Q Books

Anyone seeking good information about breast cancer on the internet immediately runs into two problems:

1) The sheer glut of what's available can be overwhelming

2) Despite the abundance of breast cancer sites, finding well-organized, understandable information can be a futile chase. Even after surfing all over the web, one is usually left with disjointed, confusing, and sometimes contradictory fragments.

These challenges to the harried information-seeker make Charyn Pfeuffer's book that much more a jewel.

With a journalist's skill for clarity, and a cancer center volunteer's insight and heart, Pfeuffer has put together a very thorough and helpful resource that's both approachable and understandable. (Reliable, too. The author enlisted medical professionals to help assure the content's accuracy.)

The book provides succinct answers in everyday language to the 100 most often asked questions about breast cancer (from how the Stages of breast cancer differ, to what you can do to get a mammogram if you don't have insurance, to treatment options for cancer that has spread...).

In addition, there is a very extensive section covering many varied therapies that can supplement the usual battery of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. These "complementary" treatments range from acupuncture and aromatherapy to Tai Chi and yoga.

Plus, there's a brief run down on many common drugs used in treating breast cancer, and a very extensive Resources section, with a thorough Glossary to boot.

A bargain at list price, the values offered here make this book a compelling "must buy right now!" choice. And a useful reference to turn to again and again.

Don Blohowiak
co-author of the forthcoming "Guy's Guide to Female Breast Cancer"

When I was told I needed a biopsy the first thing I did was run to a book store. This is very much THE book I wish had been there. A woman facing breast cancer has so many questions and this book has the answers. "Breast Cancer Q and A" is well organized, easy to comprehend and presents much needed information. I showed it to my oncologist and she was quite impressed. This book is a gift.

I have a very close friend dealing with breast cancer, and I have been searching for reference books to give her. This book is the best I have found. It is very comprehensive, well organized and easy to understand.

This is an excellent book for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. I am a breast cancer patient and I wish this book was available when I was first diagnosed. It includes a lot of information to questions that I had had when I was first diagnosed. It presents information in layman's terms which is very helpful during the overwhelming time when one is newly diagnosed.

This is a must-have book for patients (or survivors) of breast cancer and for their families and friends. Well organized, written in an informative but readable way, successfully combining scientific facts and explanations with a human voice. My grandmother just survived breast cancer and when she read this book after the ordeal she said she wished it had come out earlier so she would have known why she felt certain reactions to drugs, and all the answers to questions she had that her doctors didn't bring up. A great resource for women who want to be proactive in learning about the disease they face.

This book is what every child should have to spark their imagination, esp. with all the TV and video games that require no thinking on their part. My 6 1/2 year old got this for Christmas from us, and she loves it! It's helpful to have reading skills, but a parent could help too. She has been doing this book every night since she got it. Highly recommend! Lots of creative questions and scenarios in the book. Lots of spaces for answering questions and drawing (about half writing, half drawing).

This was bought for a very artistic 11 year old girl and she absolutely loved it! It came quickly, was a great price, and was in perfect shape.
Definitely would recommend!

I'm thrilled to have found this book--some books that offer prompts for journalling do not inspire kids to write more than a sentence or two. Not so here! Revior offers many different types of activities to expand upon. Possibly geared more toward girls than boys (although not exclusionary of boys in any way--this is based more upon my opinion more than anything), and the pencils aren't really worth much (Revoir suggests using items from your own art supply), this spiral-bound book is wonderfully fun. Offers interactive activities as well as more private, introspective prompts.

My daughter loves this book and we take it to long trips where she has taken incredible notes and drawings. It is the best present to give to a child that enjoys creativity..!

What an amazingly fun book. As an educational psychologist student I have found this book very helpful to develop a lifeskills training programme for children from the ages of 5 through to 18. I have even gone so far as to enjoy the opportunity of tuning out of the rat race myself to play with some of my own wacky ideas by completing some of the exercises. What a stress reliever! My 10 year old daughter can not put it down and I am dreading the moment she tells me that she has completed it as we have another 4 weeks of holiday left. Sweet celebrations for Katherine Q. Revoir for a successful masterpiece of fun.

This book is a narrative. The author simply sat down and listened to US Navy MTB officers in 1942 and recorded their story of action in the Philippines in 1941 & 42. It is a page turner.

Two good points about this book. First it was first published during WWII (my copy is 1942). Many books about WWII were written post WWII and that means the books have 20/20 hindsight. Reading a book from the period perhaps gives a better perspective of how people saw the war while it was happening.

Second, one of the officers telling the story explains how the newspapers back home give a sort of glorified image of the war that was very different from the reality he experienced. If we better understand the reality, then we can better appreciate what our veterans sacrificed for us.

Not everyone understands the fact that, if you are in military service, you are expendable. Your commander can order you to sacrifice your life to achieve an objective. You may be ordered to hold off the enemy so your fellow soldiers can escape, or you may be ordered to dive your bomber into an impossible hail of gunfire, but you are expendable. Such was the case for the six 70-foot speedboats of the US Navy's Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three. They were part of the Navy's tiny Far Eastern Fleet in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked with overwhelming force in 1941. It was soon clear that the Philippines would be lost, and the remains of the fleet went to Australia, leaving MTB Squadron Three to help the doomed soldiers on Bataan hold off the Japanese Army for as long as possible. After losing boat after boat in suicidal attacks on Japanese cruisers and destroyers, the remaining boats carried General MacArthur, his wife, his son, and assorted generals and admirals on a perilous trip to the southern Philippines for escape by air to Australia. MTB Squadron Three lost its remaining boats in further attacks on the Japanese and prepared to fight as infantry against the oncoming juggernaut. But four of the officers were ordered to get out on the last planes to leave the Philippines. William L. White, in a magnificent piece of writing, lets the survivors tell their story. It is certainly one of the best stories ever written of World War Two.

This is not a book to read as history, in the sense of seeking facts and figures about an event in the past. "They Were Expendable" is ostensibly an account of the exploits of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, which gained glory amidst the disaster that was America's defense of the Philippine Islands in the opening months of the war with Japan (December 1941 - May 1942). But this is wartime journalism, and it is replete with inaccuracies and exaggerations, not to mention a few passages that were subjected to military censorship. This must be expected of a book that was written only a few weeks after Allied resistance of the Philippines formally ended in humiliating surrender; William L. White had no way to corroborate or fact-check the stories told to him by the four youthful naval officers he interviewed for this book. But as an emotional record of the early, sometimes despairing days of the war against Japan, "They Were Expendable" is a work of truth and power. This is not so much a slam-bang story of naval warfare as it is an account of the emotional trauma of defeat suffered by a nation accustomed to victory.

White originally wrote the book for "The Reader's Digest," which published a condensed version in its September, 1942, issue, not quite four months after the fall of Corregidor. The full-length book was released several days later and became a huge bestseller (one reason so many used copies are available today). "They Were Expendable" was one of the first pieces of World War II "hardcover journalism" to give firsthand accounts of the U.S. debacle in the Philippines, and it promised no-holds-barred revelations about how and why the United States could have been so badly beaten. Some of what was "revealed" was myth -- tales of spies and sabotage, and exaggerations of Allied numerical inferiority to the Japanese. Nor could White, even if he had wanted to, have gotten away with criticizing Douglas MacArthur or any Washington bigwigs who were in part responsible for the Philippines disaster. Indeed, MacArthur was still the hero of the hour for most Americans, and his association with the motor torpedo boats of Squadron 3 -- they spirited General, family and entourage away from Corregidor after President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to Australia in mid-March, 1942 -- helped hype the book immensely.

But what the book lacks in factual veracity, it makes up for in emotional sincerity. Although White actually wrote the "monologues" that make up the narrative, he based his words on those of four squadron officers who had been ordered to leave the Philippines, to relay their knowledge of torpedo-boat warfare to new PT crews back in the States. Their quiet professionalism comes through loud and clear. Lt. John D. Bulkeley, squadron commander and winner of the Medal of Honor for his leadership aboard the boats, is featured prominently because he had already received a great deal of publicity early in 1942, thanks to MacArthur's press agents on Corregidor

But the heart of the narrative (most of it, actually) is attributed to the squadron exec, Lt. Robert Kelly (later transformed in the movie version into John Wayne's overgrown adolescent, "Rusty Ryan," a portrayal that Kelly came to detest). Kelly not only relates his part in the squadron's combats against the Japanese and MacArthur's departure from the islands, but also tells of his relationship with an Army nurse, "Peggy," whom he met in a Corregidor hospital where he was being treated for a minor injury that turned major. White likely overstated the depth of this relationship - it was really more friendship than romance - but Kelly's grief over the loss of that friendship became a metaphor (okay, stick with me here) for America's loss of the Philippines, and perhaps the loss of an innocent vision of the United States as an invincible military power.

After the war (and after the release, in 1945, of the John Ford film based on the book -- a very personal expression of Ford's own views about the war and the Navy), U.S. intelligence officers and historians discovered that the achievements of Squadron 3 in Philippine waters had been somewhat exaggerated. Japanese ships that the torpedo boat crews claimed as "sunk" were, more often than not, undamaged. (Yes, U.S. torpedoes used early in the war were very unreliable.) As the Pacific war progressed, PT boats became extremely important as inshore gunboats (a role in which Squadron 3 excelled, too) but were employed only occasionally as torpedo platforms.

Despite the wartime inaccuracies, White's restrained writing captures the quiet pride as well as the sadness and frustration of his subjects, young men still grieving over losing their crews and their boats. (About half the squadron personnel, listed at the end of the book, became POWs, and several did not survive the harsh Japanese captivity.) I first read this book at age ten, and I have kept coming back to it for more than thirty years because it has an emotional impact unlike most wartime reportage I've read. Although he covered the war in a different way, "They Were Expendable" puts White on a level alongside Ernie Pyle, with whom he shared the ability to see beyond surface heroics to the melancholy that afflicts all human beings caught up in combat. (If you like "They Were Expendable," find a copy of White's other great book about the early days of defeat in the Pacific war, "Queens Die Proudly.")

This is a classic of World War Two journalism -- again, not for the facts, but for the truth. If you want a factual book on Squadron 3 at war, read the appropriate chapter in Robert J. Bulkley Jr.'s "At Close Quarters." For a book that plumbs the emotional experience of an American defeat, read "They Were Expendable."

If it weren't for the Naval Institute Press, this 1942 book wouldn't be available. It's not heavy reading; you could finish it in 2 days just reading it on the subway and before you go to bed, but it's a powerful reminder of the desparate state of affairs in the Pacific and in the U.S. in the days following the destruction of the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor. See the film of the same name. The director, John Ford, had the good sense to incorporate the dialogue wholesale into his really terrific 1945 movie.

early accounts of WWII in the Pacific. Interesting for what it says & how it says it. Written almost entirely in dialogue, as if it were a transcription, which it is not. Like Casey's "Torpedo Junction," attempts to tell the truth about how the war was going, despite wartime censorship. An easy read, with large type in the 1942 edition. Manifests the Navy's colonial-style racism prior to WWII & some officers' impatience with it. One of the best "first person" reports available.

This calendar gives an exceptional opportunity to enjoy images of our foremothers and their children as well as the clothing they wore. It also brings to light the value of local, small museum and costume collections. Get one for yourself, and one for your Mother!

What a great opportunity to share a love of fashion that is reflected in clothing from both women and children. This calendar presents monthly photographs featuring collections from both museums and universities encompassing a world of beauty and information with comments and information from each of these collections. Share it with a friend!

Second in a series, 1999's calendar offers professional and polished images of historic dress for both women and children. Beautifully presented, it is full of wonderful photographs of clothing in collections of both museums and universities. For all those who love clothes, this is a real treat, and a great way to mark off the passage of the coming year.

The calendar is wonderful. I love the clothes and great photos. Makes me want to visit the museums and learn more about historic fashion. It is great to be able to see how clothes have evolved throughout time

A wide range of vintage clothing is shown in this truly beautiful calendar. Besides the large feature photograph for each month there are many smaller, yet equally well-done, photographic images. The history of women and children takes on a new reality when one sees these clothes that were the cultural 'second skin' of their lives.

This has become a very useful tool for my adult Sunday School preparations.

It is packed with loads of information not only in the form of Biblical commentary but also in terms of information about people, places, things, and events in the Bible. Also, while Bromiley tends to be on the Evangelical side of things in terms of exegesis (he's from Fuller after all, as are some of his co-editors, one of whom is from Wycliffe), he at least mentions the many interpretations that various passages of scripture have (including neo-orthodox and liberal). He also provides numerous, though at times cryptically short, references for those with the desire to look them up in a good reference library.

One criticism I have is his writting style, particularly in some of the exegetical sections, is a little terse, and more explaination of the Hebrew/Greek would be helpful.

Beware of the new cut-price printing of this set being offered various places for $99.99. The ads say you are saving $180.00, but it's not the same product. The cheap version has a cheap glued binding and no dustjackets. These books are too thick and heavy to be bound that way. With mine, the picture pages in the center just cracked loose and fell out. A 200-page novel that will be read once can have any kind of binding, but heavy reference books that will be used repeatedly are a different story. What looks like a super deal on eBay or Amazon Market is likely to be the cheapo version.

Earlier printings are available used for about the same price, with dust jackets and some of them (not all) have a far-superior sewn binding. It's nice not to worry about pages coming loose, and to have a book that lays open flat. The ISBN does not tell you what you are getting. For example, the May 1993 reprint of Vol 4 has a sewn binding, but the otherwise identical November 1988 printing does not. Maybe there were complaints about the earlier printing coming apart, I have no idea. I don't know whether the set Amazon sells for $176.40 has a sewn or glued binding; my advice is to call Eerdmans and find out before buying. The text is always identical, as long as it's the "Fully Revised" version; I believe the last volume, Vol 4, was first issued in its fully revised version in 1988, the other volumes earlier than that. The first printings of fully revised Vol 4 have 1211 pages, later printings have 1240. The difference is a set of errata pages, which you can photocopy from a library.

As a pastor, I find the ISBE a wonderful tool, not only for study but for ideas. Material from articles on subjects like "peace" or "conscience" provide information and insights not available elsewhere.

The ISBE contributors represent various evangelical positions. The set often includes articles that are barely evangelical, contributors frequently holding to inspiration but not inerrancy. Though I find myself more conservative than many of the contributors, I find the insights invaluable and the thinking scholarly. There's not a lot of the same old same old surface info, but depth and even some original thinking.

Highly reommended for students of the Word, with a note of caution to those of us on the conservative end of evangelicalism.

Great reference material on any and every subject you can think of in the Bible. This is definitly worth the price, if you're a serious Bible student, having this comprehensive work on your bookshelf would be an invaluable asset!

Highly Recomended!

This is an increadible resource for any serious studant of the Word of God. I bought research both this and The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Both are Well done. Though this one, to my delight, is written from a more Conservative stance. If you appricatiate folks like Chuck Swindall, John MacArthur, Tony Evans as I do, you will enjoy this work. I WOULD HOW EVER HIGHLY RECCOMEND THE DIGITAL VERSION. The folks at Logos really got it right. One reviewer above mention compuer being hard on the eyes. To that I say increase the font, which you can not do on the printed version. I like the elecronic version as a siminary student when i quote from the book and copy and paste it to my paper it carries over the footnotes for me. What a Godsend.

We run charter yachts and take our guests snorkeling on reefs daily. I borrowed this book over 10 years ago, and still remember how incredibly interesting it was, not only for our own understanding of the ecosystem we enjoy so much, but also for the great information it gives us to share with our guests who are eager to learn about the beautiful reefs and the colorful fish they see. As another reviewer said, we can now go beyond just naming the fish we see and provide a broader explanation of their characteristics and behaviour. I'm thrilled to see the book back in print.

After I'd dived and snorkeled in the same spot more than a few times, I found myself wondering: what are those fish doing? Why are there such huge differences in what I see at 7AM from what I see at 5PM? Are those fish mating or fighting? While this book only begins to answer those questions--I'd love to see a newer edition with research since the early 90's--it does tell the careful observer what to look for, which adds greatly to the experience of diving and snorkeling. A caveat, however: if you don't already know the major fish families (such as parrotfish, surgeonfish, wrasses, butterflyfish, and so on), you'll find the book somewhat incomprehensible. I'd label this book as Step 2 in becoming a knowledgeable observer, with Step 1 as learning the fish families. (And for that, I'd get a regional guide for wherever you dive--the fish families are the same world-wide, although the species are not.) Note: while I criticize this book for being (slightly) out of date, that doesn't make the information useless--far from it.

New snorkelers are very movement sensitive. They are looking for things moving on the reef. The more colorful, the better.

After you get past this stage, you start asking questions. Why do some fish have a false "eyespot" and others do not? Why do some fish, well, swim like a fish, while others swim like a box of matches with wings? Why do parrrotfish spend so much time biting a nutrient-poor reef. Why not go after real prey?

These types of questions are answered in this book. Written from the perspectives of ecology and behavior (with the emphasis on behavioral ecology), the Wilsons put together a readable and accurate (to the standards of the literature in the mid 1980s) work on fish behavior. Fish are so much more deserving than simply lumping them into taxonomic groupings. This book helps you get to that next level, the "why" stage.

I agree with the previous reviewers--an invaluable, scholarly, and readable work that discusses such interesting but poorly understood subjects such as why tropical fish tend to be brightly colored, how schooling fish swim in close coordination, and whether anemones benefit from their relationship with anemone fish. It's a shame that tropical dive operations haven't made this required reading for their dive students.

This book is outstanding on so many levels... It has a basic intro to coral reef biology and to the fishes. It then goes on to discus the various aspect of fish life. Eating, breeding, various interactions are all covered. Look for the parts on schooling and social life of coral reef fishes. etc... The authors manage to bring a large body of scientific reference material together and make it accessible to anyone interested in coral reef fishes.

If you are a diver or snorkeler then you will enjoy this wealth of information that will go along way to describe the intricate behaviors in this most complicated of habitats. If you are a reef aquarium hobbyist the you will learn why fish act the way they do. If you are a professional then you will appreciate the way that this book brings in the journal literature. There are 19 pages of bibliography, and although it might be a bit dated many of the articles are classics.

Finally! A compassionate and insightful perspective on transgender issues from a mental health care practitioner. Although I am not trans, I do a lot of research on the issue and am fascinated with what transgendered individuals have to offer a society that refuses to see past a dichotomous view on gender. So many of the things that other professionals have to say are very clinical and biased - they rarely approach gender identity as something other than a diagnosis to be scrutinized and quantified. I would recommend this book to a wide audience - professionals, partners, friends, coworkers, family, and anyone who takes issue with the way that our society constructs and enforces gender.

This is a thought provoking guide through the world of trans gender identity. The personal experience of the author is revealing and touching and dare I say "eye-opening". It had to be painful to open himself up and relive his journey from F2M; but in doing so he has provided others with tremendous insight and help as they work through their own transistions. Any therapist working with clients with gender issues should have this book in their reference library. If you happen to live in Portland and searching for transgender help, look him up!

Since my 'father' came out as trans a year ago, this is the third book I have read and would highly recommend it. Although I really admire Helen Boyd's courageous explorations in her two books (the first two I read), for me they were a bit too personal, confronting and emotional as a first read (that's telling you more about my state of mind at the time than her otherwise excellent books). Reid's compassion, thoughtfulness, intelligence and very balanced/grounded clarity were a 'safer' and a reassuring introduction to this provoking subject. Not to mention that it was a relief to find chapters dedicated to partners/ children of trans people. I SO appreciate the insight and information gained and it has helped me to 'normalise' something that was utterly shocking to me 12 months ago. There's also a really helpful booklist (also on his site if you don't want to buy the book.)

This is the best resource I have found for working with transgender clients! Reid covers the fluidity of gender identity, the polar effects of male/female socialization in U.S. culture, transgender hormones and surgeries. However, he goes beyond these basics to delve into what might come up after surgery. He shares his insight in working with conservative religious points of view, partners and families, and transgender children. There are also some thoughtful parallels with transition and addiction recovery. This book will be helpful for therapists, people considering transition and their families. - Fran Overall, MA, LADAC

I am myself currently in therapy for TS in order to transition M2F. Up to now, I never though I could find an informed book about this specific subject. That's done now. I will hand it over to my therapist. This will give him a deeper insight of what's happening. Dare I say: this book should be given the status of MUST READ for all psys and alike. Thank you very much Reid for sharing this with us.

Book arrived in excellent condition and quickly. The book is very informative and in a nice conversational, easy to grasp format.

This book is a complete winner! All the the other intercultural books I`ve read have been BORING. This is a book for everybody working internationally...and it`s wise and amusing

Written by the owner of an international training and consulting company, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh: Cultural Q & As For Successful Business Behavior Around The World is a comprehensive guide especially for international businesspeople, covering common cultural misunderstandings and gaffes that can plague one in nations ranging from Australia to Venezuela. From general information on how to make small talk safely and avoid common communication problems, to body language recommendations and warnings against inappropriate gestures in different nations (for example, a raised thumb is considered offensive in Australia and the Middle East), to countless case studies of problems and communication issues brought about by different cultural norms and expectations, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh is not only a "must-have" resource for globetrotters but also an engrossing to lay readers curious about the sharp differences in how folks from different nations relate. Extremely accessible and down-to-earth, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh explores the fascinating variety of cultural differences from an emphatically practical perspective.

I just started working in a large multi-national and have found this book invaluable in its advice about how to deal with people from other cultures. I particularly liked the Q&A format of much of the book when people wrote to Gwyneth Olofsson with questions about how to deal with tricky cross-cultural situations - the sort that can lead to "culture clash" if you're not careful. A big plus is that it's funny too!

There were places in this book where I laughed out loud, usually at the real-life examples of "culture clashes." The letters also made me think about how my own behavior at work could be misunderstood by foreigners. I learned a lot!

I knew Mike Curtis ( not his real name ) back in the mid 90's when we were both in South America. I had heard that he had written a book and I found a copy in a bookstore in New Zealand. Wonderful book and alot of adventures. He is a first class guy and alot of fun to be around and that certainly comes across in the book.

A very compelling account and exciting book that I was unable to put it down. It's in the same league as Andy McNab's books. Clearly shows the rigorous SAS Selection and training process. Particularly realistic were his accounts of the grueling experiences in the Falklands and the scud destroying missions in Iraq. Reading this book makes you realize the tough conditions that these elite troops survive in. Thanks Mike, for doing a tough job well and for writing an excellent book about it all!

Mike Curtis' life has been very exciting. He tells about his military life in the British Army along with personal backround. It even revealed secrets of the SAS. Including the mission in Iraq during the Gulf War, which was for destroying Scud missiles.

I couldn't put this book down! It also made me want to learn more about the Gulf (I bought Cameron Spence's book about the Gulf War called "Sabre Squadron"). I recommend this book for readers interested in the British Army or SAS or if you are just a military buff.

After picking up the book and reading the initial pages I was unable to put it down. CQB made me laugh, made me sad and at times it even made me feel uncomfortable. Due to the gripping style, it is one of the few books that I have been sorry to finish, I just wanted it to keep going. The demise of his family life was inevitable however, I would have preferred it if the author had allowed greater expression on the subject (as this is a great bane of service life)and to attibute more narrative.

Overall, this is a compelling account of a soldiers life in two of the most elite fighting forces.

Curtis is in the same league as the McNab's, Spence's and Crossland's of this world! Great action in the Falklands. Awsome accounts of his selection (almost twice as good!!!!).Well written; full of anecdotes, humour and sarcasm...even in the tough moments. Makes you really wonder why "Bravo Two Zero" opted to tab instead of ride! We want more from Curtis.

This book is a resource that all high school teachers should have. It begins with a relatively short (about 60 pages) history of mathematics and then diverges into a series of indepth explorations of particular mathematical topics.
The history section at the beginning has many small tidbits which will enhance the learning experience. The indepth explorations, which range from Pythagorus to geometry, will nicely enhance your lesson plans. Most of them can serve as the theme that particular lessons can be built around. I am currently working on my practicum at a local highschool and I am using the book regularly.

Most of the texts available for history of mathematics courses are aimed at upper-level undergraduate students and try to be encyclopedic. This book fills a needed hole in the offerings through its accessibility to freshmen, and its explicit aim not to cover everything. It contains a 56-page snapshot overview followed by 25 articles on particular topics, ideal jumping-off points for student presentations and/or research projects. The articles are clearly written, not intimidating yet accurate and sensitive to the current state of the art in the field. The references to further reading are useful and reliable sources.

After 13 years of frustration, I may finally have found a book that works with my course. Highly recommended!

As students struggle through their mathematics lessons, it is sometimes helpful for them to understand that the creators of their torment often struggled as well. Furthermore, when we present the polished mathematics of calculus, linear algebra and so forth, educators often forget the long historical road that led to the material that we handle so well. In this excellent book covering the history of mathematics, the authors demonstrate a competency of exposition and a focus on the key points that students and teachers can both appreciate.
It begins with a short and rapid recapitulation of mathematics from the first primitive scratches in the dust to the role of computers in solving problems. After this whirlwind beginning, you are subjected to twenty-five short essays, each about a specific point in mathematical history. By point, I don't mean in time, rather a point as in a position in a discussion. These essays are very well written and each would be excellent fodder for a one-hour class lecture or presentation. Questions for discussion and material for projects are included with each of the short essays. Topics covered in the essays include: the development of the zero, the story of pi, writing fractions, negative numbers, the development of coordinate geometry, complex numbers, Non-Euclidean geometry, probability theory and Boolean algebra.
This is by far the best book I have seen for courses in the history of mathematics. With the essays, problems and ideas for projects, all an instructor needs to do is read, discuss and enjoy. If your interest is in learning a bit more about the history of mathematics, it will also serve you well in that capacity.

Published in the recreational mathematics e-mail newsletter, reprinted with permission.

For math teachers at the high school or college level, or anyone else interested in math, this is an ideal introduction to the history of math. Start with the 55-page overview. Then read any or all of the articles that follow, on a variety of topics such as negative numbers, pi, quadratic equations, the Pythagorean theorem, the history of probability theory, and infinity, all around five pages each. Once you're finished with that, there's an extensive bibliography with plenty of suggestions for further reading on the topics that have piqued your interest.

Throughout, the authors have striven for (and succeeded at attaining) readability, accessibility, and historical accuracy. The result is a book that scores high marks for being both interesting and informative.

I came across this book because a friend of mine uses it in a college class for math ed. It's really well written and makes the material accessible for people whose math background isn't necessarily very strong. I bet it could even be used for high school students. The exercises and projects are really good, too.