Ball Books

You'll want this book to help you with your dreams. Not a waste of Money! Also: The Discovery of Dreams A-Z

This book is terrible. It has all the common conventions of a Dream dictionary book. I would have to say that out of all the mundane, garden-variety dream books out there, this one rates in the top 5...

Extensive lists of meanings behind different items seen in dreams, as well as situations and accounts of specific dreams. One of the best lists in dream interpretation.

This book offers an exceptional guide for remembering, interpreting and controlling your dreams. The dictionary is very comprehensive. A great book! I purchased two for gifts and one for myself!

Many dream dictionaries simply list words and their meanings. The symbols are obtuse because our mind is revealing information to us, but hiding it at the same time. Pamela Bell has methods for managing dreams, starting with KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid. It is not that anyone is stupid, but we over complicate, over interpret, over analyze what symbols may mean, and we lose the simplicity of the message.

The book is divided into sections, and long before you come to the interpretations of dream symbols, if you read the book sequentially, you will have a background that you can apply, and learn how to guide your dreams. The following is a short synopsis of each segment.

Introduction: "Dreams thus perform at least two functions, and interestingly these activities are relevant to the attributes of the two separate halves of the brain." (Bell) Every day our conscious minds are bombarded with images and thoughts, noises, colors, aromas, then, at night, when the conscious mind eases control, we review and interpret, and frequently solve problems; sometimes waking up to know the answer to complicated problems, or whatever may have been perplexing.

The Dream Interpreters: The most famous dream interpreter, in my opinion, is Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and firstborn of Rachel. He was sold into slavery, yet he was the one who interpreted the Pharaoh's dreams of the feast and famine years that would come upon the land. Bell follows the history of a few dream interpreters to show the changes from parlor games to therapy. She includes a short list of archetypal symbols.

Sleeping and Dreaming: "Sleep is a way of turning away from the external stimuli by which we are bombarded daily to an inner landscape which permits regeneration and rejuvenation." (Bell) I am an insomniac, so I frequently miss this part of the dream. She covers this disorder and many others, and gives tips to sleep better, including a list of herbs that may help.

Dream Interpretation: "Just as a child learns that certain words represent certain object, the dreamer begins to understand his or her own dream language." (Bell) This is the reason that there are many dream dictionaries, and why we do not necessarily know what we are telling ourselves.

How to be a Creative Dreamer: The common term is lucid dreaming, and it is where you control your dream. Once, when a knife wielding threat was attacking me, I woke myself up by saying, "This is a nightmare!" To analyze your dream you must experience yourself as the things and people within. In that dream, I was telling me what I already knew, but had not really faced. This chapter is rich with information and suggestions, including several guided dreams.

Dream Dictionary: These are the nuggets that we use to try to interpret the dream. This section is divided into elements: (1) Animals, (2) Environments in Dreams, (3) Journey, and (4) People. Then Bell provides an alphabetical listing of various words. Unlike many other books, she does not say, for example: Butterfly is one's own transformation, but that the butterfly represents freedom, although it can also "indicate a lack of ability to settle down or to take a protracted task." The interpretation is up to you, and it is therefore based on your current situation.

Dream Workbook: "The following pages are for the reader's personal use. They suggest various methods which can be used in your own journals, and for your own private interpretations." (Bell) Nearly every book about understanding dreams suggests a dream journal; it is the flow of life.

This is an excellent addition to my dream dictionary collection. One of the things I have learned about dreams and messages is this: If I do not get it the first time, my mind will send the dream again, but simpler. Five stars.

Victoria Tarrani

I'm not one of those gardeners who can spout off the botanical names of the plants. I just like things to look good. But I also like to do it myself, so when I found Contain Yourself, I thought "Maybe I can find some ideas for the planters and window boxes around my house." Because admit it, it you're like me, you depend too much on geraniums for the sunny spots and impatients for the shady ones. Kerstin's book shows me what to do with all those cool new plants I've been seeing in the garden shops. My new favorites? Wave petunia, verbena, bidens, helichrysum and chalibrachoa (I'llhave to check my spelling on this one). It looks like a miniature petunia. The authors designs look great all summer long and even now - my neighbors are coming to ME for advice! I tell them to buy the book - I gave one to my sister!

This book has a catchy title. The subtitle "101 fresh ideas for container gardens" is more specific, if rather unrealistic. I'll take the writer's word for it that there are 101 container gardens described in this book, but "fresh ideas" they are not. They feature fairly basic containers filled with the likes of petunias, verbena,and osteospermums, with a grass or phormium to give height and ivy, lotus vine or ajuga as a trailer. The result is the kind of thing you see on sale at Home Depot or one of the other big box retailers.

Each "recipe" for a container design has a colour photo of the mature planting, a planting diagram and notes on the plants, containers and care. These notes are repetitive because of the limited range of containers and plants.

The writer is described as president of a marketing communications firm for the horticulture field. The marketing is more in evidence here than the horticulture.

Contain Yourself offers a clever way to teach gardeners to break out of the "marigold/impatien" cycle through creative "recipes" for container gardens featuring more color, height and texture than most novices are able to do on their own.

By presenting the material in this fashion, Ouellet gives the reader the tools to ultimately be able to create his or her own container masterpieces by using portions of multiple recipes. In essence, the reader learns new techniques as the book progresses. Once the basic techniques are learned, gardeners should be able to design beautiful gardens on their own.

The book includes care instructions for containers (which need more frequent watering than traditional gardens) and information on the growing habits of the plants used in the designs. While it's true that there is not a huge variety of containers used (as noted by another reviewer), how many households have endless supplies of different containers? I rather like the lesson taught that any one container may be used in many different ways.

More seasoned gardeners might find the text and instruction somewhat remedial. Even so, it's a beautiful book with excellent content for anyone who wishes to learn more about expanding the horizons of traditional gardening.

I've purchased a number of container gardening books and this if far and above my favorite! The authors style is "comfortable" yet informative and the actual diagrams for the planting layouts are exactly what I was looking for. If you're just starting on container gardening this is the book for you. If you're an expert you will still get some grand ideas to make your own.

This is a delightful gardening book. It is easy to read and understand. The ideas will definitely keep my container garden looking great year after year. A keeper!

I am new at this - gazing at the crystal ball. It has helped me to read this book to get more ideas and concepts of how to read a crystal ball.

i had been doing cyrstal gazing for about 2 weeks when i received this book. My prior attempts had failed, but i had purchased a crystal ball and i didn't want it 2 go 2 waste. the next nite after recieving and readign this book i saw my first image in the crystal. the book in question explained it so well and it was so easy. it turns out i had been doing it wrong. this book really helped i recommand it 2 anyone who is interested in the subject.

The author includes good visualization practices for getting the most out of your crystal ball. Includes a guide on choosing crystals as well as directory for symbol interpretation.

This book goes into everything you need to know about different crystals and crystal balls (whether glass, lab made or the real thing). Meditation techniques to enter the crystal ball. How to be safe (using prayers), how to find things, meet angelic entities, balance your chakras, symbolism, and the list just goes on, and on. Loving yourself (opening your heart chakra)in order to open the third eye to see in the crystal ball. It's definately the best book you can get to learn crystal ball gazing!

I've studied metaphysics & magick 30 years. This is one of the best, most practical books on crystal gazing in print today.... This book show's the hands on "how-to." This book is a must have for the serious student.

Reading "Dottie Wiltse Collins" was an enlightening experience for me and I read it straight through, without stopping, because of the author's flowing style and the ease with which she blends narrative and research with quoted dialogue and newspaper articles.

The genesis, evolution, and responses to "A League of Their Own" particularly intrigued me, as I come from a background of film. The irony of "Million Dollar Baby" and Ronald Reagan was an insight I learned from the book, as was "Girls Can Play," the murder mystery movie with Rita Hayworth.

I relished learning about the involvement of Max Carey, a favorite of mine, with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. So much of this book taught me about the AAGPBL.

As a teacher of the deaf, I was also impressed by Trombe's research when I discovered that Helen Keller visited the Payne Furnace Company, where Dottie worked after high school.

I found such delight in the solid telling of this vital story that I sent of copy of the book to a local AAGPBL former player. Bravo to Ms. Trombe for an exciting, well-documented, historically accurate book. Encore!

Carolyn Trombe's biography of Collins begins to fill a much-needed gap in baseball history. While much of the AAGPBL story overall has been told in histories and on film, the individual players' stories have been neglected. Her fine biography of Collins opens the way for other baseball historians and authors to follow with individual histories of other women who played hardball for the AAGPBL in the 1940s and early 50s. Bravo, Carolyn Trombe!

As a US History teacher, I annually assign projects to my students for research. One topic chosen this year was the AAGBL- not only for the historical signficance of it at that time, but also for its impact on history in general. Trombe's book on Dottie Collins proved to be an integral source for my student's research as it was an engaging book on Collin's career. Not only did my student gain the facts of the women's league, but due to Trombe's style of writing, she was allowed to feel the emotions and attitudes of these amazing ladies in that time period. Once reading the book myself, I found it to be historically accurate plus a fun read- showing a piece of history that is often overlooked by the history books. Anyone interested in baseball history, in women's history or the history of the time period (1940s-1950s) will find this book a real treasure and a fine tribute to the women of the AAGBL.

Dottie Collins' life is an unexpected "coming of age" story that should interest a wide range of readers. Certainly the hard-core baseball fan looking for more history of the game; but also the casual fan wanting to explore the era and the cities Collins touched, as well as parents and teenagers interested in the father-daughter relationship that help forge Collins' career. An easy read, with focus on what was going on around this young pitching star as well as some fascinating new baseball/softball anecdotes. (I am the author of The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball).

One of the All-American Girls Baseball League's (AAGBBL) most effective long term pitcher's biography is aptly reported by Carolyn Trombe's "Dottie Wiltse Collins: Strikeout Queen of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League." The reader acquires not only the details of Dottie Collins' life, but details of the times in which she lived and the leagues for which she played as well. Details of Dottie's game performances, the managers she played for, and the players she played with are a plus for those who are searching for inside knowledge of the AAGBBL as it existed between 1943-1954. Trombe's account of Collins' role in establishing the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players' Association (AAGPBL), and Collins' passion for preserving the league's legacy reveals little known aspects of the history of the AAGPBL as it's known today. Trombe's account of Dottie Collins' life and baseball career is clearly presented and peppered with foreshadowing to keep the reader involved with what's coming next. Those who love baseball and want to know more about the AAGBBL/AAGPBL will treasure Trombe's book. --Merrie Fidler, AAGPBL Associate Member, SABR Member, author of "The Origins and History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League" due to be published in Spring/Summer 2006.

E-mail below received July 26, 2000. Posted with permission. I thought that potential buyers might find it helpful. Grant Norris --------------------------------------

Hello Grant, James, Kenneth, John Dunleavy and John D. Balls,

I wanted to write this e-mail to let you know that your book titled "E-Business and ERP" is well written and the subject matter most appropriate in depicting the state of the technology and e-business at this point. I found your depiction and representations very good.

I am a faculty member at the Freeman School of Business, Tulane University in New Orleans. I teach two courses that are pertinent to the content of your book. The courses are titled "Enterprise Integration I and II". These are courses taught to the MBA students, who find the course very interesting and fascinating.

I plan to ask the students to read your book as part of additional reading material for the course.

Sincerely

Raj Sharman

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Prof. Raj Sharman, Ph.D. JF Seinsheimer Jr Research Fellow A. B. Freeman School of Business, 7 McAlister Lane, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118

He fully understands the relationship between collaborative technology as it relates to project management in a large enterprise environment.

As he so well points out... "the speed which one implements technology relating to process management in order to accomplish large tasks" will differentiate success from failure. This is a "must read" for senior management if they wish to survive in a complex "project management", collaboration /Internet environment. How to utilize technology to accomplish this is the key!!

A great resource for management.

Mr. Shield clearly gets it!!".

He fully understands the relationship between collaborative technology as it relates to project management in a large enterprise environment.

As he so well points out... "the speed which one implements technology relating to process management in order to accomplish large tasks" will differentiate success from failure. This is a "must read" for senior management if they wish to survive in a complex "project management", collaboration /Internet environment. How to utilize technology to accomplish this is the key!!

A great resource for management.

If you are coming from an APICS viewpoint on ERP, this book is consultant-speak only. It is however a prime mover on a very important issue, how will those 1996-1999 implemented ERP systems move forward now that Y2k spending has been digested in Fortune 2000 companies?

An excellent overview of a very complex and timely subject. I especially liked the ERP/E-Business Matrix and the discussion of regions, companies and assumptions underlying it. I found the discussion of "adaptive" vs. "disruptive" changes helpful and insightful. Very concise and to-the-point, a quick & easy read, but one which should be internalized over a longer period of time. Covered a lot of ground in less than 200 pages. Overall, an excellent addition to my bookshelf.

Would, however, have liked to see a bibliography & some footnotes for the statistics cited

iT WASD REALLY HELPFUL TO ME. I THINK ANN BALL IS AN EXCELENT WRITER AND IM LOOKING FOREWARD TO HER FOLLOWING BOOKS!

The saints are human beings just like us, but formerly hagiographers tended to make them unreal. Ann Ball has shown a marvelous talent to bring them within our reach. They had problems and difficulties like the rest of us, but with God's help they revealed a true heroism that inspires us toward goodness.

Ann Ball chooses an excellent selection of modern Saints, Blesseds, and Venerables in this book. Many of the accounts are very inspirational, with the lives of several martyrs, and other holy people who undertook extreme penance for their sorrow of sins. Excellent choice for those looking for inspirational stories about ways to achieve holiness and perfect union of your soul and Jesus.

Ms. Ball has written a great work detailing real life stories of people who gave their minds, bodies, and souls to a cause. This is a work that will inspire all people, Catholic and otherwise, who dedicate their lives to an ideal. I was especially pleased that she reserved a chapter for the inspirational life of Rogelio Gonzalez Corzo, code-named "Francisco," a young leader of the anti-Communist/anti-Castro underground in Cuba. This deeply religious man, an agricultural engineer only in his late twenties, a Catholic school graduate, and a leader of the Agupacion Catolica Universitaria, bravely took on the puppets of the Soviet Empire in his country. He never doubted his actions, and in his famous letter to his family just before hsi execution, he wrote, "Death is already knocking at my door, but as all my companions I have great peace of mind, because cost what it may it will show me the way to heaven and eternal happiness."
Ms. Ball is to be highly commended for her work. The others featured in the book, from a wide range of backgrounds and nations, were extrememly well selected. Not only does her choice of modern saints make the book attractive and inclusive, but truly speak to the transnational connection of Roman Cathilics around the world. A great book.

It doest look as if Amazon has made an error in combining reviews from Ann Ball's first volume, and this more recent second volume.

Faces of Holiness II is another of Ball's gripping books of modern saints. Like the first, it introduces the reader to many largely unknown saints through both words and numerous photographs.

A respected hagiographer, Ball has assembled a unparalleled collection of modern blesseds, venerables, and saints.

This work, like her first, is thoroughly inspiring. It introduces the reader not to saints that lived long ago, but to more modern individuals that had lives just like those of our friends, family, and neighbors. The stories are very accessible.

The book includes more than 100 biographies of the saints, a complete biography, and an index.

The biographies include those of Satoko Kitahara from Japan, Knights of Columbus founder Michael Joseph McGivney, Spanish teen Alexia Gonzalez-Barros, and the Visitandine Martyrs of Spain.

The photographs alone are worth the price of this book.

This would be a wonderful book to read to your children.

This is an excellent little resource; concise and well illustrated, I have used it several times a week in my exercise regimen since the book was purchased.

What an excellent book this is. The instructions are clear, and easy to understand. Everyone should have this book, and use it to improve their physical fitness.

For only having a medicine ball to use for exercise, this book was the greatest for helping me.

After completing the exercises in "The Great Medicine Ball Handbook," I felt I had achieved a full-body workout. The exercises are divided up into: Core, Lower Body, Upper Body, Throws and Catches and Rotator Cuff. If you are exercising by yourself then you can't do the Throws and Catches. You also need a small medicine ball to do the Rotator Cuff exercises. For most of the exercises you can use a 6-pound medicine ball.

Some of the exercises include:

Standing Twist
Crunch
Pullover Sit-up
Seated Twist
Split squat
Reverse Lunge
Tricep Exstension
Overhead Toss

The easiest way to use this book (so it stays open) is to cut it in half. Then, simply punch holes in the corner of each page and put it on a metal ring. This will allow all the pages to lay flat when you are exercising. This book also includes a brief section on stretching, muscle diagrams and information on aerobic training. You can start with as little as 8 reps per exercise and work your way up to two sets of fifteen reps.

~The Rebecca Review

Firstly this is a stretch to call it a book, its more like a pamphlet. Although it has nice color pictures it contains very little practical information, on important areas like which muscle groups are used, alignment concerns, possible stress areas, technique tips, etc. I returned the this item.

It's amazing what you can find on the internet. In contrast to what an earlier review suggests this is a very interesting, well written and scientifically accurate book. If you want to read a book about the importance and uniqueness of water then this is the one for you.

I stressed its accuracy as despite the claims nuclear fusion at room temperature is not a reality (why don't we all have palladium teacups powering our laptops) and the memory of water is far from proven (primarily because the proponents can't work out how it forgets)! The New Scientist is not a peer-reviewed journal (and nor should it be as speculation and opinion are important parts of what it does) so quoting an article is no proof at all.

The only query I have is why this book was renamed "Life's matrix" for the American audience. Has no one heard of H20 (its UK title) over there?

Full of quotations of classics and poetry, written as literature with wonderful similes and metaphors, this "Biography of Water" roams from ancient civilizations to outer planets. The middle third was the most satisfactory, with details of the various forms of ice, how organisms cope with freezing, and what makes water so unusual. Explanations of its hydrogen bonding patterns and how they might change to make ice less dense than liquid water, and the funny shrinkage of water above its melting point and are all interesting. The many functions of water in biological systems, right down to the molecular level are given, and there are a number of cleverly done diagrams.
Ball's major blunder in this middle part was his complete failure to explain what holds normal liquids together, that is, what are the van der Waals forces (p165)? This leads to an absurd reason for the cohesion cell membranes, where the hydrocarbon tails of lipid bilayers are said to be held together merely by their repulsion of water (p253). Most college chemistry texts do better on both counts (including Linus Pauling, "General Chemistry", 3rd ed., 1965). The UV light from the sun is presented as detrimental only (p235). Ball seems unaware that vitamin D is formed from the action of UVB on cholesterol in the skin, and that there is less cancer the closer humans live to the equator. In recounting all the effects on the development of life (atmospheric composition, heat, cold, nutrients), Ball ignores the contribution of 10 times the radioactivity the Earth now has in promoting chemical reactions and mutations long ago (see T. D. Luckey, "Radiation Hormesis", 1991).
More minor problems are speaking of a vacuum "sucking" (p240), the pH of stomach acid as 1 rather than 1-3 (p247), missing the true function of the Glomar Challenger as a submarine salvage vessel (p47), a confusion of the effect of pressure on a melting point by comparing with the effect of pressure on the the boiling point of water (p51), implying that the reaction of sulfur dioxide with water gives sulfuric acid (p101) rather than sulfurous acid, and that paraffin wax has a viscosity anywhere near as low as 15 centipoises (p282).
It is when Ball enters the realm of politicized science that serious misinformation flows. Water vapor is by far the most important greenhouse gas and human activities add plenty of it to the atmosphere by irrigation, burning methane which puts 2 molecules of water into the air with just 1 of carbon dioxide, of burning gasoline, jet and diesel fuel, unlike p66. See "Hot Talk, Cold Science" by S. Fred Singer. Cold fusion has been replicated in half a dozen laboratories; the reality of the effect cannot be dismissed by ignoring the publications and merely listing ones that do not show the effect) (p307). See "Excess Heat" by Charles G. Beaudette, 2001. Memory effects in water at really high dilutions are real (see Lionel Milgrom, New Scientist, 11 Jun 03). Homeopathy effects were demonstrated against placebo in trials (BMJ 1991;302:316-323), all contrary to p334.
Read this "chocolate and cherry syrup coated" book at your own risk.

--Joel M. Kauffman 20 May 04

We live on the planet called Earth. That just shows our chauvinism and inability to see the larger picture. The planet ought to be called Water. As Philip Ball points out in _Life's Matrix: A Biography of Water_ (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), water covers two thirds of the globe, and seen from space, water in its three different states is what determines what Earth looks like. It also determines that every other heavenly body we have been able to see looks to us like a lifeless orb. It is water that defines life for us, and when we go poking our noses into other planets, one of the first things we try to find is water. So no wonder that Ball has called this a biography.

And like a good biography, the book covers all the aspects of his subject. He goes into the origins of water back to the big bang. He shows how we found it on the moon and Mars, and of all places, our Sun. Since he is a doctor of physics, it is not really surprising that he looks at the chemistry and physics of his subject, detailing why ice expands, and why you can ski on solid water but not on asphalt. He tells how its currents run the oceans, and how we don't completely understand the molecular happenings in water flow, or in the formation of snowflakes. He tells us about the dire problems we could have if we don't start handling this most precious and most taken-for-granted resource with more wisdom. He reports at length on the foolishness of cold fusion of heavy water, or of polywater.

In short, this book wonderfully covers every aspect of water you could think of. Ball writes with humor and excellent analogies, and even when the science gets complicated, he is an excellent guide.

We live on the planet called Earth. That just shows our chauvinism and inability to see the larger picture. The planet ought to be called Water. As Philip Ball points out in _Life's Matrix: A Biography of Water_ (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), water covers two thirds of the globe, and seen from space, water in its three different states is what determines what Earth looks like. It also determines that every other heavenly body we have been able to see looks to us like a lifeless orb. It is water that defines life for us, and when we go poking our noses into other planets, one of the first things we try to find is water. So no wonder that Ball has called this a biography.

And like a good biography, the book covers all the aspects of his subject. He goes into the origins of water back to the big bang. He shows how we found it on the moon and Mars, and of all places, our Sun. Since he is a doctor of physics, it is not really surprising that he looks at the chemistry and physics of his subject, detailing why ice expands, and why you can ski on solid water but not on asphalt. He tells how its currents run the oceans, and how we don't completely understand the molecular happenings in water flow, or in the formation of snowflakes. He tells us about the dire problems we could have if we don't start handling this most precious and most taken-for-granted resource with more wisdom. He reports at length on the foolishness of cold fusion of heavy water, or of polywater.

In short, this book wonderfully covers every aspect of water you could think of. Ball writes with humor and excellent analogies, and even when the science gets complicated, he is an excellent guide.

Wow. At first having noted the author's vita on the cover, I wasn't certain that an individual trained "only" in chemistry and physics could adequately write a book that was "obviously" about geology. As I read on, however, I realized that Phillip Ball's intention really was to write a "biography of water" as the subtitle suggested. The book in fact contains information about water from almost every perspective: from the origins of its constituent elements oxygen and hydrogen in cosmological processes to it's social and political effects in the modern world. The book covers it all. Because I have almost a complete degree in geology, I enjoyed most particularly the geological effects of water including its effects on geomorphology, its impact on glacial formation, its effect on climate and ocean physics, etc. The author lost me a little in his discussion of the chemistry and physics of the substance, but I still found what I understood of it very instructive. Water's function in the evolution of life and in the biochemistry of cellular metabolism was also interesting to me since I enjoy studying evolution-paleontolgoy and earth history were my major focus in studying geology--and I also am a nurse caring for patients whose fluid and electrolyte status arises from the cellular effects of water.

Probably the most important messages in the book, however, are those regarding conservation and utilization of water resources. Certainly the information about the disparity of water availability and quality between the western and 3rd world countries, between urban and rural use, and between countries and states that have competing interests in a particular watershed were very enlightening. It was surprising to learn that part of the problems of the Middle East revolve around water availability and use. These issues certainly provide previews to future problems that will almost certainly arise globally in the not too distant future!

A very thorough, interesting and multifaceted book.

Although materials science is a fast-evolving discipline, and even though this book was written 10 years ago, it is still an important and useful contribution. Philip Ball has taken a diverse and interdisciplinary science and created a book that is both readable, interesting, and informative, no matter what your level of scientific literacy.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a materials scientist, so I may not be the best person to comment on the book's readability to the layman. There is some technical vocabulary. It is always explained, but someone without a clear idea of the basic building blocks of matter (atoms, molecules, electrons, etc.) a reader will find this book a heavy slog. However, there is nothing in the book above the scientific literacy level of high-school chemistry and physics. Anything more advanced is explained in a conversational and coherent manner, without ever resorting to distorting approximations that riddle newspaper accounts of science.

What makes this book especially valuable is that the breadth of topics is so large that even a practicing materials scientist will learn a lot from reading the book. There are discussions of inorganic and biological polymers, mineral films, magnetism, imaging, etc. Even better, especially for the average reader, is the constant referal to actual devices (both current technology and speculation about future technology). This is not an esoteric book - Ball includes issues such as solar power and its feasibility (it's still more expensive to generate solar lectricity than oil-fired or hydro). There is also extensive discussions on such diverse issues as wear in machines, the operation of computer magnetic hard drives, and medical prosthetic devices such as artificial hearts.

This is not a quick read - there is some technical jargon and the text is quite dense. However, there are many diagrams and the writing is quite accessible, so I would not hesitate to recommend this book as a wide-reaching and honest overview of the broadly amorphous field called materials science.

A unique book that presents a comprehensive and modern overview of new materials in both scientific and popular ways at the same time. It is so nicely written that you can read it as a novel. Philip Ball managed to put a truly encyclopedic knowledge in a single book. A "must have" book for every person who is dealing with new materials.

This is a well done book.
Its not a technical book (but good pointers) yet not non-technical popular-mechanics type work. This book describes what science is pretty much all about! Its easy to get bogged down in your own world of work so a book such as this helps get your eyes open to the possibilities of the opportunites that come from hard, hard work. :)

This book talks about whats going on at the molecular level of things (my version is 1997). For the non-specialist this book is just great though I suppose if you work in micro-optics or semi/super conductors you might find that research is moving on a bit.

things discussed:
Optics (photonic material), superconductors, medicine & applications: biomaerials (chapt 4 - my fav), biomedical materials (cool), polymers, smart materials. energy, and more.

there is also a rather extensive bibliography so you can look for more info with Google.com(r) or other site.

Philip Ball argues for the increasing importance of materials in the future and does so eloquently and clearly. He invites the layman into the complexities of material science and sparks great interest in this field without burdening the audience with superfluous technical detail. This is a must-read for those curious about the future of engineering as a whole!

Just as the 20th century has been often described as the information age, it might also be described as the age of materials. At the beginning of the 20th century, our technology was based mostly on materials harvested and refined from nature. Milled lumber, iron, copper, and alloys of common metals. Fabrics were all derived from plans and animals with very little processing.

Early in the past century a revoution started to develop in materials technology, as scientists and engineers began to experiment with creating molecules and structures not found in naturally occuring materials. At the molecular lever, chemists created long-chain polymers that had some of the characteristics of natural materials, but greatly improved resistence to wear and temperature. At the macroscopic level, materials were combined into composites like plywood and epoxy reinforced fiberglass. New structures unseen in nature, like matrixes of carbon and boron fibers embedded in metals, became possible. By the end of the century, it was possible to start moving around individual atoms to create entirely new materials with designer properties.

Ball's narrative covers both the history of materials science, and the future and its possibilities. He's particularly good at the historical story, and at drawing parallels betwene natural and artifial structures. As in Ball's other popular works on science, "Made to Measure" is approachable without being trivial, and rigorous in its attention to detail without becoming numbingly pedantic. This is a book that would serve admiribly as either an introduction for the educated reader or a supplimentary text in an introductory materials engineer course.

Thuis was my first book over the subject. It is good, direct and clear for anyone. I will recommend it to everyone who wants to learn much more over the alternate state os conciousness with the mushrooms.

I bought this book because I was looking for a guide on using mushrooms ceremonially. Although, he does touch on this towards the end of the book, he basically just talks about spiritual enlightenment (not that thats a bad thing). He is not the best writer, lots of errors with the grammar and confusing sentence structures. I will continue my search!

I remember a Terrance McKenna comment that went something like-- "If you want to work with psychedelics, the first place you should go is a library." Unfortunately, back in the 60's there was nothing to speak of in any library. So psychedelics exploded into the spiritual vacuum of social club Christianity, creating a backlash of fear and loathing. Bit by bit, this situation is being rectified with books like Mushroom Wisdom. This book is a must for anyone considering following the arduous spiritual path of working with Plant Allies.

reccommended for anybody intrested in modern shamanism, consciousness, awareness, spirituality, positive world change. very good book, very well written

Finally, we have post baby-boom author with the authority and integrity of McKenna to talk about psychedelic experiences. This material is more of a general orientation into modes of thought, consciousness, and perspectives used by mystics, shamans, knowers, etc. There is scant material here on mushroom specifics but enough to make it an almost required resource for anyone researching psychedelic experiences. If you are new to the spiritual path or psychedelic studies then there is much more than a pinch of good information here. Much of the authors music is also good expecially Shaman's Path.