Science Books

Katherine Martin has compiled a detailed collection of feminine courage and real-life stories of going beyond one's comfort zone.

An inspirational feminist guide for young girls and women. Wonderful resources to finding a personal or impersonal mentor.

Katherine Martin's collection of stories reminds me that every woman, young and old, has natural talents and abilities to bring about supernatural results. A wonderful book that is sure to inspire readers to help make the world a better place.

There is a heartfelt need among women and girls to celebrate women's history. In her outstanding work, Katherine Martin has put before us a diverse group of role models from which every woman can learn and be proud.

41 women are featured in this thought-provoking book: some have names we recognize immediately from politics, medicine, spirituality & literature. Some for their derring-do & some for their expressions of inspiration. Some have made no headlines as they work with our homeless citizens or live with HIV, poverty or teach welfare mothers. One filmed documentaries in dangerous poltiical places. Another survived imprisonment at the hands of rebel bandits in a little known nation only to go to work, upon release, with refugees in ethnic-cleansing zones. Another stepped out of the shadow of a best-selling husband & learnt to speak her own piece while another is a pilgrim upon her walk toward spiritual knowledge.

Listening to their words, remarking upon Katherine Martin's commentary, I have found myself in good company & would willingly offer any one of these brave women my seat by the fire & a cup of hot tea! A wonderful read & a keeper! Do check out my full review!

In "Women of Courage", Katherine Martin has done a superb job of depicting forty courageous women who have followed their dreams, lived their commitments and made a difference in the world. These women are of all ages and are drawn from all professions: from art to politics; from explorers to activists. Some are famous and high-profile; some are relatively unknown. Each of these women has evinced a remarkable courage, openness and determination not to give up her dream - whether writing about the feminine identity of God, crossing the South Pole, or adopting a baby girl from China.

Too often, as Mary Pipher (the author of "Reviving Ophelia," and one of the women profiled is this book) says, courage has been defined as courage in the face of physical danger, the courage of a superhero or of Rambo. With this book, Ms. Martins suggests that courage comes in many aspects, all of which are important and valuable. I would especially recommend this book as a gift to young women, although both genders and all ages should find it enjoyable.

Interesting book really makes you think about self defense in todays world. I grew up with guns, hunting and target shooting so I might have a different perspective than most. Having a loaded gun readily accessable is a huge responsibility that can either save your life or ruin it forever.

If you even thought about owning a gun you should have this book. It is full of factual information regarding crime statistics, dos and don'ts regarding gun ownership and use. It is written by a women for women and I bought it for my wife but I read every page. I recommend it highly.

Larry C

Informative
Great to give your lady if you would like her to consider arming herself

Thoughtful, informative and written in simple language for the woman who has, or is intending to own/carry a concealed weapon.
Covers types of handguns, true life experiences, other means of self defense and consequences of using lethal force.

I bought it for her and she thought it was worthwhile. So much so I ordered some similar titles. These books aren't crazy. They're for women that refuse to be victims.

This is a comprehensive examination of gambling in America, so well written I put aside the thriller I was reading to pick this up each night. Well researched, balanced, and thorough, it should be read by everyone on both sides of the gambling issue.

I read this book this year (2006) and was staggered by its accuracy in describing the events of the last eight years in the gaming industry. It is far more insightful than most accounts written after the fact. O'Brien takes a historical perspective, inspired by a genuine appreciation for gamblers and gambling along with a rare cool-eyed and unsentimental realism about the casino business. Too many other authors, horrified by the crime and corruption associated with the business, forget that the urge to gamble is deep and ancient; the opposite camp too often uses romantic gambling fiction to distract from the undeniable rottenness that suffuses the legal and illegal industry.

O'Brien tells the stories of gamblers of various stripes, from hapless victim to celebrity successes, types who rarely coexist in the same book. Entrepreneurs are featured as well, weak crooks, clever crooks and genius visionaries. He cites in damning detail the negative effects of legal gambling on local economies, society and political institutions; but there is no suggestion of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, this book is the beginning of a blueprint for how to reform the industry, not outlaw it (or even less plausibly, to stop gambling).

If all of this makes the book sound like a dull policy text or dated account of once-current events, it's not. It's an entertaining read, and more relevant now than when it was written.

Mostly an interesting, well-written, and throroughly researched book. The anthopological and historical information about gambling in the US was very informative. The vignettes about individual gamblers were thought provoking. However, often the descriptions of gambling take awkward twists into very biased and unfounded criticisms. It reads that someone combined a readable historical and cultural treatment of gambling with a distorted rant about the horrible evils of gambling. Despite the confusion, there were many parts of the book that were well done.

Mr. O'Brien has written a thought-provoking book, the thesis of which is that casinos rely on a small percentage of problem gamblers for most of their profits. I was a little surprised that he didn't interview Frank Scoblete, the top gaming author in the world and my personal favorite because I would have liked to read Scoblete's opinions on O'Brien's thesis. But that is a minor quibble. The book is definitely worth reading. I tend to agree with O'Brien. Too many people are out of control when it comes to gambling.

I live near one of the big casino riverboats mentioned in O'Brien's book and I read this book out of curiosity more than anything. Prior to reading this, I had NO idea how much intense lobbying - as well as graft and corruption - were behind the gambling industry.

One tidbit I found especially disturbing is the story behind how gambling was legalized in my home state.

"Bad Bet" tells of a former Midwest governor who was in power when Argosy Gaming made it's big push to get gambling legalized in this state. (Argosy won) Now that we have riverboats all over our state, this former governor now *works* for Argosy Gaming.

Rapes and robberies went up 33% in Atlantic City, New Jersey after the casinos opened there.

"Bad Bet" it tells of the subtle and overt techniques casinos use to lure people in and entice them - to keep the money flowing. Even the layout of casinos is done with much forethought as to the best way to separate people from their money.

And O'Brien talks about how the gambling industry goes looking for communities in economic straights to set up shop. (which is exactly what happened in our city)

This is a powerful book. I think every local or civic leader that has a casino in their community or is even considering allowing casinos in, should pause and read this book. It'll open their sleepy eyes to some hard ugly truths.

Having lived in a community that invited the riverboats in, I see firsthand that O'Brien is telling the truth about what to expect when big gambling comes to town. It's a sad affair.

Beginning Ruby is one of the easier books to following Ruby, and get a decent understanding Object Oriented Programming (OOP). If you don't want to fork the money over yet for this book like I did not knowing if I would understand (I just now have grown a big enough interest into programming to want to study), then I would suggest grabbing the book called Learn to Program from Pragmatic Programmer Series. In that book he runs through basic ruby syntax, and programs that actually function more or less like a BASIC application would. Once you finish the short yet insightful Learn to Program book, this book becomes even easier to follow. Once you make your way through this book though, you will want to more then likely purchase the Pragmatic Programmer Ruby book (The Red Pick Axe Book, which the 3rd version is due out in October). But from a novice programmer perspective, this is an amazing book and is always by my side.

I wanted to use ruby on rails for my web applications, but after some failed attempts I decided to learn a bit of the ruby programming language first. This book guided me to the language, even if you are new programmer I completely recommend it.

I have dabbled in programming, but never really rolled up my sleeves to learn a language... until now. Both ruby and python seemed like great choices, and I looked for materials to play with them. Both offer some very nice features and the ability to get up and running with something useful and fun easily, yet offer plenty of room to grow. After a short evaluation period, I think I just like the "feel" of ruby better, but that's totally subjective. After settling on a language, I looked for a book.

I checked out Chris Pine's "Learn to Program", and of course _why's Poignant Guide to Ruby, and then this book. This one is, by a large margin, my favorite. Both Chris Pine's book and _why's guide have their moments, but in my opinion Cooper's book has a considerable edge in clarity and usefulness. It explains complex concepts in clear prose and then by example. I feel that I can tackle useful problems after having read the book. It seems to hit the sweet spot for being clear but not condescending, complex but not overwhelming. The examples are very applicable to many real-world problems.

This book is more of a tutorial than a reference, which is exactly what I needed as a new programmer. In addition to being a great ruby book, it's also one of the best "tech" books I've ever purchased. It's rare to see this level of quality in technical writing. I really hope Mr. Cooper continues to produce programming books.

I had heard quite a bit about Ruby, so I thought I would see what it had to offer. I went looking for an introductory book and found this one. I was hooked before the end of the first chapter. The author has an engaging writing style, and has done a great job of introducing the language and the community. The book is logically organized and presents the material in an easily comprehensible style. This is a great book for getting started with Ruby.

Cooper's book is by far the best introduction to Ruby I've read as well as to programming in general for beginners. He strikes (for me, at least) the right balance of showing how-to as well as the rationale behind it. It is neither too shallow nor overbearing, but steadily builds on previous lessons, always careful to point out where to find further/more up-to-date documentation.

Cooper's writing style is concise and clear. Examples are explained well. After having worked through books on AppleScript and Objective-C I wish they had been written by Cooper as well.

5 stars!

I read this book years ago when it came out in hard back. It really helped me understand what my son was going through as a police officer. I just bought it again to give to a friend who's son is coming back from Afghanistan and wants to join LAPD, and I read it before passing it along because he says he added a few new tales. It is a fun, and fascinating book to read, and i recommend it for every young person who wants to be a police officer, or any mom who wants to know what their kids are going through thier first year out.

This book has a lot of potential to be interesting, but in the end, it falls short. This book is decent, a very quick read, and at times it does a very good job of capturing the reader's interest.

The major problems I had with this book were the two I mentioned in the title of this review, namely a lack of depth and style. All of the author's stories seem to stop just when they're about to get interesting. Furthermore, Dunn doesn't write with enough detail or style to effectively convey the intensity and feeling of any of these situations to the reader. While I am sure Dunn is an excellent police officer, he is obviously not a professional writer. Overall, this is an okay book, but that's about it.

I believe this is a fantastic book for anyone thinking of joining law enforcement - or just trying to get a feel for what its like to become a cop.
I've also just completed the book "Gangs of Los Angeles", a candid look into the world of LA street gangs. I've done my best to retell their history and explain their culture in a way only an LA street cop with gang expertise could.

I first read this book when I was in High School I thought it was great, few weeks later I joined the LAPD Harbor's Division Explorer Scouts. One day while working at the station I met Sgt. Feula (a character mentioned on the book) I was very surprised, he did not know his name was mentioned on the book. He took me on several ride-alongs and I learned alot from him few months later I shipped out for the Military, he retired and I never heard of him:.... ///Sergeant Feula if you ever see this messege; thank you for everything, day by day I get closer and closer to become an LAPD officer, I will take what I learned from you and put it to use... Martinez///

This book is hands down the best book relating to firsthand police work I've read. Truly does give you a good sense of what it might be like to work in L.A. as a cop.

I have seen many Calculus books in which the authors tend to focus on pretty pictures or mere formula memorization. On this book the focus is on understanding the concepts and reasoning beyond the computational aspect of the Calculus. Considering the ongoing research in mathematics today, this book will prepare those interested in becoming pure mathematicians.

Both this book and the second volume were used in my Honors Calculus classes, and let me tell you, it's not for the faint of heart!! The book is very good, but unless you're willing to get into it and really go at the problems and theorems, it's not going to do you much good. If this is your first calculus textbook, don't expect detailed explanations and pretty summaries of the chapter, since it doesn't have them; do expect lots of theorems and complicated proofs.

This book, unlike most Calculus books out there, is meant to be read and understood. The way that Calculus is taught nowadays, people use books that are 90% problems, exercises, and examples, with an emphasis on computation. This book is 90% prose, and the emphasis is on cultivating a deep understanding. In addition, the book does away with the gap between "Calculus" and "Analysis", choosing to begin with a more mathematically mature perspective...but providing ample explanation for students who have not seen the material before.

This book is exceptional for self-study. I would recommend it to anyone learning calculus on their own, who actually wishes to understand it. This would make an excellent supplement to one of the standard Calculus textbooks, since it addresses just about all the classic weaknesses of these texts. I wish colleges would use this as a textbook, but alas, that would require a drastic restructuring of the curriculum.

This book may come across as "hard" to students, but this is only because it is structured in such a way that one cannot not get through it without understanding the material. Also, a student finishing this book will be ready to dive into more advanced analysis courses, whereas students using basic intro calculus textbooks will find themselves very poorly prepared for these things. The current calculus books with their emphasis on mechanical computation, allow students to get through without understanding the material, and that is why they come across as "clearer". In reality, they are much less clear than this book.

This is one of the best math books I have ever used; Apostol does a great job of giving you intuition and telling you why the topics are important. The exposition is very clear.

However, this is not your usual Calculus I book. The level of approach is halfway between an intro to calc class where you learn HOW to calculate derivatives/integrals, and a real analysis class where you learn why derivatives and integrals are related and their axiomatic foundations.

Bottom line: this is a great book if you want to understand calculus deeply. It is a warmup for real analysis. However, there are probably better books if your only interest in calculus is for using it to solve engineering or physics problems.

It's a shame that most high school and college students read whatever garbage they read nowadays to learn calculus. Fortunately, Apostol wrote his wonderful texts (you'll notice that this book hasn't had a new edition in about four decades, which means the author is under no pressure to artificially introduce new content to keep the sales up) for us to read.

This book is not only well-written, but has numerous quality exercises, and presents the material in a coherent and logical fashion. There is none of the typical clutter we see in many calculus texts nowadays, which makes the reading experience much simpler. Because Apostol writes so clearly, he can cover material significantly quicker than most other calculus texts. Even though many students are puzzled at the notion of understanding theoretical proofs and concepts, that understanding will often trivialize whatever homework problems and tests they will need to write in their classes.

It is true that this book is more abstract than other calculus texts, and the general consensus is that some knowledge of calculus would be helpful before tackling this book. However, a mathematically inclined student, given a good background in pre-calculus, should be capable of reading this entire book with little outside assistance. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have a more experienced student or teacher available to answer any questions the reader may have.

Another advantage of this text is that, by adding linear algebra, Apostol can more cleanly integrate linear algebra with multivariable calculus (in volume two). In addition, he covers some topics in differential equations and probability, which are natural extensions of all the earlier material in the book.

The exposition is clear, the covered content is thorough, and the exercises are numerous and varied. If you want to learn calculus, this is the book (well, this and the second volume) to get.

Like others reviewers before this, I'm rather surprised how obscure this wonderful, quirky book truly is.

The story revolves around Toseland, a young child who goes to live with Mrs. Oldknow. He goes to live in a big manor in a country estate (think the estate the Pevensies go to live on in Lewis' THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDOBE). He soon realises there's something odd about the house, and is puzzled why Mrs. Oldknow talks about the history and past inhabitents of the place like they were around only yesterday. It turns out the house is inhabited by children of the past, and he learns of an evil gypsey named Green Noah who he ultimately must confront. This final confrontation is rather scary, and Green Noah is one of literature's most memorable villains that I've encountered in a long time.

The book is a rather charming blend of supernatural meets reality, and there is something very delightfully English about the whole affair. The author's Catholocisim is rather apparent n the book, and she fits a lot of different allusions to literature, music, and history.

For those looking for good Children's fiction, this is a powerful story. It's too bad it's not well known.

I found this to be an excellent novel not only for children but also for adults. There is enough intrigue to hold the reader's interest throughout the novel as well as being a lovely, warm family story.

I first read this book when I was a child (in the 60's) and immediately fell in love with it. It has everything I adore in a book; a little magic, a little ghostliness; an English castle; lovely animal companions; characters from times past; people with manners, morals and down to earth values and last but not least--love. I have re-read this book many times and have just finished listening to an audio-version. This is forever a beautiful and enchanting book.

The book I'm going to talk to you about is called; The Children of Green Knowe, by L.M. Boston. I didn't really like this book. It was a little confusing and hard to understand. There just wasn't a clear point. There was not middle, or a climax and resolution. I thought this book was about a mystery or a ghost story, by the cover and the blip from the back. I was very disappointed in the ending, and that it was appoint-less fantasy, that bored me half to death!

The Children of green knowe was about a boy named, Tolly, who was the age of 8-11,whose parents die (they don't say how),so he was sent to live with hisGreat-Grandmother in Penny Soaky. Her house was called Old Knowe.
Three children, Alexander, Toby, and Linnet, died in Tolly's(the boy's name), Great Grandmother's house many centuries ago. They started appearing around the house just days after their death. They played with Tolly, and went on great Adventures. Enjoy one of Granny's stories every 20 pages, and learn about Tolly and Granny's love for the flute andthebirds.

Other reviewers have praised the book. But then, they also liked Harry Potter, and "Series of Unfortunate Events" as well, so that clearly showed me, as a College Prof, now HS dad, that I might not like this book, as the excesses of sardonic humor, death, magic, and evil, are all too prevalent in this day and age, to encourage the reading of fiction to stuff yet MORE garbage into my children's (or my!) head. As it is said, "Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof...".

But Green Knowe is different- perhaps because it was written in a gentler, kinder time. While there is fantasy, and a sense of the blurring of the dimensions (ghosts that are not evil, a world within our world that has connections to the past, and the interpenetration of them all) overall, this work has as much depth as Potter's does for the adult reader, without all the preachiness of 'PC' dogma which has so marred Rowling's later writings, and has influenced all of the film treatments. One really does not need to rehash Shirer's work on WWII in a Children's fantasy novel, which is all Rowling's works have become at the hands of her American editors...

Boston's world is alive- with literature, history, music, and artistry, which Rowling's is not. For adults, the references to the Restoration, Cromwell, Purcell's music, Anglican Church, and British Christmas customs provide a wealth for any HS parent discussing the period 1660-1700. But, as another reviewer noted, she never GOES anywhere- unless just BEING is enough. Her world is one to inhabit, not to holiday through, as if it were an itinerary of sights to check off. The ONE confrontation is scary, and could frighten younger audiences...but a vision of a redeemed world shines through. I was reminded while reading Boston, of Jame's novella, that Britten set to music in the opera, "Turn of the Screw." NOT "cheery" stuff, that!

If I seem ambivalent, it is because, while there is much to recommend in her writing, and the pictures she paints are very vivid, and full of life, the theological issues of the spirit world interacting with the real world, the malevolent curses of a gypsy long dead, and the subtle hints of either a strong genetic lineage, or a nascent reincarnationalism, coupled with clear Christian imagery and pious sentiment (Do ghosts really sing Christmas carols, without malevolent intent?) bothered me.

Is the book magical? oh yes, in many ways. Is it troubling, as say, Wind in the Willows is not? Oh, yes.. in equal measure. Is it a good read? Definitely. But the rest? I'm not sure....

Citrix MetaFrame XP: Advanced Technical Design Guide, Second Edition was a decent general read. In depth technical detail seemed to be lacking and was replaced by repetitive best practice lectures. However, I enjoyed the authors side comments and general personality that was interwoven into the reading. Overall the book is informative and well written.

We had 2 other books on Citrix Metaframe but the books didn't give us much detail so we started looking for a better resource. I found this book and recommended it to my Network Adminsitrator. I thought I won't get much from it because I don't work with Citrix everyday but when time permits, I read the book and 70% of the time I got the answers from this book.

Not a book for beginners. This is written for engineers and people who already have a good grasp of the basics of Terminal Servers and Citrix. No "how to" install in this book, but rather how to design, implement, identify and resolve your own problems, with a lot of real-life examples.

The style of the book (way it is written) makes a pleasant change from the usual technical books, as it addresses you like you know what you're talking about. You will come out with a clear understading of the issues you're facing and how to resolve them.

This book is self-published, which makes it all the more remarkable.

The book covers up to Windows 2000 and Mataframe XP FR2. I'm keen to see when the next edition comes out, and hpoefully it will concentrate on Windows 2003 + Metaframe 3.0

I had a real tough time searching the Internet and all other places to get some real stuff on Citrix and my search ended with "this" book by "Brain" Madden.

Citrix will notice a sizeable improvement in their sales if they include this book with their product. Everything is explained clearly with visuals and no filler material.

One of the best Tech Books to hit the market in recent times.

In my opinion, this book is the ONLY interesting published book about Citrix until now. I have read most of the available books about Citrix and Terminal Services and this is the only one I would buy again.

If you are a Citrix Certified Administrator, you will find this book very helpful. Personally speaking, I prefer it to most of the Citrix official documentation.

Take into account that it is a book for people who already has a deep knowledge about Citrix. It is not a guide for begginers. It gives you hints to improve your own Citrix project methodology.

Amazon guys, let me suggest this, please: If you are looking for a step-by-step begginers guide, have a look at Methodology in a Box (freely available at http://www.dabcc.com)

I thouroughly enjoyed this book series in Jr. High. It has everything you could ever hope for from an original sci-fi story! I'm awaiting a collector's edition collection of all six books in one volume. I would love to see a motion picture adaptation as well...

this book is awsome action packed scifi with a twist i read this in 2 days i just couldn't put it down Tristin a boy who finds out that he was adopted and is trying to find his real identity when he alerts his clone of his presence that could be a fatel mistake find out what happens
-podus

John Peel is one of the best authors i know, and i tend to be picky about books. You can hardly put them down, and they keep you guessing. He has some character backgrounds without making it boring. The character's personalities are very distinguished, and he has a great way of discribing things. in 2099, the whole planet is almost completly run by machines. Devon (who is NOT tristans clone! Tristan is Devons clone. Devon was born first.) is set out making a virus to have complete world domination. It's devons game, and tristan is just another obstacle in his way. Genia, is the 16 year old girl who just happens to get caught in the crossfire. An exellent hacker, raised in the underworld, she manages to a vital key in devon's game. Inspector Shimada ( i think...) is the officer on the case, and is determined to track him down. Tristan is one of the accused, and is a prime suspect to Inspector Shimada, and becomes a flaw in Devons grand sheme. Now devon's out to destroy tristan, as well as the rest of humanity. (i hope i didn't give too much away...) Doomsday and the rest of the series are nothing short of exellent! JOHN PEEL RULES!

This is the best book! I love John Peel. The characters and the suspense is awesome! Tristan is 14 and in big trouble. Ever since he fell off his girlfriends roof his whole world has changed. He found out that he is adopted and has a clone! Devon is Tristans clone and is evil! He (Devon) has created a Doomsday virus that will destroy the world. It's up to Tristan to save it! With the help of Genia, an outcast,and Mora, Tristans ex-girlfriend. Can he save them? Read the book to find out! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fiction, especially science fiction!

This is an excellent book! It's about a kid named Tristan who has to fight for his life from a super hacker. You never want to put this book down. It's the first of 6 in an excellent series. I would recommend this book to anyone.

"Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion Of Europe, 900-1900"
by Alfred W. Crosby. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
The implication of this book's theory is that the Europeans succeeded in the "New" World due to the imperialistic strength of European flora and fauna. European cattle and European horses conquered the plains of both North America and Argentina, making them "neo-Europes". When Columbus introduced the pig, (either inadvertently or consciously), he knew that that the porcine animal species would "conquer" their local environment. The author's excellent writing follows this theme throughout his book, but, in my opinion, he spends too much time on New Zealand ... pages 217 to 268.

Yet, if the author's thesis is correct, the book becomes a disparaging comment on human efforts. For example, compare the Pilgrims' landing in 1620 with the landing of Hernando De Cortez (1485-1547) at Vera Cruz in 1519. The Pilgrims snuck ashore, onto that Rock in Plymouth, on a cold winter's day. There was no one to meet them, as the locals (or "indigenes" as Crosby likes to call them) had all been killed off by strange and new diseases. The diseases were probably brought over by Englishmen; otherwise where did Squanto, the Indian chief, learn his rudimentary English? (Just as my aside, if the Scots, who first settled in Ulster, Ireland and then came to North America, are known as Scots-Irish, why weren't the Pilgrims known as "Anglo-Dutch"?)

In February 1519, more than a century before the Pilgrims, Hernando De Cortez landed at the Rich Villa of the Holy Cross, Vera Cruz, with some 500-600 men, to face not thousands, but hundreds of thousands. To instill courage in his men, Cortez burnt his boats. The Spanish had to go forward and they conquered an empire. On the other hand the Pilgrims occupied a dead village. In both cases, European diseases were the deciding factor, but the achievement of either group was entirely different. Crosby's book treats them as if they were equal.

I believe that Alfred W. Crosby has hit on something that bears further investigation. In the late summer of 2004, I attended a wedding in Slovenia. As we drove through Germany, I noticed goldenrod by the sides of the corn fields. I asked and I was told that goldenrod was introduced as a flowering plant but was not doing so well in Europe. I wonder if Crosby's thesis was borne out by the lack of success of goldenrod ...and other American plants? Don't get me wrong: since I am allergic to goldenrod, I am happy it was NOT successful in German farm fields, but why?

Crosby brought up an argument that I've never heard before - and argued it quite well. This book has a wealth of well-researched information that documents the ecological dominance of nations that underwent neolithic developments over those that did not. He also is very careful to demonstrate his technical knowledge while at the same time making the book accessible to all students of history. Loved it.

The most impressive and pleasant aspect of this new approach to world history is the non-anthropocentric perspective Crosby adopts. He tells the story of the expansion of a tightly connected group of European organisms, which includes humans alongside with other domesticated animals, crops, weeds, viruses and bacteria.

The book shows that humans were the leading elements in this great expansion beyond Europe and across the oceans - but they would not have managed to successfully invade, occupy and dominate vast areas of the planet such as America, Australia and New Zealand if they had not been supported by a powerful combination of fauna, flora and germs. In fact, often enough these supporting organisms even took the lead in making the "new-found" territories hospitable for Europeans. Once they had arrived to faraway lands with similar climatic conditions as Europe - but with much less people, germs, domesticated animals and plants - the horses, pigs, cows, sheep, bees, rats, weeds and endemic diseases carried by European vessels began spreading quickly in these totally unexposed areas, and thrived mainly by destroying the native organisms.

Another important point developed by Crosby is that this apparently aggressive invasion and occupation of other continents was actually the consequence of a long process started many thousands of generations before, and of which Europeans were totally unaware. They were simply the ones most prepared and willing to cross unknown oceans (in fact, for centuries they had to painfully learn all about winds and currents - for which many a vessel with all its human and non-human crew had to be sacrificed) and settle down many 1000 of kilometres away from their original home, because the "old continent" had become overpopulated, deforested and overgrazed. Their "ecological imperialism" was in the end part of their struggle to survive and reproduce (to the disadvantage of other human and non-human organisms).

Thus, Crosby urges his readers to think of this propagation of certain humans and their accompanying flora, fauna and germs in detriment of others as a natural phenomenon. In fact, he often compares the European ecological expansion with an "avalanche" or a "bursting dam", i.e., something that had to inevitably happen given the circumstances. In this scenario, it becomes clear that these organisms were vehicles for a great "biological revolution" (in the words of the author), where humans were the spearhead of the movement - but hardly the all-knowing, dominant, free agents they mostly imagine(d) themselves to be.

Book Review: "Ecological Imperialism"
In his book, Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900, Alfred W. Crosby investigates the roots of European domination over the western world. He calls the places where early Europeans settled "Neo-Europes" with special emphasis on North and South America , Australia , and New Zealand . In his prologue he ponders whether Europeans dominated their environment and other cultures because of their technology, or whether the consistent "success of European imperialism has a biological, [and] an ecological, component.". Crosby 's thesis is that Europeans were successful imperialists because wherever they went their agriculture and animals thrived; and the indigenous populations and local ecosystems collapsed under their biological advance.
Crosby begins at the beginning, discussing the one big continent, Pangaea, supposed to have existed in pre-history and the slow development of life forms other than reptilian, in particular Homo sapiens. The break up of Pangaea (this hypothetical super-continent) caused the "the decentralization of the process of evolution," that is, when the land cracked apart flora and fauna were spilt between the newly created continents. That continental split is the reason similar species are found in Europe and North America.
Eventually Crosby brings the reader up to the end of the Ice Age. Ten thousand years ago humans were exploring the islands of the Eastern Atlantic including Australia . Once on these islands humans domesticated plants, piled up mounds of garbage, spread disease, and hunted animals into extinction. Normally the despoilment of indigenous flora and fauna occurs over tens of thousands of years. In locations where humans arrived with mature hunting skills a sudden extinction of local plant and animal life occurred. These sudden prehistoric, or Pleistocene, overkills were the first concentrated impact humans had on virgin ecosystems.
The virgin ecosystem of Porto Santo Island was the destination of Portuguese settlers during the 1400s. Porto Santo Island was completely uninhabited and filled with untouched flora and fauna. One Portuguese ship captain brought a mother rabbit and her babies to the island. The rabbits loved Porto Santo and thrived in the island environment. So much so that soon the settlers were blasting away at the rabbits in an attempt to exterminate the entire local rabbit population. It seems the rabbits could not determine the difference between the crops meant for human consumption and the crops meant for bunny consumption. The rabbits won in this instance and for a time the settlers moved elsewhere, "defeated by their own ecological ignorance."
The experience of Spanish invaders in the Canaries showed them that no matter where they went, even if they could not out-fight their opponents, Europeans could dominate their enemies anyway. "In all these [new] places, the newcomers would conquer the human populations and Europeanize entire ecosystems." The Spanish learned from their experiences in the Canaries that their livestock and crops would succeed in these new environments; they also learned they could easily defeat the local natives without traditional warfare. The various "plagues" and "sleeping sicknesses," which the Spanish called peste and modorra, killed off and weakened natives who had no natural immunity to ailments common to the Spanish. In essence, sore throats and colds were the winning weapons of the conquerors; it was the flu that subjugated the Canaries.
The unfortunate natives of the Canary Islands , the Guanches, did not survive their meeting with the Spanish sailors. These previously isolated people died rapidly from dysentery, pneumonia, and venereal disease. According to Crosby "few experiences are as dangerous to a people's survival as the passage from isolation to membership in the worldwide community that included European sailors, soldiers, and settlers." When the Spanish conquered the Canaries the Guanches lost their land and therefore their livelihood. Some Guanches joined the Spanish army and went to fight in the Americas ; the Spanish sold others into slavery. The majority of Guanches however died of disease and the entire population became extinct.
Unlike the Guanches of the Canaries, the Maoris of New Zealand did survive despite great odds. When invaded by Europeans the Maoris assumed they would become extinct. European rats annihilated the Maori rat, an animal that was a food staple for the natives. The Maori fly might have help ward off the incursion of sheep that quickly destroyed the local flora, but invading European houseflies wiped out the local flies. Clover took over where ferns had been, and the Maori waited for their own extinction. The Maori population hit bottom in 1890 but then began a mysterious recovery and 280,000 people claim to be Maori by 1981.
In the 1500s Europeans arrived in the Americas with horses, technology (weapons), domesticated plants (crops), farm animals, germs, insects, diseases, weeds, and varmints. The garbage piled up by farmers encouraged varmint populations (mainly mice and rats) which spread disease and attacked human food supplies. Crosby devoted an entire chapter to the spread of weeds around the world. Weeds are not specific plants. "Weed" is a general term applied to a plant that spreads rapidly and encroaches on other plants. The study of where specific weeds appeared and when, aids in tracking population movements. The weeds brought by Europeans were actually another unintentional imperial victory. Weeds repaired damaged top soils and provided feed for livestock. " Rye and oats were once weeds." "Weeds are the Red Cross of the plant world; they deal with ecological emergencies." "Weeds thrive on radical change, not stability. That, in the abstract, is the reason for the triumph of European weeds in the Neo-Europes..." Weeds were resilient and thrived in soils laid bare by European plows, and damaged by drastically altered ecosystems.
European populations exploded in the Americas and Australia . What distinguished these Neo-Europes were the large food surpluses they generated. Neo-Europes led the world in food production "relative to the amount locally consumed." Other cultures actually produced more food per capita and per hectare, but the Neo-Europes exported more food than any other society. Especially successful exports from Neo-Europes were wheat, soybeans, pig products, and beef. Europeans consistently chose to settle in temperate climates where their animals and crops thrived. This was prudent and logical, it would have made no sense for Europeans to settle in torrid climates where their livestock would have suffered, and their favorite crops could not be grown.
The wind also aided European imperialists. When faced with strong winds the Portuguese marinheiros, true sailors, did not turn around and go home or sit sail-less in the water until the winds changed. Marinheiros would "sail around the wind." Sailors would tack close enough to the contrary wind to keep moving and then find a wind that they could use to continue their course. The Portuguese who perfected this "crabwise slide" called it the volta do mar, literally "going back to the sea." This understanding of winds allowed marinheiros to sail out on trade winds and back home on the westerlies.
Smallpox was the big killer of the Aztecs and the Incas in Peru ; the Huron and Iroquois in Mexico ; and the Amerindians of the United States . Crosby claims the victories of the Conquistadors over the Amerindians were "in large part the triumphs of the virus of smallpox." Besides smallpox Europeans brought dysentery and influenza; those epidemics killed almost the whole indigenous population of North America . In effect, the domination over ecology and culture by European invaders was more of a biological accident, than a well-executed military takeover.
Virgin soil epidemics spread through populations who had no prior contact with European diseases. These populations had no immunity to protect them. Virgin soil epidemics had many dramatic consequences. First, the epidemics effectively committed genocide, killing entire populations of native people around the world. Second, certain diseases (measles, influenza, tuberculosis) effected people fifteen to forty years of age more than others. These young adults were responsible for most of the labor involved in supplying food, procreation, raising children, and defending the society. The third and fourth effects of virgin soil epidemics were cultural optimism on the part of the conquerors, and cultural fatalism on the part of the conquered. When Europeans arrived and slew their rivals without raising a sword they believed that God must be on their side and this belief affirmed the rightness of their imperialistic actions. When the indigenous people died by the hoard from mysterious ailments they developed a fatalistic view of their own destiny and supposed the white man's Gods were the more powerful.
Ecological Imperialism is interesting, occasionally humorous, and easy to read. Crosby accomplishes his goal of writing a big book. This author presents a convincing and encompassing explanation for the incredible success of European imperialists. The book leaves the reader with more questions. How aggressively imperialistic were the original conquerors if all they had to do was show up and their opponents fell to the wayside? Crosby argues convincingly that Europeans were triumphant because the places they chose to conquer had ecosystems and indigenous populations that surrendered to the biology of the invaders.

Alfred Crosby is widely credited for popularising the ecological dimension of the history of imperial expansion. For this reason, and perhaps this reason alone, his book is worth a read.

The book, first published in 1986, revolutionised the way we think about European imperial expansion into the New World. How a few hundred disoriented Europeans armed with spears and misfiring guns managed to overwhelm entire Inca and Aztec civilisations in the early sixteenth century, for example. Crosby convincingly casts aside traditional political or military explanations by attributing the astonishing Portuguese and Spanish victories to bacteriology: how diseases such as smallpox and measles that the Europeans unwittingly carried with them wiped out thousands of New World inhabitants, severely crippling their defences.

The larger point that Crosby drives across is a profound one. Historical events - in this case, European expansion and imperialism - can be explained predominantly by ecological factors. In the clash of `biotas' between the Old and the New World, the Old World won. Convincingly. Hence the presence not just of Europeans in the Americas, but also of pigs and dandelions. According to this thesis, ecology shaped European expansion; creating `Neo-Europes' in the New World that facilitated European migration, precipitating the `Caucasian wave' from the 1820s to the 1930s. Unlike in most other histories, in Crosby's ecological history, humans form the backdrop and inexorable ecological forces take centre-stage.

Refreshing as this perspective is, the way that Crosby has rendered it is problematic in on a number of accounts. By excluding humans from the picture; or at best relegating human developments to the sidelines, Crosby emerges with a dangerously reductive picture of historical development. Deterministic ecological explanations cannot alone account for European expansion - after all, we must not forget that the first European transoceanic voyages were motivated by curiosity rather than necessity. More problematic is the book's implicit assumption that ecological influence was unidirectional. In concentrating on explicating the Old World's ecological victory over the New, Crosby neglects to examine the influence that New World ecology had on the Old.

Nonetheless, Crosby's work remains a landmark study that deserves a read. Moreover, it packs a punch as a piece of writing - its lucid narratives and provocative assertions laid out with the bold and elegant strokes of a master-artist. Yet Crosby's work is also increasingly a dated study that has been qualified over and over by new works in the field, or in the related field of environmental history. Those interested in the subject should by no means stop at Crosby's book.