Publications Books

Ken Hultgren's animal drawing book is by far the best I've ever seen. The drawings are not only beautiful and full of life but rich in anatomical information as well. Studying and copying these drawings, combined with a few trips to the zoo and a horse ranch, enhanced my awareness of animal anatomy and movement enormously.
I used this book as my primary resource for modeling, rigging, animating a horse in Maya. It's a great asset for animators, modelers, sculptors -- artists of any sort-- or anyone who loves animals and good drawings.

Excellent art reference for the developing artist who wants to understand animal anatomy and motion.

The book has lots of great drawing. I wish it had more explanations. But I still love it.

if you are studying animal drawing, this is one of the best books ever. this concentrates on the motion and line of action, as well as the construction!

This book is somewhere right between a "How to Draw Animals" book and a detailed anatomy book. It gives you the basics of the muscles for each animal in beautiful, dynamic sketches that take you from drawing static (but proportional) animals to leaping, rolling, fighting animals. If you're really serious, you'll still need a more detailed anatomy book, but for movement (especially of horses and deer and their running patterns) this one is awesome. Just a warning though, the section on dogs is awesome but smaller than the horses, the section on cats is extensive but focuses mostly on big cats, and the section on wolves/foxes/wild dogs is pretty brief - much more of the book is spent on the larger herbivores and some less commonly studied animals like kangaroos, camels, rabbits, and a big section on bears.

To be called a lady--a woman at her best-- is a compliment, but the meaning quickly transforms to an unwanted stigma when the word `bag' is added. Bag lady--a woman at her worst. Songstress Erykah Badu popularized the phrase "bag lady" in a song by the same title. Her song wasn't about homeless women pushing shopping carts containing everything they own. Yet, the women she sang about were just as lost and overburdened. Badu's bag ladies carried all of their fears, disappointments, anger, lack of self-worth--all their "issues"--like massive bags of garbage. Why would a woman continue to carry such a load, blocking her blessings that would surely come if she'd just dump the garbage? Badu doesn't tell us why in her song, but author Alethea Pascascio picks up where Badu's song ends. Pascascio's debut novel, Bag Lady, is the twisted journey of how one woman came to be a bag lady and why she can't seem to put down her bags filled with lies, rejection, low self-esteem and deception.

Is it possible to find love in another if you've yet to discover love within yourself? Pascascio's main character, Faith, sure seems to think so. Ever since she was a little girl Faith has been searching for love, only to have it elude or betray her. To understand Faith's history one just needs to know her full name--Faith Taylor Donnovan Felderman Payton Herrera. All of Faith's issues can be traced back to the men that have put a claim and name on her life.

Faith's biological father (Taylor) was killed by a stray bullet when she was a baby. Maybe this man could have been the positive male figure she needed, but life robbed her of the opportunity to ever find out. Instead she and her two sisters ended up with her stepfather, Mitchell Donnovan, for a role model of manhood. The Donnavan household is dysfunctional and Faith stores all of her memories of physical, emotional and sexual abuse deep within her only to have them resurface in her future relationships.

Faith falls "crazy in love" with a string of dysfunctional men--whose vices include drugs, other women and in one weird case, the occult. After two disastrous marriages (Felderman and Payton), Faith meets Justin Herrera. Justin offers the hope of real love, but can she cast her past aside and truly love him? Will he hurt her like the others? Justin's presence also puts a riff between Faith and her older sister, Nicole. Nicole believes Faith's love life has been picture perfect, but doesn't understand that quantity isn't a measure of quality.

Bag Lady is drama-filled, at times making you feel frustrated with Faith because she keeps putting herself in the same bad situations. But, that's what makes the story so real. The reality is bad habits are hard to break, especially when it comes to love. Beyond the frustration you'll root for Faith to find peace and healing as you travel with her on her journey of ultimately dumping her bags.

The debut novel of poet and storyteller Alethea Pascascio, Bag Lady is a story of misfortune, hardship, and the search for redemption. Faith Donovan is lady weighed down by emotional baggage - an unhappy childhood, host of poor choices in men leading to dead-end relationships, and two-failed marriages haunt her. At thirty years of age, her life seems to turn around as she meets Justin, a Central American who helps her face her past and learn how to love herself. But even as she tries to extricate herself from her past, her sister's jealousy and rage threaten to pull her back in. A selection of fourteen discussion questions such as "How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?" enhance this cathartic tale of the painful process of self-transformation, highly recommended.

Author Alethea Pascascio picked the perfect name for her main character: Faith. As a woman who keeps choosing the wrong man, faith is what she eventually calls on to break the cycle. This story is about the desire for love at any cost, and Faith finds herself repeating the same mistakes as her mother.

The story starts off a little slow. It begins at the funeral of Faith's beloved grandmother, G-ma. The reader is introduced to Faith's dysfunctional family and her new husband, Justin, who G-ma predicted as "the one." Soon, we learn about Faith's past, and how she ended up in one toxic relationship after another filled with drama, drugs, and despair. We also learn how she found trust in love again.

BAG LADY is a tale about emotional baggage, and a woman who is determined to hold onto it. Only until she faces the pain she has kept bottled up since childhood, does she learn how to love herself. With a bevy of interesting characters, including Mitchell, Faith's abusive, alcoholic stepfather; and her mother Linda, who chooses Mitchell over her own daughters, this book will make you laugh, cry, and testify.

Reviewed by Angela Watkins
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Faith takes you down memory lane to show her sister that life hasn't always been easy as it was looking at G-Ma funeral.

Faith and her siblings went through pure hell. The only person was there for them was G-Ma. Because her mother was to busy trying to keep her no good husband. Faith lived with the lies, deception, rejection, unforgiveness,abuse,secrets,lust and low self-esteem. Until she turned it over to God.

Over all I like the book and it was a great read, but Faith was really getting on my nervous. The author did a great job with getting her point over.

Reviewer-Big Time Publishing Magazine
Claudia Mosley

"The word amazing fails to adequately depict this emotional story that will literally touch the souls of readers. The novel Bag Lady will take readers down memory lane recalling instances in their lives that caused them to develop their on baggage."

"Faith Donovan has a difficult childhood that is a direct result of her self-esteem issues that lead her into challenging relationships."

"It takes the demise of several relationships and the entrance of a true gentleman into her life for her to break free from the load of baggage that's been holding her hostage. She ultimately learns that forgiveness is the key to releasing her unhappiness."

"Alethea Pascascio has orchestrated a wonderful encouraging story that readers can learn from."

Wouldn't you love to brew an Orval clone? Did you know there is actually more than one Orval beer brewed at the monastery (despite constant articles to the contrary)? There is actually enough information in this book - assuming you know what you are doing in the all-grain world - to pull it off. But you're going to have to introduce Brettanomyces into your brewery to do it ... and there's the awful temptation! As it is with virtually all Belgian beers, never mind the host of wild yeasts and bacteria that go along with them!

Add the wonderful, detailed brewing information to the history and stories and you get quite an unusual brewing book. It may be read for brewing purposes, as a casual read, for historical purposes, for cultural perspective, even for its religious content. Orval, of course, is just one of the Trappist breweries presented in the book.

Highly recommended. And I agree with another reviewer that this is the best book in this particular series.

This is another excellent book from Brewers' Publications. Non-brewers will find herein an engagingly written history of Belgian brewing both within and outside the monastary walls. You'll become acquaintaed with the brewers of Orval, Westveletren, Duvel, and others, their history, their personalities, and most importantly, their beers.
For those who are brewers, the book offers even more. Ingredients and specifications (gravity, IBU) are given for commercially available beers whenever possible (and the author has done a *lot* of homework to get his hands on this information). Additionally, full recipes are provided for various Belgian style and Belgian-inspired beers. Even better, the authors of these recipes explain *why* they formulated their recipes as they did, and the author supplements this advice with his own, with advice from professional brewers, and from BJCP judges. This enables the brewer to not just mimic the recipes he finds in the book (though believe me, they are definitely worth mimicing!), but to thoughtfully exercise his own creativity within the rich history and style of the Belgian tradition.
Beginning brewers will find a lot of technical information regarding krausening, PH adjustment, etc. that goes over their heads. But this shouldn't scare anyone off. The technical information is easy to skip over and there's enough in this book for readers of all levels.
This book represents the state of the art in knowledge regarding Belgian brewers and brewing. No matter how long you've been brewing, you will come away from this book entertained, sometimes surprised, and better informed.

Inspiring view into the brewing techniques of the Belgium beer. Outstanding historical look along with what is going on today. A must read if you are into the Belgians.

I highly recommend to this anyone who wants to learn more about Trappist and Trappist inspired ales. Very accessible and thorough.

Imagine that you-an experienced homebrewer-got to gather around a fire with some folks who had years of experience brewing versions of your favorite beer style. It would be hard to have a bad time, harder still not to come away a better brewer for it.
This friendly, if somewhat disorderly book is just that conversation. I love the complexity and depth of belgian strong beers. Occasionally, by dumb luck, I've brewed one. Other times, my efforts have been dull, or over-concentrated or just odd.
In these conversations, we get some clarity about yeast, malt, fermenters, temperature control and bottling.
I think the odds in my favor just went up. This is a book to mine for insights.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine

First of all, the title of the audio book "Canoeing With The Cree" is misleading. This work is not about Cree Indian canoeing style. Nor is it about a trip taken with Cree Indians. It is about two boys, Eric Sevareid (later a famous journalist and TV reporter) and Walter Port aged 17 and 19 respectively, who take the trip of a lifetime canoeing some 2200 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay over the course of one summer. Although they do occasionally paddle with or get assistance from both Indians and whites alike, they are pretty much on their own in the world of 1930- No GPS, no satellite phones and a route with long undeveloped stretches between towns and eventually trading posts. The route was incompletely mapped, and nobody could find record of this route having been used before. A better title might be "A Summer Canoe Adventure; Triumph Over Adversity" or just "From Minneapolis to Hudson Bay By Canoe".

Eric and Walter managed to obtain sponsorship from a local newspaper before they asked their parents for permission to take the trip. The parents reluctantly agreed... The boys quickly obtained a used canoe and christened it "Sans Souci". They packed a non-useful pup tent, mosquito netting, a .22 rifle, fishing gear, food, $5 and some traveler's checks and they were off!

From the beginning, they were doubted by nay-sayers who didn't believe they could do it. Even well into the trip, their final destination raised eyebrows. Indeed, it was a daunting task, and many miles had to be covered before the early winter freeze-up in the north country. In addition to pressure to beat the weather, Walter found out he was offered a college scholarship that would only be valid if he showed up at school in late September. The boys risked their futures and their lives by undertaking this trip.
Along the way they encounter blistering heat, and freezing cold, illness, injuries, doldrums and windy weather, flat water, rapids, and wind-blown whitecaps. At one point, they cheat a little and ride aboard a ship when they were wind-bound on Lake Winnipeg, but the majority of the trip was just the two boys paddling through wilderness, even many miles going upstream! There were many miles of portaging their boat and gear between waterways, only occasionally aided by a friendly passerby. Most meals they cooked themselves- Even a dinner of (ugh) carp! You can almost feel their struggle as the cover mile after mile, hour after hour racing towards the saltwater of Hudson Bay.

Their struggles were not always against the elements. Sometimes they got bad directions, including instructions to run the rapids on the right side of the river, when the safer course was belatedly found to be the left side. They made it through, but it was pointed out that the local Indians sometimes didn't... Another struggle they faced was a result of stress due to the elements arduous journey, when they briefly came to blows. Fortunately, they got past their fight and continued on their journey and remained lifelong friends.

This audio-book is highly recommended, and is worthy of repeated listenings.

The late CBS News Correspondent Eric Sevareid's highly regarded adventure chronicle Canoeing With The Cree has been given new life in an enjoyable audiobook production released by Holton House Audio. The story, as written by the late Mr. Sevareid, is one of an epic journey through the Canadian wilderness during the summer and fall of 1930. Sevareid and his friend Walter Port, both just teenagers, set out from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in an attempt to do what no one else had ever done before: canoe over 2,200 miles north to the Atlantic Ocean.

Holton House Audio chose Mr. John Farrell to record Sevareid's epic tale, and it has chosen well. Mr. Farrell's pleasant baritone displays a wide range of emotion that consistently matches both the intensity and innocence of Mr. Sevareid's story, and Farrell's reading style adds what almost seems like visual and sensory components to the recording. At times, as I listened, I could see and sense the stillness of the Canadian wilderness that Mr. Sevareid experienced, while at other times, the tone in Farrell's voice led me to imagine the deafening roar of crashing rapids. I could sense the perils that Sevareid and his friend faced on many occasions. Also, Mr. Farrell's ability to give characters in the story their own unique voices added yet another enjoyable aspect to this quality recording.

I found it refreshing that Canoeing With The Cree was exciting, and yet profanity-free. The recording would be a great addition to any public library's audio collection, and it would also be appropriate for use in High School English classrooms. I intend to start using it in my own Alternative Education High School class this fall, and will make this wholesome and engaging story a regular part of my curriculum for many years to come.

Eric Sevareid's Canoeing With The Cree is a great story, and it's been well told by Mr. John Farrell. I highly recommend this new Holton House Audio recording.

This story is about two high school boys who decided to take a canoe trip during the summer of 1930. Not only is it an adventurous tale but it is a lesson about survival and the determination to accomplish a goal. It is well written and very descriptive making the journey very realistic. This is a must read especially for teenagers who love the sport of canoeing.

2250 miles in a canoe - a great adventure and a book worth reading. I can't add much that isn't already perfectly described in this book.

At the start of the trip during a brief stay in Fargo, North Dakota, a friend and doctor named Frederick Gronvold sets the boys on their journey in a proper frame of mind. "Don't let anyone, no matter who he is, convince you that your trip can't be completed. You have youth and strength, and courage too, I hope, and with a little common sense you can do it."

When the journey finally ends and the boys share their tale with the adults at York Factory, they are asked why? Bud responds simply, "Oh, for pleasure, I guess." A journey simply for the sake of the adventure. It is an idea lost on some of the adults listening to the boys. "Pleasure! What a jolly funny kind of pleasure!" Better yet, maybe the idea isn't lost. Colonel Reid continues, "Oh well, that's youth. Things look different when you're young, I suppose. My word, I almost believe I envy you."

Enjoy the beginning and the end; enjoy the pineapples and everything in between. Enjoy the journey simply for the journey; it's an adventure that is perfect for any reader of any age!

"Eric Sevareid made his name as a CBS news correspondent. But at a young age, Sevareid experienced an adventure most only dream of. Sevareid detailed the journey in his book "Canoeing with the Cree". Now to mark the 75th anniversary of Sevareid's journey, two Minnesota men plan to make the same trip." Tim Post

In 1930 two young men paddled their way from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay in Canada. A trip of 2200 miles. Everyone told them it could not be done. Eric Sevareid, then a 17 year old, fresh graduate of high school, and his best buddy, Walter Port, planned the entire trip. They garnered financial support, collected supplies and a canoe and paddles and off they went. Five months later after trials and tribulations, they made it to Hudson Bay. Their journey is documented by Eric Sevareid, who gathered the weekly diaries he sent to their local Minneapolis paper, and in 1935, he wrote this book.

I stepped back in time to the 1930's when life seemed to be more innocent and the world a safer place to be. Sevareid who went on to become one of the most revered journalists of our time, wrote in an unpretentious manner, and we can feel the excitement of their adventures. They traversed unknown land and water. No one, it seems, had ever accomplished this trek. Even the best canoeists in the country failed. How then, did these two young lads accomplish this journey? Intelligence and good luck, I'd say. They questioned everyone they met, took upon themselves to digest all of the information and made decisions based on their best judgement. And, most of the time they were correct. They had no radio, no maps( this was uncharted country), little preserved food except for hardtack, but they had their ingenuity and the assistance of all of the people they met.

The North Country was mostly woods. Camps, small towns and two larger towns had been established for hunting and trapping. Most of the humans they met were Indians who were kind and generous. As a matter of fact, most of the people they met were in awe of their journey and shared whatever food, equipment and conversation they were capable. The trip was amazing when we look at the obstacles they faced. Water, roaring cold water, sometimes rapids, sometimes falls, no maps, only the word of mouth of strangers, and cold brutal weather at times. Or hot humid weather with flies and gnats. They discovered all sorts of wild animals but were never in real danger. They had their tent, two paddles, food, water, ponchos and several blankets. This seems like a story of new adventurers discovering a new world, and in fact this is what they were. Two 17 year old lads set out on an adventure and one day after another they found one. Extraordinary when you think about it.

Since the time of Eric and Walter, several other duos have made the trip by canoe. However, they had maps, food that could be kept for months and the best of camping equipment. This is not to lessen these young men's courage, but to think 78 years ago, this was accomplished with such primitive arrangments and care.

This was an exciting read and one page after another flew by. The book was difficult to put down. Easy, simplistic writing. but some of the most important writing I have found. The boys parents and friends did not hear from them often and at times, I am sure the parents were worried. But the two lads persevered and the trip was taken.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 06-26-08

Not So Wild a Dream

The Eleanor Roosevelt Story

A must read for teenagers AND for their parents. It speaks forthrightly and factually and does not shy away from the reality of teenage sexuality as experienced in this day and age. Scare tactics are not used to present chastity as the solution. Instead, chastity is the resulting positive choice one can make when presented with the beauty, richness, depth, true purpose and meaning of the God-given gift of sexuality.

I bought this book as a resource for my undergraduate Catholic club's discussion on sex and chastity. It's an incredibly comprehensive book that covers practically every conceivable query related to practicing chastity.
It doesn't rely on dogmatic statements --which never fly with the youth these days anyway-- but makes its case with logical arguments, all the while never forgetting that the ultimate reason behind chastity is LOVE. It's extremely easy to read, without being overly simplistic or unintelligent. I think it's a must read for every teen/young adult who is practicing or considering chastity.

This lady has a blog where she says things like that:

"You might be wondering...does Heather have a boyfriend? Well, yes I do (he's a hottie, too, from my Looking for Hotties blog)";
"I like to party, drink and have a good time. Does this sound weird coming from a youth minister" [Yes definitely];
"On a retreat recently (with amazingly holy Catholic young women!) [what is a holy Catholic young woman?], I said something that shocked me - I told them I was looking for a hot guy in my life."

And this one is really shocking:
Wouldn't it be great if all wedding gowns of white contained a pure vessel, ready to receive their true love for the first time - both spiritually and physically? Wouldn't it be great if every bride could honestly say, "Fill me with everything that you are - I purely desire to receive and love you for eternity"?

This girl talks by the devil to the youth!

As a youth minister, I am aware that very few teens really understand the virtue of chastity; they tend to think that the Christian position on the topic of sexuality is simply 'don't do it'. In this book, Gallagher and Vlahutin clearly articulate the many reasons WHY we should live this virtue of chastity. Anyone who reads this book with an open mind will, I believe, become convinced that God's plan for our sexuality is for our good and makes sense. I recommend this book on many different levels - a great gift for teens as they struggle through the turbulent adolescent years, a welcome addition to any library (secular or religious), and a must read for parents - since in my work I have found that very few parents understand the virtue of chastity, and therefore find it nearly impossible to articulate a message of sexual purity to their teens.

I used A Case for Chastity with my high school juniors and they really enjoyed a new perspective that's contrary to our culture. They read the book and then we had many lively class discussions about chastity. It helped all of them to reconsider what it means to love love someone. Many of them seriously considered chastity for the first time. Others said it confirmed their decision to live chastely. Almost every students said they would recommend it to a peer. I would definitely recommend this book for teachers to use in the classroom, or for any teenager.

This is a great product. I am a respiratory therapy student and this book is a must have.

A must for all respiratory therapists, sleep tech and the nurses who work with respiratory related illness.

This book is EXCELLANT!! It is very easy to read & contains a complete, condensed "stock-pile" of the basics of Respiratory Therapy. It's great!! I recently returned to the Respiratory workforce, after taking a "sabatical" of approximately 8 years. This little book helped me to review what I needed to function in the field of RT. It's nice & compact for easy carrying and has valuable info needed to complete a days work!!

This book contains the information needed by anyone who want to be a quality Respiratory Care Practitioner. I spent several years gathering this information in a hand written pocket notebook and I still did not have the scope and breadth of this pocket tome.

If you want to be good you need this book.

Gerald Zollar,RRT

This is a great little pocket guide, although it needs to be updated. My only suggestion is hide it in your locker at the end of your shift or it is GUARANTEED TO DISAPPEAR!!!!

This well-written book introduces some of the most elementary concepts in math in a very simple language. The text is quite engaging and interesting, so even the more knowledgeable people will enjoy reading the book.

Very well written, and reads almost like a good novel. Quite an achievement for a maths book!

This book is by far the best book on mathematics I have ever read. It teaches the concepts in an intuitive, exciting way, and yet it is able to remain fun and engaging throughout. Technical material is tackled, in depth, without there seeming to be any work done. There are no exercises to be done, you simply follow Stewart along for a tour through modern mathematics. Ian Stewart's writing is flawless and almost turns this book into a thriller. I read this book in one night- I could not put it down! I stayed up until 4 in the morning reading and rereading passages; it is truly a masterpiece. The chapters are as follows:

Chapter 1- Mathematics in General: Here Stewart describes certain aspects of mathematics, and discusses their purpose and implications. He talks about abstractness and generality, intuition vs. formalism, and pure vs. applied mathematics. He tells the reader the importance of understanding WHY a theorem is true, not simply that it is. He ends with a collection of anecdotes.

Chapter 2- Motion without Motion: This is an example of thinking a bit outside the box. The chapter is devoted to overturning Euclid's proof that the base angles are congruent, and making a new one based on rigid motions. It doesn't sound too engaging, but, somehow, Stewart manages to make it quite exciting!

Chapter 3- Short Cuts in the Higher Arithmetic: A basic introduction to number theory- prime numbers, moduli, congruences, etc. The informal tone makes this the easiest and most understandable read on number theory I've yet encountered.

Chapter 4- The Language of Sets: Throughout the rest of the book, Stewart uses the language of set theory, so he introduces that here in an easy to understand way (using some imagery like bags of items, etc).

Chapter 5- What is a function?: Here Stewart addresses some of the historical problems of defining a function, and then uses the set theory from the previous chapter to define a general function, and the different types of functions.

Chapter 6- The Beginnings of Abstract Algebra: An introduction to groups, fields, rings, etc. Stewart uses the rigid motions from Ch. 2 as an example of the group concept, and then goes on to make a proof about the game solitaire (the British version) using groups. Also an explanation of the proofs about constructibility (trisecting an angle, etc) are given here.

Chapter 7- Symmetry: The Group Concept: This is where we begin to see that Ian Stewart may have a bit of a bias towards abstract algebra and group theory, as that is his specialty. That is perfectly fine, but definitely something to be aware of. The chapter on Real Analysis is certainly less in-depth than this one, but there are many hundreds of books on that you can use to fill the gaps. (Also, Real Analysis is difficult to make accessible to those without a background in calculus, whereas algebrais concepts are fairly natural). In this chapter Stewart discusses groups, subgroups, and isomorphisms with great passion.

Chapter 8- Axiomatics: This is one of my favorite chapters, and it centers on Euclidean geometry and the importance of axiomatics. It discusses models, the parallel postulate, alternate geometries, consistency, and completeness.

Chapter 9- Counting: Finite and Infinite: This is the standard treatment of Cantor and his amazing discovery. I mostly skimmed this chapter, because I had just completed a book specializing in the subject.

Chapter 10- Topology: From Mobius strips, to Klein Bottles, to orientability, to the Hairy Ball Theorem. This chapter keeps to its title. I especially love the last line about the Hairy Ball Theorem (which is a theorem that seems entirely useless at face value). "It has one application in algebra: it can be used to prove that every polynomial equation has solutions in complex numbers (the so-called 'fundamental theorem of algebra')."

Chapter 11- The Power of Indirect Thinking: This is a foray into graph theory and Euler's Formula. A lovely discussion at the end about coloring, as well.

Chapter 12- Topological Invariants: Continues the discussion of topology and proves Euler's generalized formula. Also classifies surfaces, and proves some more coloring theorems.

Chapter 13- Algebraic Topology: You can see that topology is an incredibly important tool in modern mathematics. Here he discusses Holes, Paths, and Loops.

Chapter 14- Into Hyperspace: A short treatment of polytopes and higher dimensions.

Chapter 15- Linear Algebra: A bit on the geometrical, set-theoretic, and matrix views of solving simultaneous linear equations.

Chapter 16- Real Analysis: A light treatment of infinite series, limits, completeness, continuity, and proving analytical theorems.

Chapter 17- The Theory of Probability: Random walks, binomial distibution, etc. Treated informally.

Chapter 18- Computers and Their Uses: Programming and how it works on a mathematical level.

Chapter 19- Applications of Modern Mathematics: A very interesting read about optimization and catastrophe theory.

Chapter 20- Foundations: The best treatment of Godel's proof I have yet to see. It is surprisingly rigorous, but easy to follow.

Appendix- And still it moves...: This was added 5 years after the book was written, and is an absolute gem! Stewart addresses the proof of the four-color theorem, he talks about polynomials and primes, he talks about chaos and attractors, and he ends with a reflection on real mathematics. A great end to a masterpiece.

This book is for everyone and anyone- a modest background in high school algebra and an appreciation for mathematics is all you need. Buy this book! Give it to your friends!

I picked up this book partially from the reviews and partially from "Justin Bond"'s listmania who wisely advised to read it slow but don't get bogged down.

I have been stuck in this very uncomfortable stage between lower division and upper division math. I knew that I want to take more math but I had no idea what I wanted and where it led. Who's going to sit you down and explain in practical terms what 'topology' is so you know what it's about and whether or not it will do you any good? The syllabus won't tell you. Wikipedia won't tell you.

In this context, this book was very useful to me. It provides a very casual and friendly overview of upper-division math. It gives you a taste and a place to start from, some inkling of the topic, its relevance, and connections to other fields of math.

Between the fact that I'm not a native math speaker and that the material had to be simplified, there were definitely a few times where I was a bit lost, but I, and you, should not read it to learn specific concepts, so it did not phase me at all. Yet on the other hand, he provides some insights that I had gone for many years without realizing. Even if a particular part may not be interesting, the overall presentation has a lot to offer.

If you are interested in learning some advanced mathematical concepts, this is a great book. Even if you are not interested in mathematics, this book has additional rewards beyond the mathematical concepts: it will provide you with insight into approaching non-mathematical problems -you will be able to use most of the mathematical concepts contained in it, for unrelated but analogous problems. I especially enjoyed the simple explanation of modularity. You don't have to be mathematically inclined to enjoy and gain from the reading of this book. It is excellent. It should be in the collection of any person who is interested in learning how to think better and more rigorously.

I bought this as a gift for my mom, and she loved it. It is a great book that keeps you interested, you won't want to put it down.

No te arrepentiràs, me encantan todos los cuentos de este libro, so tan originales y tan fuera de lo común, que te transportan a otro mundo en tu imaginación!!

Cuentos de Eva Luna arrived rapidly. I am reading it for pleasure and I'm not being disappointed. The book is well bound for a paperback, comfortable to hold, easy to read for a student of a second language.

A friend introduced me to this collection this summer. It's a relatively easy read for anyone with a college education in Spanish. Allende uses modern stylistic devices and vocabulary.

The frame is a Scheherazade set up... a series of stories about love relationships.

Some stories are a bit schematic and unsatisfying but when she hits paydirt, it's killer. I especially liked the stories 'Si me tocaras el corazon' and 'Walimai.' These felt almost like deep folk/ fairytales.

If you enjoyed A.S. Byatt's "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," you'll like this one too.

What a collection of characters! An illiterate woman who sells words. A man obsessed with a little girl. A woman whose marriage was based on letters written by the wrong man. A woman who spends her life waiting for revenge. A rich man who keeps a girl prisoner. Rascals trying to break into society. A lonely dictator. Invisible Indians. Every character is flawed in some terrible way, and yet, somehow appealing. Somehow you become attached to each of the characters and you want to hear their stories. There is something absolutely magical about these stories by Isabel Allende, stories you can't put down.

What is her secret? I don't know. I think she writes with magic ink. But, there is something else, too. Her characters never give up. No matter how bad, how flawed, how actually depraved they may be, they keep struggling toward the light. And so, each of us, with our own struggle to escape from darkness, can relate to these people and their stories.

These are some of the finest stories I have ever read. I recommend the collection most highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

Eboni Chronicles is a thought provoking book that can help anyone become more effective in managing their emotions, problem solving and decision-making. It allows you to learn how to manage your emotions for maximum results in your relationships.

In Eboni Chronicles, Ms. Jones has provided a platform for the unsung heroines of Black America. It is a passionate plea to and from mothers, sisters, aunts, and friends alike on the subject of self-esteem, beauty, God, children, and money. Pain, despair, triumph, hope and love leap from the pages of Eboni Chronicles. Kudos to Ms.Jones for sharing "Black women's ideas, beliefs and lifestyles" in a new way. I encourage you to buy this book. It's real. It's raw. And in some instances, it's remarkably funny. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eboni Chronicles, and know that you will too.

Rashun writes from the heart. This is a excellent book with valuable lessons for everyone.

Eboni Chronicles gives a honest look at how Black women have demonstrated resilience in their day to day lives. It contains a inspiring educational message for Black women regardless of their age, background or life experience. I recommend this book to all black women.

Eboni Chronicles is a informative book for young women in the 90's. The "true" stories from the women in this book can help one deal with issues of racism and sexism. Issues that are often experienced but rarely ever talked about in such a open and honest manner. It also focuses on the everyday dilemmas like self esteem, work/education, managing emotions, problem solving, resolving conflicts and spirituality. I really enjoyed this book because it helped me see a lot of issues that I was dealing with and positive solutions to these issues. Eboni Chronicles contains a inspiring educational message for black women regardless of their age, background or life experience. It would also be useful to anyone interested in learning more about the ideas, beliefs and lifestyles of the Black woman from the eyes of the Black woman. I recommend this book to all Black women. Alicia Prince, Reviewer

This is written in a more story-telling way. THe graphics weren't as professional as I had hoped, but overall it was/is still a decent book for Shelling information.

I have purchased many shell books over the years. After finding this book at the public library, I had to have a copy for myself. It is by far the most informative book on Florida and Gulf Coast shells I have run across. If you just like shells, love finding your own, or are just curious about the sea creatures of the region, this is the book for you!

I was completely surprised when this book arrived at the size of it. For the price, I expected a small book, but it's quite large and full of beautiful pictures. My kids are crazy about the beach and we have amassed a large collection of shells over the years, so it was a lot of fun identifying the ones that we already had. We also took it on our last trip to the beach, which made shell collecting a lot of fun! This is also a very beautiful book even if you aren't going to the beach. If you are a beach goer or a beach lover (or both) you should pick this book up!

This great book is packed with trivia, great photos, humor and education. The kids in our family love looking at the pictures and I love the color photos identifying not only many of Florida's seashells but also other mysterious matter that you may happen to find on the beach. I've read it over and over and still find something new each time I read it. There's a section on cleaning shells, how shells reproduce (this is mind-blowing!). What is so interesting is many shells are shown with their inhabitants inside so you now know exactly what kind of animal made that beautiful shell you now have in your hand. The book covers areas in Florida such as the famous Sanibel, as well as other beaches on the West Coast, the Keys and South Florida. You'll discover which shell is worth thousands of dollars, which lump of stuff found on the beach is more valuable than gold and so much more. I've ordered extra books for my nieces and nephews because it is so rich in knowledge.

This book has beautiful full color photos of seashells which can be
found in the state of Florida. The descriptions of the shells are
excellent and if you are a collector, you will gain a lot of knowledge
from reading this book. Whether you are a native of Florida or a snowbird,
you will start to recognize the pictured shells as you explore the sandy
beaches on your own. A very enjoyable book for anyone interested in sea-
shells.