Average customer rating:
- Emphasizes Weight Lifting
- Intersting
- PROMISING AT FIRST...THEN LEAVES YOU TIRED AND OVERTRAINED
- Good book for the beginning and advanced!
- Enjoyed the workout... saw results
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LL Cool J's Platinum Workout: Sculpt Your Best Body Ever with Hollywood's Fittest Star
LL Cool J ,
Dave Honig , and
Jeff O'Connell
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1594866082
Release Date: 2006-12-12 |
Book Description
LL didn't always have a diesel body--he chiseled it the old-fashioned way, with hard work and discipline. Here he shares the secrets of his transformation in a uniquely creative, yet no-nonsense regimen--enlivened with humor and sheer force of personality--that will inspire readers to enjoy working out as never before, while building a body they never thought possible. The book offers four levels of fitness, from Bronze to Platinum, including: - a 4-week beginner's program that takes inches off the waist and boosts energy - a 5-week program for intermediates that increases strength while maintaining muscular and cardiovascular endurance - an advanced 9-week program that turns the body into a muscle-building and fat-burning machinge - complete with 6-pack abs and as much energy as LL Cool J - the hardcore 3-week fat-torching program LL used for the "Control Myself" video - a new level in ripped-to-the-bone fitness and sex appeal - a special 4-week "Diamond" program for women seeking to shape up fast for the summer or upcoming event meal plans and recipes that fuel workouts while burning fat with food
Customer Reviews:
Emphasizes Weight Lifting.......2007-08-10
This is a book to help you get into better shape. While the book covers stretching and cardio exercise to varying degrees, it clearly spends most of its exercise routines having the reader lift weights. The book intends to accomplish its goal of getting you into better shape by doing it in phases, with each one having different goals (too lengthy to go into here).
Phase one is the Bronze phase (5 weeks), then the Silver phase (5 weeks), followed by a Gold phase (9 weeks) and finally ends with the Platinum phase (3 weeks), where the goal is to get a body like LL's. An additional phase, the Diamond phase, is included just for the ladies. There's a ton of info in here on just about every fitness topic and I really liked that throughout the book, there are these "rap session" sections where LL interviews experts in the fitness field and current information is shared- this is a big plus. LL fans will also like the LL trivia that is scattered throughout the book.
One of the more interesting and informative fitness books on the market, I liked it. Also recommend Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff if you have a bad shoulder that keeps you from lifting weights.
Intersting.......2007-08-09
I wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased this book but I was not disappointed, L.L tells a story about a rapper who needs to keep in shape for a tour and that is where the diet and the work out come in.
He takes you step by step into the work out but he starts with your eating habits, he goes into your frig and cabinets "which made me laugh because some of the nasty things he describes have been in my frig a time or two" but that is what I like about his book he lets you know what you eat plays the most important part he doesn't take you straight to the gym.
He breaks down the work out into weeks and before he even takes you to the gym he deals with your eating habits the first week of the workout.
this is a must read and then put into practice book.
Can't wait for the realty show.
PROMISING AT FIRST...THEN LEAVES YOU TIRED AND OVERTRAINED.......2007-07-15
Dear reader,
For the past five years I have been a workout addict. For me it's workout or die. At the age of 14 I was tired of my brother calling me fat, so I took off into the Arizonan desert and ran every day. Since then my success rate of building a fitter body has quadrupled, as I read every fitness article I could get my hands on and was introduced to resistance training. I learned the rules of eating, how to workout and how to maximize recovery. I'm no expert, however, which is why I began buying fitness books from amazon to hear what the experts had to say. I have gained vast knowledge and experience from the high rated books I've purchased but trouble came when I ran into this book. In regards to the rules of working out, LL Cool J's book breaks them all.
At first, like anything else, the results were coming as I followed the program. (NOTE: Any kind of exercise regimen, depending on your level of fitness, in the beginning will give you results due to the body trying to adapt to something new.) The book starts off with good tips on what to eat and drink and basic principles such as: you need to get strong before you can build muscle and so forth. It is a very attractive book with vivid pictures and colorful backgrounds and good picture/descriptions of the exercises and stretches. The workout routines are very affective but then become prolonging. LL states that he doesn't like to workout for more than an hour (NOTE: The body begins burning protein [your muscle] as its energy source after 1 hour of vigorous weight training.)and he likes to get out of the gym in 45 minutes, but the workouts thrown at you, plus the cardio, get you out of there in 1:15 to 1:20 minutes.
Next, to begin with, the muscle groups selected in the workout were placed in an odd order. This is nothing I became upset about until this happened- Monday: Chest and Biceps; Tuesday: Back and Triceps-? Any person with common sense about weight lifting knows that the triceps are complimentary to the chest and the biceps to the back. This mishap caused my biceps and triceps to weaken on Monday and get completely thrashed and over trained on Tuesday. Another thing, I love pushups and bodyweight exercises, and LL incorporates them, except inevitable over training occurs with this book when you lifts weights one day, and then the next day you are doing a cardio circuit that includes pushups (and pushups sets of 30 seconds, for that matter). Bodyweight exercises are not p***y like some people think and still work your muscles.
At this point in the book, I am beat down, my muscles are torn (not literally) and you must understand that I am a person who needs to be in amazing shape. I love to climb buildings do gymnastics and free run. I do martial arts so my fitness has to be superb at all times. Let's just say I can run 8-10 miles at 75% MHR and I don't lose my breath. Anyway, I looked further into the book to see if there were any more workouts I could salvage that wouldn't over train me. I found this- Monday: Chest, Triceps, Back (Note: Back exercises work Biceps too.)and Hamstrings (Note: Can directly or indirectly work Quads.); Tuesday: Quads (Note: May have been worked by Hamstrings exercise on Monday.), Shoulders (Note: Weren't Triceps exercises on Monday? hmmm), Calves, and Abs.- You think that's bad? By the time you get to the featured PLATINUM WORKOUT you are doing this- Sunday: A weight workout is performed in the MORNING of upper body exercises with a 20 min cardio workout attached. EVENING: Consists of another 20 minute cardio workout.- So long to LL's getting out of the gym in 45 minutes.
The book is not a total loss, for you get to learn about LL's past and who his idols are and there is solid nutrition advice. Not to mention, the Abs circuits were very effective and well put. Although, I give this book a rating of 2 for trying so hard to impress consumers with the mega rapper's flashy colors, and pictures, and for failing to provide a workout regimen that follows the rules of recovery.
Thank you.
Good book for the beginning and advanced!.......2007-06-15
**Note**
Unlike some of the reviews here, this has nothing to do with an appreciation, or lack thereof, of his music or acting. It also doesn't have anything to do with his speaking or writing style (everyone has a style, whether it seems more educated, basic, or street... if you don't like his style, move on to another one, but don't deduct points for your own dislikes). It's also not about whether the information is regurgitated from someone else (if it's been repeated and was so important that everyone knows it, there wouldn't be a point to this book and you wouldn't be reading it, now would you?). This book is about the information provided about nutrition and working out.
That said, this book has a great deal of info. Cool J does an excellent job of breaking down the grocery store so that anyone can get the message (example - at the store, remember veggies on the left, meat in the back, milk on the right, don't eat what's in the middle). He includes a very detailed workout plan and includes illustrations for nearly every exercise recommended. He backs up all of his information with approvals and interviews with trained professionals. There is even a detailed section about the necessity of stretching, which isn't included in a lot of fitness guides.
Most complaints about this book have to do with the inclusion of information people already know and about this book starting too slowly. However, the people complaining need to realize that no fitness guide is the end-all complete fitness guide. Most fitness books and guides are made so that you can still adapt their guidelines to your lifestyle. That's part of the reason why they contain so many exercises and routines. If you work out all the time and have already applied his food tips, skip to the silver or gold workout. If you have never worked out before and eat six bags of doritos a day, start your new routine at page one. The information for everyone is in the book.
All that said, I do have a few complaints about the book - 1) the amount included in the platinum workout, 2) the charts, 3) the endpoint, and 4) the gym membership requirement.
1)If a person is to stick with the recommendations straight through the platinum workout, you will have to dedicate a significantly greater amount of time to it, which could possibly lead to a burnout, both physically and mentally. I'm not interested in being as buff as Cool J, and really don't have as much time to "complete" the workout. However, as stated earlier, I can continue with the silver and gold as long as I'd like and still be happy.
2) As far as the charts go... it would be nice to be able to copy or tear out the food charts or workout charts. The way they are written and organized are fairly confusing and make it more difficult to do that.
3) In addition, the workout has an endpoint. So, to me, that tells me that this book is less about a lifestyle change and more about getting results for a certain event. If you want to continue working out, the book is low on a continuation plan.
4) Finally, LL admitted that his best fitness came on the road with a personal trainer (i.e. not in a gym). However, he recommends that a person gets a membership to a gym. There is a lot to be said about the need for motivation from your surroundings. However, a gym membership is not practical for everyone. It would've been nice to have more information about getting pumped up at home, whether it's with a set of barbells and dumbbells in the basement or some other means.
Overall, this book is worth 3.5 stars, but Amazon won't let you give partial stars, and rounding down won't do this book justice... so it gets four stars instead. I'd definitely recommend that this book be on everyone's bookshelf who is interested in fitness - professionals, athletes, and people who are interested in getting fit for the first time. I'm still a bigger fan of the Abs Diet series (as a matter of fact, one of the writers of Platinum Workout is a writer for Men's Health, which is produced by the author of Abs Diet), but this book still contains a lot of great workout routines, recipes, and exercises that I can't wait to try.
Enjoyed the workout... saw results.......2007-06-12
I really enjoyed using this book. The cardio workouts are intense and the supersets get your body going... most of the workouts have you out in of the gym in less than an hour and have built in sufficient rest through out the week. This is not the perfect workout for someone who is skinny and looking to bulk up like LL. This is perfect for someone who is looking to lose some inches off thier waist and looking to build some lean muscle.
All in all, I thought this was a good purchase. The only thing I could have done without is all of the self promotion. My workout didnt really benifit from reading a timeline about all of his career accomplishments.
Average customer rating:
- New Book that was NOT a new Book
- For the Non-Science Major
- Astronomy Today 5th edition
- A Paradox of Blind Astronomers!
- A joy to read!
|
Astronomy Today (5th Edition)
Eric Chaisson , and
Steve McMillan
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0131445960 |
Book Description
Chaisson/McMillan's writing style and pedagogically driven art program are recognized as being scientifically accurate yet accessible to non-science majors. The integrated media program contains the market's only E-book. It provides readers with innovative and interactive tools to learn and test their understanding of astronomy concepts. Topics covered include Astronomy and the Universe, Our Planetay System, Stars and Stellar Evolution, Galaxies and Cosmology, and more. For one or two-semester introductory astronomy course.
Customer Reviews:
New Book that was NOT a new Book.......2007-06-08
Simply put - I purchased this Astronomy book through Amazon because the price was the same as elsewhere but I would save on shipping. I expected a NEW book but received a Used Book in good condition.
The Book itself so far seems well laid out and interesting but the course I am taking has just reached the 1/3 mark toward completion.
For the Non-Science Major.......2007-03-08
This book is designed to be the astronomy book that non-science majors would use to meet their one-year of science requirement as part of their undergraduate degree. As such it is written without the mathematics content that would be normal in a course aimed at astronoly or physics students. In addition, this particular book has several advantages. To identify just a few:
1. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on teaching the scientific method. This area has been strengthened in this edition because (I'm guessing) the current attempts by the un-intelligent design people to disparage scientific theories.
2. Revised to include the latest discoveries being made by the Mars rovers and the down grading of poor Pluto to a minor planet.
3. Updating the current theories regarding dark matter and dark energy.
In summary this is a well written, well illustrated text, ideally suited for the non-scientists.
Astronomy Today 5th edition.......2006-03-11
I have had a lifetime love of Astronomy but have lacked the mathmatical background for a thorough understanding. Most popular books on the subject rarely cover the field in the manner that I desire. Astronomy Today is a textbook for a beginning course in astronomy at the college level and does, in fact, cover a great deal of information without the need for mathmatical knowledge. The authors express their ideas and information in clear, concise language and clearly manifest an enthusiasm for their subject. I have enjoyed the book immensely.
A Paradox of Blind Astronomers!.......2005-06-23
This is an excellent textbook, but I deducted one star (from a possible five-star rating) because of the absurd comments made by the authors in the beginning of the book. In this fourth edition of Astronomy Today, a textbook published by Prentice Hall for college students, the authors open the very first chapter with the following statements:
"Of all the scientific insights attained to date, one stands out boldly: Earth is neither central nor special. We inhabit no unique place in the universe. Astronomical research, especially within the past few decades, strongly suggests that we live on what seems to be an ordinary rocky planet called Earth, one of the nine known planets orbiting an average star called the Sun, a star near the edge of a huge collection of stars called the Milky Way Galaxy, which is one galaxy among countless billions of others spread throughout the observable universe."
Huh!? Earth isn't special? Compare the other planets in our Solar System to Earth and tell us it isn't special. And Earth is "...an ordinary rocky planet..."? It's the only planet we know of with vast oceans of liquid water, a breathable atmosphere, lush vegetation, and a spectacular collection of life forms. The authors of this textbook must have been "out to lunch" when they wrote that trite introduction, or... this is just another deliberate attempt by "philosophers of gobbledygook" to strip the Earth of its special place in the universe and to squash any special characteristics that may differentiate it from everything else in the cosmos. I strongly suspect the latter viewpoint is the correct one.
The fact is the Earth is indeed a very special place, and the Sun is a very special star. In fact, the Sun-Earth relationship represents a very special arrangement that permits life to thrive upon our planet. Mercury, Venus and Mars may be nothing more than ordinary rocky planets, but Earth is truly unique from all the other planets in our Solar System, and may be truly unique in all the universe.
I stand by my initial rating of the textbook: 4 stars and an excellent read. I just have a wee bit of a problem with blind astronomers.
A joy to read!.......2005-02-18
This book is really outstanding! It contains 757 pages of text (not counting the preface and appendix), about 480 (mostly quite smallish) photos, some 400 drawings/figures/illustrations and almost 50 tables. The writing style is very clear, not at all dry or overtly technical. It is a joy to read this book. I know of no other book that clarifies all kind of astronomical subjects as thoroughly and understandably as this book (and I did read many books on astronomy.....). Highly recommended!
Average customer rating:
- The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars
- My Star Wars fanatic loves this book
- A Must-Have for any Star Wars fan
- Star Wars is a Five star choice for the ultimate fan
- My 9-year-old loves this book!
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The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars: The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the Entire Star Wars Saga
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Ultimate Visual Guide to Star Wars
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ASIN: 0756622387 |
Book Description
Provides a complete, comprehensive overview of the Prequel movies (Episodes I-III) and the Trilogy (Episodes IV-VI), this is the definitive photographic guide to the entire Star Wars saga.
Customer Reviews:
The Complete Visual Dictionary of Star Wars.......2007-09-26
This book is extraordinary. The pictures are sharp and extremely detailed. There are explanations of many characters that are only seen in the background scenes. I highly recommend if you're a Star Wars fan. My 4 year old won't give it up.
My Star Wars fanatic loves this book.......2007-09-26
I bought this for my 6 year old who is a Star Wars FREAK. He sat down with this book immediately and has not really stopped looking at it since. He can barely read, but he loves examining all of the characters, and the way they are broken down and labeled is very exciting to him. He likes to see everything that he's seen in the movies, and video game, in full detail.
I can't comment on how this book is similar or different to any other book, but I can say, it's very detailed, it covers a lot of information and describes alot of the relationships and uses of the characters & items. My 6 year old can identify way more than I can. This book is well set up, with loads of information and LOTS AND LOTS of details full color high quality photos which is just what we were looking for.
Good luck!
A Must-Have for any Star Wars fan.......2007-09-21
My son constantly wants to look at this book, and he is only 6 and has never seen any of the movies. That pretty much says how good this book is. I grew up with the original Star Wars movies, so looking through this book is like looking into the past for me. It is well put-together, very concise with a lot of nice photos and a plethora of Star Wars information. An excellent resource for any Star Wars aficionado.
Star Wars is a Five star choice for the ultimate fan.......2007-09-09
This book is just fantastic, and it is worth every penny. I originally bought it for my friends son who loves Star Wars. The kid walked around with the book under his arm like a bible! He never put it down. I recently bought it for my own two elementary age boys and they love it just as much. This is wonderful gift to get for any Star Wars fan -- Once again DK has cornered the market on wonderful visual books for young children. Their books are so well executed and so wonderfully edited, they know exactly how to appeal to this age group by giving just enough information with out making it too simple. An adult fan would actually love this book too. It's a great purchase.
My 9-year-old loves this book!.......2007-09-03
I purchased this book for my 9-year-old son who has been a Star Wars fan for a few years. He has spent hours looking through the book on his own or alongside his friends. I have never seen the movies and I have little knowledge of the people in them, but I could easily learn A LOT from this book if I wanted to. The pictures of the people and tools/weapons are great! I also like the fact that they show pictures from movie scenes that depict the people or the tools being discussed on that particular page. This was a great price for a large hardcover book with great details and pictures!
Average customer rating:
- Educational and entertaining
- An enjoyable read for those with an interest in science and astronomy
- Death by Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- Conversational Cosmology 101 - Superb!
- Heavy & light reading all in one
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Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0393062244 |
Book Description
A vibrant collection of essays on the cosmos from the nation's best-known astrophysicist.
Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to your body if you fell into one. "Holy Wars" examines the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts. "The Search for Life in the Universe" explores astral life from the frontiers of astrobiology. And "Hollywood Nights" assails the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right.
Known for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while simultaneously sharing his infectious excitement about our universe.
Customer Reviews:
Educational and entertaining.......2007-10-02
I have long known Tyson to be an excellent speaker and purveyor of scientific ideas with a Saganesque ability to convey the excitement of scientific findings with a bit more hipness and swagger to his talks than Sagan. This book is an excellent read through and through. I couldn't beat the feeling as I sat on the roof of a 14 story building in Curitiba, Brazil watching the sunset alone on the summer solstice (their winter solstice) while reading the section on Stick-In-The-Mud-Science and watching the long shadows creep across the sky and have Tyson explain to me all the celestial happenings around me (this really happened). Quite a magical read. The author presents complex scientific ideas in short, readable, cohesively-themed articles. Each article is on a topic familiar to us, upon which he expands towards scientific ideas which may be unfamiliar to us. There is enough overlap in the independent sections that the read feels like one is being 'taught' rather than just reading information. And Tyson is first and foremost a great educator. Although I did find myself trying to remember something from a previous chapter and flipping back through, I feel like I have learned a great deal about astrophysics from a book that was downright entertaining.
An enjoyable read for those with an interest in science and astronomy.......2007-09-27
The qualities that make Neil deGrasse Tyson so annoying on Nova Science Now are absolute positives when it comes to the written word. He is an intelligent and entertaining writer with an uncanny ability to reduce complex scientific concepts to bite sized chunks even I could (mostly) understand.
Death by Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.......2007-09-19
An astrophysicist for the American Museum of Natural History, director of the world famous Hayden Planetarium, and columnist for Natural History magazine, Neil DeGrasse Tyson brings to the non-scientific world the ideal book for those fascinated with space, the cosmos, black holes, and all the questions and wonders therein. Death by Black Hole is the perfect book for the reader who wants answers to questions about the universe in a simple and clearly defined way so that even if they know next to nothing about science and it's jargon, Tyson makes it easily understandable.
While I was hoping for something a little more in depth in the style of Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos or Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics, Death by Black Hole nevertheless provides quick and simple answers to many questions everyday readers without a science background have about physics, the universe, space, and most matters dealing with the cosmos. The book is a selection of his columns in Natural History that are organized in a somewhat textbook fashion. Tyson starts with the idea of science and nature in its basic form, how humanity views Earth, the solar system, the universe. Along with this discussion, Tyson also gives minor history lessons on the development of different ideas in physics and astronomy, what people came up with what big ideas and how the progression led to the development of the big theories of our current time with string theory and relativity. Going on from here, Death by Black Hole address the crucial steps that led to the formation of the universe and its development over the many billions and billions of years, again explaining how it is that scientists know what they do and what instruments were used, as well as the history of who invented and used said instruments.
It is then that Tyson finally turns to the subject matter of the title of the book in the section "When the Universe Turns Bad: All the Ways the Cosmos Wants to Kill Us." Here he addresses the complex and still relatively unknown subjects of chaos theory, dark matter (which constitutes over 90% of all matter in the universe, while we still know next to nothing about it), and finally black holes. Tyson takes the reader on a hypothetical journey with what would happen if one were to be sucked into a black hole and how as they approached the event horizon, they would become stretched until the elasticity point of their skin was surpassed and the body would be torn into thousands then millions of little pieces.
With many questions now answered, in the next section Tyson discusses how science is viewed by the media, Hollywood, and people around the world in general. The final section addresses the concept of science and religion, again taking the reader on a historic journey through the development of first religion, then science, and the struggle that has ensued for centuries. It is the perfect end to a book on science, as Tyson lectures the importance of supporting fact and reality in a time when there are many who believe more in faith, even when all the evidence is to the contrary.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com
Conversational Cosmology 101 - Superb!.......2007-09-19
New York Planetarium director and astrophysicist Tyson has been writing a column for "Natural History" magazine for some 11 years - that makes about 132 short essays. Tyson says this monthly chore is "one of the most exhausting and exhilarating things I do." Forty-two of these essays appear in this volume, "mildly edited for continuity and to reflect emergent trends in science."
He divides these essays into seven sections:
1. THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE - The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE - The challenges of discovering the contents of the cosmos.
3. WAYS AND MEANS OF NATURE - How nature presents herself to the inquiring mind.
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE - The challenges and triumphs of knowing how we got here.
5. WHEN THE UNIVERSE TURNS BAD - All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us.
6. SCIENCE AND CULTURE - The ruffled interface between cosmic discovery and the public's reaction to it.
7. SCIENCE AND GOD - When ways of knowing collide.
"Natural History" is the same magazine Stephen J. Gould wrote 300 essays for, overlapping with Tyson for seven years. In both cases, the authors excelled in making their respective fields (evolutionary biology and cosmology) easily readable for the general public, adding to their already impressive credentials.
From page 33: "This universality of physical laws tells us that if we land on another planet with a thriving alien civilization, they will be running on the same laws that we have discovered and tested here on Earth - even if the aliens harbor different social and political beliefs. Furthermore, if you wanted to talk to the aliens, you can bet they don't speak English or French or even Mandarin Chinese. You don't even know whether shaking their hands - if indeed they have hands to shake - would be considered an act of war or of peace. Your best hope is to find a way to communicate using the language of science."
The format provides for benign redundancy as the Big Bang, formation of galaxies, creation of the chemicals in the periodic chart, and predictable physics versus chaos of interactions are looked at over and over from differing perspectives. This book is highly entertaining and I recommend it for anyone who wants to buff up their knowledge of astronomy (cosmology, astrophysics...) or for the confirmed science nut like me. First rate!
Heavy & light reading all in one.......2007-09-14
Anything by this author is worth reading. I like the way he starts off explaining things in a very simple way and winds up getting deep into the end result. "A professional con job with very educational results".
Average customer rating:
- A teacher told me about this book.
- great book!!
- The hiding place
- Zapnes' Crew talks about Number the Stars
- number the stars
|
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Holocaust
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
ASIN: 0440227534
Release Date: 1998-02-09 |
Amazon.com
The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country.
Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal.
Book Description
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.
Customer Reviews:
A teacher told me about this book........2007-09-24
I really enjoyed the book. I went on a trip to Washington D.C. and visited the Holocaust Museum. Since then I have been interested in WWII and mostly the Holocaust. A teacher told me about this book. I read the book very quickly, it was so interesting. My mom liked it too, and read with me. I'm reading it again!
great book!!.......2007-07-12
My granddaughter,11, read this on our vacation, and she told me she absolutely loved it!
The hiding place.......2007-07-01
Annamarie has to hide her best friend away from the Nazi`s by going to Uncle Henrick`s and trying to flee Ellen and her family to Sweeden. This book is filled with adventure and excitement and reminds you of what happened during the Nazi`s reign.
You`ve got to read this.
Zapnes' Crew talks about Number the Stars.......2007-06-22
This book is about courage and bravery for Annemarie and Ellen during World War II when German Nazis invade and occupy Denmark, along with other European countries. The two families, the Rosens and the Johansens, are involved in a journey that many took to help Jews in Denmark to safety. We recommend this historical fiction to people who want to learn about WW II and read about the struggle of the Jews and Danes that lived in Denmark during the war. It's a heart-breaking story about love and danger.
number the stars.......2007-06-15
this book is about a girl annemarie and her sister kirsti. annemaries friend ellen is jewish and annemarie isnt. annemarie and her family hae to hide ellen and her family from the nazis.
Average customer rating:
|
Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era
Jim Heimann
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0896595722 |
Customer Reviews:
A Real Treasure!.......2004-06-27
This is one of those books I can't recommend highly enough if you love old Hollywood or the flamboyant architecture and graphic design of Hollywood in the 20's - 50's. I picked it up on a cut-out table in New York about 10 years ago and have come to appreciate it as one of the best books in my library - in fact it's one of those books that is always getting borrowed from friends who are graphic designers or work at ad agencies looking for inspiration.
Jim Heimann deserves much praise for assembling what is obviously a huge labor of love with lots of great photos and illustrations that you will never see anywhere else - everything from cocktail napkins and matchbooks to beautiful interior photography and paparazzi pics of the stars at play.
Also I'd like to disagree with the review - I actually found the writing in the book to be pretty engaging. It's fairly straightforward and to the point., luckily since there is a lot of history to cover.
Anyway it's an amazing book that I would highly recommend.
Average customer rating:
- breath of fresh air
- Star wars: Legacy of the Force book 4
- Its not great
- Three Stars
- The Dark Side Keeps Coming
|
Exile (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 4)
Aaron Allston
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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Betrayal (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 1)
ASIN: 0345477537
Release Date: 2007-02-27 |
Book Description
In the Stars Wars galaxy, evil is on the move as the Galactic Alliance and Jedi order battle forces seen and unseen, from rampant internal treachery to the nightmare of all-out war.
With each victory against the Corellian rebels, Jacen Solo becomes more admired, more powerful, and more certain of achieving galactic peace. But that peace may come with a price. Despite strained relationships caused by opposing sympathies in the war, Han and Leia Solo and Luke and Mara Skywalker remain united by one frightening suspicion: Someone insidious is manipulating this war, and if he or she isn’t stopped, all efforts at reconciliation may be for naught. And as sinister visions lead Luke to believe that the source of the evil is none other than Lumiya, Dark Lady of the Sith, the greatest peril revolves around Jacen himself. . . .
Customer Reviews:
breath of fresh air.......2007-08-23
I was begining to feel depressed about this series because of how dark the themes are, not that this book makes the story bright and happy but I was begining to find the series less fun to read. I picked this book up as a last chance for the series and read it cover to cover in a couple days. I loved it, it really brings the story back to the fun adventureous plot without losing the more sinister undertones that make it exciting.
Star wars: Legacy of the Force book 4.......2007-06-27
Gripping story, I'm a little uncomfortable with Jacen being turned to the dark side, but am hoping it turns out to be a tempory aberation.
Its not great .......2007-06-20
I really can sum up this novel in two words.....Love Commander.I really wish the Star Wars EU guys would STOP makeing up profanity like stang,rodder and kriffing it sounds so stupid use the real deal if you must use it or better yet language has many derogitory terms that arent vulgar use those you may actually educate someone.
Three Stars.......2007-06-13
There were only two real noteworthy things that happened in Exile, Ben being sent unknown to him on a Sith test and the Skywalker-Solo (minus Jacen of course) clan coming to realize that their family being split may be exactly what the enemy is wanting. I liked Ben's test being him alone on a Sith planet where he and only he can choice which path he'll follow and struggling to survive. The second part it was nice to see the Skywalkers-Solos come to the realization. I had hoped with this being the fourth book we would have more answers about the war, the reasons behind it, about Lumyia or something instead the rest was nothing more then Jacen still deciding who his Sacrifice would be and setting up for his plan at the end of the story at painstaking slowness that by the time the it got to the point I was asleep. I hope the next book will better. More answers, more things happening and less endless slowness.
The Dark Side Keeps Coming.......2007-05-22
Another Splendid addition to the Legacy of the Force series. Basically, the story continues with Jason getting deeper into the dark side. Young Ben however is starting to find out that it's not all that good to be bad.
More interesting stories all evolving around different caracters and the War, including one where Ben is tested to see if he really is dark side material. While entertaining, remember the book is still just a segue to the next book. But that is expected in such a long series.
Average customer rating:
- All parents and youth coaches should read this book
- Really, really excellent book
- Great book!
- Most moving book I have ever read!
- Great message / Great read
|
Season of Life: A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood
Jeffrey Marx
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life
ASIN: 0743269748 |
Book Description
Joe Ehrmann, a former NFL football star and volunteer coach for the Gilman high school football team, teaches his players the keys to successful defense: penetrate, pursue, punish, love. Love? A former captain of the Baltimore Colts and now an ordained minister, Ehrmann is serious about the game of football but even more serious about the purpose of life. Season of Life is his inspirational story as told by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jeffrey Marx, who was a ballboy for the Colts when he first met Ehrmann.
Ehrmann now devotes his life to teaching young men a whole new meaning of masculinity. He teaches the boys at Gilman the precepts of his Building Men for Others program: Being a man means emphasizing relationships and having a cause bigger than yourself. It means accepting responsibility and leading courageously. It means that empathy, integrity, and living a life of service to others are more important than points on a scoreboard.
Decades after he first met Ehrmann, Jeffrey Marx renewed their friendship and watched his childhood hero putting his principles into action. While chronicling a season with the Gilman Greyhounds, Marx witnessed the most extraordinary sports program he'd ever seen, where players say "I love you" to each other and coaches profess their love for their players. Off the field Marx sat with Ehrmann and absorbed life lessons that led him to reexamine his own unresolved relationship with his father.
Season of Life is a book about what it means to be a man of substance and impact. It is a moving story that will resonate with athletes, coaches, parents -- anyone struggling to make the right choices in life.
Customer Reviews:
All parents and youth coaches should read this book.......2007-09-09
I would heartily recommend this book to any parent who has kids involved in youth sports. This is not a book on how to become a coach who wins games. Instead, this is a book that shows how to mold and develop kids who are winners in the game of life.
The Gilman football program wins plenty of games. In this book, Jeffrey Marx highlights the coach and former all-pro NFL footballer Joe Ehrmann. As a coach, he finds it more valuable to teach life lessons to his young charges than football lessons. Of course, they do a lot of good football teaching too. And, the coaches know the game very well.
The book was written after the 2001 season. The coaches at the time felt that Victor Abiamiri was the player most likely to end up in the NFL. In fact, he is now a rookie on the Philadephia Eagles. I have no idea if any other Gilman players have made the NFL. How many kids on any high school team ever make the NFL? Not many. Victor Abiamiri may be the only NFL player of the bunch. However, I am confident that the all or most of the Gilman kids will become good productive members of society.
Of course that is the end result. I recommend you read the story and learn why.
Really, really excellent book.......2007-08-23
As a father of three, including a young boy and a youth football coach, this is a book I recommend to all sorts of people who are involved in helping to raise young boys to become responsible young men -- teachers, coaches, parents and anyone else would be well-served by reading the book.
Great book!.......2007-07-08
This book is a must read for anyone involved in sports. It shows you how to keep things in perspective when looking at the big picture of things to come.
Most moving book I have ever read!.......2007-06-21
As a few others have stated here, I became interested in Coach Ehrmann after watching the documentary by Steve Sabol of NFL Films.
I was very moved seeing how the coaches of the Gilman HS Football team were able to get their message through to the kids. A lot of what they "preach" might be over some kids heads, but they way that they teach life's lessons by using football as the avenue was both brilliant and inspiring.
This past Little League season, I tried my best to emulate what both Ehrmann and the head coach did for their boys, by talking to them, and emphasizing time and time again that I wanted them all to have the greatest time of their lives out there on the field and to never worry about or ask me what the score was. I also made sure that even the weakest players were put in "positions to succeed", rather than worry about putting them in harms way by putting them somewhere where they might "fail". And as scripted in a movie, the most rewarding experience for everyone was when these less naturally talented kids actually made a play for us or got a big hit! The ENTIRE TEAM was overjoyed and started patting them on the head! Nothing could be more motiviating for them...or...for me than actually seeing it come to fruition!
If you DO coach kids, or were ever considering it, you owe it to yourself to look upon it as the vocation that it is...in the way Coach Ehrmann does. You'll be surprised how much of an effect you can have on a kid's life, and how much watching these kids develop together can have an effect on YOUR life. Our record was actually 4-6 this season (and nobody on the team knew), yet it was, by far, our most successful and rewarding season!
Thank you Jeffrey Marx and thank you COach Ehrmann for motivating me more than you'll ever know!!
Great message / Great read.......2007-05-16
I don't want to spoil the book for anyone by talking about it. Suffice it to say I had my boys read it, and actually suggested that it be required reading for all coaches in my town's recreation department.
Average customer rating:
- But Enough About Me...
- Mediocre at best
- You are there in the Minds and Hearts.
- A Jewel of a Novel
- On Call In Hell by Cdr. Richard Jadick
|
On Call In Hell: A Doctor's Iraq War Story
Cdr. Richard Jadick , and
Thomas Hayden
Manufacturer: NAL Hardcover
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ASIN: 0451220536 |
Book Description
A riveting memoir from the Navy doctor praised as "Hero, M.D." on the cover of Newsweek.
Cdr. Richard Jadick's story is one of the most extraordinary to come out of the war in Iraq. At thirty-eight, the last place the Navy doctor was expected to be was on the front lines. He was too old to be called up, but not too old to volunteer. In November 2004, with the military reeling from an acute doctor shortage, Jadick chose to accompany the First Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment (the "1/8") to Iraq. During the Battle of Fallujah, Jadick and his team worked tirelessly and courageously around the clock to save their troops in the worst street fighting Americans had faced since Vietnam. It is estimated that without Jadick at the front, the Marines would have lost an additional thirty men. Of the hundreds of men he treated, only one died after reaching a hospital. This is the inspiring story of his decision to enter into the fray, a fascinating glimpse into wartime triage, and a compelling account of courage under fire.
Customer Reviews:
But Enough About Me..........2007-09-20
Having read the compelling Newsweek article that became the catalyst for the book, I was expecting much more than what was finally produced. As another reviewer mentioned, too much of the book was spent on CDR Jadick's personal history and trite stories about everyday life downrange. (Though the latrine story was pretty doggone funny...)
Perhaps it's difficult to produce a tome about one aspect of one battle - but others have managed. Those who have, however, are usually historians and not docs.
A bad book review should be understood for what it is. A book review. This is not a criticism of the author's valor or medical skill, which is worthy of every accolade that's been bestowed.
Mediocre at best.......2007-08-16
Does not deserve to share a shelf with medical accomplishments such as Atul Gawande's Better or Complications. The book is filled with trite sentences and tainted with the robotic marine mentality. Slow and reads like you yourself are in hell.
You are there in the Minds and Hearts........2007-07-16
Feel the heat, taste the dust, squint in the sun while horror is delivered to you on the hour.
A Jewel of a Novel.......2007-07-01
having been in the Navy I found this book a fine read. His explanation of the Marine/Navy world was perfect. Corpmen are always highly respected by all. Beyond that it shows the great men and women and their beliefs toward our wonderful country. Soemtimes when we see the faults by politicians and others and we wonder how we will make it as a country all we have to do is look toward the fine men and women that serve us and our country. Let our hearts go out and let us in the future be ready to help them in all they will need.
On Call In Hell by Cdr. Richard Jadick.......2007-06-25
The book was riveting...hard to put down. I read it in two days, mainly because I wanted to experience what Marines and Navy Corpsmen experience in combat, and I certainly did and then some. My son's heroic rescue on Thanksgiving Day, 2004 was clearly documented, as was his death in combat the next day. Kudos to the corpsmen who literally go through the gates of hell to rescue a wounded Marine!
Average customer rating:
- OUTSTANDING REFERENCE TOOL
- 5 stars for COMPLETE Cross-sections!!
- My 5 year old loves it!
- Not What I Expected But Great Nontheless
- Star wars
|
Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections: The Spacecraft and Vehicles of the Entire Star Wars Saga
David Reynolds , and
Curtis Saxton
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (Star Wars)
ASIN: 0756627044 |
Book Description
This amazing title unites all four Incredible Cross-Sections books in one volume, enlarged and updated with brand-new illustrations-including the TIE bomber, Imperial shuttle, A-wing, and B-wing-along with revised technical introductions, behind-the-scenes pages, glossary, and index. (c) 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM AUTHOR BIO: Hans Jenssen Hans Jenssen has spent the last nine years in a galaxy far, far away, co-illustrating a total of ten Star Wars books with Richard Chasemore, with whom he has developed a close friendship. They have traveled across three continents, sampled exotic beverages with Boba Fett, and partied with R2-D2. He now lives a quiet life in Devon, England, with his partner and young son. RICHARD CHASEMORE Richard Chasemore has worked as an illustrator and 3-D computer artist in the United States and Europe, most notably on DK's Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections and, Inside the Worlds of the Star Wars series. Lately he has written educational books for budding digital artists. He lives on the south coast of England, where he enjoys sports involving boards and high speeds!
Customer Reviews:
OUTSTANDING REFERENCE TOOL.......2007-09-14
Previously, DK Books has release four volumes in their Star Wars cross-sections series, covering the various Star Wars films. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, they've now combines all four of those volumes, along with new illustrations into the massive Star Wars: The Complete Cross Sections. This coffee table-sized hardcover book packs information on every ship and vehicle used in the six films into 152 full-color pages. John Knoll, the Visual Effects Supervisor for episodes I - III, provides the foreword to the book.
The book is basically an encyclopedia for Star Wars ships and vehicles. The items are shown in a cutaway art, allowing the reader to not only see the outside, but also see the interiors as well. This gives fans a unique viewpoint as you generally didn't get a chance to see inside many of these ships and vehicles in the films themselves. Most of these are given a full two-page spread which include data files about each one. The data files provide information such as design and manufacture, wingspan, speed, crew capacity, armament, dimensions, ship or vehicle type, and other special features.
The book begins with Episode I, The Phantom Menace with each of the first three episodes getting their own chapter while the original three films are combined into the last chapter. In addition to the data files, a host of other information is provided on each vehicle as well. Text keys with map lines are drawn to each, pointing out important features of each vehicle. These are about the next best thing to the actual ships blueprints. The detail is simply amazing! On the Naboo Cruiser for example we see where the fuel tanks and fuel lines are located, along with coolant ducts, deflector shield projectors, sensor arrays and even mundane things such as the crew lounge and locker areas. These allow the reader to get inside these massive vehicles and ships and almost take a virtual tour through them.
Get up close and personal with Jango Boba Fett's heavily armed Slave I ship with its blaster cannons, laser cannons, missile launchers, and mine layers. Other ships included from the episodes I to III include Padme's Starship, ARC -170 Fighter, General Grievous's Wheel Bike, Pod Racers, and Palpatine's Shuttle.
The final chapter dealing with the three original films has certainly the most popular ships for fans including the Millennium Falcon, AT-AT Walker, Jabba's Barge, and Darth Vader's Tie Fighter. Several of the major ships and vehicles get fold out sections that provide four full pages worth of data. Chief among these is the first Death Star. The Slave I makes a second appearance here that includes the modifications made by Jango Fett's son, Boba.
Hats off to DK Books for also profiling the two artists whose brilliant work is on display here, Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore. The detail and effort that went into these drawings is truly phenomenal. This is one of those items that is tailor-made for the hardcore Star Wars fan, a reference tool that can be consulted over and over again.
REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
5 stars for COMPLETE Cross-sections!!.......2007-08-23
People should get Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections.
Here are three reasons why anyone who likes Star Wars should get this book.
1. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections includes information about ALL six episodes in one book. It's great to have it all in one volume instead of four separate books (Episodes I, II, III, and the Trilogy).
2. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections has extra content not included in the separate volumes. The Imperial Shuttle, the RZ-1 A-Wing, and the B-Wing Star Fighter are new material in the combined book.
3. Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections is jam-packed with large full color illustrations and tons of fascinating facts. The pages are crowded, but the information is great.
The Star Wars Complete Cross-Sections book rules the galaxy and any Star Wars fan would just love to have a copy. I checked it out of the library, but now it's on my Christmas wish list!!
My 5 year old loves it!.......2007-08-11
I purchased this for my 5 year old because he loves Star Wars. We have a couple of other Star Wars guides. He loves the cross section book because "it shows all the ships and details and that's cool". He loves finding something small that I would have missed. Great book for all ages.
Not What I Expected But Great Nontheless.......2007-07-05
Don't know why but I was expecting technical drawings of the Star Wars vehicles. Instead I get beautiful drawings of the vehicles and some of the characters which was an unexpected plus. Especially for scale comparison with some of the bigger vehicles. The reason this item dose not get five stars from me is because when reading the book things can get somewhat confusing there is so much info on each page it practically spills out from the sides. I would recommend it to anybody who wants more information on their favorite Star Wars vehicles!
Star wars.......2007-06-09
My son has not put this book away since we bought it. It goes on every car ride with us, and even to school for free time reading. The pictures are beautiful. He absolutely loves it.
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