How can one thank an author they have never met face to face that has helped you get through a storm of life? While volunteering at Ground Zero as a Red Cross nurse, I was given this book of hope while I was mentally overloaded and feeling everyones pain in a real physical way. This book soothes the soul and if one will let it, it can start the healing process. I have brought out this small book many times as the wounds keep opening. I have found peace,and comfort.I recommend this book to be bought and given to any that are going through any kind of a personal "storm" whether it be emotional, physical, or spiritual.
As you give this gift, whisper a prayer for the miracles that will take place. Thank you Cecil Kemp for the healing words. I am writing this with tears in my eyes and cheecks as I think of my time at ground zero and being introduced with your book of healing. May you go with God.

My son and the author of this book, wrote this book to help give me comfort after my husband and Cecil, Jr.'s dad passed away. I was going through a hard time coping with the loss of my husband of 49 years. Not only did this book help me understand God has a plan for our life, but in death he helps us to understand by learning to trust in Him. We will have storms in our life, but there is hope. This book was inspirational.

Cecil Kemp, Jr. was a student of mine. After reading this book, I felt the information contained in it was invaluable. Cecil Kemp, Jr. is an excellent author, who relates well to others in coping with the trials of life.

This book makes for a great introduction of particles & fields for the layman who is inclined to take on a book which surpasses the completely qualitative & popular (non-technical/historical) books that one can easily find at your local bookstore. I should clarify that this book might be seen as somewhat more than an easy introduction by the kind of reader who enjoys reading, for example, Paul Davies, John Gribbon, Steven Hawking, and Michio Kaku's popular expositions on science (physics & cosmology). From a popular science reader's perspective it could said that this book has a technical element to it in that the mathematics are present however I believe they are at an approachable level (i.e. there are no daunting calculus derivatives, integrals or other scary looking formulas). Here, let's have the author speak for himself from the preface:

"In this book I have tried to present those basic concepts of particles and fields and of space and time, as illustrated by modern physics, very much as a professional physicist understands them. I believe that these concepts are accessible to the nonprofessional - that which I can't explain to an interested layman, I must not understand properly myself. Which is not to say the ideas are so trivial that they can be understood by physicists or layman with the "attentive mind"...
The text is nonmathematical, though on occasion simple relations are expressed in algebraic forms that should be known to anyone with a high-school education. Some more complex relations that seem to be especially interesting are presented in the extensive set of footnotes. Though few of these require mathematical sophistication beyond that taught in the first few weeks of a high-school algebra course, mathematical simplicity does not translate into conceptual simplicity, and these presentations often require careful and time-consuming thought. Once written, a book has a life of it's own independent of the author's control; however I suggest that the mathematical footnotes be samples rather than consumed. There are those who can "read" mathematics like a novel, but for most of us so compact an information transfer cannot be assimilated easily and the time required to penetrate the arguments interrupts the narrative flow excessively."

Some of the nice features of "The Great Design" include plenty of intuitive examples, illustrated figures (with some decent Feynman Diagrams), important graphs and tables. I always enjoy when an author includes famous quotes at the chapter headings as Dr. Adair does. I think that you can see into the author's mind just a little more. As promised in the authors preface I quoted above, there are a generous amount of end of chapter notes referenced throughout the main text by number. Many of these offer slightly more rigorous (and technical) mathematical elucidation of the subject or just a deeper peek at the heart of the matter. So, if you are a layman like myself, I would warn you that this book might pose a challenge but a rewarding challenge nonetheless. Based on my experience with other books I have to say that a glossary would have been nice in this book but I did without.
Finally, I thought you might like a peek at the Table of Contents:

Preface.
Contents:
1. Concepts in Physics.
2. Invariance and Conservation Laws.
3. Covariance, Scalars, Vectors, and Tensors.
4. The Discrete in Nature - The Atoms of Demokritos.
5. The Continuum in Nature - Faraday's Fields.
6. The Nature of Space and Time - The Special Theory of Relativity.
7. The Equivalence Principle and the Theory General Theory of Relativity.
8. The Electromagnetic Field - The First Unified Field Theory.
9. The Problem of Change - The Second Law of Thermodynamics.
10. Quantum Mechanics - Determinism to Probability.
11. The Atom - A Quantum Laboratory.
12. Fundamental Particles and Forces - An Introduction.
13. Symmetries and Conservation Laws - CPT.
14. The Strong Interactions.
15. The Weak Interactions.
16. Cosmology - The World's Beginning and End.
17. Gauge Invariance - The Unification of Fields.
18. To the Ultimate Theory - Through a Glass Darkly.
Index.

I've really enjoyed this humble book and benefited from its comprehensive & comprehensible exposition of particle & field physics. It served my wants & needs very well. My hat is off to the author expanding my appreciation and understanding of the subject. A fantastically well-written book which is similar yet smaller (wonderfully succinct & concise) and has less mathematics is "In Search of the Ultimate Building Blocks" by Gerard 't Hooft. If you want a more popular book (no mathematics) you might want to look at "The God Particle" by Lederman & Teresi. As a final suggestion, I am compelled to insist that "The Force of Symmetry" by Vincent Icke would complement "The Great Design" very well! I've written a review of "The Force of Symmetry" as well.

Pick up a copy of "The Great Design" quickly before it goes out of print and enjoy your pursuit of knowledge (it's a wonderful adventure)!
Ciao!
IndiAndy
p.s. remember to read the other reviews as well as the book description & editorial reviews above my review.

This is the finest overview of physics for the layman or beginning physics student I have seen yet. This is not the usual history or biography based introduction but a good low-level mathematical expository on just about every current physics concept.

Perhaps the most lucid introduction to the quantum and touches of cosmology I have yet read. You can take it to many levels and go with the author and his sometimes clever, understated manner. Provides the MOST UNDERSTANDABLE explanation of the twin paradox of any of the (32) books I've read.

A wonderful, vibrant, and energetic treatise on the Republican vision for a Better America. Packed with specificity not often seen by presidential candidates, Bob Dole and Jack Kemp lay out exactly what they would do if elected as President and Vice President, respectively. They provide their reasons for policy ideas and explain how and why they would work to unleash the full potential of the American Economy. The book is well structured, starting out by laying out the ideas of the Dole-Kemp Economic Plan and its goals. The remainder of the book is devoted to elaborating on those ideas, with it folded together into a cohesive framework in the conclusion. I closed the book feeling refreshed and optimistic for the future of America. But I was also saddened by the fact that Dole and Kemp never had the opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of their vision. I would recommend this book to conservatives and non-conservatives alike. Conservatives will be inspired by the Dole-Kemp vision for a more Prosperous America. Non-conservatives will perhaps gain insight into the heart of Republican ideals, possibly even dispelling some common myths about the GOP - e.g. lacking compassion, favoring the rich, etc.

The book has very good information about project performance measurement. It explains important and useful terms clearly, and suggests how to use them. It is written in a style that is easy to read, and does not require an advanced degree in technology to understand. The glossary in the back is particularly helpful. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to implement a new method of project performance measurement, or improve an existing one.

Although the book's title contains the word "fundamental" this book really is about applying advanced techniques when using project management fundamentals. If you have managed one or more projects in which you've employed earned value this book will provide you with valuable techniques with which to refine your PM skills.

This 119-page book is structured in a sequence that follows a typical project life cycle. Chapter 1 is a brief introduction and chapters 2 through 15 are each a short monograph on a specific area as follows: understanding the project, organizing the project, scheduling, budgeting, establishing the baseline, detailed planning, measuring performance, accounting, data collection, estimating cost at completion, change control, baseline maintenance, external reporting and graphical representation of data. Chapter 16 is an overview of the Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria (C/SCSC), from which earned value project management was derived.

Each chapter builds upon the preceding one and each contains a wealth of information that usually takes years of experience to accrue. Two of the best chapters are data collection and change control. The chapter on data collection provides some quick techniques for interpreting earned value in relation to budget and actuals. The table that depicts this is almost worth the price of the book. The chapter on change control contains a gem in the form of an example budget baseline log, which is a tool that you'll want to immediately incorporate into your next project.

Overall this is an invaluable resource for project managers and one that deserves a place on your bookshelf or desktop where you can get to it conveniently. My copy is dog-eared and worn, and one of my treasured possessions.

Obviously, this book is not fireside reading and should be seen more as a reference.

Nevertheless, as the authors argue, whatever theory of international relations you subscribe to--clash of civilizations, multipolarity, etc.--the Middle East remains square in the middle of it all and needs to be better understood by the average citizen. If Sept. 11 didn't drive that little lesson home, I don't know what will.

It was fascinating to see how the lay of the land shapes a region's history and even the attitudes of its residents. The book gives ample attention to not just topography, but climate, resources, migration, and how all these factors shape policy and the movement of armies.

Overall, this is a much needed book. There's a lot of data to plough through, but it's worth it.

Stratefic Geography and the Changing Middle East came out in 1997 so some information about the region has changed since then but the book provides a sueful introduction into the issues of the middle east such as the importance of oil and gas in the region and these issues have influenced attempts to control the region. The book also focuses on military planning and operations such as the Gulf War and Weapons of mass destruction.

Kenneth Clark gives an unpropogating look at Da Vinci. All too often Leonardo's name has been attached to support a variety of causes of this or that nature. Being, seemingly, irreligious and unphilosophic while being the quintessential Renassaince Man. His name is often used as a mascot to justify the ideals of this or that group of whatever. He was clearly an animal rights lover, possibly a closet Franciscan, in all probability a homosexual (although not much of an activist). Leonardo was into his thoughts and had little patience for something that was already complete in his mind. He left scores of unfinished works, and minons of angry patrons - contrary to Bornstin's book that Leonardo was in constant search of patrons - Clark says he had many unhappy patrons. Leonardo was an animal lover who hated violence (although he designed armaments of various sorts). His depth of religious devotion could be argued, but he was not irreverant, as some have claimed. Leonardo was rather Franciscan and had a fondness for animals and individuality. He was free and valued his own individualism. Other than Da Vinci's notebooks nothing much authentic comes down to us. Every other work of Leonardo has been severally retouched or destroyed, what there is left of Leonardo's work is highly speculative - what bit is in his hand ect. Clark gives a healthy, vibrant, nonproselytizing look at a genius - something anyone might find interesting.

Kenneth Clark's book is probably the best available introduction to Leonardo da Vinci. It is both a good biography and an insightful analysis of Leonardo's art and artistic career. The text is appropriate for both laymen and students of art history. Clark's writing is concise and extremely engaging (to the point where I would recommend reading this book for fun), but it is also intelligent and very informative, with a clear thesis that ties the vast body of matieral covered together into an easily comprehensible package. This book is slightly out of date now, but Martin Kemp's introduction and revision help to ammend for that. I particularly recommend this most recent edition as it is well-illustrated.

This is the best book available in English on Leonardo da Vinci. True, the book was first published several decades ago, but the art historian Martin Kemp has added footnotes that bring the text up to date. Kenneth Clark made a tremendous contribution to the study of Leonardo da Vinci with this book - Science and Technology Museum notwithstanding!!!!

While this book is considered a classic and is cited in many articles about the game, The Physics of Baseball is pretty dry. Granted, I am not a physicist, but an avid baseball fan. After reading numerous news articles and hearing about the book on baseball shows, I picked up a copy of this book. While I found things like the physics of a curveball or physics of a corked bat interesting, a lot of the discussion was over my head, which granted may say more about me than the distinguished author.

However, the problem with this book is that once it loses a reader, it is hard to get back on track. This book almost seems more of a reference book than a book to be read cover-to-cover. Surely, it is a novel, incredible contribution to an area that has been neglected, but I am happy (for now) to remain a fan and let the physics take care of themselves.

I thought this book was good for the most part. It gives great discussions on topics like bat types and different pitches (curve, fastball, etc). It dispells myths about corked bats (they don't really help) and rising fastballs (they don't rise).

Most results of his studies are presented in tabular format, so it will be easy to get the basics of the book even if you don't understand all of the physics. Personally, I had trouble understanding the sections about curve balls. I think this is more of a personal hang-up. Even though I have an engineering degree, I have never quite grasped the physics of spinning objects.. Otherwise, I thought this was a good book. Just not quite great to earn a 5 Star..

Before my wife and I married, she had to pass the "basketball" test by sitting through a University of Illinois game in a crowded bar and at least feigning interest. The first nights of our honeymoon were taken up with the World Series (luckily for her, the winning team swept the series). I thus consider myself a sports fan (I am obviously a reader). Accordingly, I was delighted to receive for a recent birthday Robert K. Adair's The Physics of Baseball. The book itself, however, did not quite meet expectations. I encountered two key problems. First, Adair writes in the dry, passive-voice-laden prose of the scientist lacking a good editor. Second, much of the scientific analysis was simply beyond me. What I enjoyed -- and found useful -- were the qualitative discriptions of the game: how and why curveballs curve; how far a batted ball can be hit; the differences between metal and wood bats. While I could not follow each step of his scientific description, the general, non-technical account which he also gave was clear and persuasive. From henceforth, I will watch the game somewhat differently.

This fascinating collection touches on every aspect of the private life of Frye and his first wife. Frye and Kemp slowly become visibly as intriguing and discerning individuals, and the letters show with remarkable clairty the development of much of Frye's work. While incredibly useful to scholars tracing this development, the book is accessible to the public and reveals in a form much more intimate than biography details about Frye that inform and captvate the reader.