Link : Electronic Gaming Monthly December 2008.
11.27.2008
Britannica Illustrated Science Library: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Edition: 1st Edition
Hardcover: 56 pages
Link : Britannica Illustrated Science Library: Volcanoes and Earthquakes.
11.20.2008
The Search for Life Continued: Planets Around Other Stars
Author: Barrie W. Jones
Publisher: Praxis
Pub.date: Jul 24 2008
Paperback: 278 pages
Barrie Jones addresses the question "are we alone?", which is one of the most frequently asked questions by scientists and non-scientists alike. In The Search for Life Continued, this question is addressed scientifically, and the author is not afraid to include speculation. Indeed, the author believes beyond reasonable doubt that we are not alone and this belief is based firmly on frontier science of the most imaginative kind.
The author concentrates on planetary systems beyond our own but starts with life on Earth, which is the only life we know to exist, and which provides guidance on how best to search for life elsewhere. Planets are the most likely abode of life and so we start the quest with the search for planets beyond the Solar System – exoplanets. The methods of searching are outlined and the nature of hundreds of exoplanetary systems so far discovered described. In the near future we expect to discover habitable Earth-like planets. But are they actually inhabited? How could we tell? All will be revealed.
This full color book is written for everybody who wants to stay in close contact with the latest on possible life on other planets.
Link : The Search for Life Continued: Planets Around Other Stars.11.18.2008
11.14.2008
Planet Mars: Story of Another World
Author: François Forget ,François Costard ,Philippe Lognonné
Publisher: Praxis; 1 edition
Pub.date: December 12, 2007
Paperback: 231 pages
Mars, like planet Earth, is a complex and vast world with a long history. The authors of this book give a new insight of Mars by adopting an original outline based on history rather than on subtopic (atmosphere, surface, interior). They focus on the past and present evolution of Mars and also incorporate all the recent results from the space missions of Mars Express, Spirit and Opportunity.
This book goes to the heart of current planetological research, and illustrates it with many beautiful images. The authors describe the magnificent scenery on Mars including Olympus Mons, more than 20,000 metres high and the solar system’s biggest volcano. At Mars’ poles, glaciers, formed from thousands of fine strata, are evidence of past climatic fluctuations. Drs Forget and Costard and Professor Lognonné introduce a new world and reveal the workings of the planet Mars. They answer the questions: How was Mars formed? Why has its evolution followed a different path to that of Earth? What do its river beds, volcanoes and glaciers tell us about its past? Could life have existed there? Does it exist there now? What processes ‘drive’ Mars today?
The five parts of the book trace the history of Mars. Part 1 examines its formation from the ashes of dead stars, more than 4·5 billion years ago. Part 2 travels through its early and turbulent youth and gradual, 3·5-billion-year long metamorphosis. Part 3 traces the creation of great planetary structures while Part 4 explores this active planet as it is today, with its dust storms, water features and atmosphere, and shows that Mars is subject to continual climatic change. Finally in Part 5, the story of the recent exploration of Mars and current research in laboratories and space agencies in preparation for the missions of the next twenty years is recounted.
11.13.2008
The Love Spell: An Erotic Memoir of Spiritual Awakening
Author: Phyllis Curott
Publisher: Gotham
Pub.date: January 5, 2006
Paperback: 368 pages
This is the story of a love spell that worked. Ivy League lawyer and Wiccan priestess Phyllis Curott has a super-charged career in law and filmmaking, but one thing is missing. Love. She casts a sexy spell, and her dream lover soon arrives. But he's not who he appears to be and there are unforeseen consequences. In this hip, compelling tale of spiritual and sexual awakening, she must seek the aid of an other worldly suitor, a daemon, to discover how modern relationships and their problems are paths to the greatest magic of all—true love.
This wise and erotic memoir is also rich with spells and rituals for love. And the author shares accessible techniques of sexual magic for the accomplishment of personal goals and growth, revealing how sexual ecstasy can lead to the discovery of our innate divinity and an empowered life.
"A truly fascinating tale of erotic love."
“A story that will speak to every woman who has dreamed of her Prince Charming and who has had her heart broken. A powerful, spiritual narrative, this book will give everyone the tools they need to draw their soulmates to them.” - Jennifer Hunter, author of 21st Century Wicca
“Skillfully intermingling sex and spells, magical techniques and enjoyable prose, Curott returns with a fascinating, highly entertaining read about personal magic as a part of life, love, and empowerment." - Raymond Buckland, author of Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft
"Arouse and awaken the wild woman within! The Love Spell stirs up a magical cauldron of love and hot, sensuous ecstasy. This book is empowering, captivating, savvy, and very sexy!" - Sirona Knight, author of Empowering Your Life with Natural Magic
Link : Phyllis Currott - The Love Spell: An Erotic Memoir of Spiritual Awakening.
11.11.2008
Falling in Love: Why We Choose the Lovers We Choose
Author: Ayala Malach Pines
Publisher: Routledge, Inc
Pub.date: 23 Nov 2000
Paperback: 304 pages
Falling in Love is the first book to unlock the mysteries of how and why we fall in love. Renowned psychologist Ayala Pines shows us why we fall for the people we do, and argues convincingly that we love neither by chance nor by accident. She offers sound advice for making the right choices when it comes to this complicated emotion. Packed with helpful suggestions for those seeking love and those already in it, this book is about love's many puzzles.
The second edition furthers the work of the popular and successful first edition. With expanded research, theory, and practice, this book once again provides one of a kind understandings of the experience of love. The new edition offers updated references to recent research, new chapter exercises, and "case examples" of romantic stories to begin each chapter.
Reviews by Jonathan Posner (LONDON, England United Kingdom) :
The seeker of espionage thrills and spills may need to look elsewhere. But where this writer excels is in creating the daily atmosphere of pre-war Germany, and especially Berlin, which serves to grip entirely on its own. I doubt if any modern writer has combined the chilling with the everyday as effectively as David Downing, whether it be the smiling blonde receptionist at Gestapo headquarters or the innocent roadside signposts to the the local concentration camp, devoid of any meaning to ordinary Berliners.
As for the story itself I found it beautifully constructed, the 'in-too-deep' clamminess of its protagonist, John Russell, a domiciled English journalist, all too believable. It's also enhanced by the relationship with his delightful girlfriend, as well as the obvious devotion to his German-born son. In fact Russell's slight unease with his son's Nazi-youth activities is perfectly pitched and Downing rightly resists any grandstanding from the vantage-point of hindsight. On the other hand, Russell is completely aware of the impending catastrophe for Germany's Jews, with each new 'law' inevitably bringing the attempted extermination ever closer. Downing doesn't miss a trick here either; the two Jewish girls that Russell has been teaching delightedly rush out to buy a box of cream cakes from a baker's "that still sold to Jews".
This is a fine and atmospheric thriller from a sensitive and thoughtful writer. How far away it all is from the turgidness of Joseph Kanon's 'The Good German' . But it was almost worth enduring that book to get to this one. Carry on, David Downing, because this is how it should be done.
Link : Ayala Malach Pines - Falling in Love: Why We Choose the Lovers We Choose.
11.10.2008
Treasure Island
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Paperback: 330 pages
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book in 1883, it was originally serialised in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881-82 under the title The Sea Cook, or Treasure Island.
Traditionally considered a coming of age story, it is an adventure tale known for its superb atmosphere, character and action, and also a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality—as seen in Long John Silver—unusual for children's literature then and now. It is one of the most frequently dramatised of all novels. The influence of Treasure Island on popular perception of pirates is vast, including treasure maps with an 'X', schooners, the Black Spot, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen with parrots on their shoulders.
11.09.2008
11.08.2008
The Gospel of Food: Everything You Think You Know About Food Is Wrong
Author: Barry Glassner
Publisher: Ecco
Pub.date: January 2, 2007
Hardcover: 304 pages
Enjoy what you eat.
From the author of the national bestseller The Culture of Fear comes a rallying cry to abandon food fads and myths for calmer and more pleasurable eating.
For many Americans, eating is a religion. We worship at the temples of celebrity chefs. We raise our children to believe that certain foods are good and others are bad. We believe that if we eat the right foods, we will live longer, and if we eat in the right places, we will raise our social status. Yet what we believe to be true about food is, in fact, quite contradictory. Offering part exposé, part social com-mentary, sociologist Barry Glassner talks to chefs, food chemists, nutritionists, and restaurant critics about the way we eat. Helping us recognize the myths, half-truths, and guilt trips they promulgate, The Gospel of Food liberates us for greater joy at the table.
Review:"A master at the art of dissecting research." -- New York Times Book Review
"Everybody eats. The only question is what. Call this a sane guide." -- Paco Underhill, bestselling author of Why We Buy
"Glassner exposes the strained interpretations, ‘prejudices dressed up as science,’ and pure fabrications behind much received wisdom." -- New York Times
"It’s hard not to root for Glassner as he tilts against modern food dogma." -- Wall Street Journal
"Persuasive... Americans take their concern over healthy eating to unnecessarily extreme levels... amusingly skewers one food fad after another." -- Library Journal
"Provocatively examines everything all of us have held near and dear about the food we eat... surprising, gutsy and fun." -- Ed Levine, author of New York Eats, food writer, New York Times
"Pure fun to read . . . Glassner is methodical and relentless in his exploration." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Remarkable... [for] people who are tired of being bludgeoned by the `nutrition police' or the elite food critics." -- Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice
"Such a smart and engaging writer... many people--sociologists, students, foodies, observers of popular culture--would adore it." -- Pepper Schwartz, bestselling author, Professor of Sociology at University of Washington
"a well-timed brick through the plate glass window of conventional wisdom ... He gives you plenty to think about." -- Anthony Bourdain
Link : Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food: Everything You Think You Know About Food Is Wrong.
11.07.2008
Sex and the City
Author: Candace Bushnell
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub.date: August 1, 2006
Paperback: 157 pages
The "Sex and the City" columnist for the New York Observer documents the social scene of modern-day Manhattan. The reader gets an introduction to "Modelizers," the men who only have eyes for models, as well as a more common species, the "Toxic Bachelor." Reading like a society novel gone downtown and askew, Sex and the City is a comically sordid look at status and ambition and the many characters consumed by the sexual politics of the '90s.
Review by ??? : "The real thing--for real Sex and the City fans "
I've been watching the TV series for two years and just finished reading the book. I can't believe I waited so long to buy the book--it's terrific. Sure, it's different from the TV series, but anyone who is at least of normal intelligence will get the fact that the book is the real thing, while the tv series, although funny and witty, is the sugar-coated, hollywood-ized version. The book is much more complex and layered than the show, and, like real life, doesn't necessarily have happy endings (or even endings--are there really endings in life besides death?). The show is formulaic, while the book is not. It doesn't pander to the audience. Of course, this means that there are people who won't like the book or won't get it--probably because the truths it reveals make them uncomfortable about things they see in themselves (and don't want to admit to). It presents dating and relationships in a shockingly realistic way, which, I warn you, will probably frighten those people who insist on believing that life is a Harlequin romance or that Prince Charming is still going to ride up on a white horse. Some people complain that the characters are shallow, but the truth is, the characters are real, and, yes folks, we're all a bit shallow and superficial. If we weren't, we wouldn't be human. And that's the beauty of this book--it makes you laugh out loud at our all too human foibles.
Link : Candace Bushnell - Sex and the City.
11.06.2008
Learn More, Study Less !
“If you understand something in only one way, then you don't really
understand it at all. The secret of what anything means to us depends on
how we've connected it to all other things we know. Well-connected
representations let you turn ideas around in your mind, to envision things
from many perspectives until you find one that works for you. And that's
what we mean by thinking!”
--Marvin Minsky--
understand it at all. The secret of what anything means to us depends on
how we've connected it to all other things we know. Well-connected
representations let you turn ideas around in your mind, to envision things
from many perspectives until you find one that works for you. And that's
what we mean by thinking!”
--Marvin Minsky--
Author: Scott H Young
Paperback: 228 pages
Scott H Young , a fellow PBN blogger, just released an e-book entitled Learn More, Study Less ! . This e-book talks about how to learn as much as possible with the least effort to study. Since I consider myself a learner, I’m very interested to the topic of this e-book. I started reading it soon after I got a review copy in my inbox. But, since the e-book is 228 page long, it took some time to finish it.
This e-book introduces the concept of holistic learning in which we view learning as “a comprehensive whole, instead of a list of memorized facts”. In holistic learning, the aim is to create webs of interrelated ideas. Since the ideas are connected to each other, it will then be easier to navigate through them for complete understanding. Besides, it’s easier to reach an idea because there are many paths to it.
The e-book is divided into four parts: The Holistic Learning Strategy, Holistic Learning Techniques, Beyond Holistic Learning, and Summary & Quick Guide. Let’s look at them in more details.
Inside Learn More, Study Less
Part I. The Holistic Learning Strategy
This part gives us the background theory of holistic learning. It defines the important concepts and how they are related to each other. While this part is rather technical, there are a lot of examples to help us understand the concepts.
I agree with the author that understanding this theory is important. The theory helps us put the techniques (in part II) in the right context. Without understanding the theory, it would be difficult to adapt the techniques to our situation.
The sequence of holistic learning is also introduced in this part. The sequence consists of five phases:
- Acquire
The point at which information enters through your eyes and ears. - Understand
Taking raw information and giving it a context. - Explore
Forming the models and connecting them with other ideas. - Debug
Looking for errors in your models. - Apply
Making adjustments compared to how the information operates in reality.
Understanding this sequence helps us understand where our weaknesses are so that we can focus our effort on that areas.
Part II. Holistic Learning Techniques
While part I gives us the theory, part II gives us the specific techniques that can be used to apply holistic learning. The techniques are grouped into four categories:
- Acquiring ideas
Here are the techniques for the Acquire Phase. The techniques discussed here are speed reading and flow-based notetaking. - Linking ideas
Here are the techniques for the Explore Phase. The techniques discussed here are metaphor, visceralization, and diagraming. These techniques form the core of holistic learning. - Handling the arbitrary
The techniques here can be used to handle arbitrary information which can’t be handled by the techniques in the previous category. There are three techniques: the Link method, the Peg method, and information compression. - Extending ideas
Here are the techniques for the Debug and Apply phase. There are three techniques here: practical usage, model debugging, and project-based learning.
Part III. Beyond Holistic Learning
This part deals with how to become a productive student (so that we can study less) and how to build the habit of self-education. There are a lot of productivity tips here that deals with managing energy, procrastination, and organization, among others. There are also tips on how to structure the learning habit, overcoming frustration, and setting learning goals.
Part IV. Summary & Quick Guide
As its title says, this part gives the summary of holistic learning process along with a quick guide for easy reference.
Conclusion
This is a very comprehensive e-book on learning that covers both the theory and practice. It will take time to apply the concepts in this e-book. which is why the author wrote that the e-book is a handbook that you should refer to along the way. This is not the kind of books that you read just once.
11.05.2008
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