Book Description
A brilliantly original account—narrated from both sides—of the love-hate relationship between Britain and France that began in the time of Louis XIV and shows no sign of abating.
That Sweet Enemy brings both British wit (Robert Tombs is a British historian) and Gallic panache (Isabelle Tombs is a French historian) to bear on three centuries of the history of Britain and France. The authors take us from Waterloo to Chirac’s slandering of British cooking, charting the cross-channel entanglement and its unparalleled breadth of cultural, economic and political influence. They illuminate the complexity of the relationship—rivalry, enmity, misapprehension and loathing mixed with envy, admiration and genuine affection—and the ways in which it has shaped the modern world, from North America to the Middle East to Southeast Asia, and is still shaping Europe today. They make clear that warfare between the two countries often went hand in hand with hardy, if hidden, strains of anglophilia and francophilia; conversely, though France and Britain were allies for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it has been an alliance almost as uneasy, as competitive and as ambivalent as the previous generations of warfare.
Wonderfully written—acute, witty, consistently surprising—That Sweet Enemy is a triumph: an eye-opener for the experts, and a feast for the general reader.
Customer Reviews:
Francophobia does not reflect well on the Anglo-Saxon world........2007-08-26
This book is another "monument" to the francophobia of the Anglo-Saxon world. It is full of clichés and often it distorts the truth. I will take only three examples :
- 1 - The section on Napoleon is ridiculous. To start off by putting on the same level Napoleon, Stalin and Hitler is just not right.
- 2 - The narration of the start of WWI is not right too. I suggest that Barbara Tuckman's book "The Guns of August", Pulitzer price, is the correct history. It shows how poorly the English were prepared for the war, how they kept retreating and that the French were left alone against the full fury of the German attack. Come on, be fair ! The French won the first World War, not the English.
- 3 - Then what happened in the thirties is not reported fairly. Churchill, in "Gathering Storm" writes : "How the English speaking people through their unwisdom, carelessness and good nature (?) allowed the wicked to rearm". Many others make the same point, for instance, Zara Steiner in her book "The Lights that failed". The result of francophobia was Hitler.
This book was a waste of my time. And I would venture that the English and Anglo-Saxon world are now in permanent relative decline. As the subprime mess is showing, finance has its limits. Nial Ferguson in his book "Colossus" writes about the three Anglo-Saxon deficits : attention deficit disorder, people deficit, money deficit. How true!
In 1945, the Anglo-Saxon world was the victor. But since then, it has lost all its advantage and more.
The defining moment was when Jean Monnet understood that France and Germany should be tied together so tightlty that never a European war could again take place. Monnet succeeded. Since then, continental Europe is an island of prosperity and good life : perfect infrastructures, education for everybody, good health system, high productivity and long holydays. The Anglo-Saxon world is the reverse: the rich live very well but the low and middle classes are being squeezed to complete dispair. Continental Europe shows more balance and less greed.
The rest of the world has progressed a lot. China, Brazil, India, Japan, etc... are great success stories. The problem of the Anglo-Saxon world is that it has not yet realized that the rest of the world has improved so much that it is tired of Anglo-Saxon arrogance.
Today, when America does something right, in six months it has been taken up by the rest of the world . When something right is done in Europe and elsewhere, the Anglo-Saxon world will argue for five years before taking it up... The surest path to mediocrity. Just look at what happen to the Anglo-Saxon automobile industry.
Today Europe is prosperous. America and England still have to spend billions - that they don't have - to rebuild their education system, their health system and their infrastructure. France is not agressive toward England, but France is amazed at the fact that England is still Bush and America's poodle... France and continental Europe want peace and democracy but they understand that it is a process to be negotiated and which requires time and respect. Bombs don't solve problems, diplomacy does. Jean Monnet showed the way. Thanks to his honesty, sincerety, openness and patience, peace was achieved. Read his memoirs...
I am a solid anglophile but this book could make of me an anglophobe. But I shall not condescend to such pettiness. Let us stop this cheap in-fighting. Climate change is the biggest threat that the world ever will meet. We need England to convince America to give up on its selfishness and work with the rest of the world on an equal and generous footing.
An esepcially enjoyable reading experience - and quite a fresh perspective for Americans.......2007-05-22
Yes, I read a lot of books. And I review the books I enjoy (there is no point to reading what one dislikes, is there?). Once in awhile I run across a book I find to be very special and am especially enthusiastic about. This is one of those books.
Robert and Isabelle Tombs are scholars on the history of France and Britain and the combine their wonderfully expansive knowledge of those histories to give us a tour of the social, economic, military, political, and cultural histories of these nations from Louis IV through the first few years of the Twenty-First Century. As an American who grew up while America was always a dominant (if not the dominant) world power, it is particularly interesting to see how the world's major powers interacted and contended when America was largely, as yet, unpopulated by the Europeans.
Even our Revolution, so central to every American's understanding of our nation, takes a minor role in a much larger global struggle for supremacy. Both Britain and France tried to cause the other to stretch their ability to hold their growing Empires together. Each had to make choices on what to hold onto and what had only secondary importance, and what to let go. This happened over and over again. Eventually, their mutual struggles became a mutually cooperative relationship to deal with the rising German (and other) threats.
What I like about this telling is that the authors do not feel the need to side with anyone in particular. They provide quite a number of side articles (in the shaded areas) to flesh out specific points. There are also special sections such as the "interlude" (a couple of pages) on the French and Shakespeare. We also get some wonderfully chosen illustrations. However, what I like most are the chapters where the authors draw their separate conclusions and disagreements on various topics. The provide differing perspectives on the same topics that through the subject into better relief than one side alone. These sections provide for a rich perspective and help make the reading experience seomthing I wanted to savor.
The book has a tremendous amount of information about economic expenditures, the great leaders, the common folks, the literary digs at each nation, the technological leaps, the balancing of the benefits of a strong navy with the amazing costs incurred to build and maintain it. The authors are also quite clear about what was fortune (for good or ill) and what happened that actually looks like good judgment and skillful execution.
For Americans, this is can be a very helpful and educational book. It has been for me and I am grateful to the Tombs for writing it.
A good book for serious readers.......2007-04-16
This is a well-written book about the relationship between Britain and France over the past three centuries or so. It reviews the history, the development of their cultures and identities, and the influence that both have exerted on one and another, and in fact on many aspects of modern society allover the world in areas ranging from politics and economics to art, literature, fashion and cuisine. The authors are a couple, a British husband and professor of history at Cambridge University, and a French wife with a Ph.D. in modern British history. The authors' background, in my view, might help ameliorate some potential biases. The authors have attempted to provide several point and counterpoint discussions to illustrate the difference between the British and the French views.
The book however is a lengthy tome of a little more than 700 pages. Many scholars tend to believe that writing about history usually benefits from looking backward at events after the passions of the day have subsided, and more historical records become available for serious study. Perhaps this book could have presented a more balanced and a somewhat shorter review by omitting Part IV,"Revival" dealing with recent history. In particular, chapter 14, "Ever Closer Disunion", including commentary on ongoing events such as the War against Militant Islamic Terrorism, seems to suffer from the lack of a decent historical distance to allow a dispassionate review; and seems to be somewhat influenced by anti-American propaganda.
The authors seem to consider that the American Independence War, as a part of the British-French continued wars in the 18th century. They further argue, "France's victory in 1783, though it created the United States of America, has bankrupted the French Bourbon monarchy and led to the French revolution. Clearly, France's assistance to the American colonies was not only important but also instrumental for the ultimate victory at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. After the French and Indian war 1754-1763,France attempted to foment rebellion against Britain in the American colonies. In 1775, the French minister of foreign affairs, Comte de Vergennes, dispatched a representative to Philadelphia, who secretly met with five of the leaders of the colonies, one of whom was Benjamin Franklin. These attempts however did not stir up the Americans to take the French bait. However after approximately a year of war between the British and the American Continental armies 1775-1776, and the declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress sent Benjamin Franklin in December 1776 to France to seek assistance. The initial French assistance was relatively small, measured in a way so as to avoid war with Britain. It was only after the Americans prevailed at the battle of Saratoga in October 1777, that the French attitude started changing, and finally agreed to sign a treaty with the colonies in 1778. A more serious assistance was attempted by France afterwards. Also it seems that the French Bourbon monarchy bankruptcy is more related to a spree of spending and borrowing from 1783 to 1787 managed by France's controller general, Charles de Calonne. The spending and borrowing bubble ultimately burst in 1787. The bubble burst was further aggravated by the Assembly of Notables refusal in February 1787 to authorize further taxation to increase revenues, and remedy the incipient Bourbon bankruptcy.
This is a well-written book that I believe the serious readers and aficionados of modern western civilization would find both informative and entertaining.
A Fascinating Review of 300 Years.......2007-02-23
This very long (I guess about 750,000 words of text), informative and frequently amusing narrative and analysis of the clashes and misunderstandings between Britain and France (even when they were on the same side) over the past 300+ years is fascinatng and very well done. I thought I knew the history pretty well, at least from the British side, but this opened my eyes many times.
The strict focus on the two protagonists has produced what to me as an American seems to be an oddly distorted (although not inaccurate) picture of the last 70 years or so, because there is relatively little discussion of the participation of the United States in world events.
I have two complaints about the book. One is that the detailed comparison of the economic position of the two countries in recent times virtually overlooks the stultifying effect on France's employment level and economic activity of its restrictive and "protectionist" trade policy.
The second is that the index is truly dreadful, particularly considering the length of this book. I frequently looked, for example, in the index to see if a particular person was mentioned. When I failed to find that person's name in the index I assumed he/she was not mentioned. But it turned out that the index was incomplete.
Quite brilliant.......2006-05-08
This tome of nearly 700 pages of text about the relations between Britain and `that sweet enemy, France' (a phrase from a sonnet by Sir Philip Sidney) is like a huge pudding stuffed with goodies: I have rarely read a history book whose brilliance is sustained over such an immense time-range - from the reign of Louis XIV to that of Jacques Chirac. The authors - the husband an Englishman, his wife born in France - handle the story with skill, and efficiency, and they frequently employ a joyous felicity of phrase to point up differences and similarities between England and France. There are neat descriptions of personalities - the authors are always forthright in their judgments - and spirited accounts of campaigns. Even someone who, like myself, considered himself quite familiar with the political narrative will come across sections which throw a new light upon it. I learnt much, for example, from the Tombs' description of France's involvement in the American War of Independence, and from their interesting reflections on how the loss of the American colonies, even in the short term, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Britain. And the wider narrative is frequently interrupted by vignettes of little-known episodes, set in a different type, which further illuminate the themes under discussion.
There is a particularly striking chapter about the differences between the British and French navies during the Second Hundred Years' War: here, as throughout the book, the authors fully acknowledge and make excellent use of the secondary literature they have consulted. (Their list of secondary authorities runs to 28 pages.)
After the Napoleonic Wars Britain and France were never again at war with each other, and since the Entente Cordiale of 1904 they have technically been allies. But that does not mean that there have not been tensions and suspicions between the two countries throughout all these years, even during the First and Second World Wars, and of course during the inter-war period also. The authors are interesting on Appeasement. Most historians say that the French could not stop Hitler marching into the Rhineland or the Sudetenland because the British would not have supported them. The authors say that for various reasons the French governments, like the British, would not have wanted to risk a conflict anyway and were glad later to blame their non-intervention on the lack of British support.
After the Second World War Britain and France took such different attitudes towards `ever closer union' in Europe that there really has been very little cordiality between them. The parts of the book dealing with the issue of Europe bring out very well the very different visions of the two countries in an account that shows clearly how British policy handed the leadership of Western Europe to France for more than half a century, but which has broken down in today's enlarged European Union. Besides, the book argues, that leadership was exercised in a way which, after early economic successes, eventually brought stagnation to France.
The political chapters are interspersed with sparkling chapters on culture and society: how each nation saw and often stereotyped the other; how each alternatively (or simultaneously) mocked and copied, despised and envied, hated and admired the other, but could never be indifferent. Travel, manners in general and table manners in particular, sport, fashions in clothes, attitudes to the theatre, the views the two countries had about each other's women, philosophical traditions - these are some of the subjects that are treated with wit and learning.
Not the least among the charms of this book are the debates between husband and wife which end each of the four parts into which the volume is divided. It is perhaps a bit of a knockabout, in which both rally fairly uncompromisingly to the defence of their native countries; but the summing up of the `British' and `French' points of view is very well done and thought-provoking.
This must already be the most authoritative and enjoyable treatment of the period under review; but I hope that the success of this book will encourage the authors to produce a prequel, from the Norman Conquest to the 17th century, or at least from the 16th to the 17th century: the Tudor-Valois period is, in my opinion, the defining period during which the most essential differences between England and France took shape, and I would love to see the authors tackle it with the same verve which has made this book such a remarkable achievement.
Book Description
Extreme NXT: Extending the LEGO MIDSTORMS NXT to the Next Level is for intermediate-level users of NXT who would like to advance their capabilities by learning some of the basics of electronics. Plenty of examples are provided, and easy-to-follow instructions are included for building over 15 different sensors.
This makes a great reference for the NXT hardware interfaces. Examples even come complete with multiple, alternative NXT languages. The book is also abundant with illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best Available!.......2007-07-06
Reviewer J. Doubek, said it best - "I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose."
And that is very true! I cannot add much more to his review... This book is the 'Make' book for the NXT. The authors have explained everything so any builder of any age or skill level can understand the processes. It teaches several techniques that can be developed into viable career skills. Including soldering, electronics knowledge and usage, and handy-tech projects that will also get one's mind flowing with other ideas. If you are a 'Maker' or tinkerer or would like to learn some inside knowledge of the NXT and how to build outside of the box you will find no better starter book.
Grab it, read it, and use it to expand your NXT knowledge!
Chris
MDP, MCP
USA - NASA
Excellent!.......2007-05-07
I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose. "Extreme NXT" contains the pinouts and proper usage of the NXT motor and sensor ports. It also provides a large number of the most useful homebrew sensor implementations, right down to parts lists containing part numbers for common component suppliers like Digikey and Radio Shack.
My background is in engineering, with an emphasis in control systems. The first book I read in the field of hobbiest robotics was "Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation" (Jones and Flynn). In those days, the 6811's were king for these sorts of projects. I spent many a happy day with my MIT Handyboard (a simple 6811 robot controller board). Things have come a long way. Nowadays NXT is available, and this book is the modern day equivalent to that excellent text for those who want to dig in and find out what the NXT is capable of. The book is written in a format that is easy to understand for the novice, but also supplies plenty of content to allow the more advanced user to be able to push the NXT envelope. The organization is superb, commonly used charts and tables are easily found. I have been finding myself referring most often to the pinout tables for the NXT connectors, and these are very conveniently found towards the front of the book.
Chapters are broke down into sensor and output types, starting with the more basic and easily contructed passive sensors up to more advanced and expandable I2C sensors. Motor control, h-bridges, etc are also covered in detail. Both the construction of the circuits, and the NXT code to run them, are covered. Code is provided in it's most basic form first, NXT-G, which every NXT user will be familiar with. Examples proceed to more complex compilers, such as NBC, for sensors or circuits that are better suited to those implementations.
The appendix provides complete source code listings, useful websites and links categorized by chapter. There is also a great tutorial on prototyping with breadboards and perfboard for the uninitiated. With this book, any skill level in electronics should be enough to do some cool things with the NXT kit.
This book will become a very useful addition to any hobby robotics library. For me, it will be the goto book for designing circuits to safely interface to the Lego NXT. Highly recommended!
Average customer rating:
- Awesome book!
- the best
- The book on dogs.
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Canine Lexicon
Andrew De Prisco , and
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How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication
ASIN: 0866221980 |
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book!.......2007-01-25
This book is great, just about anything you can think of about dogs is alphabetically listed in this book from health care to dog breeds to grooming, it's in this thick book....not quite as thick as Wilcox's Atlas of Dog Breeds, but close. With all the vivid color pictures and the wealth of topics, it's hard to be dissapointed!
the best.......2002-10-18
We run a vocational school to teach people to become professional dog trainers and we recommend this book to all of our students. It covers all breeds (not just AKC breeds), and covers just about everything about dogs including basic medical info. Great for dog lovers and professionals alike. Lots of color pictures and very organized and easy to use/find info.
The book on dogs........2000-04-02
If you are a dogs-lover (like me), and want to know every important information on all the dog breeds, them this is the book for you. Well, that's it: the really most complete book ever on dogs. A most usefull work to have at your library.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Book
- For me, the best of the books on perinatal loss.
- I resented this book
- Comforting AND Smart
- A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss
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A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss - Guidance and Support for You and Your Family (Revised and Updated 2nd Edition)
Ingrid Kohn ,
Perry-Lynn Moffitt , and
Isabelle A. Wilkins
Manufacturer: Brunner-Routledge
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Empty Cradle, Broken Heart: Surviving the Death of Your Baby
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Pregnancy after a Loss
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A Guide For Fathers: When A Baby Dies
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Empty Arms: Coping After Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death
ASIN: 0415924812 |
Book Description
It is a sad fact that a growing number of families are facing the loss of a pregnancy. As more women are becoming pregnant at an older age, and as the use of fertility drugs increase the chances of a multiple-fetus pregnancy, the risk of pregnancy loss is escalating every year.
A Silent Sorrow has long been considered the "bible" for families seeking emotional and practical support after a pregnancy loss. Now completely revised and updated to reflect recent findings in medical procedures, laws governing pregnancy termination, and the complex issues surrounding pregnancy loss and reproductive technologies, this straightforward yet sympathetic guide reaches out to couples who have experienced pregnancy loss and helps them to understand and move through the mourning process. The authors address the issues of why and how men and women grieve differently; the potential impact of pregnancy loss on one's career; how to cope with ending an impaired pregnancy; the dual burden of pregnancy loss and infertility, and how to handle pregnancies that occur after such a loss. A Silent Sorrow draws from interviews with bereaved parents to illustrate coping strategies that have proven effective in such difficult situtations. Well organized, easily accessible, and filled with practical suggestions for each topic it covers, A Silent Sorrow is a positive first step for bereaved parents and their families, providing support and guidance to help resolve the grief and enable them to look to the future with hope.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book.......2007-05-20
This book was a fantastic source of support and guidance for my husband and me. The author uses lots of interview research to come to her conclusions and uses current medical sources. The chapters are topical and provide you with additional resources if you wish to read further or refer you back to a particular chapter review. We both finished this book and were so impressed with the resources in the appendices. I FULLY recommend this book, even if it's been years since your pregnancy loss.
For me, the best of the books on perinatal loss........2007-03-16
After the stillbirth of our daughter this Christmas, I read quite a few books about this kind of loss. For me, this was the best book of the lot. It alone of all the books that I dealt with covered a loss after a crisis pregnancy (and talked about its affect on both your job and health). I found it matter of fact on difficult subjects (which I liked) and I particularly liked that it did not tell me what to feel. Many of the other books which focused more on the emotional side had the effect of feeling as though they were crowding me. This is obviously a matter of taste and personality.
In addition to the expected chapters, the book also has an excellent section on Special Circumstances which discusses things like pregnancy loss and infertility. There are a number of helpful appendices and a list of relevant resources together with a categorized bibliography.
I wish that nobody needed a book like this one. But if you do find yourself in this club that nobody wants to join, this is a good book to help you find your way.
I resented this book.......2007-02-21
This book, while providing some basic information, fell woefully short of truly describing and explaining grief. It minimizes the experience of having a baby who is born still, and for that I regret having picked it up.
Comforting AND Smart.......2005-10-20
This book was _very_ important to me after my miscarriage, because it was a kind book that provided comfort but also didn't dumb itself down in order to address the very real and complex stages of grief. Kohn and Moffitt also give an excellent portrait of what people on many sides of the loss experience--mothers, fathers, family members, friends--as they all respond differently to pregnancy loss. I particularly appreciated the chapter on Early Pregnancy Loss, given that the authors discuss how this can be an especially "silent sorrow" and one that has its own special challenges of bereavement. Highly recommended
A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss.......2005-05-27
In the words of the late Erma Bombeck, "Motherhood isn't just a series of contractions, it's a state of mind. From the moment we know life is inside us, we feel a responsibility to protect and defend that human being". Perhaps it is that fact that makes pregnancy loss, at any stage, such a devastating, life altering experience. For those of us in this unenviable club, "A Silent Sorrow" offers a powerful, therapeutic journey to recovery...a must read. Kohn and Moffit thoughtfully address every type of loss - from miscarriage to newborn, and those having to make painful choices. Throughout the book they inject real life narratives, validating our innermost thoughts and feelings, while presenting sound advice, comforting words and encouragement on how to cope with every aspect of life after loss. Their discussions include managing overwhelming grief, as well as the impact on our various relationships, careers, infertility and subsequent pregnancies. Chapters on religion and rituals, and the important roles they can play in the healing process, are extremely helpful. The extensive, fourteen page resource list with valuable support group information is a final gift from the authors. According to Kohn and Moffitt, the purpose of this book is to provide guidance, comfort and hope to those in need. I for one think they exceeded their goal and am forever grateful. Years after my loss this book continues to provide comfort when I need it. I would highly recommend "A Silent Sorrow" for anyone whose heart has been broken by the loss of a child.
Book Description
This newly designed field guides features detailed descriptions of 595 species and subspecies. The 656 full-color illustrations and 384 drawings show key details for accurate identification. More than 100 color photographs and 333 color photographs and 333 color distribution maps accompany the species descriptions.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent resource.......2007-09-08
We live on a lake and frequently refer to this book to identify our water and woodland snakes.This book is very user friendly.
FANTASTIC!.......2007-07-12
This is a wonderful seller. My guide arrived very promptly and in great condition!! Terrific buy!
Useful... not so user friendly.......2007-06-12
National Audubon's original field guide, and perhaps the most recent one, is much better organized and easier to use in the field.
I love this.......2006-11-25
I love this book because I have the National Audubon Society First Field Guide for reptiles and I would often run in to reptile that the I couldn't Identify. I knew that I needed a bigger better book. So I bought the western and eastern Peterson Field guide for reptiles and amphibians and it had a lot more reptiles and it had amphibian which I never had a book that had information about them before, it has a lot more reptiles and it's shows you were they are each located. It give you a detailed description of each animal and a detailed drawing of each animal. Because of this I have been able to identify reptiles and amphibian that I couldn't before. I don't like that the maps for the eastern book are not as easy to find for some of the animals.
Great Guide.......2005-02-21
I'm starting to get interested in amphibian id and was looking for a book to help as I join in on frog monitoring and other citizen science projects. So, I haven't gotten to use this book in the field yet since it's still midwinter but the book seems like just what I need. It's a typical field guide in that it has the species plates. Pictures in this section are well drawn with color variations and patterns clearly shown and also described in words. Then there are the species-specific entries where each animal is described, habitats and location maps are provided, foods are described, etc. What I especially like about this book is that in this section they also have actual photographs of the animals shown. The photos are close-up so you can see the eggs or the young of snakes for example. I especially love the section on salamanders and decided not to bother trying to get a book dedicated to salamanders just yet. This has all the info I'll need to get going on understanding and identifying these creatures. Looking forward to a trek out to the vernal pools in March and bringing this book with me.
Average customer rating:
- Very interesting overview of current research in the subject
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The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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The Psychology of Music, Second Edition (Cognition and Perception)
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Exploring the Musical Mind: Cognition, Emotion, Ability, Function
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Music and Memory: An Introduction
ASIN: 0198525206 |
Book Description
Music offers a unique opportunity to better understand the organization of the human brain. Like language, music exists in all human societies. Like language, music is a complex, rule-governed activity that seems specific to humans, and associated with a specific brain architecture. Yet unlike most other high-level functions of the human brain - and unlike language - music is a skill at which only a minority of people become proficient. The study of music as a major brain function has for some time been relatively neglected. Just recently, however, we have witnessed an explosion in research activities on music perception and performance and their correlates in the human brain. This volume brings together an outstanding collection of international authorities - from the fields of music, neuroscience, psychology, and neurology - to describe the amazing advances being made in understanding the complex relationship between music and the brain. Aimed at psychologists and neuroscientists, this is a book that will lay the foundations for a cognitive neuroscience of music.
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting overview of current research in the subject.......2005-02-11
The collection of articles in this book gives a fascinating overview of human musical cognition and how it is modeled computationally. It also addresses the effect of brain lesions or abnormalities on musical competence and abilities, and thus gives the reader a taste of the kind of research that is being done in current research circles in the cognitive neuroscience of music. It is readily apparent after reading the articles that much is known about musical cognition, but there are many questions yet to answer. Because of space constraints, only a few of the articles will be reviewed here.
When considering human musical ability and competence it is natural to ask whether it is the result of evolutionary adaptations or whether it is "accidental" or "evolutionary vestige." The article by David Huron discusses these questions in some detail, with emphasis on the ability of evolution to shape not only physiological attributes and functions, but also human attitudes, emotions, cognitive abilities, and so on. The author gives an overview of the `nonadaptive pleasure seeking' (NAPS) view of music, and also the view that music is indeed an evolutionary vestige. He concludes, interestingly, that the truth of NAPS would place music lovers at an evolutionary disadvantage. If music is an evolutionary vestige, it still is important to ask, says the author, what value it had in the past for human survival. He discusses various types of evidence for supporting an evolutionary origin for music, such as genetic, neurological, ethological, and archaeological. Noting that no genes have been discovered which are correlated with musical ability, the other types of evidence do add plausibility to his evolutionary hypothesis, he argues at length in the article. The ability of music to form social bonds he believes shows the greatest promise as a plausible evolutionary origin for music. Most interesting is his discussion of how music brings about social bonding, with the hormone oxytocin playing a major role in this regard.
The article by Stephen McAdams and Daniel Matzkin on the perception of musical similarity is interesting for its own sake but also from the standpoint of artificial intelligence. Measures of similarity and to what extent a given concept can be changed and still be judged or perceived to be in the same category are of great interest in artificial intelligence. The authors of this article argue that the empirical evidence in similarity perception limits the `transformation space' for given music material. In other words, one can only go so far in the transformation of the original musical material before it is judged as completely new. The authors discuss in detail the factors that contribute to these limitations. In this context, the authors discuss a very interesting experiment to test among other things whether professional musicians are able to hear similarity to a greater degree of transformation if the transformations respect certain syntactical rules. The authors conclude, and their conclusions adhere to what is expected based on listening experiences, that the space of possible variations of musical material that is perpetually similar to an original piece of music is very limited.
Neural networks naturally enter into any discussion on human cognition, and they do so here in the article by Barbara Tillman, Jamshed Bharucha, and Emmanuel Bigand, who use them to model music cognition. Simulation of mental processes is of immense importance in brain research and allows one to study the effect of various anatomical and physiological abnormalities on cognition. The authors mention these capabilities in their article, but their emphasis is on explaining how neural networks coupled with unsupervised learning, can be used to model music cognition. They also mention, but do not discuss in any detail, the use of self-organizing maps to simulate the neural plasticity that allows the capacity to extract regularities and to then become sensitive to musical structures and regularities.
The article by John Brust discusses the effect of neurological disorders on musical function. The author discusses `musicogenic seizures', which are triggered by the hearing of music. Interestingly, these seizures can be triggered in some people by merely listening to their own voice. In some individuals, sound can also produce the perception of colors. This is called `synesthesia' by the author, but he does not discuss it in any great length. Apparently synesthesia is poorly understood, but has been noted to happen very frequently in individuals using hallucinogenic drugs. Also discussed is `amusia" which is an acquired impairments of musical processing.
The next article by Isabelle Peretz continues the discussion on amusia, but the emphasis is on what it reveals about brain specialization for music. The author holds that music has neuroanatomical specialization, in that there is a collection of neural networks that are dedicated to the processing of music. The author discusses various patients who had accidents causing brain damage in certain areas of the brain but were still able to retain musical skill. This occurred even when the damage occurred in the part of the brain responsible for language abilities. Even more surprising is that the auditory recognition of music is supported by cognitive processes that are not used at all in speech recognition or in environmental sound recognition. The author also discusses musical savants and the phenomenon of tone deafness. In terms of neural networks, the author asserts that brain specialization for music involves the encoding of pitch along musical scales and the ability to impute a regular beat to incoming events. She believes though that further research is needed to show that neural networks that are domain specific for music are the result of evolutionary adaptation.
Amazon.com
For everyone interested in looking beyond the façades of architectural landmarks to learn about the forces that shaped them, Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity has been a definitive resource since its publication in 1986. Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, professors at New York University, weave complex information into an engrossing narrative. While the authors' focus is on the Western tradition, shared ancient roots inspired a chapter on aspects of Islamic architecture. In the second edition, Trachtenberg's well-supported opinions add a lively sense of engagement to a new chapter surveying major trends of the 1980s and 1990s (work by Renzo Piano, Frank Gehry, Daniel Liebeskind, and others). Among the special delights of the book are its excursions into fascinating architectural byways, such as the history of castles, why the mendicant monks wanted simpler churches, and the superiority of the truss to the girder. More than 1,000 illustrations, including 91color plates, provide ample visual reference. --Cathy Curtis
Book Description
"Written in exceptionally clear yet imaginative prose by two distinguished architectural historians." —Paul Goldberger, The New York Times Book Review
This highly regarded, exceptionally well-written book brings to life the entire sweep of architectural history, and its greatest buildings, from the prehistoric era to the present. For over 15 years readers have relied on this incomparable work for its lucidity, originality, splendid illustrations, and nuanced interpretation of architecture. Now in its Second Edition, the top-selling history of architecture is better than ever with an updated introduction, new insights based on recent research, improved illustrations including eight additional pages in color, and above all a new chapter—on the most significant and controversial works of contemporary architecture from 1980 to 2000 —that proposes challenges for the future.
Customer Reviews:
This is THE story of western architecture........2006-08-30
I am a Registered architect(with National Certification), Registered Interior Designer and instructor of Architectural History. Trachtenberg and Hyman have written the definitive history of western architecture in this tract. The reading is awkward at times, but the ideas conveyed comprise the foundation of todays architectural theory. There are few, if any textbooks on this subject which maintain a consistant thread of thought all the way through. This one does. If you are vitally interested in the underpinnings of today's designs, you should read it.
Very good text book .......2006-02-23
This book is a very good text book. I have just recently needed it and just started to use it. As far as I have gotten it is easy to read. The only thing that I don't think that I like about it is that it is black and white. If you want to get the full feeling for the achitecture I would think one might need to see it in color but oh well.
Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity.......2003-11-13
This book summarizes over ten thousand years of architectural history in such a practical and clear form. Ignoring its price, I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in architecture. However, though the book briefly studies such vast expanses in the history of architecture, it fails to even touch architecture in the eastern world. Asia still continues to remain much of a mystery and covering it would truly enlighten the human imagination. Yet, doing so would also probably double the size of the book, thus increasing its cost to over a hundred American dollars. The book also, I feel, seems to enter into too much detail in the forms of modern architecture. In buying this book, one most likely seeks to learn more of history not 'postmodernity,' nevertheless it can be interesting to learn how modern architecture has come to pass.
Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity (2nd Edition).......2002-06-15
An update of an acclaimed survey of world architecture that is a much better read than its drab illustrations, dull layout and paucity of plans would suggest. Indeed, itÕs as hard to put down as it is to heft. The close analyses of Philip JohnsonÕs AT&T tower in New York and Norman FosterÕs HKSB tower in Hong Kong are brilliant, and the authors have the audacity to suggest that the high tech look of the one is as dishonest as the faux antique masonry of the other. This is an example of how the authors illuminate architectural history with concrete examples rather than windy generalizations. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)
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Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination (Annual Plant Reviews)
LeóNie Bentsink
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
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Plant Hormone Signaling (Annual Plant Reviews)
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Light and Plant Development (Annual Plant Reviews)
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The Story of the Apple
ASIN: 1405139838 |
Book Description
The formation, dispersal and germination of seeds are crucial stages in the life cycles of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants. The unique properties of seeds, particularly their tolerance to desiccation, their mobility, and their ability to schedule their germination to coincide with times when environmental conditions are favorable to their survival as seedlings, have no doubt contributed significantly to the success of seed-bearing plants. Humans are also dependent upon seeds, which constitute the majority of the worldrsquo;s staple foods (e.g., cereals and legumes). Seeds are an excellent system for studying fundamental developmental processes in plant biology, as they develop from a single fertilized zygote into an embryo and endosperm, in association with the surrounding maternal tissues. As genetic and molecular approaches have become increasingly powerful tools for biological research, seeds have become an attractive system in which to study a wide array of metabolic processes and regulatory systems. Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination provides a comprehensive overview of seed biology from the point of view of the developmental and regulatory processes that are involved in the transition from a developing seed through dormancy and into germination and seedling growth. It examines the complexity of the environmental, physiological, molecular and genetic interactions that occur through the life cycle of seeds, along with the concepts and approaches used to analyze seed dormancy and germination behavior. It also identifies the current challenges and remaining questions for future research. The book is directed at plant developmental biologists, geneticists, plant breeders, seed biologists and graduate students.
Book Description
A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon
The year is 1735. A decade-long expedition to South America is launched by a team of French scientists racing to measure the circumference of the earth and to reveal the mysteries of a little-known continent to a world hungry for discovery and knowledge. From this extraordinary journey arose an unlikely love between one scientist and a beautiful Peruvian noblewoman. Victims of a tangled web of international politics, Jean Godin and Isabel Gramesón’s destiny would ultimately unfold in the Amazon’s unforgiving jungles, and it would be Isabel’s quest to reunite with Jean after a calamitous twenty-year separation that would capture the imagination of all of eighteenth-century Europe. A remarkable testament to human endurance, female resourcefulness, and enduring love, Isabel Gramesón’s survival remains unprecedented in the annals of Amazon exploration.
Customer Reviews:
Engaging and Disturbing.......2007-09-28
I took this book with me when I headed down to Brazil to explore the Amazon Basin. Caveat: reading this book before heading down to Brazil to explore the Amazon is like going to see the movie "Jaws" before you go on your first scuba dive. Disturbing.
Whitaker's description of Isabel Godin-Grameson's horrific ordeal of being lost in the Amazon is mind-boggling, to say the least. It was not the poisonous snakes, the crushing boa constrictors, jaguars, caimans, electric eels or the fierce head shrinking Jabaros that were the worst. It was the thousands of insect bites (giant ants, fire ants, wasps, bees, chiggers, assassin bug, mosquitoes, botflies and their eggs) which turned into open, oozing, festering sores, hundreds of sores on their faces, arms, legs or any exposed flesh. Whitaker's writes. "They had no mosquito nets, no tents - only the clothes they were wearing. It was futile. The insects feasted on them. They would huddle together in the blackness (of night) and hoards of ants would begin their onslaught, crawling over them, under their pants and over every inch of exposed skin. During these awful days, they were plagued with botfly eggs. When the mosquitoes, laden with botfly eggs, feed on the body, the heat from the host causes the eggs to hatch. Immediately, the larvae burrow beneath the skin. The botfly maggot has two anal hooks that anchor firmly in the flesh and there it grows for more than a month . . . They were taking their turn as food for the botflies, even as they were slowly starving to death." Whitaker captures the horror of their situation.
There is much more than Isabel's gripping journey that makes this a great read: the scientific expedition to determine the size and shape of the earth, the descriptions of the culture of 18th century Europe and South America, the tragic treatment of the slaves (African and Indigenous Americans), the dedication, the love and the will to survive. This is a must read for any student of South America, Cartography or Life. Highly recommended.
A good wife - a good book.......2007-05-13
I enjoyed this book so much that I have bought two more copies for friends of mine. Both friends are female. I thought they would be drawn to the romance of the book. But there's adventure and science and history for all to enjoy. There's the comparison narrative or Lewis' and Clark's Voyage of Discovery. It's a good book
American Odyssey.......2007-03-29
This is a great adventure novel, filled with yucky worms,
terrifying terrain, malarian climates, and slithery things
that go slush in the night. It is a great romantic story
of the New World. The collection of illustrations is amazing.
I hope a director picks this book up and makes a movie of it.
Boring.......2007-01-22
Started out okay with the promise of interesting characters, but just got dull and wordy. Didn't finish it. Maybe more enjoyable for a South-American history buff.
Fresh Perspective on History.......2006-11-11
When my friend passed this book on to me, I was expecting a historical novel with dialogue and romance. However, I was pleasantly surprised by a nonfiction story woven from documents, letters, and research. I have always loved maps and been intrigued with how early naturalists figured out details about nature, so this book was a page-turner for me. I couldn't put it down. It was amazing what this team endured to collect data for information that we learn in elementary school today. It also gives insight and context to some of modern day political and social issues.
Book Description
Franz Marc (1880-1916) was one of the most important members of the Blue Rider group of painters, together with other outstanding artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Muuml;nter, August Macke, Paul Klee and Alfred Kubin. The group marked the high point of German Expressionism and had a profound influence on international art during the brief period from its formation to the beginning of the First World War. This volume, the second of a three-part catalogue raisonneacute; of Franz Marc's work, is devoted to the watercolors, works on paper, sculpture and decorative arts. All the pieces included have been newly researched and documented by the Stauml;dtische Galerie at the Lenbachhaus in Munich. Each entry provides details of technique, provenance, exhibitions and literature.
Books:
- The Alfred Hitchcock Story
- The Art of Expressing the Human Body
- The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times
- The Audrey Hepburn Treasures
- The Bruce Lee Story
- The Culture of History: English Uses of the Past 1800-1953
- The Daughters of Juarez: A True Story of Serial Murder South of the Border
- The Girls in the Van: A Reporter's Diary of the Campaign Trail
- The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
- The Informant: A True Story
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