I expected a civil engineering perspective on one of my favorite subjects, Machu Picchu, to be at least a little dry. Machu Picchu; A Civil Engineering Marvel is anything but. The book melds technical information on a compelling topic with observations, insights and scads of breathtaking photographs. The result is a technically substantial engineering survey presented as a coffee-table book. I have read a lot of materials on Machu Picchu, yet I can't remember the last time I encountered so much new information in one place. The book explores such engineering facets of Machu Picchu as planning, hydrology, hydraulics, drainage, agriculture and construction, and demonstrates why these things are significant and interesting. Machu Picchu; A Civil Engineering Marvel breathes extra life into this basic information by providing context, analysis, archaeological perspective and even a walking guide for touring the site.

Machu Picchu; A Civil Engineering Marvel has application, understandability and appeal for such diverse individuals as anthropologists, archaeologists, travelers, scenery-lovers and historians, as well as engineers. Machu Picchu buffs like myself will certainly enjoy the book's refreshing, new angle.

A major contribution, this book is a treasure of up-to-date archaeological documentation plus analysis and interpretation of the architecture and engineering of the legendary Inca site. As scholar and frequent academic study-tour leader to Machu Picchu, I can attest to the accuracy of the authors' observations presented in a lucid text and complemented by a wealth of excellent black-and-white photographs, detailed site plans and architectural drawings. In an unusual collaborative effort, American engineer Kenneth R. Wright and Peruvian archaeologist Alfredo Valencia Zegarra join their expertise to describe with painstaking care the multiple challenges that were faced by the Inca builders including geography, site selection, engineering infrastructure, city planning, water system, drainage, agriculture, stonework, and construction methods. In addition, Gordon McEwan contributes an essential chapter on the cultural backgrounf of the Inca civilization; and Ruth M. Wright's "Walking Tour" chapter provides a concise, clear guide for exploring the main site as well as other attractions nearby. Destined to become a classic and model study for other Inca sites, this is an invaluable resource for experts in the field and general public alike.

Abandoned for centuries and overgrown by dense subtropical forest, this awesome city in the sky has been the subject of speculation and conjecture since Hiram Bingham first disclosed it in 1911. Now, for the first time, the wonders of Machu Picchus' construction and water supply are revealed in a new book by Kenneth R. Wright and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra. Anyone who has read Bingham's Lost City of the Incas, or who has visited this ancient city of the Incas or who yearns to journey there, should read this new and searching volume that delves into and solves many of the mysteries of Machu Picchu. Why was it built, how the site was selected, and what were the critical criterial criteria that were met to make the ridge top site suitable for an alternate home for the Inca Pachacuti? Machu Picchu served as a residence, a fortress and a holy place. The developement of a water supply, the construction of terraces for agriculture and the remarkable and enduring granite structures were well concealed by its unique location. Near vertical cliffs, the roaring Urubamba river all contributed to the concealment of Machu Picchu from the Spanish invaders How an ancient people, without the written word, without instruments and steel tools so capably built and prospered there for more than a century is now revealed in this landmark book that will increase both the awe and respect of the reader for the Inca people.

"Becoming (Other)Wise: Enhancing Critical Reading Perspectives" is that rare book on teaching--a work that manages to combine a discussion of pedagogy seamlessly with sensible, practical methodology that the teacher of English can take right into the classroom.

I am a student of Erick Gordon (one of the co-authors of Becoming (Other)wise) at the New York City Lab School. I just wanted to say that the curriculum of the Mockingbird Monologues, based on To Kill a Mockingbird and written by eighth graders is ingenius. The Mockingbird Monologues are a culmination of a year's worth of work which began with reading the book, Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes and then later, reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey. While reading these two books, we focused on the idea of empathy- really understanding where a character was coming from- by doing various writing exercises. We also looked at culture now, including advertising and how everything effects everyone by what it is saying and how it is written. We read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee which welcomed the grade into the official Mockingbird Monologues project. Since then, we have kept an extensive portfolio with twenty or so entries which helped us get into the voice of our randomly assigned character. The portfolio includes work which we have done in English, history, math and music classes, showing how literature can be incorporated into many aspects of life and our education. In history, we read and listened to oral histories from the South after the Civil War and then wrote oral histories in the voice of our individual character as one of our portfolio entries, to get into the voice of our character prior to writing our monologue in the voice of the character. Once everyone had a first draft of their monologue written, we all had a chance to read our piece aloud to our class to get feedback to improve upon our writing. After more individual revising, final drafts were handed in and we got to work forming thirty monologues into a play. The sequencing of our play shadows the style used by Anna Deavere Smith in the play of monologues, Fires in the Mirror, about the Crown Heights riots in August of 1991. Our monologues are in an order based upon how they fit in leading up to and following the trial of a black man for raping a white girl. Some monologues give background about Maycomb, the fictional Alabama town where the book is set, some monologues show the racial tensions in the South and other monologues face the inequalities that make life interesting. The Mockingbird Monologues showcase the techniques that we have learned throughout the year to become a character and then capture an audience as that character.

If you choose to interpret this idea into your curriculum, you will see immediate results. Your students will begin to feel empathy for characters and peers, build skills to write for a specific audience and will forever remember you as an amazing teacher.

As it happens, I was indeed alone as I read the poems in this book. A mixed bag, indeed. However, in the final analysis, there are a handful of astonishing pieces and not a true clinker in the bunch.

An inspired and insightful book! Women Writing Culture is a must read for feminist anthropologists. This book provides a wealthy historical base imperative to new up and comings in academia. The biographical pieces offer a sense of community to anthropologists and gender studies majors and the fresh, new voices offer a challenge to take feminist anthropology and gender studies to the next level. Additional to the many perks this book offers to students and others surviving in academia, it is also written in accecible language so that the general public reading for pleasure may understand and enjoy it as well. Ruth Behar and Deborah Gordan challege their readers to think outside of the popularly accepted boundaries of women's studies, feminist studies, and cultural studies. Stepping outside of this box can be uncomfortable, but I'll guess that you'll find that "uncomfortable" is where you'll rather be.

I ordered this book having at least three months to study. I must say the book reviews a lot but it does fall short in some areas. It would of been a whole lot better if they would of explained the answers to the Practice Test at the end. They did provide explanations to the practice problems but not to the Big Practice Exam they have at the end, though they did provide the answers. The positives about the book is that its exactly like the exam. You get familiar with the way the questions are asked and that was a real plus when i took the test. It was as if i knew where the questions were heading.Best one out there though.

This book is an identical copy of: Allied Health Professions Admission Test (Ahpat) : The Betz Guide (Serial)

I bought both books and am returning the more expensive one, the Betz Guide.

I found this book both interesting an surprising. Ms.Gordon lived a life filled with famous actors, globe-trotting and a true love of the theater. Although I don't agree with all of her life choices, her book is a peek at a life lived by few. Unapologetic and footed in reality, the book covers her life from young child until shortly before her death. I imagine it would be a great read for anyone who is especially interested in the theater from the first part of the 20th century. Ms. Gordon rattles off the names of many plays, actors, writers and directors, most of which I didn't know. She doesn't explain much to put them in context, so I think someone who is more familliar with that era would get a greater kick out of it.

If youonly know her from "Harold & Maude" or "Where's Pappa?" check out the long history of this lady of the stage.