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Book reviews for "Jordan,_William" sorted by average review score:

Divorce Among the Gulls: An Uncommon Look at Human Nature
Published in Hardcover by North Point Press (1991)
Author: William Jordan
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An Amazing Book!
I loved it! The Divorce of Gulls was introduced to me by a coworker for the info on the Medfly that she found interesting! And I read that small portion to pacify her and I had to read the rest! Such wonderful insights on human behavior! Mr. Jordan has a wonderful sense of humor! I love the way he reflects on life. It's not a subject that I normally read about: bats, rats, roaches, science experimentation - oh my!

It was a great book and I am going to recommend it to anyone (and already have =>) who will listen!

human nature
Well written. An authority on the topic: BA in vertebrate zoology and Ph.D. in entomology. Wrote for Los Angeles Times Magazine, Smithsonian, Science 80, and Wigwag. "Gulls" make up only one chapter of the book, which is not strictly about "animals" but about finding origins in human behavior:

"The idea that there is some common cause in the workings of the human and animal mind is often ridiculed and dismissed as anthropomorphism. But, asks William Jordan, what if the intellectual establishment has it backwards? What if, instead of attributing human motives to animals, we paid more attention to the animal motives in humans?" (excerpt from back cover)

There is a fine line between the anthropomorphic and the significance of studying our common inheritance with the rest of the animal kingdom. Jordan succeeds.

He balances the book well, with apt comparisons between the Homo Sapiens and the rest of the animal kingdom, providing insight into my existence and not attempting to foist human attributes back onto the animal world. He has fun with his topic and is playful with the reader, all however without sacrificing the discipline and the clarity which the reader expects from an animal behaviorist. This is one of those rare books which both informs and entertains ... and this mostly because his prose has a velocity which most authors of science cannot seem to maintain.

A charming, disarming view of man and similar species.
William Jordan's book is a gentle reminder that we share this earth with other creatures that may not be so far from the tree of our own personal roots. He nudges and cajols us into considering our own animal behaviour by his extraordinary observations of other species and their all too familiar human manifestations. From ants and seagulls to cockroaches and coyotes, Mr. Jordan takes you on a journey that insures you never see other species the same way again.


Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (2001)
Authors: Matthew Jordan Smith, Vanessa Williams, and Dionne Bennett
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Great Work!!!
Sepia Dreams is definitely a MUST HAVE for one that has a great appreciation for art/photography. The affirmations are inspiring. The book is a great gift to give to loved ones.

A book that belongs on every coffee table!
Beautiful. Intelligent. Inspirational. Sepia Dreams is a work of art and aspiration! With so many stories of the people we love the most, you can't put it down. A great gift, and a must-have addition to your home library!
--LLOYD BOSTON, author of MEN OF COLOR

The Perfect Gift!
From the moment I first opened this book, I haven't been able to stop talking about it to my co-workers, friends, and family. Never before have I been so proud to own a book . At a time when we could all use something upbeat and positive, this book is inspirational, motivational, and uplifting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!


American National Security
Published in Paperback by Johns Hopkins Univ Pr (1998)
Authors: Amos A. Jordan, William J. Taylor, Michael J. Mazarr, and Sam Nunn
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The Fundamentals of Foreign Policy & Strategy
This book serves its purpose well. It clearly walks the reader through elements of national security, the actors, processes, and how Americans have traditionally approached it. With a unique perspective on the military element of power, the book also covers regional security issues and early twenty first century topics. As a senior level undergraduate text or as a basis to launch into discussion in graduate level seminars, American National Security conveys the fundamentals of U.S. security policy in a clear, articulate manner.

Jordan and Taylor both taught in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point in the early 1970's. Mazaar joined them for the 5th edition after directing the Millennium Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The book was designed to convey the basics of policy and process in American national security. The fifth edition is currently in use at the Army's Command & General Staff College for officers at the rank of major enrolled in strategic studies. It serves well as a foundation to discuss national security strategy and policy.

The book has two weaknesses. It is due for a revision given the dynamic nature of the post Cold War environment, especially since 9/11. It also lacks the standard amount of pictures, graphs and charts that normally accompany today's college texts. The book contains all black and white text with limited charts, maps and cartoons. Although this has not been a problem at the master's level, it could be perceived as a drawback to generating undergraduate interest in the subject matter.

Notwithstanding the above criticism, Taylor, Jordan and Mazaar have created a text that lays out the basics of national security policy, actors and institutions. Highly recommended.


Black Newspapers and America's War for Democracy, 1914-1920
Published in Hardcover by Univ of North Carolina Pr (2001)
Author: William G. Jordan
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smart and important
Dr. Jordan examines an important source of American cultural history with his study of Black newspapers during WWI. Its well researched, well written and well worth reading.


Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations (Oxford Applied Mathematics and Computing Science Series)
Published in Hardcover by Clarendon Pr (1997)
Authors: Dominic William Jordan, P. Smith, and A. Smith
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Approachable introduction to nonlinear ODE's
Certainly worth the price. Very approachable. I haven't reviewed many similar books -- this text is good enough that I haven't felt the need.

Covers: solution, characterization, and stability analysis, including bifurcation and chaos.

The new 3rd edition is much better and significantly longer than the earlier editions.


Spanish Still Life from Velazquez to Goya
Published in Hardcover by National Gallery Publications (1995)
Author: William B. Jordan
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this is the point of still life
Spanish Still Life is the catalogue that accompanied a National Gallery, London, exhibition of 1995. To be honest, I've mostly skipped the text in favor of dropping my jaw (check out Juan Sanchez Cotan) in response to the images, which prove how important and radical a genre still life was from 1600 through Goya (1746-1828). There is plenty here to fuel the fires of romantics, painters, photographers, logicians, dreamers, minimalists, environmentalists, animal activists, and those enamored with the domestic sphere. Still life, in this age, was not humble. It was intimate, political, religious, intellectual and incredibly visceral. I missed the show, but I have the book. Small comfort, perhaps, yet I would rescue this book from a burning house.


The Sunflower Forest: Ecological Restoration and the New Communion with Nature
Published in Hardcover by University of California Press (2003)
Author: III William R. Jordan
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The Sunflower Forest
Ecological restoration has often been viewed as either a fringe hobby -- a few aficionados re-creating a patch of prairie on weekends -- or as a distraction from the vital and politically charged work of preserving more or less undisturbed landscapes. But William R. Jordan III argues that it's vital to the preservation of the Earth's ecosystems, and to ourselves. Jordan, founder of the journal Ecological Restoration, writes that restoration is "a way of achieving an ecologically close relationship with the rest of nature," as well as "a context for confronting the most troubling aspects of our relationship with our fellow creatures." The Sunflower Forest is an important book about a practice that is, in coming years, bound to become one of the most important ways we deal with our surroundings. Thanks to Jordan's wide-ranging intellect and compelling writing, it's also a great pleasure to read.


Yesterday in the Texas Hill Country
Published in Paperback by Texas A&M University Press (1979)
Authors: Gilbert J. Jordan and Keith William Nolan
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A sparkling look at a way of life past
This book is a treasure trove of details of a past time when the hill country moved to very different rhythms than it does today. Jordan wrote this book at the insistence of his son, who is a cultural geographer interested in regional lifeways. If you've ever had a twinge of nostalgia for the hill country's past you should read this book. At the risk of sounding my own horn, if you like this book or are interested in the past of the hill country and how it is valued today, take a look at my book, "Places in the World a Person Could Walk" for more reading. I'm an anthropologist whose family is from the hill country, and my study adds to the conversation about the meaning of the hill country's past that Jordan began.


How to Be Like Mike: Life Lessons from Basketball's Best
Published in Hardcover by Health Communications (2001)
Authors: Pat Williams and Michael Weinreb
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Good blend of statistics and Jordan's life.
Pat Williams really blends everything from Jordan's life, his life and quotes from alomst every sports legend and even quotes from people who are not a sportsmen. This book really projects the success of Jordan's life as a whole, from the values instilled in him and his own character. It also stresses the most, Jordan's mental strength and capacity [which I admire the most], his ability to withstand immense amounts of mental pressure, soaking up the challenge and relishing every form of competition on and off the court. The quotes inside are really good and applicable and they also explain what made Jordan and other atheletes who are considered legends in their own field of work. It combines the whole of Jordan's life, mostly off court, with snippets of Jordan's life on court, how he felt during the time he had to take a game-winning shot or before a crucial match. Pat Williams really stretched himself in getting all the information compiled into this book. All the values in the book really will push you to work harder and as long as you will be willing to live by these values. For those hard-core basketball fans out there, it is the greatest book written as far as I have read, (I have read alot of books, probably more than a 40 year old person has) in terms of values and things you could do to help yourself improve on and off the court. In terms of statistics of Jordan, how many points he had a game, rebounds, stuff like that, you won't get it here but it has great, applicable values which are more than useful. As I close, I would like to end off with what Jordan said, " The tougher you are on yourself, the easier life will be on you."

The Most Awsome Book Ever
"How To Be Like Mike" is the best book I've ever read it offers so much insight on the life of Micheal Jordan.I always knew alot about M.J. but now I know a lot more.The best parts are the little stories about games and conversasions he had with coaches,players,and other people "How To Be Like Mike" is a classic for anyone striving for sucess.

Inspiring book for just about anybody
You don't have to be a basketball fan to love HOW TO BE LIKE
MIKE: LIFE LESSONS ABOUT BASKETBALL'S BEST by Pat
Williams with Michael Weinreb . . . it is an inspiring book, relevant
to just about anybody . . . parents as well as their children will
enjoy it; so will employers and their employees.

Williams, one of the country's top motivational speakers and senior
vice president of the Orlando Magic, conducted over 1,500 interviews
with those who know Michael Jordan best . . . he then boiled down
what they said into the habits that are needed to succeed . . . these
include such things as focus, passion, perseverance, teamwork,
and leadership.

I particularly liked the many examples taken from the lives of
Jordan, the author and many other unique people . . . in addition,
there were thought-provoking quotes sprinkled throughout the
book.

There were so many memorable passages that it is difficult
to choose just a few to highlight here . . . but among them
were the following:
[on how Williams is perceived]
I am known to those around me as a rather enthusiastic
person--a notion that most probably consider a vast understatement.
Throughout the course of my career in the front office in both
minor-league baseball and the NBA, my energy has led me to some
rather odd precipes. Wrestling bears, for instance. Or overseeing
the most disappointing trained pig act in the history of Philadelphia's
sports. Or donning a sweaty mascot's suit. All for the sake of
entertainment.

Some might call me crazy. I call it a surplus of joy. And I just
happen to believe you should have enough of a surplus to fill a
Wall-Mart.

It's something I learned from my mentor, a one-legged baseball
executive named Bill Veeck, who earned a measure of fame for
having the courage and ingenuity to let a midget bat during a
major-league baseball game. Veeck was the sort of man who
slept two hours a night, whose head exploded with ideas. He
was flush with energy. He relished interaction, and he savored
the small pleasures of his life in baseball. And of his life outside
of baseball. When Bill died in 1986, sports columnist Thomas
Boswell wrote: "Cause of death--life."

[on attaining success]
A magazine called NATION'S BUSINESS once surveyed its
readers, attempting to extract the top ten businesspeople
America had poured forth in its first two hundred years. The list
included the names you'd expect: Edison, Henry Ford, Alexander

Graham Bell. But what's interesting is that while each of the ten
choices were involved in highly competitive businesses--often
cited as a cause of health problems--they lived ripely to an
average age of eighty-seven.

Another survey polled 241 executives on the traits that most helped
workers to become a success. More than 80 percent listed
"enthusiasm." Second, at 63 percent, was a "can-do attitude."

[Jordan in discussion with Bobby Knight at the Olympics]
The uSA led Spain by twenty-seven points at half-time, and
Knight leaned over to Jordan and shouted at him, as a ploy
to avoid a second-half slump. "When are you going to set
some screens?"

Jordan smiled, "Coach," he said, "didn't I read some place you
said I was the quickest player you ever coached?"

"Yeah," Knight said. "What's that got to do with it?"

"Coach, I set those screens faster than you could see them."


Complete Pasta Cookbook (Williams-Sonoma Pasta Collection)
Published in Hardcover by Time Life (1999)
Authors: Michele Anna Jordan, Kristine Kidd, Joanne Weir, Chuck Williams, and Joyce Oudkerk Pool
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Pasta Perfection
For those who adore pasta, this book is a bonus. For those new to the pleasure, this book will hasten the love affair. Straight forward text presentation, plus informative images, insure a number of memorable dining experiences.

Williams Sonoma complete Pasta cookbook
I was so pleased when I received this cookbook. For the price it's just a great book. I have a cookbook collection and this is one of my all-time favorites. It is full of delicious , easy recepies and the photos are just beautiful. I would highly reccomend this to anyone looking for a pasta book. You wont be dissapointed.

Easy directions, large pasta selections
I tend to associate Williams-Sonoma with snobbery, and was tentative about this book. However, the recipes are darn good and easy, nothing fru-fru. Making homemade is truly a snap, and now our family loves to make and eat it all the time. This book shows how to make all pasta shapes as well as pasta sauces, with every day ingredients.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves pasta!


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