Associations and Clubs Books

Some of the information in this book may now be out of fashion and sometimes wrong, it is a great pleasure to read "Scouting for Boys". The ideals defended by B.P.: courage, generosity and compassion are as much a necessity today as they were a hundred years ago, when that book was first published.

The idea of an active, "hands on" education still find its echo in today's most recent education innovations.

Of course, the key message lies in the the initials of the author: Be Prepared!

Excellent book detailing the original , if somewhat dated thoughts , of the founder of the Scout Movement- Sir Robert Baden Powell. A must have read for all interetesed in the movement and it's principles

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, retired General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of the siege of Mafeking, coalesced his ideas for an organization to train young British boys in scouting for the British Empire. Not a very organized thinker, Baden-Powell borrowed heavily from all sorts of unrelated resources - newspaper articles, military dispatches, fiction, and much more - and produced this, his first book on scouting. Originally published as six separate books, this book brings all of them together, complete with original illustrations.

Now, as might be expected from its roots, this book reflects a lot of the biases and ways of thinking from Edwardian England. But, leaving that aside, this is a fun and interesting book that shows clearly the forms that have stayed with the Boy Scouts movement to this very day. The introduction was written by Elleke Boehmer, a professor of Colonial and Postcolonial literature, and is a fairly predictable deconstruction/analysis of B-P and his movement.

Now, as a newcomer to Scouting (my son is a Tenderfoot) did I find anything useful in this book? I sure did. Robert Baden-Powell was very knowledgeable about the subject, and this book sure shows it. (I never thought of tying my shoes like that!) Of course some of the information is out of date, especially the first-aid information, so it isn't really usable by the boys "as is." But, this is a nice resource, one that shows you where Scouting started.

Oh, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the somewhat jumbled organization of this book. It isn't as scholarly and antiseptic as modern Boy Scout books, and the stories and tales laced throughout make the reading much more fun. Plus, I did find the focus on some subjects, such as logic and deductive reasoning, to be quite interesting. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

I was an Eagle Scout as a boy, and now I'm the founding Scoutmaster of my sons' troop. As such, I was anxious to get a copy of this hard cover version. Baden-Powell's work is a classic and well worth the read. The problem with this edition is the Introduction by Elleke Boehmer. Without it, the book is a 5-star. Ms. Boehmer appears a non-believer. Reading her is like taking a pessimistic art critic along side while viewing an art gallery. Far more benefit (for all concerned) would occur without her input. For each positive she states about BP, she mentions a negative. She also spends just over two pages discussing homosexual tendencies (pp xxxii-xxxiii) within BP's works, something which is out of place in this work. I started to list several quotes, but I think one sums it up best of all from the back cover: "She has never been a scout, but she did once shake hands with Lady Baden-Powell at a jubilee celebration in South Africa." I guess that must make her an expert.

This original text of BP's "Scouting for Boys" is an excellent read. You can skip the introduction, however. The intro is a steaming pile of horse excrement written by someone seething with contempt for BP and the Boy Scout movement. Why it was included with the book is beyond me unless it's to provide bum fodder whilst camping. Remember, a scout is thrifty!

California's El Camino Real is the first book to document the growth of El Camino Real and the bells which have marked it for almost a century. Collections strong in California history won't want to miss this coverage: it includes numerous vintage black and white photos, maps, and a smooth coverage of the bells and the El Camino's changing history.

When you drive up the "left coast" in California, whether it be along Interstate 5 in the San Diego area, old U. S. Highway 101 or California State Highway 1, you see the familiar mission bells. This book tells the story behind those bells and one of America's great pathways. This road was originally blazed to connect California's mission system, and is a good reference point for a visit to any or all of the missions.

I've always loved el camino since I was a kid so I wasn't sure I had anything to learn about it--boy was I wrong! There is such a wealth of history that I knew nothing about, and this book has it all! Now I can appreciate the road's famous marker bells so much more, knowing how much hard work went into them. I bet a lot of hard work went into this book too, and I am grateful to Mr Kurillo and Ms Tuttle.

I have heard about this book, but till you actually read it for yourself, hearing about it does not do it justice! I am usually a slow reader, but from the time I opened the first page I was captivated by the "flow" of the story, and the message in it. Before I knew it 2 hours later I had finished the book! Demos Shakarian was truly a messenger from God, his life was centered around the vision God gave to him and he would not compromise on the goal that was set before him. Though God blessed him in the physical realm, it never clouded his judgment or the vision God gave to him. It was truly a remarkable story, about being led by the Spirit of God! This book and Demos's life has been an encouragement in my life!

No human story has built such awe and faith for me. I believe that the generational obedience and worship built into this man and woman a purpose that is truly unusual if not unique in our generation. Certainly the prayers and strength of their home church deserve much of the honor for the achievements accomplished. I heve been blessed each time I read this book.

The Demos Shakarian story is about God's presence in our lives, and the miracles He will perform when we let Him, when we're willing to get out of the way to let Him take over. Mr. Shakarian's story is about a loving God and a loving son, whose heart wants to be in his Father's perfect will, but being human, forgets, and gets in the way. And God waits until he figures that out, steps back, and lets Him lovingly fix everything, often seeing miracles as Father God worked in his life, and in the lives of the people around him. It is a book of hope, of promise, and of love, things we all need and often forget where to go to get them. It was exactly what I needed to read, and I highly recommend it to others.

I've been a fan of National Geographic since I was just a little boy, the captivating photographs and well written articles of The National Geographic Society have never ceased to amaze me.
When I bought this book a week ago, I was reluctant to believe that I had made a wise decision in buying it. But after it arrived in the mail and I saw those wonderful photographs and read the articles of this book, I realized just how wrong I had been! I usually dont buy the newer publications of National Geographic due to the decline in the quality of the articles over the years. These days, the articles published in the pages of National Geographic magazine are sub-par when compared to the articles of the 80's & 90's. What ever happened to the writers whos articles inspired me to become a Journalist? Anyway, I was worried that this book would be lacking in the quality of it's articles, but I was glad to discover that I was wrong! This is one of the best National Geographic books that I have ever read! It contains some of the best writing that I've ever seen, not to mention the breath-taking photography that has always made National Geographic such an icon among books and magazines!
If you're a fan of National Geographic, then I highly recommend adding this book to your collection!
And if you're a fan of fine photography then I highly recommend buying this book! It's packed full of more than 400 full color and black & white photographs!
And at the price that they're selling it for, they're practically giving it away! Buy it now, you wont be disappointed!

Only National Geographic could chronicle the triumphs and the tragedies of mankind, as well as the awesome wonder of nature. This thick volume features award-winning photography combined with detailed accompanying text.

For those of us unable to travel to such exotic locations or live during the time periods profiled, this monumental book offers such an opportunity.

This purchase is money spent wisely.

A masterpiece collection from the masters of photography. A well compiled selection from the archives of NGM...this book is truly value for money. If you have espace on your coffe-table, buy this...

This is a fascinating and useful account of man's philosophic and religious mindsets toward the animal world, and rides the tide of the animal rights movement, with a history of same since the resurgence of activism in the sixties onward. A good companion to Singer's Animal Liberation, the book shares with it what I would consider an excessively solicitous attitude toward Darwinism, although the latter provides indirectly the characteristically openended injunction to see the continuum of man and animal brethren. In fact, how account for the evolution of this emergentist trend in history toward the post-carnivorous human? This apart, the splendid portrait in detail of the confusion over man-animal relations fills the void in one's awareness of this issue, and one senses the onset of a one-way valve here: there is no going back. The last excuses for the passage have fallen away in an age of scientific genetics and nutritional research. The man in the business devouring the flesh of animals is a morbid spectacle of an extinct 'species', goodbye to all that.

This is a fascinating book. It traces the whole history of the relationship between humans and animals and the development of the movement in recent decades to protect animals. Philosophers have led the current revival of interest in animal rights. In Europe the issue has gone further and a mass of new legislation has been passed in recent years to protect animals. If animals can suffer why should they not have rights? But why does Europe lead the US on this? Why is America being left behind? Are Americans less rational or less compassionate? Ryder addresses these issues (which are rarely addressed elsewhere). This is one of the main reasons I find the book invaluable. He also gives a wealth of scientific evidence to support the case for better treatment and respect for animals. I really think that Ryder's voice is worth listening to - after all, he gave to Peter Singer the idea of 'speciesism' and provided much of the material that Singer used in his classic Animal Liberation way back in 1975.

In 1899 in London a group of geographers, scholars, and traders decided it was time to solve Africa's mysteries: they formed the African Association, the world's first geographical society, and several over decades sent adventurers to explore the 'dark continent'. These early adventurers were to change the image and shape of Africa, and Anthony Sattin describes their journeys of adventure in The Gates Of Africa, lending a lively and engrossing atmosphere of adventure and discovery to the account. Sattin is a journalist and broadcaster who himself has traveled extensively over the region in which the early African Association operated: his personal familiarity with the area lends Gates Of Africa an additional air of authority.

A truly compelling and rivetting tale of the early exploration of Africa. By "early" I mean the previously little documented period of 1788-1830, prior to which virtually nothing was known of Africa's interior probably because almost all earlier travellers perished from thirst, starvation, disease, and hostile natives - most dangerous of all were the dreaded "Moors", whose self-proclaimed desert hospitality was invariably suspended whenever helpless and starving white explorers sought their compassion.

Virtually all the explorers sponsored by the African Association died on their journeys but decadent 21st century man must surely marvel at the incredible degree of honour and sense of duty possessed by these intrepid late 18th/early 19th century gentleman explorers.

Very well written and researched and most useful to anyone wanting to know all about what various cults believe.

I have read all of Val Waldeck's book and have to say that I find them so Inspirational & Spiritual. She is an amazing teacher and has special insight into everything that she writes.
I look forward to more of her wonderful books being published.

Val Mitchell
Durban, South Africa

We use this at our weekly Scrabble Club night. It has all the official Scrabble words, including the swear words/"not for TV words"

This is most up to date, also. I love it!

Offering this book for about $50 is a ripoff! It is not available to the general public. Members of the National Scrabble Association can buy it for about $15!

Great problems implies excited students which implies great mathematicians. In this book, you will find some of the most interesting, entertaining problems available for presentation to undergraduates. Calling them hands-on is to understate as some involve disrobing strategies to explain the physical rotation of body parts and others the proper cutting of paper into mathematical structures.

I found some of the problems so interesting that I stopped reading to verify the results. This book receives my highest recommendation and there is no doubt that if you use it, the students will respond often with the phrase, �cool problem.� It is the poster book for mathematics as a fun activity....

This is a wonderful book for students and teachers alike. Sophisticated mathematics is made accessible to everyone. Written with humor, thoughtfulness and a real sense of where people have difficulties and how to get around them, Tanton puts his finger on the pleasures and promises of each problem. Not to be missed, no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are.

The book is fantastic!
I'm a teacher and it will help my classes in Brazil. Everybody that works with Sport Organization has to get one like this!

it was great to read this book in terms of mixing pure admin perspectives to sports management. it also provided me with methods which i will be able to produce effective goals for any sport organization i work for and that is important !!! i also benefitted from this book in terms of getting more understanding with regard to decision making, size impact on organization and so on.
i highly recommend this book for sports managers.
Nizar Alaani
University of Bahrain