Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

Book Description

The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban's backyard

Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

Customer Reviews:

5 Stars Plus.......2007-10-10

I agree with some of the critisms that the prose distracts from the narrative. Additionally, there is too much of the author and not enough of "Dr. Greg". However, all of the negatives are superceded by a HUGE positive-- that this is an inspirational story of one man making an incredible difference in people's lives. C.A.I. will now go on my list of charities.

Inspiring, moving, excellent.......2007-10-10

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I haven't been able to stop thinking or talking about it since I finished. It's incredibly well written, suspenseful and very moving. It inspired me to increase my efforts to help others. I agree whole heartedly with the underlying premise of the book - that peace comes from education and that those who are left in poverty with no tools for overcoming this will naturally turn to the path of least resistance - the path of hatred, terror and war. Another thing I really appreciated about this book was that I could give it to my grandma - it doesn't have any profanity or other such material that would make me embarrassed for her to read.

This is a template on how to eliminate terrorism.......2007-10-10

I adore this book and believe that education is the answer. One person can make a difference.

Wow.......2007-10-07

Simply the most moving story I have ever read. This will renew your faith in humanity.

This is a life changing book.......2007-10-06

I have recommended (and given) this book to many of my friends and all three of my book clubs. Some people found the beginning a little tedious but I did not. I enjoyed the background material and have decided that, when I grow up (I'm already 52), I want to be Greg Mortenson. I admire him and think his wife must be a saint. I learned a lot, and more importantly, felt a lot while reading this book. It is very inspiring. As Americans, we have so much to learn before we offer to help.

Average customer rating:

Review of Confessions of an Ad Man by David Ogilvy
Sales vs. entertainment value of an ad
Invaluable advice
A guide to success in advertising
More than just advertising

Confessions of an Advertising Man
David Ogilvy
Manufacturer: Southbank Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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A Technique for Producing Ideas (Advertising Age Classics Library)

ASIN: 1904915019

Book Description

The long–awaited reissue of the million–copy best–seller that FORBES magazine called “A valuable primer on advertising for any businessman or investor.” With a new Foreword by Sir Alan Parker.

Customer Reviews:

Review of Confessions of an Ad Man by David Ogilvy.......2007-09-28

A classic that still rings true. Relevant not just to the ad business but to the management of any professional services firm.

Sales vs. entertainment value of an ad.......2007-08-10

Confessions of an advertising man contains advertising principles David Ogilvy has derived based on his experience and available research. In this book he shares what he has learned to be the optimal practices both for advertising agencies and for clients of advertising agencies. While some of these principles and practices may be considered timeless, others have changed under the influence of new advertising media and technologies. One standard timeless practice in advertising is to test everything and to choose the most appropriate action based on research. David emphasizes that the bottom line of advertising is sales, rather than the entertainment value of an ad, and that in the end numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of the ad.

Invaluable advice.......2007-04-15

This book is similar in content to Ogilvy's other masterpiece, "Ogilvy on Advertising", but with more emphasis on the sales aspects of the advertising business. "Confessions" is also more autobiographical. Ogilvy's stories about his background, building his agency, and dealing with clients are fascinating.

Given Ogilvy's talent as a copywriter, the book is obviously a pleasure to read. For example--

"How do you decide what kind of image to build? There is no short answer: Research cannot help you much here. You have to actually got to use judgment. (I notice increasing reluctance on the part of marketing executives to use judgment; they are coming to rely too much on research, and they use it as a drunkard uses a lamp post, for support rather than for illumination.)"

Anyone engaged in any aspect of advertising, marketing, or top level management should get plenty out of this book. It's a how-to manual for total success.

A guide to success in advertising.......2006-09-10

Dubbed "the King of advertising" by Advertising Age, David Ogilvy shared his thoughts and stories on being successful in the adverting industry in this book. His ideas are often overflowing with self-confidence, but for a man who reached his level of success, he's definitely earned the right.

Originally published in 1963, in part as promotion of himself and his agency, this book is broken down into ten "How to" chapters plus an opening and closing commentary on the state of advertising. No example ads or illustrations in this book, just straightforward advice and colorful anecdotes on topics ranging from managing an agency to writing potent copy.

The stories are enjoyable, and Ogilvy's advice is enlightening. David Ogilvy led an amazing life, and his insights on advertising, business and human behavior are timeless. Overall, this is an inspiring book that I recommend to anyone involved in advertising.

More than just advertising.......2005-12-14

An advertising guru writes more than just advertising. One can benefit from the general management skills said in the bok. Anyway, it's an interesting book.

Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion

Average customer rating:

Great manual to test your sartorialism!
fantastic
Beautiful. Classic Manual...Comes Across As A Little Dated
Excellent with one caveat about the format...
Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion

Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion
Alan Flusser
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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The Indispensable Guide to Classic Men's Clothing
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A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up: What to Wear, When to Wear it, How to Wear it (Gentlemanners Book.)

Accessories:

Panasonic ER411NC Nose and Ear Hair Groomer
Braun 8595 Activator Self-Cleaning Shaving System with LCD Display
Sonicare Elite 7500 Power Toothbrush

ASIN: 0060191449
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

Dressing the Man is the definitive guide to what men need to know in order to dress well and look stylish without becoming fashion victims.

Alan Flusser's name is synonymous with taste and style. With his new book, he combines his encyclopedic knowledge of men's clothes with his signature wit and elegance to address the fundamental paradox of modern men's fashion: Why, after men today have spent more money on clothes than in any other period of history, are there fewer well-dressed men than at any time ever before?

According to Flusser, dressing well is not all that difficult, the real challenge lies in being able to acquire the right personalized instruction. Dressing well pivots on two pillars -- proportion and color. Flusser believes that "Permanent Fashionability," both his promise and goal for the reader, starts by being accountable to a personal set of physical trademarks and not to any kind of random, seasonally served-up collection of fashion flashes.

Unlike fashion, which is obliged to change each season, the face's shape, the neck's height, the shoulder's width, the arm's length, the torso's structure, and the foot's size remain fairly constant over time. Once a man learns how to adapt the fundamentals of permanent fashion to his physique and complexion, he's halfway home.

Taking the reader through each major clothing classification step-by-step, this user-friendly guide helps you apply your own specifics to a series of dressing options, from business casual and formalwear to pattern-on-pattern coordination, or how to choose the most flattering clothing silhouette for your body type and shirt collar for your face.

A man's physical traits represent his individual road map, and the quickest route toward forging an enduring style of dress is through exposure to the legendary practitioners of this rare masculine art. Flusser has assembled the largest andmost diverse collection of stylishly mantled men ever found in one book. Many never-before-seen vintage photographs from the era of Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, and Fred Astaire are employed to help illustrate the range and diversity of authentic men's fashion. Dressing the Man's sheer magnitude of options will enable the reader to expand both the grammar and verbiage of his permanent-fashion vocabulary.

For those men hoping to find sartorial fulfillment somewhere down the road, tethering their journey to the mind-set of permanent fashion will deliver them earlier rather than later in life.

Customer Reviews:

Great manual to test your sartorialism!.......2007-09-19

Great manual to test your sartorialism!

lot's of examples and illustrating pictures. Nice hardcover tablebook.

fantastic.......2007-06-21

This book is amazing, it has everything you could possibly want to know about dressing a man.

Beautiful. Classic Manual...Comes Across As A Little Dated.......2007-05-23

This book falls into one of my most favorite genres of such; Men's fashion, grooming, style manuals. This one is beautifully photographed with many, many tried and true guidelines for men who wish to appear well dressed. A good number of the photos are from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 40's and 50's. This was a time when many of the rules for fashionable men were firmly established. On the other hand, there have been many cultural changes in how American and European men approach fashion and style. For these men (of which I am one) portions of Mr. Flusser's book will seem dated and irrelevant. I found this true of the section that addresses a man and his accessories; especially jewelry! The best thing about Mr. Flusser's style chronicle is that is does establish the ground rules for what is appropriate for business, casual and formal wear. One who is so inclined may veer from the foundations to find one's own sense of style. I enjoy this book and I reccomend it to anyone wanting to establish a wardrobe foundation. Worth the price.

I fully enjoy this book. I recommend it.

Excellent with one caveat about the format..........2007-04-18

All of Mr. Flusser's books are superb and make reliable guides for anyone interested in classic men's dress (as opposed to fleeting fashion trends). I do have one critical observation to make however. Having recently picked up a used copy of the authors first book Making The Man: The Insiders Guide to Buying and Wearing Men's Clothes and having browsed through all of his books since one thing has become very apparent to me. A good 75% or more of the information in his books is simply recycled for each publication for the simple reason that the fundamentals of classic men's dress doesn't change or date...that's why it's considered "classic". In the introduction to his second book Clothes and the Man he says outright "With the publication of my first book, Making the Man, I thought I had answered most of the questions men asked about dressing." and indeed he had. For this reason I am surprised that the author hasn't simply published an updated edition of Making the Man every few years with the information on the specific retail stores updated. The real reason probably comes down to the fact that large hardcover books make more money for the publishers than oversized trade paperbacks do. Flusser's first book was a deserved success but each new one has been more lavish and pricey than the last...from Making the Man published back in 1981 as a $10 oversized trade paperback to the latest one, Dressing the Man weighing in as a $50 hardcover.

There was a period in the 60's and 70's where the U.S. seemed to be entering a sort of golden age of quality oversized paperback publications, perhaps taking after France where almost everything (even bestsellers like the Harry Potter books) are published only in paperback. The books (and I have many of them) were solid, printed on good acid-free paper and light enough to carry on the bus or subway to work. We seem to have headed back to the point where hardcovers are seen as prestigious and the bigger, heavier and more expensive the better. This book is full of the same useful information that all of the authors books are but his first one, Making the Man, (along with The Indispensible Guide to Men's Clothing by Josh Karlen) remain the most concise, straightforward and compact of my men's dress references and therfore my favorites.

Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion.......2007-04-14

This was just the book I needed when I decided to update my wardrobe after fifteen years on neglect. Perfect for learning or re-learning the basics.

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey

Average customer rating:

True to the man
A modern day "Thoreau"
Just as Good the Second Time
Homesteading in Alaska
inspiring

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
Sam Keith , and Richard Proenneke
Manufacturer: Alaska Northwest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke, 1974-1980

ASIN: 0882405136

Book Description

To live in a pristine land . . . roam the wilderness . . . build a home. . . . Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. Here is a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.

Customer Reviews:

True to the man.......2007-09-29

Ten years ago I spent a summer volunteering for the National Park Service at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, in Alaska. My remote rangers cabin was located at Twin Lakes. Being on the lower lake, I was about 9 miles from my nearest neighbor- Dick. We spoke daily on our walkie-talkies, checking in about the weather, any visitors, or interesting wildlife viewings. I trekked up his way several times over the summer, and enjoyed a few meals with him. I can't remember if it's in his book, but his favorite sandwich was the "Twin Lakes Special": sourdough flapjaks, raw onion, and honey; don't knock it 'til ya try it! Just like his book, he was a gracious, thoughtful man, a true naturalist. Also the most spry 82-year-old I think I'd ever seen! I was saddened to hear of his death several years ago, and was grateful the NPS kept his cabin as a historical site; it is a cozy place, dark inside, smelling faintly of woodsmoke and 1948 sourdough starter, with wonderful decorative touches throughout. Dick was truly a special person, and this book captures his voice, his no-nonsense manner of talking, as well as his appreciation of the beauty of the natural world, perfectly.

A modern day "Thoreau".......2007-09-16

You cannot visit Alaska without reading this book FIRST! Just the photography alone will make you want to go. I dentify in many ways with Dick as I lived in a cabin in the White Mountains of NH for many years. He didn't intrude on nature...he simply lived in harmony with it. He appeals to all of your senses in his simple but beautifully written words, never mind the pictures. He is definitely portrayed as a "loner" but that is a good thing..for a loner has much higher self esteem and sense of character than those who can't survive in the world without people around them all the time. Dick is a true steward of the land because of his deep, abiding love and connection for this piece of God's Creation. His beautifully chronicled life in Alaska will remind you of Robert Frost's words.."We love the things we love for what they are." Enjoy!

Just as Good the Second Time.......2007-09-12

I was telling my husband about this book as I started reading it. He said, "Don't you remember, we read that many years ago when Alaska Magazine published it"? I knew that Babe, the pilot, seemed familiar. It didn't matter. I was happy to read it a second time which is unusual for me. Oh, how I would have loved to have been able to do what Mr. Proenneke did and to live where he lived. There is nothing dull about this book and I suspect the people who find it dull haven't any interest in living in the wilderness without Blackberries, i-pods, automobiles and restaurants.

Even though most of us who enjoyed the book probably don't begin to have the skills that Richard Proenneke had which made what he did possible (and a pilot friend who delivered for free) I think we all wish we could do what he did. I know I do. I didn't realize that a sequel exists. It costs big bucks, but if it's anything close to as interesting as this book, it's worth it. Maybe I'll find out if the Mission Girls ever showed-up.

Homesteading in Alaska.......2007-08-16

The year was 1968. The setting, the Alaskan bush. The mission, to live simply, deliberately, and self-sufficiently off the land, free of the trappings of contemporary society. The protagonist, clearly not what you might expect given the era. He was not some young, free spirited hippie, luddite, or draft dodger. Rather, he was a skilled hard working machinist/woodsman, who at age 51 decided to permanently leave the rat race behind.

Why this man, Dick Prenacke, suddenly left behind his conventional existence to live in a remote and unforgiving section of Alaska is never fully explored in the book. While snippets do reveal his distain for modernity, it never fully embellishes on what ultimately drove the author to do what few would ever conceive of doing. Perhaps Dick realized that at 51, the physical and physiological fortitude required to make such a transition would soon be out of his reach. More likely however, he foresaw the end of an era. No more than a few years after his departure into the wild, Alaska would enact laws prohibiting trappers and homesteaders from freely trudging off into the woods to live the quintessential "Alaskan experience." Soon Alaska would become like the rest of the lower 48, where people like Dick would be considered trespassers and evicted from any land that they did not rightfully own. Fortunately for the author, the laws were grand fathered in.

While the book is essentially a personal account of Alaskan homesteading, the author episodically weaves social commentary into his writings. He laments a society that is wasteful and superficial. The hunters that come into his Alaska, products of such a society, leave garbage and animal meat behind, unaware that the author cleans up after as well as makes use of their squander.

The author also reveals his anxiety for a society that is increasingly consumed by materialism. He feels that man is entrapped by things that he doesn't need and he seeks to avoid the superfluous at all costs. To the outsider, surviving in the wilds of Alaska would seem to require an extravagant amount of equipment and gear. One can only imagine the bill the average suburbanite would amass at the local REI in preparation for such an endeavor. Yet the author demonstrates just how little is required to not only to survive but also to prosper in such an inhospitable region.

The book closes with some thoughts on technology, and the rapidity of change that comes with it. The author's words are both haunting and prescient as he elaborates on his first year in Alaska and how his experience conflicts greatly with society at large.

inspiring.......2007-07-14

Inspiring book. Diarist was over 50 when he began this journey. Helps me look to the future for myself.

Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times

Average customer rating:

Hopefully, the movie doesn't screw up this story
A great true story
four and 1/2 stars.
Great
Hard to read

Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times
George Crile
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Afghanistan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0802141242

Book Description

Charlie Wilson's War was a publishing sensation and a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. In the early 1980s, a Houston socialite turned the attention of maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson to the ragged band of Afghan "freedom fighters" who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders. Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency's rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers' conventions, to the Khyber Pass, this book presents an astonishing chapter of our recent past, and the key to understanding what helped trigger the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union and ultimately led to the emergence of a brand-new foe in the form of radical Islam.

Customer Reviews:

Hopefully, the movie doesn't screw up this story.......2007-10-05

There will be three main kinds of people who won't read this book. The first are those who see no reason for military intervention anywhere, ever. The second are those who are hypersensitive to any speaking of ethnicity, race, gender, etc., within a kilometer of earshot. The third are those who don't like long books, and "Charlie Wilson's War" is certainly longer than most. All this would be too bad, because the book is a wealth of little known and critical current history, as well as a real rip-snorting adventure. The most intriguing icing on the cake is that Charlie Wilson, one of the boldest and effective national-interest congressmen of the last century, was a Democrat. He was a Democrat who pushed Republicans forward for a decade, mostly to do the right things. How many right things, of course, remains to be seen in coming decades.

Much of the book is written in colloquial style, as the author reproduces many discussions among a very wide variety of people. This sometimes comes out sounding a little coarse, but the reader should see this quickly as a writer trying to be accurate. Charlie Wilson, the man himself, also might turn many readers off. He abused his body with food and drink, mostly drink; he was a maverick to the point of almost being a loose canon; wild, he certainly was. No one, though, can deny that he was one of those rarest of politicians. Here was a man who did not stop with saying what he wanted to do, he found ways to do what needed to be done. Then he kept at it, and at it. Here was a man of his word.

This interesting story suffers only a small weakness as a narrative, and only if the reader minds. The action chapter by chapter, even section by section, does not always tell us what was happening at the same time with other people, and at other places. Rather, the author likes to keep a thread of a theme or thought and follow it to the end. This can be irritating and a little confusing if you are trying to keep things straight for any particular group of years at a time. If this does not make a problem for reader, then so much the better. A last suggestion: this book goes down especially well by audio CD, and the voice narrator does well with dialogs and accents.

A great true story.......2007-10-04

This is a truly amazing tale. Never told until now and soon a movie. Buy this book and read the true story about how a "wild" congressman and a rogue CIA agent changed history. Better by far than all those fictional adventures!

four and 1/2 stars........2007-10-01

steve coll's excellent book "ghost wars" whet my reading appetite for more on the soviet war in afghanistan. since that military action, with the unanticipated consequences it spawned for the united states, was such a catalyst for the 9/11 attacks, it seems essential for an american to get a grip on what took place there. "charlie wilson's war" is a thrilling account of that international drama. though much of the book deals with funding america's covert involvement through congressional appropriation subcommittees, and with CIA office politics, the narrative is interesting page for page throughout this long work. not once did i find it a chore to continue, or feel an urge to skip past anything. george crile brings the colorful personalities of those involved to vivid life through his clear prose. he actually makes appropriation subcommitees, and their methods of work, interesting. and his portraits of afghanistan and pakistan, and their respective political environments and key political players, is brilliantly executed. the story is told completely from the american perspective, true. you will have to seek elsewhere for a more balanced view (by this i mean one that takes into account the soviet soldiers side of things). but this book being what it is, is a fascinating read, and one you can learn much from.

Great.......2007-09-08

One of the most intriguing stories of American foreign policy making. This book was recommended to me by a staffer for a military oriented Congressional committee. He was quite emphatic in stressing that this book, better than any other, offers a great perspective on the influence Congress can have on foreign and war policy. I don't know how representative it is of the day to day activities of members of Congress, but it certainly shows how a dedicated member of Congress CAN get seriously involved in an issue.

Charlie Wilson is one of the most interesting politicians to have walked on the stage in the past 50 years. Part JFK, Nixon, LBJ, and Clinton - both good and bad parts - Wilson was a smart and dedicated defender of CIA efforts to support the mujaheden in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. More than any supposed hardline conservative, including President Reagan, Wilson, a socially liberal Democrat from Texas, was the most agressive elected official to back the CIA in its anti-Soviet effort in Afghanistan. Wilson was also wildly able to get in the worst kinds of trouble: womanizing, drunk driving, and questionable uses of public money. I guess it goes to show that people are incredibly complex and contain a much more dynamic mix of good and bad within them. Kind of like the Incredible Hulk, but with less green.

Hard to read.......2007-08-29

Content was OK, I'm sure acurate, but about 210 pages into this 500+ page book I had to give in - I just couldn't make myself want to read it. I am only 31, so I do not know of Charlie Wilson, or the political temperature in the 80s, but this book was recommended to me so I tried, but couldn't make myself do it.

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

Average customer rating:

NO PICTURES
Erik Larson is Quickly Becoming a Favorite
Book is a Category 4
BEATS READING THE BOOK
Issacc's Storm

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
Erik Larson
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Natural Disasters | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Weather | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375708278
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Amazon.com

On September 8, 1900, a massive hurricane slammed into Galveston, Texas. A tidal surge of some four feet in as many seconds inundated the city, while the wind destroyed thousands of buildings. By the time the water and winds subsided, entire streets had disappeared and as many as 10,000 were dead--making this the worst natural disaster in America's history.

In Isaac's Storm, Erik Larson blends science and history to tell the story of Galveston, its people, and the hurricane that devastated them. Drawing on hundreds of personal reminiscences of the storm, Larson follows individuals through the fateful day and the storm's aftermath. There's Louisa Rollfing, who begged her husband, August, not to go into town the morning of the storm; the Ursuline Sisters at St. Mary's orphanage who tied their charges to lengths of clothesline to keep them together; Judson Palmer, who huddled in his bathroom with his family and neighbors, hoping to ride out the storm. At the center of it all is Isaac Cline, employee of the nascent Weather Bureau, and his younger brother--and rival weatherman--Joseph. Larson does an excellent job of piecing together Isaac's life and reveals that Isaac was not the quick-thinking hero he claimed to be after the storm ended. The storm itself, however, is the book's true protagonist--and Larson describes its nuances in horrific detail.

At times the prose is a bit too purple, but Larson is engaging and keeps the book's tempo rising in pace with the wind and waves. Overall, Isaac's Storm recaptures at a time when, standing in the first year of the century, Americans felt like they ruled the world--and that even the weather was no real threat to their supremacy. Nature proved them wrong. --Sunny Delaney

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Reading in his signature dispassionate style, narrator Edward Herrmann brings an eerie calm to this powerful chronicle of the deadliest storm ever to hit the United States--a huge and terribly destructive hurricane that struck land near Galveston, Texas in September of 1900. Author Erik Larson re-creates the events leading up to the disaster in astonishing detail, tracing the thoughts and actions of Isaac Cline, a scientist with America's burgeoning U.S. Weather Bureau. Cline's unwavering confidence--"In an age of scientific certainty one could not allow one's judgment to be clouded..."--blinds the meteorologist to the deadly onslaught about to be unleashed. Herrmann's calculated performance reflects the impending doom and dangers inherent to an unquestioned and absolute faith in science. (Running time: 5 hours, 3 cassettes) --George Laney

Book Description

September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that greeted the city that morning. Mere hours later, Galveston found itself submerged in a monster hurricane that completely destroyed the town and killed over six thousand people in what remains the greatest natural disaster in American history--and Isaac Cline found himself the victim of a devestating personal tragedy.

Using Cline's own telegrams, letters, and reports, the testimony of scores of survivors, and our latest understanding of the science of hurricanes, Erik Larson builds a chronicle of one man's heroic struggle and fatal miscalculation in the face of a storm of unimaginable magnitude. Riveting, powerful, and unbearably suspenseful, Isaac's Storm is the story of what can happen when human arrogance meets the great uncontrollable force of nature.

Customer Reviews:

NO PICTURES.......2007-09-30

My first thoughts after finishing Isaac's storm was, that for such a big and devastating storm, it didn't seem do it justice. I wanted understanding (why didn't people leave?). I wanted some PICTURES!!.
As luck had it, someone who checked out the book before me had tucked a newspaper clipping pic in the inside flap, of the Bishops Palace and surrounding survivors w/ tons of lumber stacked up against them. THANK YOU whoever you are. I returned the picture to the flap.

Whatever happened to Dr. Samuel O.Young the amateur meteorologist? Sam kept a diary. And it seems was the only proactive person in town, in that he telegraphed his wife and children warning them not to come to Galveston because in his opinion, a big storm was coming.

One reviewer here claims Cline is a hero in Galveston but "Cline gave his official meteorological opinion that the thought of a hurricane ever doing any serious harm to Galveston was "An absurd delusion". Many residents had called for a seawall to protect the city, but Cline's statement helped to prevent its construction."
"Local legend has it that Cline took it upon himself to travel along the beach and other low-lying areas warning people personally of the storm's approach. This is based on Cline's own reports and has been called into question in recent years.
Cline did issue a hurricane warning without permission from the Bureau's central office in Washington, D.C. but by that point the city was already under water. I don't recall reading that Cline actually told anyone to get off the island..

I enjoyed the book but minus one star for lack of pictures.

I hear that John Edward Weems' book 'A Weekend in September' is also recommended reading on the 1900 storm.

Erik Larson is Quickly Becoming a Favorite.......2007-09-10

"Isaac's Storm" is a fictionalized telling of a real-time tragedy. It tells the story of the hurricane that devastated Galveston and provides impressive details on the history and science of meteorology. For the story-telling aspect of the novel, Mr. Larson uses Isaac Cline, Galveston's weather observer at the time.

Erik Larson's committment to research and detail is impeccable. I wish he had been my history teacher in high school!

Book is a Category 4.......2007-09-10

I enjoyed the book. It reminded me of a hurricane, starting slow but building as it went along.

BEATS READING THE BOOK.......2007-09-05

THIS DEFINATELY BEATS READING THE BOOK, BUT TAKE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE ABRIDGED VERSION!!!

Issacc's Storm.......2007-07-23

Again, another book by a great author, Erik Larson. I couldn't put it down, but then again I live in Florida and Hurricanes are of special interest to me. I'm not sure if you didn't live in a hurricane area, example Alaska, that this book would strike you the way it did me.

Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz

Average customer rating:

A fun and insightful read
awful
Ron,you are a loser.You will always be a loser.
A true reflection of Ron Jeremy
Very good, if you don't mind a little sex

Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz
Ron Jeremy
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 006084082X
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Ron Jeremy is the porn industry's "everyman." Blessed with a large member and average looks, he's starred in over 1700 films, directed 250 of them, and over the last 20 years has become porn's biggest ambassador into the mainstream. He has appeared in 60 mainstream films, was a consultant on Boogie Nights and 9 1/2 Weeks, has appeared in 14 music videos, was on the VH1's Surreal Life, starred in the critically acclaimed Pornstar (a movie about his life), and Being Ron Jeremy (a take–off on Being John Malkovich, co–starring Andy Dick). And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

Ron Jeremy is a born storyteller (funny, considering he doesn't do a lot of talking in his films) and lucky for us, he has stories on every major Hollywood celebrity. If you want to know where all the bodies are buried, he's the guy who can not only show you the grave, but can tell you the back–story on the tombstone. Ron Jeremy will be a great and entertaining read, not just on the history of porn, but on its emergence into the mainstream, and the man everyone wanted to know while it was all happening.

Customer Reviews:

A fun and insightful read.......2007-09-20

Its nice to see the other side of porn and hear the behind the scenes stories. Ron is obviously a legend, and a great story teller as well. He has many stories to tell. Like I said, a fun read. A great biography of a great person mislabeled for his role in pornography. I recommend it!

awful.......2007-09-20

Don't waste your money on this book. It is horribly written. he thinks he is funny, when he isn't. It's crude!
Jenna Jameson's book is ten times better

Ron,you are a loser.You will always be a loser........2007-09-09

Let's stop and think about this "man" for a moment.There have actually been Ron Jeremy clauses written in the contracts for porn starlets stating that they would never have to sleep with him.He is that replusive and disgusting.It's one thing to be fat,balding and have a ton of back hair,but it's another thing to look like you do not bathe.Try using shampoo and maybe trimming that nasty stache that still contains yesterday's breakfast in it.

This is one thing that makes a person a loser.

We have heard time and time again that Ronnie has a big donger.Fine.I'm sure elephants also have big wangs too,but I don't know too many women who would want to sleep with one.Side note;the elephant would be more attractive than Ron,it also wouldn't be able to tell stupid jokes.It probabally wouldn't smell as bad either.

This is something else that makes a person a loser.

Ron constantly justifies everything about his life.Never does he stop to question his integrity,or lack there of.You've slept with and used thousands of women.You take money in exchange for degrading these women over and over.Heads up Ron;most women (at least the ones who haven't already been screwed up psychologicaly) don't like taking a blast of DNA in the face.You may have a masters degree,but you have no common sense.

In the book XXX Portraits 30 Stars revealed,he stated the following in his biography."When I die,I know people will say good things about me. They will say,"He never lied to nobody."Right,except for the Extends Male Enhancment Capsules that you endorsed on the 4 a.m. infomercials.

Again,this is a path that is traveled by the loser.

I have corresponded with and have a friendship with a former adult star who sat next to him at the AVN awards.She told me that the only reason he still has a steady career with the industry,is becuase he is with the Italian Mafia.

Makes perfect sense to me,because anyone;be it man or woman,
heterosexual or homosexual,would rather watch Jenna Jameson or any attractive woman having sex with someone like Peter North as opposed to the nasueating Jeremy.

Everybody reading this review,make an "L" with your left hand place it on your forehead and repeat after me:"LOSER!"

Just like Asia Carrera,Ron is a trained pianist and veeerrrry intelligent with his master's degree.There is a famous saying;Acts of greatness take 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

In another words;you can have have all the degrees in the world and be a genius.But unless you actually put that into action;then it's completely worthless.I guess they didn't teach that a Hedgehog High.No,they taught "Take the easy way out,keep making excuses for yourself and make money at the expense of others."

You COULD have helped disabled kids.You COULD have been a talented professional musician.You COULD have been a loyal husband and a great father.You COULD have been a valuble and respected member of society.

But you chose not to.You chose a lifetime of meaningless sex with women who resent you and laugh at you behind your back.

Hugh Hefner doesn't get it.Larry Flint doesn't get it.You don't get it either.

That's why you are and always will be a loser.

A true reflection of Ron Jeremy.......2007-08-20

Ron Jeremy's memoir characterizes his life perfectly. Ron Jeremy is an actor, an adult film superstar, a comedian, and an all-around hard working man. He's been in nearly 2000 films and directed well over 100 himself. He travels the country for appearances year-round. He loves adult conventions and he occasionally performs on the comedy circuit. He's always willing to pose with a fan, always willing to mock himself for a good laugh, and likes to enjoy good food and drink.

It's only natural that Jeremy's memoir is a string of laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes, organized into chapters by subject matter and chronology. Jeremy's had a few struggles with the law (and seen friends have much worse ones with vice squads), but overall, he's a jolly man who loves life, and his memoir reflects that. He doesn't get overly introspective or take an academic look at his life and career, and that's exactly what Jeremy's fans should expect from him. This memoir is Ron Jeremy through-and-through: vulgar with charm, rampantly self-promoting, and celebratory of life. Sure, he name drops, but he usually constrains that to footnotes, and boy did I chuckle at some of those footnotes. He includes plenty of pictures with celebrities, and plenty of pictures of himself in absolutely ridiculous costumes and settings.

The behind-the-scenes tales are too numerous to recount. The food buffet at Plato's Retreat is cited as the cause of Jeremy's body health downfall (nevermind the swinging). He reveals the origins of the chicken soup myth, one that started on an early set when someone asked how he could produce so much output. He credited his grandmother's chicken soup, and the legend lives on today on modern sets. He also talks candidly about discovering his autofellatio skills. Every time he did it on camera was sure to be the last, but the right amount of goading and money could convince him to do it again.

Any porn history buff won't want to miss Ron's version of the controversial careers of Linda Lovelace and Traci Lords. He's got some great stories straight from Linda's first husband, and later discusses Linda's own disagreements with the antiporn feminists who cast her as their pet cause.

If you need one more reason to pick this up, I leave you with this: Who wouldn't want to read a book with the photo caption, "Here I am as Mussolini in an XXX World War II parody?"

Very good, if you don't mind a little sex.......2007-06-26

What else would you expect from a Ron Jeremy book? His life story is very good and an interesting read, even if you're not a "fan". He does get into his sexual life (graphically) but if you can stomach that, it's actually a great read and dare I say, heartwarming. Recommended even for soccer moms!

Just for comparison, the Richard Pryor book was WAY dirtier than this one and he was just a comedian!

Average customer rating:

A beautifully crafted novel
A sedate samurai
Beautiful
Read this book when feeling calm
Gorgeous Prose

The Samurai's Garden: A Novel
Gail Tsukiyama
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312144075

Book Description

The daughter of a Chinese mother and a Japanese father, Tsukiyama uses the Japanese invasion of China during the late 1930s as a somber backdrop for her unusual story about a 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen who is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secret and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight. Matsu is a samurai of the soul, a man devoted to doing good and finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world, and Stephen is a noble student, learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soulmate, gentle Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy.

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully crafted novel.......2007-08-26

This story was simplistic and wonderful. I read it in two days and was mesmerized by the rich culture. The best book I've read in a long time

A sedate samurai.......2007-08-20

The plot of this book makes a terrific outline: A young Chinese man recuperating in Japan from tuberculosis while Japanese troops are slaughtering his Chinese contemporaries in the pre-World War Two invasion; a quiet but strong and wise caretaker who lives to rescue victims of leprosy, including a woman spurned by his best friend; a marriage crisis for the Chinese man's parents; a Romeo/Juliet type love story between the Chinese man and a young Japanese woman. Should be socko.

Instead, it's sedating. Whether it's the passive nature of Stephen, the young Chinese man, or the very pedestrian writing style of the author, I found this book consistently tepid. She shows off her new knowledge about Japanese culture, giving detailed descriptions of every meal and every kimono.

She tells the story through Stephen when the caretaker, Matsu, is the central character. Because Matsu is strong and silent, we don't get inside his character development.

Nevertheless, it's an interesting look at Japan before WWII: religion, relationship and customs.

Beautiful.......2007-08-15

A delightful story of a chinese teen, sent to japan on the eve of WW2 to recuperate after getting tuberculosis. He meets his father's servant who he gets to know and the locals, finding them friendly and welcoming even with the war. He finds the simple way of life, instead of being boring, fills his days and he is bereft when the war forces him to leave.

A wonderful piece of prose, this haunting story of the simple people and their tragic lives is a page turner.

Read this book when feeling calm.......2007-05-21

Reviews of the Samurai's Garden seem to fall into two camps. The "Oh my God, I loved it-best book evers" and the "Are you kidding me? This book stunk category!"

My problem with those in the latter category is that (with a few exceptions) readers who did not like this book tend to mount some moral literary high horse. They relish insulting other reviewers, as in "Anyone with any discerning taste and one scintilla of brain cells would NEVER like this book, ergo if you do you, I hate to break this to you, but you are a stupid, simple, idiot." Listen to yourselves! I wonder what it must feel like to these people to know everything?

Anyway. I did not particularly love this book, but I really can see how many did. The case can definitely be made that there were many layers of beautiful, intertwining lessons in this seemingly simple, yet really more-complex-than-it-looks book. In that sense, it kind of reminds me of the polarizing effect of the Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith.

My biggest problem with this book was that I don't think I was in the mood for it. I read it at a time when I had a lot going on, and couldn't sufficiently savor it. This is a book to be savored in peace. For most of my read of it, I wasn't in a peaceful frame of mind as a reader. My personal restlessness wanted more action, less bean cake eating. A few times, however, despite myself, I was caught flat-footed with awe by something in the story. The one thing I took away was to never forget that everyone has a story that helps define them. You just have to be still and listen.

Gorgeous Prose.......2007-02-12

Languish for a while in the Tsukiyama's Japanese garden and you may never want to leave. The serenity created in Matsu's little haven is contradicted by the military domination of the Japanese over the Chinese and the reclusive leper colony struggling for a peaceful existence in a realm beyond that of war. It is to this environment that a young Chinese boy enters into in search of healthier air and soothing salt of the sea . As his body begins healing, his emotions are delicately fractured by all that he learns of war, leprosy, first love, his family secrets, and the servant Matsu - who is truly a master of wisdom, honor, and faith. I wanted to walk through this garden again and again.

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)

Average customer rating:

Can't Beat It
Four classics
Wonderful writing wrong package
Too big
From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, T

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals)
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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Darwin: The Indelible Stamp; The Evolution Of An Idea
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
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The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

ASIN: 0393061345

Book Description

A gorgeous gift and a landmark work that is an essential addition to everyone's personal library.

Never before have the four great works of Charles Darwin—Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle (1845), The Origin of Species (1859), The Descent of Man (1871), and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)—been collected under one cover. Undertaking this challenging endeavor 123 years after Darwin's death, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson has written an introductory essay for the occasion, while providing new, insightful introductions to each of the four volumes and an afterword that examines the fate of evolutionary theory in an era of religious resistance. In addition, Wilson has crafted a creative new index to accompany these four texts, which links the nineteenth-century, Darwinian evolutionary concepts to contemporary biological thought. Beautifully slipcased, and including restored versions of the original illustrations, From So Simple a Beginning turns our attention to the astounding power of the natural creative process and the magnificence of its products. Slipcased hardcover; 101 illustrations, map.

Customer Reviews:

Can't Beat It.......2007-04-03

I bought this book knowing very little about Darwin or his theories. From So Simple a Beginning was an easy read about a very interesting man. I would hope that not just supporters of evolution would read this book there is more to the man then just one theory.

Four classics.......2007-01-12

Excellent in every particular. Five stars in delivery time, condition, quality of the experience.

Wonderful writing wrong package.......2007-01-10

There is no gainsaying the writings of Darwin or the thinking of my favorite living scientist, E.O.Wilson. But the package is wrong.
Four books in one. Too heavy, too cumbersome. Discouraging.

Too big.......2007-01-05

This book is way too big to hold to read, so it is not useful. From the picture I thought I was ordering 4 different books in a book holder, not one giant book. I recommend buying them separately unless you have very strong arms and wrists.

From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, T.......2006-07-02

Good

Man and Nature in the Renaissance (Cambridge Studies in the History of Science)

Average customer rating:

A chronicle of Science

Man and Nature in the Renaissance (Cambridge Studies in the History of Science)
Allen George Debus
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0521293286

Book Description

Man and Nature in the Renaissance offers an introduction to science and medicine during the earlier phases of the scientific revolution, from the mid-fifteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century. Renaissance science has frequently been approached in terms of the progress of the exact sciences of mathematics and astronomy, to the neglect of the broader intellectual context of the period. Conversely, those authors who have emphasized the latter frequently play down the importance of the technical scientific developments. In this book, Professor Debus amalgamates these approaches: The exact sciences of the period are discussed in detail, but reference is constantly made to religious and philosophical concepts that play little part in the science of our own time. Thus, the renewed interest in mystical texts and the subsequent impact of alchemy, astrology, and natural magic on the development of modern science and medicine are central to the account. Major themes that are followed throughout the book include the effects of humanism, the search for a new method of science, and the dialogue between proponents of the mystical-occult world view and the mathematical-observational approach to nature.

Customer Reviews:

A chronicle of Science.......2000-02-07

I almost never read books about man and nature in the renaisance, and this was one of the best ones I have read, if not one of the very best. Read up!

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