Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

Amazon.com

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience. --Daphne Durham

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Begin at the Beginning

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Paperback Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Paperback Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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Paperback Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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Paperback Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Paperback Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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Paperback

Why We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius.
* Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother.
* The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'.
* Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children.
* The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming.
* Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone.
* Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager.
* Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
* Dumbledore's confession to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur's answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling's most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley's Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.

Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling

"I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I'm sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Did You Know?

The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child. Jane Austen is Rowling's favorite author. Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favorite living writer.

A Few Words from Mary GrandPré

"When I illustrate a cover or a book, I draw upon what the author tells me; that's how I see my responsibility as an illustrator. J.K. Rowling is very descriptive in her writing--she gives an illustrator a lot to work with. Each story is packed full of rich visual descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood, the setting, and all the different creatures and people. She makes it easy for me. The images just develop as I sketch and retrace until it feels right and matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter art from illustrator Mary GrandPré.

Customer Reviews:

"Bless the children, give them triumph now." Aeschylus.......2007-10-10

From absolutely nothing, a blank page, a blank world, comes the dream, vision, saga, magic, drama, and epic of Harry Potter. What spark ignited in J.K. Rowling's brain that set this entire super-reality into motion and melded together a huge plot on a massive canvas that goes beyond the known world into an incredible, shocking, frightening, but always entertaining world? It must be what genius is about. As the final coda to this modern-day equivalent of Ulysess, "Deathly Hallows" brings together all the characters we have previously met and draws the action to its bald-faced basics. Good is looking squarely into the eyes of evil. Battles rage, the action rushes forward, amazing tales are told, and everything I've ever liked about this series is magnified times ten as Harry, Ron, and Hermione seek to accomplish the extraordinary mission Dumbledore has bequeathed to Harry.

Who is Harry to the reader? Is he not the embodiment of the reader's better self, a nonhero whose spirit of loyalty, humanity, kindness, and love drive him into heroic action? His genuine nature is what we all see ourselves as having. He is the innocent who has been thrust into a complex and duplicitous world of pain and suffering merely by the act of being born. He is also the literary orphan seeking the mythic lost father and mother. His only real family are his friends and his only real home his beloved school. He is a deeply sympathetic figure who speaks to whatever has been lost within ourselves and he symbolizes our yearning and hope to defeat those inexplicable losses. Voldemart: who can really explain his nature? Such an evil character is as old as the Old Testament. He is a fallen angel with amazing powers that only an unlikely but utterly sincere figure can defeat. Voldemart is death itself, the ultimate evil that humanity must face.

"Deathly Hallows" brings out the best of J.K. Rowling's writing style. I was surprised a number of times here by her good prose, as I've grown used to her straight-ahead action-driven writing that generally is flat and simple. The action has always been what the language has been about, not brilliant metaphors or stirring feats of linguistic art. Surely she is no Homer or James Joyce. But she possesses the visionary imagination of a genius. As I began, so shall I end. Harry Potter is a wonder, a world unto itself, well worth entering.

The best of the series, and that's saying a lot!.......2007-10-09

I'm part of the increasing adult fan base of JK Rowling's. Having read all six of the earlier books, I was apprehensive about reading the last one. Firstly, I didn't want such a good thing to come to an end. Secondly, I was convinced that she would not be able to keep up her previous level of excellence. I was wrong! The final book was without a doubt the best in the series.

In his quest to find the Horacruxes, Harry discovers some difficult lessons about friendship with both the dead and the living. He learns surprising things, teaching us all that we must go far beyond the surface in order to see the depth of a human soul and measure the value of an entire human lifespan.

Action-packed from the get-go, we are taken on a startling adventure with so many twists and turns that we hardly have time to catch our breath. But every event is credible and leads towards the complex, brilliant and inevitable conclusion.

Although, like Star Wars, HP has always been about the battle between right and wrong and good and evil, we discover that the latter is set in stone whereas the former has many shades of gray; people are fallible and make mistakes or do things that don't always look so stellar at the time. When Harry discovers surprising things about the people in his life, forgiveness comes to him easily, along with his other magnificent traits of bravery, persistence, ingenuity and loyalty.

This is the first Potter book that I've actually read in print, having preferred to listen to the others on audio because of the marvelous English accent. I'm quite sure that I will listen to this book as well, and am very tempted to go back to the first book and start reading them all over again!

Hats off to you, Ms. Rowling! Who else could combine such originality, imagination, humor, moral tales and compulsively enjoyable reading?

Sigrid Macdonald
Ottawa, Ontario

A wonderful ending.......2007-10-08

What can I say? I am more happy and more satisfied with the ending J.K. Rowling put to this monumental series than I even thought I would be. Harry is now and always will be a part of my life. Dramatic? Maybe. But Rowling changed the way I read, and the way I look at books. It was Harry who first opened my eyes to the world of Fantasy-Fiction. Instead of occationally finding a book that tickled my fancy (once or twice every 2-3 years,) Now I contantly have a STACK of 5-10 books waiting to be read and I am rarely disapointed by any of them. Thank you J.K. Rowling, for helping me to realize that I bit of Magic makes everyday worth living.

Thanks JKR :).......2007-10-08

I'm glad to see the vast majority of Harry readers are as happy with this final book as I am! I thought she tied up the loose ends very well while also delivering enough new stuff to keep the story VERY interesting. I really feared JK would kill Harry off - I'd have never re-read another book or saw another HP movie - that would have just killed it for me. I'm glad we got the "Happily Ever After" that made it such a satisfying ending to the best literary series I've ever read. Maybe it's silly, but I miss it already! LOL I, for one, am thankful to JKR for all she's shared with us and the sacrifices of her personal and family time spent to give us Harry's world - she's earned every penny she made.

Better then the rest combined.......2007-10-08

JKR has realy out done herself in this one!

I was completely dissapointed at the end of book six. Not so much with what happened at the end, but the way that it happened. I wasn't sure I even wanted to continue with the series; however, like most people, I figgured that there must be something behind the way the book ended and could'nt be taken at face value and we would find out in this book a very good explanation, and boy did it ever.

Not only was I completely satisfied with the explanation on how the last book ended the way it did, but I was blown away with all the action and suspence in this book 'Deathly Hollows'.

DH takes you on a wild ride from the very beginning until the very end with an unbeleivable finale that is so incredible that even makes the rest of the book seem slow (which is realy saying something).

I can't imagine anyone giving less then 5 star ratings and was absolutly shocked to see quite a few people who gave 1 star ratings. So I read those 1 star ratings and found most of their reasons rediculous which I will attack some of the most common:

1- A lot of negative reviews said it was to predictable: yet NO ONE gave any examples. Personaly I saw nothing in the book that seemed predictable

2- Bad grammer & spelling: same thing, no examples, Eglish professors even commented that there were no bad grammer errors in the book, there were; however, in the review.

3- Sex, nudity, violence and volgarity unsuitable for children: Harry and Ginny share a kiss (thats not sex), harry has a dream (in a sense) where he's naked but is quickly robed (theres your nudity), 'Bitch' is your swear word occuring once in the entire book, there IS a lot of violence.

But the main thing is this is NOT a childrend series. It has never been clasified as a childrens series, and you won't find it in book stores or libraries under children's section. It is young adult intended for early teens and up and there is nothing inapropriate for the intended reader.

4- endless camping sequenses: Harries hiding from half the wizzarding community who wants to turn him over to Voldmort. He can't very well assemble a big parade with floats, a marching band and march down main street singing 'I'm Harry Potter, I'm here to save the world' while shooting off a bunch of fireworks.

5- the addition of the Hallows added nothing to the plot whatsoever: may not have had anything to do with finding and destroying horacruxes, but had a great deal to do with defeating Voldy.

6- book is slow and boring: I thought Bill and Lafleurs pre-wedding and the wedding itself was a little slow but thats it, even in the middle of the wedding it gets prety dramatic.

7- book is to negative, kills off so many well loved characteurs: You can't have a 'fantasy' book where only the bad people die and all the good people survive, how far fetched is that? You've got to kill a few good people to make it credible. Thats the way war is. If you don't like it, better stay away from Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, David Eddings, and just about any other fantasy author.

8- JKR paces this book over several months: Harry is a 17 year old boy looking for 6 horracruxes belonging to the most powerful and evil wizard in the world. Harry has no idea what these objects are, where they are, or even a clue where to begin to look for them, much less what to use to destroy them. Plus he's being hunted down by 3/4 of the wizarding comunity who want to hand him over to Voldemort. Then after all that, figure out how to kill Voldemort. Not something he's going to beable to do just in his spare time, or over the weekend. The issue should be, How can he possibly do this at all?

9- too many things left unanswered: I agree there were some important things left unanswered, but certainly not enough to lower the rating any, and has there ever been a series completed where you won't have some questions left unanswered?

In short this is proof you can't please everyone. No matter how good you write a book, you will get quite a few people who hate it.

Average customer rating:

Great, stark novel
Ignites a Hope
Hope and beauty in the ashes?
Thought Provoking
Incredible..

The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
Cormac McCarthy
Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0307387895
Release Date: 2007-03-28

Amazon.com

Best known for his Border Trilogy, hailed in the San Francisco Chronicle as "an American classic to stand with the finest literary achievements of the century," Cormac McCarthy has written ten rich and often brutal novels, including the bestselling No Country for Old Men, and The Road. Profoundly dark, told in spare, searing prose, The Road is a post-apocalyptic masterpiece, one of the best books we've read this year, but in case you need a second (and expert) opinion, we asked Dennis Lehane, author of equally rich, occasionally bleak and brutal novels, to read it and give us his take. Read his glowing review below. --Daphne Durham

Guest Reviewer: Dennis Lehane

Dennis Lehane, master of the hard-boiled thriller, generated a cult following with his series about private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, wowed readers with the intense and gut-wrenching Mystic River, blew fans all away with the mind-bending Shutter Island, and switches gears with Coronado, his new collection of gritty short stories (and one play).

Cormac McCarthy sets his new novel, The Road, in a post-apocalyptic blight of gray skies that drizzle ash, a world in which all matter of wildlife is extinct, starvation is not only prevalent but nearly all-encompassing, and marauding bands of cannibals roam the environment with pieces of human flesh stuck between their teeth. If this sounds oppressive and dispiriting, it is. McCarthy may have just set to paper the definitive vision of the world after nuclear war, and in this recent age of relentless saber-rattling by the global powers, it's not much of a leap to feel his vision could be not far off the mark nor, sadly, right around the corner. Stealing across this horrific (and that's the only word for it) landscape are an unnamed man and his emaciated son, a boy probably around the age of ten. It is the love the father feels for his son, a love as deep and acute as his grief, that could surprise readers of McCarthy's previous work. McCarthy's Gnostic impressions of mankind have left very little place for love. In fact that greatest love affair in any of his novels, I would argue, occurs between the Billy Parham and the wolf in The Crossing. But here the love of a desperate father for his sickly son transcends all else. McCarthy has always written about the battle between light and darkness; the darkness usually comprises 99.9% of the world, while any illumination is the weak shaft thrown by a penlight running low on batteries. In The Road, those batteries are almost out--the entire world is, quite literally, dying--so the final affirmation of hope in the novel's closing pages is all the more shocking and maybe all the more enduring as the boy takes all of his father's (and McCarthy's) rage at the hopeless folly of man and lays it down, lifting up, in its place, the oddest of all things: faith. --Dennis Lehane

Book Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER
National Book Critic's Circle Award Finalist

A New York Times Notable Book
One of the Best Books of the Year
The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Denver Post, The Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Times, New York, People, Rocky Mountain News, Time, The Village Voice, The Washington Post

The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

Customer Reviews:

Great, stark novel.......2007-10-09

Yes, its setting is grim, but, overall, I found the book to be infused with a spirit of love and resilience. He does, however, use the word "gray" about 8,000 times, though. I forgive him.

Ignites a Hope.......2007-10-08

Some books wallow in despair. Others revel in false hope. "The Road" spends much of its time dealing with a dark past and future, yet ignites a hope that seems neither false nor forced. This is the mark of a writer at the heights of his genius. I read the story in one sitting.

Opening into a tableau of monumental destruction, yet kept believable and relatable through the eyes of two nameless characters--a devoted father and fearful son--this story follows their journey through the roads and byways of America. At one point, they see a sign that I've seen in my own travels, a sign for Rock City which is an actual location in Chattanooga, TN. While details are crisp and evocative, the book never nails down character names, story dates, locations, or even the method of global destruction. It jettisons standard punctuation, adding to the sparse feel. It focuses on the despair and hopelessness of society torn apart by the need for survival. Morals and ethics are eroding. Food and water are worth fighting for. Fellow humans are potential sustenance.

Father and son begin to change as the story moves along. One flirts with thoughts of ending his own life, preferring a definite end to an indefinite future. The other, a small frightened child, serves as the moral center--questioning the cannibalism, the thievery, and the growing apathy of those he observes. If you travel down "The Road," you'll be faced with haunting images and hardship, while also coming face to face with hope and resilience. McCarthy uses sparse storytelling to give us a rich tale of thought-provoking power, intentional but never pedantic.

Hope and beauty in the ashes?.......2007-10-07

Cormac McCarthy creates a nearly lifeless post-apocalyptic world of burnt ash and destruction, and amid the desolation, explores the beauty of a father-son relationship and the essence of what it means to be human. His book poses a couple of problems directed at the morality of this generation, which are more than troubling: the nature of man's relationship to nature, God, others . . . and how one can live through the hopelessness of desolation.

To be honest, the book became a bit tedious, but the author's goal is to lead the reader through continuous strife as the man and his boy sought life day after day. Ah, isn't that what life feels like sometimes? It's definitely not a feel good story, but nonetheless a vital one that carries much weight. I started feeling ashy by the end of this one.

All-in-all, a quick and interesting read, not without merit. I'm not going to say, read this, or you'll be sorry, but it's a great book that teaches much.

Thought Provoking.......2007-10-06

The best book I have read in along time. Perfectly written. Cormac is amazing! I will read this again in 20 years to see if humanity has moved in the right direction. Though I think that, like the author, justice in this world does not exist, and that evil and wrongdoing goes unpunished. It seems Cormac's other books also have this theme running through them. All his books are amazing reads. I particulary recommend The Crossing.

Incredible.........2007-10-06

The book took a little while to get started, and to get used to the author's writing style. After I got used it, it soon settled into a brilliant character study of a man and his son struggling to find hope against all odds. Gripping, intense, a masterpiece-any or all of them will work to describe this book.

Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems

Average customer rating:

I doubt students using this text can tackle dynamics
worst textbook I ever had
This book is a real dissaster!!!
Know's its place
A shame...

Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems
Stephen T. Thornton , and Jerry B. Marion
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534408966

Book Description

This best-selling classical mechanics text, written for the advanced undergraduate one- or two-semester course, provides a complete account of the classical mechanics of particles, systems of particles, and rigid bodies. Vector calculus is used extensively to explore topics.The Lagrangian formulation of mechanics is introduced early to show its powerful problem solving ability.. Modern notation and terminology are used throughout in support of the text's objective: to facilitate students' transition to advanced physics and the mathematical formalism needed for the quantum theory of physics. CLASSICAL DYNAMICS OF PARTICLES AND SYSTEMS can easily be used for a one- or two-semester course, depending on the instructor's choice of topics.

Customer Reviews:

I doubt students using this text can tackle dynamics.......2007-04-28

I doubt students using this text will be as capable in tackling dynamics problems as one would assume. Give the Physics student fed on a regular diet of this book one of those swirling, mechanical-arm problems and they'll probably be dead in the waters. This is probably one of those books that create the illusion of mastery rather than develop real skills.
Springer has a real good series on classical mechanics nowadays. That's my tip.
Disclaimer: gave up on this book and never really used it, because I think it sucks and life is too short.

worst textbook I ever had.......2007-02-03

This book is one of the reasons why I am now a math phd student, rather than a physics phd student. Unfortunately, physics departments stick to the same awful books, when they really ought to know better. It doesn't matter how much math you know--I was a senior math major. You can follow everything that is written in this book and still not learn much because the book hardly contains any real knowledge. Very little physical insight will be found here, unless you think about it for yourself and come up with your own explanations. The idea of actually understanding anything seems to be completely missing. The problems are often tedious, involving excessive computations (not that some of that isn't appropriate), with a few exceptions. Not a good textbook or reference. If you don't at least question this book, you will miss out, big time--I promise.

If you have the misfortune of having this as a text, please, at least try reading something else. Feynman's lectures cover some of the material at an elementary level. V. I. Arnold's Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics might be worth taking a look at, although it requires some mathematical sophistication for a full appreciation.

This book is a real dissaster!!!.......2007-01-29

I used this book for Classical Mechanics and Classical Dynamics, and was a complete waste of time and money, the explanation of the topics is very superficial, and the mathematics are very poorly. However, the book is well organized, because clearly it develop a line of thought that an undergraduated student can follow, nonetheless the develop of this line of thought is a real dissaster. In conclusion, please look for another book, don't buy this piece of sh... Sorry, but I'm really dissapointed with this book. I had to buy another five books to complete what at last is the real classical dynamics.

P.S.: Beg your pardon if there is any grammar error, I'm not a native English Speaker.

Know's its place.......2006-09-02

This semester is my first in grad school and we're starting into Goldstein and I'm using Marion for review and backfill. The really negative opinions on this page are over done. AND so are the really positive reviews.
Overall the book is just great for an undergrad who won't be going on to the PhD or masters. But once you're in one of these programs you may find yourself reaching for it to make sure you've got your basics covered.
Hopefully Thornton will upgrade the book and not dumb it down as time goes on. A layered approach usually works.

A shame..........2006-04-29

People who read this book carefully will find that many of the examples in the book contain flawed reasoning. The sloppy logic often leads one to understand certain concepts in a wrong way. The book does have lots of long-winded mathematical derivations, but they don't really add to the reader's physical insight. (eg. in chapter 11, some simple linear algebra that can be done in three lines are instead derived in pages of summations and index swap)
This book is a disgrace to the teaching of physics. Its tedious, sometimes illegitimate algebra spoils the elegance of classical mechanics. Compare it with Landau, and you will see the point.

Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't

Average customer rating:

Synchronicity at Play
Abundance is mine!
the book was as described by the seller
LoA - A Basic Understanding for Beginners
Dragged down...

Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't
Michael Losier
Manufacturer: Michael J. Losier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0973224002

Book Description

You may not be aware of it, but a very powerful force is at work in your life.

It's called the Law of Attraction and right now it is attracting people, jobs, situations and relationships in your life - not all of them good!

If your life feels as if it has turned south and taken on the characteristics of a bad soap opera, it's time to pick up this book.

Customer Reviews:

Synchronicity at Play.......2007-10-08

"Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want & Less of What You Don't" by Michael J. Losier is a fascinating book that demonstrates how SYNCHRONICITY is evidence of the law of attraction. The Law of Attraction responds to your vibration. Your vibration is your feelings, so therefore be joyful, optimistic, compassionate, and content. This facilitates life transformation by means of the power of the law of attraction.

The Law of Attraction explains how it is important for us to discern what our ideal financial situation is, to compose desire statements, overcome negative vibrations, and bring the law of attraction alive by means of creating a vibrational bubble as well as allowing statements.

The Law of Attraction is a most recommended book since it is easy to understand, provides an inspirational process, and an increased understanding of why you don't have what you want yet in order to transform your life.

Two of the most powerful transformational books that I also recommend are;

The Secret

Nexus: A Neo Novel

Abundance is mine!.......2007-10-06

I LOVE this book. I watched The Secret and flipped through book... BUT nothing beats the Law of Attraction book. Fast and easy read, plain english, makes sense, well written. BEST OF ALL: are the worksheets that he provides a link to for you to print out. PRINT OUT THE WORKSHEETS AND THE MAGIC COMES ALIVE!!! I have printed out all the worksheets and fill out the abundance worksheet every night. I've been attracting what I want ever since. Buy this book and DO the worksheets. Best book I've bought in years... money spent has come back to me ten-fold+!

the book was as described by the seller.......2007-10-03

I am very satisfied with this transaction. The book was as described and expected. Thanks

LoA - A Basic Understanding for Beginners.......2007-10-02

I enjoyed this book very much. If you are new to the Law of Attraction it is a great place to start. Especially if you want to teach it to children, the final chapter has some great ideas for sharing the LoA with children in an easy to understand manner. If you are already familiar with "The Secret" you probably won't learn anything new in this book. It is very basic.

Dragged down..........2007-09-28

I still can't believe that you dragged me all the way down there to give me that XXXXXXX! Of all the things that you could have done that was indeed the STUPIDEST thing! STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID...

Average customer rating:

Well written and organized textbook
Long, dense, and at first look tedious - but absolutely worth it.
THOROUGH, ENCOMPASSING, WELL WRITTEN ...
Incredible
It's a good book for learning biology

Biology, Sixth Edition
Neil A. Campbell , and Jane B. Reece
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805366245

Book Description

The Sixth Edition of BIOLOGY by Neil Campbell and Jane Reece builds upon the earlier versions' dual goals to both help readers develop a conceptual appreciation of life within the context of integrating themes, and to inspire readers to develop more positive and realistic impressions of science as a human activity. &LT;P&GT;The authors have thoroughly updated each of the book's eight units to reflect the existing progress in our understanding of life at its many levels, from molecules to ecosystems. Examples of updated content include the Human Genome Project, the revolution in systematics, HIV as a research model in evolutionary biology, the role of cell-signaling pathways in plant responses, new frontiers in neurobiology, and experimental approaches that are advancing ecology. To assure accurate representation of each field of biology, a team of stellar specialists has worked with the authors in updating every unit. &LT;P&GT;An innovative design breakthrough ensures that the art is as current as the content. Guided Tour diagrams explicitly guide readers through the more challenging figures, succinctly explaining key structures, functions, and steps of processes within the figure, reducing the need to look back and forth between legend and art. It's as if an instructor were looking over the reader's shoulder and clarifying each part of a figure! Guided Tour commentary is set in blue, making it easy to differentiate these explanations from ordinary labels and keeping the figure itself clear and uncluttered. For college instructors and students.

Customer Reviews:

Well written and organized textbook.......2006-09-21

This was my textbook for Biology 101 & 102. This book was a pleasure to read. It is clearly written and not dry at all so it was easy to keep focus. Even in my upper level classes, I find myself referring back to it occasionally and am still impressed by it. An important point I would like to make is that, if you are using this as a course textbook, the CD is invaluable. The animated tutorials and chapter quizzes, (which are quite thorough), kept me one step ahead. That CD shaved hours off of my study time for each test.

Long, dense, and at first look tedious - but absolutely worth it........2006-06-24

This book was used in my AP Bio class, where my teacher's constant reminders to "read the book" usually went unnoticed. This isn't because Campbell's book is necessarily boring or difficult to understand; in fact, the situation is quite the opposite. Campbell delves into the concepts of biology with more than adequate depth and breadth for the subject, offering both the basics and the details necessary to survive AP Bio (and, from the way my AP Exam went, college freshman Bio, too).

The sad fact and only noticeable drawback, however, is this: all of this information is found in an alarmingly large, heavy book, which can be off-putting to even the most avid readers. (Campbell does have a shorter, lighter book that makes for an easier read, but the "baby Campbell" sacrifices the detail necessary for AP Bio in order to make the book less difficult to get through.) Even with the large amount of material found in Campbell's book, it's an interesting read that covers just about everything biology-related.

Conclusion: The detail involved in every chapter makes this book an ideal pick for an AP Bio class, save for the fact that lazier students just won't ever want to pick the thing up.

THOROUGH, ENCOMPASSING, WELL WRITTEN ..........2006-06-17

I found this book very thorough and well written. What made it so enjoyable is wasn't dry and boring; the colloquial style made it very readable, especially for lay people. I work in a related field - as a medical doctor - but, sad as it is, I sometimes like to read about it for fun! This book was the perfect blend: informative and straight forward yet also reasonably entertaining. Most important, it is accurate and truthful with a good sense of the latest cutting edge research.

Incredible.......2006-06-07

I was studying for the National Medical Assessment Test in my country and i used this book to review my biology. Note, however that my pre-med was a humanities degree and economics. So, I really needed to bone up on my biology. I was intimidated by the size of this book and was reluctant to purchase it but after reading so many reviews i relented.

And i was very happy i did so. I just couldn't put this book down. It was thick and the letters were so small but it was also accessible and comprehensive while providing in-depth information. Biology really comes to life with this book. Everything is put into context and ideas truly build up on one another. Unlike other biology books I've read, other branches of science (e.g. chemistry & physics) are introduced to show how all of science are indeed connected to facilitate a deeper understanding of science itself and not just biology. It even explained many ideas in organic chemistry more clearly and succintly than the intro to org chem book i used.

Some have commented that this book is too thick and i have to disagree. This is not a reference book (it could be a good one i think) but an introduction. As an introductory text it has to lay a solid foundation in understanding the basics innerworkings of biology and how all of it is connected to other sciences. This it does well. I have found that the book usually only uses one short paragraph to introduce one organ/organelle/cell/a step in a chemical cycle/chemical/etc. to describe it, what affects it, and its functions. I do not think the authors could've done any better. People who want a shorter text i think really want a reference book or a bio book that just lists down facts with little or no connections/explanations.

It's a good book for learning biology.......2006-04-28

I learn biology for 10yrs.Campbell's biology is the most I want to study when it's every new edition published.

Simpleology: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want

Average customer rating:

A Different Way to Look at Things
Excellent information & well written
How To Achieve Success
way to simple
Don't Let Your Past Control Your Future

Simpleology: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want
Mark Joyner
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0470095229

Book Description

Success is simple, and scientifically reproducible, if you know the 5 Laws

Simpleology proves that success and happiness are easier to achieve than most people think they are. In fact, people can almost guarantee their own success simply by following a few simple rules. These "5 Laws of Simpleology" aren't new; they've been around forever. Throughout history, these 5 laws have helped the world's greatest minds amass fortunes and forge new paths. But until now, no one has committed them to paper in so simple and straightforward a style as Mark Joyner has here. Applicable to any challenge or goal and irrefutably commonsense, these 5 laws form the basis for almost any successful person or endeavor. Simpleology explains the 5 laws in detail and shows readers how to apply them to every aspect of their lives.

Mark Joyner (Auckland, New Zealand) is a leading authority on Internet marketing. The former CEO of Aesop Marketing Corp., he is the author of four previous books, including The Irresistible Offer (0-471-73894-8) and The Great Formula (0-471-77823-0), both from Wiley.

Customer Reviews:

A Different Way to Look at Things.......2007-10-05

I "read" Simnpleology in my car by listening to the CD version. I found it motivating and thought it provided a different way of looking at most things in life. It is accompanied by a free web site and several free tools. There is also a companion course (also free) that helps you put what you have heard into practice.

Excellent information & well written.......2007-10-02

Overall an enjoyable read. Delivers what is promised. Geeks will probably enjoy it the most.

How To Achieve Success.......2007-09-29

What do you do if you have a few sensible but very commonplace platitudes on setting and

achieving goals and you're writing a book? Worse what do you do if your "five laws", the

very heart of your "simple science for getting what you want" could easily fit on one or

two pages? Say you've already tried short one-sentence paragraphs that you double or triple

space, added some cartoons, and you've still only filled about a dozen pages?

First Law: You don't take the shortest or straightest path. Put your laws at the back of the book. Make 'em wait for the closing so you don't have to include any detailed real world examples of how to attain that "dream home" or "superhot lover."

Second Law: Write chapters that could be related to the topic. Google "A List of Fallacious Arguments" or dig up your old Philosophy 101 textbook out of the garage. Tell your readers you're "going to throw them a lifeline."

Third Law: Focus your attention on something "real world." Create a strawman who disagrees with your politics. He's a victim of "groupthink" and a user of "ad hominem attacks". And because everyone reading your book wants your political opinions, keep giving them these examples. If anyone wonders why your examples are virtually always negative examples, you can "appeal to authority". Accuse them of labeling you.

Fourth Law: Focus your energy. Although this law could easily have been included into the Third Law, it would deprive you of a law. Basically repeat some more slightly relevant ideas. Repeat them.

Fifth Law: Big Finish. Tell them stuff that - unless they're 13-years-old - they already know about straight lines, clear goals, focused attention and energy. And end with something like "if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." That could be a pillar of your science alone!

Done.

Almost.

Advise them to spam email their friends and coworkers to buy the book, and then to tell

their friends to buy and...

That should be the Sixth Law!

way to simple.......2007-09-27

Simpleology is the truth. Written by a simple mind. Keep it simple and just don't bother reading.

Don't Let Your Past Control Your Future.......2007-09-17

When all your present decisions are based upon your past experiences, your future has already occurred - is one context for the lessons presented in this easy-to-read, self-help book by Mark Joyner. Before exposing the reader to the laws of Simpleology - straight lines, clear vision, focused attention, focused energy, and the inescapability of action/reaction - that are advertised to `get you what you want', Joyner discusses how the invisible walls created by our defective hardware and other programming anomalies contain us within our past.

Covering everything from beliefs to brainware and language to logic, we are shown how our historically based, propaganda influenced, and language controlled model of the world limits the possibilities we see in situations and in other people. The solution is a "disposable reality" that fits our purpose (what we want) in any given moment. Simple to say, but not easy to do, the author admits, hence the importance of the five laws of Simpleology to help us stay the course. This book is recommended for readers looking for simple solutions in a complex world. Dennis DeWilde, Author of "The Performance Connection"

Average customer rating:

Review
Biology seventh edition
The Ur-Text for General Biology
Excellent Textbook
Biology Book

Biology
Neil A. Campbell , Jane B. Reece , Manuel Molles , Lisa A Urry , and Robin Heyden
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 080537146X

Book Description

Neil Campbell and Jane Reece's BIOLOGY remains unsurpassed as the most successful majors biology textbook in the world. This text has invited more than 4 million students into the study of this dynamic and essential discipline.The authors have restructured each chapter around a conceptual framework of five or six big ideas. An Overview draws students in and sets the stage for the rest of the chapter, each numbered Concept Head announces the beginning of a new concept, and Concept Check questions at the end of each chapter encourage students to assess their mastery of a given concept. New Inquiry Figures focus students on the experimental process, and new Research Method Figures illustrate important techniques in biology. Each chapter ends with a Scientific Inquiry Question that asks students to apply scientific investigation skills to the content of the chapter.

Customer Reviews:

Review.......2007-10-06

This textbook is a bit vague on hard facts but has a lot of details. It is sufficient.

Biology seventh edition.......2007-10-02

The book was as needed for a class. Amazon is a joke and I will never order a book from them again. I paid for next day and it took a week. Other books from other source's took 2-3 days by mail. Seems amazon just means they send it next day delivery whenever they get around to sending it out. How many people are going to pay $17.99 for next day after waiting anywhere from 5 days to a month to get it ready to ship. NEVER AGAIN !!! Book was availible cheaper but nobody else offered next day. So I got ripped twice,for cost of book and so called next day shipping.

The Ur-Text for General Biology.......2007-09-22

This is the Ur-text for general Biology. Very very detailed but extremely well written. Escpecially detailed at the molecular level (as opposed to say, ecology.)The best parts of the book are the illustrations. I have read many textbooks and none come even close to the usefullness of these illustrations. Most people could get all the Biology they need by simply studying the illustrations and their explanations. They are incredibly informative.
If you have the time this is the book. If you just need a general overvwiew you may find this book overwhelming.

Excellent Textbook.......2007-09-16

THis is a good textbook. It has a lot of good information in it. It is even better because it is the newest edition.

Biology Book.......2007-09-10

Even the shipping info on the package said that it was supposed to be hardcover, & for as much as I'd paid, I expected it to be so. But upon tearing open the envelope, I realized that this special "international" version was paperback. The book itself, however, was brand new (as it was described when I purchased it), & delivery was fairly quick so I am marginally satisfied.

The Science of Success: How to Attract Prosperity and Create Harmonic Wealth Through Proven Principles

Average customer rating:

Action is Key
The Science of Success
More than worth the read
Less than One Star would be better
Best Book I've Read in a Long Time

The Science of Success: How to Attract Prosperity and Create Harmonic Wealth Through Proven Principles
James Authur Ray
Manufacturer: Sun Ark Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0966740017
Release Date: 1999-01-01

Product Description

James Arthur Ray presents a proven step-by-step method for creating true prosperity and harmony in life, based upon timeless laws and principles. With penetrating insights and straightforward concepts, James gives you the tools necessary to tap into your own spiritual power center. A simple book that is by no means simplistic, combining fun stories and powerful anecdotes, The Science of Success gives you the power and the wisdom to create the life of your dreams.

Customer Reviews:

Action is Key.......2007-10-10

I enjoyed this advice because unlike the mindless lazy wishing and narcissistic bent of 'The Secret' pap, this book illustrates how important action is in attaining dreams.
I also appreciate that James stresses how riches don't mean anyhting compared to souls and our true selves.
He himself has said the bulk of his words were heavily edited for The Secret video.
He makes great points and this is a highly valuable work.

The Science of Success.......2007-10-08

I have read and re-read this book over 10 times in the last 8 years! Excellent style for the text of the science of success. If you are tired of "feeling" your way to success James Ray breaks down the steps and mental disciplines needed to achieve your desires. I recommend this book to everyone wanting more out of their life.

More than worth the read.......2007-10-08

Looking for a great book, then you have found it here. This book is a must have if you are looking for ways to improve your life. Easy to read and understand, up to you to apply. Read it again and again. Sharing it is also a great idea.

Less than One Star would be better.......2007-10-06

Here we have yet another one of those dreary, drudging works which offers HOPE to the confused and the lacking. I found a relative of mine reading this item and asked to borrow it. After going through it, I came to the conclusion that this information is infantile to say the least. It is written to appeal to wide-eyed yearners who feel left out of the excitement and pleasures that life today seems to contain. Unfortunately for the yearners, there is absolutely NOTHING to be found between the covers of this book which will help them to reach their dreams in ANY way. Like eager kindergarten children, the hopeful readers will make serious attempts to follow various "Super Laws" ( Thou Shalt's and Thou Shalt Not's ) and the only glimmer of "success" they will ever experience from this exercise will be "success" in terms of how fantatically they adhere to these idiotic "Laws". "See mom! I'm following all the Laws!", "That's nice, Jimmy!"

The author claims to have researched "successful" individuals and is now providing the readers of his book with the "inside dope", the "standard formula" on how all these famous people managed to accomplish what they did in their lives. According to the author, its all so easy! All anyone needs to do is be aware of these various "Super Laws" responsible for the success of others, and then follow them! Success then becomes inevitable.
Well, this is simplistic in the extreme. No one can get inside another's thoughts or feelings, or even hope to grasp what the emotional/physical/psychological environment happened to be at any given time for another individual when that person managed to succeed at anything! The imbecility of copying the behavior of so-called "successful" people is exactly the same rubbish constantly pushed by the "You Can Have The Moon" types like Tony Robbins with their ridiculous concepts of "Just model what a successful person does and you'll succeed too" claptrap. This book is written with the same illogic.

I ask you to consider the following:

First;
If this author, Tony Robbins, and others of the same ilk were correct in terms of how they insist that people "succeed" in life ( model the successful and be successful too ), then where is the proof that it works in today's world? How many people have attended seminars, bought books and cassette tapes, and religiously adhered to the "modeling" principles and mysterious "laws" set before them? And out of this massive, teeming group of yearning believers, how many have actually SUCCEEDED? How many "overworld" types are there today who have every dream coming true, and who have openly stated that they must thank this or that book or seminar or cassette tape instructional set for getting them to the sublime state they now exist in?

Second:
Have you ever heard of the saying which goes; "What you see is what you get"? In other words, what has this author GOT? What do you see in him? Have you done any sort of research on HIM as a successful person before deciding to put your trust in what he claims will bring success to you if you purchase his book? Does he have the world in his hip pocket? Is he wealthy? And if he isn't, why not?! After all, he has uncovered and revealed the "Super Laws" of success in the Universe!!! If ANYONE should be succeeding at every turn and in the greatest ways possible, it should be THIS AUTHOR!!!!! But IS he doing so? If he has ANY significant wealth and material ease, did it come to him by following these "Super Laws" of the Universe, or did it come like wealth came to Tony Robbins? That is, did it come from SELLING HOPE and from nothing else? Where do you suppose someone like Robbins be without his Snake Oil maneuvers of offering hope to the hopeless?

Folks, this sort of sucker bait, snake oil routine has been going on in one form or another for literally centuries all across the Western world. People keep buying into it, and the only "success" it provides is to the SELLERS, not the buyers. Generation after generation, there is always a certain portion of the populace who never wake up and who are always willing to put their trust and belief in these empty promises of astounding achievement though the following of "LAWS" of some sort or another. Well, here's a "LAW" that will certainly bring magnificent success -
SELL HOPE THOUGH INFORMATION CLAIMING TO REVEAL MYSTERIOUS, ALL-POWERFUL "UNIVERSAL LAWS" !
Do this one thing and YOU too can succeed, make millions, and achieve your fondest material dreams!

Best Book I've Read in a Long Time.......2007-09-10

I like the concepts shared in the book so much, I bought several more copies to give to friends. I also bought and read the books of the people that he talked about in his book. It has been a chain reaction of books. I highly reccomend read it.

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

Average customer rating:

What a good boy am I
My opinion is flat
Great book to introduce an inside to the 90's and now
Friedman's writing and subjects are captivating
Globalization 3.0

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Thomas L. Friedman
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374292795
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Amazon.com

Updated Edition: Thomas L. Friedman is not so much a futurist, which he is sometimes called, as a presentist. His aim in The World Is Flat, as in his earlier, influential Lexus and the Olive Tree, is not to give you a speculative preview of the wonders that are sure to come in your lifetime, but rather to get you caught up on the wonders that are already here. The world isn't going to be flat, it is flat, which gives Friedman's breathless narrative much of its urgency, and which also saves it from the Epcot-style polyester sheen that futurists--the optimistic ones at least--are inevitably prey to.

What Friedman means by "flat" is "connected": the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution that have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet. This in itself should not be news to anyone. But the news that Friedman has to deliver is that just when we stopped paying attention to these developments--when the dot-com bust turned interest away from the business and technology pages and when 9/11 and the Iraq War turned all eyes toward the Middle East--is when they actually began to accelerate. Globalization 3.0, as he calls it, is driven not by major corporations or giant trade organizations like the World Bank, but by individuals: desktop freelancers and innovative startups all over the world (but especially in India and China) who can compete--and win--not just for low-wage manufacturing and information labor but, increasingly, for the highest-end research and design work as well. (He doesn't forget the "mutant supply chains" like Al-Qaeda that let the small act big in more destructive ways.)

Friedman has embraced this flat world in his own work, continuing to report on his story after his book's release and releasing an unprecedented hardcover update of the book a year later with 100 pages of revised and expanded material. What's changed in a year? Some of the sections that opened eyes in the first edition--on China and India, for example, and the global supply chain--are largely unaltered. Instead, Friedman has more to say about what he now calls "uploading," the direct-from-the-bottom creation of culture, knowledge, and innovation through blogging, podcasts, and open-source software. And in response to the pleas of many of his readers about how to survive the new flat world, he makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he thinks will be required to compete in the "New Middle" class. As before, Friedman tells his story with the catchy slogans and globe-hopping anecdotes that readers of his earlier books and his New York Times columns know well, and he holds to a stern sort of optimism. He wants to tell you how exciting this new world is, but he also wants you to know you're going to be trampled if you don't keep up with it. A year later, one can sense his rising impatience that our popular culture, and our political leaders, are not helping us keep pace. --Tom Nissley

Where Were You When the World Went Flat?

Thomas L. Friedman's reporter's curiosity and his ability to recognize the patterns behind the most complex global developments have made him one of the most entertaining and authoritative sources for information about the wider world we live in, both as the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and as the author of landmark books like From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the Olive Tree. They also make him an endlessly fascinating conversation partner, and we've now had the chance to talk to him about The World Is Flat twice. Read our original interview with him following the publication of the first edition of The World Is Flat to learn why there's almost no one from Washington, D.C., listed in the index of a book about the global economy, and what his one-plank platform for president would be. (Hint: his bumper stickers would say, "Can You Hear Me Now?")

And now you can listen to our second interview, in which he talks about the updates he's made in "The World Is Flat 2.0," including his response to parents who said to him, "Great, Mr. Friedman, I'm glad you told us the world is flat. Now what do I tell my kids?"

The Essential Tom Friedman

From Beirut to Jerusalem
The Lexus and the Olive Tree
Longitudes and Attitudes

More on Globalization and Development

China, Inc. by Ted Fishman
Three Billion New Capitalists by Clyde Prestowitz
The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs

Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli
The Mystery of Capital by Hernando de Soto

Book Description

The World Is Flat is Thomas L. Friedman’s account of the great changes taking place in our time, as lightning-swift advances in technology and communications put people all over the globe in touch as never before—creating an explosion of wealth in India and China, and challenging the rest of us to run even faster just to stay in place. This updated and expanded edition features more than a hundred pages of fresh reporting and commentary, drawn from Friedman’s travels around the world and across the American heartland—from anyplace where the flattening of the world is being felt.

In The World Is Flat, Friedman at once shows “how and why globalization has now shifted into warp drive” (Robert Wright, Slate) and brilliantly demystifies the new flat world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often bewildering scene unfolding before their eyes. With his inimitable ability to translate complex foreign policy and economic issues, he explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; how governments and societies can, and must, adapt; and why terrorists want to stand in the way. More than ever, The World Is Flat is an essential update on globalization, its successes and discontents, powerfully illuminated by one of our most respected journalists.

Download Description

The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist gives a bold, timely, and surprising picture of the state of globalization in the twenty-first century

Customer Reviews:

What a good boy am I.......2007-10-06

Reading this book is like watching someone else's kids open their Christmas presents from relatives they don't really know. I'm not sure how the author can possibly be so fascinated by technology and yet know absolutely nothing about it at the same time, but his endless diatribes about the miracles of PayPal and Microsoft Word are beyond laughable, and I was pretty much in shock when he started citing howstuffworks-dot-com as a technical reference on fiber optics and SOAP. What editor told him that this was OK?

So enamored with his own cleverness is he that Mr. Friedman dedicates several pages to explaining the book's title, even though a single sentence would have sufficed. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop after the first chapter; rather than make a point and move on, he has to point out the fact that he just made a point and tell you what a wonderful point it was just in case you missed the point. It's like hanging out with that one friend who sits around smiling and pointing to his hindquarters after he rips one off at the dinner table.

If you want to learn about globalization and are not old enough to remember the first light bulb, go read "No Logo" instead. This is horrible, irrelevant geriatric babbling.

My opinion is flat.......2007-10-03

When a book has had over a thousand reviews, what can I possibly say that hasn't already been said? So I will keep it short and not so sweet.

No one will read this book, or any of the updates, for "fun." Do you NEED to read it? Yes, it contains some important economic concepts and realities, but it's a bit overlong. I'd say it could be cut in half, so skim through some of the numerous "interviews," repetition of central points, and endless advice and encouragement. The global pie is getting bigger and better, but the competition for piecies of that pie is heating up. Smart, ambitious, creative people will thrive; slow, lazy, dull people will languish, and everything inbetween. For too long many Americans have been sitting on their laurels and the day of reckoning is near. Heed this warning: Put down your TV remotes, game controllers, and iPods, and start working like your life (or lifestyle) depended on it. Get your rear into some serious gear, and don't balk at the notion that you should be an "expert" in at least three different, unrelated fields. Does this scare or excite you?

In so many interviews with foreign entrepreneurs, we are told (or reassured) that no matter how much of the "mundane" work is performed by countries other than the U.S., America's creative and innovative spark is still unsurpassed: All the world looks to America to lead the way into the future. I'm not sure. A lot of that "mundane" work was high level and highly paid, and why should we expect that America will continue to dominate in creativity and innovation? The truth is, we're in for a flattening of living standards, and from the perspective of the relatively high American standard of living, it will seem like a drop in standards until we reach another equilibrium (who knows how long that will take?). In any case, the reassurances about the talents and abilities of Americans seem at odds with other parts of the book, such as Bill Gates feeling "terrified at the American work force of tomorrow."

If you're already working hard at becoming an expert in three fields, then you probably don't need to read this book. Indeed, you probably don't have time to read it, or to read and write Amazon reviews, for that matter.

Great book to introduce an inside to the 90's and now.......2007-10-03

This was an excellent book for someone who is ever curious about the expanding global ecomomy as a whole. As a sailor in the U.S. Navy I found the book fasinating because I not only grew up during which most of the book was talking about but I am witnessing the predictions of the book first hand. Great book all around!!

Friedman's writing and subjects are captivating.......2007-09-27

Are you still a little confused about why American corporations are outsourcing to India and manufacturing in China, or why Al Qaeda has suddenly become so powerful? If so, this is the book for you.

Friedman's made 'Globalization' simple enough for a high school student to understand. That being said, this is NOT a high school textbook. It is NOT dry. Friedman is a great journalist and an author who will hold your attention chapter after chapter.

Friedman has a knack for taking complex and often emotionally charged issues and breaking them down into easy to understand concepts. You don't have to be a graduate student to enjoy this book. It's great!

Globalization 3.0.......2007-09-24

I wish I had read this book during a Globalization class I took a year ago.

Friedman is an exceptional writer, very engaging. He really lays out the information well and then brings in together in the latter part of the book.

I thought the middle part of the book could of been edited a bit.

Overall, an excellent introduction to globalization and the affect this will have on the US and industries in general.

Average customer rating:

Current and informative
I had to have this book for school
book
Society: The Basics 9th Ed.
take good notes in class

Society: The Basics
John J. Macionis
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0131922440

Customer Reviews:

Current and informative.......2007-10-01

I am using this book for my sociology class, and I must say, it has much to say. It reveals a great deal about the role society plays in every part of our lives.Many of the examples given to support the theories of the men and women who helped shape the field of sociology, are up-to-date.
It is refreshing to read a book for class that isn't as old as you are!

I had to have this book for school.......2007-09-15

I bought this book for my sociology class. Though it is an ok book make sure if you order it from here that you get the study guide that should come with it. Study guides enhance your learning of the material. Mine didn't come with one and I have to study harder and read more because of it.

book.......2007-06-12

book was not in great conidition but hopefully i can use still use this edition for my second term of school

Society: The Basics 9th Ed........2007-05-18

This text book is pretty easy to read and understand with today's news incorporated in it. It's great to use in a college course.

take good notes in class.......2007-02-03

you know, if you just take good notes in class you don't need to buy the "required" books for class. and this is multiplied if you continuously start each semester reading and end up not reading anymore. this book is a perfect opportunity to not read.

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