R Books


Books-Under-Review-->Reference-->Biography-->R-->71
Related Subjects: Rhys Richards Richard Rich Richardson Robinson Rogers Russell Rhodes Robertson Reynolds Reed Roberts Ray Ryan Ross Rowe
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
R Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

R
Differential and integral calculus
Published in Unknown Binding by Blackie (1943)
Author: R Courant
List price:

Average review score:

great calculus book
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-04
I agree whole heartedly with the other reviews here, and merely wish to second their opinions. I bought my copy in 1960 and would never part with it. I still have crystal clear images in my mind from courant's exposition of the 1-1 correspondence between points of the real line and infinite decimals, his comment that all absolute convergence tests result from comparing with a known convergent object - either the geometric series or an integral, and his preface emphasizing "the chief task" of one who would pursue the study of Science: acquiring a firm grasp of the application of general principles in particular cases.

I have studied and taught calculus, advanced calculus, real and complex analysis, Riemann surfaces, differential equations, and differential manifolds both real and complex, for over 40 years, but anyone who reads thoroughly these 2 volumes and masters them will know more calculus than I do.

I am a pure mathematician, and I believe these volumes are highly recommended not just to physicists and engineers, but to anyone who would master their subject. I also love the book of Spivak, but after teaching from them together one summer, and comparing proofs, I concluded that Spivak himself probably learned the subject from Courant.

Classical book
Helpful Votes: 32 out of 32 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-07
I will not say, as is common in reviewers of books on calculus, that this is the best book of calculus that there is. Indeed, calculus is a subject with so many textbooks that it can be said that there is no best textbook, but that each person can find one that suits his/her needs.

Nonetheless, Courant's book is an old text, around 70 years old. It belongs to these classics of science that were influential and held its own as a source of common knowledge. Why?

I believe that the answer to this question is simple: Courant's book has the perfect balance between theory and applications. It does not use too much pedantry in its exposition, is full of examples (for the student to do and also some worked-out), ranging from simple to very difficult, and yet it proves everything that is important in a way that no mathematician can complain. Indeed, the authors leaves the most difficult demonstrations to appendixes that can be found in each chapter, so the reader that doesn't want to enter into the complications of the proofs can skip them. And the book is written in a conversational style, that much probably influenced the book that, in my humble opinion, is the best that can be found treating the subjects it treats (so I also have my favourite calculus text: Spivak's Calculus!).

There are two volumes, the first one dealing mainly with calculus of one variable and the second with multivariate and complex analysis. It contains the core of the mathematical theory useful for physicists and engineers and has this that is amazing: it develops the theory and always gives good physical examples. Indeed, a whole course of theoretical physics is contained in this book, almost hidden.

So, if someone is reading this review and is in doubt whether the book is good or not, I can say, with the experience of having read a long list of calculus texts, that the book is good and is worth-while. It is useful to the mathematician and to the engineer, to the philosopher and to the physicist, and serves extremely well both as a text book for class study, self-study and for reference. If you are worried that the treatment is dated, I can say that, although today the most common treatment of, say, multivariate calculus is through linear algebra, that leaves the subject much cleaner, Courant's work still is of value in that it explains everything in as simple way as possible, mantaining always ahead the objectives of each section. It is essentially a book of applications of analysis and if you read and work the examples, you will turn yourself into an expert both in theory and application and will be able to follow easily any work that has classical analysis as prerequisite.

Great classical book!

Classical German calculus
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-07
Courant knows the art of writing a good preface. He attacks "diffuseness" and "pedantry" and aims at "exhibiting the close connection between analysis and its applications" and "to give due credit to intuition as the source of mathematical truth". The book also has a tone that is unusual today: Courant speaks to us the way a dignified, open-hearted professor speaks to an intelligent student. No rambling pretensions; just to-the-point, good mathematics. This is the perfect solid-as-they-come, timeless book on the calculus, and most likely it will never be surpassed in this domain. One must be warned, however, that this is a very serious book and reader-friendliness has lower priority than technical coherence and brilliance of formal organisation. The likely reader will know calculus already and use Courant for masterful, concise exposition of standard topics as well as a wealth of topics that have been watered out of most current calculus curricula (e.g., evolutes, involutes, envelopes, curvature, geodesics, centres of mass, the gamma function, the catenary, the cycloid, the lemniscate, the brachistochrone problem, Kepler's laws, Maxwell's equations, the zeta function, etc.). Everybody knows that all the usual calculus books, "reform" or not, are pathetic. But what is even worse is that there are no good alternatives even if one is prepared to dig deep into the library shelves in hope of finding an author who has not sacrificed his intellectual dignity at the altar of royalties. Take for example Serge Lang's books "A First Course in Calculus" and "Short Calculus". Lang is of course the virtual definition of the mainstream of respectable mathematics. Nevertheless, these books are soaked with the common formalistic attitude. In fact, as if his books had not finished the job, Lang adds an appendix to both books called "Physics and Mathematics", which very explicitly drives a wedge between physics and intuition and mathematics. Courant is a good antidote to such modern nonsense.

Best Calculus book
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-10
This is the best calculus text for aspiring physicists as well as applied mathematics students. However, don't know why Amazon sent the book with different front cover to me. It's not the one shown in the picture but rather a black cover--exactly the one seen on barnesandnoble with the same isbn. Although the covers are different, the content is the same.

Worth a look
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-29
This work has an honored place on my bookshelf. A colleague
recommended it to me when I was in school and I bought a copy after
looking at it in the school's library. It sits next to my copy of
"The Feynman Lectures in Physics". These are works you go to for
insight. I like Courant's mixture of physical examples with the
mathematics.

After encountering Courant's book for the first time, I remember
wondering why the first volume wasn't used as the textbook for the
typical year and a half of basic calculus. Then, as now, I can only
conclude that teachers probably think it's not watered down enough for
the students. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise to come across
Courant after you've been taught calculus from an uninspiring "modern"
text.

Everyone's needs are different, so take all reviews with a grain of
salt. As a working scientist/engineer, my primary use of the calculus
is as a tool to get things done, so I'm typically more interested in
learning the mechanics than getting a deep understanding like a
mathematician would. Courant works for this, yet still allows one
to dig in deeper when desired. It's still an awfully good book, even
if it is 70 years old.

R
Director 8 and Lingo Bible (With CD-ROM)
Published in Paperback by Wiley (2000-07-27)
Authors: John R. Nyquist and Robert Martin
List price: $49.99
New price: $6.27
Used price: $1.67

Average review score:

Excellent Resource
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-16
This book is a great resource for when you're looking for that specific line of code. Its terrible to read from front to back, but its an excellent way to find exactly what you're looking for. Its so much code, it'll make your eyes bleed.

Easing the Learning Curve
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-20
Director 8.5 is a monster application with huge range of functionality. Nyquist's "Bible" uses CD-ROM-based tutorials to carry you through the concepts with relative ease. The tutorials are part of one continuous complex project, taking the reader from the basics through media management, interactivity, project management and some pretty sophisticated Lingo programming. It is also organized to allow easy reference for specific issues. Having recently completed an 'Emedia & Design' programme I would have to say that Nyquist's book is probably the most valuable text in my library.

I LOVE this book!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-14
There is no better book with which to get involved in Director. I've read nearly all of them; nothing else comes CLOSE! Get IT! ENJOY IT! LOVE IT!

Un gran libro para comenzar con Director
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-12
Este libro es realmente extraordinario para aprender a usar director, pues se ve desde el uso basico de cada herramienta aplicando los ejemplos que incluye el cd-rom.

Recomiendo este libro a quien nunca haya usado director antes, y para aquellos que habiendo usado, solo han aprendido por su cuenta sin referencias técnicas.

Excellent Book
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-02
A well written book of the "Bible" series! Great examples and delivered in an understandable "lingo." This book is a must have for all Director developers regardless of your level or experience. There is a ton of useful information for everyone.

R
Do Your Ears Pop in Space and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Published in Paperback by Wiley (1997-01-22)
Author: R. Mike Mullane
List price: $15.95
New price: $7.24
Used price: $1.99
Collectible price: $15.95

Average review score:

Absolutely delightful reading!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-26
Highly informative. A few aspects need to be updated, though. I'd buy a second edition without any hesitation.

A MUST READ!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-02
I bought this book at the Kennedy Space Center Space Store and at first thought the cover and title looked sort of juvenile. However, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down! Mullane answers so many questions I didn't even think to ask and answered questions I had in my mind while touring NASA. This book enriched my NASA experience and I feel so much more knowledgeable about what astronauts experience. His writing style is as lighthearted and accessible as it is thorough. From explaining how astronauts have to work the toilet system on shuttles to how they are chosen to be an astronauts to facts about the Challenger tragedy, the simple question/answer format makes it fast reading and easy to go back and peruse. Published in 1997, I wish Mullane would update it and add more, but this is such a good introduction to the whole shuttle experience, I won't complain. In fact, this book has given me a better understanding of the current spacewalks on the space station and the Cassini spacecraft that just reached Saturn's orbit. I can easily see how this book could be very inspirational for a wanna-be or don't-yet-know-they-wanna-be astronaut, as well.

It's always more fun hearing about space from an astronaut who's been there and especially one who includes a picture of himself in a "urine collection device." I guarantee you'll be glad for reading this one.

Informative and addictive!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-30
Three times Space Shuttle Astronaut R. Mike Mullane answers 500 questions regarding space traveling and life onboard the Space Shuttle. From the technical ones [Shuttle weight or the gravity escape velocity] to very simple questions [Do yor ears pop in space? or Have you seen any ufo's?] this book is a delight for anyone interested in knowing more about the current state of space exploration and shuttle manned missions. The format of the book is quite simple: A question in bold lettering followed by a simple, yet intelligent and informative answer. Topics covered range from Take off, reentering the atmosphere, life onboard the ship to some tips for becoming an astronaut. Some black and white pictures and illustrations make the book a little more atractive. The author also provides the reader with many email addresses throughout the book in order to contact him or other astronauts or space program workers. Once you star reading this book, you won't be able to put it down! A must for space enthusiasts, and if you want to know the answer to the title question, you'll have to get the book...

Funny, informative, easy-to-read, candid, and detailed
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-09
People who read FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions, a common format to provide information on Usenet and the web) will find the style of this book familiar and accessible. And so, I think, will a lot of people. One of the best things about this book, besides the amount of ground it covers, is its suitability for a wide audience. Its simple language covering a wide range of subjects will appeal to everyone from children to adults, from people with a cursory interest in space travel to people obsessed with it. The book comes with recommendations from Neil Armstrong and James Lovell, as well as several less famous (but not necessarily less experienced) space professionals.

The writing style is both candid and humorous, and the author, a retired astronaut, does not try to glamorize space travel. He describes several times the awe and wonder of seeing Earth through the shuttle window, but he also describes the terror of liftoff and the embarrassment of pre-launch toilet training (astronauts needing to defecate have to aim very carefully, and the training for this involves watching on a monitor the output of a videocamera pointed at the astronaut's rectum). At the same time, he corrects fears and other mistaken ideas spread by a misinformed media. He is also honest about his own emotional reactions to spaceflight, including ones that shatter the heroic, superhuman image that astronauts are expected to live up to -- and also reactions, or lack of reactions, that might surprise people.

An index is provided at the back for easy searching, since a full list of questions is not provided at the front. The questions are grouped under nine categories: Space Physics, Space Shuttle Pre-Mission and Launch Operations, Space Shuttle Orbit Operations, Life In Space, Space Physiology, Space Shuttle Reentry and Landing, Challenger, Astronaut Facts, and The Future. Within these categories he covers subjects ranging from the technical and social to the mundanities of life in a space shuttle.

Anyone with an interest in space travel would probably have an interest in this book. Even the author, who worked in space, had to go to other people to answer a lot of his questions -- so even he learned things he didn't know from writing this book. That is how a book should be written, and the book reflects this in the same way as hearing a lecturer speak with real enthusiasm on his or her subject. This is not only everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask, but everything you never thought to ask but are glad to know.

Prep book for space exploration
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-25
This book is easy to read and is a must for any fan of space travel. The book format uses one line questions followed up with an answer of a paragraph or two. The great thing is that the questions cover EVERY aspect of life in outer space that you can imagine - sleeping, hygene, eating, going to the bathroom, bleeding, clothing and back pain! There is also a great chapter which gives tips on what it takes to get into the space program. Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down!

R
Ed Emberley's Picture Pie: A Circle Drawing Book
Published in Paperback by L,B Kids (1984-10-30)
Author: Edward R Emberley
List price: $9.99
New price: $4.00
Used price: $2.84
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

not my favorite of his books
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-23
If your kids are really into cutting it might be ok but I think that the steps are not clearly defined.

A great tool for teaching math
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-17
I use this book in my classroom as we are working on geometry and fractions with students. They love the connection between math and art!

Great for gifted kids
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-06
I used the ideas in this book with my gifted students, age K thru 3. They loved it and really came up with some wonderful pictures. It is a good art project that also brings in math.

Ed Emberley's Picture Pie
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-16
This is a wonderful book for the kindergarten class I am currently student teaching in. We made the spring flowers while teaching circles, half circles, and quarter circles. It also made a bright spring bulletin board.

Worth the time.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-15
If you know someone who likes to do art, this is a great book. You need to have the time to organize the necessary pieces to create these pictures. The end result is always successful for children.

R
The Educator's Guide to Texas School Law
Published in Hardcover by Univ of Texas Pr (1996-09)
Authors: Frank R. Kemerer and Jim Walsh
List price: $19.95
Used price: $18.48

Average review score:

Great TX School Law overview
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03
This book was an asset. I used it instead of my assigned text when working to pass the TExES Principal exam. This book was much better and more reader friendly than anything else I had used. The special ed section is a Must Read as is the part on employee rights! I highly recomment this book!

Necessary for Texas Educators
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-24
The title doesn't sound overly interesting but it actually is an interesting book. Teaching is an important job but there are a lot of things that a teacher could do to get in trouble (such as breaking privacy laws). The book also covers the law regarding starting a job contract, which I found to be particularly enlightening. It also covers some of the changes to Texas law since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and laws regarding English language learners and illegal immigrants (they have the right to public education like anyone else). These are all important issues for the Texas teacher.

The Educator's Guide to Texas School Law
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-04
This book arrived quickly and has proved to be everything I needed it to be. Thank you very much

Helpful Hints
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-27
This book was used for a school law class. This is a great cheat sheet for educators in Texas, including teachers.

A great resource book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-01
We have been using this text in our Texas Public School Law class in a chort of SFA in Mabank, and it has proven to be a wonderful resource book, sparking interesting discussion and debate.

R
End Run (Wing Commander)
Published in Paperback by Baen (1993-12-01)
Authors: William R. Forstchen and Christopher Stasheff
List price: $4.99
Used price: $1.23
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-21
This was the first Wing Commander book I read and I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. It tells the story of mission conducted by a new light carrier, Tarawa, and its pilots and marines as they conduct a suicidal mission on the enemy homeworld. The main body of the story, dealing with the light carrier Tarawa, was exciting, fast-paced and a great ride. A brief prologue wasn't necessary but still set the story up well, and I enjoyed reading it.

Even though some aspects of the story, whether dialogue or relationships, seemed a little cliche, they were written with enough heart and emotion to feel genuine. Main character Jason "Bear" Bondarevsky had enough depth and introspection to avoid becoming a fighter jock sterotype. He often questions the barbarism he sees in war, especially compared to the Marines that bunk aboard Tarawa who do things like collect Kilrathi ears as trophies. The book does a good job of showing that the Marines see the dirtier and more personal impact of war compared to the pilots, without being too heavy handed in its stance on war in general.

This book is great pulp science fiction with some heavy issues discussed in an way appropriate the tone of the story. You'll be cheering on the Tarawa as it tries to survive its mission.

A scifi novel to make all fans proud
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-08
I have read all the Wing Commander novels even the horrible ones written for the movie, which in and of itself was a horror, and I believe this is the best book of the series. Yet, I wonder of all the books why this won hasn't been reprinted? None of the other books in the series are as complening and captivating as this book.Without giving to much away, the plot seems to be a combination of the World War Two Dolittle Raid, and the Battle of Midway and like the US Naval the Confed fleet is outnumbered, out gunned, and the Kilrathi like the Japanese are winning the war, but out numbered and stretched to the limit the humans in the ConFederation have to take an all or nothing through of the dice on a plan that has almost no chance of success. Read the Book and Find out if the Confederation hits the heart of the Kilrathi, their homeworld, or we lose? Find the book, the answers will surprise you, the cost will be high, and don't stop reading to the end.

Excellent
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-26
I know this probably won't help those who are looking for this book, but all I can say is that it's worth it in the end. It's one of the best Wing Commander novels that I have ever read, and I really hope that you find the book. So don't give up. You'll find it. I did...

Took me a while, but I found it.......
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-12
I finally found this book on my own at a local used book store and, needless to say, I was excited. This book was great. Well, the first part, "Milk Run", was a little stale, but the bulk of the story, "End Run", was masterful. There was a lot of great action and interesting characters. I liked how Kevin Tolwyn transformed from a spoiled rich brat into a mature soldier of the Confederation. Though not as good as Fleet Action, End Run was a superb novel set in the Wing Commander Universe and I, for one, am glad I found it.

A brilliant collaboration! [NO Spoilers]
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-25
Stasheff sets them up, while Forstchen knock's em down. This book is a one-two punch for any fan of the PC video game, but also simply as a tale of science-fiction. It is broken up into two parts, a short story which acts as a 'prologue' (Milk Run, written by Stasheff) that will just rip your heart out with deep characterization and plot; the title 'novel' portion, written by Forstchen, follows up the result of the short story with continuation of the character Jason 'Bear' Bonderevsky aboard a slapped-together escort carrier _Tarawa_. Where Stasheff rips your heart out, Forstchen stomps on it with character interaction and the tragedy that is war. The last scene in this book always brings me to tears. I highly recommend this novel, and urge you to hit up one of the auctioneers or go to a used book store. This book is sadly out of print!

R
The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Published in Paperback by Belknap Press (2006-08-31)
Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson
List price: $24.50
New price: $19.94
Used price: $7.38
Collectible price: $21.95

Average review score:

The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-22
Emerson's works require repetitous reading and re-reading. Anyone that says you can "get it" from a single read doesn't understand the man or the truths he reveals about life and the universe. To call Emerson a transcendentalist is a cliche and the one calling him this doesn't understand that Emerson was about the here and now.

His best works for a truth seeker are Self-Reliance, Compensation and the Over-Soul. I suggest reading Compensation at least every night for three weeks. The world changes once you do.

To put Emerson in the same category as literary writers like those other reviewers have done is an injustice. He definitely deserves reading and he is an American writer, but he's more akin to Lao Tse than any American poet or novelist. They have a moment or two, Emerson is constant.

One of America's most influential voices
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-02
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist (someone who espouses a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical), and a Christian minister, who was also steeped in the rich philosophical tradition of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita. His essays are classic literature at its finest, with a rhythm and cadence that are, even in prose, poetic and musical. The beauty of this prose, in my opinion, is unparalleled.

What Emerson has to say is every bit as important as how he says it. He was a genius with "rough edges" who challenged society to question many of its unexamined assumptions. He did get into trouble for this, and was forced to resign as minister of his church, but Emerson refused to compromise on truth. A rugged individualism and stalwart non-conformity were the cornerstones of his personal philosophy. Emerson was well ahead of his time (1803-1882) and remains so to this day.

Emerson was a far more prominent voice in America than many people today might realize. If you decide to read Emerson, you may very well find yourself repeatedly saying, "so that's who said that." Many profound and moving quotes are attributed to him. His essays, "The Over-Soul" and "Self-Reliance" are justifiably considered among some of the best writing by an American author.

Emerson's voice will certainly not be to everyone's liking, and that is as true today as it was in his time. Because of the style of his prose and the nature of what he wrote about, there will be many who read him and who simply put him aside. On the other hand, don't be surprised if reading Emerson sends shock waves through your central nervous system. For those who really get hooked on Emerson, as I did 32 years ago, he will remain a lifetime companion offering a wealth of insight into the eternal verities of the soul and man's quest for the divine. For my money, there is no finer essayist or "philosopher" than Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Inspite of it is super old,yet wonderful
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-17
I can hundred percent sure Emerson's essays will be venerable as Shakespare's works someday,he changed my predujice of English,which I thought English has no quality as French or Russian,those had depth of thinking that English cannot instead of.Now I recently contacted Emerson's poetics ,also fall in love with those lyric prose,they really touched my heart,those are not kind of verbose,oppositely with philosophy of his unique stance.Nothing can prove its well inspirations,except read it.So,just start your reading right now.

Food for the Soul
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-15
If I could create my ideal afterlife or heaven, I would wish to be forever cradled in the gentle arms and soothing prose of Emerson. Who needs prozac or any psychiatry for that matter when we have access to such beautiful writing?

Ralph Waldo Emersom: an appreciation
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-29
Although he was considered during his lifetime to be a profoundly radical thinker, Emerson, the Transcendentalist chief, after his death, was soon reinterpreted as a bland Bostonian Brahmin, a mystic anarchist who was only brave on paper. It cannot be denied that his philosophy of a joyful and affirmationist acceptance of life, and of nature, his anti-slavery activities, his attacks on the state and on the sensualism of bourgeois society, could have easily provided the formula for a complete overthrow of the moral order of his time. His libertarian thrust, his serene integrity, his indefatiguable optimism and common sense, however, will continue to find admirers, notwithstanding the fact that political identifications have changed and emphases have shifted, or otherwise one can simply enjoy the polished beauty of his prose style. Though by no means a deep thinker, Emerson's brilliantly epigrammatic, allusive, declamatory, pithy style provides instances where the reader may extrapolate a number of meanings from even the shortest utterances, and it is due to this quality, perhaps, that the Emerson enigma came into being, enabling him to appeal to such numerous and diverse temperaments. His best essays include "The Over-Soul", "Compensation", "Self-Reliance" and "Manners", in which he preaches, in the rhetorical manner reminiscent of his background as a Unitarian minister, his ideals of contenment, joy, independence and self-confidence -- tonics of the soul.

R
Everyday Cooking for Beginners: B-R-E-A-K That Kitchen In!
Published in Paperback by Lulu.com (2006-11-14)
Author: Vineeth Subramanyam
List price: $12.95
New price: $7.66
Used price: $6.67

Average review score:

Great cookbook!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-18
I'm fairly experienced in the kitchen, but I still found this cookbook very helpful for preparing meals I'm less experienced with--especially the vegetarian dishes. Recipes are presented along with a difficulty rating to assist with planning, which is a nice touch. I can't wait to make my own sambar!

An excellent read for all kinds of cooks!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-17
I found Vineeth's book to be a straight-forward, easy-to-follow narrative for aspiring and experienced cooks alike. Vineeth's approach of considering your cooking tools and your grocery shopping habits first - before you cook - is extremely helpful. I also appreciate how he gets right to some creative and delicious recipes. I'm fairly new to the kitchen, but Vineeth's step-by-step instruction has enabled me to prepare some tasty dishes that look good too!

Must buy book for all the beginner cooks out there!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-15
For a beginner cook like me, Everyday Cooking for Beginners is an exceptional value. I tried out few dishes suggested in the book, and for an awful cook like myself, they turned out really good!

Other than recipes, Vineeth also gives out valuable information such as how to shop for ingredients saving me lot of dollars in the process!!

Love to Eat? Great book to take it to the next level.....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-14
I love good food. But, to find great food everyday and then to pay for it is really time consuming and expensive. I found myself in a similar situation to the author a few years ago and I learnt to cook out of the very necessity of cooking for myself and craving for the same tastes I had experienced at home. This book will surely get you started on that front, and will take you a little further than that if you like.

Solid fundamentals, basic information, and common sense - ingredients that are insanely hard to find in most cookbooks out there, are the cornerstones of this book. If nothing, it is just over 100 pages long and a really quick and interesting read for anyone who wishes to take the first step towards culinary depths.

A Motivational Guide to Getting Started, with Interesting Recipes
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-19
This book is directed primarily to people who don't know how to cook and could use some inspiration and guidance to get started. I am a lot like this kind of person (I especially was a couple years ago).

The first couple chapters discuss why to cook, what you need, and how to shop at the store. Like many people who prefer takeout to cooking, I demand instant gratification and these chapters were somewhat too methodical for my tastes.

My guidance to you is: skip the first chapter, but check out the "$3000" line when you need inspiration to cook. Then skip to page 25 and buy the things listed there. You can probably skip to the takeaways page for chapter three as well and look back if any of the bullets intrigue you.

As a bachelor who has learned a couple tricks over the years, I was impressed and intrigued by the simple list of cooking materials. I have occasionally told people that using a wok (#5) was one of my secrets to fast, cheap, versatile cooking. Other items were presented to me in a new light, like the casserole dish (#9).

There is a chart on page 51 which in my mind alone warrants the price of the book. Basically, it compares a few different kinds of cuisine (Indian, Thai, Italian, etc.) and how they differ by flavor base, spices, herbs, flame, and so on. I occasionally raised an eyebrow when looking at the chart - for example, Italian listed onion above garlic and omitted olive oil - but it is still really cool.

The selection of recipes is wide, with some emphasis on Indian recipes. There are wraps, soups, and stews as well as normal stuff. Some of the recipes take a while to make, but quite a number of recipes are between 15 mins and one hour. The instructions are clear. I can't tell you how good the recipes are, because I haven't cooked any yet... maybe someday soon :-).

R
The Exotic Garden: Designing with tropical plants in almost any climate
Published in Hardcover by Taunton (1999-04-01)
Author: Richard R. Iversen
List price: $27.95
New price: $115.23
Used price: $7.02
Collectible price: $55.00

Average review score:

as practical as it is beautiful
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-22
Gorgeously illustrated with color photographs and garden design plans, "The Exotic Garden" convincingly maintains that the luxurious foliage, texture and bloom of tropical plants will work in any garden, providing you can give the plants house room during winter.

There are separate chapters for designing tropical gardens, borders and beds, planting and caring for containers, and the care tropicals require. Many of Iversen's ideas combine tropicals with temperate-zone plants, and he uses color, leaf texture and height throughout for striking effects.
The last 30-plus pages offer a glossary of 100 tropical plants. Each entry includes a color photo, the plant's origin, decorative interest (foliage or flowers), culture characteristics, height, propagation (cutting or seed, season, time to maturity), horticultural use and overwintering needs. Iversen also provides mail-order sources.
An attractive book with ideas to fit anyone's garden.

Great photography, modestly informative
Helpful Votes: 21 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-06
The has two main sections. The first section is about garden design and plant care, about 119 pages. It contains 11 pages on tropical environments and habitats. 22 pages on color, form, and texture. 48 pages on tropical borders and beds. 20 pages on containers. 18 pages on growing and propagation.

The second section is 33 pages. It contains an encyclopedia of 96 tropical, or exotic looking, plants. Each plant is described by common name, scientific name, country of origin, growing conditions, propagation tip, overwintering instructions, and a 2 inch photograph of the plant.

The book also contains 2 pages of common names indexed to family names, 4 page topic index, over 130 large full color photographs and dozens of drawings.

The first section about garden design and plant care is good, but not great. Much is the same old information that you can read in most every garden book. Nothing special.

Photography is awesome. Images cover a great variety of plants, design concepts, and unusual situations. Very interesting and informative captions follow each photograph.

The second section which is the tropical plant encyclopedia is great. Information is interesting and content is meaningful. Great layout of information with a photograph of each plant. Too bad this isn't the major concentration of the book - because this section is awesome!

Overall the book is a good general guide to designing with tropical plants. There are sections of great content, but they do not fill the book. Solid information for beginners, although nothing that could not be found in other texts.

Very informative
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-02
Dr. Iversen's book is full of wonderful ideas on using tender perennials and annuals for an exotic look in stunning combinations. In addition, there is a guide on how to care for and overwinter these plants.

Inspiring and educational
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-09
I had the pleasure of studying under Dr. Iverson at SUNY Farmingdale. This man knows his plant material and how to use it effectively in challenging landscapes and spaces. If you are a northern gardener looking for some new ideas instead of the same hum-drum gardens buy this book ! This man got me to learn the Latin for some 200 plants..trust me you will close the book and have learned something.

A MUST HAVE
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-25
This book is a must-have. I had Dr. Iversen as a professor at SUNY-Farmingdale and reading this book is like sitting in one of his classes or lectures. It is very clearly written and eloquent, and very informative, explaining everything from the culture and history of tropical plants, designing gardens, to the care and planting of tropicals, with beautiful photography. The SUNY-Farmingdale tropical garden is a beautiful site to see on campus. I have my own tropical container garden with my banana trees and angel trumpets by my back door at my apartment during the warm weather and inside my apartment in the cool weather. This book is excellent and should be on everyone's bookshelf.

R
First Snow in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy
Published in Hardcover by Carl R. Sams II Photography (2007-10-15)
Authors: Carl R. Sams and Jean Stoick
List price: $19.95
New price: $6.85
Used price: $6.82
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Breathtaking Photographs
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-20
This is a beautifully photographed book with a very cute story. Great for children and adults alike. Though I have no children, I loved the photographs and the story so much that I just had to have the book. I enjoy paging through this when I can't be out hiking or enjoying the outside or when I've had a rough day and need to enjoy the simple moments in life.

Stranger in the Woods
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-15
Love all of the beautiful books by Carl Sams and Jean Stoick.They should be kept for generations to come.

First Snow In the Woods
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-29
First Snow in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy
A gorgeous photographic wonder, for adults as well as for children. A very well done story, and the photography is out of this world! I can't wait to order another of the series.

A Mom's Choice Awards Recipient!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20
The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

great book for little kids
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-08
We have all these books from this author. The pictures in these books are wonderful. Our three kids love these books, my husband is a hunter and an outdoorsman so the pictures are great. And also the pictures are from Michigan where were from. I would recommend this book along with the other books in this series. Also the DVD's that go along with these books are good too. Great for people who love animals and the outdoors.


Books-Under-Review-->Reference-->Biography-->R-->71
Related Subjects: Rhys Richards Richard Rich Richardson Robinson Rogers Russell Rhodes Robertson Reynolds Reed Roberts Ray Ryan Ross Rowe
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250