Social Sciences Books - Page 17

Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World

Sharon Waxman

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Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> History & Criticism -> Criticism
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Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> History & Criticism -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A journey across four continents to the heart of the conflict over who should own the great works of ancient art

Why are the Elgin Marbles in London and not on the Acropolis? Why do there seem to be as many mummies in France as there are in Egypt? Why are so many Etruscan masterworks in America? For the past two centuries, the West has been plundering the treasures of the ancient world to fill its great museums, but in recent years, the countries where ancient civilizations originated have begun to push back, taking museums to court, prosecuting curators, and threatening to force the return of these priceless objects.

Where do these treasures rightly belong? Sharon Waxman, a former culture reporter for The New York Times and a longtime foreign correspondent, brings us inside this high-stakes conflict, examining the implications for the preservation of the objects themselves and for how we understand our shared cultural heritage. Her journey takes readers from the great cities of Europe and America to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, as these countries face down the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She also introduces a cast of determined and implacable characters whose battles may strip these museums of some of their most cherished treasures.

For readers who are fascinated by antiquity, who love to frequent museums, and who believe in the value of cultural exchange, Loot opens a new window on an enduring conflict.

The Numerati

Baker, Stephen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

They Have Your Number 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It may be that you have a "shopper's card" at your local grocery; you hand it to the teller as you check out, and the computer registers, besides what the total is and how the store's inventory will need to be restocked, just what the purchases were for you as a specific individual shopper. Maybe it will mail you some coupons on items it can tell you will be interested in, based on what you have already bought. Not too interesting, not too challenging for the computer, not too intrusive. But what will happen when you get a smart cart at the store? That's one that will welcome your insertion of your shopper's card, and then tell you what your shopping list usually looks like so you don't forget anything, where today's bargains are (in other words, what the store manager is trying to offload), and the fastest route through the aisles so you can get everything you need. If this sounds like it could be a useful tool for you, and also sounds a little creepy because of all the information the store (and the cart) knows about you, it's just the beginning. You may well want to see what else those who are mining your personal information are up to by reading _The Numerati_ (Houghton Mifflin) by Stephen Baker. Baker is a business journalist who wants to let us know about a new reach of mathematics into our lives. There are no equations here, just stories of the mathematicians and computer geeks that use them to find and exploit patterns of our day-to-day existence. Baker has cast some light onto many facets of an arcane realm of number crunchers, and has written a book that is entertaining and often disconcerting.

You can decide that you do not want to have a shopper's card. You can also decide that you do not want a cell phone, you never want to purchase anything on a credit card, or you do not wish to use an internet search engine. If you do volunteer for such activities, the Numerati have you. You cannot help but leave a digital trail. Most of Baker's chapters involve his looking into a particular realm of number crunching, interviewing the geeks and mathematicians who are involved, describing what has been done so far, and explaining the prospects for the not-too-distant future. Perhaps the brightest prospects for data mining are medical. Patients will do nothing extra to deliver information; it will just be monitored passively. Imagine a bed equipped with sensors that would tell how many hours we are actually spending in it, or how much tossing or turning we do, or how many times we get up for a bathroom break and how much fluid is lost on each such trip. Maybe there will be magic carpet on the floor of an elderly patient's house; it could register weight gain, or a new peculiarity in gait, or a fall, or even if the patient has stopped moving around the house during the day.

Privacy concerns are valid; it remains to be seen how much each of us will have to re-think what privacy actually means. There could also be moral questions involved; if you could make a mathematical model of a pedophile, and your church or school screens job applicants using such a model, and the screen says a candidate is an 85% fit, what is the right thing to do (and, an entirely separate question, what will be the thing to do to minimize legal liability)? And that percentage fit - it's going to be what any Numerati have to put up with, because any prediction or pattern can only indicate not reality, not truth, but mere probability. Several of the boffins interviewed here say that as complicated as are the mathematical algorithms to turn people into data, the math is the easy part; it's the humans that are hard to figure out. It is surprising, too, how simple tasks are actually monumental; terrorist watch lists of mere names present a nightmare, as any non-terrorist traveler who has a similar name will tell you. Internationalizing such data is a horrendous task; the Chinese alone, for instance, spell Osama Bin Laden eleven different ways. Baker's brightly-written and enthusiastic book presents pleasing pictures of how our numbers will come up in the future, and emphasizes those without neglecting to mention the darker issues of data misuse. He even did his own little experiment that verified something information techs have known since the most primitive of electronic computers. He and his wife filled out questionnaires at a dating site, and were dismayed that the computer did not point them in each other's direction as potential matches. It turns out that Baker had mistakenly excluded women of his wife's age. The verification: garbage in, garbage out.

Editorial Review:

Every day, we produce loads of data about ourselves just by living in the modern world. Now, a group of mathematicians is sifting through this data to profile us and manipulate our behavior without our even realizing it.

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths

Ingri D'Aulaire, Edgar Parin D'Aulaires

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 145 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A great look into ancient Greece. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

If and easy-to-read introduction into Greek Mythology is what you are seeking, then there is no need to look any longer. All the stories from Gaia and her children the Titans to the legendary gods atop Mt. Olympus and their children are explained in rich detail with fully colored illustrations, that alone are worthy of 5-stars. But the adventure doesn't stop there, all the minor and major events that are attributed to Greek Lore are presented in the same painstaking detail. This definitely a must for all lovers of Greek legend and even for those with minor interests.

Editor of the highly recommended Greek novel: Fates by Georgiou Tino.

Beautiful! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I got this book a long time ago when I was little, and even though some of the content was no doubt too old for me at the time, I still loved it and never grew tired of reading the book.

I use this as my guide to greek mythology still - the pictures are gorgeous, and the stories well done.

I'd recommend this for any Greek mythology lover.

Editorial Review:

The internationally renowned D'Aulaires offer a masterpiece for the entire family in this perfect retelling of Greek myths for children of all ages. 2 cassettes.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 407 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Their Eyes Were Watching God, an American classic, is a luminous and haunting novel about Janie Crawford, a Southern black woman in the 1930s whose journey from a free-spirited girl to a woman of independence and substance has inspired writers and readers for close to seventy years.

This poetic, graceful love story, rooted in black folk traditions and steeped in mythic realism, celebrates, boldly and brilliantly, African-American culture and heritage. And in a powerful, mesmerizing narrative, it pays quiet tribute to a black woman, who, though constricted by the times, still demanded to be heard.

Originally published in 1937, Their Eyes Were Watching God met significant commercial but divided critical acclaim. Somewhat forgotten after her death, Zora Neale Hurston was rediscovered by a number of black authors in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and reintroduced to a greater readership by Alice Walker in her 1972 essay "In Search of Zora Neale Hurston," written for Ms. magazine. Long out of print, the book was reissued after a petition was circulated at the Modern Language Association Convention in 1975, and nearly three decades later Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered a seminal novel of American fiction.

With a new foreword by the celebrated novelist Edwidge Danticat -- author of Eyes, Breath, Memory; The Farming of Bones; and Krik?Krak! -- this edition of Their Eyes Were Watching God commemorates the singular, inimitable voice in America's literary canon and highlights its unusual publication history.

Robert's Rules of Order: Newly Revised (10th Edition)

Henry M. Robert, William J. Evans, Daniel H. Honemann, Thomas J. Balch, Sarah Corbin Robert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Roberts Rules Okay 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Its good, but a little confusing for a newbie to parlimartry procedure. There seem to be a couple of references to tables that I've not located yet.

Editorial Review:

Originally published as a slim document in 1896, General Henry M. Robert's classic guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings has sold close to five million copies in nine editions. The only book containing the completely developed Robert's Rules of Order subject matter, this latest edition will continue the book's reputation as the gold standard of meeting procedure for parliamentarians and novice club presidents and members alike. Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the past decade's technological advances and usage, this tenth edition contains new information on how to conduct meetings over the Internet, on phone and video conference calls, and with members in absentia. The best book from which to learn all about running and taking an effective part in meetings, General Robert's gift of order is as indispensable now as it was a century ago.

The Wisdom of Crowds

James Surowiecki

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Total reviews: 161 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Hilarious! 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Hee, hee, hee! This title and this book sure look funny right now (September 22nd, 2008). Do we follow the wisdom of the crowds on Wall Street (which, if left to its own devises will continue to drive financial titans into bankrupcy), or the machinations of the dubious experts (Paulson & Bernanke), who will put us on the hook for hundreds of billions for years to come?

Maybe it's time to dust off that 19th Century classic "The Madness of Crowds" instead of reading this smug balderdash.

Editorial Review:

In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant–better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.

With boundless erudition and in delightfully clear prose, Surowiecki ranges across fields as diverse as popular culture, psychology, ant biology, behavioral economics, artificial intelligence, military history, and politics to show how this simple idea offers important lessons for how we live our lives, select our leaders, run our companies, and think about our world.

The Communist Manifesto

Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 254 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good in theory 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 32 people found this review helpful.

Kinda a pointless book now that communism has been proven ineffective. I guess if you still want to live in this type of society you can move to Russa, China, Cuba etc. Lucky for them they have the US to give them foreign aid. Communism would be dead within a few decades without a capitolistic nation to support it.

Editorial Review:

Originally published on the eve of the 1848 European revolutions, The Communist Manifesto is a condensed and incisive account of the worldview Marx and Engels developed during their hectic intellectual and political collaboration. Formulating the principles of dialectical materialism, they believed that labor creates wealth, hence capitalism is exploitive and antithetical to freedom.

This new edition includes an extensive introduction by Gareth Stedman Jones, Britain's leading expert on Marx and Marxism, providing a complete course for students of The Communist Manifesto, and demonstrating not only the historical importance of the text, but also its place in the world today.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex, Third Edition

Sari Locker

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Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great guide 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have seen other books on this topic and found this one to contain better information. There is information in here that is good for beginners and those who have been going at it for years. I also recommend Sex and the Perfect Lover: Tao, Tantra, and the Kama Sutra

Editorial Review:

Most people know that there’s more to sex than the missionary position. But to make sex really hot, some people need a little guidance. That’s where acclaimed sex educator—and WCBS-TV relationship correspondent—Sari Locker steps in. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amazing Sex, Third Edition, has fresh advice on how readers can make smart sexual choices, cast aside inhibitions, and keep their sex life exciting well into their golden years. Readers get new and updated chapters on:

• Current sexual trends and attitudes
• Sex within marriage and long-term relationships
• Body image, obesity, and plastic surgery and their effect on sexuality
• Exciting techniques for reaching multiple orgasms for men and women
• Tips on specific sexual activities, including playful ideas on locations and toys
• Plus an 8-page full-color photographic insert of Sari’s eight original sexual positions

The Power of a Praying® Wife (Power of a Praying)

Stormie Omartian

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Total reviews: 271 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

You need this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book reallly jumps into what God intended us wives to be. If you look at marriage many years ago it was about commitment, it was about the wife being the heart of the home while her husband was the head of it. God made woman as a partner and a helper for man and Stormie really covers it in detail. Marriages need the basic principals that she lays out in order to survive.

It really goes into great detail on how you can change your marriage just by changing yourself. IF YOU ARE SELFISH NATURED then you will hate this book. This book is about giving your heart and soul over to God and changing yourself to benefit your marriage. If you are the type that "won't change until he does" then don't buy this book because you need a Bible. You have to be willing to be completely unselfish the way Jesus Christ was when he was on earth. God is not saying "let the husband walk all over his wife." Most marriages that you see that have lasted 25 years or more today have God as the center of their marriage. The divorce rate 53% today, that has to tell you something? Something is missing, and it's God. If you change yourself to be a wife after God's own heart, then through you, God will reach your husband. Giving up is not the answer.

Editorial Review:

Stormie Omartian’s mega bestselling The Power of a Praying® series (more than 8.2 million copies sold) is re–released with fresh new covers to reach a still–growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives.

Bestselling author Stormie Omartian inspires women to develop a deeper relationship with their husbands by praying for them. This encouraging resource is packed with practical advice on praying for specific areas of a husband’s life including his

• decision–making
• fears
• spiritual strength
• role as father, leader
• faith and future

Every woman who desires a closer relationship with her husband will appreciate the life illustrations, select Scripture verses, and the assurances of God’s promises and power for their marriage.

The Innocent Man

John Grisham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 550 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

The scapegoats 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

It's becoming a well known fact in the US - there are two different justice systems, one for those who can afford the best defense, the other for those who cannot. The indigent can be, and often are, treated to a paltry parody of trial and sentencing. Nowhere have I encountered a better example of this than in John Grisham's account of the railroading of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the Oklahoma murder case of Debra Carter. Grisham recounts the outrageous details of the case, in which every standard of evidence, from the sloppy work of the local police to the misconduct of attorneys and judges, was blatantly mocked. The trials were both travesties of perjury and corruption, based upon the testimony of snitches and legal system cronies.

Whether or not Ron Williamson was a nice person or a sane one, whether or not he had the potential for violence, he and Dennis Fritz did not commit this murder. The authorities destroyed the lives of two men and their families, while failing to prosecute the true culprit, who was always prominent in the picture, and indeed provided false testimony. Readers can usually ignore "must read" recommendations, but with respect to The Innocent Man, it is "a book that no American can afford to miss." The system of justice upon which our country is based is in danger.

Editorial Review:

In the town of Ada, Oklahoma, Ron Williamson was going to be the next Mickey Mantle. But on his way to the Big Leagues, Ron stumbled, his dreams broken by drinking, drugs, and women. Then, on a winter night in 1982, not far from Ron’s home, a young cocktail waitress named Debra Sue Carter was savagely murdered. The investigation led nowhere. Until, on the flimsiest evidence, it led to Ron Williamson. The washed-up small-town hero was charged, tried, and sentenced to death—in a trial littered with lying witnesses and tainted evidence that would shatter a man’s already broken life…and let a true killer go free. Impeccably researched, grippingly told, filled with eleventh-hour drama, John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction reads like a page-turning legal thriller. It is a book that will terrify anyone who believes in the presumption of innocence—a book no American can afford to miss.