Book Description
The bestselling success book of all time is updated and revised with contemporary ideas and examples.
Think and Grow Rich has been called the "Granddaddy of All Motivational Literature." It was the first book to boldly ask, "What makes a winner?" The man who asked and listened for the answer, Napoleon Hill, is now counted in the top ranks of the world's winners himself.
The most famous of all teachers of success spent "a fortune and the better part of a lifetime of effort" to produce the "Law of Success" philosophy that forms the basis of his books and that is so powerfully summarized in this one.
In the original Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, Hill draws on stories of Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and other millionaires of his generation to illustrate his principles. In the updated version, Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D., a nationally known author, lecturer, and consultant in human resources management and an expert in applying Hill's thought, deftly interweaves anecdotes of how contemporary millionaires and billionaires, such as Bill Gates, Mary Kay Ash, Dave Thomas, and Sir John Templeton, achieved their wealth. Outmoded or arcane terminology and examples are faithfully refreshed to preclude any stumbling blocks to a new generation of readers.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book!.......2007-09-17
I read this book as a follow up to The Secret. Napoleon Hill was way ahead of his time - the book is a bit quaint - written in a different era - however, the concepts are very timely and thought provoking. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Law of Attraction as it applies to business success.
Wealth Generation.......2007-09-15
The is a classic. Any one that is an entrepreneur or is seeking financial freedom the is a must have. Every page has information jems that will make you rich if you apply the principles discussed with the pages.
A must read for anyone who can read!.......2007-08-31
This is a great book, now that I have gotten out of foreclosure I can focus on building my confidence and wealth. Thanks Foreclosure Workbook and Think and Grow Rich! The two best books I have read in years.
Still waiting for the grow rich part.......2007-08-15
I have a much beloved copy of this book but thought that a fresh copy might offer fresh perspective. The ideas haven't aged over time, even though a slew of rip off ideas have taken over. If you only buy one inspirational book it should be this one.
If You Want To Be Successful In Business READ This Book!!!.......2007-07-28
I believe to survive and excel in this day and age in business there are 3 bboks that one must read. Think and Grow Rich being one of them. The principles that Mr. Hill came up with many decades ago, still ring true.
Book Description
The Landmarks of New York is a definitive resource book on the architectural history of the city, documenting and illustrating more than 1100 buildings that have been accorded landmark status over the past forty years. The chronological organization gives the reader a sequential overview of the city's architectural richness and diversity. The book presents a broad range of styles and building types-simple colonial farmhouses, churches, schools, libraries, Gilded Age mansions, and the great twentieth-century skyscrapers that are recognized throughout the world.
That so many of these structures have endured is due, in large measure, to the efforts of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, established in 1965. Since then, New York city has become the leader of the preservation movement in the United States, with more buildings and districts designated and protected than in any other city. Within this constantly changing metropolis, old buildings are often adapted to new uses, offering further proof of the quality of their design and construction.
Customer Reviews:
Landmarked but Flawed.......2006-12-18
Pound for pound this was the most disappointing of a series of books on New York City architecture that I have read over the past several years. This does not make it a bad book; its 600+ pages are filled with more information on New York City's 1100 designated landmarks than any other single volume, and each is accompanied by a fine black and white photo. Its format, with the buildings ordered by the year they were build allows the reader to thumb through the 1860's for example and see a succession of French Second Empire buildings with their iconic mansard roofs.
Still there are several flaws I have found with this book that weighs nearly seven pounds and has a sticker price of $65.00.
First and most egregious is the apparently careless editing.
One entry, that of the Van Cortlandt Mansion in the Bronx, seems to be lifted word-for-word, without attribution from Goldstone and Dalrymple's wonderfully literate book, "History Preserved". It is possible that Ms. Diamondstein-Spielvogel had permission to do this, perhaps the authors were friends from their days together on the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Maybe "The Landmarks of New York," is a successor to the older book. As there is no bibliography or explanation we will never know.
A second entry, that of Staten Island's Gardiner-Tyler House, the author writes in part, "Mrs. Tyler rarely visited the house before 1868, when as a widow she returned to Staten Island with Tyler's seven children from a previous marriage."
The author is of course referring to President Tyler's second wife Julia, whom he married in 1844, when she was 24 and he 54. By 1868, Tyler's youngest child from his first wife Letitia, Tazewell Tyler was 38, a physician, and living in California; his oldest surviving child Robert Tyler was 52; and only four of his children from Letitia were still alive. It is hardly likely that any of them followed Julia to Staten Island. What the author meant to say was that Julia moved there with her seven children from Tyler.
Another example, more one of carelessness than error is found in her entry on 359 Broadway, a fine Italianette style building found on the corner of Broadway and Leonard Street and best known for housing the studios of the great Civil War photographer, Mathew Brady, for a few years in the 1850's.
The last paragraph stated, "At the end of the century, the Ladies Mile neighborhood changed from a fashionable shopping district to a textile and wholesaling zone."
My first, surprised reaction upon reading this, was how the author could place this building, situated at the edge of today's Tribeca, in the Ladies Mile, which as anyone interested in New York history knows was located further uptown, along Broadway and 6th Avenue from about West 8th Street to West 23rd Street. As it turns out, this area was once called a ladies-mile, about a half-century before its better-known successor. But the entry doesn't explain this subtlety and there lies the confusion.
What this book is really lacking are neighborhood or area maps that locate each of the Landmarks. While a map isn't necessary to conceptualize the location of a building with a typical Manhattan grid address, the Alwyn Court Apartments at 182 West 58th St. for example, it would be nice to be able to quickly see the location of a farmhouse in Brooklyn or an old church in Staten Island, especially when that farmhouse or church is positioned on a page with a townhouse on the Upper East Side, a building it has nothing in common with aside from the year in which it was built. Perhaps in a future edition a map section could be added to the end of the book and an easy key can be developed to clearly cross-reference an entry to its map number or page.
In a book devoted specifically to "designated" New York City landmarks, how does one handle those buildings that are good enough to be landmarks on their own, but have never been designated individually because their inclusion in one of the several dozen Historic Districts before being considered for individual designation obviated the need for such designation? New York's two greatest Historic Districts, Greenwich Village and Brooklyn Height contain many of these worthy buildings. In its" Guide to New York City Landmarks", the Landmarks Committee deftly handled this issue by separately listing and discussing the dozen or so most important buildings in each of those two districts. Ms. Diamondstein-Spielvogel, however, chose to ignore them completely. So there is no mention of the famous Washington Memorial Arch, no mention of the unique teak wood detailing of the façade of the Lockwood deForest House, no mention of the great Jefferson Market Library, that whimsical Victorian Gothic building that has become a symbol of the village and was one of the first and finest examples of use conversion envisioned by the Landmarks Preservation Committee as a way to save old buildings. There is also no discussion of Brooklyn Heights' best buildings including Plymouth Congregational Church, where the fiery abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher preached, or Minard Lafever's Gothic Revival masterpiece First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn.
The book does however have a section that describes each of the Historic Districts so that a reader can get an overall feel for these districts, and ironically, given their nonexistence elsewhere in the book, has fine maps attached to each entry, showing the boundaries of each of these districts.
Any single book with this much information about its subject certainly deserves a recommendation, but for this book to reach its pretensions of being the standard reference of New York City Landmarks there is much that can be improved.
Over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years.......2005-10-06
If it's one weighty, definitive library reference you need to New York City's landmarks, make it Landmarks Of New York: An Illustrated Record Of The City's Historic Buildings: its scope and format can't be beat. Art and architectural libraries as well as New York City specialty collections will welcome documentation of over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years. A chronological arrangement guides readers through a wealth of building styles and types, from farmhouses and churches to mansions, with black and white photos of each accompanying descriptions, comments on style and design, listings of architects involved in the building's construction and redesign over the decades, and style descriptions. A 'must' for any serious architectural or New York history collection.
Over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years.......2005-10-06
If it's one weighty, definitive library reference you need to New York City's landmarks, make it Landmarks Of New York: An Illustrated Record Of The City's Historic Buildings: its scope and format can't be beat. Art and architectural libraries as well as New York City specialty collections will welcome documentation of over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years. A chronological arrangement guides readers through a wealth of building styles and types, from farmhouses and churches to mansions, with black and white photos of each accompanying descriptions, comments on style and design, listings of architects involved in the building's construction and redesign over the decades, and style descriptions. A 'must' for any serious architectural or New York history collection.
Over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years.......2005-10-06
If it's one weighty, definitive library reference you need to New York City's landmarks, make it Landmarks Of New York: An Illustrated Record Of The City's Historic Buildings: its scope and format can't be beat. Art and architectural libraries as well as New York City specialty collections will welcome documentation of over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years. A chronological arrangement guides readers through a wealth of building styles and types, from farmhouses and churches to mansions, with black and white photos of each accompanying descriptions, comments on style and design, listings of architects involved in the building's construction and redesign over the decades, and style descriptions. A 'must' for any serious architectural or New York history collection.
Over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years.......2005-10-06
If it's one weighty, definitive library reference you need to New York City's landmarks, make it Landmarks Of New York: An Illustrated Record Of The City's Historic Buildings: its scope and format can't be beat. Art and architectural libraries as well as New York City specialty collections will welcome documentation of over 1,100 buildings which have earned landmark status over the past forty years. A chronological arrangement guides readers through a wealth of building styles and types, from farmhouses and churches to mansions, with black and white photos of each accompanying descriptions, comments on style and design, listings of architects involved in the building's construction and redesign over the decades, and style descriptions. A 'must' for any serious architectural or New York history collection.
Book Description
LANDMARKS in Humanities is a single-volume survey of global culture designed for students of humanities, cultural history, and history of the arts. In chronological sequence, LANDMARKS highlights the most notable monuments of the human imagination--those works of art and architecture, literature, philosophy, and music that have been foremost in shaping the world's cultures.
The text's fifteen chapters are unified by core concepts related to each period, such as Classicism, Christendom, or Modernism. Chapter features include "Ideas and Issues" boxes containing primary-source excerpts; "Parallels" sidebars relating images and ideas; "Beyond the West" sections highlighting influential landmarks of Asian, African, and Oceanic cultures; and chapter-ending timelines keying landmarks in humanities to major historical events. Throughout the text, high quality maps place key events and works in a clear geographical context. In addition, an outstanding supplements package accompanies the text, featuring resources for both students and instructors. Each copy of LANDMARKS will include a free student DVD-ROM, Core Concepts in Humanities, which contains interactive activities for each chapter in the text plus numerous other study resources for all humanities disciplines.
Customer Reviews:
Landmarks Help to Guide the Way.......2005-06-22
This is a Terrific encyclopedia in the best sense of the word. Each decade receives a well written, thoughtful overview that address not only design but history and social views from many perspectives. A fine read for the this reason alone.
But wait there is more, approximately 30 individual pieces of design are chosen for each section, photographed and described in 100-300 words. The effect is like a cherished museum exhibition catalog. The choices range from iconic artworks to mass produced consumer goods, but no matter the pedigree the text and photos are illuminating and enjoyable.
In addition to all of this the designer's biographies will likely seem very familiar. This book appears to be one of the most widely used, and non-credited, sources of information on the internet.
The cost of this book has crept up in the last few years; however, it is among the few reference books that I find indispensable when researching, and more importantly it just seems to make me smile when I browse through the pages.
Amazon.com
Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is one of the great books in the Western tradition, as well as its first true historical narrative. Editor Robert Strassler has annotated this classic text to make it more accessible to modern readers and added dozens of maps for easy reference. A helpful introduction places Thucydides in proper historical context and a series of short appendices focus on particular aspects of life and war during the period. But the bulk of the book itself, where Thucydides chronicles the long struggle between Athens and Sparta, enjoys an unexpected freshness on these pages--partly due to Strassler's magnificent editorial labors, but mostly because it's a great story resonant with heroes, villains, bravery, desperation, and tragedy. Every library should have a copy of Thucydides in it, especially libraries on military history, and The Landmark Thucydides is without question the best version available.
Book Description
Thucydides called his account of two decades of war between Athens and Sparta "a possession for all time," and indeed it is the first and still most famous work in the Western historical tradition. Considered essential reading for generals, statesmen, and liberally educated citizens for more than 2,000 years, The Peloponnesian War is a mine of military, moral, political, and philosophical wisdom.
However, this classic book has long presented obstacles to the uninitiated reader. Robert Strassler's new edition removes these obstacles by providing a new coherence to the narrative overall, and by effectively reconstructing the lost cultural context that Thucydides shared with his original audience. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers. The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety, and numerous other useful features.
In any list of the Great Books of Western Civilization, The Peloponnesian War stands near the top. This authoritative new edition will ensure that its greatness is appreciated by future generations.
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Source.......2007-07-12
Looking at the rating this book gets, there really is no reason to add my 5 stars to it, but I find that writing a review increasingly means countering some other reviewer's (perceived) unfairness, rather than adding yet another redundant cheer to the meriad praises presented here.
Case-in-point: one reviewer thought that the various place names became confusing. Perhaps, but what can be done? That's the way it happened. Personally, I found this edition's many maps very helpful in increasing my overall understanding of the geography of the many greek poleis that before were just names in various confusing texts. I also highly recommend that while reading this book, one keeps on hand a copy of "A Guide to the Ancient World" by Michael Grant (available here also) to look up the various cities and islands as they are mentioned to add dimension and a sense of immediacy to the narrative.
Another reviewer thought Thucydides' prose to be dry. I disagree. His historian's straight-to-the-point narrative style actually adds power to the events he describes, I feel, precisely because he isn't trying to play things up. Reality needs no embellishments. Book 7 describing the Athenian's failed invasion of Sicily actually becomes almost harrowing at one point because of this. Take Alkibiades, for instance. He comes across as a real A-hole, but not because of any colorizing on the part of Thucydides' narrative. Thucydides just relates what the man did, rarely delving into his motivations, and the actions speak for themselves.
My only complaint is a small one: the latinized transliterations (Laurium instead of Laureion, Mycalyssus instead of Mykalyssos, etc.). I also wonder about the accuracy of the various speeches recited here. I get the impression that they all have Thukydides' style, but that is my personal feeling (about a subject which various historians far more knowledgeable than I are still arguing about) and has nothing to do with the edition which I bought after comparing it to the others on the shelf. This is truly the finest one.
I figure that if one is interested in the subject matter, then it is a fascinating read. A general reader probably wouldn't purchase a book such as this. As for someone wanting to delve deeply into ancient history, the modern historians' works are essential, but eventually he will have to delve into the primary sources and make up his own mind.
Along with this book I also highly recommend Donald Kagan's "the Peloponnesian War" and Victor Davis Hansen's "a War Like No Other". Read these three and there is nothing else of significance on the subject of the Peloponnesian war, really.
WONDERFUL EDITION.......2007-06-21
Superb edition. You cannot get confused with this edition for every single place is mapped out and essays on e.g. Athenian politics and the Persian empire are provided in appendices. A must-have. A fine translation, too, both accurate and stately.
Still have not recieved the item.......2007-03-08
Horrible delievery, why do they even offer the super saver if it takes FOREVER to recieve the order. Terrible delievery service.
Consider a less annotated edition if this is your first pass at Thucydides.......2006-12-17
If you are seeking an in-depth understanding of the Peloponnesian War and are a serious student of ancient history, this may be a great edition of the Richard Crowley translation of Thucydides. If, however, you are just beginning to delve into the Greeks and this is your first reading of the History of the Peloponnesian War, I would suggest a less annotated edition. I place myself in the second category, and while I found it helpful at first to have all of the maps and footnotes, I soon found them distracting. I am the type of reader who feels like every time I hit a note I have to read it, and there were so many on some pages that it could take ten minutes just to read one page.
I was reading for scope, more than depth, and I wanted to get a sense of Thucydides' voice. About halfway through I ended up downloading the Crowley translation from Project Gutenberg and reading it on my handheld - which worked out great since I could refer back to the book when I needed a map or had a question in the text. I found I could follow what was happening without all of the notes with very little difficulty.
The Crowley translation, which is used in the Landmark Thucydides, is very readable and shines in the various orations throughout the work.
I wouldn't want to talk anyone out of buying this edition, it truly is we'll done, but at least consider a less annotated edition if this is your first time reading Thucydides, and then consider buying both.
Robert B. Strassler's Thucydides.......2006-11-14
The definitive version of Thucydides' classic. In English, that is. This is a must have reference book, and it makes a wonderful read all on it's lonesome. This work seems to have been written specifically for fans of Donald Kagan's four volume work on the Peloponnesian War (Outbreak of P. War, Archidamian War, Peace of Nicias, and Fall of Athenian Empire.)
Thucydides' work is a classic historical analysis dedicated to how and why Sparta and Athens came to blows. It doesn't really require a review, as its modern presence, having survived the corrosion of history, seems to attest to its value. Strassler's contribution, which is largely commentary and presentation, does, however, beg for review. Fortunately, this contribution is splendid.
Strassler has set the bar for reference texts to come, as his unique blend of maps, timelines, text, and synopses serve as a wonderful set of helpers for student and historian alike.
Altogether well done.
Amazon.com
"We all need models for how to live from retirement to past 80--with joy," writes George Vaillant, M.D., director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This groundbreaking book pulls together data from three separate longevity studies that, beginning in their teens, followed 824 individuals for more than 50 years. The subjects were male Harvard graduates; inner-city, disadvantaged males; and intellectually gifted women.
"Here you have these wonderful files, and you seem little interested in how we cope with increasing age ... our adaptability, our zest for life," one of these subjects wrote to Vaillant, a researcher, psychiatrist, and Harvard Medical School professor, about how he was using this information. Vaillant took this advice to heart. In Aging Well, he presents personal narratives about people from these studies whom he interviewed personally in their 70s and 80s. He describes their history, relationships, hardships, philosophies, and sources of joy. We learn their perspectives and what makes them want to get up in the morning.
We also learn what makes old age vital and interesting. Vaillant discusses the important adult developmental tasks, such as identity, intimacy, and generativity (giving to the next generation), and provides important clues to a healthy, meaningful, satisfying old age. Health in old age, we learn, is not predicted by low cholesterol or ancestral longevity, but by factors such as a stable marriage, adaptive coping style (the ability to make lemonade out of life's lemons), and regular exercise.
Vaillant is empathetic and sometimes surprisingly poetic: "Owning an old brain, you see, is rather like owning an old car.... Careful driving and maintenance are everything." He freely includes subjective observations and interpretations, giving us a richer picture of the people he interviewed and insights into their lives. Aging Well is recommended for readers who are interested in learning about the quality-of-life issues of aging from the people who have the most to teach. --Joan Price
Book Description
"We all need models for how to live from retirement to past 80--with joy," writes George Vaillant, M.D., director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This groundbreaking book pulls together data from three separate longevity studies that, beginning in their teens, followed 824 individuals for more than 50 years. The subjects were male Harvard graduates; inner-city, disadvantaged males; and intellectually gifted women. "Here you have these wonderful files, and you seem little interested in how we cope with increasing age ... our adaptability, our zest for life," one of these subjects wrote to Vaillant, a researcher, psychiatrist, and Harvard Medical School professor, about how he was using this information. Vaillant took this advice to heart. In Aging Well, he presents personal narratives about people from these studies whom he interviewed personally in their 70s and 80s. He describes their history, relationships, hardships, philosophies, and sources of joy. We learn their perspectives and what makes them want to get up in the morning. We also learn what makes old age vital and interesting. Vaillant discusses the important adult developmental tasks, such as identity, intimacy, and generativity (giving to the next generation), and provides important clues to a healthy, meaningful, satisfying old age. Health in old age, we learn, is not predicted by low cholesterol or ancestral longevity, but by factors such as a stable marriage, adaptive coping style (the ability to make lemonade out of life's lemons), and regular exercise.Vaillant is empathetic and sometimes surprisingly poetic: "Owning an old brain, you see, is rather like owning an old car.... Careful driving and maintenance are everything." He freely includes subjective observations and interpretations, giving us a richer picture of the people he interviewed and insights into their lives. Aging Well is recommended for readers who are interested in learning about the quality-of-life issues of aging from the people who have the most to teach. --Joan Price
Customer Reviews:
Really good read..........2007-06-13
I bought this book as a textbook for a college class. It is very informative and the style is good. It's perspective is interesting and it puts a lot of pieces of the aging puzzle together. There are a lot of tips and tasks and things to think about and plan for for aging well and the book is worth it for that. But if you despise long drawn out personal narratives, this one's not for you.
Great Study ..........2007-05-26
Found the book to be both interesting and informative. Happier is better...and should be the goal for our seniors.
Very Good.......2007-03-08
The book is very good, in fact it's the best review of how to get old well ever wrot, the amazon work well , was perfect in everything.
Aging Well is helpful.......2005-09-08
The most useful information I found was the four areas listed for seniors to follow in later life. The recommendations were based on several comprehensive studies which followed people throughout their lifetimes. I did find it odd that in the beginning the author completely overlooked work done by Abraham Maslow many years ago, and instead insisted that he (the author) had been the first to study healthy people. This, however, was a small thing overall and didn't take away from the relevance of the information.
Vaillant, George E. (2002). Aging well. Boston, Little, Brow.......2005-01-01
George E. Vaillant is well qualified to write this book. He is a psychiatrist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, a professor at Harvard Medical School, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and a respected researcher. Harvard Medical School professors have been studying the basic elements of adult human development for more than five decades. Three separate cohorts of 824 individuals were selected as teenagers for different facts of mental and physical health and studied for the rest of their lives to observe the adult life cycle and to provide a theoretical framework for understanding how older people become fulfilled or not.
Harvard men were studied. In 1940, men who went to Harvard were rich, privileged, white, born to American born grandparents, and expected to equal or exceed their natural ability.
In 1939, Sheldon Glueck obtained funding to do a prospective study of 500 youth sent to reform school and 500 matched school boys who had not been in any legal trouble
at age 14. His wife restudied the groups at ages 17, 25, and 32. The control nondeliquent group had the same social risk factors that helped doom the delinquents-had repeated two grades or more in school, had foreign born parents, lived in blighted neighborhoods, and were from families known to five or more social agencies and more than two-thirds were on welfare. Valinti inherited the study when the subjects were 40, and subjects continued to have physical examinations every five years. At age 60, all but 2 of the 456 subjects were known to be dead or alive.
For the Terman Women Sample, Terman tried to identify most of the brightest children in his three city area. He asked teachers to indentify the brightest in each class. He learned that the unattractive and shy children tended to be overlooked so that he only captured about 80 percent of the bright children. He used the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test to identify 1 percent of the California urban school children with IOs greater than 135 to 140 most of whom were born between 1908 and 1914. Four generations of investigators have followed the Terman men and women by questionnaires about every five years and by personal interviews in 1940 and 1950. The Terman women were not asked to provide regular physical exams. However, when compared to classmates, they had better nutrition, more humor, common sense, perseverance, leadership and popularity among their classmates. By age 80, they had half the mortality of white American women in their birth cohort.
In comparison, at age sixty-eight to seventy, the inner city men had the same physical decline as the Terman and Harvard cohorts at seventy-eight to eighty. The difference was attributed to less education, more obesity, and greater alcohol and cigarette abuse among the inner city cohort.
These cohorts seemed to demonstrate that it is social aptitude or emotional intelligence rather than brilliance or parental social class that leads to a well-adapted old age. Vaillant concluded that individual life style choices contribute a greater role than genetics, wealth, race, or other factors in determining how happy people are in late life. He found that " It is not the bad things that happen to us that doom us; it is the good people who happen to us at any age that facilitate enjoyable old age. Healing relationships are facilitated by a capacity for gratitude, for forgiveness.... A good marriage at age 50 predicted positive aging at 80. But surprisingly, low cholesterol levels at age 50 did not. Alcohol abuse -unrelated to unhappy childhood-consistently predicted unsuccessful aging, in part because alcoholism damaged future social supports. Learning to play and create after retirement and learning to gain younger friends as we lose older ones add more to life's enjoyment than retirement income. Objective good physical health was less important to successful aging than subjective good health.... It is all right to be ill as long as you do not feel sick" p. 13.
This research report can help us understand that we can do little to changer our genetic make-up, but we can change our habits so we avoid alcohol and smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise to maintain a healthy weight, develop loving relationships, and continue to learn. These are important lessons for all of us wanting to age well, but it takes a sophisticated reader, knowledgable about research and willing to wade through research findings to read this research report. The book has 12 chapters, 11 appendices, notes, acknowledgments, and an index.
Amazon.com
During the last 40 years, our society's views on how families are created and how they operate has undergone a tremendous shift. In The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce, authors Judith Wallerstein, Julia Lewis, and Sandra Blakeslee have assembled a variety of stories from people of different ages and life stages. Some are children of divorce, some are from families that stayed unhappily intact, but all of them offer valuable information important to all of us as parents, children, and members of society at large. Separate chapters focus on the different roles children take on in the event of a divorce or unhappy marriage, ranging from positive role model to deeply troubled adolescent. In many cases, the people interviewed continue to define themselves as children of divorce up to 30 years after the occurrence; this is described by one subject as "sort of a permanent identity, like being adopted or something."
Both encouraging and thought-provoking, the final chapter questions how we maintain the freedom made possible by divorce while, at the same time, minimizing the damage. The authors' response to this question begins with pragmatic suggestions about strengthening marriage--not bland "family values" rhetoric but practical how-to ideas combined with national policy initiatives that have been making the rounds for years. With fascinating stories and statistics, Wasserstein, Lewis, and Blakeslee have illuminated the improvements within reach while our society experiences these massive changes in it's most fundamental relationships. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Finally in paperback, the New York Times bestseller that has fundamentally changed the way children of divorce see themselves as adultsupdated with a new preface by the author. Divorce is at once a widespread reality and a painful decision, so it is no surprise that this landmark study of its long-term effects should both spark debate and find a large audience. In this compelling, thought-provoking book, Judith Wallerstein explains that, while children do learn to cope with divorce, it in fact takes its greatest toll in adulthood, when the sons and daughters of divorced parents embark on romantic relationships of their own. Wallerstein sensitively illustrates how children of divorce often feel that their relationships are doomed, seek to avoid conflict, and fear commitment. Failure in their loving relationships often seems to them preordained, even when things are going smoothly. As Wallerstein checks in on the adults she first encountered as youngsters more than twenty-five years ago, she finds that their experiences mesh with those of the millions of other children of divorce, who will find themselves on every page. The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce was featured on the covers of the New York Times Book Review and Time magazine.
Download Description
Twenty-five years ago, Judith Wallerstein began talking to a group of 131 children whose parents were all going through a divorce. From those conversations have come two bestsellers: Surviving the Breakup and Second Chances. Now the third volume of this longitudinal study, The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce brings all of her research up to the present and shows for the first time how children are affected by divorce long into adulthood. Using a comparison group of adults who grew up in the same communities but whose parents never divorced, Wallerstein shows how adult children of divorce essentially view life differently from their peers in intact homes, and also sheds light on the question that so many parents confront—whether to stay unhappily married or to divorce. This book is a landmark cultural event that will change the way all of us view divorce.
Customer Reviews:
Makes you think.......2007-04-03
The author clearly demonstrates (to her own surprise) that divorce is always and permanently harmful to children. She still thinks that couples sometimes need to divorce, but her studies demonstrate that children from divorced parents will always be handicapped by the divorce, sometimes in surprising ways.
Some of the reviewers are angered over this because for whatever reason they have had to come to terms with a divorce- either their own or their parents. Divorce is like chopping off a hand of your child. Yes, sometimes it is the only option or the best option, but your child is still permanently damaged. Your child can compensate and lead a good and happy life, but it will never be the same as if you had not chopped off her hand.
It does no one any good to deny the consequences of divorce. Sometimes it must still happen, but it always and permanently damages the children. It doesn't help to deny the truth because you don't want people to feel guilty.
Not what I expected.......2007-02-26
This book was given to me by a friend about a year after my divorce in 2003. A little background about myself and my username: I am indeed a "mister mom" working full time while raising my son by myself, and as a male who is a full-time single parent, I am obviously in the minority. I am also an evangelical Christian. As such, I am not a proponent of divorce and in many cases I believe it represents the selfishness of one or both parents and every effort should be made to salvage the marriage rather than just trade it in for a new one. This is even more important when there are children involved. In my case, however, my spouse had a mental illness (borderline personality disorder) and I believe the divorce was probably the best resolution of what was a very bad situation. It was her decision to leave. However, I was still very saddened that my son is not growing up with the benefit of a conventional, nuclear family, or with a larger female influence in his life. In today's "PC" climate we're led to believe that one loving parent, or two parents of the same gender, can do just as good a job as the conventional male/female parent model that has been in place for millenia. I strongly disagree. Nor do I agree with those who think that divorce itself is somewhat benign, and the problem lies more with the way parents handle it than in the divorce itself. Certain things are traumatic for children, regardless of how civil the parents try to be about it. Even though my son seems well-adjusted, I know there are wounds - some of which may not surface until he is much older. I believe that countless studies support my conclusions. As such, I am deeply skeptical of most "divorce" books because they seek to put a happy face on a situation that rarely has an upside, and are often little more than adults trying to put a positive spin on something the kids inherently know is a bad thing at the core of their being.
So it was with some hesitation that I opened this book that was written by Ms. Wallerstein, a former lecturer at UC Berkeley. I assumed first of all that someone who lectured at the mecca of American liberalism would probably be very critical of the traditional family and extol the virtues of no-fault divorce by insisting that if the parents were happy, then the kids would be happy too. I further assumed that the "unexpected" part of the legacy in this book would be that children of divorce end up turning out just about the same as children of conventional families. In other words, that with all the hype about how "bad" divorce was, the study would "surprisingly" find that divorce wasn't all that bad for kids afterall.
To put it simply: I was completely wrong in my assumptions. The "unexpected" part of the book was indeed unexpected - that kids were much more profoundly negatively affected by divorce than we've been led to believe by those who want to treat single families as the new "norm" and suggest that it is merely one in a variety of equally valid parenting alternatives.
Essentially what we have here is a group of individuals that Wallerstein has followed from their own childhoods into their adulthood - to see how they have fared with their own parents' divorces 25 years later.
Elsewhere I have seen the book criticized because it used such a small sample size (only 7 children are detailed in the book). But I think this fails to recognize that Wallerstein actually used a much larger sample size (60 families) and chose to detail only a handful in this book because she felt their stories were "typical."
What Wallerstein found was that the legacy of divorce is more negative than expected - not better - and that in spite of all the lip service paid by courts and advocacy groups, decisions are rarely made with the best interests of children in mind. Wallerstein is especially critical of the idea of "sharing" children back and forth because children are left with the sense that while their parents may have homes, as children they are merely like a set of car keys, passed back and forth, and end up feeling as though they have no place that is distinctly their own. There ends up being no continuity and most decision are made for the convenience of the parents, not the children.
If you are looking for a "feel good" book that will justify that divorce was done "for the sake of the kids" this isn't your book. It simply lets the data speak for itself: children do not fare better under divorce. Yes, they can turn out OK - and that is certainly the objective with my own son - but it takes considerable work because the lack of two parents in and of itself is a huge handicap for children. Indeed, divorce is much harder than the death of a parent because the child is forced to deal with parents who cannot love one another and remain committed, and it affects their own views of marriage, commitment, and love. Many times these problems do not surface until the grown children enter into their own relationships or marriages.
I found the book fascinating, scholarly, and meticulously researched and documented. The fact that it does not draw upon any particular religious beliefs or traditions for its conclusions and does not engage in moralizing should make the message that much stronger.
If you are considering a divorce "for the sake of the children" you would be wise to read this book first. If you are already divorced, you will likewise find this book helpful as you structure visitation and other aspects of shared parenting responsibilities.
Flawed study with flawed conclusions. There are better alternatives........2007-02-20
This book is a poisonous but convincingly well written attack on divorce. It's conclusions --- that divorce pretty much always destroys the children --- kept me in a bad marriage many years longer than necessary, and it's conclusions are flawed.
First of all, this is a very small study of people who volunteered to be included, so the families under consideration are far from representative of the population as a whole. (The participants were offered free counseling, so you could argue that Dr. Wallerstein was selecting for the least functional divorces.) Moreover, there's no control group, so it's unclear which of the problems that Wallerstein discusses are actually caused by the divorce and which or are commonplace in society as a whole. (Other studies point to the latter.) She simply assumes that everything bad was caused by the divorce.
This book, however, is an effective indictment of the too-common arrangement, where the mother gets the kids and the father is banished to a four-day-a-month visiting schedule---an arrangement that's almost guaranteed to be bad for the kids. Most of the divorces she discusses work that way. There are other alternatives, however, that are much less destructive, and Wallerstein's book discusses none of these.
I strongly recommend that you read Mavis Heatherington's "For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered" and Constance Ahrons' "The Good Divorce: Keeping Your Family Together When Your Marriage Comes Apart," either instead of, or at least as a complement to Wallerstein's book. These books are based on much larger studies, done properly in the sense of looking at a large, randomly selected, group of subjects with control groups in place. They come to very different conclusions than Wallerstein.
An absolute must for anyone touched by divorce........2007-01-18
I believed that at 46, my healing from my parents divorce when I was 11 was finally resolving. I have 3 brothers that haven't even begun to heal, they continue in the "land of denial" and it was my hope that reading this book would provide me insight into a way to help my brothers begin their healing. What a surprise. My beliefs on divorce have changed. Things I was certain of were either misunderstood or outright wrong. I've never considered any one source a certainty on any subject, yet this book is based on the "only" long-term study ever performed and, therefore, is the definitive book on this subject.
If each person who reads this book, takes one step towards changing/bettering the current methods of America's court system in how it handles living and visitation arrangements for children of divorce, we may actually be able to positively alter the course of America's next generation of children of divorce.
I will be buying four copies of this book (probably on tape or CD), one for each brother and, since I obtained my copy through the library, one for me.
It makes useful points.......2007-01-18
On one hand, this book makes useful points and divorce and its impact on children and offers better alternatives.
The problem with it is that most of the evidence is anecdotal. I don't think a lot of the problems the people in the book had were due to divorce, but to the way their parents handled the divorce.
Many of them either leaned on their children too much for support or they went from giving their children attention and affection to ignoring them in favour of work and other mates.
A lot of the problems could have been lessened with more care. Especially in the case of the fellow who had a congenital heart defect. He needed attention and help, he didn't need to be shunted off to the side.
I'm also reading about attachment issues and how they can impact a person from the time they are a baby to an adult.
If a person has to divorce, they should ask themselves if it is the right thing to do and if all other options have been exausted. Forcing people to stay together in a stagnating marriage seems a bit cruel to me, like in the case of the intact family she used as an example.
Also, I do not agree with her stating that children don't notice the tention and fighting in their family. They do. Children notice more than people give them credit for.
Like so many experts she paints with too broad a brush. She uses too many generalizations. It lessens the impact of her argument.
But, a lot of the advice she gives to the system could be used to make divorce easier on parents and children. Divorce isn't going away anytime soon, but, with responsibility and care perhaps it can be easier on children. It is hard for children to adapt to changes. I suggest looking at the advice she offers, but question her methods and conclusions.
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Many theories have been offered regarding why Western culture has spread so successfully across the world, with arguments ranging from genetics to superior technology to the creation of enlightened economic, moral, and political systems. In Carnage and Culture, military historian Victor Hanson takes all of these factors into account in making a bold, and sure to be controversial, argument: Westerners are more effective killers. Focusing specifically on military power rather than the nature of Western civilization in general, Hanson views war as the ultimate reflection of a society's character: "There is…a cultural crystallization in battle, in which the insidious and more subtle institutions that heretofore are murky and undefined became stark and unforgiving in the finality of organized killing."
Though technological advances and superior weapons have certainly played a role in Western military dominance, Hanson posits that cultural distinctions are the most significant factors. By bringing personal freedom, discipline, and organization to the battlefield, powerful "marching democracies" were more apt to defeat non-Western nations hampered by unstable governments, limited funding, and intolerance of open discussion. These crucial differences often ensured victory even against long odds. Greek armies, for instance, who elected their own generals and freely debated strategy were able to win wars even when far outnumbered and deep within enemy territory. Hanson further argues that granting warriors control of their own destinies results in the kind of glorification of horrific hand-to-hand combat necessary for true domination.
The nine battles Hanson examines include the Greek naval victory against the Persians at Salamis in 480 B.C., Cortes's march on Mexico City in 1521, the battle of Midway in 1942, and the 1968 Tet Offensive in Vietnam. In the book's fascinating final chapter, he then looks forward and ponders the consequences of a complete cultural victory, challenging the widespread belief that democratic nations do not wage war against one another: "We may well be all Westerners in the millennium to come, and that could be a very dangerous thing indeed," he writes. It seems the West will always seek an enemy, even if it must come from within. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
Examining nine landmark battles from ancient to modern times--from Salamis, where outnumbered Greeks devastated the slave army of Xerxes, to Cortes’s conquest of Mexico to the Tet offensive--Victor Davis Hanson explains why the armies of the West have been the most lethal and effective of any fighting forces in the world.
Looking beyond popular explanations such as geography or superior technology, Hanson argues that it is in fact Western culture and values–the tradition of dissent, the value placed on inventiveness and adaptation, the concept of citizenship–which have consistently produced superior arms and soldiers. Offering riveting battle narratives and a balanced perspective that avoids simple triumphalism,
Carnage and Culture demonstrates how armies cannot be separated from the cultures that produce them and explains why an army produced by a free culture will always have the advantage.
Customer Reviews:
How the non-west fights.......2007-09-10
I thought I knew a little thing about history, until I got into this book. I had never even heard of Lepanto.
If you want to see what western civ is all about, look at how it fights its wars and you'll see what aspects of its culture are firmly rooted in survival since Salamis. I actually learned more about how other cultures fight than I did about the west:
- why the Persians never reconsidered their battle plans as the day unfolded at Salamis (the same reasons they lost so many at Thermopylae, most likely!)
- why Cannae didn't destroy the Roman republic,
- why the muslim army at Poitiers didn't learn from it's loss and fight better the next time,
- why the Aztecs never figured out a way to defeat Cortes, even when they had him cornered. This was way before smallpox did them all in a few years later.
Comparing non western militaries to western ones reads like a pee wee football team taking on the NFL. I have a much greater appreciation for my Dad's constant reminders to 'think critically' when making important decisions as I was growing up!
ball teara of a book.......2007-09-05
Still working my way through this great book. Learnt a lot from it. Lovely prose style that makes it easy to read with out patronising me. I would not have guesed he's a neocon (according to his Wikpaedia entry. Had not heard of this book before reading about it on AMAZON, so was ignorent of the impact it had after 9/11. Recomended to any history buffs.
Thorough.......2007-08-22
This book is filled with imagery and thorough in its descriptions of the people, places, and circumstances -- particularly the cultures -- of the battles. In reading this one book I gained a greater comprehension of lost civilizations and the advance of history than was ever taught in school, save Rome. You'll [re]discover Greece, Macedon, Persia, Byzantines, Carthage, Romans, Franks, Saracens, Mexicas, Aztecs, Ottomans etc...
It is far more gratifying than one might think to finally get a good understanding of what took place in past wars. One realizes just how momentous the occasions were -- you can almost feel the Earth move under your feet as the gears of history shift overnight, altering the course of human events forever. Hansen's tone is grave, battle-weary, but fueled by the strength of his argument: that Western culture and values give advantage to the peoples who live by them. It is certainly one of the most powerful reads you'll come across.
Carnage and Culture Delivers.......2007-05-30
Hanson's writing takes you an a journey; both informative and evocative. His arguments are well established; deserves to be listed among such seminal books as Hungtington's Clash of Civilizations. It's a must read for anyone interested in geopolitics or military events. Hanson also takes on and in my opinion, successfully debunks other theories and scholars, such as pulitzer prize winner Jared Diamond. An interdisciplinary delight that you won't want to put down.
Interesting, but not as good as his commentaries.......2007-04-08
The basic premise of his story is that Western civilization has prevailed in numerous battles over the past 2500 years. Hanson emphasizes that the cornerstones of this success are based on the inherent Western values of individualism and liberty.
I'm a big fan of Hanson's commentaries on current methods of warfare, and it was that basis that drove me to purchase and read this book. I'm not certain what motivated Hanson to write this tome, other than the fact that he's a military historian and this subject would appear to be the core of his research.
Hanson uses examples from history to provide a fact-base for Western success. These example battles range from the Battle of Salamis (Greeks and Persians), to the more recent Battle of Midway (United States and Japan) and the Tet Offensive (United States and Viet Nam).
After reading this book, I'm still not certain of the ideal audience. For example, the warfare enthusiasts can find plenty of alternatives that get into much greater detail about the tactics and weapons used. Meanwhile, the political science reader would probably find the deep discussions about battles a little mind-numbing.
[...]
Customer Reviews:
Mediterranean Architecture At Its Finest.......2006-02-05
I love these elegant books put out by Acanthus Press. This book has vivid period black and white images of great american homes in the Mediterranean style. This is a reprint of a book first realized in the 20's. The images and text really make one appreciate the craftmanship and grace of the era. They really don't build buildings. like this anymore, whether they be for residential or commercial use. If you have any interest in wondeful period images, or singular craftmanship, then you will love this book.
Primarily southern CA architecture........2005-08-15
This was a good coffee table book. Or, if you're interested in the "Mediterranean" look that would be more precisely refered to as "spanish revival" or "Santa Barbara" this is a great example of the architecture of southern CA in the earlier part of the last century. A very popular and good looking style. Only thing, for a style reference it could have used more floor plans of the homes.
Shadows on Stucco Walls.......2001-03-17
I find this book a compelling record of a style and period of architecture I love. This is a reprint of a 1929 book, the period black & white photos and drawings are well realized and reveal a lot detail. There are also plans shown for most of the houses illustrated
We would all benefit if architects, developers, landscape architects who are doing contemporary versions of Mediterranean Architecture would spend time studying these images. There is such a fine use of solid and void, plays of light shadow on extensive planar surfaces, and restrained but effective (and sometimes whimsical) use of ornament. Hey, this is not a difficult architecture, or particularly expensive to realize, but can be truly sublime and fully appropriate for Southern California where I live. This book has a lot to tell us designers about how to get it right.
Spanish American at its finest........2001-03-14
This book covers some of the best California and Florida residential architecture of the early 20th century. The photos are great and the plans are incredible. The new introduction shows the house built by the author's grandmother in the 1920s. What a life style! I highly recommend this classy reprint.
Book Description
Christopher Gray's engaging tales of historic Gotham locales transport readers back in time for a stroll through the streets of old New York. The noted architectural historian, who writes the popular
"Streetscapes" column in The New York Times, here gathers 190 of the best-loved of those columns to captivate readers with his wealth of information about sites and buildings and the intriguing lives of the people connected to them.
From the Bridge Cafe (New York's oldest surviving bar) on Water Street to the Revolutionary War-era Morris-Jumel Mansion in upper Manhattan, Gray turns the spotlight on both obscure and familiar landmarks, and each of his witty, urbane essays is illustrated with at least one period photograph. Gray's vast enthusiasm and love for New York's architecture is evident in all that he writes, as is his concern for the preservation of the city's architectural treasures.
Customer Reviews:
New York, New York.......2005-12-23
I really enjoyed this book, the photos are so crisp and the text is quite informative. I am pleased that the vast majority of the buildings the author chose are still extant. After absorbing this book, you really appreciate the great architecture and workmanship of the past, the more current buildings in New York just don't measure up. The author does her research and it shows, I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in New York, it really is a must have.
Portraits of the city.......2005-04-22
Some books on the older buildings of New York City will give you the nuts and bolts about the structures: who designed it, who constructed it, when it was built, etc. And some photo books of old New York don't tell you anything at all. New York Times writer, Christopher Gray, with the assistance of the untiring researcher, Suzanne Braley, actually breathe life into these buildings. Not only do we learn the who and the when of a building's birth, but also the why and the how. Why were white brick apartment buildings so prominent at one time? How did the Winter Garden evolve from a huge stable? It's the little and, sometimes, epic anecdotes surrounding the buildings that fascinate Mr. Gray which, in turn, fascinate us. This is an indispensible book for anyone who loves the city, and who has ever stopped in front of a building and asked, "How did that ever get there?"
Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS
Wonderful description of the BIG APPLE.......2004-04-12
As a New Yorker all I can say is this is the best book I've read about the city.
What a wonderful pleasure!.......2003-05-23
A tremendous gift to anyone who loves the history of Manhattan. Gray writes well, his information is military in both precision and accuracy and the anecdotes alone are worth the price of the book.
My only wish is that one day, after he retires, a work of all his columns will be published. Perhaps the title "Gray's Anatomy" would suffice.
What a wonderful pleasure!.......2003-05-23
A tremendous gift to anyone who loves the history of Manhattan. Gray writes well, his information is military in both precision and accuracy and the anecdotes alone are worth the price of the book.
My only wish is that one day, after he retires, a work of all his columns will be published. Perhaps the title "Gray's Anatomy" would suffice.
Books:
- This Human Season
- Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
- Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
- Untitled
- When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life's Sacred Questions (Plus)
- A House on the Water: Inspiration for Living at the Water's Edge
- A-List #6, The: Some Like It Hot: An A-List Novel (A-List)
- A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
- A Practical Guide to Video and Audio Compression: From Sprockets and Rasters to Macro Blocks
- A Short Course in Nikon D80 Photography book/ebook
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