M. R. James Books

The beauty of plants has attracted the interest of mathematicians for centuries. Plants have many conspicuous geometric features such as symmetry in their leaves, rotational symmetry in their flowers, and then there are the interesting helical arrangements of pine cone scales. This book examines two factors that organize plant structures and therefore contribute to their beauty. The first is the simple elegance of the rules which describe plant development in relation to time. The second is self-similarity as characterized by Mandelbrot.

This book applies the basic idea inherent in recursive graphics programming to modeling natural organic phenomena to the greatest degree of accuracy possible. This book uses L-systems, which is a method of specifying rules that enables very complex ideas to be expressed in a very exact way. The book contains no information on specific programming language implementation. However, the L-system specification is given in enough detail that an implementation of a basic L-system compiler should be attainable by most programmers with a talent for efficient algorithms implementation and sufficient motivation. All of the graphics are done using either two or three dimensional turtle commands, which are also easily adapted to fit into whatever compiler you choose. Efficient display routines will require some work, and as most of the algorithms described produce very large amounts of data, speed is very important for all shapes apart from the most basic structures.

The results of using an L-system is quite impressive. The book contains many photographs of computer generated trees using L-systems that are almost identical to their natural counterparts. The book is very well written, with lots of examples and many illustrations. It starts off as quite easy reading, but by the time it reaches sections on the simulation of internal balancing of cellular structures, the math gets very complex. Although you need an interest in artificial life, graphics, and fractals to find this book interesting or even just comprehensible, you probably also need some skill in the analysis and design of algorithms to make any of the ideas contained in the book a reality. The table of contents is:

1. Graphical Modeling Using L-systems 1
2. Modeling of Trees 51
3. Developmental models of Herbaceous Plants 63
4. Phyllotaxis 99
5. Models of Plant Organs 119
6. Animation of Plant Development 133
7. Modeling of Cellular Layers 145
8. Fractal Properties of Plants 175

A. Software Environment for Plant Modeling 193
B. About the Figures 201
C. Turtle Interpretation of Figures 211

The color plates are quite extraordinary. Knowledge of math helps, but the book pretty much starts at Ground Zero. It is quite useable for those wishing to implement the plant modeling systems described (which is why I purchased it).

Tales of the "spiritual" descendants of Dom Manuel the Reedemer, carefully annotated by expert commentary. Figures of earth have feet of clay.

. . . "They of Poictesme narrate that Queene Freydis thereafter did giue Lyfe to these muddie Ymages, eche at a certayne Houre, and that her sotyll scyaunce of Ergomancy sett these x to liue among Mans Kind," . . .

Poets and bottles come in different shapes and sizes, but both should be judged by their contents not their labels. The poets in these ten stories range in time from the early 13th century to that of the 20th.

In 1210, the chivalrous Raimbault de Vaquieras, a 30 year veteran of the Crusades, returned to France and made peace with a long time enemy. When he was told by Dona Biatritz, his long time friend and lover, that his enemy was planning his murder, Raimbault refused to negate his oath and take action. However, Dona B.was not restrained by any such an oath. In 1533, the beautiful Graciosa Balthazar not yet 16, attracted the attention of Duke Alessandro de Medici and Count Eglamore,the duke's hatchet man, and found herself forced to make a choice between two evils. In 1609, William Shakespeare found his talents waning, but found new inspiration in the creed of Judith, his unlettered daughter. In 1674, Robert Herrick, the eccentric clergyman and poet, disappeared. His friends Sir Thomas Browne and Philip Borsdale learned that RH had dabbled in magic with tragic consequences. In May of 1680, Robert Wycherley, poet, fop and social gadfly, failed to make a remunerative marriage and was saved from drowning by an unexpected turn of events. In 1718, Alexander Pope, the small, disfigured poet and satirist, tried to bestow a generous gift on a young couple, but failed to do so. In 1681, Robert Calverley resigned an important state position to save the life of his wife Honoria who he had literally stolen from the Marquis of Umfraville before their expected marriage. He returned to England despite warnings from friends that his actions had outraged many in high places and now,they wanted revenge. He was saved from ruin by an unselfish act of a scheming relative. In 1795, Richard Sheridan, poet-politician, married Miss Esther Jane Ogle known as "the irresistible Ogle," after being rebuffed by her many, many times. On Sheridan's turf, Miss Ogle proved to be no match for the wily politician. In 1803, Crown Prince Hilary of Saxe-Kesselberg, staged his funeral, changed his name to Paul Vanderhoffen and fled to England to become a poet and writer. After a series of events, one of which almost ended in his death, he married Mildred Claridge and became a writer on Grub Street. John Charteris, a distinguised writer and lecturer, gave a Commencement Speech at his alma mater and thought he had a chance to rekindle a relationship with Pauline Romeyne, a former lover, until his friend Rudolph Musgrave ruined his plan with a dose of reality.

The 21 page "Auctorial Induction" should be read both before and after reading the ten tales. In it, JBC makes a number of penetrating observations about the 1916 literary scene in the USA. The ballad at the beginning of the book and the one at its end, both bear rereading.

This is a fabulous book. Most of the essays are well worth your time. It is divided into 3 sections:
The Theory of Bible Translation
The History of Bible Translation
The Practice of Bible Translation
I particularly appreciated the articles by Don Carson and Mark Strauss, in which they interact with criticism of the TNIV, the updated version of the NIV. I like the way that both authors discuss the gender language debate and provide us with useful updates to what they had to say in their helpful books on the subject.

Silva's article "Are Translators Traitors?" explains the difficulty of transmitting the nuances of one language into another, even when you are bilingual.

Those who are dismissive of the NIV and the later TNIV need to absorb what these writers tell us. They show how all versions interpret, including so-called literal versions. They also help us to step back from our immersion in the language of the KJV and think about how God's Word should be communicated in the 21st century.

I have been one of numerous people influenced by the teaching ministry of Dr. Ronald Youngblood, a man whom I call both a gentleman and a scholar. This book is comprised of 21 essays that were dedicated to Dr. Youngblood's honor. Personally I have been taught by several of the contributors(James Smith, Mark Strauss, Walter Wessel). Thus, for me, reading through this compilation was a delight because of my familiarity with these people during my time in the mid-1980s/early 1990s at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Dr. Youngblood's mastery in the classroom as well as his style (nobody has a more dry sense of humor, as any student of his can attest) and scholarship are duly noted in these pages.

As far as this book's collection of essays goes, most of the topics are only going to interest the biblical scholars. If you're not familiar with the ancient languages and other technical writing, the vast majority of this book will have little impact. Personally, I did not bother reading a quarter of the essays from their beginning to end because the individual content of these particular chapters just did not interest me.

However, this is not to say that there are not some jewels here. In fact, let me briefly mention four of my favorite essays. First, chapter 3 by D.A. Carson ("The limits of functional equivalence in Bible translation--and other limits, too") gives a good history of the gender-neutral debate, especially as the Today's New International Version (TNIV) is concerned. This is an informative chapter for those not very familiar with the background of the TNIV controversy, and thus I recommend it.

A second essay was the book's next chapter by Mark Strauss ("Current issues in the gender-language debate: A response to Vern Plythress and Wayne Grudem"). I liked it because: a) it was cutting edge and not just a rehash of previous work, which a number of these essays were; b) it deals with the current TNIV controversy from the perspective of Dr. Strauss, who does a good job answering his (and the TNIV) critics. Even if you disagree with Dr. Strauss, one must admit that his points are worthy of consideration.

Third, I liked Dick France's chapter 7 ("The Bible in English: An Overview"). Of course, general overviews of the translation of the Bible are a dime a dozen, and some may criticize its inclusion. However, I think that this was one of the most interesting and informative overviews on Bible translation I have ever read.

Finally, I appreciated John Stek's chapter 10 ("The New International Version: How it Came to Be"). This is one of the most detailed histories of the NIV in a short-order format. Based on the faithfulness of God and those (including Dr. Youngblood) who responded to His calling, I believe the process of the NIV translation was quite ethical and completed in a godly fashion. Perhaps this is why God has blessed its use throughout the world.

Each person is different and may find other chapters to be of more interest, but for me, these four essays made the purchase of this book worthwhile. May God continue to bless the work of Dr. Youngblood, and may we continue to work through the texts of scripture provided to us by God Himself.

This was a very excellent book & I had a hard time putting it down to do my chores. Very well worth the purchase!

If you are looking for just a simple book of classic ghost stories, thie this is a good book to buy. Cheap and small it contains works by classic authors. Not a a bad buy at all

The last (?) descendant of Dom Manuel confronts the past to discover reality. Cabell's "average" (i.e. classical) exercise in urban wit, devious language and human puzzlement. This is a doorway to the past and all the other books of the History.

If you expect a series of fantastical scenes of irony and general amusement in the manner of Jurgen, you will not find that here (nor should you thus condemn this book, for it was not Cabell's intent to produce such a work here). The Cream of the Jest requires a more subtle reading than Jurgen, lacking its fireworks (this is not to say that Jurgen cannot be read equally subtly, only that it rarely requires such reading to be enjoyed).

Unlike most stories in the Biography, The Cream of the Jest is set in early 20th century (which is when it was written), although parts of the story take place inside the dreams of the main character, Felix Kennaston, that in turn appear to take place in various historical settings.

Kennaston finds an artifact that shapes his dreams. If his dreams had been chaotic before, at least now they would be united by visions of Ettarre. Ettarre?

"Give place, fair ladies, and begone,
Ere pride hath had a fall!
For here at hand approacheth one
Whose grace doth stain you all."

Cabell enjoyed composing rhymes such as the one above to adorn his books, to function as chapter headings and such.

Ettarre symbolizes the transcendent dream, whatever may be its particulars, that one may fervently seek for all his life but cannot ever truly reach. Sounds like only so much lofty nonsense. But Cabell is not so sure it is nonsense; and while reading this book, the reader may also lose his or her certainty.

Kennaston is a dreamer, but he does also try to lead a normal life on occasion (with a wife like Kathleen, one has to):

- - -

"At all events," Kathleen considered, "it is a quarter to seven already, and we have seats for the theater to-night."

He cleared his throat. "Shall I keep this, or you?"

"Why, for heaven's sake--! The thing is of no value now, Felix. Give it to me." She dropped the two pieces of metal into the waste-basket by the dressing-table, and rose impatiently. "Of course if you don't _mean_ to change for dinner --"

He shrugged and gave it up. So they dined alone together, sharing a taciturn meal, and duly witnessed the drolleries of The Gutta-Percha Girl. Kennaston's sleep afterward was sound and dreamless.

- - -

Sound, but dreamless... Alone together? These are the kind of subtleties of language use that abound in this novel, and that, along with the high seriousness, make it a great work.

The Wildside Press edition (paperback or hardcover) is, as always, worth the price, and infinitely superior to decades old pocket book editions (unlike those old paperbacks, the Wildside Press paperbacks, although of varying sizes, are always pretty big, there's always lots of space around the image area, the pages are of superior quality and open well, the backs simply won't wrinkle, and so on).

The Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems book arrived as promised and in mint condition.

Thank you for maintaining integrity in your reliable business with finances and shipping services.

I took a HR class where this was the required book. I thought it was well organized and informative, but was a little overkill in some parts. Overall though, I thought it was a good book with a lot of pertinent information in the HR field. You've been Bzzed! [...]

This book can be used in the international trade component of a two-semester ug course in international trade and finance (as the editorial review points).

The book uses - at least for me - an extremely useful approach to studying the rudiments of trade theory: after reviewing the standard concepts from consumer and producer theory, it provides a set of sufficient conditions that jointly determine the no-trade world. The core of the text then relaxes each of the mentioned conditions while keeping the others valid, showing why trade arises and at the same time providing a very clear overall picture. All models are discussed in a non-technical way but still with a fair amount of rigour, clearly stating the assumptions and proving the propositions.

The idea of using the revealed preference to show the existence of gains from trade in various settings is defenitely sth worth examining.

The trade policy part offers a chapter on strategic trade policy to shake the validity of the standard "trade barriers are harmful" belief from a perpective that is usually not presented by competitive texts.

Still, two elements could be improved: the part on the link between trade and economic growth is not very readable. Maybe the authors could do sth more about it by using algebra. Secondly, although the concept of intra-industry trade is discussed on many occasions, the authors could consider devoting an additional chapter to it just to summarise the already mentioned ideas.

To conclude: I consider the book as being better than, say, Krugman's or Salvatore's probably more popular texts.

We used this as a textbook for a one semester course in international trade relations. The writing is clear and the book is well-organized, making it very readable. It has very few errors, perhaps that's why a new edition hasn't come out lately. Most of the analyses of the models are done graphically and using only algebra, so it is suited for beginners of international trade theory/international economics. The questions at the end of each chapter vary from very easy to difficult, but the difficult ones can be answered after reading the text about two or three times and digesting its contents. This book is aimed primarily for undergraduates but first year graduate students can use this book as a review for more advanced texts in international trade such as "Lectures in International Trade",(1998) by Bhagwati et al. This textbook is highly-recommended and could be a better alternative than Krugman and Obstfeld's popular text ("International Economics: Theory and Policy").

hello,
as one other great writer M. R. James wrote of
joseph sheridan le fanu he stands absolutely in first rank as a writer of ghost storys I share that same verdict after reading many of his storys
this book had some very god storys in it I recommend it to those that like ghost storys and like to be scared where when you are home all alone it is late at night and as you read the ghost storys you get cold chills that run through your body as you begin to think what was that bump, or creak that came from don the hall as you shiver continuing to ead the story and wonder if something is comming toward u :)

enjoy the book and get more from this author and wilkie collins and edgar allen poe

This is the perfect introduction to one of the most famed writers in the history of horror literature. LeFanu was the first to perfect the ghost story as a literary form and at one time was considered the greatest writer of supernatural fiction ever to live. Since then his reputation has shrunken. But he still enjoys a high reputation as the 19th century's most horrific author (after Edgar Allen Poe.)
None of the stories in this volume were collected in a book during LeFanu's lifetime. They were selected from a wide range of stories published in contemporary magazines varying from London Society to Temple Bar. They offer a broad overview of his work, which ranges from whimsically charming to utterly terrifying.
One salient feature of the stories is the innovative way in which LeFanu handles his themes. Several of them must have caused a sensation when first printed and remain shocking to this day. It would be an understatement to say that they are ahead of their time. The book is a must have for students of classic horror and 19th century literature in general.

Minty alley is one of the first books C.L.R. James wrote, before he found his niche as a historian and cricket writer. But This isn't because of any lack of talent in fiction writing. The characters of Minty Alley are real and rounded and tell us something about ourselves as well as the people of Trinidad. The vast class differences in colonial societies even among the colonised peoples is thrown into stark relief by James's caricatures. You might be shocked at the poverty or amused by the dialogue,

An important book in the litarary history of the Caribbean. The journey of a middle class voyer into the everyday world of a working class family. The class politics and the internal revelations of the main character drive the story and the relationships he has with the other characters. On the whole this is a book with a relatively simple language and implicitly complex themes.

This is a great story, but what makes this edition exceptional are the beautiful illustrations. The more you look at them, the more magical they seem. You will keep coming back.

The emperor of China Has every thing, and his palace are so beatiful. But one day he hears of a little Nightingale that sings so beatiful. And he really want to have it... Read what happens with him in this book. You can't help it being touched of this sweet storie, I can say that I was it... Like I have said before I will say again, H C Andersen can really write good childrens books!