this book is colorful and all, but it will be helpful if there is a sol'n manual 'cuz the sample problems are very easy and the hw are outrageously hard

One of the best, if not the best text book on fundemental structural analysis.

A beginners best bet.

I found Beer and Johnston's version of Statics very easy to follow. All problems are presented in an easy-to-understand format with multiple-color graphics. I highly recommend this over any other statics book I have tried.

What struck me is that this book analyzes natural law within a legal context: many of the contributing authors are attorneys as well as philosopher. This is particularly helpful to our nation today, as I think more citizens will have to reassess the role of the judiciary these days.

For the latter half of the 20th century, worries over "judicial acitivism" and judges' making decisions that should be made by legislatures have been the domain of conservatives, with Roe v. Wade probably being the chief example. But now liberals have said similar things about the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision. It is high time for intelligent discussion, and this book is a solid foundation for a dialogue.

By looking at natural law historically, legally, and philosophically, the authors of this book examine how natural law works and various challenges to it. This book is a very good introduction, and I have come away with a greater respect for natural law and its vital role in our nation, and also new questions to pursue (and more books to buy...).

The contributing authors are an impressive team of formidable thinkers, and while most of the writers clearly come from a religious background, the are pretty good about keeping what they say applicable to a secular society (the last two essays tend to be more theological than philosophical, and I thought that hurt their impact).

I think MacIntyre's essay on the role of the ordinary person in natural law is particularly valuable: if the American citizenry cannot execute sound moral judgment, our nation as a constitutional republic is in grave danger. Fuller's essay on Locke's struggles with natural law is an honest and challenging look at natural law's theoretical chinks. Riley's essay on tort law gave excellent lessons on liability, but with lawsuits being as common as they are nowadays, I would have hoped for more practical insights on today's situation, and possible remedies.

On the whole, this book is a good read and a good challenge. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in ethics or concerned about the present condition of the United States.

Common Truths: New Perspectives On Natural Law is a collection consisting of cogent remarks and prescient essays: Are There Moral Truths That Everyone Knows? (Ralph McInerny); Natural Law: The Legacy of Greece and Rome (J. Rufus Fears); Aquinas, Natural Law, and the Challenges of Diversity (John Jenkins); John Locke's Reflections on Natural Law and the Character of the Modern World (Timothy Fuller); Theories of Natural Law in the Culture of Advanced Modernity (Alasdair MacIntyre); What Dignity Means (Virginia Black); Natural Law and Positive Law (Robert P. George); Natural Rights and the Limited of Constitutional Law (Russell Hittinger); Natural Law and Sexual Ethics (Janet E. Smith); Contract Law and Natural Law (Edward J. Murphy); Tort Law and Natural Law (William N. Riley); Criminal Law and Natural Law (Ian A.T. McLean); and Natural Law in the Twenty-First Century (Charles E. Rice). Common Truths is scholarly, intellectually stimulating reading for anyone wanting to better understand and appreciate the permanent norms of human action and their relationships to a moral and political life.

George Orwell's Animal Farm is a superb animation of the Russian Revolutioon. The book is amusing and interesting; it includes a comic element as it synonymously demonstrates the evolution from the proletariat revolution to a totalitarian government led by the swine of the society. Orwell successfully simplified the not-so-simple theory of class stratification and Karl Marx's proposed solution of communism. Orwell's method of conveyance is incredibly inventive. He uses satire in the form of a fairy tale to share his indignation for ideological doctrines that would, if allowed, lead to the eventual destruction of a society. Each character in the story is representative of someone who was involved in the Russian Revolution. Old Major is Marx, and inspires the proletariat revolution by motivating the over-worked animals and educating them on the ways of the human beings, who represent the bourgeoisie. Orwell's creativity convinces the reader that the animals on the farm are intellectual beings, revolting against the tyranny of the humans. Animal Farm offers itself as an example of a responsible criticism of Marxism. The story gives us a peek at the Utopian vision, and then offers a long look at what results from using a Marxist approach at achieving it. I strongly reccomend this book, as it is entertaining and educational. Orwell succeeded in creating a fairy tale that evokes both sadness and laughter, while causing us to feel sympathy and even empathy for the working class animals. The book escapes complexity, but its message does not.

If you know zilch about the history of the late, unlamented USSR, skip this book, you're not going to get it. The more you know, the more you're bound to admire one of the 20th century's great satires---maybe its greatest. Capitalism, Communism, Lenin, the October Revolution, the Interventions, Stalin, Trotsky, Beria, the KGB, Hitler and the Fascist invasion---all these and more are in there. Orwell savagely attacks the Communist system as it turned out in fact in the USSR, not as it was originally envisioned. Along the way, the various foibles of human nature and fatal tendencies of ruling classes everywhere are held up to his pitiless examination. I will not give a runthrough of the story, but the idea is that animals, representing the working class, overthrow people, representing capitalists, and establish a workers' state---called Animal Farm. Overall, Orwell leads to the question: haven't we gone beyond our abilities to control technology and scientific knowledge ? Our political skills have not kept pace.

Since Orwell completed his novel in 1945, the last section of the book, about what would happen to the Soviet Union under Communist plutocrats, was necessarily speculation for him (not for us). In some ways, ANIMAL FARM turned out to be uncannily correct, but in others, passé, because we know what happened thanks to our 57 years' hindsight. Orwell did not predict the rise of the satellite states in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, nor did he see that the building of heavy industry would be co-opted by the armaments race, bankrupting Animal Farm and ultimately bringing it down without a war. But the pigs eventually did turn into humans (i.e. workers became capitalists). Because Communism has crumbled, especially in the former USSR, people may feel ANIMAL FARM is no longer relevant. That would be wrong. We can't justly distribute resources or maintain the planet's environment. Think of the billions of impoverished people, massive pollution, the unending ecological destruction and the menace of genetically engineered everything. Now, more than ever, it seems that our world is an Animal Farm. When we protest, it is made perfectly clear to us---all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. The Pigs, Dogs, and Sheep are always with us. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, read this book.

Animal Farm is an easy-to-read book,and on th surface it seems like it's about animals.Pigs and horses and moles fill the story.It definetely looks boring to a person who's older than 13 and who's looking for depth in books.But,as I said before,it just seems boring on the surface , however no reader can deny how deep the book really is.Obviously it's about the Russian Revolution and what happened afterwards,and it's a must to read about Soviet Union in order to understand the book thoroughly. Surely it's possible to see the power fight among the pigs and relate it to real world,but that's not understanding it as a whole.After you read about the Soviet Union,you'll have a different enjoyment figuring out who's who.For example Napoleon the pig is representing Stalin,and Snowball the pig is representing Trotsky.Overall,first read about "the" revolution and what happened afterwards,understand who did what,and then read this fabulous book.You'll definetely have fun and a strange smile will form on your face after you read the last line.

Written from the perspective of Owen Brown, son of John Brown there is a great deal within the pages of Cloudsplitter that can be admired. It is in many instances well written, evocative, moving and extremely powerful. The strengths of the novel are to be found in its depth of description both in terms of events and environments. For example the reader gains an excellent understanding of the hardships of existing in certain parts of 19th century America. Furthermore, the author develops the characterisation of both Owen and John Brown with a great deal of skill.

However, at 758 pages this book is far too long and at times I found that length of description replaced depth of description which for this reader was reflected in a lack of momentum and development. Consequently, I at times became frustrated at attempts to flood me with language rather than lead me with it. The second half of the book - after Owen and his brother Fred head off to Kansas ( a move which would lead them to Harper's Ferry) - picked up pace and I felt that I had more invested in the story. I do wish however that this could have happened before page 549!

I gave this book three stars because that's right in the middle of what I could have given. I suppose this is because Cloudsplitter for me hangs in the balance, one side represented by fine writing and the other by at time over indulgence. Ultimately I'm glad I read the book but for me it isn't an epic or the great American novel (as it is described on its cover). A measure for me of how much I've enjoyed a book is how many times I'll loan it out to friends and family - Cloudsplitter I regret to say will spend some time of my bookcase.

This is an impressive book in scope and execution. It's told through the tortured memories of John Brown's third son, Owen, who survived the doomed attack on Harper's Ferry.

The book pays little attention to the Harper's Ferry adventure and to the Browns' adventures in Kansas, and concentrates instead of the social and familial context of Brown's actions. There is considerably more attention paid to Owen's relationship with his father and his obsessions about sex and human relationships than to the cowboy style adventures in Kansas.

While it is written in a stately and measured tone, it does not have the feel of something written in the late 18th century, and Banks' narrator seems comfortable using words and constructions which sound quite modern. Perhhaps because of this, the book never drags in spite of its enormous length.

The central question the book seems to me to ask his the eternal one about ends justifying means. The Browns' seemed to know that the actions that they took in Kansas were morally wrong--yet they believed, and Owen believes at the time of the writing, that had John Brown and his gang not perpetrated the Pottawatomie massacre that the entire course of American history would be different. They believed that the moderate free-soil politicians would have sold out, that Kansas would be admitted to the Union as a slave state, and that Lincoln would never have been elected and the NORTH would have seceded. Of course we'll never know, but we have to ask ourselves if their actions were justified given what they believed. Definitely shows you the terrorists point of view.

Very good book on a fascinating subject.

Russell Banks, whose novels are set in the Adirondack Mountains where he lives, now takes on the life of John Brown, whose grave lies close to his residence. Telling the story through Brown's son, Owen, years after the famous invasion on Harper's Ferry, Banks gives a tale of fact mixed with fiction and speculation. Owen tells of a man devoted to the ending of slavery, and to an unyielding God, and how this affected his family. Though Browns exploits are described, Banks is not intending this to be a book of history. Like many historical fiction novels, Banks focuses on what might have been, based on letters and stories of fact. Like most of his narrators, Banks' Owen has somewhat of an ambivalence toward the events of his life. He feels guilty becouse he survived the invasion, and escaped prosecution. He tells of sexual frustration, and his inabilty to accept his father's religious convictions. In Cloudspltter, Mr. Banks has given his readers an interesting perspe! ctive on how a all encomapssing athourity figure leaves those under him unable to get a solid grasp on thier own identity.

I have always admired the business savvy Russell Simmons. However, I am a forty-something mother whose son has adopted the hip hop culture. I praise this book because it gave me a clear understanding and appreciation for hip hop, that I did not have in the beginning. The book covers his life, the music indusry and business. I really enjoyed this book and highly recomend it to parents that just don't understand. It also contains some nice photos from Russell's personal collection.

When I first started reading this book there became a point when I wanted to stop because of the writing being so horrible. Russell Simmons uses so much profanity and I know that he believes that he is being real by doing so much cursing. However, at the same time the usage of so much profanity shows a lack of creativity in the usage of the English language.

However, in the middle of book the until the end of it Mr. Simmons gave us some valuable information about how the big parent record companies really don't want to see companies like Def Jam, Uptown, and other companies that specialize in producing hip hop artists to succeed. In the same aspect Russell Simmons sheds some light on Andre Harrell firing Puff Daddy from Uptown records and how the big executives at MCA did not like Puffy or Biggie Smalls levels of success which was too great for the executives over at MCA to handle. The book is a must read for all people aspiring to enter the music game period and how recording artists are really at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to points, royalties (money) and most of all respect.

This book was really good, but Russell kept jumping back and forth in time which confused me a great deal. Nevertheless just because this book was poorly written does not take away that Russell Simmons is a genius and great role model for a lot of us to look up to for guidance. This book has given me a higher level of respect for Mr. Simmons and the hip hop world, which I was already a big fan of many artists like LL Cool J, De la Soul, NAS, Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie, Queen Latifah, Mc Lyte, Jungle Brothers, Tribe Called Quest and I could go on for hours listing artists that just move me whenever I hear them.

i found the book to be a strong read about a person who built a businessandmanaged to keep ot successful and afloat for a long time. i critisize some of his remarks regarding how hip hop violence was not instigated by the music itself. when i read that i remember being at ozzy concerts years ago and he would instigate people to go crazy. there is music that pushed people to explode and go nuts. hip hop is that type of music. like it or not, thats why i like listening to it. an impressive read in a simple format.

This book is a great way to explore physics outside of the classroom and outside of the textbook. This book allows the reader to take Einstein's Theory of Relativity and see it in a way that is vivid and allows the reader to understand the concepts behind Einstein's great theory. The author that revised the book added extra adventures that helped the context of the book. The added illustration and charts are an added bonus that help the reader gain more of an understanding.

The famous physicist and excellent popularizer of science George Gamow wrote the original version of this book "Mr Tompkins in Paperback" in 1965. Since then the understanding of the physical world from its smallest to largest entities has shown much progress. Thus the book, which was once one of the best classics in the genre of physics popularizations, needed a revision to continue its role of introducing the modern knowledge of fundamental physics to laypersons.

Russell Stannard, an able popularizer of science, courageously tackled this difficult problem of modernizing "Mr Tompkins." Four chapters out of 17 are entirely new. Old chapters describe the theory of relativity, quantum physics and atomic and nuclear physics through Mr Tompkins' adventurous dreams and a series of lectures given by "the professor" to the lay-audience. Tompkins is among the listeners of the lectures, gets acquainted with the professor's daughter Maud, and . . . Maud's look, hairstyle and dresses in illustrations and the episode of romance have also been modernized. The new chapters treat black holes, a high-energy accelerator ("atom smasher") and the results of physics gotten by it, quarks and the Standard Model, and the relation between the life of the Universe and particle physics.

Even the old chapters have been rewritten considerably. For example, Chapter 2 newly tells about an experimental evidence by neutral pion decay for the constancy of light speed, demonstration of relativistic time dilation at CERN by the change of life time of muons traveling at high speed, etc. The "twin paradox" of relativity has also been added in Chapter 2, and its further explanation is given in Chapter 3 (here is a minor but confusing error of "she" and "he" wrongly interchanged). I like this addition very much, because the "paradox" bothered me even after I had learned the theory of relativity at a university. (For a more complete explanation of the twin paradox, I recommend Max Born's "Einstein's Theory of Relativity" to readers of an inquiring mind.)

Being one of old Japanese fans of Tompkins, I feel a little sorry that the name of Hideki Yukawa has disappeared from the present version. Surely, his meson theory of nuclear forces became outdated, because constituents of nucleons and mesons, i.e., quarks and gluons, had been discovered. However, Yukawa's theory was a strong driving force for the birth of particle physics, and a good place where his name can be mentioned remains in Chapter 13 (in the original version it appeared in a later chapter, which has been omitted in the present version).

I highly recommend this book especially to young people who wish to major in physical sciences. There are a small number of simple equations of relativity and formulas of particle reactions. For those who are eager to learn about mysteries of the micro world and the universe, however, the presence of these would not be any hindrance to the enjoyment of the book but rather be an attractive feature. Some of old fans of Tompkins would also read the new version to welcome Stannard's good job.

The results of many of the theories of modern physics are often very hard to grasp since they operate on such a different scale from most people's everyday lives. This book solves that problem by tinkering with the physical constants of the universe to bring them into the realm of human experience: the theory of relativity is described through a narrative set in a universe in which the speed of light is only 30 miles per hour, the topology of space is explained using a universe which is only a few hundred yards in length, and the complex interactions of subatomic particles are narrated from the points of view of the particles themselves. While the social and emotional struggles of quarks and leptons may not give the reader nearly as much mathematical rigor as other overviews of modern physics, they are certainly much more entertaining and provide an intuitive grasp even for readers who don't understand the underlying theories discussed.

This is a great book for anyone interested in modern physics, and a terrific introduction for junior high or high school students who might have the opportunity to study physics later in life.

I wish I had read the original book instead of this one, or at least read it first. The original had a charm, in both words and illustrations, that this revised version lacks. You can view excerpts from both the original and the revised versions on this website to see what I mean. They begin to show up as soon as the first page.

This revised version changes or adds some things to reflect discoveries and technologies since the original book was written. But it also changes the caliber of the story-telling that gave the orignal charm and clarity. The reviser has written 4 new chapters, three of which become the final chapters of the new book. In thsoe chapters Stannard has almost ignored the style and objectives of Gamow's original. Gamow attempted to present complex physics ideas to the interested reader in ways that might be called "spoon feeding". There was an effort to inject analogies and examples that help the reader understand the concepts. In the newly written chapters it seems like Stannard decided he didn't have time for that, or perhaps didn't have the understanding or confidence to follow through on the original approach. The difference in approach is obvious, and not for the better.

"The New World of Mr.Tompkins" is I think, a really interesting fabulous book. George Gamow uses a character Mr.Tompkins an creates an interesting world, at the same time increasing the reader's knowledge and interest in Physics. You can clearll imagine as you are travelling with Mr. Tompkins and the book really makes Physics fun for you.

Mr.Tompkins and George Gamow transforms Physics into a fun interesting subject while really teaching you the mechanisms of Physics and going in Quite deep into the world of Physics.It will spark your imagination to look at things with different perspectives. It talks about quarks, Einstein's theory of Relativity, Speed of Light, Closed Universe,space warps, the Quantum World and lots more!!

I would definately recomend this book to everyone. From people that are really interested in Physics to the people who are a little reluctant to read anything about Physics. this is the book that will wrap you up into the world of Physics.

Hello. Looking for a handy reference on 8086 programming? Look elsewhere! While you're free to use it as you please, I fine "The 8086 Book" to be the book of last resort when I have a question not solved by other, handier books. The indepth description (including actual byte values) for each mnemonic deter using the book as a primary 8086 pgrming reference but you will surely appreciate its detail at least once. "The 8086 Book" also supplies 8086 hardware info. Caveat: Typo's & misspellings are not (as I recall) uncommon.

I liked the way the author included photos of the presidents' wives and described which popular music and books were enjoyed by people during each president's term in office. The speeches in the back by Al Gore and George W. Bush that talk about the Florida recount during the 2000 election kind of make this book a collector's item for political history buffs.

One of the best. The hand drawn illustrations are classic. They clearly show how to tie the knot, somtimes more than one way to tie the knot is shown. The Japanese and oriental knots are unusual also. Most books on knots written at that time did not include them. Well worth the wait if you can even obtain it.