We just got the book kids learn america for our homeschool. As a family we hope to learn more about the nation that we live in. The first state in the book is connecticut. It talks about Mark Twain living and writing there. So that opened a discussion on his writing as we will be watching a movie based on his writings tonight as a family. I look forward to learn more as we got through this book.

Did you know that Minnesota, the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" has an amazing 90 lakes called Long Lake? Or did you know that the two Choctaw Indian words "okla," meaning people, and "humma," meaning red, makes up the state Oklahoma? Well, these facts along with a plethora of other information can be obtained in this fantastic book.

This book is absolutely perfect for children. Each state is consisely laid out in an easy-to-read format that is loaded with information. The drawings are also excellent in peppering the pages to break up all of the details.

This is a type of hands-on book that challanges children to learn about their country in fifty educationally-fun geography lessons. This book gives its readers a lesson in human spirit by teaching a little bit about America's past, while imploring everyone to partake in it's future. This book is a must read for children.

We are a homeschooling family who is always looking for a fun and easy way to learn any subject. This book was top-notch with our five children from ages 7-16. Perfect U.S. geography course in 50 easy lessons! Highly recommended.

The "noise" referred to in my earlier review was about lines of text in the book like, "This is an opinion sponsored by entity X-1513." That line doesn't seem to relate at all to the rest of the card's description. Or the du wacky du description? I read my own descriptions into those cards... DWD makes no sense to me at all. I usually take it to mean that I'm not looking around at what is really going on, that I'm navel-gazing.

I've had this deck for 20 years and I love it. Nothing to memorize, no esoteric secrets. Even tho it's a cartoon, it gives accurate great readings. The imagery and captions are in modern, new age vernacular with a 70's flavor. Everyone smiles when I pull it out. Easy to read and I hardly ever refer to the book, even tho I numbered the cards to match the entries. People don't find it intimidating and find themselves adding to their own reading. Get this deck if you don't take life too seriously and want to have fun with reading. If you want to mystify people you don't want this one.

88 Cards. No suits. No Minor Arcana. No order. Sound confusing? NOT TO WORRY! This is an amazing and intuitive deck!... I've been using this deck (the same one) for 14 years now, and am STILL amazed by its accuracy, veracity, and ability to communicate to the inquirant directly. The previous reviewer complained about the "noise" in the included booklet, "nonsense(?) clouding much of the real information." Let me set the record straight--some of this "nonsense" has spoken to people I've read for in ways that I'd have never forseen or imagined. It is "nonsense" in that it is for non-sense, i.e. right-hemisphere intuition, not left-hemisphere logic and reason--remember, the two hemispheres of the brain are fundamentally at odds. FORGET the Rider-Waite (and wait and wait and wait) deck, this deck taps the collective conciousness of the New Aeon like no other. Oh, and if the previous reviewer has had problems with the non-order of the book, and the lack of numbers on the cards, numbers can be assigned to the cards, by the order they appear in the book, and written on the cards (it's a hand-drawn pen&ink black and white deck, and so hand written numbers are not at all incongruous with the overall appearance of the deck. Everyone I read with this deck wants a copy for themselves, and I hope they'll find one eventually--Let's hope that U.S. Games issues another reprint of this deck, and SOON! After 14 years, my deck's just about worn out! :-)

Professor Gordon is the sort of teacher I would have appreciated in school. One imagines him as a grey haired gentleman in rumpled slacks and cardigan with a pipe and sneakers who makes it his kindly mission in life to fill his students with a zest for his chosen calling.

His explanations are elegant, simple and fascinating. I can't think of higher praise for someone trying to make sense of a discipline as complicated as materials science.

The problem with most academics is an inherent need to appear learned. This leads to obscure and convoluted explanations that are, if not overtly, at least subconsciously designed to maintain the gap between the ignorant masses and the enlightened adepts. Even when such academics make a conscious attempt to simplify, their efforts are too often sabotaged by the bad habits of a lifetime.

This is why good popularisers are so difficult to come by, and why the Gordons of the world should be so prized.

This book isn't just about the science of materials, but about how such an exotic subject actually connects with our everyday lives. We live in a certain way, and not in a different way, because of the strengths, weaknesses, costs and working difficulties in the materials that we use. I don't think most laymen ever bother thinking about the world in quite this way.

This book is not actually meant for engineers or scientists, although most such technos would greatly benefit from reading it (if only to learn the meaning of true grasp and clarity). Its true benefit is to those curious laymen who wish to know more, but who find the usual explanations beyond them.

This book should be required reading for all undergraduates, not just aspiring scientists or engineers. In fact, it should be especially required for non-technical types.

This is an absolutely wonderful book. It is fun to read the practical examples and has unusual technical insight into how materials fail (or don't). Some very technical ideas are presented very simplely and clearly.

Far more than a textbook intro, it is a biographical narrative of the discovery of why some materials are strong, some not; how wooden airplanes were made in WWI and I, how plastics were found to be strong, or not, why fiber composites, such as fibreglass, were found to be so strong. Immensely entertaining, very educational .

This book is scintillating and titillating. Kevin really brings the audience into his world...a world of confusion, humor, and a large bee-face. Well worth the read.

Kevin Gordon's first book "Not Yet African" chronicles the author's four-month journey across the heart of Africa, from Senegal to Kenya, in 1993-1994. From the book's cover we learn that Kevin is from Winnipeg and well educated, that his skin is brown, and that he is unsure of his place in the world. We learn that he feels neither African nor American nor Black nor White nor Ivy League, and we wonder as he does 'Who is this man?' Kevin explored Africa as a shy and soft spoken young person looking into the roots of himself and of the continent that he hoped to call home, and 'Not Yet African' is a close transcription of the journal he kept there. His descriptions of Africa are excellent (seven days of waiting for a train that never comes and wondering if he'll get his passport back from the police!), and as a travel story 'Not Yet African' is a good read. But what makes this book special is the clarity and power with which Kevin describes the lifeblood of Africa and his own yearning to be part of it. Kevin lays his soul bare for us in this book, and his courageous writing alone is worth the time it takes to read it. Kevin may be neither African nor American, but in Nigeria and Cameroon and Zaire and Kenya he finds something, a place for his heart, a home for his soul, or at least one of the rivers which has given him life. 'Not Yet African' is a very personal tale about the grief of losing roots and the hope of finding them again, and I learned alot from it. I hope that others will read it and find in Kevin's words a thread common with their own, for this is how healing happens. We're all from someplace, even if we don't have a name for it yet.

I am a personal Friend of Kevin Gordon. I have taken tennis lessons with him for five years. I was interested to know that his book had been published. I immediately began reading it the day it came out. I was at the book signing at a nearby Borders the first day also. I went home and began skimming it like I always do. It was great once I began reading. He used such intricate detail to get his point across. I was astonished to read about things that wouldn't even be thought about in the United States. He explained even the smallest things that really got to me. I have begun to apply some of the things that he talked about in his book to my everyday life. I would have never known about sharing a taxi cab if I had never read this book. Can You even picture sharing a taxi cab, or taking cold bucket showers, or even a steady flow of unselfishness? I have learned through this book that there is a truth out there somewhere and we must seek it in order to become better people.It has been wonderful reading this book and I encourage others to see eye to eye with me by reading this book also.

The book "Passage To Intimacy" was wonderfully done. It is helping me in my relationship. I am developing all the skills needed to make it work. It is fun again because we have a new outlook on our points of view. We are actually starting our relationship over and building it to new lengths. I recommend this book to all that want to do it right!

The concepts in this book have dramatically transformed my relationship! I now understand what went wrong in previous relationships and what is going right now. It's helped by tracing my emotional roots, and helping me determine the assumptions I make in relationships. I would definately recommend this book.

This book is made of the things that save relationships and make them great! As a marriage and family therapist, I recommend this book regularly to clients and other therapists alike.

Easy to read and packed with practical tools for people to use right away, this book is full of the concepts and exercises Dr. Lori Gordon has been testing and refining for over 25 years!

I love this book because it focuses on strengths instead of weaknesses and is really a "how to" book instead of "pie in the sky theory." I use it to help people discover what they can do differently as well as to understand their partner's behaviors, but always to help them make something they want actually happen!

Applause for Dr. Gordon, and for her elegant simplicity, profound wisdom, and practical help!

The collection of interviews contained in this volume is a great guide to anyone interested in examining the work of Michel Foucault, whose work broke new ground through his sustained examination of the interplay between the forces of pwer and the production of knowledges. For those who have previously read works such as The History of Sexuality or Discipline and Punish, this volume is sure to have many jewels that both clarifies and compliments the ideas presented in those works.

Spanning an important period in Foucault's development the interviews included here deal with essential themes for anyone interested in the trajectory of Foucault's work and social concern, French philosophy or literary theory in general. Themes expanded upon includes discussions of the discrusive role of discourse(s) in shaping the parameters of power and the concommitant boundries of knowledge that such a relationship implies; the symbolic, metaphoric and noumenal implications of the body as both flesh and as a site for the inscription of various repessive regimes; or the nature and evolution of the influence of panoptical surveillance in all of its varied formulations.

Part and parcel to Foucault's thinking in this area is the necessary representation of the body as both a dynamic physicality and at the same time a living palimpest onto which the ideologies of culture and society are written--sometimes forcibly, but more often through self-reproduction and latent self-repession. For those who want to know these ideologies are promulgated in panaoptical society, this book will provide many provocative answers as well as an indispensible aide to untangling the complex web of ideas that Foucault used to explicate the structure of modern society.

The relationship between knowledge, truth and power are critical elements in cross-cultural sociological study. Foucault details the relationship between these elements. The relationship between these elements relates directly to global media. If media is predominately produced in one geographic region and exported to another, power in terms of the right to representation, is automatically usurped by the production of truth, by the production of culture, production nationalistic images, by the production of media. Foucault's writings on the Archaeology of Knowledge and it's relationship to geography have a direct relation to geo-political structures and their interdependency with media forms and media audiences. Institutions, such as universities, which reinforce their own forms of knowledge, are likewise either undermined or reinforced by media forms. The relationship between these social components is never neutral, according to Foucault.
"Power is employed and exercised through a net-like organization. And not only do individuals circulate between its threads; they are always in the position of simultaneously undergoing and exercising power." Power is much more abstract, by Foucault's definitions than any previous theorists described it. It is not necessarily a conscious, intentional application of force. Power can be the relationships between components of a society or the relationship between societies. This very subtly makes the analysis of power, more complex and yet more engaging.
Media continues the construction of knowledge. Universities and other such institutions begin the process and sanction it -- provide it "an expert system" by which it is validated. However, the media reinforces this validation by replicating it in mass quantity. The media can, likewise, have the opposite effect, depending on its representation. If a given BBC program highlights the academic excellence of Harvard University, but bemoans the loss of academic excellence in al Azhar, for example. Then the media is undermining the construction of knowledge and the institution of al Azhar while simultaneously reinforcing the disequilibrium of political and economic structures surrounding al Azhar. Foucault's Power/Knowledge provides the platform from which to analyze these transformations.

(Before I begin, if you're looking for Foucault's analysis of the specific intellectual v. the universal intellectual, you can find it here in Chapter 6).

Read Power/Knowledge after you have a general understanding of Foucault's themes. This compilation does an excellent job in clarifying Foucault's vocabulary, and provides a rich assortment of analyses of his critiques of law, historical methodology, culture, science, and political economy.

It's difficult to describe this book briefly. Power/Knowledge provides a series of brief exploratory peeks that probe the whole body of Foucault's work. A central theme is his attack on traditional political interpretations of history. Foucault's unique mode of historical analysis rejects the methodology that has allowed many historians and philosophers to get away with teleological or over-generalized understandings of historical periods. With Foucault, revered thinkers like Locke, Hobbes, Marx, and Freud suddenly seem immature: their grand theories of human history are shown to be totally unsatisfactory.

Another theme is the mutual presupposition of power and knowledge. All knowledges are historically contingent and culturally specific; each society has a general regime of truth that establishes the criteria for determining what is true and what is false. Seemingly neutral knowledges such as criminology, biology, psychiatry, and physics are often strongly influenced by struggles. For example, France's adoption of the metric system was brought about by the French Revolution, rather than by any neat internal developments within the study of physics.

On the other hand, however, knowledges always have concrete effects on the operations of power. In his books, "Madness and Civilization," "The Birth of the Clinic," "The Archaeology of Knowledge," "The History of Sexuality," "Discipline and Punish," and "The Order of Things," Foucault has analyzed the way the human sciences (as well as discourses on sexuality and delinquency) have produced new objects of study and control. For Foucault, the "criminal," the "population," the "soul," "madness," and "sexuality" all came into existence at the moment of their theorization. As such, that which thinkers often "create" rather than "discover" the truth.

It is important to remember, however, that Foucault is not denying that there is absolute truth. He is simply analyzing the contingency and cultural sepcificity of all truth claims, and analyzing how these truths are more than just transparent ideas. Ideas do things; they can liberate; they can enslave. They can have massive effects on the level of practice. That is why truth is dangerous (although not necessarily "bad"), and why critique such a powerful force for change.

This book's forté is 2 things: Its' explanation of the negative impact of millions of monoculture, traditional lawns - not on just the environment, but on the lifestyles and wallets of those who tend them. And then it offers sound advice (which does -NOT- start with "get rid of your existing grass") which can be easily followed by the average homeowner. The solutions proposed in this book are not radical, unattractive schemes, and most of the suggestions offered will result in a BETTER LOOKING YARD and savings of time and money. I read it from cover to cover twice. I hope to soon have my yard working for me, instead of me working for my yard.

I found a good compliment to this book in "The Lawn, A History of an American Obsession," by Virginia Scott Jenkins. If you're interested in more of the history and background of the entire lawn concept, (and some neat old pictures of advertising,) you'll love this book. It explains how agriculture, chemical companies, the garden industry, golfing, housing developments, world wars, etc... and the advent of new inventions have come together to result in an entire lifestyle revolving around 'the lawn.' The complete answer to the question, "Why do we have lawns, and what did people used to have around their property?" Read this, then read "Redesigning" to see what having all these lawns does to the world and the people in them, (and, of course, suggestions for improving things in your own little slice of the world.)

This is a wonderful resource about a very important environmental problem - the American lawn. The diagrams are especially clear and complete. It provides the history of the lawn, scientific background about the problems associated with the lawn, and also gives very practical advice about how to create a Freedom Lawn. I initially got this book (first edition) from the library, but decided this was one I wanted to have for my personal reference - especially since the second edition includes updated information.

Most Americans do not realize how much their tastes in gardening have been affected by marketing on the part of lawn care companies. Nor do they seem to realize what environmental havoc they wreak through the lawn care practices preached on TV, and promulgated every time they watch the Masters Golf tournament on TV and think they should try to emulate those greens and fairways at home. They have been seduced into an unrealistic world that wastes their time (why mow?), money (why put fertilizer down 4 times a year?) and the environment (Do they really even have the weeds or bugs in their lawn that the 'weed and feed', and 'grub killers' are prescribed for? If not, why are they paying extra for the privilege of putting down toxins they don't even need?)
This book is a scholarly approach to reviewing the problem - highly recommended if you tend to ask "WHY?" before "How much?"

Few people in the world have the imagination of Mike Gordon. While reading through his collection of daydreams and short stories one can't help but imagine just what goes on inside his head. In a time where it is difficult, if not impossible, to be original Mike Gordon has achieved just that. These motley tales take you to the outer limits of your mindscape and push you to think in ways you never thought possible.

Mike Gordon is able to capture the essence of the adjective. His wordings are the greatness of spike. Where can grammar go, from where Mike Gordon has taken us all? Its another plane. A minute piece of the past. Chilling realizations speak of its chime towards bone curdling flies. A time Lost? I truly think not. The emotional highpoints captured in the embrace between Winchester and Buggyboo brought a tear. And besides, does the "Corner" really exist. Figment. Figment is a part of life that cannot be avoided. A fig on the other hand creates love. Newtons of my youth spoke of a willing plea. A plea for literature. This literature is captured in the pleas of Mike Gordon. The many pleas thereof. Some are hard to replace, but for a book to stand alone, it must prioritize. Priorities are a necessity for a book to understand.

If you're reading this review, you're probably a fan of Phish, like me. I think the stories in this book are phabulous. They are full of witty plays-on-words and some of the most hillarious stuff I've ever read. Admittedly, they are off-the-wall, and are only for acquired tastes. The story "PS" is a letter forecasting a fence being broken. The story "Suite # 102" is about rolling around on awnings, and "The case of the Yellow Ballots" contains the word "ballotwomanbeatereater." Need I say more? It sounds silly, but You'll have to see for yourself. Check it out at your bookstore.

This is what I dream about commercial aviation book! I have detaild deskription of each aircraft, technical data (although it's not a complete as I expected but it's okay), cutaway and three-view drawing. The articles are well written and very usefull and quite up to date on the date it published.
Sadly, there's a minor but signifiant error on page 126, the article on that page was cut out half and wasn't finished. There's also some errors on the airlines section, which some photos and the caption are not correct. Despite of those mistakes, it was not reduce the value of this book.

I also have the successor of this book (ISBN 0760311250), but it was quite dissapointing. I hope that the next edition will reverted into this format again.

This is an illustrated book with substance and very informative. Full of pictures and info about the fascinating aircrafts of the world, and has also the history of the foundation of the different airlines of the world and fleet data of every country which are covered in combination with pictures and section on orders, deliveries, numbers in service makes this book a must buy for any aircraft enthusiast.

This is an incredible reference to just about every commercial aircraft in the world. With superb color photographs, cut-out drawings of the major planes, and a great amount of info on the planes this is just about the best you can get in this subject. This jam-packed commercial aircraft encyclopedia even has special sections on the anatomy of a flight, the flight deck, the cabin and accomodation, design and manufacture, engine technology, future developments, and the major airlines. The reason why I feel that this book is so fantastic is the cut-out drawings that are so incredibly detailed and that show almost every tiny feature right down to the overhead compartments. I recommend this book to any airplane enthusiast and anyone who just wants to research airplanes and see the technology and details of them.

This was what Los Angeles must've been like in the 1960's. Having grown up on the east coast, I heard about L.A. and all the stories from friends who spent time there - this is as close to those stories as it comes. The book breathes and feels and tastes the period and is wonderfully well written. It's the best I've read this year!

I read this book from cover to cover in a little over two days. I was completely and totally engrossed by it. Skene has captured all the flavor of the period and all the nuances of the people involved. This is a book with real heart and soul in it. I'm looking forward to his next one! I loved it!!

Gordon Skene has written a beautiful book, full of fascinating, true-to-life characters, wry humor and evocative descriptions of Los Angeles and San Francisco, especially the sections that take place in the 1960's. I was enthralled from beginning to end, and was left feeling hungry for more. Overall, it's a page-turner, a good fun read that I'm passing on to friends.