Book Description
Improve quality and productivity in most any organization
Based on W. Edwards Deming's model, this guide offers an integrated approach to testing and improvement?one that is designed to deliver quick and substantial results. Using simple stories to illustrate core ideas, the authors?all active consultants?introduce a new, flexible model for improving quality and productivity in diverse settings. They draw from research conducted in a variety of areas?manufacturing, government, and schools?to present a practical tool kit of ideas, examples, and applications. What's more, they've included a Resource Guide to Change Concepts so even beginners can utilize the tested techniques of some of the world's most experienced practitioners.
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful. One omission distresses me........2007-06-09
Clear, practical, and empowering. The authors are ambivalent on whether or not they will keep the focus on business operations; from the start they're keen to promote to a fully generic application, but the examples veer to and away from the business world, finally settling there a bit awkwardly.
The Change Concepts index near the end is a great idea, but the scope is confused along the lines I've already cited, and you might feel stuck in the QC department by the time you get through it. That's a bit of a shame, because one wonders if the challenges so elegantly met by the improvement model couldn't be cast in a more universal mode. (One also realizes one doesn't have the time to pursue this thought to fruition.) More pertinently, I'm trying to learn business process engineering, and it's easy to see a list dedicated to that discipline would be different. So despite the book's opening claims to a generic application, I felt stranded in one small tributary of the mighty River Improvement.
Nonetheless, I feel enabled by the book to succeed in my company where others have failed. It's so easy now to see how attempted improvements went wrong, through poor planning or inappropriate opening scope or simply through a failure to acknowledge real benefits when they happened. These pitfalls can be avoided, and the book shows how.
Now, I will mention an important omission. In my workplace I have to test and pilot and implement changes that are complex because a single change has no effect -- rather, two or more changes must be made at the same time, because they are mutually contingent. Management is not sure about A, nor about B. I would like to test A and get a decision, and I would like to treat B as a separate decision path. But they depend on each other, so things aren't so simple. (This is a point where Darwin's theory of cumulative biological mutation fails, if you care to know.) A mechanic troubleshooting your car's ignition system could give you concrete examples, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any in this book. My sense of empowerment has suffered correspondingly.
I just read the Philippy review..........2007-05-16
...and feel compelled to write in response. I must say it is hard to believe that Mr. Philippy and I are looking at the same book. I wrote an extensive review of this book already some time ago (it is listed below) and still feel the same way, even stronger. The Improvement Guide has continued to be, for me and my students/clients/mentees the "here's how" of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's philosophy. I am at a loss to find any hint of self-promotion of the authors in the book, save what one could reasonably infer about the competency and knowledge of the authors given the wealth of useful, in depth examples it contains. These could only come from deep knowledge of the theory and extensive successful experience in its practice. This book is as devoid of self-aggrandizement as any I have ever read.
I take considerable comfort from the fact that given the principles exemplified by the book, it is unlikely that the authors will over-react and over-adjust their professional aims in response to a single review, and will instead continue the fine work that has been done in this volume. My only question is, will there be a second edition? I would love to see it. In tenor and tone, I for one hope that it is exactly like this one....
David Wayne
[...]
Shallow and Pedantic.......2007-01-22
I should qualify this review by stating that I am not an expert on the subject of improvement. This book will not make you or even guide you to expertise. The only shining concept within the book, PDSA, is a great format for structuring improvement within a company, but could have been summed up successfully in 20 pages or less. BOOKS SHOULD NOT SPEND A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR VOLUME ADVERTISING THEMSELVES!
The Improvement Guide.......2006-03-11
A very clear update of performance improvement process for business. Can be used as an introduction to the concept for newly trained staff and an everyday reference for those working on real projects.
A must read for all Black Belts.......2002-08-13
This is a very practical and powerful guide for improvement.
1. The first revelation this book brings is: improvement is a change. From this viewpoint, the fundamental questions faced by the improver (e.g. Green Belts and Black Belts) are:
(1) What are we trying to accomplish? (Define phase)
(2) How will we know if a change will result in an improvement? (What are the key Y's?)
(3) What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
(What are the key X's and their settings to affect Y's)
Appropriate tools from `6-sigma' tool sets can be used to seek answers to (2) and (3).
2. The Guide emphasizes testing a change in small scale before full implementation so we can learn and improve the proposed change using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. This significantly improves our typical `trial-and-error' approach.
3. The Guide classifies improvement into 3 categories:
(1) Eliminate Quality Problems (the aim of many `6-sigma' projects)
(2) Reduce Costs while maintaining or improving quality (the goal of many internally focused improvement efforts)
(3) Expanding Customer Expectations
Specific advises and examples are presented for each of these categories.
4. Best of all is a list of 70 Change Concepts categorized under 9 sessions, e.g. standardization under Manage Variation, Synchronize under Improve Work Flow.
Using these change concepts can significantly reduce the time to develop the specific changes.
This book is very easy to follow and contains a lot of examples. It is a must read for all improvement practitioners including Green Belts and Black Belts.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent buy
- Confusing to say the least
- Fantastic algorithms book
- Good Reference, Poor Textbook
- Too much and too little
|
Introduction to Algorithms
Thomas H. Cormen ,
Charles E. Leiserson ,
Ronald L. Rivest , and
Clifford Stein
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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ASIN: 0262032937 |
Amazon.com
Aimed at any serious programmer or computer science student, the new second edition of Introduction to Algorithms builds on the tradition of the original with a truly magisterial guide to the world of algorithms. Clearly presented, mathematically rigorous, and yet approachable even for the math-averse, this title sets a high standard for a textbook and reference to the best algorithms for solving a wide range of computing problems.
With sample problems and mathematical proofs demonstrating the correctness of each algorithm, this book is ideal as a textbook for classroom study, but its reach doesn't end there. The authors do a fine job of explaining each algorithm. (Reference sections on basic mathematical notation will help readers bridge the gap, but it will help to have some math background to appreciate the full achievement of this handsome hardcover volume.) Every algorithm is presented in pseudo-code, which can be implemented in any computer language, including C/C++ and Java. This ecumenical approach is one of the book's strengths. When it comes to sorting and common data structures, from basic linked lists to trees (including binary trees, red-black, and B-trees), this title really shines, with clear diagrams that show algorithms in operation. Even if you just glance over the mathematical notation here, you can definitely benefit from this text in other ways.
The book moves forward with more advanced algorithms that implement strategies for solving more complicated problems (including dynamic programming techniques, greedy algorithms, and amortized analysis). Algorithms for graphing problems (used in such real-world business problems as optimizing flight schedules or flow through pipelines) come next. In each case, the authors provide the best from current research in each topic, along with sample solutions.
This text closes with a grab bag of useful algorithms including matrix operations and linear programming, evaluating polynomials, and the well-known Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) (useful in signal processing and engineering). Final sections on "NP-complete" problems, like the well-known traveling salesman problem, show off that while not all problems have a demonstrably final and best answer, algorithms that generate acceptable approximate solutions can still be used to generate useful, real-world answers.
Throughout this text, the authors anchor their discussion of algorithms with current examples drawn from molecular biology (like the Human Genome Project), business, and engineering. Each section ends with short discussions of related historical material, often discussing original research in each area of algorithms. On the whole, they argue successfully that algorithms are a "technology" just like hardware and software that can be used to write better software that does more, with better performance. Along with classic books on algorithms (like Donald Knuth's three-volume set, The Art of Computer Programming), this title sets a new standard for compiling the best research in algorithms. For any experienced developer, regardless of their chosen language, this text deserves a close look for extending the range and performance of real-world software. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered: Overview of algorithms (including algorithms as a technology); designing and analyzing algorithms; asymptotic notation; recurrences and recursion; probabilistic analysis and randomized algorithms; heapsort algorithms; priority queues; quicksort algorithms; linear time sorting (including radix and bucket sort); medians and order statistics (including minimum and maximum); introduction to data structures (stacks, queues, linked lists, and rooted trees); hash tables (including hash functions); binary search trees; red-black trees; augmenting data structures for custom applications; dynamic programming explained (including assembly-line scheduling, matrix-chain multiplication, and optimal binary search trees); greedy algorithms (including Huffman codes and task-scheduling problems); amortized analysis (the accounting and potential methods); advanced data structures (including B-trees, binomial and Fibonacci heaps, representing disjoint sets in data structures); graph algorithms (representing graphs, minimum spanning trees, single-source shortest paths, all-pairs shortest paths, and maximum flow algorithms); sorting networks; matrix operations; linear programming (standard and slack forms); polynomials and the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT); number theoretic algorithms (including greatest common divisor, modular arithmetic, the Chinese remainder theorem, RSA public-key encryption, primality testing, integer factorization); string matching; computational geometry (including finding the convex hull); NP-completeness (including sample real-world NP-complete problems and their insolvability); approximation algorithms for NP-complete problems (including the traveling salesman problem); reference sections for summations and other mathematical notation, sets, relations, functions, graphs and trees, as well as counting and probability backgrounder (plus geometric and binomial distributions).
Book Description
There are books on algorithms that are rigorous but incomplete and others that cover masses of material but lack rigor. Introduction to Algorithms combines rigor and comprehensiveness.
The book covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers. Each chapter is relatively self-contained and can be used as a unit of study. The algorithms are described in English and in a pseudocode designed to be readable by anyone who has done a little programming. The explanations have been kept elementary without sacrificing depth of coverage or mathematical rigor.
The first edition became the standard reference for professionals and a widely used text in universities worldwide. The second edition features new chapters on the role of algorithms, probabilistic analysis and randomized algorithms, and linear programming, as well as extensive revisions to virtually every section of the book. In a subtle but important change, loop invariants are introduced early and used throughout the text to prove algorithm correctness. Without changing the mathematical and analytic focus, the authors have moved much of the mathematical foundations material from Part I to an appendix and have included additional motivational material at the beginning.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent buy.......2007-09-24
I bought a new copy of the book, and was happy to receive it the way I expected. Got free shipping with this one.
Confusing to say the least.......2007-09-14
This book does not provide enough examples to really get the ideas across. It is a thick read that provides little help to the subject matter unless the reader already has a wealth of knowledge on mathematical proofs and algorithms to begin with.
If the book had a solution manual, or at least explained many of the things that occur in the problem sections that never show up in the actual reading, then it would be a much easier to understand textbook.
Fantastic algorithms book.......2007-06-03
This is one of the few books that I've kept from my undergrad days as a computer science major. Although I haven't been doing software development in a while, I still use it for reference once in a while. It's easy to understand and timeless reference book. I work for a large DoD company and quite a few of my co-workers have this book on their shelves as well. (We all went to different colleges.)
Good Reference, Poor Textbook.......2007-04-19
This is a good reference for researchers, but it is not suitable for beginners. For anyone who try to study algorithms in the beginning, he just needs the big picture of this course, but this book contains too many mathematical proofs. In other words, the beginners just want a cup of milk, but the authors of this book give them a whole cow.
Although this book is quite huge, it does not contain some important topics, like online algorithms, randomized algorithms ... etc. In fact, this book should try to 'lose its weight' in order to get more useful knowledge.
The book contains a lot of interesting exercises, but does not indicate any hints or solutions. In fact, some of those exercises are too hard for students, and the authors should try to announce all sloutions in the website.
Too much and too little.......2007-03-02
+ Defacto standard
+ Accompanying WebCourse
- Too deep if used as an intro book; lacks solutions if used for a reference book
- It's HUGE!; hard to carry around
= Tries to appease too wide an audience. Definately attractive to professors who already know the information and feel this is THE book yet probably too deep for an intro algorithms class. Wish there was a searchable pdf version that came with the book on a CD as well as odd numbered solutions.
Book Description
As founder of Beckwith Advertising and Marketing, HarryBeckwith learned early on in his career that no matter what product isbeing sold, the most important component of the sale is you. Here Beckwithteams up with his wife, motivational speaker and former sales executiveChristine Clifford Beckwith, to provide tips, anecdotes, and insights basedon their 30 years of selling experience. Written in a traditional homespunstyle, the Beckwiths offer doses of humor and practical knowledge to anyonewho wants to learn how to seal the deal and thrive in business.
Customer Reviews:
kris.......2007-09-22
Good book, with lots of wisdom and forgotten common sense. I enjoyed reading the book - very easy style and got pumped up with energy after reading. Brings to light lots of obvious things in life and business, which we tend to easily forget.
Brilliant!.......2007-09-22
Like Beckwith's other books (I've read them all), I really enjoyed it. For me, each book has built on the previous one. I also find Beckwith's books easy to read. It's as if they are written in "bite-size" pieces to be easily digested. :-) Once I get started, I have a hard time putting them down. I read You, Inc. in two sittings. My brain feels like it "ate too much!"
You, Inc. is another book I will highly recommend to my dental colleagues. Well, I've recommended ALL of Beckwith's books to my dentist friends! I think You, Inc. and What Clients Love are particularly well-suited for dentists. Both of them are "chock-full" of pearls. Both are books that should be read multiple times. And, I've used many of Beckwith's concepts in my website and my business.
Between my wife and me, our copy of You, Inc. has virtually doubled in thickness because of all the dog-eared pages. It won't even close normally!
You, Inc. was an outstanding read, and I know I'll be putting some of the ideas to work starting tomorrow!
So so.......2007-09-15
Sorry everybody but I didn't think this book was all that great. There really wasn't anything new in here that I haven't read or heard before. It seems like all books like this have the same ideas but put in someone else's words or through their own stories.
Great for anyone/any industry.......2007-08-31
YOU
This book (I bought Audio Book for my car) Is an easy read/listen and has become one of my favorites.
A wealth of information and little nuggets to sell/present yourself.
I have already applied little things in my practice that made a difference and also will recommend this book for my business coaching clients.
Get it, you wont regret it.
Get personal!.......2007-08-23
This is a great book filled with memorable stories that help drive home the various lessons. I would recommend this book to just about anyone, regardless of where they may be in their career.
It's a great refresher on the fundamental interpersonal skills that we often take for granted in our day-to-day dealings with people. These are the skills that help us build lasting personal relationships and ultimately benefit us in both business and life over the long haul.
P.S. The use of stories makes the audio version is an extremely easy listen.
Book Description
This text approaches Project Management from a holistic, balanced perspective. The text is developed around a philosophy of a project-driven organization committed to continuous improvement and organizational learning. The text is holistic--it directs attention to the needed linkage between projects and organizational strategy. Many project management textbooks emphasize the technical aspects of the subject, while providing scant attention to the human element in projects. This text succeeds in redressing the balance by treating both the technical and the behavioral aspects of the subject in nearly equal parts. Such a balance is possible because of the complementary backgrounds of the authors: Gray, a specialist in project management systems with an operations background, provides strong technical coverage of project management. Larson, whose professional background is in organizational behavior, brings a distinctive behavioral perspective to the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Good textbook for a novice.......2007-07-01
It seems that many people didn't like this book, but I used it for a class on PM & found it to be pretty good. I had no prior knowledge of the field. I really liked the accompanying Student CD-ROM for study & review of the material. I used the Microsoft Project trial CD-ROM & found that extremely useful also. I would recommend it as introductory material.
Good to go........2007-04-02
Product was delivered on time and in the condition as described. Good deal.
This is the worst textbook I have ever seen.......2007-01-11
There are phrases and questions that worded very poorly. Many times I have to re-read a section 3-4 times to try to decipher. Many of the questions do not apply or correspond the text.
The exercises in the back of the book have not connection to the actual material. Quite often the reader is left to searching the Internet or consulting the teacher to fill in the gaps.
This is a very poorly written book, and will likely cause more confusion than it educates.
Excellent!.......2006-08-04
It seems like this textbook has gotten bad phrase and for no good reason. This book is a college level textbook and is perfect in conjuction with appropriate teaching. A person can not simply book pick up this book, skim through a few chapters and expect to understand the management process without being taught by a professor. My advice, go to college and learn the process properly.
virtually fraud.......2006-05-04
Be warned. The Office Project program advertised as included is a trial version. The ad does not say this. Now I have to turn around a buy a new program- Amazon customer service says it isn't their fault. I really needed the book and the program for a class due to start in four days. Now I'm really stuck. Amazon is even trying to get me to pay for the return shipping!
Book Description
The Advantage Series presents the Why, What and How of computer application skills to today's students. Each lab in this series is built upon an efficient learning model, which provides students and faculty with complete coverage and enhances critical thinking skills.
Book Description
Noted for its innovative coverage of the West and the environment, this best selling U.S. history text provides students with a clear political narrative that incorporates social, cultural, military, and economic history.
Each chapter begins with a dramatic vignette that both draws students into the chapter and presents the chapter's main themes. The vignettes are followed by three to five focus questions that provide a framework to help students understand the most important topics in the chapter.
- The last chapter of the book focuses exclusively on the Clinton administration.
Customer Reviews:
Read me a story.......2005-09-24
This book is a joy to read because the text flows in such a way that one would think he was reading the History Channel. While that may seem terrible to some, the book draws not just on secondary sources with a "hindsight" attitude toward the subject matter, but rather engages the reader by reflecting on primary sources, on individual stories while still giving the bigger picture. The incorporation of culural history is one of the main reasons I enjoyed this text, but I also liked how modern finds about certain events (such as the spainish american war) were given alongside the popular thought of the day.
A Great Book, But Expensive and Difficult in High School.......2005-06-11
I used the third edition of this book, it was only one volume covering from clonial age to the first election of Clinton. This was the book assigned to my high school and AP history class (my setup was weird 4 periods a week of standard High School history, and 2 a week of AP level history). This book prepared me really well for the AP US Exam, while I have not yet received my score, I am very confident I knew the material well. This book also really helped me for the SAT Subject Test: US History, on which I scored a 96th percentile 780. While this book is good for intense history courses, I believe it is too hard for a standard high school level US History course. This is because it covers too much material for that type of class. This book is very well written, and at times can often be interesting to read, what other text books can say that.
Very Concise.......2003-03-27
This book was very detailed and comprehensive. I used it along with two other books in my AP US History class. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because it jumped around too much perhaps it could have talked about the 1930s in Chapter 24 then back to the 1920s in 25.
Informative and readable.......2002-10-23
Lets face it a lot of history texts are prozaic and they do not have to be. Boyer and the other contributers deliver a text that is well written in the sense that it is somewhat enjoyable. The most important aspect of a text book is the information and The Enduring Vision does not fall short here either. I have used this book for background information in American history as a serious history student. It is a great source for quickly refreshing your mind on seldom visited topics. This would also make an excellent high school history text, but was really written for introductry college courses in American history from the colonial era to the present.
Comprehensive "Vision" Provides Powerful Insight.......2001-05-11
I used The Enduring Vision as a text for my AP US History class in high school. The organization, development, and discussion in the book increased my understanding of each era of our history. When used as one of two or three texts for the AP class (which I do recommend), The Enduring Vision provided me with insight into the major aspects of our history. The Student Manual to accompany The Enduring Vision was also a helpful tool in preparing for the AP Exam.
Book Description
Classic essays by one of the most original and stimulating anthropologists of his generation on what culture is, what role it plays in social life, and how it ought to be properly studied.
Customer Reviews:
An Academic Giant.......2007-02-08
This is a book for scholars but it is very readable and will definitely throw you into what anthropology is (should be?) about. You might have to read through each essay a couple of times to make sure you understood the points he was making, but it's not annoying to do because the points he is making are so excellent.
One of the best book purchases I have ever made.
An Imperative Classic.......2004-10-04
"Man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs..."
These cultural "webs of significance" Clifford Geertz speaks of are constructed of religious beliefs and practices, cultural customs, social interactions, attitudes and behavior -- everything around us that we have constructed as rational beings capable of thought and imagination. According to Geertz, the role of the anthropologist is, in a sense, to 'decode' the symbolic meanings of these certain events, practices, customs and interactions that take place within a specific culture, however insignificant they may seem to the observer. Detail is of utmost importance. An anthropologist must become part of the culture -- looking in from the outside he will understand nothing. Of course, in order to reduce the occurrence of the anthropologist's own cultural bias and to attempt to more accurately understand a culture, one could easily say that it is imperative that anthropologists emerge themselves in the customs and practices of that culture. But, even then, is it ever possible for one to grasp an understanding of a culture in which one was not born into? Are humans socialized from birth to perceive all cultural customs and practices through a shady lens, clouded by perceptions of the world they have acquired during childhood?
Geertz believes that, while to some extent it is possible to reach an understanding of a culture outside of our own, it is important to understand that anthropological writing is merely a "thick description," an interpretation of an interpretation. In other words, the anthropologist is interpreting the culture's interpretation of the event that is taking place. There is nothing precise, categorically logical or rational about anthropological writing: Cultural analysis is strictly the process of creating various hypotheses, examining those hypotheses, and then deriving explanations from the best hypotheses. As Geertz says, the analysis of it is not an "experimental science in search of law" but, rather, "an interpretive one in search of meaning." It is the job of an anthropologist to first attempt to understand how an event is interpreted by the culture in which it takes place, then to make an interpretation of that interpretation, and then it is left up to the reader of anthropological writing to interpret the final interpretations. It is difficult, if not impossible, to derive any absolute factual conclusion from data constructed of so many interpretive layers; thus, interpretation is not definitive.
The role of an anthropologist, according to Geertz, is to construct the finest interpretations possible, and most importantly, to be an active participant in the culture, rather than a passive observer.
This book is THE classical text for a modern cultural anthropologist. It's also an excellent book for anyone skeptical of social science in general, and serves as a great introduction for anyone just curious about anthropology.
From Universals to Particulars.......2002-04-30
The Interpretation of Culture by Clifford Geertz is concerned with articulating a particular view of what culture is, what role it plays in social life, and proposes a methodology with which it should be studied. Geertz posits that culture should not be seen as a science in search of law but instead as an interpretation in search of meaning. "The concept of culture I espouse, and whose utility the essays below attempt to demonstrate, is essentially a semiotic one. Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning. It is explication I am after, construing social expression on their surface enigmatical. But this pronouncement, a doctrine in a clause demands itself some explication" (p5)
In part 1, Geertz begins with "Thick Description: Toward an Interpretative Theory of Culture". This, the first essay in the series explains the complexity of culture and what it is. Geertz explains his semiotics when he writes: "To look at the symbolic dimensions of social action - art, religion, ideology, science, law, morality, common sense - is not to turn away from the existential dilemmas of life for some empyrean realm of deemotionalized forms: it is to plunge into the midst of them. The essential vocations, but to make available to us answers that others, guarding other sheep in other valleys, have given, and thus to include them in the consultable record of what man has said." (p30) In part 2, Geertz explores different dimensions of culture. Culture is a "template" or "program". As individuals, we learn it then modify it. Geertz fails to explain how these templates come to be and be modified but posits that they become "common sense" of Platonic propositions and continue to be so. "In attempting to launch such an integration from the anthropological side and to reach, thereby, a more exact image of man, I want to propose two ideas. The first of these is that culture is best seen not as complexes of concrete behavior patterns - customs, usages, traditions, habit clusters - as has, by and large, been the case up to now, but as a set of control mechanisms - plans, recipes, rules, instructions (what computer engineers call "programs") - for the governing of behavior. The second idea is that man is precisely the animal most desperately dependent upon such extragenetic, outside-the-skin control mechanisms, such as cultural programs, for ordering his behavior." (p44) Part 3 centers on religion. Part 4 is the "thickest" sets of essays including "Ideology As a Cultural System" and "The Politics of Meaning". In chapter 8, Geertz identifies what he sees as the phenomenon of ideology and how ideology is vilified as a space for something that is epistemologically "Other". "That the conception of ideology now regnant in the social sciences is a thoroughly evaluative (that is, pejorative) one is readily enough demonstrated. "[The study of ideology] deals with a mode of thinking which is thrown off its proper course,"" (p196)
The final section part 5 is where is all come together for me. The last portion is his examination of Levi-Strauss and Geertz's "breaking through the veil" in "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight." I will deal with the latter first then tackle what I see as his inability to see merit in the universals. As if transported by some form of deja vu, I "feel" Geertz when he wrote about suddenly being part of the milieu. In "The Cerebral Savage: On the work of Claude Levi-Strauss" Geertz takes apart Levi-Strauss and his humanistic/scientific project. Geertz sees this form of inquiry as bankrupt as anthropologists have "...taken refuge in bloodless universals". (p5). Geertz elaborates on this premise in his critique of Levi-Strauss and his work in "Tristes Tropique". Coming out in a generation that was starting to reflect on "how" they were writing rather than "what" they were writing about, Geertz's critique is a reflection on Levi-Strauss' lack of self reflexivity. In a move that parallels Foucault's in "The Order of Things", Geertz begins his anti-humanist attack on a less reflective mode of writing that, on the inside causes epistemic violence and on the outside is naive and self delusory. "In Levi-Strauss' work the two faces of anthropology - as a way of going at the world and as a method for uncovering lawful relations among empirical facts - are turned in toward one another so as to force a direct confrontation between them rather than (as is more common among ethnologists) out away from one another so as to avoid such a confrontation and the inward stresses which go with it. This accounts both for the power of his work and for its general appeal. It rings with boldness and a kind of reckless candor. But it also accounts for the more intraprofessional suspicion that what is presented as High Science may really be an ingenious and somewhat roundabout attempt to defend a metaphysical position, advance argument, and serve a moral cause." (p346-347). I agree with Geertz and Foucault with regards to the complexity and need to effect a "thick" description. However, much can still be learned from that scientific/humanist Man centered project. The Enlightenment and its project has been credited for the wonderfully contradictory le mission civilastrice which accord to Fanon is such a contradiction in that the ideology that places man at the center, is responsible for so much killing. If Levi-Strauss is doing the same thing theoretically, then he is complicit in this move to reinforce placing Man at the center and to submit us to its results. With Geertz and Foucault we can hopefully find a more "enlightened" middle ground.
Miguel Llora
Just a Continuation of Anti-Progressive, Anti-Science.......2002-02-15
In the typical post-modernist sense, Geertz seeks to cast doubt on everything without leaving us with anything in place. Just like other post modernists, his theories are so vague, poorly stated, and in generally strange that they cannot be proved right or wrong. Even if he, like other post-modernists, is right, we do not gain anything but perhaps a somewhat edited understanding of our world.
The field of cultural anthropology in and of itself is a "shady" field. The lack of biological evidence to back up Geertz's claims is immense. To think the Central Nervous System is a result of culture is simply asinine. To think that somehow culture exists out there for us to grab and chose and that it is somehow transferred through our genes and eventually influences evolution is outright ridiculous.
Just because you can make claims and cast doubt on opposing claims does not mean you are correct. There is little evidence to show that the human race is still undergoing evolution in the Darwinian sense. Geertz's failure, or rather deliberate attempt to, distinguish between the mind and the brain shows his general distaste for any sort of reasonable logic.
Please: Someone rescue anthropology from its current blinding veil of post modernist, post-structuralist ideology. Post modernism is like chewing gum that sticks to your shoe sole and impedes you from moving forward. OK, so it has our attention, now let us get it off our feet, move on into the future, and leave this decrepit, inane theory behind us all.
An intellectual giant well ahead of his time.......2000-04-13
When i found his Book - or rather a few of its included essays - it was like if it just had been laying there waiting for me to handle some of the very fundamental puzzlement I've had with the grand theories in social science. I have found use of it in my reflections about the link between micro- and macro elements of society postulated by such giants as George Ritzer and Jeffrey Alexander, as well the classical distinction between the existential and normative character of culture itself - formally defined in Anthony Giddens distinction between signification and legitimation - and, even more important, helping me to understand the analytical dualism of culture and structure made by Margaret Archer. Geertz was far ahead of them all, perhaps due to an enormously rich empirical material - which both enriches the "thick" theories he has as well as function as a pedagogic device to illustrate the points he makes. A must for anyone with an interest in how och why individuals and societys work as they do, regardles of beeing in the discipline of sociology, anthropology or any other field within social scienses.
Average customer rating:
- Comprehensive, well illustrated, and fascinating
- Get knotting...
- THE One Source for Knots
- Try the square knot first
- The Final Authority on Knots
|
Ashley Book of Knots
Clifford Ashley
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Marlinspike Sailor
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The Complete Book of Decorative Knots
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ASIN: 0385040253
Release Date: 1944-06-21 |
Amazon.com
The Ashley Book of Knots takes us back to a time when knots saved lives and put dinner on the table. Whether out at sea or in a pioneer cabin, knots were a part of daily life, one that is nearly lost today. But in this attractive, well-organized archive of more than 3,900 different knots--presented through 7,000 illustrations--the art of knot tying lives on, both as a historical reference and a reservoir of handy knowledge.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive, well illustrated, and fascinating.......2007-09-21
This is an excellent book for flipping through. It is well illustrated, and the descriptions of the knots are full of great information. I have encountered a few knots that I couldn't tie based on the words and pictures, but the vast majority of them are clear and can be mastered with a few minutes' effort.
My only real complaint is that, with the book alone, it is difficult to look up a particular knot by name. However, since the Ashley Book of Knots is the standard reference, Google is extremely well suited to overcoming this limitation. For example, the index doesn't mention Monkey's Fist, so I googled "monkey's fist ABOK" and didn't even have click any links before I found the correct number (2200).
All told, this is a great book and I'd recommend it highly.
Get knotting..........2007-09-05
As a self proclaimed 'knot enthusiast', I'll challenge that you're not a REAL knotter till the 'Ashley Book of Knots' is on your shelf! I've had hour apon hour of fun reading up and then trying all but the most difficult knots shown in this veritable encyclopaedia.. It makes a great talking point with dinner guests too!
THE One Source for Knots.......2007-08-29
I do decorative knotting and collect knotting books. This should have been one of my first purchases. This book has amazing historical and useage information as well as excellent drawings. The 620 pages are almost totally covered with how-to drawings and explanations of the knots. All the knots are numbered. When a new knot is introduced that is similar to a previous one, it references that number. Some of the names of knots are not what I've seen in other books, but I don't see that as a problem. If I could only buy one knot book, this would be it.
Try the square knot first.......2007-06-27
This is a fantastic book of knots. I would caution though that it is not an unstructional book with step by step details on how to tie the knots. If you have a basic understanding of knots you can figure out how to tie most of the knots in the book and with some practice and research you could get to where you could manage to tie anything I'm sure. This is a book that I thought I would add to my library but it seems I take it everywhere with me as I am fascinated with the different knots that I can continue to learn and teach to others.
The Final Authority on Knots.......2007-06-27
This is the ONE. The bible to sailors. The final authority to marlinspike seamanship and knot work. Worth every penny!
Book Description
This has been the # 1 Intro to Corrections book in the market for nearly 30 years. The newest edition retains the majority of the content that makes it a favorite, namely the comprehensive coverage that spans the field’s history from its inception in the 1800s to present day correctional trends. The text integrates well designed learning aids such as Fast Facts and Correctional Briefs to effectively reinforce the subject matter. An outstanding CD Rom accompanies the book, which includes videos featuring the authors’ overview of each chapter, as well as introducing leading criminologists on pertinent topics. The authors address hot trends, present unbiased views on controversial issues and bring the reader face-to-face with key players in both the world of corrections and the offenders who make the system necessary.
Covers corrections' most controversial issues including female offenders, re-entry, special category offenders, probation, and the hybrid jail system. Presents first-hand true stories from big players in the corrections field to bring the issues, challenges and triumphs to life. Analyzes the efficiency of how today’s correctional programs are functioning. Details the court process and alternatives to imprisonment. Looks at local, state, federal prison systems along with private sector systems.
For courses in Introduction to Corrections, Institutional Corrections, and Crime and Punishment. Also an excellent reference for anyone currently working in the corrections field.
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