| Search | About | Preferences | Interact | Help | |
| 150 million books. 1 search engine. | ||
books tagged “Non-Fiction” (non-fiction / non fiction)
books tagged “Non-Fiction”
›› Find signed collectible books by ''
-
Alexandria : City of the Western Mindby Theodore VrettosISBN 0743205693 (0-7432-0569-3)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Alexandria : City of the Western Mind'Book summary:Classicist Theodore Vrettos's Alexandria is a cultural, political, and intellectual biography of the Egyptian metropolis that he deems more influential than any other in world history. Vrettos, between short bookcase chapters on Alexandria's founding and effective demise (and the obscene and vindictive destruction of the city's enormous library), divides his history into chronologically overlapping chapters. "The Mind" is a series of brief profiles of the many scholars and scientists, renowned and obscure, who gathered in what amounted to a huge municipal salon cum laboratory, including Euclid, Aristarchus, Herophilus, Ptolemy, and Archimedes. "The Soul" catalogs the religious philosophers who lived in the city, which, born of Greek wisdom, became in Vrettos's opinion the "intellectual birthplace of Christianity." The longest section, "The Power," is a refreshingly concise retelling of the delicious and intricate saga of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, and scores of lesser political and martial personalities. For the avid reader, Alexandria is a jewel box hefty with sparkling stones. --H. O'Billovitch [via]
More editions of Alexandria : City of the Western Mind:
American First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White Houseby Carl Sferrazza AnthonyISBN 0743203038 (0-7432-0303-8)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'American First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House'More editions of American First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House:
The American Yoga Association's Beginner's Manualby Alice ChristensenISBN 0743219414 (0-7432-1941-4)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The American Yoga Association's Beginner's Manual'More editions of The American Yoga Association's Beginner's Manual:
Angela's Ashes and 'Tisby Frank McCourtISBN 0743204018 (0-7432-0401-8)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Angela's Ashes and 'Tis'More editions of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis:
-
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillmentby Martin E. P. SeligmanISBN 0743222989 (0-7432-2298-9)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment'Book summary:A national bestseller, Authentic Happiness launched the revolutionary new science of Positive Psychologyand sparked a coast-to-coast debate on the nature of real happiness.
According to esteemed psychologist and bestselling author Martin Seligman, happiness is not the result of good genes or luck. Real, lasting happiness comes from focusing on ones personal strengths rather than weaknessesand working with them to improve all aspects of ones life. Using practical exercises, brief tests, and a dynamic website program, Seligman shows readers how to identify their highest virtues and use them in ways they havent yet considered. Accessible and proven, Authentic Happiness is the most powerful work of popular psychology in years. [via]
More editions of Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment:
- Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment: ISBN 0743222970 (0-7432-2297-0)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster - Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment: ISBN 0743222989 (0-7432-2298-9)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
- Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment: ISBN 0743222970 (0-7432-2297-0)
-
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regement, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle'Snestby Stephen E. AmbroseISBN 0743216385 (0-7432-1638-5)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest'Book summary:As good a rifle company as any in the world, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, kept getting the tough assignments -- responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. In "Band of Brothers," Ambrose tells of the men in this brave unit who fought, went hungry, froze, and died, a company that took 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office. Drawing on hours of interviews with survivors as well as the soldiers' journals and letters, Stephen Ambrose recounts the stories, often in the men's own words, of these American heroes. [via]
More editions of Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regement, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle'Snest:
- Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regement, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle'Snest: ISBN 0743216458 (0-7432-1645-8)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster - Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest: ISBN 0743216385 (0-7432-1638-5)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
- Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regement, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle'Snest: ISBN 0743216458 (0-7432-1645-8)
-
Be Quick-But Don't Hurry: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetimeby John R. Wooden, Andrew HillISBN 0743213882 (0-7432-1388-2)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Be Quick-But Don't Hurry: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetime'Book summary:John Wooden was named ESPN's Coach of the Century for the way he led his UCLA basketball team to the top of the sporting world in the 1960s and '70s. Andrew Hill was a rebellious and sparingly used reserve on the squad before becoming a successful television executive. While it's doubtful that either would have predicted it at the time, the lessons imparted on the court by Wooden eventually helped Hill reach the top of his profession. And in Be Quick--but Don't Hurry, named for one of the legendary coach's ubiquitous aphorisms, the now-grateful protégé translates that sage advice into 21 "secrets" that may help others realize similar accomplishments. Like the title, the counsel can usually be boiled down into short expressions that are deceptively simple. Examples include "Focus on effort, not winning," "Balance is EVERYTHING," "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail," and "The team with the best players almost always wins." To show their relevance and power, Hill fleshes them out with solid examples from the hardwood as well as the business world. And with the track record Wooden has compiled, who are we not to take them seriously? --Howard Rothman [via]
More editions of Be Quick-But Don't Hurry: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetime:
The Big Enchilada : Campaign Adventures with the Cockeyed Optimists from Texas Who Won the Biggest Prize in Politicsby Stuart StevensISBN 0743222903 (0-7432-2290-3)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Big Enchilada : Campaign Adventures with the Cockeyed Optimists from Texas Who Won the Biggest Prize in Politics'More editions of The Big Enchilada : Campaign Adventures with the Cockeyed Optimists from Texas Who Won the Biggest Prize in Politics:
Body Bizarre, Body Beautifulby Nan McNabISBN 0743213041 (0-7432-1304-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Body Bizarre, Body Beautiful'More editions of Body Bizarre, Body Beautiful:
Breaking Windowsby David BankISBN 0743203151 (0-7432-0315-1)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Breaking Windows'More editions of Breaking Windows:
-
Bush at War : Inside the Bush White Houseby Bob WoodwardISBN 0743204735 (0-7432-0473-5)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Bush at War : Inside the Bush White House'Book summary:Award-winning author and journalist Bob Woodward turns his attention to the presidency of George W. Bush. Before the acts of terrorism on 11 September, George W. Bush's presidency had been beset by numerous problems. Not only was it in many peoples eyes invalid, very few people took him seriously as a world statesman. Then following one violent mindless act of terrorism, George W. Bush became a president that his country could rely on, one they felt they could trust to lead them through these difficult times. And the world saw a man who was decisive and resolute, a president who was seemingly determined to route out the people who had carried out the heinous acts. But one year after the attacks how has the 44th President of the United States fared? And what were the actual behind the scenes discussions that took place whilst the country was rocked by the crisis? Bob Woodward has been shadowing the President since those fateful events, he was allowed unprecedented access to closed-door meetings and briefings and this masterful book is a look at what really happened. [via]
More editions of Bush at War : Inside the Bush White House:
Call Me Crazy : A Memoirby Anne HecheISBN 074321689X (0-7432-1689-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Call Me Crazy : A Memoir'More editions of Call Me Crazy : A Memoir:
The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures of Henrietta and Her Foreign Correspondentby Christopher S. WrenISBN 0743222768 (0-7432-2276-8)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures of Henrietta and Her Foreign Correspondent'More editions of The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures of Henrietta and Her Foreign Correspondent:
Chocolate for a Mother's Heart: Inspiring Stories That Celebrate the Spirit of Motherhoodby Kay AllenbaughISBN 0743222431 (0-7432-2243-1)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Chocolate for a Mother's Heart: Inspiring Stories That Celebrate the Spirit of Motherhood'More editions of Chocolate for a Mother's Heart: Inspiring Stories That Celebrate the Spirit of Motherhood:
Chocolate for a Teen's Heart: Unforgettable Stories for Young Women About Love, Hope, and Happinessby Kay AllenbaughISBN 0743213807 (0-7432-1380-7)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Chocolate for a Teen's Heart: Unforgettable Stories for Young Women About Love, Hope, and Happiness'More editions of Chocolate for a Teen's Heart: Unforgettable Stories for Young Women About Love, Hope, and Happiness:
Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit: Inspiring Stories for Young Women About Hope, Strength, and Wisdomby Kay AllenbaughISBN 074322289X (0-7432-2289-X)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit: Inspiring Stories for Young Women About Hope, Strength, and Wisdom'More editions of Chocolate for a Teen's Spirit: Inspiring Stories for Young Women About Hope, Strength, and Wisdom:
A Company of Readersby Arthur Krystal, Jacques BarzunISBN 0743202627 (0-7432-0262-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Company of Readers'More editions of A Company of Readers:
-
Diffusion of Innovationsby Everett M. RogersISBN 0743222091 (0-7432-2209-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Diffusion of Innovations'Book summary:Now in its fifth edition, Diffusion of Innovations is a classic work on the spread of new ideas. It has sold 30,000 copies in each edition and will continue to reach a huge academic audience.
In this renowned book, Everett M. Rogers, professor and chair of the Department of Communication & Journalism at the University of New Mexico, explains how new ideas spread via communication channels over time. Such innovations are initially perceived as uncertain and even risky. To overcome this uncertainty, most people seek out others like themselves who have already adopted the new idea. Thus the diffusion process consists of a few individuals who first adopt an innovation, then spread the word among their circle of acquaintances--a process which typically takes months or years. But there are exceptions: use of the Internet in the 1990s, for example, may have spread more rapidly than any other innovation in the history of humankind. Furthermore, the Internet is changing the very nature of diffusion by decreasing the importance of physical distance between people. The fifth edition addresses the spread of the Internet, and how it has transformed the way human beings communicate and adopt new ideas. [via]
More editions of Diffusion of Innovations:
-
Does America Need a Foreign Policy?: Toward a Diplomacy for the 21st Centuryby Henry KissingerISBN 0743212274 (0-7432-1227-4)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Does America Need a Foreign Policy?: Toward a Diplomacy for the 21st Century'Book summary:Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger asks a question in the title of his book Does America Need a Foreign Policy?--but there's really no doubt about the answer. That's not to say it shouldn't be asked: "The last presidential election was the third in a row in which foreign policy was not seriously discussed by the candidates," writes Kissinger. "In the face of perhaps the most profound and widespread upheavals the world has ever seen, [the United States] has failed to develop concepts relevant to the emerging realities." Kissinger tours the world in this book, describing how the United States should relate to various regions and countries. This is not a gripping book, but it is sober, accessible, brief, and comprehensive--and an excellent introduction to international relations and diplomacy.
Kissinger has opinions on just about every topic he raises, from globalization (for it) to international courts (against them, for the most part). He supports a vigorous missile-defense system: "The United States cannot condemn its population to permanent vulnerability." He opines on peace in the Middle East: "Israel should abandon its opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state except as part of a final status agreement." His claims are often eye-opening: "There are few nations in the world with which the United States has less reason to quarrel or more compatible interests than Iran." He is especially critical of domestic politics interfering with America's international relations: "Whatever the merit of the individual legislative actions, their cumulative effect drives American foreign policy toward unilateral and seemingly bullying conduct." The media has been a special problem in this regard, as it zips around the world in search of exciting but ephemeral stories, which are "generally presented as a morality play between good and evil having a specific outcome and rarely in terms of the long-range challenges of history." Does America need a foreign policy? Of course it does, and Henry Kissinger has done readers a service by outlining what a good one might be. --John J. Miller [via]
More editions of Does America Need a Foreign Policy?: Toward a Diplomacy for the 21st Century:
-
Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy : The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eatingby Walter Willett, P. J. SkerrettISBN 0743223225 (0-7432-2322-5)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy : The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating'Book summary:Aimed at nothing less than totally restructuring the diets of Americans, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy may well accomplish its goal. Dr. Walter C. Willett gets off to a roaring start by totally dismantling one of the largest icons in health today: the USDA Food Pyramid that we all learn in elementary school. He blames many of the pyramid's recommendations--6 to 11 servings of carbohydrates, all fats used sparingly--for much of the current wave of obesity. At first this may read differently than any diet book, but Willett also makes a crucial, rarely mentioned point about this icon: "The thing to keep in mind about the USDA Pyramid is that it comes from the Department of Agriculture, the agency responsible for promoting American agriculture, not from the agencies established to monitor and protect our health." It's no wonder that dairy products and American-grown grains such as wheat and corn figure so prominently in the USDA's recommendations.
Willett's own simple pyramid has several benefits over the traditional format. His information is up-to-date, and you won't find recommendations that come from special-interest groups. His ideas are nothing radical--if we eat more vegetables and complex carbohydrates (no, potatoes are not complex), emphasize healthy fats, and enjoy small amounts of a tremendous variety of food, we will be healthier. You'll find some surprises as well, such as doubts about the overall benefits of soy (unless you're willing to eat a pound and a half of tofu a day), and that nuts, with their "good" fat content, are a terrific snack. Relying on research rather than anecdotes, this is a solidly written nutritional guide that will show you the real story behind how food is digested, from the glycemic index for carbs to the wisdom of adding a multivitamin to your diet. Willett combines research with matter-of-fact language and a no-nonsense tone that turns academic studies into easily understandable suggestions for living. --Jill Lightner [via]
More editions of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy : The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating:
Elijah's Cup : Autism and Aspergers Syndromeby Valerie ParadizISBN 074320445X (0-7432-0445-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Elijah's Cup : Autism and Aspergers Syndrome'More editions of Elijah's Cup : Autism and Aspergers Syndrome:
The End of the Beginning : From the Siege of Malta to the Allied Victory at el Alameinby Phil Craig, Tim ClaytonISBN 074322325X (0-7432-2325-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The End of the Beginning : From the Siege of Malta to the Allied Victory at el Alamein'More editions of The End of the Beginning : From the Siege of Malta to the Allied Victory at el Alamein:
-
Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clintonby David R. GergenISBN 0743203224 (0-7432-0322-4)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton'Book summary:David Gergen is probably the only person to have served at high levels in both the Reagan and Clinton White Houses--not to mention his posts in the Nixon and Ford administrations. He's a consummate Washington insider, a man who appears regularly as a centrist political commentator on PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and works as editor at large for U.S. News & World Report. Eyewitness to Power, his first book, draws upon this unique experience. It's part memoir, part political history, part portrait of White House culture, but it's mostly a meditation on what it takes to be a great political leader. Gergen focuses on the four presidents he has known best--Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton--and offers pointed assessments of each. He calls Reagan "the best leader in the White House since Franklin Roosevelt," and says Clinton "is one of the smartest men ever elected president and has done some of the dumbest things." Gergen does not hesitate to offer harsh criticism: Nixon was hateful, Ford was overwhelmed by his predecessor's scandals, Reagan was often detached, and Clinton was not in control of his appetites. Yet there's a reflective admiration for each man.
What makes this volume rise above the mountain of books on leadership (usually written for executives) is its spot-on observations about the way Washington works, drawn from years of experience: "Republicans like hierarchy and order; they're not like Democrats, as I saw later on, who thrive on chaos and creativity"; the Nixon view of Watergate "was the same as the Victorians had of adultery: the sin was not in the doing of it but in getting caught"; "In most institutions, the power of a leader grows over time. A CEO, a university president, the head of a union, acquire stature through the quality of their long-term performance. The presidency is just the opposite: power tends to evaporate quickly."
Gergen concludes by describing the seven leadership qualities a great president must have: personal integrity, a sense of mission, the ability to persuade, the ability to work with other politicians, a strong start after inauguration, skilled advisers, and the ability to inspire. Those traits, of course, will serve people well from all walks of life--and Eyewitness to Power will appeal not just to readers interested in the presidency but to anyone occupying a position of responsibility (or interested in getting there). --John J. Miller [via]
More editions of Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton:
Failure Is Not an Optionby Gene KranzISBN 0743214471 (0-7432-1447-1)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Failure Is Not an Option'More editions of Failure Is Not an Option:
Fanny Kemble: A Reluctant Celebrityby Rebecca JenkinsISBN 0743209184 (0-7432-0918-4)
Hardcover, Trafalgar Square
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Fanny Kemble: A Reluctant Celebrity'More editions of Fanny Kemble: A Reluctant Celebrity:
Food and Loathing : A Life Measured Out in Caloriesby Betsy LernerISBN 0743221834 (0-7432-2183-4)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Food and Loathing : A Life Measured Out in Calories'More editions of Food and Loathing : A Life Measured Out in Calories:
-
Fresh Milk: The Secret Life of Breastsby Fiona GilesISBN 0743211472 (0-7432-1147-2)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Fresh Milk: The Secret Life of Breasts'Book summary:While countless breastfeeding guides crowd bookshelves, not one of them speaks to women with anything approaching bestselling author Fiona Giles's level of intimacy and vitality. In Fresh Milk, through a provocative collection of stories, memories, and personal accounts, Giles uncovers the myths and truths of the lactating breast.
From the young mother grappling with the bewildering trappings of maternity wear to the woman who finds herself surprisingly aroused by new sensations, and the modern dad who learns the ins and outs of breastfeeding, the portraits in Giles's eye-opening book offer a funny, wise, and comforting resource for women -- and even their friends and partners who have had, or expect, intimate experiences with the pleasures and pain of lactation.
By turns poignant and informative, sexy and witty, empathic and empowering, Fresh Milk delivers everything we wanted to know about breastfeeding that our mothers never told us. [via]
More editions of Fresh Milk: The Secret Life of Breasts:
The Game of Life: And How to Play Itby Florence ShinnISBN 0743223470 (0-7432-2347-0)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Game of Life: And How to Play It'More editions of The Game of Life: And How to Play It:
-
Gap Creek: Library Editionby Robert MorganISBN 0743203631 (0-7432-0363-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Gap Creek: Library Edition'Book summary:Oprah Book Club® Selection, January 2000: Robert Morgan's Gap Creek opens with one wrenching death and ends with another. In between, this novel of turn-of-the-century Appalachian life works in fire, flood, swindlers, sickness, and starvation--a truly biblical assortment of plagues, all visited on the sturdy shoulders of 17-year-old Julie Harmon. "Human life don't mean a thing in this world," she concludes. And who could blame her? "People could be born and they could suffer, and they could die, and it didn't mean a thing.... The world was exactly like it had been and would always be, going on about its business." For Julie, that business is hard physical labor. Fortunately, she's fully capable of working "like a man"--splitting and hauling wood, butchering hogs, rendering lard, planting crops, and taking care of the stock. Even when Julie meets and marries handsome young Hank Richards, there's no happily-ever-after in store. Nothing comes easy in Julie Harmon's world, and their first year together is no exception.
Throughout the novel, Morgan chronicles Julie's trials in prose of great dignity and clarity, capturing the rhythms of North Carolina speech by using only the subtlest of inflections. Clearly the author has done his research too--the descriptions of physical labor practically leap off the page. (Suffice to say, you'll learn far more about hog slaughtering than you ever dreamed of knowing.) Yet he resists the temptation to make his long-suffering characters into saints. Julie simmers with resentment at being her family's workhorse, and Hank flies into a helpless rage whenever he feels that his authority is questioned. In novels like The Truest Pleasure and The Hinterlands, Morgan proved his ability to create memorable heroines. In Gap Creek, he writes with great feeling--but not a touch of sentimentality--about a life Julie aptly calls "both simple and hard." [via]
More editions of Gap Creek: Library Edition:
-
The Geography of Thoughtby Richard E. NisbettISBN 0743216466 (0-7432-1646-6)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Geography of Thought'Book summary:Everyone knows that while different cultures may think about the world differently, they use the same equipment for doing their thinking. Everyone knows that whatever the skin color, nationality, or religion, every human being uses the same tools for perception, for memory, and for reasoning. Everyone knows that a logically true statement is true in English, German, or Hindi. Everyone knows that when a Chinese and an American look at the same painting, they see the same painting.
But what if everyone is wrong?
When psychologist Richard E. Nisbett showed an animated underwater scene to his American students, they zeroed in on a big fish swimming among smaller fish. Japanese subjects, on the other hand, made observations about the background environment -- and the different "seeings" are a clue to profound underlying cognitive differences between Westerners and East Asians. For, as Professor Nisbett shows in The Geography of Thought, people actually think about -- and even see -- the world differently because of differing ecologies, social structures, philosophies, and educational systems that date back to ancient Greece and China and that have survived into the modern world. As a result, East Asian thought is "holistic" -- drawn to the perceptual field as a whole and to relations among objects and events within that field. By comparison to Western modes of reasoning, East Asian thought relies far less on categories or on formal logic; it is fundamentally dialectic, seeking a "middle way" between opposing thoughts. By contrast, Westerners focus on salient objects or people, use attributes to assign them to catergories, and apply rules of formal logic to understand their behavior.
The Geography of Thought documents Professor Nisbett's groundbreaking international research in cultural psychology, a series of comparative studies both persuasive in their rigor and startling in their conclusions, addressing questions such as:
" Why did the ancient Chinese excel at algebra and arithmetic, but not geometry, the brilliant achievement of such Greeks as Euclid?
" Why do East Asians find it so difficult to disentangle an object from its surroundings?
" Why do Western infants learn nouns more rapidly than verbs, when it is the other way around in East Asia?
" What are the implications of these cognitive differences for the future of international politics? Do they support a Fukuyamaesque "end of history" scenario or a Huntingtonian "clash of civilizations"?
From feng shui to metaphysics, from comparative linguistics to economic history, a gulf separates the children of Aristotle from the descendants of Confucius. At a moment in history when the need for cross-cultural understanding and collaboration have never been more important, The Geography of Thought offers both a map to that gulf and a blueprint for a bridge that might be able to span it. [via]
More editions of The Geography of Thought:
-
Great Presidential Wit: A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotationsby Bob DoleISBN 0743203925 (0-7432-0392-5)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Great Presidential Wit: A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotations'Book summary:Friends and foes alike recognize that Bob Dole is one of the funniest men in American politics, and Great Presidential Wit is an excellent collection of wit and wisdom drawn from public life. It reads much like Dole's previous book, Great Political Wit, even if it has a narrower focus. Dole begins by ranking every president on a humor scale, and in doing so, he makes an interesting point: "At the top of the heap ... I place Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and the two Roosevelts. By most accounts they are also among the most effective chief executives. Coincidence? I don't think so." (At the bottom of the heap is Millard Fillmore. Writes Dole: "Don't get me wrong. Fillmore's been good for many a chuckle over the years. It's just that most of the laughter has come at his expense.")
Dole frankly assesses each president for his wit: "Now comes the part sure to keep this book out of several presidential birthplace gift shops," he deadpans. Here he is on John Adams: "Often cranky and full of insults--an eighteenth century Don Rickles." On George Washington: "First in peace, first in war, but middle of the pack when it came to humor." On Richard Nixon: "Those weren't jokes that were deleted from the Watergate tapes."
The bulk of Great Presidential Wit, however, is a collection of jokes and humorous stories. Sometimes they are old-fashioned knee-slappers. When Stephen A. Douglas called Lincoln two-faced, Lincoln asked the audience, "I leave it to you. If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?" Sometimes they have a deeper meaning. "It has been my experience," said Lincoln on another occasion, "that folks who have no vices generally have very few virtues." Ronald Reagan fills up quite a few pages: "An economist is someone who sees something happen in practice and wonders if it'd work in theory," he once said. Calvin Coolidge, one of the most underrated presidents, turns out to be one of the best at combining wisdom and humor: "Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration has been minding my own business." Here's John F. Kennedy answering a reporter's question about how he became a war hero aboard PT 109: "It was absolutely involuntary. They sank my boat." Bill Clinton delivered this howler in 1995, on (humorous) ways the government can save money: "Combining the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms with both the Bureau of Fisheries and the Interstate Trucking Commission. We're going to call it the Department of Guys." Great Presidential Wit is a joy to read or browse, and highly recommended for anyone who likes politics served with a dash of humor. --John J. Miller [via]
More editions of Great Presidential Wit: A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotations:
Great Presidential Wit...I Wish I Was in the Book: A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotationsby Bob DoleISBN 0743215273 (0-7432-1527-3)
Softcover, Scribner
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Great Presidential Wit...I Wish I Was in the Book: A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotations'More editions of Great Presidential Wit...I Wish I Was in the Book: A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes and Quotations:
Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Deathby Ann RuleISBN 0743202988 (0-7432-0298-8)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death'More editions of Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death:
The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truthby Gerald L. SchroederISBN 0743203259 (0-7432-0325-9)
Softcover, Free Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth'More editions of The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth:
-
How Dogs Think : Understanding the Canine Mindby Stanley CorenISBN 0743222326 (0-7432-2232-6)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'How Dogs Think : Understanding the Canine Mind'Book summary:It's been said that dogs personify all the virtues of humans without the vices. Henry James wrote that his dog was "most reasonable and well-mannered" and Plato that "a dog has the soul of a philosopher." Over the years, dogs have taught us many things: loyalty, courage, and to turn around three times before lying down. Yet even in the face of millennia of evidence of thoughtful dogs, there has been little systematic scientific study until recently of what is actually going on in the dog's mind, and some people even question whether dogs have the capacity for that which we call mind. In this long-anticipated new book, written in the vein of his enormously popular "The Intelligence of Dogs" and "How to Speak Dog," Dr. Stanley Coren looks at both the heights of intellect and the depth of our misunderstanding of what goes on in a dog's mind.
A bestselling author, psychologist, and world-renowned expert on dog behavior and training, Dr. Coren is always at the forefront of discoveries about dogs. With his ever-entertaining, erudite style, he provides a fascinating picture of the way dogs interpret their world and their owners, how they solve problems, learn, and take in new information. Dr. Coren lets you see through a dog's eyes, hear through his ears, and even sense the world through a dog's nose, giving you the insight that you need to understand the silly, quirky, and apparently irrational behaviors that dogs demonstrate, as well as those stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity that they occasionally display. Along the way, "How Dogs Think" will answer the questions about which you have always wondered, including: Can dogs count? Do they have an appreciation of art or music?Can a dog learn how to do something by just watching another dog or even a person do it? Do dogs dream? What is the nature of dog personality? Which behaviors are prewired into your dog and which can you actually change? And, can dogs sense future earthquakes or detect cancer?
With information not widely known to lay people, this lively guide also provides practical advice and wisdom that allows owners to discover the best ways to teach dogs new things, why punishment doesn't work, how a dog can actually learn to love or to fear, and how to turn that new puppy into a "perfect," emotionally sound, inquisitive, happy, and obedient dog.
Combining solid science with numerous funny, informative anecdotes and firsthand observations -- all characterized by Dr. Coren's own searching intelligence and his (and sometimes his dogs') irrepressible sense of humor -- "How Dogs Think" shatters many common myths and misconceptions about our four-legged friends and reveals a wealth of surprises about their mental abilities and intellectual potential.
More editions of How Dogs Think : Understanding the Canine Mind:
How Dogs Think: What The World Looks Like To Them And Why They Act The Way They Doby Stanley CorenISBN 0743222334 (0-7432-2233-4)
Softcover, Free Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'How Dogs Think: What The World Looks Like To Them And Why They Act The Way They Do'More editions of How Dogs Think: What The World Looks Like To Them And Why They Act The Way They Do:
-
How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communicationby Stanley CorenISBN 074320297X (0-7432-0297-X)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication'Book summary:An invaluable language manual for people who need to communicate with dogs, How to Speak Dog is far more than a simple training guide. Author Stanley Coren discusses at length the evolution of language in many species, and focuses as much on body language as he does on verbal communication. This is a man with his own theories on language development--when disagreeing with Chomsky or Darwin, he backs up his arguments with plenty of thorough, firsthand experience.
Separate chapters devoted exclusively to interpreting the movement of tails, ears, and bodies are fascinating, and can often provide surprisingly quick insight into canine behavior. There's a tremendous difference between showing affection and showing dominance, and humans have a strong tendency to misread our dogs' behavior and reward them in exactly the right way to ensure the continuation of frustrating behavior. Coren maintains that dogs can often learn far more words than we give them credit for--certainly, we've all seen pooches go bananas at the words walk and cookie, but he also suggests we watch for learned behaviors from certain words. Perhaps office gets your spaniel waiting by the door, or baby results in your terrier checking in on your child's location--you may just think it's cute, but actually, it's a sign of your dog's linguistic ability.
Whether you own a dog or two or work in the field of animal care, this manual will be a most informative read and is sure to have a positive effect on the relationship between you and man's best friend. --Jill Lightner [via]
More editions of How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication:
Hugh Johnson's Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine 2001by Hugh JohnsonISBN 0743203992 (0-7432-0399-2)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Hugh Johnson's Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine 2001'More editions of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine 2001:
Inner Navigation : Why We Get Lost and How We Find Our Wayby Erik Jonsson, Donald A. NormanISBN 0743222067 (0-7432-2206-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Inner Navigation : Why We Get Lost and How We Find Our Way'More editions of Inner Navigation : Why We Get Lost and How We Find Our Way:
Inventing the Electronic Century: The Epic Story of the Consumer Electronics and Computer Industriesby Alfred D. Chandler, Takashi Hikino, Andrew Von NordenflychtISBN 0743215672 (0-7432-1567-2)
Hardcover, Free Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Inventing the Electronic Century: The Epic Story of the Consumer Electronics and Computer Industries'More editions of Inventing the Electronic Century: The Epic Story of the Consumer Electronics and Computer Industries:
-
Is Our Children Learning? : The Case Against George W. Bushby Paul BegalaISBN 0743214781 (0-7432-1478-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Is Our Children Learning? : The Case Against George W. Bush'Book summary:He was a poor student who somehow got into the finest schools. He was a National Guardsman who somehow missed a year of service. He was a failed businessman who somehow was made rich. He was a minority investor who somehow was made managing partner of the Texas Rangers. He was a defeated politician who somehow was made governor. You can hardly blame him for expecting to inherit the White House.
"Is Our Children Learning?" examines the public life and public record of George W. Bush and reveals him for who he is: a man who presents the thinnest, weakest, least impressive record in public life of any major party nominee this century; a man who at every critical juncture has been propelled upward by the forces of wealth, privilege, status, and special interests who use his family's name for their private gain.
A Texan, political analyst, strategist, and partisan, Paul Begala has written a devastating assessment of the Bush brand of politics. [via]
More editions of Is Our Children Learning? : The Case Against George W. Bush:
John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navyby Evan ThomasISBN 0743205839 (0-7432-0583-9)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy'More editions of John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy:
Just Lucky I Guess : A Memoir of Sortsby Carol ChanningISBN 0743216067 (0-7432-1606-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Just Lucky I Guess : A Memoir of Sorts'More editions of Just Lucky I Guess : A Memoir of Sorts:
Kokology 2: More of the Game of Self-Discoveryby Tadahiko Nagao, Isamu SaitoISBN 0743222121 (0-7432-2212-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Kokology 2: More of the Game of Self-Discovery'More editions of Kokology 2: More of the Game of Self-Discovery:
-
Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reformby Diane RavitchISBN 0743203267 (0-7432-0326-7)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform'Book summary:For the past one hundred years, Americans have argued and worried about the quality of their schools. Some charged that students were not learning enough, while others complained that the schools were not furthering social progress. In Left Back, education historian Diane Ravitch describes this ongoing battle of ideas and explains why school reform has so often disappointed. She recounts grandiose efforts to use the schools for social engineering, even while those efforts diminished the schools' ability to provide a high-quality education for all children. By illuminating the history of education in the twentieth century, Left Back points the way to reviving American schools today. [via]
More editions of Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform:
Lincoln at Home: Two Glimpses of Abraham Lincoln's Family Lifeby David Herbert DonaldISBN 0743211421 (0-7432-1142-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Lincoln at Home: Two Glimpses of Abraham Lincoln's Family Life'More editions of Lincoln at Home: Two Glimpses of Abraham Lincoln's Family Life:
Lion Of Hollywood: The Life And Legend Of Louis B. Mayerby Scott EymanISBN 0743204816 (0-7432-0481-6)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Lion Of Hollywood: The Life And Legend Of Louis B. Mayer'More editions of Lion Of Hollywood: The Life And Legend Of Louis B. Mayer:
Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life With Alzheimer'sby Thomas DebaggioISBN 0743205669 (0-7432-0566-9)
Softcover, Free Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life With Alzheimer's'More editions of Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life With Alzheimer's:
Lost White Tribes: The End of Privilege and the Last Colonials in Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Brazil, Haiti, Namibia and Guadeloupeby Riccardo Orizio, Avril BardoniISBN 0743211979 (0-7432-1197-9)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Lost White Tribes: The End of Privilege and the Last Colonials in Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Brazil, Haiti, Namibia and Guadeloupe'More editions of Lost White Tribes: The End of Privilege and the Last Colonials in Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Brazil, Haiti, Namibia and Guadeloupe:
Mind at Light Speedby David D. NolteISBN 0743205014 (0-7432-0501-4)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Mind at Light Speed'More editions of Mind at Light Speed:
The Movie Business Bookby Jason E. Squire, William Goldman, Mel Brooks, Sydney Pollack, Tom RothmanISBN 0743219376 (0-7432-1937-6)
Softcover, Fireside
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Movie Business Book'More editions of The Movie Business Book:
-
Mrs. Sharp's Traditions : Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort and Joyby Sarah Ban BreathnachISBN 074321076X (0-7432-1076-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Mrs. Sharp's Traditions : Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort and Joy'Book summary:The seeds for the ground-breaking Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach's hugely successful bestseller, were first planted in Mrs. Sharp's Traditions. In this revised, redesigned edition of her charmingly illustrated Victorian style- and sourcebook, Sarah introduces to her legions of new readers the old-fashioned pleasures of family, customs, and home. [via]
More editions of Mrs. Sharp's Traditions : Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort and Joy:
The New Culture of Desireby Melinda DavisISBN 074320459X (0-7432-0459-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The New Culture of Desire'More editions of The New Culture of Desire:
New Market Leaders : Who's Winning and How in the Battle for Customersby Fred WiersemaISBN 0743204654 (0-7432-0465-4)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'New Market Leaders : Who's Winning and How in the Battle for Customers'More editions of New Market Leaders : Who's Winning and How in the Battle for Customers:
The New Market Leaders: Who's Winning and How in the Battle for Customersby Frederik D. WiersemaISBN 0743204662 (0-7432-0466-2)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The New Market Leaders: Who's Winning and How in the Battle for Customers'More editions of The New Market Leaders: Who's Winning and How in the Battle for Customers:
The Next Great Bubble Boom: How To Profit From The Greatest Boom in History 2005-2009by Harry S. DentISBN 0743222997 (0-7432-2299-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Next Great Bubble Boom: How To Profit From The Greatest Boom in History 2005-2009'More editions of The Next Great Bubble Boom: How To Profit From The Greatest Boom in History 2005-2009:
Odysseus in Americaby Jonathan Shay, John McCain, Max ClelandISBN 0743211561 (0-7432-1156-1)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Odysseus in America'More editions of Odysseus in America:
Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecomingby Jonathan Shay, John McCain, Max ClelandISBN 074321157X (0-7432-1157-X)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming'More editions of Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming:
One No, Many Yesesby Paul KingsnorthISBN 0743220277 (0-7432-2027-7)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'One No, Many Yeses'More editions of One No, Many Yeses:
Origins of Existence : How Life Emerged in the Universeby Fred AdamsISBN 0743212622 (0-7432-1262-2)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Origins of Existence : How Life Emerged in the Universe'More editions of Origins of Existence : How Life Emerged in the Universe:
-
Paradiseby Larry McMurtryISBN 0743215664 (0-7432-1566-4)
Softcover, Touchstone Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Paradise'Book summary:The bard of the Texas plains ventures into unfamiliar territory in this slender, entertaining travelogue of the tropical islands of the South Pacific.
McMurtry, a veteran of long car trips along the back roads of the American desert, boards a cruise ship this time around, and not without some foreboding; wandering among the Marquesas with a motley complement of international "island junkies" with whom he finds little in common, this most bookish of writers finds himself running short of reading matter, forced to slow down to the tedious pace of long-distance sea travel, and not entirely content at the turn of events. McMurtry doesn't complain: instead, he passes the time remarking on the national and personal idiosyncrasies of his fellow passengers, mostly in good humor, and reflecting on closeted family skeletons, feelings of marginality and loneliness, mortality, and other matters while observing the passing scene.
A departure in many ways, Paradise finds McMurtry in a contemplative mood. "Nowhere else," he writes, "have I felt so far," and not only geographically. There's enough local color, enough dank glens, misty mountains, and sun-dazzled beaches to satisfy armchair travel buffs, but this is a quiet, thoughtful voyage that reveals that true paradise lies close to the heart. --Gregory McNamee [via]
The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Eventsby Stanley Coren, Andy BartlettISBN 0743222318 (0-7432-2231-8)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events'Book summary:Over the course of three decades, noted psychologist and renowned dog expert Stanley Coren has amassed a truly remarkable collection of stories, some of which he has shared with characteristic charm in his celebrated previous books. Now, in "The Pawprints of History," the stories themselves are the focus and readers have the undiluted pleasure of sharing in Coren's unique trove. A lighthearted romp through the ages with a special eye out for man's best friend, Coren's vignettes of dogs in the great dramas of human history are a delight.
As history's great figures strut across the stage, Coren guides us from the wings, lovingly picking out the canine cameos and giving every dog of distinction its day. He vividly depicts the dogs who have played a significant role in the lives of many historical figures, and shows how their relationships with their people have directly influenced the course of world events. In this unparalleled chronicle, we see how Florence Nightingale's chance encounter with a wounded dog changed her life by leading her to the vocation of nursing. We learn why Dr. Freud's Chow Chow attended all of his therapy sessions and how the life of the Fifth Dalai Lama was saved by a dog who shared his bed. We see the obsessive love of King Charles II, who gave his spaniels hereditary titles of nobility so that they might go with him into the House of Lords. From canines who accompanied the rulers of ancient Egypt to those belonging to the presidents of the United States, dogs have been companions as well as political symbols and instruments of public relations -- including Calvin Coolidge's collie Prudence Prim, who had a cheerful collection of fancy hats, and BillClinton's chocolate Lab, Buddy, who made timely appearances to help his master through photo ops.
Even when the four-footed witnesses are not the decisive characters, it is gratifying to know that, for instance, in the thick of the Battle of Germantown, George Washington called a cease-fire solely to return General Howe's beloved fox terrier, who had wandered out of Howe's tent and across enemy lines. When the Earl of Wilshire's springer spaniel nipped the Pope's toe, he may not have precipitated the English Reformation, but he certainly didn't help matters.
From war to art, across the spectrum of human endeavor and achievement, there often stands, not only at his side but leading the way, man's beloved "best friend."
In this definitive collection of canine greatness, bursting with tales of famous figures and their four-legged catalysts of every breed and possible disposition, from lapdogs to four-legged warriors, from sleuthing hounds to sedentary pugs, Coren convincingly documents that wherever are found the footprints of history, there too one will find the pawprints.
More editions of The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events:
-
The Perfect House: A Journey With Renaissance Master Andrea Palladioby Witold RybczynskiISBN 0743205871 (0-7432-0587-1)
Softcover, Scribner
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Perfect House: A Journey With Renaissance Master Andrea Palladio'Book summary:The bestselling author of ONE GOOD TURN pursues his most appropriate subject yet: Andrea Palladio, the Shakespeare of Renaissance architects, who gave us the word 'Palladian' but about whom little is known. A journey along the Brenta River in northeastern Italy, just a short distance from Venice, reveals the origin of the architecture of the private house, an art first practiced by Andrea Palladio. Until Palladio began designing simple, gorgeous, perfectly proportioned villas, architectural genius was reserved for temples and palaces. Palladio not only designed and built, he wrote. His 1570 architectural treatise was read and studied by great thinkers as diverse as Thomas Jeffferson and Inigo Jones, and it proved to be critical to the design of Monticello and the White House. More than just a study of one of history's seminal architectural figures, THE PERFECT HOUSE reflects Rybczynski's intimacy with and enthusiasm for his subject. He not only reveals why the villas were so architecurally and culturally influential, he also imparts his enormous affection and admiration for the man who designed them. Embracing the elements of Rybczynski's most successful books on domestic architecture, HOME and THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN THE WORLD this charming, revelatory meditation explores the dawn of domestic architecture, and provides a new way of looking at every building we inhabit or visit today. [via]
More editions of The Perfect House: A Journey With Renaissance Master Andrea Palladio:
Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iranby Elaine SciolinoISBN 0743217799 (0-7432-1779-9)
Softcover, Free Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran'More editions of Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran:
-
Piano Notes: The Hidden World of the Pianistby Charles RosenISBN 0743203828 (0-7432-0382-8)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Piano Notes: The Hidden World of the Pianist'Book summary:Charles Rosen is one of the world's most talented pianists -- and one of music's most astute commentators. Known as a performer of Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Elliott Carter, he has also written highly acclaimed criticism for sophisticated students and professionals.
In Piano Notes, he writes for a broader audience about an old friend -- the piano itself. Drawing upon a lifetime of wisdom and the accumulated lore of many great performers of the past, Rosen shows why the instrument demands such a stark combination of mental and physical prowess. Readers will gather many little-known insights -- from how pianists vary their posture, to how splicings and microphone placements can ruin recordings, to how the history of composition was dominated by the piano for two centuries. Stories of many great musicians abound. Rosen reveals Nadia Boulanger's favorite way to avoid commenting on the performances of her friends ("You know what I think," spoken with utmost earnestness), why Glenn Gould's recordings suffer from "double-strike" touches, and how even Vladimir Horowitz became enamored of splicing multiple performances into a single recording. Rosen's explanation of the piano's physical pleasures, demands, and discontents will delight and instruct anyone who has ever sat at a keyboard, as well as everyone who loves to listen to the instrument.
In the end, he strikes a contemplative note. Western music was built around the piano from the classical era until recently, and for a good part of that time the instrument was an essential acquisition for every middle-class household. Music making was part of the fabric of social life. Yet those days have ended. Fewer people learn the instrument today. The rise of recorded music has homogenized performance styles and greatly reduced the frequency of public concerts. Music will undoubtedly survive, but will the supremely physical experience of playing the piano ever be the same? [via]
More editions of Piano Notes: The Hidden World of the Pianist:
Pickled, Potted and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the Worldby Sue ShephardISBN 0743216334 (0-7432-1633-4)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Pickled, Potted and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World'More editions of Pickled, Potted and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World:
Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of '64 Who Forged an Old Girl Network and Paved the Way for Future Generationsby Judith Richards Hope, Justice Stephen Breyer, Kathleen SullivanISBN 074321482X (0-7432-1482-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of '64 Who Forged an Old Girl Network and Paved the Way for Future Generations'More editions of Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of '64 Who Forged an Old Girl Network and Paved the Way for Future Generations:
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guideby Penny Simkin, Ann Keppler, Janet WhalleyISBN 074321241X (0-7432-1241-X)
Softcover, Pocket Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide'More editions of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide:
The Pretender: How Martin Frankel Fooled the Financial World and Led the Feds on One of the Most Publicized Manhunts in Historyby Ellen Joan PollockISBN 0743204190 (0-7432-0419-0)
Softcover, Free Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Pretender: How Martin Frankel Fooled the Financial World and Led the Feds on One of the Most Publicized Manhunts in History'More editions of The Pretender: How Martin Frankel Fooled the Financial World and Led the Feds on One of the Most Publicized Manhunts in History:
- The Pretender : How Martin Frankel Fooled the Financial World and Led the Feds on One of the Most Publicized Manhunts in History: ISBN 0743204158 (0-7432-0415-8)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster - The Pretender: How Martin Frankel Fooled the Financial World and Led the Feds on One of the Most Publicized Manhunts in History: ISBN 0743204190 (0-7432-0419-0)
Softcover, Free Pr
- The Pretender : How Martin Frankel Fooled the Financial World and Led the Feds on One of the Most Publicized Manhunts in History: ISBN 0743204158 (0-7432-0415-8)
The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fateby David Maraniss, Ellen NakashimaISBN 0743210506 (0-7432-1050-6)
Softcover, Touchstone Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fate'More editions of The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fate:
The Prince of Tennessee: The Rise of Al Goreby David Maraniss, Ellen NakashimaISBN 0743204115 (0-7432-0411-5)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Prince of Tennessee: The Rise of Al Gore'More editions of The Prince of Tennessee: The Rise of Al Gore:
-
Reagan, in His Own Hand : The Writings of Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for Americaby Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson, George P. ShultzISBN 0743219384 (0-7432-1938-4)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Reagan, in His Own Hand : The Writings of Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America'Book summary:A top advisor to Ronald Reagan once remarked of his boss: "He knows so little and accomplishes so much." Reagan, In His Own Hand will show that the 40th president knew far more than some people have given him credit for. It collects Reagan's recently discovered writings from the late 1970s, when he delivered more than a thousand radio addresses. He wrote about two-thirds of these himself, in longhand on yellow legal paper. "In writing these daily essays on almost every national policy issue during the 1970s, Reagan was acting as a one-man think-tank," the editors suggest. This edition reproduces everything faithfully, right down to the spelling mistakes and crossed-out words. And it offers a compelling look at the ideas and principles that animated one of the most important Americans of the 20th century. In one address, Reagan describes his contribution to a time capsule:
I wrote of the problems we face here in 1976--The choice we face between continuing the policies of the last 40 yrs. that have led to bigger & bigger govt, less & less liberty, redistribution of earnings through confiscatory taxation or trying to get back on the original course set for us by the Founding Fathers... On the international scene two great superpowers face each other with nuclear missiles at the ready--poised to bring Armageddon to the world.
Often his rhetoric is admirably forthright, and there are frequent glimpses of his later achievements, such as the foreshadowing of his desire to build the Strategic Defense Initiative.The bulk of the book comprises these radio addresses, but a concluding section includes everything from a short story Reagan wrote as a school assignment when he was 14 (it earned him a B+) to his memorable letter in 1994 revealing his Alzheimer's disease. This book will enthral Reagan's devotees, and even his toughest critics will concede he had a way with words. No wonder they called him "The Great Communicator." --John J Miller [via]
More editions of Reagan, in His Own Hand : The Writings of Ronald Reagan That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America:
Rosemary and Bitter Oranges : Growing up in a Tuscan Kitchenby Patrizia ChenISBN 0743222237 (0-7432-2223-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Rosemary and Bitter Oranges : Growing up in a Tuscan Kitchen'More editions of Rosemary and Bitter Oranges : Growing up in a Tuscan Kitchen:
The Sea Shall Embrace Them : The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arcticby David W. ShawISBN 0743222172 (0-7432-2217-2)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Sea Shall Embrace Them : The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic'More editions of The Sea Shall Embrace Them : The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic:
Shanda : The Making and Breaking of a Self-Loathing Jewby Neal KarlenISBN 0743213823 (0-7432-1382-3)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Shanda : The Making and Breaking of a Self-Loathing Jew'More editions of Shanda : The Making and Breaking of a Self-Loathing Jew:
-
South with Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914-1917by Frank HurleyISBN 074322292X (0-7432-2292-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'South with Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914-1917'Book summary:THE DEFINITIVE AND SPELLBINDING RECORD OF SHACKLETON'S LEGENDARY ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, IMMORTALIZED ON FILM BY PIONEERING PHOTOGRAPHER FRANK HURLEY
Sir Ernest Shackleton's trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-1917 was one of the great feats of human endurance -- one vividly captured in the powerful and dramatic pictures taken by Frank Hurley, the expedition's official photographer. These images, appearing together here for the first time in print, constitute an amazing body of photojournalism created under the most adverse circumstances imaginable. As this book reveals, however, they are far more than visual reportage; they also are images of great artistry that capture the life-and-death drama that was played out against an arctic landscape of magnificent and terrible beauty.
The story told here through Frank Hurley's lens began in the summer of 1914, when Shackleton and his crew set sail from England with the intention of being the first to cross Antarctica from one coast to the other, passing through the South Pole on the way. After five months they reached the freezing Weddell Sea and were within sight of land when the Endurance became trapped in the ice pack. Nine months later, the ship was finally crushed, leaving the crew stranded on drifting ice floes at the end of the earth.
What followed is one of the most remarkable survival stories in the history of human exploration. Shackleton's men camped on the ice floes for five months before they escaped in their lifeboats and, after a harrowing five-day voyage, reached Elephant Island, a barren outcrop too remote for any hope of rescue. From there, Shackleton and five other volunteers set out for South Georgia Island andmiraculously reached their destination after traversing 850 miles of the fiercest seas on the face of the planet in an open lifeboat. There they raised help, and three months later, after three failed attempts, Shackleton made it back to Elephant Island with a rescue ship.
Incredibly, every single one of his men survived. Almost as incredible is the fact that so much of this drama was captured on film by Frank Hurley, and that so many of these pictures survived. South with Endurance is the first book to reproduce a total of nearly 500 extant photographs, including many remarkable color images that have never been published before. It is also the first to reproduce the photos to a standard and size that display Hurley's work as the art that it is. Drawn from the archives of the Royal Geographical Society in London, the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, and the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, the photographs are complemented by excerpts from Hurley's diary, a chapter about the expedition itself, a biographical essay, and commentary about Hurley's photographic techniques. [via]
More editions of South with Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914-1917:
The Story of World War IIby Donald L. Miller, Henry Steele CommagerISBN 0743211987 (0-7432-1198-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Story of World War II'More editions of The Story of World War II:
-
The Surrendered Wife: A Practical Guide for Finding Intimacy, Passion, and Peace With a Manby Laura DoyleISBN 0743204441 (0-7432-0444-1)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Surrendered Wife: A Practical Guide for Finding Intimacy, Passion, and Peace With a Man'Book summary:Self-proclaimed "feminist and former shrew" Laura Doyle sets forth a whopper of a game plan for establishing profound intimacy in one's marriage. Building on the gender stereotypes defined by bestselling author John Gray (Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus), Doyle seeks to heal the overworked, underappreciated wife who snarls at her mate's every thought or action. Her message to these smart, self-sufficient types: check the nitpicking, the unsolicited opinions, and--egads!--the finances at the marital door (although she says it's still okay to wield control at work). Many women will find such advice archaic and offensive; some will simply laugh off this credential-free anachronism when they receive the book as a bridal-shower gag gift. Still others, identifying with Doyle's profile of a controlling wife, will be curious enough to dabble in her proposed art of "surrendering."
According to Doyle, the wife who chooses to surrender must learn to take care of herself first, overcome the desire to have more power, and abandon the myth of equality. Delving into the personal tales and sisterly advice shared within each chapter's pages, surrendering wives will further note the need to master unsavory phrases like "I can't," and "Whatever you think"--tough to swallow for a generation of women who value their own opinions. While she fully acknowledges that a few bills will go unpaid and a few deadlines or freeway exits will occasionally be missed, she also insists that surrendered wives will encounter less worry and fear, more money, and better sex. Hey, "Whatever you think...." --Liane Thomas [via]
More editions of The Surrendered Wife: A Practical Guide for Finding Intimacy, Passion, and Peace With a Man:
-
Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New Worldby Sarah VowellISBN 0743205405 (0-7432-0540-5)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World'Book summary:Take the Cannoli is a moving and wickedly funny collection of personal stories stretching across the immense landscape of the American scene. Vowell tackles subjects such as identity, politics, religion, art, and history with a biting humor. She searches the streets of Hoboken for traces of the town's favorite son, Frank Sinatra. She goes under cover of heavy makeup in an investigation of goth culture, blasts cannonballs into a hillside on a father-daughter outing, and maps her family's haunted history on a road trip down the Trail of Tears. Vowell has an irresistible voice -- caustic and sympathetic, insightful and double-edged -- that has attracted a loyal following for her magazine writing and radio monologues on This American Life . [via]
More editions of Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World:
Teslaby Margaret CheneyISBN 0743215362 (0-7432-1536-2)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Tesla'More editions of Tesla:
This Ain't Brain Surgery: How to Win the Pennant Without Losing Your Mindby Larry DierkerISBN 074320400X (0-7432-0400-X)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'This Ain't Brain Surgery: How to Win the Pennant Without Losing Your Mind'More editions of This Ain't Brain Surgery: How to Win the Pennant Without Losing Your Mind:
The Thurber Letters : The Wit, Wisdom, and Surprising Life of James Thurberby Harrison Kinney, James ThurberISBN 0743223438 (0-7432-2343-8)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Thurber Letters : The Wit, Wisdom, and Surprising Life of James Thurber'More editions of The Thurber Letters : The Wit, Wisdom, and Surprising Life of James Thurber:
The Tower Menagerie: Being the Amazing True Story of the Royal Collection of Wild and Ferocious Beastsby Daniel HahnISBN 0743220811 (0-7432-2081-1)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Tower Menagerie: Being the Amazing True Story of the Royal Collection of Wild and Ferocious Beasts'More editions of The Tower Menagerie: Being the Amazing True Story of the Royal Collection of Wild and Ferocious Beasts:
Trout and Salmon of North Americaby Joseph R. Tomelleri, Robert J. Behnke, George Scott, Thomas McGuane, Donald S. ProebstelISBN 0743222202 (0-7432-2220-2)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Trout and Salmon of North America'More editions of Trout and Salmon of North America:
Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virkby Rebecca GodfreyISBN 0743210913 (0-7432-1091-3)
Hardcover, BPR Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk'More editions of Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk:
-
War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generalsby David HalberstamISBN 0743223233 (0-7432-2323-3)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals'Book summary:A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of 17 books, David Halberstam has a gift for bringing current events alive and putting them into historical perspective in an engaging way. In many respects, War in a Time of Peace serves as a sequel to his classic The Best and the Brightest in its examination of how the lessons of Vietnam have influenced American foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Beginning with the Persian Gulf War, Halberstam discusses the political shift in emphasis from foreign to domestic issues that ushered in the first Clinton administration. Despite the fact that Clinton, along with much of the country, preferred to focus on the home front, the U.S. nonetheless found itself drawn into conflicts in Haiti, Somalia, and the Balkans--events that reflected American discomfort with the use of its military forces abroad while at the same time acknowledging that much of the world is dependent upon the U.S. for both guidance and support. The book also highlights the many nonpolitical factors that have influenced these political changes, including a generational shift in national leadership, the modern media's emphasis on entertainment over foreign news, a leap in military technology, and American economic prosperity that has rendered foreign policy largely irrelevant to many citizens.
Halberstam is a master at presenting well-rounded portraits and telling anecdotes of the personalities that have created U.S. policy, casting new light on well-known figures such as Clinton, Colin Powell, and George H.W. Bush, as well as supporting players such as Anthony Lake, Richard Holbrooke, James Baker, Madeleine Albright, General Wesley Clark, Al Gore, and many other influential American leaders of the past decade. Having covered many aspects of American history and foreign policy since the early 1960s, Halberstam is uniquely qualified to report on an era in which the U.S., and the world, has changed so dramatically. --Shawn Carkonen [via]
More editions of War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals:
War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Warsby Andrew Carroll, Douglas BrinkleyISBN 0743202945 (0-7432-0294-5)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'War Letters : Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars'More editions of War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars:
Weight Watchers Pure Points: Over 300 Recipes Low in Pointsby Becky JohnsonISBN 0743206940 (0-7432-0694-0)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Weight Watchers Pure Points: Over 300 Recipes Low in Points'More editions of Weight Watchers Pure Points: Over 300 Recipes Low in Points:
Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovationby Robert I. SuttonISBN 0743212126 (0-7432-1212-6)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation'More editions of Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation:
Why Is It Always about You? : Saving Yourself from the Narcissists in Your Lifeby Sandy Hotchkiss, James F. MastersonISBN 0743214277 (0-7432-1427-7)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Why Is It Always about You? : Saving Yourself from the Narcissists in Your Life'More editions of Why Is It Always about You? : Saving Yourself from the Narcissists in Your Life:
Zolar's Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Dreams: Fully Revised and Updated for the 21st Centuryby Zolar EntertainmentISBN 0743222636 (0-7432-2263-6)
Softcover, Fireside
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Zolar's Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Dreams: Fully Revised and Updated for the 21st Century'More editions of Zolar's Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Dreams: Fully Revised and Updated for the 21st Century:
Results page: PREV 1-100 101-200 201-300 301-400 401-500 501-600 601-700 701-800 801-900 901-1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101-1200 1201-1300 1301-1400 1401-1500 1501-1600 1601-1636 NEXT
![[powered by Muze Inc.]](http://i.bookfinder.com/images/site/muze/powered_by_muze.gif){kind=small}