Book Description
The updated, cornerstone engineering resource of solar energy theory and applications. Solar technologies already provide energy for heat, light, hot water, electricity, and cooling for homes, businesses, and industry. Because solar energy only accounts for one-tenth of a percent of primary energy demand, relatively small increases in market penetration can lead to very rapid growth rates in the industryâwhich is exactly what has been projected for coming years as the world moves away from carbon-based energy production. Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, Third Edition provides the latest thinking and practices for engineering solar technologies and using them in various markets.
This Third Edition of the acknowledged leading book on solar engineering features:
- Complete coverage of basic theory, systems design, and applications
- Updated material on such cutting-edge topics as photovoltaics and wind power systems
- New homework problems and exercises
Customer Reviews:
The Bible -- Not Just for Thermal.......2007-03-24
This is the textbook of fundamentals of solar energy engineering.
An excellent solar energy textbook.......2000-04-05
The second edition of "Solar Engineering..." is a much expanded and updated version of the original, which was already a decent textbook. It covers almost everything there is to know about engineering of solar energy systems, and the presentation is clear and well organized. The division into "basics" and "applications" sections is a very sensible way to get oriented before plunging into the depth of a specific technology, especially since solar thermal applications tend to cover a wide variety of technologies. The gradual and systematic approach makes this book a very good textbook for beginners. The wide scope makes it also a pretty good reference source for practitioners who are looking for a specific bit of information.
The new chapter on photovoltaic cells is a nice touch. While this is not a "thermal process," it is still important for any practitioner of solar thermal to know what's happening in the other corner of the field. A presentation of PV at the level that can be understood by non-physicists is a very welcome addition.
My only complaint is that recent significant developments are not well represented (I guess much of this developed after the book was written, so this complaint is not really aimed at the authors). Topics such as non-imaging concentrators, high-temperature thermal receivers for Brayton cycle, and solar chemistry are either briefly mentioned or absent altogether. The more traditional applications such DHW are of course presented in detail, but their significance to the energy market remains negligible. I would prefer to see more on applications that have the potential to make a major impact. Hopefully this will be included in the next edition...
Book Description
They’re hallmarks of childhood. The endless âwhyâ questions. The desire to touch and taste everything. The curiosity and the observations.
It can’t be deniedâchildren have an inherent desire to know. Teachers and parents can either encourage this natural inquisitiveness or squelch it. There is joy in the classroom when children learnânot to take a test, not to get a grade, not to compete with each other, and not to please their parents or their teachersâbut because they want to know about the world around them!
Both Christian educators and parents will find proven help in creating a positive learning atmosphere through methods pioneered by Charlotte Mason that show how to develop a child’s natural love of learning. The professional educators, administrators, and Mason supporters contributing to this volume give useful applications that work in a variety of educational settings, from Christian schools to homeschools.
A practical follow-up to Crossway’s
For the Children’s Sake, this book follows a tradition of giving serious thought to what education is, so that children will be learning for life and for everlasting life.
â
When Children Love to Learn is one of the better books I’ve seen on the Charlotte Mason approach. Elaine Cooper has done a phenomenal job of laying down the basic tenets parents of homeschoolers hold dear: a child must love to learn. Narration, living books, nature studyâit’s all here. Elaine covers a lot of ground to show how easy it can be to make learning enjoyable. Charlotte Mason fans will love this! Highly recommended for every homeschool reference library.â
Gena Suarez, Publisher,
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Customer Reviews:
Designed for the classroom experience, applicable at home.......2006-02-18
Although this book is designed for the classroom, it very nicely summarizes what the Charlotte Mason method of education is and what it's not, making it a necessary resource for the home educator. It goes to the heart of the subjects and how to implement them. It provides an outline and a structure for you to base your school upon if you so wish. The book is written by various experts on the Charlotte Mason method, providing fresh perspectives throughout. There are short chapters on History, Spelling, Poetry, Math, Foreign Languages, Science and Nature Studies and all the major subjects. The extensive explanation of narration is essential. Susan Shaeffer McCaulay also contributed to this book. I highly recommend this book to anybody interested to know more about the Charlotte Mason method and those wanting to implement her method at home or in the classroom. Together with Charlotte Mason's books and Karen Andreola's A Charlotte Mason Companion, When Children Love to Learn completes an unbeatable combination for the Charlotte Mason homeschooler.
Book Description
The Epic of Gilgamesh (ca. 2500-1500 B.C.E.) is one of the world's greatest epic narratives and, quite possibly, its oldest epic poem. Our text is based on a new English translation from original sources. An introduction, interpretive headings, explanatory annotations, and illustrations guide readers through the text and help them explore Near Eastern history and culture.
Analogues includes two related groups of ancient poetry. The first is a collection of shorter, older Sumerian poems about the hero Gilgamesh, some of which appear in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The second collection includes material about Gilgamesh from the Hittite language, translations or paraphrases of Babylonian versions of the epic that have not been preserved in the same form.
Criticism provides introduction and analysis in essays by William Moran, Thorkild Jacobsen, and Rivkah Harris. A Glossary of Proper Names and a Selected Bibliography are included.
About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the
Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehenive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.
Customer Reviews:
Not Up To Snuff.......2007-01-05
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a difficult text, both to translate and to read. I'm not a fan of translating Shamat (the woman who seduces & helps civilize Enkidu) as a "harlot." It's better than "prostitute" or "temple prostitute," but I think it has a very particular (negative) connotation in modern English that it probably didn't carry in Sumerian, Akkadian, and Bablylonian civilizations. On the other hand, Foster is the one who "knows" the language, not me. The ancillary material that Norton Critical editions contain, however, is the real problem with this edition. I very much enjoyed the inclusion of individual texts and stories from earlier epochs (i.e., Sumerian texts before the epic was "compiled"). And there is a useful discussion about the various "stages" of the text we read today (actually a first millennium BCE compilation - some 2000 years later than the first stories about Gilgamesh!). But the essays require more guidance, especially since many of them directly contradict Foster's introduction/translation, and unlike (e.g.) reading Shakespeare, only a handful of people in the WORLD can justly be referred to as experts on this material. So there needs to be some discussion of the included texts BY Foster (or another modern scholar) in order to give us wee non-experts some sort of ground to stand on.
Nice Starting Point.......2006-04-20
This is the "Standard" version as recorded by Sin-leqe-unninni with some gaps filled in by translations of other versions. Introduction, analogues and critical essays notwithstanding, the lack of contextual or other contemporary material necessitates additional research for a better understanding of the lay. Perhaps other translations for comparison would benefit the reader as well.
Didn't do much for me.......2004-10-17
I have the Penguin translation of the Epic, and I enjoy it very much. I picked up this book to get a more recent translation. I can't question the accuracy of the translation, since I'm not an expert but, from a literary standpoint, I found this translation lacking.
First, the tone shifts for no apparent reason. In some sections the characters speak like they're orating and then, all of a sudden, the language is peppered with slang.
Second, I find it inappropriate for translators to insert Christian mythological terms in ancient texts. For instance, this book calls the underworld "hell." While the Mesopotamian afterlife was hardly a keg party, to equate it with the Christian hell is simply inaccurate.
Finally, and most important, the translation fails to capture any sense of the power of the original. The language is dry. The structure of the sentences is stiff and the pacing is dull. Perhaps that's because this translation is academic in nature? Whatever the reason, the Epic won't continue to enthrall people for another several thousand years with translations like this.
As a side note: I didn't find the critical essays particularly interesting, so the book didn't work for me that way either. I'd pick the Penguin translation over this one in a heartbeat.
New Translation.......2004-07-21
The Norton Critical Edition of "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is a fairly recent translation of what is currently the oldest known epic. The epic was translated by Benjamin R. Foster. The book also includes "The Sumerian Gilgamesh Poems", translated by Douglas Frayne, and "The Hittite Gilgamesh", translated by Gary Beckman. In addition, there is "The Gilgamesh Letter", several essays discussing the epic, and an Introduction section which helps those who are new to the Epic with their first reading. The translation uses the "standard version" associated with Sin-leqe-unninni as its base, and supplements it with parts from other versions where there are gaps. There are also comments in the text to help the reader follow the passages easier.
An area of weakness of this book was in the area of editorial comments. For example, Mr. Foster states in the introduction:
"There is no evidence that The Epic of Gilgamesh began as an oral narrative performed by bards or reciters and coalesced into a written text only later. In fact, the poem as we now have it shows many signs of having been a formal, written, literary work composed and perhaps performed for well-educated people, especially scholars and members of a royal court."
This is in sharp contrast with other opinions which I have read regarding the origins of the Epic. While it may be that there is no conclusive proof one way or another, there clearly is some evidence to support the theory that it did begin as an oral narrative, just as there is evidence that it may not have. If Mr. Foster completely disregards the evidence on the other side of the argument, then one is left to wonder if there are other "facts" provided by the editor that are equally suspect. When comparing this translation to those by Alexander Heidel and Stephanie Dalley, one can see significant differences at the start of the epic where the other editors use as evidence which suggests that this was an oral narrative originally. Mr. Foster's translation though is worded in a way that does not suggest an oral origin.
On the whole, this was a very readable translation of the Epic. The supplementary material included is also very good. While I may disagree with some of the editor's opinions about the history of the work and the way he presents the evidence, this is still a good choice to read.
An excellent tool for understanding the ancient epic.......2003-01-17
Norton Critical Editions are known for providing authoritative texts or notable translations of important texts, and their edition of The Epic of Gilgamesh is no exception. The translation is easy to read without being simplistic, and is heavily (and helpfully) notated.
Where this edition really shines, though, is in providing a context for the work, not only in providing a variety of other Gilgamesh poems and critical interpretations, but in the excellent introduction on how to read the work. The introduction answers questions readers may have about the historical basis for the character of Gilgamesh, the history of the text itself, and provides general information on its style (such as why it continually repeats itself).
This version also includes a number of additional Gilgamesh stories from several different cultures, many of which are close parallels to the epic itself. Perhaps the most interesting (and certainly the weirdest) of these is Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld, in which Gilgamesh loses his prized ball-and-stick game and Enkidu goes down to the Netherworld to get it.
If you're looking to get the most out of your Gilgamesh experience and understand the epic in a larger context, this edition is definitely for you.
Book Description
It's dress-up for grown-ups, and the liveliest, most imaginative collection of Halloween costume ideas--447 costume ideas to be exact--from two hip, inveterate lovers of all things Halloween . . . plus dozens of other ideas for enjoying the holiday.
Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd are the dynamic duo, in or out of capes. For every level of interest, time--and irony--they offer suggestions. There's the ultra-quick: Pin several pair of underwear to a shirt, and voilà, A Chest of Drawers. With a bit more time, wrap yourself in aluminum foil and don a beret--mmm, French Kiss. There are Angels and Devils, all with variations (add roller skates to your Satan costume, and go as Hell on Wheels). Come Hither costumes--Lady Godiva, Chippendales Dancer, Stripper Emerging from a Cake. Celeb sightings, from the Dalai Lama to Madonna (six Madonnas, actually, from all of her phases). Costumes for couples--Sweethearts Caught on Lover's Lane, Fred and Wilma Flintstone--and costumes for whole groups of friends, including how to appear as the Sopranos or the hapless castaways on Gilligan's Island. And for the children, check out Nursery Rhymes, Fairy Tales, and Other Costumes for the Young and Young at Heart.
Finally, for the friend who just can't bear the thought of dressing up but still wants to join the fun, suggest the Time Traveler from the Day Before Halloween.
Customer Reviews:
the book is okay.......2007-07-06
I was searching for costume ideas and there are undoubtedly a lot of costumes in the book. I think I was looking for costumes that were home-made that looked more store-made. I read the book last Halloween when I purchased it and will most likely pull it out again this Halloween to see if it sparks any ideas.
Quick, easy, fun but some good ideas.......2007-05-23
Some of the costumes in this book are corny, cheesy, and just plain boring BUT there are some fun, creative ideas. There are no real big instruction lists but they are good ideas. I loved this book so much when I checked it out at the library that I had to buy a copy!
447 (Quick and Dirty) Costume Ideas.......2006-09-17
This should only be considered as an idea or concept book for quick or last minute costumes. All are quick and simple so as not to need instructions. If you want an elaborate or detailed costume collection, look elsewhere.
Showcases 447 do-it-yourself costume concepts.......2004-10-12
The collaborative effort of Halloween costume experts and enthusiasts Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd, The Halloween Handbook: Dress-Up For Grown-Ups showcases 447 imaginative, easy-to-make, do-it-yourself costume concepts. From traditional favorites such as Wonder Woman or Peter Pan, to more eyebrow-raising unique costumes like the One-Night Stand (the costumegoer appears as an actual stand with lampshade over the head, bra and pantyhouse dangling on the tablecloth) or the Green Card (wearing a large green sandwich board humorously displaying a parody what a real green card looks like). Black-and-white photographs illustrate fun, zany, sometimes edgy ideas with practical suggestions to efficiently and frugally make a Halloween guise to remember. Especially recommended not only for Halloween, but as a source of ideas for costume parties year round or even school and community theater apparel.
Book Description
This book provides the reader with the primary sources for the history of the ancient Near East. Covering the period from the earliest historical and literary texts (ca. 2700 BC) to the advent of Alexander the Great (331 BC), it presents new translations of Mesopotamian and ancient Near Eastern historiographic texts, and other related materials.An opening chapter sets out the themes of the book and discusses the difficulties of translating cuneiform texts into English, as well as the difficulty of reconstructing ancient Near Eastern history from textual sources. Texts featured in the main body of the book range from the code of Hammurabi to the Assyrian royal inscriptions. For each text, a detailed commentary is provided, placing it in its historical and cultural context. A map helps to orient the reader.
Book Description
"Beckman has mastered a staggering array of source materials and humanities disciplines to provide this survey. It is a lucid and profound contribution to the literature in this area."--Michael J. O'Shea, editor, Studies in Short Fiction
"Offers many, many penetrating and persuasive readings of different passages in Finnegans Wake, and does so in a lucid, lively, and engaging style."--John Gordon, Connecticut College
"Beckman has written a wonderfully wise book, with a critical and sensitive eye, a book that delights in close reading, and holds everywhere a philosopher's detachment from his subject."--Sebastian D. G. Knowles, Ohio State University
Richard Beckman argues that readers of Finnegans Wake must develop a new method of reading that flows from the text itself. Focusing on the mode of perception in the Wake--seeing the world obliquely because that is often the only way to get at the nature of things--Beckman maintains that Joyce's satire depends on looking at the public scene from behind, a view at the same time vaudevillian and philosophic.
Indirect perception is at once the basis for Joyce's peculiar locutions, conveying incompatible double and triple meanings, and also an account of how the mind works. Thus, Beckman shows, the object world in the Wake is as unstable as a troubled dream, accessible only by glimpses and guesses at suspected overtones of significance. If the Wake shows only the wrong side of things, this perception hardly belongs to the Wake alone, but Beckman maintains that no other text has presented this idea with such imitative power, applied it to life so energetically, or wrung so much humor from it. In the Wake, Joyce has made his case for choosing the wrong and even oddball way of considering the human situation--as opposed to the ever-present culture of received opinions--and he creates a book of life that goes nowhere and everywhere, doubling back on itself, methodically seeing things the wrong way, and conjuring up characters, events, and meanings that are inherently reversible.
Written for students of the Wake and Joyce scholars and critics seeking innovative commentary that renders familiar passages fresh, Joyce's Rare View offers new, close readings of a myriad of passages and phrases in the Wake, illuminating many of the themes of this encyclopedic satire.
Customer Reviews:
New Views of "Finnegans Wake".......2007-07-22
With "Joyce's Rare View" Richard Beckman has added an important new look into the comic, cosmic, puzzling pages of James Joyce's most difficult yet, ultimately, rewarding text. Through a close reading of various sections of the "Wake," Beckman provides information and insights that are completely fresh, making it an instant classic to be included with the well-known scholarship of the last century. This work is clearly written as well, accessible to lay Wakeans such as I and not restricted to academicians. It offers valuable and welcome guidance through that amazing maze, the wonderful word world of "Finnegans Wake."
Book Description
A first-hand look at what it means and what it takes for young addicts to get clean and stay clean. "To suddenly think, Hey, wait a minute, I'm 21. I just got sober. I can't drink like all my friends ever again? I remember thinking my whole life had crumbled." Welcome to recovery from a young addicts perspective. Written by MTV's Chris Beckman with contributions from dozens of teens and twenty-somethings in recovery, "Clean" is part autobiography, part addiction and recovery primer, and part wake-up call about what's really going on in schools, cars, malls, and wherever else kids come in contact with drugs and alcohol. Beckman, whose out-of-control drinking and drugging lasted more than a decade before he got sober at age 24, uses his story to illustrate the books fundamental message that recovery at a young age is very different from recovery in adulthood. "We get clean at 20 and feel like were still 13 emotionally," he writes. Clean is the real thing: an honest, non-judgmental, peer-to-peer lifeline for young people thinking about experimenting with drugs, for those who are already experimenting or those who are already addicted, and for families and friends who want to understand and help.
Customer Reviews:
Educational, Interesting and Inspiring.......2006-03-03
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has a young family member or a loved one with an addiction. The Author does an excellent job expressing and explaining the life of the afflicted in a way anyone can understand. If he can overcome the obstacles/addictions in his life than so can most anyone. This is a must read for those who seek hope for their addictions and it will provide hope for their families as well. I have a new found empathy for the struggles of an addict/alcoholic, and a new found hope for them too.
Helpful for those who love an addict.......2006-02-25
I felt this book helped me understand the addict's mind a little better, and how when a normal person would think someone would hit bottom it isn't so with the addict.
Anyone with an addict in their lives would benefit from reading this book.
I didn't care for the "MTV" style of writing however, when another person's story appeared intermittantly inbetween Chris Beckman's. My attention span isn't that short that I can't read his story first and then someone elses. Why intertwine them?
Clean: A New Generation In Recovery Speaks Out.......2006-02-24
An outstanding book for the addicted and for the families and loved ones of the addicted. I can only speak personally for the families and friends of those affected by addiction. This story makes you realize that only the addicted person can get themselves clean and into recovery. Family and friends can only love them - and then provide support to them AFTER they admit their addiction AND when they are actively involved in their recovery program. Anything family members and loved ones do before this only ENABLES the addict to continue their active destructive addiction.
EXCELLENT BOOK! GET CLEAN TODAY!.......2005-11-20
EXCELLENT BOOK! "CLEAN: A New Generation in Recovery Speaks Out" is a highly-recommended, well-written, informative, MUST-READ for anyone struggling with addiction, as well as family members, friends, and loved ones of those affected by addiction.
Chris Beckman, a former cast member of MTV's Real World:Chicago, shares his journey through addiction to recovery with refreshing frankness and honesty. In addition to Beckman's story, "Clean" also contains accounts of other young people dealing with addiction.
"Clean is also filled with an abundance of useful facts, resources, and websites. Topics include:
* Risk factors for addiction
* The Substances
* Side Effects
* Finding Help
* Recovery
* Health
Most importantly, "Clean" is filled with HOPE. Chris Beckman's story and others prove that addictions can be overcome, and recovery is definitely possible and achievable. DON'T WAIT -- GET "CLEAN" TODAY!!
I wish I could make this required reading for everyone.......2005-09-23
Chris Beckman writes honestly and beautifully about addiction, recovery, and being young. Clean: A New Generation in Recovery Speaks Out manages to be entertaining and accessible without glossing over harsh stories and sad facts. This is something that needs to be talked about more often. Clean is a very compelling read all around.
Books:
- Splash 9: Watercolor Secrets: The Best of Watercolor (Splash)
- Stars, Stripes, and Italian Tricolor: The United States and Italy, 1946-1989
- Steps to Writing Well with Additional Readings (with InfoTrac )
- Success Built to Last: Creating a Life that Matters
- The Art of Metal Clay: Techniques for Creating Jewelry and Decorative Objects
- The Art of Resin Jewelry: Layering, Casting, and Mixed Media Techniques for Creating Vintage to Contemporary Designs
- The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery
- The Art of the Market
- The Children of Húrin
- The Doubtful Guest
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Refuge of the Apocalypse: Doorway into other Dimensions
- Inside Solidworks
- Complete Drawing & Sketching Course
- Edges of Empire: Orientalism and Visual Culture
- If You Could See What I See: The Tenets of Novus Spiritus
- History: Fiction or Science
- Jack's Life: The Life Story of C.S. Lewis
- Posta Frutta - Postcard Book
- Hierarchy: Perspectives for Ecological Complexity
- The Daily Growth Cycle of Phytoplankton
General
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Solar Energy: Fundamentals, Design, Modeling and Applications
Principles of Solar Engineering
Planning and Installing Solar Thermal Systems: A Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers (Planning and Installing)
Wind Energy Explained
The Solar Fraud: Why Solar Energy Won't Run the World, Second Edition
