BEING DEAD IS NO EXCUSE: THE OFFICIAL SOUTHERN LADIES GUIDE TO HOSTING THE PERFECT FUNERAL
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Laughter
  • A True Gem for Those of Us Who Live It !
  • If you like cookbooks...
  • Hilarious Book for Any Southern Belle!
  • Girls raised in the south
BEING DEAD IS NO EXCUSE: THE OFFICIAL SOUTHERN LADIES GUIDE TO HOSTING THE PERFECT FUNERAL
Gayden Metcalfe
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
SouthSouth | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
CookingCooking | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
EssaysEssays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Satire, GeneralSatire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
HumorHumor | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Look Inside CookbooksLook Inside Cookbooks | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Entertainment BooksLook Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Home & Garden BooksLook Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO DIE IF LILLY BETH DOESN'T CATCH THAT BOUQUET: THE OFFICIAL SOUTHERN LADIES' GUIDE TO HOSTING THE PERFECT WEDDING SOMEBODY IS GOING TO DIE IF LILLY BETH DOESN'T CATCH THAT BOUQUET: THE OFFICIAL SOUTHERN LADIES' GUIDE TO HOSTING THE PERFECT WEDDING
  2. We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle
  3. Bless Your Heart, Tramp: And Other Southern Endearments Bless Your Heart, Tramp: And Other Southern Endearments
  4. Swag: Southern Women Aging Gracefully Swag: Southern Women Aging Gracefully
  5. The Official Guide to Christmas in the South: Or, If You Can't Fry It, Spraypaint It Gold The Official Guide to Christmas in the South: Or, If You Can't Fry It, Spraypaint It Gold

ASIN: 1401359345

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Laughter.......2007-10-08

I laughed out loud reading this book, and I could relate to some of the dynamics having worked in a church kitchen. Even a Yankee can enjoy this concoction of recipes and humor. It reminded me of my charming friend in Louisiana whose southern conversation flows from her mouth like cream. This book makes a great gift for ladies!

5 out of 5 stars A True Gem for Those of Us Who Live It !.......2007-09-06

Gayden's book is beyond a cookbook---it brings to mind that culture that we lived and actually are still living in the South. A Yankee friend said she just "couldn't relate" to the book. Poor thing. I guess it just takes a Southern lady of a "certain age" to fully appreciate the authenticity of Gayden Metcalfe's descriptions of our funeral protocol!

Even when reading it all alone, I laughed right out loud on nearly every page at not only Gayden's wit, but her ability to let us see the funny side (and caring side) of our funerals and the food solace we provide before and after. It captures those customs perfectly. And, just as she said, I keep the ingredients of a casserole in my pantry at all times, just in case of a neighbor's sudden death, and my funeral suit hangs in the closet and my pearls at the top of my jewelry chest, at the ready.

I always sent my sons to church in suits and ties anyway, but I did this partly so they too would be ready for a funeral at the drop of a hat. More than once, we'd have to outfit a cousin because his mother didn't understand this, bless her heart.

Gayden's recipes are grand, really dressed up versions of our "funeral food." No Cheese Wiz is included, thank goodness.

I particulary laughed at this truth: After the cemetery part of the funeral, in the car on the way to the family home for the funeral meal, we can speak ill of the dead one quite vigorously. But once we get in the driveway of the bereaved, we straighten up and speak only of the great loss to the community his death has caused, even though he had been a rip-roaring scoundrel.

And even in the privacy of our car, understand that each criticism of the dead one had been prefaced with "Bless his heart. . ."

A Southern lady can give the most scathing statement as long as she begins with "Bless her heart. . ." An example, "Bless her heart, she's ugly as homemade soap and her children are such a disappointment. They all take after her grand-daddy on her mother's side, and bless his heart, I wouldn't pour ice tea on that rascal if he was on fire." Of course, we wouldn't do that at the family home after the funeral, only in the car on the way to it.

And we could get away with saying that to her third cousin once removed over the bridge table, but we wouldn't say it to her face. But we could say to her: "Bless your heart, that husband of yours has caused you such grief, with his runnin' around and all. I just wish you'd married Joe Bob, who made a dentist. I know your daddy wanted you to, but, Lord knows, you did the best you could at the time, you bein' pregnant and all."

3 out of 5 stars If you like cookbooks..........2007-08-13

Started off funny and was loving it..then it became pretty mundane and nothing but recipes. Some look pretty good and worth a try. But I don't think this one is as funny as it could have been with less recipes and more funny stories.

5 out of 5 stars Hilarious Book for Any Southern Belle!.......2007-07-27

I couldn't stop reading Metcalf's humorous and accurate descriptions of southern traditions... As soon as I finished my copy I purchased copies for all my fellow "belles" to read and all have been delighted with the hysterical accounts of southern funeral protocal as well as the delicious recipes! Also check out Metcalf's wedding version "If Lilli Beth Don't Catch That Bouquet Somebody's Gonna Die"- equally as funny and a great gift for any mother-of-the-bride!

5 out of 5 stars Girls raised in the south.......2007-07-20

I laughed and laughed with this book. One of the few books I have read several times. Read it out loud with a group of my friends and they were belly laughing. People from other parts of the country may not understand all the regional descriptions. But a must for girls raised in the south.
It's All About the Shoes: Hope, Heartbreak and the Search for the Perfect Pair
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Got to Have It
  • Pleasant Surprise
  • Great Book- wonderful gift
It's All About the Shoes: Hope, Heartbreak and the Search for the Perfect Pair
Yvonne Williams
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ComicComic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Satire, GeneralSatire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Self-Help & PsychologySelf-Help & Psychology | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
MotivationalMotivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
MotivationMotivation | By Topic | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Reference | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment BooksLook Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Health BooksLook Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference BooksLook Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Shoes: The Complete Sourcebook Shoes: The Complete Sourcebook
  2. Mad About Shoes Mad About Shoes
  3. Shoes: A History From Sandals to Sneakers Shoes: A History From Sandals to Sneakers
  4. Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More

ASIN: 1402207123
Release Date: 2007-04-01

Book Description

Women have a nearly universal passion for shoes! Our shoes are inseparable from our joys, heartbreaks, challenges, and dilemmas. These 50 true tales of shoe moments, memories, and mishaps reveal a wealth of humor, insight, and encouragement that every woman can appreciate. From the humorous to the heroic, the funny to the profound, the heart-warming to the heart-wrenching It's All About the Shoes. Inspiration is only as far away as your feet!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Got to Have It.......2007-08-13

This book was truly inspiring. It was wonderful to see how you can relate shoes and "soles" to the emotional experiences of individuals. It was a true test of the human spirit. This is book is a must have.

5 out of 5 stars Pleasant Surprise.......2007-05-22

This book was a pleasant surprise. I love shoes just as much as the next girl, but I'm happy to say that it's so much more than a book with pretty pictures (although happily there are plenty of those). This is a book with wonderfully told stories and morals that we can all relate to with a smile, a laugh, and loads of understanding. One of my favorites was the fabulously dressed and maybe slightly superior woman crossing her legs with the Marshall's tag on the bottom of one of her shoes. I loved it and I highly recommend it. This book is a keeper.

5 out of 5 stars Great Book- wonderful gift.......2007-05-12

Wonderful little book with awesome photos. The stories are sweet and the ideas in the back are great. I really love all the different perspectives! Makes a great gift for Mom, sister, Aunts... any woman in your life!
Corporation - Partnership - Fiduciary Filled-In Tax Return Forms (2007)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Corporation - Partnership - Fiduciary Filled-In Tax Return Forms (2007)

    Manufacturer: CCH, Inc.
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Perfect Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Taxes | Accounting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Accounting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Business BooksLook Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Facsimile Tax Return Problems and Forms (2007) Facsimile Tax Return Problems and Forms (2007)
    2. Individuals' Filled-In Tax Return Forms Individuals' Filled-In Tax Return Forms
    3. U.S. Master Tax Guide 2007 U.S. Master Tax Guide 2007

    ASIN: 0808015877
    Release Date: 2007-02-15

    Product Description

    This popular CCH resource provides sample filled-in reproductions of several commonly-used business tax forms along helpful coordinated explanations of the tax law. Updated annually, this new edition includes discussion of law changes made by recent legislation that impacts the preparation of 2006 returns in 2007, including the latest new tax developments affecting completion of business tax returns. Current year forms and related discussions included are: - Form 1120 and schedules (corporations) - Form 1120-S (S corporations) - Form 1065 (partnerships) - Form 1041 (fiduciaries) "What's New for 2006" highlights the most significant new changes that must be addressed by tax return preparers.To help readers understand specific items on the returns and associated calculations, the filled-in forms contain cross references to the related CCH Explanations. These instructive explanations cover the separate items and schedules of each return and are keyed to the actual illustrative figures. Tax Rate Tables for Corporations and Estates and Nongrantor Trusts are also included for convenient reference. The expert CCH explanations, coordinated design elements and large format make this title the perfect quick-reference for tax return preparers and a great tool for staff training or personal brush-up for tax season.
    The Perfect Gift: The Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and Prose
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Perfect Gift: The Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and Prose

      Manufacturer: University of Indianapolis Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      Volunteer WorkVolunteer Work | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      ClassicsClassics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      LiteraryLiterary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      Collections & ReadersCollections & Readers | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      CultureCulture | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
      Look Inside Business BooksLook Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
      Look Inside Fiction BooksLook Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
      Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
      Look Inside Reference BooksLook Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
      All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      Literature & FictionLiterature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      NonfictionNonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. Happiness: A History Happiness: A History
      2. The Foundation: A Great American Secret; How Private Wealth is Changing the World The Foundation: A Great American Secret; How Private Wealth is Changing the World
      3. American Philanthropy (The Chicago History of American Civilization) American Philanthropy (The Chicago History of American Civilization)
      4. Down and Out in Paris and London Down and Out in Paris and London
      5. The Culture of Disbelief The Culture of Disbelief

      ASIN: 0253215420

      Book Description

      This collection aims at cultivating and enlightening our philanthropic imagination. Addressing us all as philanthropists, present and future--as human beings who give and serve, seeking to promote the well being of others--its readings lead us to the basic issues we must ponder if we are to wield our philanthropic powers well: Why should I give? How should I give? To whom or for what should I give? What should I give? Can giving be taught?
      To Form a More Perfect Union: A New Economic Interpretation of the United States Constitution
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • A Compelling & Thorough Look at the Economic Interpretation
      To Form a More Perfect Union: A New Economic Interpretation of the United States Constitution
      Robert A. McGuire
      Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      Economic HistoryEconomic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      ConstitutionsConstitutions | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Constitutional Law | Law | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Law | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Constitutional Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
      All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      NonfictionNonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States
      2. Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution
      3. We the People : The Economic Origins of the Constitution (Library of Conservative Thought) We the People : The Economic Origins of the Constitution (Library of Conservative Thought)
      4. E Pluribus Unum E Pluribus Unum
      5. Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution

      ASIN: 0195139704

      Book Description

      Many important questions regarding the creation and adoption of the United States Constitution remain unresolved. Did slaveholdings or financial holdings significantly influence our Founding Fathers' stance on particular clauses or rules contained in the Constitution? Was there a division of support for the Constitution related to religious beliefs or ethnicity? Were founders from less commercial areas more likely to oppose the Constitution? To Form a More Perfect Union successfully answers these questions and offers an economic explanation for the behavior of our Founding Fathers during the nation's constitutional founding. In 1913, American historian Charles A. Beard controversially argued in his book An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States that the framers and ratifiers of the Constitution were less interested in furthering democratic principles than in advancing specific economic and financial interests. Beard's thesis eventually emerged as the standard historical interpretation and remained so until the 1950s. Since then, many constitutional and historical scholars have questioned an economic interpretation of the Constitution as being too narrow or too calculating, believing the great principles and political philosophies that motivated the Founding Fathers to be worthier subjects of study. In this meticulously researched reexamination of the drafting and ratification of our nation's Constitution, Robert McGuire argues that Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Mason and the other Founding Fathers did act as much for economic motives as for abstract ideals. To Form a More Perfect Union offers compelling evidence showing that the economic, financial, and other interests of the founders can account for the specific design and adoption of our Constitution. This is the first book to provide modern evidence that substantiates many of the overall conclusions found in Charles Beard's An Economic Interpretation while challenging and overturning other of Beard's specific findings. To Form a More Perfect Union presents an entirely new approach to the study of the shaping of the U.S. Constitution. Through the application of economic thinking and rigorous statistical techniques, as well as the processing of vast amounts of data on the economic interests and personal characteristics of the Founding Fathers, McGuire convincingly demonstrates that an economic interpretation of the Constitution is valid. Radically challenging the prevailing views of most historians, political scientists, and legal scholars, To Form a More Perfect Union provides a wealth of new findings about the Founding Fathers' constitutional choices and sheds new light on the motivations behind the design and adoption of the United States Constitution.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars A Compelling & Thorough Look at the Economic Interpretation.......2004-01-31

      "In To Form a More Perfect Union, Robert A. McGuire attempts to provide the first solid modern analysis to quantify the impact of the personal economic interests of the Founding Fathers on the structure and content of the U.S. Constitution. Readers familiar with the literature in this area will immediately, and correctly, associate this book with Charles A. Beard's Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (New York: Macmillan, [1913] 1935). In that book, Beard concludes that the delegates' personal interests shaped their behavior with respect to the drafting and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. His hypothesis was generally accepted until the 1950s, when most scholars began to question the analysis. An onslaught of counterevidence came during the 1950s and early 1960s, and today most academics believe that Beard's original interpretation was too narrow and that the general political philosophies of the Founding Fathers had greater importance in determining the nature and contents of the U.S. Constitution.

      "McGuire essentially resurrects Beard's hypothesis and offers substantial evidence in favor of the view that the Founding Fathers' personal interests had a significant influence on the process of constitutional design and ratification. In light of the substantial body of empirical evidence this book provides, it is likely to bring the personal interest view back into widespread acceptance among academics. Although McGuire draws some of the analysis presented in the book from his previously published journal articles, at least half of what he offers is new and original. What makes the book so compelling is the use of today's significantly better empirical methodology to analyze data, in contrast to the techniques available during the 1950s, when the counterevidence to Beard's hypothesis was presented.

      "Readers searching for a middle ground in the debate over whether personal self-interest shaped the U.S. Constitution will find refuge in this book. McGuire repeatedly makes clear that these personal interests were relevant at the margin in the Founding Fathers' decision calculus and that many other factors (such as general political philosophy) influenced these individuals' overall behavior. Among the most compelling findings: (1) personal interests played a bigger role in the specific content of the U.S. Constitution than in the document's overall design; and (2) the framers' debt holdings and slave ownership and the degree of commercialization in their local communities are significantly correlated with their observed behavior and, hence, with the content of the constitution they produced....

      "One of the book's strengths is the amount of underlying background data and statistics provided. For example, McGuire includes tables that show not only each individual delegate's vote on an issue (the data used for the dependent variable), but also the predicted probability of a yes vote for that delegate from the estimated logistic regression model. As anyone who has estimated a logistic regression model knows, it is possible for these models to fit well overall but still do a poor job of predicting individual votes. Throughout the book, however, McGuire provides the evidence necessary to comfort readers worried about such potential problems. The book's main weakness is that at times it becomes rather lengthy and dull, but this aspect is simply a cost of being thorough, which is necessary in this case because of the controversial nature of the theory being tested.

      "For the great number of readers who are likely to use the results of the book as a single-sentence footnote or reference in their own research, the eleven-page prologue provides all of the background and summary information necessary to make an informed citation of the work. The remaining three hundred or so pages merely fill in the sufficient details to support these conclusions. In that sense, the book reminds me somewhat of Bjorn Lomborg's Skeptical Environmentalist (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001).

      "Had I been a reviewer for the book prior to its publication, the only suggestion I might have offered to improve it would have been for the author to include a fuller discussion of the debate surrounding the adequacy and structure of the document that preceded the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation.... Had McGuire presented this discussion, he would have provided a fitting framework in which to view the Founding Fathers' choices as marginal institutional changes relative to the existing constitutional order.

      "To Form a More Perfect Union undoubtedly will elicit additional research in this highly debated area of constitutional research. Future research will benefit from the 122 pages of raw data and empirical results provided as appendix material. McGuire's book most likely will meet with a better initial acceptance than Beard's book received (it was banned from high school libraries in Seattle and condemned by President Taft and by the president of Beard's own university).

      "One important implication of McGuire's book is that the condition of a Rawlsian `veil of ignorance,' putatively necessary to produce a `just' social contract, is not and cannot be satisfied in reality. Any constitution or social contract will be shaped by its designers' individual self-interests. Modern public-choice scholars who favor theories based on the premise of methodological individualism will find comforting reassurance as they read To Form a More Perfect Union."

      ------------------------------

      Excerpted from a review by Russell S. Sobel in "The Independent Review," Winter 2004.
      Aphrodisia 2 -Art of the Female Form
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Aphrodisia 2 -Art of the Female Form
        Craig Elliott
        Manufacturer: Aristata Publishing
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Perfect Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
        ThemesThemes | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. Aphrodisia Aphrodisia
        2. Spectrum 14: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art (Spectrum  (Underwood Books)) Spectrum 14: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art (Spectrum (Underwood Books))
        3. Revolution: The Art of Jon Foster Revolution: The Art of Jon Foster
        4. Spectrum 13: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art (Spectrum  (Underwood Books)) Spectrum 13: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art (Spectrum (Underwood Books))

        ASIN: 0975491237
        Release Date: 2007-02-15

        Product Description

        Aristata publishing is proud to announce the second edition of Aphrodisia: Art of the Female Form! Aphrodisia is a full color art book showcasing over 200 artist s celebration of the female form. The artwork of Aphrodisia comes from professional artists, students, and art directors from around the globe, all of whom have entered Aphrodisia s competition for a place in the book. The artwork of Aphrodisia depicts the female form in all of her facets, from charming to haunting, silly to sensual. Artwork in the book falls under the categories of fine art, fine art nude, pinup, sculpture, and 3D computer generated art. Many artists featured in this year s book are world renowned, and have worked for such prestigious companies as Lucasfilm, Dreamworks, Dark Horse, Marvel, DC Comics, Dungeons and Dragons, Time, and the New York Times. Among them are Dave Dorman. Stephen Hickman, Don Maitz , Mark A. Nelson, Mark Rogers and many more. Along with the artwork of the entrants, Aphrodisia showcases the work of the judges and gives a rare insight into their working methods and studio life. The 2005 Aphrodisia judges include artist Julie Bell, Iain McCaig, Robh Ruppel, and Danielle Bedics.
        Perfect Form
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Fascinating Look at Variational Methods and Applications
        • A nice short readable introduction
        • Very readable introduction to calculus of variations.
        Perfect Form
        Don S. Lemons
        Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
        Mathematical PhysicsMathematical Physics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
        MechanicsMechanics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Physics | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        Mathematical PhysicsMathematical Physics | Physics | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. An Introduction to Stochastic Processes in Physics (Johns Hopkins Paperback) An Introduction to Stochastic Processes in Physics (Johns Hopkins Paperback)
        2. Div, Grad, Curl, and All That: An Informal Text on Vector Calculus, Fourth Edition Div, Grad, Curl, and All That: An Informal Text on Vector Calculus, Fourth Edition
        3. Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering
        4. Handbook of Stochastic Methods: for Physics, Chemistry and the Natural Sciences (Springer Series in Synergetics) Handbook of Stochastic Methods: for Physics, Chemistry and the Natural Sciences (Springer Series in Synergetics)
        5. Calculus of Variations Calculus of Variations

        ASIN: 0691026637

        Book Description

        What does the path taken by a ray of light share with the trajectory of a thrown baseball and the curve of a wheat stalk bending in the breeze? Each is the subject of a different study yet all are optimal shapes; light rays minimize travel time while a thrown baseball minimizes action. All natural curves and shapes, and many artificial ones, manifest such "perfect form" because physical principles can be expressed as a statement requiring some important physical quantity to be mathematically maximum, minimum, or stationary. Perfect Form introduces the basic "variational" principles of classical physics (least time, least potential energy, least action, and Hamilton's principle), develops the mathematical language most suited to their application (the calculus of variations), and presents applications from the physics usually encountered in introductory course sequences.

        The text gradually unfolds the physics and mathematics. While other treatments postulate Hamilton's principle and deduce all results from it, Perfect Form begins with the most plausible and restricted variational principles and develops more powerful ones through generalization. One selection of text and problems even constitutes a non-calculus of variations introduction to variational methods, while the mathematics more generally employed extends only to solving simple ordinary differential equations. Perfect Form is designed to supplement existing classical mechanics texts and to present variational principles and methods to students who approach the subject for the first time.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Fascinating Look at Variational Methods and Applications.......2004-03-06

        For a third or fourth year student in physics this short book, Perfect Form, would be near perfect as either a short overview of variational methods, or as a supplementary text for an advanced classical physics course.

        I have occasionally encountered variational methods, but until reading Perfect Form I had not appreciated the significance and scope and even fascination of this topic. In a little more than one hundred pages Dr. Don Lemons does a credible job of introducing a wide range of physics problems amenable to variational methods.

        He begins with optics and Fermat's Principle of Least Time and thereby motivates the derivation of the Euler-Lagrange equation. In later chapters he examines the principle of least potential energy, Lagrange multipliers, the principle of least action, and Hamilton's principle, in both a restricted and more general form. The supplementary problems at the end of each chapter are few in number, but are carefully defined and are more like tutorials than standalone problems.

        In my experience textbooks dedicated to this topic - like Calculus of Variations by Robert Weinstock and Introduction to the Calculus of Variations by Hans Sagan - are difficult and require considerable mathematical maturity. Other texts - like Advanced Calculus of Several Variables (C. H. Edwards) and Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineering and Science Students (Stephenson and Radmore) and Mathematics Applied to Continuum Mechanics (L. A. Segel) - often relegate this subject to a single (and often final) chapter.

        Most undergraduates are unlikely to have time for a formal course in calculus of variations. With this book Don Lemons has convinced me that this topic is too important and too interesting to ignore. I recommend that you acquire a copy of Perfect Form for self-study or as supplementary text.

        5 out of 5 stars A nice short readable introduction.......2003-11-26

        I just took an independent study in the calculus of variations out of Gelfand's classic text. I covered the first four chapters which is a nice introduction. However the text is pretty technical and so Perfect Form (PF) was a great companion. Its laid back, accessible to a sophomore physics student and fine for self study. It has a range of physical problems from calculations to nice little problems to think about.

        Moreover, it motivates the material well. This is one of those books that keeps driving home a few, just a few points and avoids too many topics. For instance, I was never knew why the lagrangian should be the difference of kinetic and potential energies, this book will motivate this form.

        Finally, its a realistic book. I found no great effort in reading the entire book and working about 3/4 of the problems (some I just didn't find interesting) on my own in a busy semester. This is just a fun little book that shows you some variational methods!

        5 out of 5 stars Very readable introduction to calculus of variations........2000-01-30

        This is an engaging book, written on a fairly basic level. Any junior with some calculus should be able to handle it. The author has done a great job of introducing the calculus of variations, Lagrange multipliers, etc, and applying them to clear examples from physics (Fermat's principle, Lagrangians and Hamiltonians). I only wish he had expanded the topics somewhat to introduce a few more topics to whet the appetite, such as phase spaces, Liouville's theorem, Noether's theorem.
        Perfect Form
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Perfect Form
          Kal Yee
          Manufacturer: Second Glance
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover
          ASIN: 096315740X
          Your Perfect Home-Based Studio: A Guide for Designers and Other Creative Professionals
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • The Perfect Guide For Setting Up A Home Office!
          Your Perfect Home-Based Studio: A Guide for Designers and Other Creative Professionals
          Poppy Evans
          Manufacturer: North Light Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          GeneralGeneral | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Graphic Arts | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
          Interior DesignInterior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books | Decorating | Decoration & Ornament | Floors | General | Lighting | Painting & Wallpapering | Professional Reference | Style | Upholstery & Fabrics | Windows
          Look Inside Home & Garden BooksLook Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines (Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines) Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines (Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines)
          2. Self-Promotion for the Creative Person: Get the Word Out About Who You Are and What You Do Self-Promotion for the Creative Person: Get the Word Out About Who You Are and What You Do
          3. Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting Revised Edition Graphic Designer's Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting Revised Edition
          4. Designers in Handcuffs: How to Create Great Graphics When Time, Materials and Money Are Tight Designers in Handcuffs: How to Create Great Graphics When Time, Materials and Money Are Tight
          5. The Savvy Designer's Guide To Success: Ideas and Tactics for a Killer Career The Savvy Designer's Guide To Success: Ideas and Tactics for a Killer Career

          ASIN: 1581801327

          Book Description

          Creative professionals who work out of their homes face a number of challenges, both anticipated and unexpected. Simply knowing where to start is perhaps the most difficult obstacle of all. In Your Perfect Home-Based Studio, everything from taxes and setting up a workspace to the psychological aspects of working at home is covered. Whether the reader is a graphic artist, a new media designer or an illustrator, all the information they need is here, including:

          * the basics of setting up and running a business
          * sure-fire methods for getting clients and getting paid
          * suggestions for structuring a studio environment
          * guidelines for putting together a powerful business plan
          * how to get the best deals in equipment and furniture
          * information on getting legal and professional advice
          * how to stay in compliance with federal and local tax and zoning regulations

          Designers will also find invaluable sidebars full of tips and advice, and samples of business forms and bookkeeping systems that make Your Perfect Home-Based Studio the perfect home business reference.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars The Perfect Guide For Setting Up A Home Office!.......2001-12-27

          The job market has taken many hits in recent years. Mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, and layoffs have become quite commonplace in American society. As the result of these trends in the business world, many people have taken to market their talents and skills from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Many have set up elaborate home offices from which they now conduct business.

          Your Perfect Home-Based Studio written by Poppy Evans is the perfect resource for those persons looking for professional guidance in setting up their own home office studios. This book includes a wealth of design options - furniture, accessories, home design and decorating options, and discussion of important business matters.

          Poppy Evans guides her readers through a number of important decision-making topics pertaining to the setting up of a home office - the arrangement of furniture and equipment, the importance of having an ergonomically correct workstation, choosing the right computer equipment and service technicians, dealing with children, and establishing an effective online presence. Business matters discussed include determining what kind of business to establish, dealing with local government authorities, maintaining financial records, keeping track of expenses, paying taxes, and dealing with slow-paying clients. Thrown in is plenty of other important details necessary for setting up and running a productive home-based business.

          While setting up a home office may seem an easy task, there are some important considerations we should to keep in mind. Because one's place of work is confined to the home, as Poppy Evans points out, it's necessary to establish workplace discipline, being as accessible as possible, maintaining contact with clients and the business world, and to cultivate good working and long-term relationships with clients. The recognition and the paying of close attention to these concerns and others addressed in the book will go a long way to help readers operate successful home businesses.

          The book is beautifully illustrated with high resolution photographs of actual home office designs. A number of case studies are included to provide readers with actual home-based business experiences. The content, layout, and over all quality of the book makes it an excellent guide. This is must reading for consultants and anyone desiring to set up their own home office!
          The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • GENERATION GAP
          • Disappointing stereotypes abound...
          • Luv Shoes? Are your shoes telling on you?
          • Charming!
          • Must Have!
          The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You
          Meghan Cleary
          Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          Fashion DesignFashion Design | Commercial | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
          EssaysEssays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
          Popular CulturePopular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
          Look Inside Entertainment BooksLook Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. Mad About Shoes Mad About Shoes
          2. Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know
          3. Change Your Shoes, Change Your Life: Strut Your Way to a Fabulous New You! Change Your Shoes, Change Your Life: Strut Your Way to a Fabulous New You!
          4. Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More
          5. Stiletto Stiletto

          ASIN: 081184501X

          Book Description

          Shoe expert Meghan Cleary wants women everywhere to forget the constellations and open up their closets, because The Perfect Fit is a horoscope based on footwear! After all, what says more about a woman s personality than her choice of stilettos and sneakers, mary janes and mules? Quick questionnaires help readers get in step with their true selves, while detailed shoe profiles answer every woman's burning questions: Which career will sweep me off my feet? How do I achieve my perfect look? Who is my arch supporter? And most of all, Is there any problem in life that can't be solved with a new pair of shoes? Sleek illustrations highlight thirty shoe personalities, and sassy sidebars showcase fashion tips, shoe history, and inspirational advice. As easy to slip into as a comfy pair of ballet flats, The Perfect Fit is fanciful, fabulous fun that's just plain good for the sole.

          Customer Reviews:

          2 out of 5 stars GENERATION GAP .......2007-07-17

          Miss Meghan's oeuvre opened my eyes to the real depth of the gap between mine and her generations. She discerns several different "shoe styles" where I can see, at best, a single footwear category, though I would not ascribe to all these sneakers and bowling, running or basketball shoes the attribute "style". On the other hand, where I recognize numerous styles, each available for view in my closet, Miss Meghan can't distinguish more than "high heels". Well, that much for the direction the taste in clothing takes in the young generation. Even more interesting is outlook on life, expressed primarily in the professions Miss Meghan selects for her readers. Positions in the media and marketing dominate the selection. There are few occurrences of the legal occupations, corporate ranks, non-profits, full-time mommies and housewives. There is even a waitress and a lab worker and perhaps a teacher and a fashion designer. What is missing: medical doctors, engineers of all kinds (chemical, electrical, mechanical), technology workers, trades women - not a single lady welder or lady carpenter, for example! - university professors, pilots, military women. Shortly, all the professions important in the life of each society are neglected, with all the marginal and decorative occupations as the recommended careers for the modern woman. Return to Victorian times, shoed in sneakers? After all, those Victorian shoe styles were not glamorous, and after factoring in the difference in manufacturing technology they were more like sneakers or hiking boots than high-heel sandals with ankle straps.

          2 out of 5 stars Disappointing stereotypes abound..........2007-05-07

          Really disappointed to see the stereotypes this author connects to different styles of shoes. She was totally off the mark on several styles I wear, connecting them to personality traits that aren't even close to how I am. Judging by the other reviews I read, this book may just unfortunately reflect what "the masses" assume about certain people who wear certain styles. Sad to say that this book will likely cause wrong impressions and even discrimination against people who wear certain styles by those who read this book and buy into it. Could be a generational thing in that the author makes assumptions that date the book, reflecting a limited age range's view of others. Alarming thing is that readers may give more credence than they realistically should only because of the author's credentials.

          5 out of 5 stars Luv Shoes? Are your shoes telling on you?.......2006-03-16

          I went to a showing at Macy's and one of the gifts in the
          giveaway bag was this book "the perfect fit, what your shoes say
          about you"
          on top I got to meet the most charming young lady who wrote the
          book. I got to meet Meghan Cleary! The book is filled with little
          quizzes and with the whole idea is to help you discover your Shoe
          Sun sign and even tells about what you shoes you didn't buy
          says about you!! Its the cutest little book and a great gift for
          anyone who is a bona fide shoe freak! Now who do you know who is
          a shoe freak? Maybe yourself? Want to know why you bought those
          stiletto's when you know you won't be wearing them but just had
          to have them?
          Get today the perfect fit and may you find out what your shoes
          say about you!! I am not saying what mine say about me...
          At least my copy of the book is signed by Meghan herself!

          5 out of 5 stars Charming!.......2005-11-27

          Miss Meghan has it together! A must have for anyone who loves shoes or wonders why others love them. I look forward to more from Ms Cleary.

          5 out of 5 stars Must Have!.......2005-11-24

          This book has great insight. I now look at people's feet when we meet. This book is a really fun read!

          Books:

          1. Billmeyer and Saltzman's Principles of Color Technology, 3rd Edition
          2. Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
          3. Chaos and Time-Series Analysis
          4. Chaotic Dynamics: An Introduction
          5. Computational Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer, Second Edition (Series in Computional and Physical Processes in Mechanics and Thermal Sciences)
          6. Computational Physics (2nd Edition)
          7. Conceptual Physics
          8. Contemporary College Physics, Third Edition, 2001 Update w/ updated CD-ROM
          9. Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts
          10. Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems, and an Introduction to Chaos (Pure and Applied Mathematics (Academic Press), 60.)

          Books Index

          Books Home

          Recommended Books

          1. Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife
          2. All About Aussies: The Australian Shepherd From A To Z
          3. The Wrong Box
          4. The Scotch-Irish: A Social History
          5. The New Media Reader
          6. A History of Ancient Mathematical Astronomy
          7. Wilderness Empire: A Narrative
          8. Frontiers in Health Policy Research: Volume 6
          9. The Young Tycoons: Ten Success Stories
          10. Thailand Business & Investment Opportunities Yearbook