeo, linen, lycra, nylon, polyester, rayon, silk, soy, Tencel, and viscose yarns, and a chapter of helpful tips advises on needles to use (and avoid), how to start new balls and weave in ends, how to work intarsia and Fair Isle patterns, smart ways to control the cost of materials, and the right methods for washing, drying, and blocking the finished pieces.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Resource for non-wool fibers.......2007-09-23
I love this book. I didn't think I would, but in the first chapter there is a detailed explanation of many fibers and how they are transformed into knittable goodness.
Amy Singer also talks about possible allergies - that sometimes it is the chemicals that are used to treat fibers that cause allergies. I learned a lot. I love Merino - don't get me wrong - but I am more likely to itch from it, and from any kind of wool. Before this book, I felt like I was a knitter-persona-non-grata. Not that I want to be -- just that I am of the 'wool and some acrylics can be itchy' camp.
The patterns are fun and different, and introduce a whole new way of thinking about knitting! Hooray!!
Informative & inspiring.......2007-07-30
I picked up this book thinking, I don't need another knitting book -- but this is not just another book of patterns. I am not allergic, but I don't always love wearing wool (esp. in warmer weather). Her patterns are unique and interesting, and she has inspired me to just pick up things that might be interesting just to swatch. Ms. Singer has filled a gap in my knitting library.
Interesting Ideas.......2007-07-08
I purchased this book mainly out of curiosity & to explore using other fibers than your normal wools, cottons, blends & synthetics. I haven't had a chance to actually read the book (we're a very busy family), but I found the patterns & the idea of using different natural & plant fibers to be very enticing. I consider myself to be an intermediate knitter, but because of time allowance, I prefer to stick to the simpler patterns that won't take as long to finish. I have become very good at adapting patterns to suit my own preferences. The yarns suggested in the book can be very pricey. I would suggest searching the fair trade market from such places as the Rain Forest Rescue Site, where recycled silk yarns & banana fiber yarns are available at a very reasonable price. Since I'm personally not in the position to spend a fortune on the expensive yarns, I prefer to substitute yarns with similar qualities or textures & I also try to stay as close to the gauge of yarn & needle size as possible. I'm no expert, but I always suggest to people - don't be afraid to experiment, have fun & if it doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to? Just learn from it! Start small, get a feel for it & go from there! Beautiful pictures & patterns! The book is worth adding to your personal library!
Not enough patterns for bamboo yarn........2007-05-23
I purchased this book because I had recently purchased some silk and bamboo yarn. I found the technical information at the beginning very interesting. Amy Singer goes through the structure of each type of yarn in great detail including care of each yarn. What I did find disappointing was that of all the knitting patterns (and there are many in silk, hemp, linen etc) there was no garment made from bamboo (apart from small scarf). This was the only area I thought was lacking.
Excellent reference for non-sheepy knitting.......2007-05-13
For those who can't/don't knit with wool or other animal-based yarns, or simply those who prefer cooler fare for summer knitting, No Sheep for You is an invaluable reference. Amy Singer gives a lot more than patterns (though the patterns are lovely). Her notes on the various types of fibers, their properties and how the construction of the yarn alters them, makes substituting these yarns in your own patterns much more doable. One star loss for a) not enough charting in the patterns (which echoes Knitty, Singer's on-line magazine), and b) rather hideously expensive yarns given in the patterns. I priced out the yarn as given in one of the sweater patterns at over $600, which is a good deal more than I'll be spending on yarn for one pattern in the foreseeable future. The information on yarn substitution is good enough to give me hope of finding more affordable alternatives, though, even if I have to spin them myself.
Book Description
Change is constant in everyday life. Infants crawl and then walk, children learn to read and write, teenagers mature in myriad ways, the elderly become frail and forgetful. Beyond these natural processes and events, external forces and interventions instigate and disrupt change: test scores may rise after a coaching course, drug abusers may remain abstinent after residential treatment. By charting changes over time and investigating whether and when events occur, researchers reveal the temporal rhythms of our lives. Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis is a much-needed professional book for empirical researchers and graduate students in the behavioral, social, and biomedical sciences. It offers the first accessible in-depth presentation of two of today's most popular statistical methods: multilevel models for individual change and hazard/survival models for event occurrence (in both discrete- and continuous-time). Using clear, concise prose and real data sets from published studies, the authors take you step by step through complete analyses, from simple exploratory displays that reveal underlying patterns through sophisticated specifications of complex statistical models. Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis offers readers a private consultation session with internationally recognized experts and represents a unique contribution to the literature on quantitative empirical methods. Visit http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/examples/alda.htm for: BL Downloadable data sets BL Library of computer programs in SAS, SPSS, Stata, HLM, MLwiN, and more BL Additional material for data analysis
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Work.......2007-07-15
I find Professor Singer's Book to be a most informative and useful tool for anyone who wishes to better understand Multilevel Modeling.
Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis by Singer,et al.......2007-03-13
Clearly written text... and usefull for researchers.
I would recommend it to anyone starting to learn about the subject!
The Clearest and Most Useful Book on HLM for Longitudinal Studies.......2006-07-28
This is simply the best book for those analyzing longitudinal data (data measured at more than one time point). Singer's coverage of Hierarchical Linear MOdeling (HLM) is clear, well-written (sprinkled with humor, it's like a lecture by the most popular prof. at your school), and geared towards researchers who need their programs to run, not just learn the mathematical underpinnings. Singer and Willett (the coauthor, not listed above!) set the standard for presenting math/statistics book examples.
THe authors accomplish the latter by keying her examples to data located at a UCLA website; you can run the same programs on the same datasets used in the book (wow!), and compare your output, troubleshooting any problems you may have. Singer and Willett (her coauthor, not listed here!) provide outputs and programs correspoing to several of the most popular statistical programs, including SAS and SPSS.
SInger and Willet also explain the rationale for using HLM over more traditional techniques such as regression. Simply stated, regression aggregates at a level that cause one to lose information (and hence the power to detect differences.) HLM allows one to look at overall differences due to time, but also the trajectories of individual differences who are "nested" within those time points. It's the (relatively) new thing, and is increasing used by investigators, and desired by peer reviewers.
As supplements, I suggest using the UCLA website mentioned above, subscribing to an e-mail LISTSERV for interesting (though sometimes compicated discussions of "multilevel modeling" (MULTILEVEL@JISCMAIL.AC.UK), and searching for Judith Singer's website through Google or A9 (if you use A9--"Alexa"--enough you'll get a small discount at Amazon.com). Also, compare Amazon's and Judith Singer's (through her website) current prices on this book.
Breaking down complex analyses .......2006-03-18
This is an excellent book. Multilevel modeling and survival analysis are becoming increasingly important in psychological studies, but are pretty complicated procedures. Singer & Willet offer both a conceptual background and practical ways to do the analyses in a clear, understandable manner. The book is very readable and will be an important reference for future analyses!
very clear and thorough.......2006-03-16
This book does a particularly good job of explaining the substantive meaning of the equations involved in multilevel modeling analyses. It spends a lot of extra time explaining what the equations mean in real world terms using examples from actual data sets. I teach a graduate level course on HLM and I much prefer this book to the Raudenbush & Byrk book because it not only does a better job of explaining the math (for graduate students less comfortable with statistics) but the chapters are also sprinkled with incredibly useful advice on actually running the analyses (getting them to converge, interpreting them, etc.) The Raudenbush & Bryk book probably does a slightly better job of presenting the equations, but it falls short on explanation and practical advice. If you were only going to buy one HLM book, I would start with this one.
Book Description
In this volume, some of today's most distinguished philosophers survey the whole field of ethics, from its origins, through the great ethical traditions, to theories of how we ought to live, arguments about specific ethical issues, and the nature of ethics itself. The book can be read straight through from beginning to end; yet the inclusion of a multi-layered index, coupled with a descriptive outline of contents and bibliographies of relevant literature, means that the volume also serves as a work of reference, both for those coming afresh to the study of ethics and for readers already familiar with the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Great introduction, some defects.......2001-03-11
I found this book to be a great introduction to all aspects of ethics. It leaves no area untouched: everything from Buddhist ethics to deontology, consequentialism, virtue theory, the nature of morality, and much much more is covered here. Indeed, I would say that anyone who wants a survey of this area of philosophy need look no further.
But the book has several glaring flaws. Notably, it appears that some of the choices of essays were slightly biased. A case in point: the two essays on comtemporary deontology and consequentialism. The essay on deontology appears to not be written by an actual deontologist, and the author spent most of the essay bringing up silly objections that even I, as a first year undergraduate philosophy major, could answer. This is in stark contrast to the essay on consequentialism, written in a tone that barely escapes arrogance by its end.
There is nothing wrong with having a die-hard supporter of consequentialism write an essay introducing people to the topic. If this book were better, all of the essays would've been written with just that goal in mind. To pick essays not written by people who actually subscribe to the ethical theory in question is simply poor editing, because often the writer reveals her ignorance. This reduces the quality of the book, instead of giving each ethical theory the best possible promulgation. Indeed, it's not as if deontology is so unpopular that Singer couldn't have found one to write about it.
If anything, a better choice of essays would've made this book more useful than it actually is. Indeed, one of the interesting things about the essay on "universal perscriptivism" by R.M. Hare, was that the table of contents actually claims that the article is written by the theory's originator and best spokesman. If all the essays were written by their respective theory's "best spokesman," than this book would have 5 stars.
Apart from these glaring flaws, the book remains a well edited companion to ethics. There is coverage (even if sometimes poor) given to almost every possible ethical theory, the history of ethics, applied ethics (just war, business ethics, etc.), and various ethical views (i.e., realism, naturalism, relativism, etc.). Anyone interested in a breif overview of the entire field of morality should start here.
My review is a single-sentence one........1999-03-11
The selection of the articles in this book is excellent: not too deep in any of the subjects and gives a wide range overlook on the field of ethics, I read it with eas and joy.
Book Description
Become skilled at AutoCAD 2004 while learning the basics of engineering design graphics! Self-paced tutorials take readers all the way from one-view engineering drawings to geometric constructions, multi-view projections, section and auxiliary views, 3D solid modeling, and more. Tutorials utilize a step-by-step approach, following traditional engineering drawing techniques and methods while teaching users how to exploit the newest features and functions of AutoCAD 2004 to achieve professional results. New and updated coverage includes information on photorealistic rendering, scaling and justifying text, translating text sizes between model space and drawing layouts, and managing the new unlimited re-do capabilities of AutoCAD 2004.
Product Description
We proudly present this collection of more than 400 praise & worship songs, from classic standards to the best current titles by top worship leaders such as Paul Baloche, Brenton Brown, Don Moen, Matt Redman, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin and Darlene Zschech. With great arrangements for all C instruments, this fake book is an invaluable resource for musicians from hobbyists to pros. It features instructions for using a fake book, a helpful Guitar Chord Guide, and two indexes: one alphabetical by song title, and the other by song key, which makes creating medleys a breeze. The notation is larger than in most standard fake books for ease of reading. By improvising with the chord symbols, players can fake their own arrangements of the songs, and many selections include suggestions for vocal harmonies in cue notes. Songs include: Above All Agnus Dei Ancient of Days As the Deer Awesome God Be Glorified Better Is One Day Breathe Celebrate Jesus Come Into His Presence Days of Elijah Draw Me Close Enough Firm Foundation Forever Give Thanks God of Wonders Great Is the Lord He Is Exalted The Heart of Worship I Could Sing of Your Love Forever Lord, Be Glorified Majesty Mighty Is Our God My Redeemer Lives Oh Lord, You're Beautiful The Potter's Hand The Power of Your Love Sanctuary Shout to the Lord That's Why We Praise Him These Hands This Is the Day We Fall Down We Will Glorify Worthy of Worship Y...
Customer Reviews:
Great material for worship bands.......2007-09-15
This is good stuff....what I like about this book is that there's the melody line and also choir parts for the vocals. So, with more than 1 worship leader, they can sing in different parts.
I bought this together with Best of Contemporary Christian: Over 400 Songs (Fake Books)....I found that the latter one has more difficult chords on the same songs as found in this one. But no vocal parts.
Thats cool with me though....
Best book ever..............2007-06-21
This is one of the best piano books I have owned. If you don't know how to read music but can play the melody AND you can learn how to play cords this one is for you. It sounds so nice !
I paid much more for this.
Don't hesitate to buy !
The cover says it all: This IS an essential tool..........2007-05-24
...but there's nothing fake about it =)
With only the chords and treble cleff melody line (sometimes simple chords), 400 songs can fit in the palm of your hand and be copied on one peice of paper instead of the full score which takes so much more space. If your keyboardists can fake with only the melody line and chords written above, then you're in business! After using various (not always copyright ethical) ways of gathering music together for teams in the past, I LOVE having it all in one place!
The only drawback is an odd paper size which can cause problems when photocopying one-time-use sheets (lines cut off sides and bottom)
Great Resource.......2007-03-05
Our praise band consists of Youth and the young at heart. This book was a nice resource that provided material that all could appreciate. Our band consists or two singers two guitarists and a precussionist. It was easy to read and follow for everyone. We did have our church organist sit in with us and she had a tough time since it is a fake book format. She needed to be able to see all the notes on staff instead of just the melody with some harmonies in spots with the chord names over the staff. We were able to use it as a good starting resource. If you are starting a praise band or contemporary service and are on a limited budget, I'd really recommend this song book. The selection of music represents both past favorites and current ones in an easy to read format that will allow you to start and progress in building a good pool of songs to use during worship. We play in a United Methodist Church and I would go as far as to choose this over The Faith We Sing song book that is published by United Methodist Press.
Worship & Praise Book.......2007-02-14
Awesome book for ANY worship and praise leader, or church musician.
Books:
- Vladimir Nabokov: Selected Letters 1940-1977
- Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
- Why I Wore Lipstick: To My Mastectomy
- Wooden
- Word and Object (Studies in Communication)
- A Passover Haggadah
- American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China
- Batman: Fear Itself
- Bedside Manners: One Doctor's Reflections on the Oddly Intimate Encounters Between Patient and Healer
- Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity
Books Index
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