Source The Books

I had the fortune of taking Professor Johannsen's Civil War history class at the University of Illinois. "Democracy on Trial" was the main text used in that course and I could hardly put it down. Dr. Johannsen draws together speeches, articles, personal correspondences, and contemporary works of poetry and fiction that really provide the reader a look back at the years leading to and including the Civil War. Each selection is insightfully introduced by the author and gives added value and enjoyment to the reader. An important work that provides grassroots history together with American culture, politics, and war.

This is a transcription and translation of a short manuscript by Descartes on polyhedra with historical and mathematical commentary. Federico's estimate is that the manuscript was written around 1630 (others have guessed 1620). It was still among Descartes's papers when he died in Stockholm in 1650. His belongings were then shipped to Paris but "when it reached Paris the boat was wrecked; the box of manuscripts fell into the river and was not recovered until three days later ... the papers had to be separated and hung to dry on chords in various rooms about the house". The manuscript was later lost, but Leibnitz had seen it and made copy (facsimiles included here) which was found and published in 1860.

The first part of the manuscript gives a few equations relating basic properties of polyhedra (number of vertices, faces, and plane angles, and the sum of all the plane angles). There is one application: since any polyhedron must obey these equations, one can deduce the nonexistence of impossible polyhedra. Thus Descartes proves that there are only five regular polyhedra. We also look briefly at Euler's work on polyhedra (from 1750 when Descartes's text was unknown and unpublished). Euler recognised that the three basic polyhedral data was the number of vertices, edges and faces. Since Descartes neglected to count edges he missed out on Euler's formula v-e+f=2.

The second part of the manuscript deals with polyhedral figurate numbers. The Greeks studied plane polygonal numbers, but even though the regular polyhedra were their pet objects they did not study polyhedral numbers. As the polygonal numbers, the polyhedral numbers may be regarded as built up layer by layer. In this way Descartes calculates formulas for the figurate numbers in the cases of the regular polyhedra and many semi-regular polyhedra.

The book is well written and very well documented. I am a descendent and I also helped supply info for my branch of the family. The Reverand Miller was a very interesting man. The book is still available from the author or me.

Excelent Job on Order and Delivery!!

I've long wanted to make an Amish-inspired afghan. Here's a book with just the same idea, wonderfully done.

There are a bunch of other very useful patterns, too. The throw featured on the cover of the book (called "Tribal") is gorgeous as designed, but this is also a great pattern to adapt with your own mixes of novelty yarns. The great thing about pillows and throws is that the gauge and size need not follow the pattern; it should just look pleasing and you can then knit it to any size you want.

Many knitters like to collect interesting yarns of various textures, with eyelashs and shimmering strands. You can use this same pattern adapted to mix in some of these yarns you collect in your "stash" and create an original design. In fact, the matching pillow is a good place to practice with some of your stash yarns to see how they'd look.

So for "stash-busting" (using up stores of yarn in your closet) or for creating some elegant designs following the patterns, this book has a lot to offer.

Many of us remember Gregory Peck in 12 O'Clock High, a story of Command Bombing decisions over Germany. Reviewers of 12 O'Clock High, both the book and the movie, and perhaps even the authors, often confuse the hero with the American tactical leader(s). It was "Bomber Harris", later Air Marshall Sir Arthur T. Harris, who ordered the bombing of Germany in retaliation for the inhuman bombing of England by Hitler's Luftwaffe and rockets. He had to fight for that bombing not only against Americans who felt sorry for the Germans (not having experienced having their home towns bombed themselves, and somewhat under the spell of German sympathizers in our military), but against some important Nazi sympathizers in Great Britain. Like Montgomery (see my review of him), Harris has had his portrait rewritten by "politically correct" historians and novelists anxious to downplay the British contribution to victory over Germany. When I saw Gregory Peck in that movie for the first time, I was looking at Bomber Harris, struggling alone to give back what he and his people had received. Yes, German cities and villages were almost obliterated by that bombing. I can only say that a nation stupid enough to vote for Adolf Hitler because he had a nice voice and was handy at finding scapegoats, and stupid enough to commit massive genocide, deserved to receive back some of what they had done to others. Montgomery, Slim, Harris, Mountbatten. We need a few good men like them.

This book belongs on the shelf of every Detroit Tigers fan. Tom Stanton, who wrote the superb Tiger Stadium memoir The Final Season, did a fine job selecting stories on legends like Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Hank Greenberg, and The Bird. What I liked best is that the stories were from the time period -- not written decades later by journalists who never saw the men play. There are articles by Grantland Rice, Damon Runyon, and other famous scribes, but some of my favorites are by writers I never heard of. This is a fun read. On these pages, at least, the Tigers once again contend and even play in the World Series.

Professor Wizelius presents an objective approach to Wind Power Projects and fundamental concepts. The book covers some important Wind Power aspects from A to Z - from technical issues to project development and commercial feasibility analysis. I strongly recommend this book to any one interested in the Wind Power or Renewable Energy business.

Being a person of limited intellect when it comes to fuel cell technology and its' applications, I found Ms. Koval's issue paper to be not only informative, but at the same time I was able to follow the complex issues that this 21st century technology brings to the fore. Ms. Koval seems to have command of the subject matter and has exhaustively researched this topic so as to write a fair and accurate analysis of fuel cell technology.

What a tragedy. This OUP book is out of print. Is there anyone out there who can persuade the gnomes of publishing to get this one back into circulation? It is hard to imagine a more challenging publiction and it is interesting that it has been quoted by Cardinal Ratzinger. Clearly the author is onto something which predates the vision of Martin Luther. As an environmental student with a cursory interest in theology, I commend the author for having "brought me along" with him. Great stuff. Only sorry I have a secondhand copy. I would have liked to have ordered some as presents. OUP SALES: TAKE NOTE OF THE SALES WINNER YOU HAVE ON YOUR LIST!