Customer Reviews:
Speed Dating.......2007-06-26
Dylan Hargreave is waiting for his date. When Kendall Clarke sneaks into his room, he ushers them off to his ex wife's wedding. Kendall plays along because her fiancé just left her and she wants to do something outrageous for once. Dylan and Kendall spend a great night together that turns into more when Kendall loses her job and becomes Dylan's good luck charm, and his girlfriend for the cameras. Eventually Kendall wants more, but Dylan isn't offering.
Kendall is a real sweetheart. I was heartbroken for her for a while and I was angry with Dylan. He was a great guy but he had some issues with his ex that a good kick in the butt might have cured. Speed Dating has a fun, romantic and angst filled storyline. It has feeling and heart and I felt a whole lot while reading it.
Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
"Feel the Rush...".......2007-02-26
Book Description: One minute I'm locked out of my hotel room, and the next... Dylan Hargreave thinks I'm an actress paid to pose as his girlfriend at a North Carolina society wedding. How did this happen to me, of all people? Kendall Clarke, award-winning actuary, the veritable shining star of number crunchers who, just hours ago, learned her responsible fiancé (sorry, ex-fiancé) called off our wedding because he'd gotten one of my colleagues pregnant. What are the odds? Don't tell me you've never heard of Dylan Hargreave. Celebrity NASCAR driver? People magazine's Sexiest Man of the Year? Those eyes. That smile... Forget sensible! I've assessed the risk and I'm taking it! I usually keep the brakes on, but as of now I'm taking a vacation. From me.
The story of Dylan Hargreave and Kendall Clarke was fun, funny and combined romance with a little dysfunctional family drama, self esteem and self image issues, personal growth, etc with a NASCAR backdrop. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
benched for this series........2007-02-24
If you like romances that are sugary sweet, close the bedroom door and you can buy NASCAR drivers are really a bunch of good guys who want to settle down with a 50's style TV sitcom mom - this is your book. As for me, I think I am going to stick to Warren's Blaze and Brava books.
Kendall Clarke doesn't like her life. She just found out the man she was planing to marry knocked up a coworker. She made an fool of herself in front of her peers and her bosses. Now her job is in question, so she takes a vacation from life when the chance comes up.
Dylan Hargreave I really wanted to like but I could never get over the fact he `needed' a woman to protect him from his ex-wife. He is pretty much a beta hero, if that protect him from his ex-wife thing didn't tip you off. He is a handsome, laid back, easy going, need for speed type of guy. Who you know, can't tell his ex-wife he isn't interested in getting back together.
I have enjoyed Nancy Warren's books in the past and plan to read her again. I just can't buy the vision NASCAR is trying to sell of itself, so I am sitting out for the rest of this series.
fun contemporary romance .......2007-02-14
People magazine named NASCAR driver Dylan Hargreave its Sexiest Male of the Year. Women salivate over this hunk who takes risks like no one does.
Kendall Clarke is an actuary engaged to another number cruncher. She calculates the odds before considering the slightest risk.
They meet by chance, but he assumes she is the actress hired to pose as his date at a North Carolina society wedding. They are opposites in outlook yet an instant attraction has ignited and united them. Still she is engaged (or is she) and he can taste the insipidness of his former wife. Yet this pair seems headed to the checkered flag as love links them.
Though the theme of opposites attract is as old as coupling, Nancy Warren provides a fun contemporary romance due to the lead characters driving the plot. Dylan is a loose cannon who takes risks without considering the odds of success; while Kendall is the actuary centerfold who computes the probability before taking a baby step. Together they make for a fun time as they speed date to love with the world of NASCAR and the media watching every turn of the wheel.
Harriet Klausner
nancy warren does it again!.......2007-02-11
Speed Dating is smart, funny and innovative--where else would you meet NASCAR heart throb Carl Edwards cast as a character in a hot romance? Warren's sense of the improbable and her ability to weave a flawless, touching tale keeps the reader flipping pages and giggling. Whether or not NASCAR is your passion, Speed Dating will delight and entertain.
Book Description
Updated to reflect the major changes in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the last few years, this third edition of CRM at the Speed of Light: Capturing and Keeping Customers in Real Time is a must-read for executives looking to leverage the latest technologies on the market to reach and retain customers. Learn CRM concepts, discover what tools are available and which ones are suitable for your business, and get practical, expert advice on avoiding common pitfalls.
Customer Reviews:
Not insightful.......2007-05-24
This a book that's not terribly insightful about CRM. It's a broad brush overview of commercial applications in the space and some conventional wisdom. Found it to have much repetitious pedantic pages. Wished that there were more discussion on business process and best practices.
Wow!.......2007-05-14
Great resource! Filled with lots of statistics for CRM industry and great insite into the challenges.
Very Good Reading - even for small business crm interest.......2003-11-04
This is an excellent book for those interested in understanding the strategy behind CRM.
Great tehnology review.......2003-06-14
This is the bible for defining what CRM is, and is not, as well as categorizing all the technology offerings and giving good advice as to how to choose the right technology. I also read "CRM For The Common Man" by Russ Lombardo and thought it was a great precursor to CRM at the Speed of Light. CRM For The Common Man describes how to plan your CRM strategy up front, while Greenberg's book takes you to the next steps involving the technology. A great pair.
What a great education!.......2002-03-15
This book was truly one of the greatest educational books I've read. Whether it was intended for this or not, I don't know but what a great business overview of what CRM is as a whole. Paul's ability to simplify and his great sense of humour makes this book easy to read, easy to understand and was actually one of the most fun and informative books I've read in awhile. If your looking for a great understanding of CRM with a book that is hard to put down, this is the one. I can't wait for his second edition!
Book Description
Using examples drawn from businesses of all types and sizes, Simple Truth explains the straightforward techniques that can lead to lasting success-and profits.
Customer Reviews:
Common Business Sense, Southern Style.......2005-01-25
Much like the author, I have all of the standard business and management books in my collection. The Simple Truth summarizes the relevant principles of them all in a concise and well-organized fashion. It is very easy to read and provides some excellent food for thought (pardon the pun). I'm in the IT business and I find the Simple Truth is just as applicable for technology as it is for hospitality. This book is now the most referenced title in my collection. Great job Alex!
The Simple Ingredient.......2004-05-29
I've read or listened to many books Covey, Robbins, Rohn, and many others. "The Simple Truth" really sums them all up in a nice package that's an easy read. It gives you so many thoughts and inspirations on how you can improve your own business, and the quotes break the monotony. These Authors have wrote it just like the title "Simple". I've now come up with simple idea's that I think really matter to my staff and customers most and put it to work. I recommend to "Let the Simple Truth Set You Free" to grow your business. Thanks from a Customer Relations Manager.
The Simple Truth for Your Business.......2004-03-19
Relevant,easy to read, insightful and thought provoking. Great writing style. I've already seen results in my business.
Plodd is in the Details!.......2004-02-10
This is a great book no matter what business you are in. It makes you think about the things you do every day in a new light. Stories like the waiter who saw the client's view by sitting at a table remind the reader that things are not always what they appear.
In the post dot com age, it is nice to see a back to basics business cook book by two gentlemen who certainly know their way around the commerce kitchen.
Book Description
Quantum physicists study the nature of light. The Bible speaks of light when talking about God. Near-death experiences describe going to a light that is welcoming, intelligent, and loving. Strangest of all, however, is the similarity of all these descriptions of the nature, presence, and behavior of light to descriptions of the nature of God.
Could it be that light and God are one in the same? Physician Lee Baumann makes a case for exactly that. From many sources, Dr. Baumann has synthesized a compelling picture of what may be the true nature of our universe at all levels- physical, mental, and spiritual.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Explanation.......2006-09-03
Dr. Baumann has presented a difficult topic in an understandable way.
This is a book to study not a quick read through -- if you are truly interested in the subject. rr
This was just what I was looking for........2005-09-06
I had been looking for a book that specifically corelated the scientific structure and nature of light with spirituality. This book did just that. Don't expect an intensly dry scientific, deeply scholarly approach. The book is fairly simple and to the point, but it makes it's point in a clear, readable, straigtforward way. By addressing near death experiences, quantam studies of light, and the cosmological anthropic priciple Baumann makes a case for the existence of God, spirituality, and its immanent proximity to our experience. He does a little Biblical apologetics that is OK, but a tad fundamental for me. Overall I genuinely enjoyed and appreciated this book and would strongly recommend it to those looking into this subject.
Make up your own mind.......2005-06-07
Don't judge this book by the negative reviews. Dr. Baumann has an idea that he documents with scientific data. He is not seeking converts but giving you new ways to look at old ideas. If you are totally opposed to any notion of God, don't bother reading it. Because I found it a fascinating read, doesn't mean I am invoking the supernatural. R. Phillips, MD
Why do we always have to invoke the Supernatural?.......2004-09-15
Richard Dawkins wrote the following 3 books, which completely and UNIMPEACHABLY demonstrated that complex life as we see today could have appeared, and in fact did appear and evolve, here on earth without invoking any intervention from a being more developed than we are (thus no God, Witchcraft, UFO's, magic, intervention, or anything more advanced than we are). Why is this so hard for people to grasp? The 3 Dawkins books are (selfish gene; blind watchmaker; and devil's chaplain).
On another very related note, I recently read a book which was written by a neurosurgeon/neurobiologist called "A brief tour of human consciousness", which very well explains the limitations of our sensory perception organs (eyes, ears, etc). An appearance of "light", or the appearance of feeling or movement of an appendage which has been missing for a long time, is a very limited perception (affixes on about 1.5-3.0% of brain. Even more damaging for this view is that since we can only detect a portion of the visible spectrum (i.e. so far ultraviolet and infrared are mostly undetectible). However, If anyone who digs this book wants to worship "light" as being "God", I am all for anything that gets people thinking.
Personally, for me, if I was to ever accept a God, it would be the rulemaker himselve (i.e. the speed of light is constant, so is gravity, energy and matter are interchangeable in our universe, dark matter prevents the universe from expanding exponentially into nothingness). Please some scientist e-mail me and tell me why there aren't 28 colors instead of the R.O.Y. G. B.I.V. 7 that we have always been taught? How do we know if we don't see them? Why are we so sure that for instance radio waves are not visible if our eyes were only more discriminating?
I wonder if string theory posits completely different bubble universes with differing rules?
Summary: Please understand that "bright lights" will appear anywhere a person is dying at less than an instantaneous death, and the bright light is merely the inability to see anything at the edges of a focused beam.
Geoff Simmons, M.D.. What Darwin Didn't Know.......2004-07-28
Worthwhile read. I found the first half a little heavy in the physics and sometimes hard to follow, but the bottom line was always readily apparent. The second half was particularly worthwhile. It does make one think about light, Schroeder's theories and how scientists truly are at a loss to explain it's quirky behavior and ubiquitous presence.
Customer Reviews:
fun NASCAR romance .......2007-05-09
In the NASCAR Nextel Cup, Gabby O'Farrell has proven competitive although she has not yet won her first race at that level. She has won one time on the NASCAR Busch series, but never at the superbowl level, which is her dream and her socially prominent mother's nightmare.
However, ignoring her mother to compete against the best is one thing even though some think she got the opportunity because her dad, CEO of O'Farrell Industries. However ignoring her feelings for bit boss Vaughn Steiner is much more difficult. She wants him in the worst way and even loves his daughter Stephanie. Unbeknownst to her Vaughn knows how much he cares every time she is on the track as his heart collapses whenever a car is near, which means throughout a race. Winning may prove not enough for this duo to succeed as a couple.
This fun NASCAR romance stars a lead couple who readers will like as they try to remain professional in spite of a deep attraction between them. The racing sequences directly add to the romance as incidents occur on the track that sends Vaughn into male protective mode for the woman he loves. Though her mom and Stephanie's grandmother are nasty characters with no redeeming traits, readers will enjoy Ken Casper's fine spin around the track.
Harriet Klausner
Average customer rating:
- Great Book
- Excellent Science, and very worthy of review
- Spaced Out About Starlight and Time
- A depressing act of desperation
- Starlight and Time
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Starlight and Time: Solving the Puzzle of Distant Starlight in a Young Universe
D. Russell Humphreys
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Starlight and Time
ASIN: 0890512027 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-05-12
It's a very interesting read, with good arguments. Whether you believe his scenario or not, he shows there are still alternative theories than what we are taught. Highly recommended.
Excellent Science, and very worthy of review.......2007-04-19
Many now realize that Darwinian macroevolution is in direct violation of many known scientific laws (such as entropy, biogenesis, mass action, and energy conservation--just to name a few), it is also quite at odds with the fossil record. Even Charles Darwin conceded that geological evidence (including the fossil record) of his day (the late 1800's) contradicted his theory. How much more do the discoveries of the last hundred years or so expose his error? Considering that every supposed time epoch of the earth now has authenticated human artifacts in those strata (proven to not have been introduced at a later time), Darwin's theory is way beyond capability for resuscitation.
What most Evolutionists fail to admit is the fact that much of their "science" has been built upon completely unverifiable assumptions (like the "complete suspension of physical laws" during some distant past epoch in order for the universe to form in accordance to their theory). Moreover, their results are often "bent" to fit their core belief systems (i.e. there "is no God," or rather, their actual deifying of the material universe itself) while some often hypocritically accuse Creationists of doing the same. Even their dating systems are circular with regard to the fossil record (i.e. they date the rock by the fossil and the fossil by the same rock). All of this, while still claiming that their "science" is true, and often that the Creationists are a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals with both bad theology and implausible postulates. The reality is: both evolutionary and creationism theories are dependent in-part on assumptions. The only difference is that Creationists derive theirs from Scripture and find true science often confirms their assumptions, while the Evolutionist essentially invent their assumptions in an attempt to support an already disproven theory.
Moreover, Darwin himself also conceded that if ever man could delve into microbiological structures and discover that irreducible complexity existed (i.e. that the whole could not survive without all of its parts), then his theory would be "absolutely broken down." In modern science, "Darwin's Black Box" (a phrase used also as a book title regarding this issue) has done exactly what the troubled theorist feared--confirmed the absolute absurdity of his theory...and then some. The irreducible complexity of an individual cell has been absolutely proven. Moreover, the marvelous complexity of microbiological structures (such as flagellum) has turned many now-former evolutionists away from the fatally flawed theory--even when some of those same scientists have yet to concede to a Creationist model (although many have). Still more, continued study of DNA has so obliterated evolutionary precepts with their discoveries that it has become increasingly obvious to many that Darwinian Evolution is, in fact, a religion in and of itself, for its defenders show a "religious fervor" in their continuous adherence to an easily debunked theory. Even Humanism (recognized in a 1961 US Supreme Court decision to be a religion) requires its adherents to "believe" in Darwinian evolution.
I would suggest several things to all who might read this review/commentary: One, buy this book Starlight & Time. I HAVE read the book. Therein, every point that others have accused the author, Dr. Russell Humphries, of failing to address is actually covered in remarkable detail. (And quite frankly, I would be surprised if the DVD, which is much later that the book, actually does not answer MORE than the original book. However, I have not yet viewed the DVD.)
Herein, Dr. Humphries does a fine job in detailing his logic and review of relevant facts regarding a young earth creation model, while faithfully utilizing Einstein's General Relativity (GR) theory to support his postulate. He points out (very respectfully, I might add) that Big Bang theorists derive their data from the same sources and process it via the same GR theory he does, but simply add the variable of their preferred Darwinian worldview instead of a biblical paradigm. The GR theory equally processes what is put into it as a "food processor" might, and the only difference that produces varying conclusions in his theory apart from Big Bang theorists is the worldview assumptions that are also fed into the "hopper." His book also contains his actual position papers as appendixes with full data and mathematical calculations in one, and his theology basis in the other.
Second, obtain a copy of "Why Do Men Believe Evolution Against All Odds" by Dr. Carl E. Baugh, and consider the facts. Pay special attention to the final chapter entitled, "Why Good Men Believe Bad Science." Therein, the author (a former Evolutionist himself) describes not only their failed "science" and its impossibility, but also the mental processes and states that allow seemingly educated people to adhere to such a ludicrous belief system (which, even some Evolutionists concede, has hindered true science more than helped it).
Spaced Out About Starlight and Time.......2007-03-22
The absurdities necessary to sustain a Young Earth Creationist (YEC) worldview are literally cosmological in scope as "Starlight and Time" painfully attests. Forcibly mating biblically induced fundamentalist dogma and magical thinking with General Relativity and Cosmology is an act of intellectual and scientific rape - but contemporary YECs never have let their sense of morals prevent them from doing what is 'right.'
"Starlight and Time" purports to show how light could travel billions of light years from distant astronomical objects during the passage of only a few thousand years of Earth time. Even YECs admit that the universe is vast - beyond any biblical cosmology however burlesque their exegetical exertions - but dogmatically refuse to cede that the earth is old - a paradox of their own making, a single snowflake in the blizzard of ignorance that typifies so-called 'creation science.'
The author, Dr. D. Russell Humphreys, posits an alternative cosmology to solve the light travel time problem and assuage febrile creationist sensibilities. Although Humphreys is a physicist, he is untrained in General Relativity or Cosmology, and it shows. His white hole cosmology has been reviewed and found universally wanting by the reality-based scientific community and old earth creationists! Even YEC stalwarts, who routinely swallow shallow sacro-scientific swill, entertain substantial doubts, although leading purveyors of misinformation such as Answers in Genesis (AiG) and the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) continue to disingenuously pimp "Starlight and Time" - even while they subtly admit that it is ultimately flawed.
The core of Humphreys' model is the abandonment of the cosmological principle. Instead, he proposes that the universe is not uniform, but rather has the shape of a sphere with a finite radius. In the model, the universe originated from a single point in the center of the sphere. In effect, Humphreys' model brings to life many of the common misconceptions about what the Big Bang actually says about the origin of the universe.
Humphreys tries to apply General Relativity to the resulting matter distribution, claiming that gravitational time dilation will cause time to pass faster the more distant one is from the center. If one postulates that the earth is very near the center of the universe, Humphreys claims that this resolves a central problem for Young Earth Creationists - how to resolve the evidence for an ancient universe with their demand that the earth was created anywhere from 6,000 to 12,000 years ago.
"Starlight and Time" models the center of the universe as a white hole, the opposite of a black hole (instead of matter only flowing inwards, a white hole constantly emits matter and energy). Humphreys fails to explain why that white hole does not appear to exist anymore - we would notice the extremely strong X-ray flux, if nothing else - but that is far from the only problem with the model. In particular, Humphreys badly mangles the standard General Relativity treatment for gravitational time dilation - in order for time to pass more rapidly far away from the earth, we would need to be near a black hole, not a white hole. Humphreys tried to salvage his model by later claiming a time dilation within the white hole, but this was equally unworkable. It goes without saying that his model fails to explain a vast array of cosmological observations, including the existence of the cosmic microwave background radiation and its anisotropy, supernovae time dilation, light element abundance and so forth.
Humphreys' findings are, to borrow a phrase from the Nobel Prize winning physicist Wolfgang Pauli, "not even wrong." Humphreys later publication "New Vistas of Spacetime Rebut the Critics" orphans his original arguments by inventing fresh fallacies to replace his former fantasies - an unfortunate pattern that permeates all of his work.
Ultimately Humphreys is wrestling with a preposterous hypothesis. His failure is spectacular and totally expected. Any YEC universe consistent with General Relativity must display extraordinarily rapid decreases in the observed redshifts of distant galaxies and cannot contain visible objects which are more than a few thousand light years away!
The redshift anomalies predicted are not observed and objects billions and billions of light years away are routinely surveyed and cataloged. General Relativity and the Big Bang as utilized by reality-based mainstream science trumps the hermit hermeneutics endemic to the 'genesis is an incontrovertible history of the universe' claque of credulous YECs.
If you enjoy convoluted and elastic reasoning as an art form, or wish to build a library of classic YEC calumnies and conceits by all means purchase "Starlight and Time" - it is a tendentious treasure. By any other metrics the demon haunted universe is brain dead and so is this book.
For a reality-based look at the cosmos try The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe by Steven Weinberg or Many Worlds in One: The Search for Other Universes by Alex Vilenkin.
A depressing act of desperation.......2007-03-21
My pastor (a great guy) gave this to me when I expressed my skepticism about literal creationism because of the starlight problem. I found this to be a depressing act of desperation. If this is the best that the creationists can come up with - bad science, muddled thinking, and outrageous science fantasy scenarios that can never be tested, it is a very sad commentary on creationists. As far as intellectual integrity goes, this book is disgusting.
Starlight and Time.......2007-02-19
This is a religious book not a science book. If you are a religious believer save your money you don't need this book. If you are looking for science information look for a different book.
Amazon.com
Among physicists, it is widely assumed that one's greatest chance for a breakthrough discovery will come before one reaches the age of 30. True or not, this idea leads young physicists such as João Magueijo to pull out all the intellectual stops in the search for glory and immortality. In Faster Than the Speed of Light, Magueijo reveals the short, brilliant history of his possibly groundbreaking speculation--VSL, or Variable Light Speed. This notion--that the speed of light changed as the universe expanded after the Big Bang--contradicts no less prominent a figure than Albert Einstein. Because of this, Magueijo has suffered more than a few slings and arrows from hidebound, jealous, or perplexed colleagues. But the young scientist persisted, found a few important allies, and finally managed to shake up the establishment enough to get the attention he merited and craved. Magueijo begins the book with a suitably accessible explanation of special and general relativity, then moves on to the ideas that laid the groundwork for VSL. In the process, he rips the doors off of scientific academia and airs quite a bit of dirty laundry. Comparing himself to Einstein throughout the book, Magueijo approaches his topic and its dissemination with cocksure genius, expecting readers to sympathize with him as he battles to win favor. And we do. The scientific process is "rigorous, competitive, emotional, and argumentative," writes Magueijo. His theory could knock down two solid pillars of cosmology--inflation and relativity. Not only does his radical notion deserve a trial by fire, it also deserves a champion like Magueijo, who isn't afraid of the flames. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
What if the speed of light—now accepted as one of the unchanging foundations of modern physics—were not constant? Brilliant young physicist João Magueijo puts forth the heretical idea that light once traveled faster, in the very early days of the universe—an idea that may dethrone Einstein and forever change our understanding of the universe. Solving the most intractable problems of cosmology in one brilliant leap, Magueijo's varying-speed-of-light theory (VSL) could have truly marvelous implications for space travel, black holes, time dilation, and string theory—and could help uncover the grand unified theory that ultimately eluded Einstein. Faster Than the Speed of Light tells the remarkable story of Magueijo's struggle to understand how the universe works, to challenge long-established ideas, and to fight to have his bold new vision accepted.
Customer Reviews:
Personal & Spiritual Journey of a Cosmologist in the Discovery of VSL Theory.......2007-06-13
This is a fascinating story of a young cosmologist who dared to challenge Einstein's most sacred laws of physics; the speed of light in vacuum is a universal constant. In human experience; space and time are perceived as universally rigid, but Einstein proposed that space & time; space-time could expand or contract but speed of light remains unchanged. On occasions many physicists have wondered, and debated that Varying Speed of Light (VSL) is an alternative explanation to inflation theory. A notable proponent is John Moffat who first expressed this idea to none other than father of relativity himself. Einstein responded by saying that "Every individual has to retain his way of thinking if he does not want to get lost in the maze of possibilities. However, nobody is sure of having taken the right road.... myself least of all." At another instance, Einstein said that "We are standing in front of a closed box which cannot open, and we try to discuss what is inside and what is not." The idea of VSL proposed by this author is not new, but he is one of those who made the theory a little more mainstream in physics. The first half of the book (chapter 2 - 6) discusses the current cosmological problems and inflation theory in layman terms, and in the second half, the author discusses his personal struggles in the pursuit of his controversial theory. He unleashes his mind and heart on any thing that matters; scientific bureaucracy, peer reviewing process, research-grant award mechanism, science administrators, and fellow scientists. The academic rat race is vividly explained along with his leftist and liberal leanings on political and social issues. He expresses cynicism against American and Russian scientists; a reflection of British educational system which refuses to forget 1776 and uncomfortable to admit scientific and technical superiority of another country.
The horizon effect of earth is due to its curvature, but the horizon of the universe is due to two factors; a definite age of the universe (13.7 billion years) and speed of light is constant. A consequence of this is when the universe was one second old, when it is known to have started expanding; the radius of the horizon was 300,000 kilometers. This suggests that the universe at its infancy had regions that did not have direct contact with each other, and thus can not explain the observed homogeneity of the universe (horizon problem). The second puzzle in cosmology is the flatness problem; the fate of the universe due to the dynamics of expansion, which results in three possible shapes; spherical, hyper-spherical (saddle shaped), and flat surface. When forces of expansion and gravity of the universe are matched, then the universe will neither collapse in a crunch nor does it expand endlessly leaving the universe in dark vacuum. This balanced state of the universe is highly unstable because the two opposing forces are nearly matched, when the natural tendency is that either the force of expansion or gravity takes control of the universe to increase entropy (Second law of Thermodynamics). This seemingly peculiar state of the universe is not clearly explained by the current cosmological models which call for a reexamination and perhaps reconsideration of existing theories.
VSL Model; at critical density of the universe, the density of matter that produces gravitational energy is equal to the density of matter producing expansion. In a closed universe (spherical shape), the mass density is above critical density, therefore gravitation supersedes; simultaneously the energy is lost due to a decrease in the speed of light under VSL model (correspondingly mass also decreases since E = MC(2)). Similarly for an open universe, energy is created (correspondingly mass also increases) from vacuum in the wake of expansion from an increase in the speed of light. Thus the universe gravitates to a flat universe in both closed and open situations but violating law of energy conservation (First law of Thermodynamics), because the total energy of the universe did not remain constant. VSL also explains the horizon problem. In VSL model; regions of the universe, which are denser will loss energy, whereas energy will be created in a sparse regions of the universe thereby maintaining homogeneity.
One of the properties of the cosmological constant is that vacuum energy is not diluted by expansion in contrast to matter and radiation. It is gravitationally repulsive and the energy density remains constant upon dilution: Expansion dilutes the lambda energy, but tension created by expansion makes up for the energy dilution thus balancing the power of expansion and gravity and thus keeping the universe flat. Hence vacuum energy theoretically must dominate the universe during expansion, but VSL model suppresses that by converting vacuum energy into matter. Other predictions of VSL include that near black holes the speed of light is zero at the horizon, and it also predicts in an eternal universe with no beginning and no end. Since the cosmic expansion is accelerating and cosmological constant lambda is responsible for slowing the speed of light since a sharp decrease in speed of light converts vacuum energy into ordinary matter and this result in conditions for new Big Bang. The cycle of new creation begins all over again.
The negative side of VSL is the violation of energy conservation, but it provides for converting vacuum energy into the matter. This model also favors infinite speed of light during Planck epoch in order to explain the horizon problem. It is proposed that the primordial speed of light would be 32 zeros added to the current value (an extreme scenario for the varying speed of light!). There are several versions of VSL including two alternatives from the authors work. Ultimately experimental evidence should favor one VSL model over all others. Although the author mainstreamed this theory in physics but his shabby literature search ignored the work of John Moffat who must get the credit for the discovery of VSL theory.
The Drama of a Scientific Theory.......2007-04-12
João Magueijo, in Faster than the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation, autobiographically describes for a non-technical audience, the history of his hypothesis that the speed of light was faster than it is now when the universe was very VERY young. According to the author, allowing the speed of light (the otherwise constant c of E=mc^2) to vary has better explanatory power than going cosmological theories, especially "inflation". This yarn is based in physics and (especially) Relativity, and these topics are well reviewed for a general audience (i.e., without math). I always like expanding my brain in new directions. But, Magueijo's story is really about the sociology of science, the scientific method and scientific institutions.
The crucial distinction between a scientist and a non-scientists is that science is rooted in empiricism -- observation. The scientist is constantly asking, "How do I know that? Is there a better way to explain this?" Perhaps because scientists are so Spockishly constrained by logic and mundane experience, the general public views them as dull, as know-it-all eggheads that keep changing their minds about what is good for us and what is bad. However, as Magueijo makes clear, science is a cutthroat endeavor driven by ego and human insecurities.
Not being a physicist, I cannot speak to the validity of Magueijo's hypothesis of a variable speed of light. However, as a biologist, I can attest to the accuracy of his portrayal of the life of a scientist. While not my field, I could certainly relate, and found this story entertaining.
Whose theory is this anyway.......2007-01-20
Hey, I thought I had thought of this theory before him. I think one of my blogs has this original idea. Guess what the idea or theory that the speed of light in the begging of time was faster or slower is true. Since space-time started at the moment of the big bang, you would think the speed would of been faster just because the universe at the beginning is not the same as the one after the big bang. Given our short existence on this planet, i doubt if we will ever see any other speed of light than the present one. We can see back in time up to 300,000 years after the big bang. After you think about it longer this is not a good theory. If the speed of light is faster in the past would it be traveling faster than the current light and in a sense passing it? Then would we be seeing the future as the past. And that is not true. If the speed of light was slower at the moment of the big bang, then we could never see the light near the begging of the universe. With is not true. Every day we get closer to seeing the beginning of time for our universe. If the speed of light had not been consistant since the begging, we could not look back in time. Of course it is known that at the very begging the laws of nature where very different, for just a split second. But George Smoot got a Noble prize for proving that theory.
a combination of science and the inside scoop on life in academia.......2006-09-06
Faster Than the Speed of Light is a book about the author's speculation that early in the universe the speed of light was faster than it is now. The author starts with the obligatory overview of relativity and cosmology. I found his explanation very easy to follow. He then goes on to introduce his theories which I found harder to follow but still interesting. He also represents the trials and tribulations of those trying to get their theories published in scientific journals in a way that brings out the worst of academia. I hope it is not really like that! In any case this book is very interesting and worth reading. Even if his speculation comes to nothing, you will get a very good introduction to relativity and cosmology.
Was Einstein both right AND wrong?.......2006-08-31
It is not wrong to think the unthinkable, to talk about such matters and shine the light of conclusions upon why a particular idea is seen as `unthinkable'. João Magueijo does that, but the resulting book is both good and bad. The ideas are explained very well, but the way for explaining them less praiseworthy.
The most famous equation of all time, Einstein's "E=m c(squared)", proved to be extremely useful in explaining some fundamental questions in physics. Much of the legacy of Einstein flowed from a constant speed of light, at 186,000 miles per second. However, just because an idea is useful does not necessarily mean that it is universally true for all time in all circumstances. Magueijo explanation of the fundamentals of relativity is very clear, as his the formulation of the Big Bang riddles. The Big Bang theory is very powerful as an explanation, but is faced by severe problems, within cosmology circles.
The more difficult aspects of the book come when linking the story together. Magueijo conjectures that if the idea of a constant speed of light not universally, then it is possible to explain the Big Bang riddles. However, the raw science has some interesting use of English, and some vocabulary more suited to the playground than a serious (if `popular') scientific book. This is a shame, as it detracts from the thrust of the book, both an explanation of and a history of how the Variable Speed of Light (VSL) theories were derived. There is also the sceptre of missing years, when travelling to and from an object 4 light years away (at the imaginary speed of light). The numbers did not add up to me.
The book has value in being narrated by Magueijo, whose contribution to the work on VSL is immense. This is also a drawback. Magueijo uses the text to air some pet topics; not just on how science progresses (valid) and what is `good science' (similarly valid) but also on the vast volume of paperwork and administrative process necessary in order to conduct science and the submission of scientific papers (less valid). There is an element of sniping at the authorities
Where the history scores well is stating some of the stuffiness of academia, particularly Cambridge. To describe this without sniping seems to carry more weight. The narrative blows away a few myths, not least the Einsteinian idea that the speed of light is constant now, and has always been so since the birth of the Universe (however that happened). In that respect Einstein could have been wrong. Where Einstein may have been right is his use of `the Cosmological Constant' (which Einstein later discounted as his largest error). VSL, or at least some variations of it, do not have a difficulty in this becoming a demon that leads to an unstable Universe.
Well worth reading, but a book that has more value for the content than for the style, which detracts from its serious nature.
Peter Morgan, Bath, UK (morganp@supanet.com)
Product Description
Tutorial DVD, about one hour long; play in any DVD player.
Learn how to use the Nikon SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlights by watching the author taking you thru ten shooting scenarios... from simple to advanced and more creative and challenging multiple wireless Speedlight set-ups.
- Learn the Nikon Creative Lighting System
- Lighting Schematics of selected scenes
- Overviews of the Nikon SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights
Customer Reviews:
Confusing DVD.......2007-10-03
I bought this DVD some time back after buying a SB-600 speedlight for my Nikon. If you are anything like me, you love natural light photography, but you are curious about strobe photography.
After getting my SB-600, I was able to take some okay shots, but overall, they were (are) nothing special (especially compared to my natural light shots). I think that the manual nikon gives you with the product is overly-complex and really does not help much.
This DVD is sort of the same thing. I am not sure who it is intended for, but it shows you how flexible the system is for the professional. The weird thing is that I suspect most pros know all about networking strobes to get complex effects... but us amateurs need step-by-step instructions on how to do the basics like iTTL settings for softer light, backlighting, etc.
I have some of Nikon's other videos and they are interesting, this one is not. I need a video that says "in conditions like this (wherever they are in the video), you should think about setting-up your Speedlight and camera body as follows... to do this go to the XYZ screen on the back of your Speedlight and push this button or that, make sure that your camera is set to XYZ settings, etc., etc., etc." this would be an awesome video - maybe someone makes one - I am going to keep looking.
Book Description
Every family has a story. Every story, eventually, must be told.
For most of their lives, Julian Perel and his sister, Paula, lived in a house cast in silence, witnesses to a father struggling with a devastating secret too painful to share. Though their father took his demons to the grave, his past refuses to rest.
As adults, brother and sister struggle to find their voices. A scientist governed by numbers and logic, Julian now lives an ordered life of routine and seclusion. My father gave up his language and his homeland. But he carried his sadness with him, under his skin. It was mine now. In contrast, Paula has entered the world as eagerly as Julian retracts from it. An aspiring opera singer, she is always moving, buoyant with sound. Singing was the only gift I could offer to my father. I filled the house with music. I tried to give him joy. . . .
Yet both their lives begin to change on a Wednesday, miercoles, the day that sounds like miracles. Before embarking on a European opera tour, Paula asks her housekeeper, Sola, to stay at her place--and to look after Julian in the apartment above. Yet Sola, too, has a story. I want to clean myself like the window of a house, make myself clear for things to pass through. Flat and quiet.
As Paula uncovers pieces of her father's early life in Budapest and the horrifying truth of his past, Julian bears witness to Sola's story--revelations that help all three learn how to both surrender and revere the shadows that have followed them for so long.
The Speed of Light is a powerful debut about three unforgettable souls who overcome the tragedies of the past to reconnect with one another and the world around them. In an extraordinary accomplishment, Elizabeth Rosner has created a novel of love and redemption that proves the pain of the untold story is far greater than even the most difficult truth.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Thumbs up.......2004-05-21
In found the Speed of Light to be an extremely intense and original book that takes an in-depth look at second-generation holocaust victims. This book is written from the viewpoint of three different They each refer to themselves as I. The characters are differentiated from each other in the book simply by change in fount. Each character has its own font. And I also noticed that each character has an individual way of thinking and this also sets them apart and really shows how well written this book is. This is an interesting way to write this story since each of these people has a different internal holocaust experience and this is another way to communicate these individual experiences.
The story is about three people Julian, his sister Paula and their house keeper Sola. Julian and Paula's father was a holocaust survivor. Julian is a reclusive, genius shut-in who stays in his room all day writing a physics dictionary and watching his eleven televisions, which he has stacked in a large square. Paula was born which an amazing talent to sing. She travels abroad, training in opera, and also learns the dark past of their father's. Sola is a housekeeper who has just witnessed a horrible event where she lost most of her loved ones. He story unravels as we learn at the same time about the main characters.
The story amazing timing it slowly reveals the history of its characters all about the same time. This lays down an interesting foundation for the characters. This rapid jumping of time frames really keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat.
The Speed of Light is filled with great detail that. The book was very good but at the beginning I found it hard to understand who was talking because of the fount changes and all of the strange first person but once you get into it is a really great book.
I would strongly recommend this book.
Uplifting story in spite of its graphic sorrow.......2004-05-18
This is an excellent example of modern literature of quality. Rosner's language is rich and her approach is creative. The story achieves balance with its three narrators and their stories. I don't want to give away too much, but some very sad stories are revealed and dealt with in a believable way. The character growth is not miraculous but true. It is difficult to find a story that is both sorrowful and uplifting at the same time. I wish I could find more. This was an excellent book for discussion in our book club. Highly recommended.
A Lyrical Story of Healing.......2003-12-29
The Speed of Light is a a novel with elements of epic poetry that can help each of us learn about our own wounds and how they might be healed. Elizabeth Rosner has written an important book that left me deeply moved on two levels. First, there is the story of three characters each struggling to live life under the shadow of their families being victims of the most horrible crimes against humanity. Secondly, there are the words Rosner finds to describe the internal landscapes of these people, and I found myself moved to tears at times by her descriptions. The poetic style reminded me of Ondaatje's writing in The English Patient.
Much of the story is told through the eyes of Julian, whose parents were Holocaust survivors. Here is description from his childhood:
"For a time there was a baby living next door to the house I grew up in. Late at night, when the baby woke up crying, I awoke too, feeling as if the sound of that baby came from inside of me. I lay there in the dark and waited for someone to bring the child the comfort it needed.
How could anyone bear it? I often wondered. How could anyone even attempt to bridge the gap between oneself and the world? All I knew how to do was live deep inside my body, far from the dangerous surface...
My father had no capacity for joy: it was squeezed out of him before I entered the world. Perhaps the years of being with my mother saved him for a little while, but even she realized it was impossible to resurrect someone standing so close to his own grave."
Julian's sister, Paula, carries this same trauma in an opposite way. She thrusts herself into the world as a potential opera singer. While she drives herself relentlessly outward into the world, she is unable to help Julian, who retreats to an internal life of suffering in which he often watches eleven television sets simultaneously and stays within a few blocks of his home at all times.
It is while Paula is traveling in Europe that Julian meets Paula's housekeeper, Sola. Sola's family was also the victim of mass brutality, but her response to this loss is so different than Julian's or Paula's that she is able to bring a new energy into Julian's life and the result is the wondrous mystery of this book.
The 20th Century was dominated by unprecedented collective traumas the impact of which is usually ignored in explanations of why there is such massive cultural and individual dysfunction today. Yet, it is fairly easy to see the collective impact of the massive crimes against humanity the world has lived through in the last 100 years. The brutal killing of so many people has left a visible scar across the personal, physical and political landscapes of our planet. The continuing search for solutions to intractable poverty and oppression in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America are part of the living collective wounds we must all confront as world citizens.
Rosner's book takes us into the internal world of just three lonely survivors of these holocausts and yet their story offers a penetrating insight into our collective pain and our potential path toward recovery and wholeness. She reveals in her lyrical style how an individual can be deeply wounded by a collective crime and somehow triumph over that wound by sharing her need for love as a way out of the pain. Survivors often become bitter, angry, souls, who shut themselves down and pass on their pain to others. Yet if just one wounded soul can rise above these responses and realize that it is the lack of love that caused the wound, the results can be a gentle, magnificent triumph of healing. Survivors such as these finds their way to finally end the continuing rupture of their own living spirit.
This is the important message of this wonderful book. Whether our wounds are the consequence of a collective trauma or a more random loss of love through illness, accident or individual abuse, the paths of the compulsive achiever or the lonely cynic will not bring us the healing we need. Our path to healing lies in reaching out from behind that wound and finding our common humanity with the love of others.
.
Too Precious and Self-conscious.......2003-11-30
I read this novel wanting to discover what others said they saw. But all I saw was the author's desperate cry for attention. I couldn't get past that. I do see how fellow customer reviewers could cry through this book but that's not necessarily a good thing. But how could someone be moved? Or find the words magic? I don't get it. The work is flat and meaningless to me. I only hope you see more in it than I.
Elizabeth Rosner's 'Speed of Light' - Magician with words.......2003-11-09
I cried my way through this book, spoiling a lot of perfectly good lunches and alarming my fellow restauranteurs in the process. And I'm a construction worker for crying out loud! Why? Why was it so moving?
I've always viewed words with suspicion. We think that they tell us so much, but it's what they leave out that is their defining feature.
They are really just units of a secret code that we've learned so as to share the most abbreviated version of our experiences. Even the most effusive, overblown language is nothing more than a sanitized, lifeless short hand for the brawling, rowdy reality of our experiences. Dice it, slice it, run it through the compactor until you have little interchangeable units of meaning - the LEGOs of our language - then use them to build a structure that we can all meet in....and we call this ...Communication?...Art?
Words are like dollars, a means of exchange with no intrinsic value. They pile up like leaves blown into the corners of our lives until our senses are overwhelmed and all we can do is think....in words. I'd rather dance, sing, or touch to communicate, to make Art, than use words. Words, in a word, are the enemy.
Or so I thought until I experienced what Ms Rosner can do with them. I didn't know it was possible. The mountain is reduced to the hill and the hill to a small pile and the pile to a few phrases, and the phrases to a couple of words, and the words......open the door to a world of feeling and we are home again, home at last, saved from our stupid machinations...by words... by you, Ms. Rosner.
It's a form of magic. That's all I can come up with. You say the magic words and things change.
Customer Reviews:
May Work for Some.......2007-05-31
While the Bible layout and print type is wonderful, I'm not really keen on the idea behind how to read this Bible. I understand the reading plan they are introducing; however, I don't like speed reading and would rather read a few verses and meditate on them then to do their suggested reading plan. It may work out for some people, but I'm not one of them. Other than the reading plan behind the Light Speed Bible, the Holman Standard Christian Bible is a wonderful version, and I really like the layout of the Light Speed Bible. It's a very readable Bible at your own speed, if that's what you want to do.
LOVE THIS !!.......2007-02-19
Innovative and inspiring you to read , study and meditate on the Bible in a
wonderful way.I love it, I think all who love to read and read the Bible
will find this invaluable.
A Bible you Can Read and Understand.......2006-03-01
Since I bought my first Light Speed Bible, I have purchased 25 more. I have given them as presents to friends and family. I have never read the entire Bible. I'm now to Proverbs and know I will finish it. Try it you will give it to others as well!
Love it!.......2006-02-27
I think it is easy to read and my retention has improved considerably.
Good.......2006-02-24
I found the system for this read-through Bible a little confusing. The idea is great, but the method is a tad cumbersome. Once the method is mastered the actual reading is great and would be beneficial and enjoyable.
Books:
- Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Penguin Classics)
- The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (The Classic Collection)
- The Africans Who Wrote the Bible
- The Air I Breathe: Worship as a Way of Life
- The Best American Essays 2004 (The Best American Series)
- The Best American Science Writing 2003 (Best American Science Writing)
- The Canterbury Tales: (original-spelling edition) (Penguin Classics)
- The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)
Books Index
Books Home
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Hearts Under Caution (Harlequin Nascar)
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