Freeman Books

readable neuroscience, with a sense of humor! Thorough overview of neuroscience and the newest understanding of the human brain.

I will admit that it can be a bit technical for a few folks. His book makes you feel that he is teaching you in a classroom. The citations and references are informative.

Your body is a sophisticated machine. If it were an automobile, it would be a top-of-the-line, luxury-class vehicle with all of the latest options. There's just one problem: Your body was designed for the savannas of Africa, not the streets and sidewalks of some urban metropolis. This is a major issue due to one of your body's great fail-safe systems: the stress-response mechanism, also called the "fight-or-flight syndrome." This mechanism provides your body with its best chance to get away safely from sudden peril, such as when a lion attacks you. It immediately floods your muscles with robust energy. Thus strengthened, you are far more able to evade the hungry predator. Unfortunately, this same stress-response also kicks in during psychological stress. In much of modern city life (even without stalking lions), such stress is often chronic, making your stress-response mechanism work dangerously overtime, and putting your body at risk of numerous stress-related disorders and diseases. Robert M. Sapolsky, a leading neuroendocrinologist, explains it all in this lively and entertaining, yet highly informative book. He writes with delightful, ironic verve and dry, irrepressible wit. He details how chronic stress can undermine your health, and explains what you can do about it, even in the urban jungle. getAbstract feels calmer just suggesting that anyone experiencing stress could benefit from reading this book.

It didn't save my life but I got your attention.
Sapolsky's book is an absolute hoot. He is clever, entertaining, and passionate in his work. More than that he is humorous. Even more than that he is a literary genius. I have never enjoyed endocrinology and the physiological response to stress so much. I now understand what glucocorticords are without referencing my "Dorlands Medical Dictionary". The book is informative and written clearly enough for me to use it as a reference in my course "Stress Management" an undergraduate course in psychology. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of "ZEBRAS II, the sequel". Buy it, you'll like it.

Of science books purporting to explain science for the non-scientist, this one actually does it (with interesting examples and wit). I enjoyed reading (and understanding) about which hormones influence what we feel, and how they are triggered.

Sure this book is great, but what it really needs for self-study is a two volume companion book which lists all of the exercises with detailed solutions. Similar to the way _Problems in Real Analysis: A Workbook with Solutions_ by Charalambos D. Aliprantis is the companion book for the real analysis textbook _Principles of Real Analysis_ by the same author. There is a problem book for general relativity with solutions, but its approach is so different from that of _Gravitation_, that it is pretty useless as a companion book.

No book comes close to this one in comprehensive detail about General Relativity. It includes great discussions and explanations of virtually all the ramifications of General Relativity, or opens options for more exploration. Math starts out at the Algebra level, and escalates far beyond my ability. Still much of the math can be followed by those like myself who have "math anxiety."

Anyone who aspires to understand this portion of Einstein's genius can gain enormously from it.

If you do not know these authors, they are at the forefront of enlarging the comprehension of General Relativity, and physics.

I have had access to this book for only about a month. Most physics-oriented books mix abstractness with errors, making their books of less value than being useless. Most mathematics books take the usual view: why make a subject comprehensible when with a little work, your book can be totally incomprehensible. The book "Gravitation" by Wheeler, Thorne, etc. is the best book I have seen both from the viewpoint of the mathematics, as well as Physics. Hoever, I still suggest using the book "Gravitation" with the books by Spain, Sokolnikoff, and Civita by your side (as a double check). I also suggest books that provide more comprehensive coverage of subjects such as Manifold theory and the Calculus of Variations, and even a book or two dealing with Differential Geometry.

As a child I used to ask my father "Does space go on forever? And if it doesn't, what is on the otherside??' My father of course had no idea. It has since been a subtle quest of mine to fine answers to these questions. I, as well as every person on this planet, have heard Einstein's name thousands of times while growing up. He is a legend; having been dead for several decades still his face is on a poster in every mathematics room I've ever entered.
But, though I've known his name since I was 3, I did not learn what it was that made him so special, or what E=MC^2 means until I was 18 years old. In my opinion, special and general relativity should be taught to every preschooler until this aspect of the universe BECOMES intuitive.

Anyways, to the book. Having only a small background in calculus (Calc I, II and multivariable calculus) and having never taken an advanced physics class past newtonian mechanics with calculus applications, I do not have the skills necessary to decipher this book - but I do not intend to put it down until I have deciphered it and understand every bit of it.

In order to learn this book, one MUST have mastered differential calculus (differential equations); without it you will find yourself lost. Also, a background in Relativity is a must. A small background will get you by - read The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. And then you may tackle this beast. If you complete this book, you may consider yourself one of maybe half a percent of the world who truely understands Einstein's amazing accomplishments and you will understand why it is that his face is the face you have come to know as the stereotypical mad scientist.

The Author attempts the very remarkable objective of satisfying everybody's needs in one single book. For that purpose the book is divided into track 1 and track 2 sections. Unfortunately, this attempt is, in my opinion, not completely successful. Advanced GR readers will surely find too many trivial topics in the book, while beginners will have difficulties even with track 1 pages. My review will provide the advanced beginner's point of view. I read all track 1 sections and a few track 2 at the beginning of the book.

The first part of the book where geometrical objects, one forms and tensors are described is very pedagogical. However, as more advanced topics are introduced you are left with the unease feeling that something important is left behind. The answer is clear, what is missing is track 2 contents, but track 2 are much more difficult to read. By reading just track 1 sections you are led too fast to the deeper results of GR. The treatment is too superficial and a lot of results are taken for granted; or referred to track 2 pages.

There are a lot of exercises and examples in the book. However, few exercises are solved and the examples frequently refer to sideways difficult physical topics, surely not meant to clarify the main text.

The huge size of the book adds up to its reading difficulties. It is heavy and overwhelming. I usually try to reduce costs by choosing paperback editions, but the size of this book could justify a hardcover version.

In summary I must say this is not a book for beginners. I found its writing style confusing and my knowledge in GR was little improved by reading track 1 sections. To my discharge I must say I read without difficulties Foster & Nightingale's and Carroll's but could not get through Wald's. My recommendation would be to start with Foster's, then continue with Carrols's and next, what's next? Misner's is surely not a good third step.

The book may be more appropriate for advanced students. I intend to follow the author's suggestions and make a second reading including the most interesting track 2 sections.

Fans of visceral, edgy cop thrillers should have a good time with this one. Vegas detectives Jonathan Stride, Serena Dial, and Amanda Gillen (the last a "non-op" transsexual) investigate a series of brutal murders somehow connected to the long-gone glory days of Sin City (when Sinatra, shady investors, and non-political correctness were king). Sex and violence abound, but both serve the story (which, interestingly, makes those elements both less exploitive and more intense). "Stripped", which nicely balances a fast pace with rich details and complex characterizations, makes me want to check out the other Stride thrillers that appeared before and after this one.

Brian Freeman--just "found" him a few months ago. REALLY enjoy his writing and was afraid #2 wouldn't be as good as #1. No worries--I enjoyed this as much as his first book and have since read his 3rd which continues to not disappoint.

In this follow up to Immoral, Detective Jonathan Stride has left Minnesota for Las Vegas. He's now living with Serena Dial, a detective from Las Vegas that was introduced in Immoral. His new partner is a pre-op transexual named Amanda. Add in a murder from Reno and 2 murders in Las Vegas that merge into one case, which in turn connect to the muirder of a Vegas showgirl from the 1960's. Given all of that this is a very slow read, and I ddin't care about any of the chareters involved. Skip this one.

I picked "Stripped" up from a super market when I was desparate for something to read. WOW! I couldn't put it down and I think he is better than the established "masters of suspense": Patterson, Sandford, Patricia Cornwell. Forget them...here is a new, wonderful writer. I was so impressed that I emailed him and he emailed me back telling me that he was very thankful and for me to spread the word to my friends. Condider this spreading the word. I am ordering his other books.

I finally got around to reading "Stripped" after having read Freeman's initial novel, "Immoral" some time earlier and all I could think was, what took me so long. I enjoy Freeman for his believable characters, his sense of place, and his ability to turn a plot in unexpected directions...all while keeping me breathlessly turning page after page. He can handle violence and sex as plot devices in such a smooth manner that you never feel outraged or imposed upon.

In "Stripped", Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial have relocated from Minnesota (his home) to Las Vegas (her home). While initially assigned to different partners, their cases eventually intertwine and pick up a head of steam. A series of seemingly unrelated murders eventually reveal possible connections to a 40 year old murder that may or may not have been solved.

Before the novel runs its course, we are treated to a hodgepodge of bigger than life mobsters, strippers, prostitutes, hit men, retirees hiding secrets, and a transsexual cop, among others, who all have a part to play in this investigation of a crime in the past to solve a crime in the present. The plot is complex, winding, and fast paced. There are more than a few unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds. Even after the apparent climactic confrontation, there are surprises in the denouement that will add to the reader's enjoyment.

As is typical of Freeman's efforts, there are numerous psychological aspects to this novel, both in character development and plotline implementation. There are multilayered issues regarding loyalty, familial love, power, corruption, and different ways to love different people. What his characters feel and why they feel that way is always a background element of Freeman's novels. I like this complexity and feel it contributes greatly to why I am attracted to his psychological thrillers.

I am so delighted I bought this book. It's beautifully illustrated, well-written and practical! Mr. Freeman steps you through the key steps of composition that can be taught (then it's up to you to have the 'eye' to be able to capture what he's suggested!); framing images, design basics, photographic elements, using light & color, intent and the process of composing a shot. The photos Freeman's presented provide great examples of what he's suggesting we, as readers do. And the accompanying text offers a mix of factual and insightful, experiential information. The length in each section is just right. Sort of Goldilocksian, not too much, not too little. It's a nice complement to the photo Composition book by David Prakel (which I also think is very well done).

This book sets out the principles for composition and visual construction of photos brilliantly. A variety of shots for each topic are shown, explaining why the 'bad' ones don't look quite right and for the 'good' photos the secret to the composition is explained.

I had been looking for a book on design for ages, since they tend to be expensive, I looked in second-hand book stores first, but it seems that all I found there was way too boring and tedious for me: starting with basic shapes only to build up to how to incorporate them into photography half way through the book at best. That could very well be the way to go for serious design/photography students, but I do not have time or interest in something that detailed and technical. I wanted a nice overview of the techniques that are available to a photographer, and not just a "follow the rule of thirds" kind of advice that you get from most online photography tips, but a more profound discussion on why the rule of thirds is even important, how it tends to affect the viewer, and when is it appropriate to break it.
And this book provides exactly that - a brief but concise overview of the most prominent design theories, based on the research on the way we see/interpret things. I am definitely not a design expert after having read this book, but I know as much about it as I need/can afford to learn at this point, being an amateur with no ambition to go pro in the observable future.
To me, it's like learning the grammar in a foreign language. Sure, you can probably survive in a country for a week by using words and verbs, but you will not be able to carry on a meaningful discussion with anyone without knowing how to string those words and verbs together. This book might not have taught me every tense and rule there is in the language of photography, but it gave me a better understanding of the logic behind them and cemented my knowledge of rudimentary structures.
The illustrations in the book ARE extremely well-chosen and beautifully reproduced, which is not always the case in photography books, alas. They are a treat to look at.

To address some of the critiques voices here in the respect to this book:
1) No, it does not cover ISO, shutter speed and aperture, and you are better off buying the book by Peterson if that is what you need. I read Peterson first, about a year ago, and it felt right to read this book second, they are not in any way complementary, their focus is totally different, but combined, they provide you with a deeper understanding of what you do when you look through the viewfinder.
2) I find the book very well written. It's concise, clear and well-illustrated and I even found it a pleasurable read. I would definitely not say it is hard to read, it is not the most fun and light-hearted thing you'll ever read, but it's not fiction, it is technical writing, so it will hardly come as a surprise to you. It is definitely among the least convoluted technical books I've ever read.
3) As to "it adds nothing new to the matter"... Well, first of all, it IS a book that basically summarizes the last 100 years of research in the design and its perception, so it does not claim that it is ground-breaking and new!
Second of all, this is a valid criticism only for those who already have dozens of photography books and are looking for more (but then again, if that is the case, why are you even looking into Freeman? he is clearly not geared towards a seasoned pro). If this is your first book on design, as it was for me, pretty much EVERYTHING in this book is going to be new for you to a degree (yeah, I've heard of the rule of thirds before, but never read a detailed overview of how it came about and why).

The book starts out with the basics of composition. Each subsequent chapter builds on previous chapters; capitalizing on the lessons learned. The sample pictures are excellent and clearly demonstrate the chapter's lesson. Whether you're an amateur or a professional, as I am, you will learn from this book. It has become a permanent part of my library and will be something I refer back to over and over again. There are not that many good books about composition and this one stands head and shoulders above the others.

At once, The Photographer's Eye, grips you, beckons one to get your camera, and use your eyes differently, to take in what's there and not, and know when to do what. Michael Freeman is a master tutor, communicator.

This large sized book from Focal Press, a company that truly values it's readers and authors with high quality binding, paper, and print, has another winner with this book, that truly led me to reevaluate my sense of design, ways of approaching a photograph, and ponder. The book starts out like it should from the beginning of what an image is, what your eye sees, and slowly educates, showing vivid images, with notes, so I grasped what was to do and to follow. It's 180 pages, 6 chapters cover it all, left me feeling much more confident about why, what, and when. Knowing most work in digital domain now, additional skill building is brought forth on how before and after the image is taken, and what can be created.

Chapter 1 begins with the frame and image, from how to start to a sense of just how one can see what's there, and how to get it.
Chapter 2 gets into Design Basics, a topic not covered by many, but so necessary to accomplish Gestalt perception with balance, dynamic tension, patterns, visual weight, and content.
Chapter 3 covers Graphic and Photographic Elements, illustrating the two dimensional forms that show up in the picture frame.
Chapter 4 really showed me a new way of composing with light and color, using tone and color.
Chapter 5 on Intent had me examine what I was attempting to show in my composition and why, yes, answer why. Freeman has a gift in talking to the reader.
Chapter 6 is Process, brings about how design, art, and other media work together, and I found that my eye, and intuition was sharpened, more aware of this process.

A great book, just long enough to cover design, a well organized book, images that work, support what the author posits, and again, a quality book,that Focal Press brings us, a welcome git.

chord progressions, rhythms, melodies, lyrics are covered. A great resource for chord progressions. would like more thoughts covered on melodies. I am a novice guirtarist and this is perfect.

Very detailed book about every aspect. Tons of examples and chord diagrams. Just get it!

I checked this book out of the library so many times that I finally decided to buy it. The chord progressions and examples are what make this book great, and they apply to all types of musical instruments. I use this book to compose on the computer, then sequence the songs into synthesizers.

As for the negative reviews, my guess is that they don't understand what a chord progression is. But if you do, and especially if you've ever gotten stuck as a songwriter, get this book.

A lot of technical issues covered. The outstanding thing about this book (& by outstanding I mean the thing that stands out, not the thing that is excellent) is that the author wants to tell you every song that fits into each and every category that he mentions. Example: for the chord sequence I, IV, VI, V there are ten examples in contemporay music and He wants to name each and every one of them, then he will do the same thing for chord sequence I, VI, IV, V. Etcetera ad nauseum! This is a thin book; It could be a lot thinner and convey the same amount of (interesting) information.

This book is not going to make you a great guitar player and this book is not going to make you a creative person(but what book can??) What this book will do is give you a very strong foundation for chordal progression. The pop song which has been predominant for the last 50 years is analyzed in a straightforward handsome manner. A person with a basic understanding of guitar chords can get through this book and it is an excellent reference guide for those that are advanced musicians.
This book is great for connecting the dots musically. For example, if you have written a bunch of riffs but don't know how to turn them into a song this book can help you gain direction.
Again this book can't make you creative but it can help a creative person get a lot more output from focused effort. This book can give your chord sequences direction in affect turning your meandering strumming into an actual song.

I have read many mountain climbing books and this is one of the best. It is such a refreshing perspective from the sherpa's eye view. A great read.

This book recounts the 1996 memoirs of Jamling Norga, son of Tenzing Norgay. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay was one member of the two-man team that first made it to the top of Mt. Everest. Jamling, who was born after Tenzing's historic climb, felt drawn to follow in his footsteps from the time he first understood his father's place in the world. In this book, he details the events leading to his own successful ascent up Mt. Everest. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons his father tried to teach him about ethics, culture, and life. Tenzing had once forbidden Jamling to climb the mountain, telling him that he climbed Everest so that Jamling wouldn't have to. But that's not how it works between sons and fathers--there are some lessons a son must learn solely through personal experience, and no amount of advice or urging will dissuade him from a path he is determined to take.

In this book, Jamling recounts how his family lamas prognosticated a very dangerous season on Mt. Everest. As it turned out, Jamling would lose many friends on the mountain that year, all strong, experienced climbers. Although he had not been a member of the fated climbing teams that were decimated during those fateful days in May, 1996, he retells the stories of their tragic deaths as he witnessed the events unfold from the intermediate camps high on the mountain. All of these stories he tells from his unique vantage point as a Sherpa, a Buddhist, born and raised in India, and educated in the West. Thus, this book is quite different from the average climbing adventure story. It is as much a cultural adventure, a search for identity, and a tale of religious awakening with the Everest climb providing the backdrop.

Excellent book! The way I view it, it's 3 books in 1: a book about Tenzing's climb and personal life told by his
son, a book about his son's 1996 climb and his life and thoughts, and a book on Sherpa's life and Buddhist
customs. I really enjoyed reading it. The photographs include some photos of Tenzing as well.

Nor what I expected and rather a disappointment, this books seems to be a local writer and a son cashing in on the family name. There is little excitement or depth of character exhibited here and the work seems unlikely to be that of a man Himalayan born and bred. Who actually wrote these words ? Whose thoughts are they ? Not Sherpa thoughts I think.
Far better is another book I have just read - Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest by Tenzing's grandson, Tashi - an uplifting and honourable book about the Sherpas. It is simple and seems to me to truly represent the Sherpa viewpoint. This guy seems to be a true climber and talks like one. A far better book than Jamling's.

This book was absorbing emotionally and stimulating intellectually. It is the only book about the 1996 Mount Everest disaster written by a Sherpa, the indigenous people who work as porters and guides for commercial expeditions. I have read about five of the books written after the disaster, and wondered about the Sherpa point of view as there was surprisingly little mention of them.

The other books only mentioned them in passing and in terms of what the Sherpas did for the expedition. Jamling Tenzig Norgay, the author, experiences this attitude. After the disaster, he and his team stay at Base Camp. He wrote, "The other Sherpas were hanging out in a depressed funk. Some of them hadn't gotten so much as a thank-you from the guided clients whom they assisted down the mountain, often after exceptional struggle. The clients simply disappeared, some without saying goodbye. We notice this kind of behavior."

Norgay was skeptical about Buddhism at the beginning of the climb- but gradually came to believe in it. He requests and receives divinations from llamas- and uses their information as part of his decision-making. The book provides fascinating beginner's information that is accessible to someone like me who is just learning about Buddhism. He describes spirituality in a practical matter.

For example, he says, "in the icefall, as in the mountains, we hope we have been imbued with enough tsin-lap to handle any situation. Tsin-lap is roughly translated as "blessing", but it really means the mental ability and strength to allow our minds to be changed in the direction of complete awareness. When we pray to the wisdom deities, to the Buddhas, we pray for tsin-lap." He talks about the fact that he and the other Sherpas who carry loads for the team hike over each trail numerous times. This improves their athletic ability and knowledge of the mountain.

Norgay, spent over a decade in the United States and was also deeply familiar the clients who were paying to climb the mountains who were mostly from industrialized countries. The author does not idealize the Sherpas. He describes the positive parts of their culture, but also tells the reader that the main reason they are on the mountain is as a profession. It is to earn money. He explains that many of the Sherpas risked their lives for their clients during the disaster. But some expected a large award to be posted on the radio. It is not clear whether they might have saved the lives of their guide had an award been offered. Wong Chu, the sirdar responsible for logistics, kept a stick in the kitchen and "would whack miscreant Sherpas on the butt when they acted up. `You came here to do work.' he would say loudly."

Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary on the first successful attempt of the summit of Mount Everest. His story is interwoven with his father's story. And by the end of the book, you can see that the son had climbed two mountains- a real one and the metaphorical on that each of us must climb to integrate our past with our present and future.

The book was good, but i felt as though the cover had some minute scratches. but the inner part is perfect.

Thank you so much for the speedy, high quality transaction! I worked all summer up in the redwoods, and there was no delay in your shipment which made it stress free! The book is in excellent condition, thank you for handling this like a pro! Bow if only it weren't a biology book... =)

Well the good things about this textbook have been said, but one of the most useful things i found about this textbook was the website support. There are only 10 questions at the end of the chapters, but there are tons of exercises, which really do help, in the website. The study guide is also helpful and helps you understand the more tricky details that might miss.

Wonderful text with GREAT additional resources. There is a wonderful website that covers key topics, enables you to quickly print out objectives, vocabulary; and even has web tutorials. This supplemental material is great for people who are visual learners, as they have plenty of animations to help you understand the topics. Would highly recommend any text from this publisher.

This book arrived rapidly and I was quite pleased. The book also came in great condition as if new, even though it was used. I am a happy shopper. Great seller. Great product. I would buy again from the seller - good business! I feel like a valued customer.

This book provides a good starting place for the exploration of the myths about the original
formation of the materials commonly called "Fossil Fuels", that is petroleum and
black coal. The change of assumptions discussed here alters many things, including the understanding
of the geo-politics of oil and energy. Gold is a smart cookie and after you read the book
you will see that an open minded astronomer would be a logical candidate to understand
and develop this theory. New only to many western minds. The Russians have worked on this
for a long time and their knowledge was the seed germ for Gold's work here. Worth the time to read. dxr

Running out of oil?? Hardley!!! The earth PRODUCES oil...............ongoing!! We will never run out. Read this Great book.

This book provides a logical and comprehensive explanation of how petroleum hydrocarbons are formed deep in the earth's mantle and migrate upwards to form gas and crude oil fields and coal measures nearer the earth's surface. It coroborates what russian petroleum geologists have known and applied for many years where they drill wells up to 13 km deep to tap crude oil nearer its source and far below where any surface biota could have been buried. Gold demonstrates that the theory of a biogenic origin of petroleum is wrong and cannot be sustained in the light of new information that is now available.

Author Thomas Gold was born in England, but
grew up in the United States. This book proves
once and for all the myth about the 'fossel-
fuels' is bunk, just like Evolution. One of
Tom's most important interviews to date. Pick
up on any Radio Free America or Radio Liberty
cassettes while they are still out there. Radio
Liberty also available on CDs. Highly recommended!

1. Pores within rock, like cells within living organisms, can be maintained at very high pressures, sol long as the fluid that occupies the pores or cell exerts an outward pressure as great as the opposing pressure of the surroundings.

2. Under the abiogenic theory, if oil and gas are flowing upwards from deep high pressure levels any caprock. No rock has a significant tensile strength, so no rock can hold down a flue that comes up with a pressure greater than that exerted by the weight of the overburden. A caprock will create a concentration of the fluids below it, but he steady flow rate will eventually be reestablished at a value equal to the flow rate at the deep source. For example, a dam causes a lake to form on the upstream side, but after the lake has filled, the flow rate rate resumes.

3. If oil and gas have indeed come up from below, we can expect a vertical series of deeper reservoirs to be stacked below the producing field.

4. If the uppermost domain has fluid pressure decreased by production of oil or gas, then the pressure differential across the crushed layer of low permeability will automatically increase. Transport through that layer will therefore accelerate. The top field will be replenished at a rate given by the leakage from below, when the delicate pressure balance between rock and fluid has been change. The top field will be drawing on the deeper reserves that have not been accessed directly.

5. Petroleum reservoirs seem to refill themselves, noteably in the Middle East and the US Gulf Coast.

6. The abiogenic theory of petroleum formation presumes that an enormous source of primordial hydrocarbons (created a the time of the planet formation) resides in the upper mantle and lower crust-far deeper than can be drilled and sampled directly (30-100km).

7. Seven evidences of abiogenic theory are: First, reservoirs of petroleum, including various gaseous forms such as methane and ethane, are frequently found in geographical patterns of long lines or arces extending for hundres or even thousands of kilometers. Second, Koudryavtsev's rule states Hydrocarbon-rich areas tend tobe hydrocarbon-rich at all lower leels, corresponding to quite different geological epochs, and extending down to the crystalline basement that underlines the segment. Third, methane is found in many locations where biogenic explanations for its presence is improbable or where biological deposits seem inadequate to account for the size and extent of the methane resource. Fouth, hydrocarbond deposits of a large area often show common chemical features regardless of the varied composition or the geological ages of the formations in which they are found. Fifth, a numberof hydrocarbon reservoirs seem to be refilling as they are exploited for commercial production. Sixth, the distribution of large amounts of carbonate rock in the upper crust and the isotopic composition of the carbon atoms within it argue against the theory of a a surface biological origin of most of the buried hydrocarbons. Seventh, the clear, well-established regional associations of hydrocarbons with the chemically inert gaseous element helium have no explanation in the theories of a biological origin of petroleum.

8. It use to be thought that temperatures about 600C would dissociate the simplest and most heat resistent hydrocarbons, methane CH4, and that temperatures as low as 300C were sufficient to destroy most of the heavy hydrocarbon components of natural petroleum, at a few tens of kilometers of crust. In 1980, E.B Chekalium indicated in a publication that methane would resist complete dissocation down to a depth of 300 kilometers, except in volcanic regions where temperatures approached 2000C. Chekalium believed that methane could exitence at a maxium depth of 600 kilometers.

9. According to molten earth theory, the earth was formed as a hot body, a liquid ball of rock, and cooled forming a crust overlying a homogeneous mantle. In such a history, no primordial hydrocarbons could have survived the molten state.

10. Today, Scientist believe the earth and other inner planets and the satellites of the outer planets, all accreted as solid boids from solids that had condensed from a gaseous planetary disk. The heat that melted the mantle was caused from radioactive material and gravitational compression. The earth must hve been subjected to only a partial melt. Hydrocarbons were a a common constituent of the accreting earth.

11. If the gases ascend in region of magma, then chemical equilibrium between the hydrocarbons and magma would be approached, and this would usually favor formation of the hydrocarbon gases. Thus it is no surprise that volcanoes generally emit carbon main in the form of CO2, with only minor amounts as methane CH4.

12. Astronomical techniques have thus produced clear and indisputable evidence that hydrocarbons are major constituents of bodies great and small within our solar system. The greatest quantity is found in the massive out planets and their satellites. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have large admixturers of hydrocarbons in their atmospheres.

13. The abiogenic theory holds that hydrocarbons were a component of the material that formed the earth, through accretion of solids, some 4.5 billion years ago.

14. In a violent eruption there will not be the small bubbles that come up at quiet times; instead there will be large plumes of gas, racing upward through the molten rock.

15. At the temperatures and pressures on or near the earth's surface, some hydrocarbons are solid (coal), some are liquid (crude oil), and some are in the vapor state (natural gas).

16. In 1996, indigenous microbes found from an oil well in Alaska at a depth of 4.2 kilometers and a temperature of 110C.

17. In 1997, microbial fossils where discovered in granite rock at a depth of 200 meters.

18. 1991, at a dept of 5.2 kilometers in Sweden microbes were detected where drilling in solid granitic bedrock. A sample was taken and cultured in a laboratory. The anaerobic microbes would only reproduce in a temperature range from 60C to 70C.

19. At 2.25 kilometers the critical point is reached. Here the pressure is so great that no matter what the temperature, there is no distinction between vapor and liquid. It is appropriate to refer to water beyond the critical point as existing as fluid, specially a super critical fluid. Temperature increase at a rate of 15C and 30C per kilometer of depth in non-volcanic regions.

20. Greater density means that methane is actually easier for life to access at depth. At six kilometers methane is 400 time more dense. 21. Higher temperatures that coincide with greater depth escalate the rate at which methane molecules collide with the cell membranes of microbes. Both factors enhance the rate at which methane would be expected to diffuse across waxy cell membranes. Deep is desirable to assist methane consumers in accessing their food.

21. there are two sources of oygen atoms that are loosely bound: Fe2 03 Iron oxide and SO2 oxidized sulfer. Sulfate (SO4) is the second most abundant ion of negative charge in seawater.

Titus is the play for our day of crumbling and self-destructing empire; this fable has much to teach us now. As the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us: Either we learn to live together as brothers or we die apart as fools.

Here we find fool brother killing brother, citizen killing citizen, the extreme abuse of the most vulnerable and pure, the excessive cruelty of wealth and power, a fable for our age.

Here in the Third revision series from Arden (the first presentation nearly one hundred years old and thus this represents one of the most ancient, traditional and continual series of Shakespearean texts, unlike certain far more recent and much less reliable usurpers of the "traditional" crown) we may discover a nearly impeccable edition of this four hundred year old much maligned and frequently orphaned text, a fable for our present times.

The editor Jonathan Bate presents strong and nearly undeniable reasons for his selection of readings from Quarto, Folio and emended editions, including of course Theobald and Capell but also the most recent scholarship and productions. His use, for example of "Muly lives" rather than "Mulietus" is admirable, as is his conflation of false starts, later additions, and other lines always clearly indicated in other typeface and explained fully in the footnotes and introduction.

Nevertheless, I found some of his interpretation unfortunate. I believe this play not a comedy but an exposure of the absolute corruption to which power and wealth lead us. It is not comedy but an exposure of our depravity. It is not to laugh but to weep, and to repent, and to resolve to live in peace and communal cooperation and compassionate concern, to learn to live together as brothers, although not as these. It is thus a morality play, not a comedy; yet we now have no concept of such a thing, and thus laugh where we must repent, and revolt.

His continual praising and uncritical reference in the footnotes to the televised BBC and to the Warner productions also calls into question his judgment. I cannot imagine, for example, admiring bringing in the cannibal banquet table singing as did the Warner = "Heigh ho it's off to work we go!" as anything other than an inappropriate, anachronistic indulgence.

In short about half of the footnotes might easily and gratefully find blue pencil from a compassionate and wise editor of this edition who can distinguish personal interpretation and opinion from scholarly fact. As well, a basic rule for those who wish to define or explain words is never to make the definition more complex nor obscure than the word being defined, nor make the definition so general as to be useless. Thus we find the terms suffrages and tyrannies in Act Four defined completely as "key terms in the political lexicon" rather than explaining their significance in terms of Act One. This is neither helpful nor necessary.

In short, about half of the footnotes may be eliminated to the benefit of this great book, as they cast doubt upon the reliability of the edition itself, and this edition seems nearly impeccable.

this is a very violent play, but there are actually a lot of crude humor (think of it as a Quintin taratino film, except it's a book). it takes on ancient dicotomy between civilization and wilderness. the movie is good as well

I'm a shakespeare fan and I love the story that this one tells.
Sure, gore, blood, and a great deal of depression around the middle, but what story now-a-days isn't?
Great story, love it!

This is perhaps The Bard's least well known work, but a classic nonetheless. If H. G. Lewis had been a playwrite living in Old England, this is no doubt the kind of drama he might have produced. It has more blood & violence than the most exploitive exploitation film. Heads severed off, murdered children baked into a stew & served to their father, rape, vengeance, mayhem, insanity... all served up in the guise of classic literature. PERFECT!

OH MY GOSH!!! "Titus Andronicus" is one of the best plays ever written, especially when played for the comedy. DEFFINATELY READ THIS BOOK!!!

The whole play basically revolves around the action of the evil Tamora marrying another evil guy. Tamora gets really angry, and lets her two sons, Chiron and Demitrius, rape Titus's daughter, Lavinia. Ever hear that old Greek legend about how two guys raped a girl, and cut off her tounge so she could never tell the tale? In that version, the girl is, fortunately, able to miraculously weave her story into a coat and send it off for help. But Lavinia in "Titus Andronicus" is not quite so lucky. Chiron and Demitrius cut off her tounge AND her hands (I can tell THEY read there nighttime fairytales).

After this everyone runs around like madmen and there are a few casualties. Finally Lavinia is able to communicate to her father and remaining brothers using a book, etc. Eventually Tamora pretends to be a spirt-type-thing called 'Revenge' and her sons pretend to be 'Murder' and 'Rape'. But Titus Andronicus is even smarter. He pretends that he beleives there stupid bluff, and eventually captures Chrion and Demitrius after their mother leaves. Then, to make a long story short, Titus 'plays the cook' and cuts off the guys' heads and has his daughter use her stubs to gather their blood. Then he goes and cooks their guts into a pie.

That night at dinner, he serves the pastry to Tamora, who thinks she has won. After the people have eaten about half of the meal, Titus gets up and basically says, 'Look, Lady, you just ate your own sons, you idiot.' Then there is a huge blood bath and few are spared. The guy who IS spared becomes king, etc. Hehehe. Great, huh?

Seriously, though, I would deffinately recommend this edition of the book because it has REALLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY good footnotes. No joke. Hope you will take some time to read this cool book!!! :-D

Highly recommended to anyone interested in this topic. Compulsary reading for all idealists, especially those who believe the end justifies the means. Also very interesting and I think accurate is his argument that excessively high self-esteem can be a cause of evil is completely lost on ideology driven Policy Makers in racial and other areas, yet in a way there has always been a folk understanding of this, expressions like "big-head" "conceited" suggest the person may be dangerous or should be avoided.

His definition of evil as violence and cruelty could be questioned, but separating it from evil intentions is an interesting and useful idea.

I thought perhaps it suffered a little from the sheer breadth of the topics covered but still a highly readable and hearting contribution to thinking about good and evil.

I have found this book to be very insightful on the topic it covers. It uses real life examples which can be very sad but it also proves the point it is trying to make.

The author, a social psychologist, explore in depth the concept of Evil, finding that is often a perception made than any else. He explain how "evil" perhaps is more a construction and, when analizing the perpetrators, what we see is not necessary evil. A broad analysis of the topic.

This remarkable book begins to give us a firm basis for hope, because it provides a deep and accurate understanding of evil. This well researched and well written book examines and discredits the "myth of pure evil", and instead rigorously examines the point of view of real perpetrators to understand the true causes of evil.

After adopting the simple definition of "intentional harm to other people", the author identifies the four roots of evil as greed, egotism, idealism, and sadism, and explores each of these in depth. He dispels the popular misunderstanding that low self-esteem is a major contributor to violent behavior. Instead his careful analysis establishes that people who have high self-esteem, but lack a firm basis for that belief, are especially prone to be violent. He describes how an ordinary person crosses the line into evil, how evil spreads, and how perpetrators deal with guilt. After examining the provocative question of "why is there not more evil" he describes the central role of self-control in preventing evil. He also describes how typical bystanders often unwittingly contribute to evil acts.

Central to the analysis is the principle he calls the "magnitude gap." This describes the discrepancy between the importance of an evil act to the perpetrator and the victim. This magnitude gap accounts for the rapid escalation of violence that is so typical in retaliation. The response chosen to avenge each provocation is amplified at each round to account for the victim's point of view.

Because lasting peace will come only from a profound understanding of violence, the analysis and insight this book provides is an important contribution toward a more peaceful world.

Important topic, promising approach, but the insights offered are too few and too shallow.

I bought this book partly on the strength of its readers' reviews here on Amazon, but found myself disappointed. The book's subtitle, "inside human violence and cruelty," promises much, but the author, I feel, has not really delivered.

A social psychologist, Baumeister avoids a philosophical and theological discussion of evil in favor of a psychological one, based on facts gleaned from history and experiment. This approach is attractive and promising, but somehow, in almost 400 long pages, not much seems to come of it. Too often I felt that the insights offered by Baumeister were mere banalities, such as that evil acts are experienced more strongly by victims than by their perpetrators--a point Baumeister repeats many, many times.

The author uses this observation to conclude that "evil is in the eye of the beholder"--and even launches the book with a clever anecdote about an event in which two people see each other as evildoers, despite no intentional act of harm being committed. But this is surely a special case, and not comparable to the operation of a system of death-camps, or hacking apart defenseless people huddling for safety in a church. Baumeister takes pains (repeatedly) to stress that he wants to see evil acts through the perpetrators' eyes, and not prejudge events from the perspective of victims, but the result is an uneasy or indecisive tone that wavers between a normal-sounding condemnation of evil and a moral relativism that really believes that evil is merely in the eye of the beholder--that is, there's no such thing as evil, as long as you're the one perpetrating it.

Baumeister finds four basic psychological causes of evil: greed/lust/ambition, or evil as a means to an end; revenge for insulted egotism; ideological evil; and actual sadism--deriving pleasure from harming others. The author discusses each of these at length, but does not come up with many conclusions. He observes that crime, for the most part, does not pay as well as even the lowest-level jobs, and that people who commit crimes generally have a poor idea of the long-term consequences of their actions. This, to me, is another banal point, not an insight that requires much discussion.

Baumeister makes much of his conclusion that standard psychology is wrong when it attributes violent, bullying behavior to low self-esteem; he feels that the facts show that bullies and violent people in fact have high self-esteem, in the sense of high or even inflated regard for themselves. As an example, he points out that convicted, incarcerated rapists often think of themselves as "superachievers." Technically this might be called high self-esteem, but I would call it delusional, and I think there is a difference. Maybe I'm alone here, but I think of high self-esteem as being realistic and adaptive, not the fragile egotism of the narcissist. Baumeister spends much time trying to disprove the "low self-esteem" model of violent behavior, but I was never persuaded.

My overall impression is that there is length here, but not depth. I did not feel I got "inside" human violence and cruelty. Having read only the first chapter or so of James Waller's "Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing", I already feel that I am getting a much deeper and also more sympathetic view of how and why evil is committed, from a social-psychological perspective.