Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4
Book reviews for "Ackles,_David" sorted by average review score:

Complete Guide to Book Marketing
Published in Paperback by Allworth Press (October, 1999)
Author: David Cole
Amazon base price: $13.97
List price: $19.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $11.18
Buy one from zShops for: $11.75
Average review score:

"How to" instruction in every aspect of publicity
In his The Complete Guide To Book Marking, marketing consultant and author David Cole offers a well organized and presented compendium of "how to" instruction in every aspect of publicity, promotion, and marketing of books designed specifically for the self-published author, small press publisher, regional and speciality house marketing staff. All facets of presenting books to the marketplace are covered including trade distribution, the libraries, direct-mail and direct sales marketing, selling books on the Internet, through non-book retailers, premium sales, and more. Of special value is the chapter devoted to subsidiary rights (serial, paperback, foreign, book clubs, audio, film, electronic formats). Cole does an especially fine survey of book publicity basics and creating an effective sales campaign, including guidelines and examples of effective PR and media kit copy. The Complete Guide To Book Marketing lives up to its title and is very highly recommended, invaluable reading for anyone seeking a commercial success in today's highly complex and competitive marketplace for book sales.

One of the best books I have read on Book Marketing
I've been doing book publicity for 25 years and let me tell you- this is a great book. Clear, simple and with great tips that every author can use. Go out and get this book today!...

A must for new authors
This book is mainly targeted at small publishers and self publishers, but every starting-out author should read it. Writers often think that if only they could "get published," their career would take off. But getting published is only the first step. It is no guarantee against a book fading away, ignored, before its first bloom. This book educates writers about what they can do, on their own or with their publisher, to get their work publicized, recognized, onto bookstore shelves, and into readers' hands.


Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History
Published in Unknown Binding by ABC-CLIO (March, 2002)
Authors: David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler, and David J. Coles
Amazon base price: $575.00
Average review score:

A Fantastic Book
This is a massive book. It will soon be "THE REFERENCE" to most all Civil War debates.

If I were to pick just one book to go to, for a search of Civil War information, this one would have to be it.
From Battle, Politics, Leaders, speechs, debates, economics, literature, etc., IT IS ALL IN HERE.

This is one book that everyone would be proud to own. ( As well, as the kind that almost caves your chest in, laying in bed reading--It IS A BIG BOOK.)

There is such a wealth of information, and every thing is solidily backed up with excellent references. It's a fantastic book.

Indespensible Civil War resource
This humongous encyclopedia is easily the best reference I have ever seen on the Civil War. The thing is 2600 pages long, has 1600 entries, and weighs about 7 pounds, and is quite well written and edited. It covers military, political, and social events, and biographies equally. The articles are generally well written but short and introductory rather than exhaustive. Has lots of photos, illustrations and maps (the maps are OK but not spectacular), and a wonderful bibliogaphy section. I can't recommend this book enough. I learn something new every time I open it.

Civil War afficianados need this book!
First of all, this thing is MASSIVE! When you're done reading it you can use it for weight in an exercise routine. However, it has over 2200 pages so it will be a long read. That having been said, I believe this will henceforth be THE standard reference guide to the Civil War. It is packed with great photos and maps, some I have never seen before. The capsule summaries are well written and informative. I have glanced through this book and now I am ready to dive in and read it cover to cover. Get this one if you are a Civil War or History buff!


Schemes: The Language of Modern Algebraic Geometry (Wadsworth & Brooks/Cole Mathematics Series)
Published in Hardcover by Chapman & Hall (January, 1998)
Authors: David Eisenbud and Joe Harris
Amazon base price: $44.00
Average review score:

Crystal clear overview of a traditionally abstract subject
The theory of schemes is usually thought to be highly abstract and esoteric, and one that makes the study of algebraic geometry even more difficult. The authors definitely dispel this notion in this book, which could have been called "A Concrete Introduction to Schemes", because of the clarity with which the concepts are introduced and explained. After studying this book, one will understand and appreciate the power of schemes in algebraic geometry. The authors do an even better job than they did in their earlier and short work "Schemes: The Language of Modern Algebraic Geometry", which is now out of print.

In chapter 1, the main definitions are given and the basic concepts behind schemes outlined. That schemes are more complicated than varieties is readily apparent even in this beginning chapter, where they are thought of as corresponding to the spectrum of a commutative ring with identity. Very elementary exercises are given to help the reader gain confidence in the constructions involved. They authors do have to discuss some sheaf theory, but they show its relevance nicely in this chapter. They also discuss the notion of a fibered product as a generalization of the idea of a preimage of a set under the application of a function and relate it to the construction of the functor of points. The role of the functor of points as reducing schemes to a kind of set theory is brought out beautifully here.

The next chapter gives many examples of schemes, with the first examples being reduced schemes over algebraically closed fields, these being essentially the ordinary varieties of classical algebraic geometry. The authors then give examples of schemes, the local schemes, which are more general than varieties. When departing from the assumption of a field that is not finitely generated, extra points will have to be added to classical varieties. The fact that only one closed point appears is compared to the case of complex manifolds, via the concept of a germ. This is a very helpful comparison, and one that further solidifies the understanding of a scheme in the mind of the reader. The authors give the reader a short peek at the etale topology in one of the examples. Examples are then given where the field is not algebraically closed, generalizing classical number theory, and non-reduced schemes, where nilpotents are present. The chapter ends with examples of arithmetic schemes where the spectra of rings are finitely generated over the integers.

Projective schemes are the subject of Chapter 3, and are defined in terms of graded algebras and invariants of projective schemes embedded in projective space are discussed. The Grasmannian scheme is discussed in detail as an example of a projective scheme. Interestingly, Bezout's theorem, very familiar from elementary algebraic geometry, is generalized here to projective schemes.

Constructions from classical algebraic geometry are generalized to schemes in Chapter 4. The first one discussed is the notion of a flex, which deals (classically) with the locus of tangent lines to a variety. The flexes are defined in terms of the Hessian of the variety, the latter being generalized by the authors to define a scheme of flexes. The notion of blowing up is also generalized to the scheme setting, with the authors motivating the discussion by blowing up the plane. The discussion of blow-ups along non-reduced subschemes of a scheme and blow-ups of arithmetic schemes is fascinating and the presentation is crystal clear. Fano varieties are also generalized to Fano schemes in the chapter. Most of the information about these schemes are contained in the exercises, and some of these need to be worked out for a thorough understanding.

The next chapter is more categorical in nature, and deals with generalizations of the classical Sylvester construction of resultants and discriminants to the scheme setting.

In the last chapter the authors return to the functor of points, and motivate the discussion by asking for a parametrization of families of schemes. The authors show, interestingly, that using the functor of points one can more easily compute geometric information about a scheme than using its equations. They illustrate this for the Zariski tangent space. Then after an overview of Hilbert schemes they close the book by introducing the reader to moduli spaces and a hint of algebraic stacks. No end in sight for this beautiful subject..........

A very good start
This book is clear, well written, and has a nice balance of generalities and examples. If you know the basics of rings and modules, this book will show you what schemes are and why they are useful for several different problems: for example, number theory, or studying singularities. I find it a helpful companion to Hartshorne's ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY. But this book does not get to cohomology, and so cannot actually get to the working methods in the subject. For that, you need Hartshorne.

Very good book
Very good book for scheme theoritical approach to Algebraic Geometry


Learning by Heart: Contemporary American Poetry about School
Published in Hardcover by University of Iowa Press (April, 1999)
Authors: Maggie Anderson, David Hassler, and Robert Cole
Amazon base price: $29.95
Used price: $45.00
Average review score:

School.
School continues to be one of the most traumatizing/wonderful experiences of my life. This book talks about school from all angles .. highly recommended.

A must-read for everyone who's ever been to school
This collection includes some of the best poems of our time--all related to school. The pain and poignancy of school-age experiences in the classroom, on the playground, or on the athletic field, are captured in this volume with the resonance of shared life. The names of teachers--Mrs. Krikorian, Mrs. Smythe, and the rest--bring back our own teachers' faces and even their "sausage arms." Teachers themselves speak here as well, with humor, sadness, or a sense of loss about the classrooms of children they have known. This volume, with work by our best contemporary poets, is a must-read for anyone who teaches or learns or who has ever been in school.


The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles
Published in Hardcover by Book Sales (May, 2000)
Authors: David Burgess Wise, David Burgess Wise, and Lance Cole
Amazon base price: $24.99
Used price: $11.95
Collectible price: $37.06
Buy one from zShops for: $11.50
Average review score:

Reference for all automobile nut
Very good book, thousand illustrations

As Comprehensive As It Gets
From the earliest to the newest and all points in between. Cars from America as well as cars from overseas. Probably every known car and car maker are in this book. Packed full of information so much that it seems almost impossible to believe that their is so many cars that have been built throughout this span of time. Could be more detailed however on certain cars such as the Cobra Jet Mustang, or others, but all in all very immense in facts and scaled to such a wide variety of cars that it doesn't leave many out if any at all.


Soft Paths: How to Enjoy the Wilderness Without Harming It
Published in Paperback by Stackpole Books (August, 1988)
Authors: Bruce Hampton and David Cole
Amazon base price: $10.95
Used price: $0.32
Collectible price: $1.50
Buy one from zShops for: $1.85
Average review score:

Changing the World by Changing Yourself
This well written and easy to read book details minimum impact techniques for a wide variety of environments. Any outdoor person (front country or backcountry, veteran or neophyte) can do a better job when enjoying wildlands- this book will show you not only "how," but more importantly, "why."

Wanna learn where to hike? or how to dig a cat hole? or the best place to camp without establishing a new site? Just what the heck should I do with those slimy food orts at the bottom of my cookpot near the top of some peak? Take a read of Soft Paths and you'll find out.

LNT
This book describes minimal-impact camping techniques and supports the Leave No Trace program. Every hiker and backpacker must have this book. We camp in order to appreciate mother nature, and when following the guidelines set forth in Soft Paths you can be confident that you are not hurting the environment that you appreciate so much.


Aquatic Rehabilitation
Published in Hardcover by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers (15 January, 1997)
Authors: Richard G. Ruoti, David M. Morris, and Andrew J. Cole
Amazon base price: $53.95
Used price: $40.45
Buy one from zShops for: $44.95
Average review score:

A very complete account of aquatic rehabilitation techniques
This book is an excellent read. It covers the full range of techniques for recovery. From CP to MD, and RA to Joint replacement therapy....it has it covered. Also inlcuded are the phyics of water, physiology of water and facility planning for those intending to start their own center.


Debrett's Guide to Heraldry and Regalia
Published in Hardcover by Abbeville Press, Inc. (January, 1993)
Authors: David Williamson, Colin Cole, and Sir Colin Cole
Amazon base price: $35.00
Used price: $11.95
Collectible price: $15.84
Buy one from zShops for: $44.99
Average review score:

marvellous reference on heraldry and regalia thorugh time
An absolute must for any historical or historical romance writer or anyone wanting to know about the origins and development of heraldic rules and regalia of various different nations.

Simply loaded with photos, drawing and artwork through the ages and for a wide variety of nations, this work covers the origins of heraldry, the development of the College of Arms. It devotes a large section to Scottish Heraldry and the Lyon Court finally ending up with its modern day relevance and usage. They cover the English Coronation Ceremony. Has a superb glossy of terms. The pictures are simply amazing of the Scottish and England's sovereigns' crowns and septers, moving onto to world wide, such as the royalty of Hawaii.

I simply cannot stress how necessary this is to writers, but is wonderful for anyone wanting to know about this topic.


Eisenhower and the Suez Crisis of 1956 (Political Traditions in Foreign Policy)
Published in Hardcover by Louisiana State University Press (July, 1995)
Author: Cole C. Kingseed
Amazon base price: $35.00
Used price: $20.13
Collectible price: $10.59
Average review score:

Good Book
This book is one of the best I've ever read. It relates the power of the presidency to the Suez Crisis. This book is a good read and perfect for research on this topic.


Butterfly Lost
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Harper Mass Market Paperbacks (March, 2000)
Author: David Cole
Amazon base price: $5.99
Used price: $1.18
Collectible price: $1.15
Buy one from zShops for: $1.50
Average review score:

Treading the borderlands
David Cole breaks with the mold in this fascinating first mystery. It includes a dark, unromantic, and completely unexpected view of the contemporary American Southwest. Where else could you find a central character who is a half-Hopi, Ritalin abusing, computer hacker, living on the run while battling the demons behind her own anxiety disorder. Laura inhabits social, psychological, and geographic borderlands, where the reader learns to appreciate and ponder the ambiguities of Native/non-Native identity, the ties and terrors of personal commitments, and the seedy backstreet life of the US/Mexican border region. The author manages to evoke complex worlds of sense and character with an economy of verbiage, and had me puzzling over the mystery and its personalities at odd moments during the day until I had finished it. Butterfly Lost is also an unusual mystery in that the pieces never all fit back together -- the bodies are not necessarily found and accounted for, there is unfinished business -- this feels disturbingly like reality, rather than a typical work of fiction. I am looking forward to his next book, while bracing for another wild ride.

Butterfly Lost
Butterfly Lost is one of the best and most original mysteries I've read in a long time. I live in southern Arizona during the winter months but I knew little about the Hopi and Navajo reservations other than reading books by Tony Hillerman. But David Cole writes so well about many things. I gained new insight into the tribal land conflicts, resulting from the US government's decision to give Navajo property to Hopis, with families who owned land for generations forced to move away. Laura Winslow is a complex central character, haunted by her past and trying not to repeat it as she tries to regain some sense of her Hopi heritage. I'm impressed that a man can have his main character a believable, compelling woman. Cole has a main plot about missing Hopi girls, but he weaves many fascinating subplots and characters around the main story. Bounty-hunting and theft of sacred Indian artifacts are both talked about in Arizona, but Cole tells the dark sides of these problems. And Cole gets into aspects of computer hacking that are so believable I got new insight into how many people have access to my personal information. I completely enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more about Laura Winslow.

The Dawn of a Great Career
One of my proudest moments as a mystery writer came at Tucson's Left Coast Crime mystery convention when I was given the honor of introducing David Cole to the mystery community. He was a member of the author panel I was moderating, and his debut mystery, BUTTERFLY LOST, had just been published. BUTTERFLY LOST features Laura Winslow--a Ritalin-abusing, cyper-hacking, half-Hopi--protagonist. BUTTERFLY LOST is a remarkable book because, at least to this reader, David Cole gets everything right. His work with Native American groups has provided him with the thorough cultural knowledge he presents in his book. Laura's computer expertise is completely convincing. David Cole knows well of what he writes. His plot is fast-paced and complex. He knows the Southwestern turf well. I cannot remember reading a more impressive debut novel. David Cole is an amazing talent.


Related Subjects: Author Index Reviews Page 1 2 3 4

Reviews are from readers at Amazon.com. To add a review, follow the Amazon buy link above.