Burke Books

What is impressive is how the author has told a story about wavelets, at a level that correctly communicates the mathematical essence. Where specifically the impressive achievement is that that level is for a first year undergrad. The maths discussed involves Fourier series [of course!], definite integrals, and simple matrix manipulations.

En route, she explains the Fast Fourier Transform. She credits Gauss as the original inventor, but does not mention Cooley and Tukey who independently rediscovered it, when computers were available to actually make the method practical. There's a hilarious little aside, when she does some approximations and credits this to "minor" administrative overhead. Where the humour is that universities typically charge 40% overhead on government grants! Must remember that.

I was very happy reading this book. If you are familiar with the Fourier transform and don't know anything about wavelets, this is a book for you.

Actually, the book has got two parts. In the first part you can learn basic things about Fourier transform (about its usage but also about its limits), what we need wavelets for and what the wavelets are. It is explained in very simple language without any formulas. The second part contains basic formulas related to the topics in the first part. I find that the link between these two parts is very good. Also, the author gives physical explanation whenever it's possible.

If you are a specialist in the wavelets area, you probably know all these things but if you are new (like me!) you will find that this book is quite useful.

I am a math professor,-- and I often wondered if it wouldn't be possible to get some essential math ideas accross to almost anyone, --and with fewer equations. Ideas can be burried in symbolism;-- not always! But it does happen. Many of my colleagues tell me that if it were possible, then it would be done. The author of this lovely little book didn't take math courses (she says!). Professional mathematicians would most likely agree with me that she (the author) did in fact communicate the essential ideas behind wavelets (and did it well!);- and so she must have understood them!! Perhaps, anyone who really wants to, can penetrate a specialized math discipline;-- I would guess. Perhaps it is not even hard!? At least this book proves that it is not impossible to communicate
the beauty of math;--and its uses. Take a look at the book, and judge for yourself!
It is fun too!

This is an excellent introduction to wavelets and also the Fourier Transform. The first part of the book is readily accessible to almost anyone who has a passing knowledge of high school math. The second half will mostly be useful to the more mathematically sophisticated. It is an ideal kick start for any one who has the requisite knowledge and is motivated to learn more about the applications and theory behind wavelets.

It is not likely that this book will satisfy all your needs if you intend to master this subject but if you are just getting started, I would start here.

The author of this book states in the preface that her goal is to make wavelet theory accessible to the layman, without bombarding them with "paralyzing" "funny symbols or hieroglyphics" they haven't learned yet. I thought this was a wonderful idea, as I am a layman who never made it past high school geometry with an interest in learning all about the successor to the ubiquitous FFT used in engineering. Unfortunately, while she does manage to avoid using excessive amounts of "hieroglyphics" in the first part of the book, she makes up for it by throwing around a lot of mathematical terms which are never defined for the reader, so the net result in terms of comprehension is ultimately the same as if she had used the formulae, if not worse. Ms. Hubbard will dedicate three pages worth of text to an anecdotal retelling of some conversation that took place between two researchers in front of a Xerox machine, and then suddenly throw in one line at the end of all this nonsense about integrals and coefficients, as though the preceding story somehow prepared the reader for these terms well enough to divine their meaning from one terse little sentence devoid of any contextual clues. It may be presumptuous of me, but I don't think these words mean any more than the much maligned "hieroglyphics" would to the average layman this book is meant to be read by.

On top of that, the diagrams and illustrations are horrible, looking like something that came out of a dot-matrix printer in the late 70s, and ultimately illustrating nothing.

The world desperately needs a book that actually does what this one claims to. "Who is Fourier?" certainly managed to pull it off well enough for the Fourier Transform despite being translated from Japanese, so I'm certain it's possible even if Ms. Hubbard happened to fail miserably at her task.

It has been several years since I wore makeup regularly, and lately I had gotten overwhelmed by all the different types on the market today. And I dont read Cosmo. So this book really helped make sense of the dizzying array of products to choose from, and now I'm not so intimidated by the hags at the makeup counter.

This is a great book, with lots of information written in it, but I guess I was expecting more photos, and there are none. There are drawings, drawings of colors, etc. I was looking for more of a "how to with full color photos" I guess, this is not it. I was looking for more pictures.

This book had very few colour photos, no application techniques, and often incorrect statements about hair and skin types. There were no insightful tips or "insider information" that would have been useful to back up my current knowledge. Everything was rather juvenile, with suggestions such as "wear sunscreen" and the use of a curling iron too often can "damage your hair." Who doesn't already know that? The "advice" is not worth your money!

I must agree to some extent that some (but not all) of the beauty instruction/info within this book is fairly basic. Yet I enjoyed this book much more than I did any of the other beauty books I've read. Robins makes this book special by sprinkling it with personal beauty anecdotes and reminiscences. For example, she takes the reader back in time to the "Fabulous Fifties," when she worked in a department store's cosmetics department. She recalls her childhood jealousy of her best friend's gorgeous hair, as well as her childhood fascination for her mother's beauty routine. She bemoans her teenage quest for the perfect tan.
Aside from personal stuff, Robins also includes some looks back at the cosmetic brands, campaigns, and fads of the past.
If you're a beginner, I think this book will provide good basic information for you. If you're a seasoned cosmetics aficionado with little patience or who is only out for new info, don't bother. But if you (like myself) can find delight in simply talking about cosmetics and beauty and don't mind sitting through related anecdotes and history, then this should prove an enjoyable read for you.

This book was fun to look at, but not really usable. Lots of stylized drawings and self-aggrandizing tales by the author and not a lot of realistic how-to. Also, the explanations about skin care were clearly not written by anyone with a science or medical background.

I purchased this book from Alisa after taking her class at ArtFiberFest. It is great in kick starting your creativity and encouraging you to break out of the box of traditional painting on stretched canvases. It is more than just a review of her class with many additional techniques and ideas. I am definitely making some of these projects for Holiday gifts!! Super fun!

I am so incredibly in awe of this talented artist! The projects in the book are so unique and the instructions are easy to follow. I recommend this book to anyone with a creative ambition!

Alisa's book really inspired me. Just starting a canvas of my own was so much fun and all of her different techniques expanded what I thought was even possible! I've always wanted to give a personal touch to something like a clutch and my first finished product has inspired me to try so much more. All my friends have complimented the clutch and want me to make them one.

Grab a piece of raw canvas! Pull out your paints, carve your own stamps and cut some stencils! You don't carve stamps? No problem. Use ready-made stamps and stencils; or just paint! The first section of this book gives specific techniques for the surface decoration of your canvas, with step-by-step photos. The remainder of the book is dedicated to over 20 projects, including jewelry, various pouches and bags, stuffed dolls, a canvas book, picture frame, and more. What you can make with painted canvas is only limited by your imagination!

If, like me, you're looking for some fun and funky accessories for yourself or for gifts that you can do in a reasonable amount of time, this book belongs in your library. NOT just for beginners...artists with all levels of experience will find fresh ideas here.

I really love this book! It is full of vibrant photos and straightforward techniques that are simple enough for youngsters but totally fun for adults! Alisa Burke has taken a unique approach to creating within one medium-not an easy task- and has come up with all kinds of techniques and projects that the everyday person, without drawing or painting skills can actually accomplish. She also has come up with projects that are easy to duplicate and at the same time can serve as inspiration for creating with your own personal twist! As a quilter and fabric artist I am inspired by Canvas Remix and can't wait to get started on my own canvas creations!!

This is a very good compliment to the O'Reilly Java and XML book. It gives a good combination of theory and practical application. It also serves as a good quick reference if you need to deal a good deal with Java and XSLT. May not be the book for you if you are trying to learn XSLT, but does a good job of showing how Java fits into the world of XSLT.

I found this book to be a very helpful introduction to the use of XSLT in Java. The text is well written and easy to follow, with examples that truly illuminate the concepts being demonstrated. While other reviewers have found the author's focus on transformations from XML to HTML to be a limitation, I found that this approach helped me focus on XSLT concepts without getting bogged down in discussions of other languages simply for the purpose of illustration.

I found the first chapter synopsis of XML in Java to be very helpful in navigating my way through the "alphabet soup" of SAX, JAXP, DOM, JDOM, etc. I also appreciated that the book did not devote substantial space to reference information, which quickly becomes dated and is more easily searched online.

I am very much impressed with the content of the book and the examples in particular. The book covers the breadth of using java and XSLT and also gives a nice case study using MVC architecture.

This book chooses to forgoe some of the more standard tools for XSL translation that are on the market. The author instead uses alternate opensourced implementations (JDOM vs DOM). The problem with this is that in the real world, constraints often exist on your project such that you cannot use alternatives (oh no!). So instead of getting a robust book that explains how to implement DOM and translate, you get a book that wallows in the use of alternate methods and focuses on one thing: creating dynamic HTML. Honestly, this is a rahter tired subject in the XML world. I am more interested in how to translate XML to PDF or RTF or XL. I am not asking for a plain answer, but I was at least hoping for a very beginner approach.

I have spent a week trying to get an implementation going and there is so much that I do not understand. I was hoping that this book would remedy that. It, sadly, does not. The example code is too specific to really help with a real world (constrained) application (I am developing for Oracle systems and they include the standard parsers from org.wc3.dom and org.xml.sax, using others requires server updates that are not recommended). I cannot recommend other titles as I have not read many others and the ones I have read are not too helpful.

Good luck, but steer clear of this one, unless you don't mind losing fifteen dollars.

This book is definitely showing it's age. It covers XSLT as it was in 2001. It's all about having a flexible front-end and serving XML out as HTML and WML, or using it for internationalization. It's coverage of code generation is very, very minimal. There is also very little in the way of advice about increasing processing efficiency. There are also small mistakes; for example the misstatements about CGI and Servlets, which is a common error in Java articles and books.

That being said, the examples are well annotated and the XML is highlighted for readability. The code is loosely annotated, which is the O'Reilly style, but it still makes some of the larger code fragments had to follow.

As long as you know that this book is a little dated you will find reasonable material in here about XML, XSLT and how to get it into Java. It could use a second edition with more topical material.

One of the most tedious and enervating reading is a book in which practically every second page is loaded with citations from letters written to, by or about the person who is the subject of the book. Frankly speaking, if I can return the book and get some refund, I would do it gladly. This is not a reaserch but a correspondant's report. In short- minus one star!

The book starts out very well, establishing basic background and geographical history in a very easy to read anecdotal style. The remainder of the book essentially details General Stuart's exploits on and off the battlefield.

You certainly get the impression that he was a dashing figure, but unfortunatley the author does not delve deeper into the man as much as I would have preferred. You get a sense for him as a Confederate soldier who cared very much about his duty, but not why he cared so much.

I gave it four stars because it is a good read, and for the perspectives provided of many of the eastern battles and the cavalry's part in them.

Book rather good written, but as all books of the USA shipped, the printed paper and is of rather poor quality. In Europe we are used to recieve best quality. So also after many years you still can enjoy reading.

Burke Davis gives readers often-overlooked insights into the early life and career of the famous cavalier, including his courtship of his wife (whose father was a Union general) and his motivation to fight for Virginia. The Stuart-Cooke family is an excellent example of the bitter division of loved ones during the War, with Stuart and his brother-in-law choosing to fight for the Confederacy while his father-in-law continued to serve the Union. A fascinating account of the war as well as a great bio and a must-read for serious historians

This is the third civil war book by Burke Davis that I have read, and it is just as good as the others. Davis gives a complete and well researched account of the life of Jeb Stuart, but his main gift is that he can really tell a story. You will be interested from the beginning to the end, and in the process, you will realize that you have learned a thing or two.

Anything written by Burke Davis is remarkable and this work is no exception. Stonewall Jackson is one of the most eccentric and brilliant generals to participate in the American Civil War. He was a red headed, blue eyed killer, who understood the value of keeping his plans to himself. He was a true military genius, probably the only one the war produced, who was at once peculiar and, quite frankly, perfect. He was absolutely fearless.

From his early days at West Point to his participation in the Mexican War, Davis delivers a Jackson we can only scratch our heads about. Jackson was an unbelievably odd duck. But from that eclectic personality came the remarkable, most perfect compliment to Robert E. Lee. From Jackson's stunning Valley Campaign through the Seven Days, Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg and the masterful, though tragic sweep at Chancellorsville where he was killed by his own soldiers, Burke Davis delivers a compelling narrative of men and war.

Stonewall Jackson's story is full of the challenges and triumphs of human nature. He broke the rules of war to win and his tactics are studied at military academies the world over.

I enjoyed this, but can't say I learned a lot that I didn't already know from other readings. Still, its interesting subject matter about an interesting person. If you're interested in blow-by-blow of the battles, this isn't the book for you.

Where can I find a historical Background of this book?

This book has come in for some criticism from other reviewers and many of their points are well taken. One has to remember however that this book was first published in 1954, a time when the cult of the lost cause was still very much alive and kicking. This is a prime example of civil war literature of that era. Davis actually shows a good deal of courage in that he did criticize the mighty Stonewall at all. No, this book does not compare favorably with some of the civil war studies that are available today, but it still has a place. In fact this would be an excellent book for someone with no background in civil war studies. For someone who has never heard of A.P. Hill or Richard Ewell this book offers an excellent introduction to the campaigns in Virginia.

Davis has a pleasant writing style, which makes this an easy book to read. He sprinkles his narrative with amusing antidotes which add greatly to the book and he does not get bogged down in battle the battle details that derail so many books of this sort. The map of the valley campaign does allow the reader to get an idea of the relation of the significant points to each other but a few more maps sprinkled here and there would be of a great deal of help. Jackson of course wore his religion on his sleeve and Davis deals with that extensively. Calvin's influence is obvious although I found it interesting that while in Mexico the General flirted with the Roman Catholic Church. Some of Jackson's habits however cannot be explained by his religious beliefs and some of his behavior is frankly quite odd. Davis gets points for pointing out that Jackson absolutely refused to take any responsibility for failure, always looking for a scapegoat. This of course explains the long running feuds he had with some of his generals. In 1954 circles that criticism of the much revered Stonewall must have raised some eyebrows for as every southerner who is over 40 knows, Stonewall was always right and we would have won easily at Gettysburg if he had only been there. Every time we go to Gettysburg my wife points that out to me and thinks I am crazy because I don't necessarily agree with her.

I do have a problem with the fact that Davis does not have the courage to take on the Jackson legend so far as to point out his failures during the Seven Days Battles. I realize that it would have been a hard sell in 1954 but Davis fails to do much more than point out that Jackson was unusually slow during this period and does not really even attempt to answer the questions raised by the General's behavior. In fact, had Jackson not failed so badly during this campaign the Union army might have been almost destroyed. After Jackson's failure below Richmond it is indeed almost a miracle that Lee would later have enough confidence in Jackson to give him command of a corps. A lot more detail would have helped in this area.

Overall though, I found this to be an excellent biography. There is to be found here what was new information in 1954. This book in fact has been the foundation for many of the later and yes, better studies of Stonewall Jackson. This book has remained in print now for fifty years. That in itself should be a clear indicator that this is one of the all time classic studies of the civil war.

This is a well written and easy to follow book on the life of "Stonewall" Jackson. The book not only covers Jackson's military genius, but probes into the mind of the man himself. You come away from this book with a deeper understanding of Jackson, his strong religious convictions, his military fierceness, his strict discipline and his gentle side as well.
Upon reading this book, one realizes that Jackson was a complex man. Highly recommended reading for all Civil War buffs!

As a future technology teacher, this book really brings out the points that I would like students to contemplate. As you can see from the rest of the reviews, their work does provoke quite a discussion. However, it is definitely not the last book you'd want to put down on the subject, but a great overview and set of opinions to get you started. I only wish my professors would invest in it.

Technology began as soon as humans determined to use tools. Burke and Ornstein call these people the axemakers. The axemakers' talents offered us a bargain, and we took it, despite its multifarious effects. "In our ancient past, the all-powerful axemaker talent for performing the precise, sequential process that shaped axes would later give rise to the precise, sequential thought that would eventually generate language and logic and rules, which would formalize and discipline thinking itself" (p. xii). Accordingly, with every invention and modification of technology, humans learned to adapt to the effects of that change. The authors of this book argue that for the first time in human progress, "we can consciously take our development in our own hands and use it to generate talents that will suit the world of tomorrow"

Easy reading--interesting -- consistent message. The authors may bend the historical discussions to maintain the metaphor, and how well its double edge works. Language, a primary gift, diminished the elders' responsibility to teach, but offered the opportunity to learn from many sources, past and present. For today's leaders, a warning remains clear: Evaluate what is new and its consequences before rushing to embrace it. The Axemaker continues to hone a double edge of hope and hurt. Burke and Ornstein call upon us to take care -- to avoid the "cut and control" concepts that separate people, ideas, scientific thought, emotional well-being, and society. Technology can work for us if we seek the wholeness of life.

Burke and Ornstein provide a fascinating historical narrative, but never seem to really justify their implicit claim that roads not taken due to technological advance and correlated reliance on linear rationality might have been preferable. Their focus on unforseen consequences of technologies coupled with a critique of political technocracy in varied forms seems a good framework for understanding our present global woes(though not at all a new approach--refer to any of John Dewey's writings on culture from the 20s and 30s). Their contrasting of natural and unnatural modes of human behavior and cognition, though, seem philosophically untenable(the natural being our Paleolithic hard-wiring, the unnatural any cultural addition), as do their prescriptions for solving our ecological/political problems. They advocate direct democracy in small communities with access to excellent education, health, and new arational information systems, a formula almost identical to the old Greek axemaker notion of the Polis(except arational as opposed to hyper-rational). Why the direct democracy of these hypothetical communities would be more accepting of other communities, more willing to recognize the need to share/conserve resources and think in global/holistic ways, more intelligent in their recognition of the deleterious potential effects of new technologies is not clear. "Expert" knowledges have clearly brought horrible consequences in the past few centuries, but the Cultural Revolution brought more tragedy than the AMA ever has. Hegel, axemaker icon though he was, wrote that the Owl of Minerva only spreads her wings at dusk, by which he meant that as mere humans we are always condemned to only understand history retroactively, if at all. We can, of course, do a better job of evaluating technologies in more democratic ways with more of an eye to a sustainable future. Insofar as Burke and Ornstein point to this path, I applaud them.

If you are ready to pay attention, and I mean really pay attention, The Axemaker's Gift will alter your perception of the world --- specifically humankind's relationship to the natural world --- forever. In the relatively few pages of this book, James Burke and Robert Ornstein take us on a journey from humankind's beginning to present day, maintaining all along the way their metaphor of the double-edged axe (Every advance has a price).

Books like The Axemaker's Gift (New World, New Mind by Ornstein and Paul Erlich is another) go beyond interesting reading. This material is important. We need to read it; we need to think carefully about it; and we need to act on the sharp (pun intended) insights provided.

The subject matter is essential, the point of view realistic, even if a little dark, and the authors make The Axemaker's Gift an interesting and enjoyable read. As a non-fiction author, I am always impressed with the ability to make serious matters fun, without losing the message.

My recommendation: read it, enjoy it, learn from it.

Burke's examination of the technologists' mentality, and the effects of such thinking on the construction of culture is very intriguing. However, much of the parallels that he draws, or developments he seeks to explain, are speculative, tenuous, or accidental at best. For this reason the book reads like a pop science article from Omni magazine: seeking to be entertaining rather than truly scholarly.

Another "sigh" emerged from this reader towards the final chapters. Seems Burke too has fallen into the politically correct mode of analysis, in overtly warning the readers of the 'limited vantage point of Western science and reason'. Yawn...rather than being one of several valid congnitive styles, the Western scientific tradition is the most effective intellectual program/strategy to date, amongst any culture. If you are interested in the anthropological effects of technology, try reading something from an anthropologist. I can readily recommend Ernest Gellner (Plough, Book, and Sword.).

Burke's book is cute, entertaining, and full of juicy nuances. In linking the tool-making mentality with the creation of mathematics, logic, and the alphabet ( a masculine system of communication, in the essence of Burke's words, which suffocated the more feminine oral traditions), Burke demonstrates he is more interested in extrapolating some half-supported ideas than in true research.

Its a good read, but it is hard to take seriously.

I love this book. It is an extremely simple read yet filled with eye opening information. Many people walk around wishing that things were different in their lives, Mr Hedges actually give you something to ponder and a different way to look at things. As scary as it can be, making different choices can indeed give you different options. My suggestion is read the book, do your due-dilgence with the companies out there and then make an educated choice as to which company you want to align yourself with. Your life can change in wonderful ways if you go into your new business with your eyes open!

An excellent book. An easy read. A great tool to assist in building a large multi level business.

Allen Rouse Australia

I bought this book at a local offline store with great interest. As I read it from cover to cover, I was disappointed to find the flow of information just a fleeting thought by its author. The book very well serves the (ill)famous way of *mw*y corporation called: self-perpetuation without inspiration. It talks and talks of network marketing as a way of creating wealth .. but never tells how to build a network for marketing. No people skills, no personality development tips, no sales/presentation tips are ever given. If you really want to read something of value, read just the last 4 pages (I mean it!) .. all the rest just a preamble that promises some valuable reading to come up in subsequent pages. I am sure the author/publisher knows well not to allow *Search-Inside-The-Book Feature* at Amazon.com.

My two words of advice: Keep-Away! (from this book).

The book begins very well, great concepts and examples of how copicating has been always used for smart people to create or increase wealth, but it takes a turn for the worse when turns into propaganda for franchising and NETWORK MARKETING, the author translates the whole concept into Amway and McD.

I mean there are nothing wrong with that, actually they are very succesfull companies, but I personally dont think those are the best way to become wealthy.

Some people don't think network marketing is the best way to wealth. My question to them is "Are you wealthy? And if you are how did you become wealthy?" Networking is the best way for everything in life. It is how you make friends and wealth. And it will teach patience. This is an excellent book to change the way one views business and personal finance. This book comes highly recommended.

I just received this book from Amazon and was greatly dismayed to find that pages 119 - 150 are missing, and pages 89 - 118 are repeated in their place. That's like Ford shipping a car with the engine installed in the trunk - what a basic mistake! Now I have to go through the effort to return the book and wait 7 - 10 days for a refund after they get it back!

If you are a beginner or someone returning to fitness after a long absence, this is a great book that really does a good job of emphasizing the importance of doing anything other than sit around. If you are someone who is familiar with working out or who is already fairly healthy this may provide you with some few hints, but I would stick with Getting Stronger for the strength training and Stretching for flexibility. I'm a half-way in shape 35 year old that exercises somewhat regularly and this book was just a little too rudimentary for me. I was looking for more involvement with the Lifelong Fitness portion of the title, but found it to be more towards getting people started.

In 1996 after I went to US from India, within a year, I was overweight and then the fitness blues started. I went thru several cycles of extreme exercising, dieting, pain and give-up. During the same time I wanted to find a no-nonsense fitness literature. One of the criterias of my search was to avoid the books boasting photographs of ideal bodies. When I saw this book, I trusted my instinct and bought it. For four months I followed the programs (from this book) from "program before program" to "basic program 2" and reduced several kilos. During this time, I did not clearly follow very important advise from the book about increasing the training progressively. I had to give up because I was doing too much after getting encouraged by initial results.

It is 2006 now. Almost 10 years are over and the book itself stayed with me all these years. At the back of my mind a dream stayed to complete first 5 basic programs from this book. The authors claim that after completing the fifth basic program, a person will be physically fit as per the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines for an healthy adult.

From Feb-2005, I started following programs from this book again (from the beginning). I was then 82 kilos. I had promised myself to write an amazon review of the book after losing 10 kilos. Now after one year I have lost 12 kilos. In November, after completing "the basic program 5" and after getting in good shape I took up serious running as a sport/hobby. Recently from Amazon, I bought a copy of this book as a gift to a friend.

If followed methodically by listening to all the advise by the authors, this literature has capacity to build a foundation for serious athletic capability in a person. The programs are designed with purpose of letting you focus on performance (training) without letting you worry about what next. Every exercise is explained in easy to understand words with crisp clear illustrations. The illustrations and explanations are precise and it is strongly advisable to follow them correctly for best results.

As I started losing kilo after kilo, I developed interest in nutrition, general fitness and subsequently invested into other related resources. Everything is paying off now. I have told myself to continue the training as I have realized that fitness is always a journey and not a destination.

From last November, I started preparing for marathon and have already run couple of road races with lesser distances. These days, I feel euphoric when I hit the road or when I go to the gym and follow the last set of programs named 'fine tuning' from this book. While following the book, I have also developed great respect for the authors.

In my opinion, the front page (cover) of the last edition was better than the latest edition. The front page of the last edition has coloured illustrations by Jean Anderson who also made the illustrations for the entire book.

Lots of specific workouts, and specific topics like advice for pregnant women, those with arthritis, etc. Very little background or general topics, like how many reps is best, etc. It felt constraining. Also, virtually nothing on weight machines - the workouts use free weights only.

Whether you are a couch potato or ex-jock, Getting in Shape presents a straightfoward, descriptive, illustrated guide to fighting the battle of the bulge.

Filled with nearly three dozen workouts, the authors competently provide a considerable amount of information in a concise, 200+ page format. Drawings help take the guesswork out of how to stretch and lift weights properly. Health related topics including diet, exercise and anatomy are easy to read and informative.

My only real knock against the book is that its binding is the standard paperback type. I'd prefer a spiral-bound book that can be layed open without weighing down the ends. I have found it helpful to open the book to the particular workout I'm doing to help me keep track of the stretches and exercises. Granted, this is a minor gripe, but I'd buy another copy of it if they had a better binding.

I would encourage anyone who is looking to improve her/his health to give Getting in Shape a look! Best wishes for a long and healthy future! Don't give up!

Useless.. The text of this book describes some important photo's taken of/by Lee Miller, but same photo's aren't reproduced in the book. Very, very annoying. Maybe the publisher could't afford the rights to reproduce the photo's, I don't know. Anyway, this omission makes the whole thing a pointless exercise in frustration.

Like so many individuals over the ages, Lee Miller grew up in a relatively small community in what the media currently refers to as "Fly Over Country." A member of a talented middle class family, she enjoyed every advantage that her parents could provide, which was considerable. From an early age she displayed a thirst for adventure. She fled to Paris to study and fell in love with the Latin Quarter before returning to America. Moving to New York City she stepped into the path of and on-coming car and was pulled to safety by a well-dressed stranger. In shock, Lee babbled in French causing the stranger, Conde Nast, to take a closer look at the young woman he'd just rescued. He was impressed and asked her if she would like to come to work for one of his magazines--Vogue.
At age of 19 Lee became a cover girl for Vogue and was dubbed the embodiment of the modern girl. She was the official model for the legendary "flapper." Soon she was in demand by most of the most famous photographers in America including Edward Steichen and Arnold Genthe. Tiring of being just a New York celebrity-model Lee was soon back in Paris where in a single day she became the traveling companion, mistress, model, muse, photography assistant and student of photographer Man Ray. Through him she became a member of the Surrealists and lived and moved among the great artists and writers living and working in Montparnasse at the time.
Her early associations with these world famous artists would change her life. Under Man Ray's tutelage she slowly began a transformation from being in front of the camera to being behind it. She eventually received additional photographic training at the Clarence White School along with another soon-to-be-famous woman photographer Margaret Bourke-White.
After marrying a wealthy Egyptian and going slightly crazy as a member of the "Black Satin & Pearls" expatriates living in Cairo, Lee found her mission in life by another unlikely event rivaling her earlier "Grace Kelly-like" discovery by Conde Nast. World War II broke out while Lee awaited its predicted arrival in London. Unbelievably she was soon working as a war photographer for Vogue magazine. Through her good looks, charm, talent and stealth she was soon the only woman photographer covering the front lines of the European battlefront.
World War II was the highlight of Lee's photography career. She took to being a successful war correspondent like a duckling takes to water. She was tireless, talented, resourceful and finally fulfilled through accomplishing important work. Changed by her war experiences, (an early example of Post-Traumatic Stress) she never quite received the same sense of satisfaction for her later work, but she was no longer as restless after having fulfilled some indefinable need in her naturally adventurous personality. For a beautiful woman (Picasso painted six bare breasted portraits of her during one summer), she was able to shake off the handicap of being a NY celebrity and actually accomplishes some important work that fulfilled her innermost needs. She was no longer just Lady Penrose, but her own person with her own considerable accomplishments. When Queen Elizabeth knighted her husband fellow Surrealist Roland Penrose in 1966, it didn't turn her into a snob. She sometimes jokingly referred to herself as "Lady Lee of Poughkeepsie." There is a lot of humor in this biography. Here are two choice lines, paraphrased, neither of them by Lee: ..."brevity is the soul of lingerie" (Dottie Parker) and on the subject of a new brand of women's underwear for the well-dressed wartime English women, "One Yank and they come right off."
"The Art of Lee Miller" by Mark Haworth-Booth is an excellent companion book to Burke's biography because it reproduces many of the photographs discussed, but not shown in the biography. Lee Miller was notable for her beauty, her famous artist friends, her photography, her sense of humor and her infamous sexual exploits. Except for a few boring moments during her "Black Satin & Pearls" experience in Egypt, this exhaustively researched book is difficult to put aside. During the hours spent reading the WW II segments I would stop reading and find myself disoriented to be back in the present time and not on the European battlefields. That's powerful writing at work.
Lee Miller was much more than Vogue's personification of the "quintessential flapper." The reader can have fun comparing the Vogue cover of 19-year-old Lee as the epitome of the stylish modern New York woman with another picture of her washing off six-weeks of hard-won war correspondent grime while bathing in Hitler's personal bathtub in his captured Munich home. Unfortunately, she reported the bath reminded her too much of her recent, terrifying photo coverage of the liberation of Dachau and it's "bathhouse gas chambers."

I can hardly believe that I knew so little about Lee Miller. Now remembered as primarily the uber muse of surrealism, the trajectory of her life was such that I found myself constantly backtracking to make certain I had read and recalled correctly the events, people, history, locations, lives.... She seemed to understand very early that to be an object of desire - to possess great beauty and elan - would not be enough. She made beauty work for her, took every opportunity to learn, to create herself in a way that showed amazing courage and strength. Lee Miller's life was certainly as madcap as that of Zelda Fitzgerald - with a lot of the same supporting characters. The same could be said of Lucia Joyce, also a contemporary. But Miller managed to transcend the American middleclass roots in a way Fitzgerald never could. The harrowing events of Miller's childhood were mitigated by a loving and supportive family, always denied Lucia Joyce.

This is an intriguing look at a fascinating woman. Carolyn Burke does a great job setting the context for the early life of Lee Miller. It's possible to get a sense of Paris in the 20s and 30s. Everything is energy and light. The edginess and uncertainty of the war years is well described. I didn't have the same feeling about the post-war years. I got the sense of the crushing dullness of her life in contrast to the challenge of life as a war correspondent, but Burke misses in providing the context. Miller and her husband, Roland Penrose, are still very involved in the arts. Their home is something of a way station for artists, they run a gallery and museum, they organize exhibitions and write books. And yet the context is missing: the focus of western art shifting to the US after WWII, abstraction displacing surrealism as the art of confrontation and change, the overwhelming movement from old to new and how the once avant-garde was reinterpreted as the establishment. The book touches on it, hints at "troubles" with younger artists' questions of relevance. To have glossed over this period actually robbed Lee's story of the thrill of triumph when the surrealists were rediscovered in the late 60s and 70s by a new generation of "flaming youth" -

OK, so that's a quibble. Overall, a good read. I know people have criticized the paltry selection of photos but that is true with many biographies and especially true with artist bios. Burke does a good job labeling and describing images: remember, the internet is your friend. If you aren't familiar enough with the players to visualize the works in question, take a few minutes every 50 pages or so and google the artists. You will be happy you did.

Two quotes come to mind which seem particularly apt for Lee Miller. From Tennyson, " I am part of all I have seen." From RL Stevenson, "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." At some point toward the end of her life, Lee Miller says she wishes she had been more free with love, affection, sex, creativity, etc, etc. That's Miller in a nutshell: MORE!

Our book club selected this and NONE of us were disappointed. And we had two photo books from the library to supplement our evening--which I highly recommend.

Personally, I loved this book. Like other reviewers, I never felt I got to know who Lee Miller was. But this wasn't an autobiography; Lee Miller may well fit a profile of child sexual abuse (detached from her feelings); or she may not have been very in touch with her feelings or very demonstrative emotionally to begin with. Perhaps photography was her attachment...but this is a book review.

What Carolyn Burke does so well, is bring the history to life thru the eyes or lens of a very extraordinarily talented woman. The book has many photos in it as examples. But I long to see the photos Carolyn Burke went to such great detail to describe. Photos by Theodore and Ray Man as well as one's by Lee herself.

While portions of the book read more like text or a guest book of the A list, I also think, perhaps if fit with the detached, perhaps emotionally isolated Lee herself...This book takes the reader into a bit of the limelight of 20's New York and 30's Paris. A different perspective on WWII and our modern times since.

I was clueless before someone in my book club had the good sense to suggest this book, and we all had the good sense to read it! It sent me to the library for more information and photographs.

I really enjoyed this book BUT FOR this little irritating phrase that cropped up throughout the last 1/4 of the book. If she "lost her looks," then...where did they go? The implicit observation seemed to be that, as she was no longer beautiful, she was no longer as special a person, and less worthy of our interest.