Product Description
More than a decade after his dazzling book on the cultural, technological, and manufacturing aspects of measuring time and making clocks, David Landes has significantly expanded Revolution in Time.In a new preface and scores of updated passages, he explores new findings about medieval and early-modern time keeping, as well as contemporary hi-tech uses of the watch as mini-computer, cellular phone, and even radio receiver or television screen.While commenting on the latest research, Landes never loses his focus on the historical meaning of time and its many perceptions and uses, questions that go beyond history, that involve philosophers and possibly, theologians and literary folk as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Reference - but then again I am a clockmaker.
A very well accepted chronicle of the way changes in society and the demands of religion drove the development of improved timekeeping and how the development of improved timekeeping drove the progression (for better or worse) of society from the farm to the city.It's very much the chicken/egg riddle.It is hard to say which came first,but it is safe to say that society and timekeeping grew up together. At any particular time in history, the timekeeping method or device stood at the forefront or "state of the art" in science and/or mechanics or electronics. The closest analogy in our era is the effect of the space program and how the technical and mechanical requirements drove advances in nearly all areas of science, including the need to accurately tell time. Putting clocks into space traveling at great speeds, introduced a new potential source of error.Clocks traveling at high speeds "tick"slower than earth-based clocks and this relativistic error had to be accounted for and corrected.What farmer in the 12th century had to deal with such a small error!His sand or water based clock (if he even had a clock) was as accurate as he needed. More likely,that 12th century farmer needed only to know when days were long enough to safely plant without fear of frost. His need for accuracy was measured in days or months, not nanoseconds or picoseconds.
"Revolution in Time" if nothing else provides the reader with some great material for some very though-provoking conversations.

Intriguing material presented in rather dull style.
Full of useful information you can find nowhere else.
But I find Landes' style overly precise and technical. His fans (legion) might describe it differently: sharply exact, accurate and delimited.

Typical sentence: "Multiplicity of function entailed variation in nomenclature".

OK, we all understand that sentence but how much do we enjoy it?

I believe the samples on the 'look inside' feature at Amazon presents a fair example of what to expect (pages 15 and following).

The footnotes are at the back of the book.
The illustrations and figures not easy to make out.
Excellent index and appendices.

pretty excellent
I'm a lawyer- my time is billable in increments of one tenth of an hour. At larger law firms (I don't work for a firm) lawyers are expected to BILL- BILL- in excess of 2100 hundred hours a year. To "bill" an hour basically means that you not only work the hour, but record the manner in which you spent it. Nowadays, we have computer programs to facilitate this task- but the act of keeping records of how you spend your time- it is deeply unatural, and my expereience as a lawyer has caused me to have a minor interest in the relationship between time and the development of modernity.

How important was the invention of the mechanical clock in the middle ages? Very, for you see... it was the first mechanical clock that gave us... the beat.

"The achievment of the genius who built the first mechanical clock was not that he used an escapment as that he had made use oscillatory motion to divide time into countable beats."

Do you get it? IT'S THE BEAT.

Anyway, I found the actual organization to be overly schematic. In Landes' words, "It is a triptych: a study in cultural history; in the history of science and technology, and in social and economic history. I now offer you one sentence summaries of this book and those subjects, so that you will not have to read a 360 page book.

The first segment of the book answers the question "Why did Europe invent the mechanical clock, as supposed to the Chinese." The Chinese (and the Islamic) world were using sophisticated water driven clocks while Europe was being sacked by the Vikings. However, they never moved on to the mechanical clock- which is superior in design- mostly because um... water clocks are big and immovable.

The second segement of the book looks at the technological/scientific improvements that brough the clock into the shape we know and love today. So we're talking fifty pages on the builiding of tower clocks in the early middle ages, the development of portable clocks in the later middle ages, the development of the marine chronograph- a device that allowed sailors to navigate longitutde accurately without reference to the night sky. The chapters on the marine chronograph was as boring a text as I've read all year.

The final segment briefs the development of the watch industry- as in- the post industrial revolution watch industry. Clockmakers are interesting in that they were making technologically sophisticated devices long before most Europeans ever used a machine, but their industry- because of its early development- retained many of the hallmarks of pre-industrial commerce long after "the handwriting" was on the wall. Thus, the English were supplanted by the Swiss in the 18th and 19th century, the Swiss were challenged by the Americans, both were surpassed by the Japanese. I actually found the information about the Swiss watch making industry to be interesting- a bunch of poor mountain folk taught themselves how to be the best watch makers in the world AND how to sell those watches "world" wide in the course of a generation.

The chapters on the Swiss watchmakers almost makes me want to go to Geneva and the Jura region- but not quite.

Fascinating and a joy to read
Everything you ever wanted to know about time and especially the devices created by man to measure it. David S. Landes lovingly traces the history of timepieces, from the earliest Chinese clepsydra (water clocks) to the first spring operated clocks to the most recent quartz watches, in great detail and penache: he obviously is fascinated with his subject and easily conveys that enthusiasm to the reader. He writes with ease and style, and even when the topics become somewhat technical he is able to bring the reader through the rough waters with grace and authority. Landes has the rare but always admirable ability to be both fully knowledgeable and entertaining at the same time. It's a fascinating book from first page to last, a most laudable accomplishment in that it is not just the definitive account of the subject of clocks and timepieces, but also one of the most stylish and entertaining techno/history books ever written.

If you love clocks, you will love this book
If you love clocks you will love this book, but if you are merely just interested in them, you may find this book a hard slog.David Landes loves clocks - a fact that comes through loud and clear, but to some degree, I felt that this love actually was detrimental to the book because it caused him to dwell too much on minutia at the expense of a more coherent discussion of the subject.There are numerous drawings of the workings of clocks, but they were not clear enough for me.(I am not that interested in clocks, but if I were and had more background in horology, I would have probably been able to decipher the drawings more readily.)

This book covers all aspects of clocks, from the need for them, to their manufacture and the economics of producing them, to the development of electronic clocks.As such, it was quite interesting.I especially liked the early sections, which discussed the historical need for clocks and those sections that dealt with the impact of external historical events, such as the persecution of French Huguenots. Unfortunately, I did not find some of the middle sections, which dealt with the question of the evolutions of the internal workings of mechanical clocks, to be sufficiently clear for me.This is an area where those who are more familiar with the details of escapement mechanisms will find the book easier to follow than I did.I also found that the details of who made what change in the escapement mechanism to be a bit more information than I needed.All in all, this is a very good book for those who love clocks and know a bit about their workings, but others who are more historically minded, without a particular love of clocks, may find themselves looking to see how much more they had to go.If I could, I would have given this book five stars for those who love clocks, but only three stars for those, like myself, who are more interested in the historical aspects of the subject.
... Read more

Product Description
Basic techniques, clock designs, and parts lists are included in this guide to constructing a handsomely crafted, handmade wooden clock. A history of clockmaking in America is accompanied by basic craft information including clock components, authentic movements, and modern clock innovations. Provided are classic antique designs such as the tambour shelf clock, the black mantel clock, and the Shaker wall clock, and contemporary designs such as krazy klock, the balloon shelf clock, and the sextant desk clock. Details on incorporating both exotic woods such as cocobolo, purple heart, and zebra wood as well as classic woods such as cherry, oak, and figured maple are provided. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Worth Well book on building housings for clocks
I read several reviews on "Clock Making" books and found several very negitive comments made because reviewers thought these books should tell you how to build clock workings. These expectations caused several very negative reviews which, in my opinion, have lowered the rating of very good books with this being one.

The book offers the reader with very good photos and plans that in some cases have to be enlarged if you want to use the drawing to attach to your wood to follow the exact plans. I think this is one of the most useful tools in being able to see a clock you like, use the plans (if you wish), and cut the wood to get an early start in completing a project. The sizes and compass settings are all shown so you can use the plans in the book or create your own plan.

Are you going to like every project, No. I have read and purchased so many project books that if I can find one or two plans I reaaly like, I consider myself lucky. But this book might allow you to see a finished clock and how your project may look. However, if you feel you could improve on design or construction, that's called ingenuity and woodworking skills!! There are 37 clock plans using clock inserts and I found five immediate ones that I plan to build. To me that's a five star book and hope that if you buy this book you will feel the same way. Very good plans, modify the assembly as you see fit, but a very worthwell book. Good Building.

Great clocks
I made three clocks from this book for my daughters' Christmas presents. The book has good detailed plans. There were a few minor issues to figure out but if you are a wood worker they are easily solved. There are enough details to allow you to modify a design to suit your own tastes. Good book for a clock builder. These were my first clocks so if I can do it anyone can.

informative
Instructions are comprehensive and presented in logical sequence.Makes it possible to actually create your own clock.

Basic history overview with even more basic plans
I enjoyed the first section of the book with a nice historical overview of clocks.From there it was disappointing.If you are a complete beginner with no creativity you may find this helpful, but as an intermediate woodworker I felt most of these could be re-created from a simple photo without a need for critical dimensions.As well, most of these "clock" plans were simple wood sculptures...with a hole for a $10 clock insert. I think there is only one tall clock in the book and one Shaker style wall clock. If you're a complete beginner, take a look.If you're looking for more ideas to improve your basic or intermediate skills, keep looking.

Not happy
If your looking for clock case plans you may like this book. If your looking for plans to build a wooden clock movement, this isn't the book. I feel the title is misleading, ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive biography of the World War II events leading to the novel, plus a history of the novel, film, television series (including complete, detailed log of the show), and enough behind-the-scenes information and pictures to keep a whole squadron happy! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Black Diamond-in-the-Rough
Let me preface this by saying I don't really dislike The 12'O CLOCK HIGH LOGBOOK...it's just that I was expecting something else; something of a much higher production standard, like Jo Davidsmeyer's VIEWER'S COMPANION to the COMBAT! TV-Series.

There is no question that Allan Duffin & Paul Matheis have supplied some much-appreciated background material on all iterations of the 12'OCH mythos; in this respect they have delivered-the-goods. This is especially true in the opening chapters where the factual/historical basis behind the Lay/Bartlett story is revealed in great detail. And, if this is where the book had ended, it would have been a superior effort. But, as it stands, LOGBOOK conveys the impression that the editor/publisher didn't really understand, or perhaps could not fully agree upon, what type of book the authors were writing and, consequently, mishandled the production end of things. Or, perhaps LOGBOOK just tries to do too much and, as a consequence, comes-off like a project left only 3/4 finished. Whatever the cause, LOGBOOK appears weakest in its treatment of the TV Series.

Most neglected are the VISUAL ASPECTS of the TV Series. If you are looking for a "MAKING OF" sort of book, better keep looking. LOGBOOK contains almost no behind-the-scenes photos of the actual theatrical props (meaning "properties" here). No diagrams/maps appear of the "918th's" base layout (i.e., the locations used in filming), no sound stage crew-at-work shots, no shots of the Chino airport's exterior set arrangements, nothing more than a brief mention of the fabled cut-away B-17 fuselage used in filming, no close-ups of the ubiquitous "Loose Talk" warning signs, no "Star-&-Bottle" ale shop sign, nor layout sketches, no shots of the Nissen huts. No close-up of the bomb-shaped Officer's Club sign, no floor plan of Savage's office...in short, ALL THE VISUAL DETAILS that die-hard fans hunger to see are missing.
The included photos, all in b&w, come coarsely printed on low-end non-glossy paper and tend toward "portfolio 8x10s" of the guest stars (many not even shown in their 12o'cH roles) amid equally uninspired stock-footage stills. (No photo of PINETREE!? Come on, Guys!) Add to this the fact that the contrast/quality of many of these photos is just pitiful...particularly in those dozen-or-so pages of miscellaneous photos tipped-in, like so much afterthought, at the very end of the book...a mishmash of comic book covers, game-box lids, magazine covers, etc..

Perhaps most keenly felt of all were those passages which mentioned, almost incidentally, the great actor Robert Lansing who brought so much to the role of General Frank Savage. The all-too-brief glimpses into his working method (ordering late dinner alone in his dressing room while working long hours into the night to perfect the nuances of his next day's performance) made it clear that his astonishing artistry has yet to be fully assayed. The same goes for John Larkin, whose General Wiley Crow played so brilliantly off Lansing's obdurateFrank Savage.

The "Episode Guide" section, that comprises fully the last half of LOGBOOK, also suffers due to editorial laxity. While the synopses dutifully record every niggling plot-twist, the overuse of basic verbs-of-being (is/are/was/were)lends an insipid monotony to the prose style--perhaps it lulled the editors to sleep before they could make the necessary 'corex'--rendering the end result tiresome and uninteresting reading.

It doesn't help matters much that the authors' tend to dote upon recurring trivia, such as each and every instance in which Savage/Gallagher announces: "We're crossing 10,000 feet, go on oxygen", which are noted down with a plodding, almost pedantic devotion-to-duty while some really choice material goes by completely unnoticed...like the cool close-up of Savage's dog-tags in Episode #14 (Type 'O', Middle initial 'L'), for instance; or, the plain fact that the musical 8-note leitmotif used to bridge many episodic scenes sounds identical to the opening 8-notes of the STAR TREK Theme ("Space, the Final Frontier...Bum buh-BAH, buh-bum-bum Buh-BAH..."). Hey, could Dominic Frontiere and Alexander Courage really be the same guy? Hmm.)

By the way, the authors also neglect to mention that the chipped beer mug that Harvey Stoval buys at the beginning of the film bears the masked likeness of the 18th-century English Highwayman DICK TURPIN. They mistakenly refer to the likeness as TOBY, which actually is the generic old British name for any kind of portrait jug, NOT the depicted character's name...an embarrassing error that really should be corrected in the next edition.

LOGBOOK may be a Black Diamond-in-the-rough, but I would encourage any serious fan of 12 o'clock High to check it out. Let's hope the next edition gets the serious editorial attention and high production values that this book deserves.
--Larry Smolucha, Darien IL

Great Book
This is a really neat book.I like the way it has been set up and the information included as well as the order in which it was laid out.Very nice.My only complaint is the darknest of some of the photos.I do believe the publisher surely could have done better than that.

Definitive Guide to a Classic Novel/Movie/TV Show!
"Twelve O'Clock High" is that rara avis -a bestselling novel turned into a hit movie turned into a successful TV series. This exhaustively researched, comprehensive and well-written book is what every fan of the book/movie/series was waiting for!

Written by two 8th Air Force veterans, "Twelve O'Clock High" the novel followed the trials and tribulations of General Frank Savage, a tough-as-nails commander, as he labored to salvage a demoralized Bomb Group that has suffered heavy losses to the Luftwaffe. Savage is successful in his efforts but at a great personal cost. In 1949 the novel became an Academy Award winning box office hit starring Gregory Peck. Frankly I have always enjoyed the movie more than the novel because it sliced away anything not related to Savage's struggle, turning it into a lean, mean chronicle of men at war. Then, in 1964, ABC and Quinn Martin Productions created a one-hour series starring Robert Lansing as General Savage. I rate Lansing's portrayal of Savage as THE BEST on film. Make no mistake about it; Lansing was MAGNIFICENT! A gifted actor, he turned Savage into a multi-dimensional, living, breathing, fascinating human being. Like many others I was appalled when ABC/Quinn Martin replaced Lansing with Paul Burke in season two. Burke simply wasn't the actor Lansing was and the series went down in flames after season three.

Duffin and Matheis' book chronicles the whole history of the "Twelve O'Clock High" saga, from the real-life World War II events and personalities that Beirne Lay and Sy Bartlett used to create the novel to the final episode of the TV show and what happened to the principals afterwards.

The depth of research is truly impressive; the book's bibliography alone runs to 23 pages. It's just a shame that Peck, Dean Jagger, Lansing, Frank Overton and others weren't alive when Duffin began his research. The book is illustrated with dozens of rare photos and, again, it's a shame the publisher, BearManor Media, didn't use the better quality paper such a quality manuscript deserved.

Whether you enjoyed the novel, movie or TV series - or all three - if you are a "Twelve O'Clock High" fan, you will want to buy this book! It is the definitive work on the subject and a good read as well. Highly recommended!

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About 12 O'clock High - The Movie, Book, and TV Series!
You cannot classify this book as a real history book or even a work of non-fiction or a novel but it is about a novel and a little about the actual war and also about a movie and a TV series. I can say this much, it is a hoot to read. It was fun and entertaining. "12 O'clock High Logbook" has lots of insider information and background on the whole "history" of that beloved TV series and so much more.

This well researched book has many great posters, photos and tons of trivia about the whole 12 O'clock phenomenon. A true fan of the old TV show could not ask for anything better. I remember watching episodes of the old TV series while in Vietnam on the old Armed Forces TV station along with old reruns of "Combat."It was strange how enjoyable seeing these old shows where to those of us those were flying daily into our own combat missions.

If you are looking for something fun to read about WWII aviation exploits then this is your book! The author takes us through the whole history of 12 O'clock High from the original novel to the 1949 movie with Gregory Peck and eventually to the three year long TV series. This is good entertainment by any measurement--well worth buying and reading!

A Unique and Informative Book
An amazingly detailed analysis of EVERY version of 12 O'CLOCK HIGH. Whether or not you are a fan of the book, the movie or the TV series, this is a fascinating and informative look at how a single "property" was exploited across three different mediums. Just the section on the TV series is worth the purchase price for the inside glimpse at how the show was developed and produced, from pilot to cancellation. A must-read for students of television and the entertainment industry. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Perfect Gift!
Love this book! I've given it to friends as a housewarming present, new couples getting married with a cocktail shaker and their favorite liquor as well as my go-to hostess gift packaged with fun cocktail napkins or an iTunes gift card to download the cool playlist. Great, easy-to-follow recipes that add a shot of fun to your next party. It's the first book I pull out when we're ready to entertain.

Perfect Gift For Any Bachelor
This beautiful, little book is filled to the brim with mixed-drink recipes...all categorized by the exotic (or local) birthplace of the recipe. Every recipe has a gorgeous, full color photo accompanying it. Great for visual people like myself. I gave this as a birthday gift alongside a cocktail shaker for my bachelor neighbor. He loved it! ... Read more

Book Description
Both experienced collectors and beginners will find these guides useful in identifying antiques in many areas and determining their styles and periods.

Antique clocks and watches have never been more popular, and because millions have been produced, they are still available at modest prices. This magnificently illustrated guide introduces the potential collector to a truly fascinating field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The word "Connoisseur" is litteral for this one
This is a gorgeously illustrated book but is not of much value for a common working man antique clock treasure hunter.The book is stuffed with beautiful photos and descriptions of strictly museum piece quality clocks that would never be in range for the commoner nor encountered while out weekend treasure hunting. I can see the quality of the book is high, but I pretty much miscategorized it before I purchased.

Great Coffee Table Book
This is a nice book with beautiful pictures. It makes for a great coffee table book but not really a source of information. ... Read more

Product Description
When the clock strikes one, a fun-loving mouse runs up the clock. But what happens when the clock strikes two? A cat gets hungry for mouse-tail stew . . . and the chase is on! Hour by hour, more animals - and even a few people - join in. The crowd charges into the barnyard, dashes through the kitchen, and eventually heads right into the middle of town.

Keep your eye on the many clocks in this book and follow along until this twelve-hour race comes to a surprising end! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This wonderful story in rhyme not only is a marvelous zany tale, it can also help you teach a youngster how to tell time!
A little mouse was swinging on the clock pendulum when it struck one.He was in for a big surprise when the cat, who was peacefully sleeping, woke up with a start when the "grandfather clock struck two," and began to chase him.On the kitchen table the mouse stood hiding behind a teacup warily peeking over at that orange striped cat who was warily eying him.It was three o'clock and kitty wasn't going to give up his search for that mouse. "Hickory dickory dee, the short hand pointed to THREE."

By four the chase was still on.The mouse scooted to the open screen door as the cuckoo struck four.The poor dachshund looked aggravated as his dinner and water were upended.By five the cat was chasing the mouse, the dog was chasing the cat and the bees were abuzz in the air because their hives had been knocked over.Things became more hectic when they ran through the chicken coop and into the barn. The hens were clucking and the cow looked on with surprise.The Feed and Seed barn clock said SIX.Just how long could this excitement go on?

This wonderful story in rhyme not only is a marvelous zany tale, it can also help you teach a youngster how to tell time.The rhyming scheme was perfect and a lot of fun and the artwork caught the madcap chase perfectly.I liked the impish little looks on the faces of the characters and can easily see how youngsters will get caught up in the chase and learn a bit about telling time while they are at it.It the back of the book is a section on how to tell time, including one on how to tell time with digital clocks.The child is encouraged to go back and see how many clocks he or she can find hidden in the pages.How many can you find?

Satisfied homeschooling mom
My 4 year old LOVES this book. It captures his attention! It is a great way to introduce the concept of the clock and telling time. I enjoy the notes at the end of the book telling the difference between digital and analog clocks and also telling how to tell the hours and minutes. I really enjoy this book. I got it from the library and we love it so much I decided to buy it for our own school library collection. We will enjoy this book for years to come. What a captivating way to learn about the clock! ... Read more

Product Description
Yesterday's timepieces are presented with today's market value. All the original black and white images have been preserved and improved, and there are hundreds of clocks to see - wall and mantel clocks, hall clocks, regulators, novelty, lever, spring, and weight clocks. The type of clock, the pattern name, the approximate date, and the size of the dial or height of the clock are listed. Eleven producers of clocks are represented: Seth Thomas, Ithaca, Ingraham, Waterbury, Welch, Howard, Gilbert, New Haven, Sempire, Sessions, and Ansonia. AUTHORBIO: Alex Wescot first authored the Standard Antique Clock Value Guide in 1977, and has continued to update it over the years. A new edition of the book was printed in 2003, and it is still a great seller. REVIEW: This book provides price and identification information for clocks made in America from the 1870s through the 1930s. Each clock is given a black-and-white photograph and provides information on the type of model, pattern number, date produced, and price. Photographs are very clear and should help users in finding the right model. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Useful but scant on information
For my needs,this book is the best of the three I purchased.It has page after page of clock models from the most common makers you may run into while out treasure hunting.As a true price guide for the common working man buyer, it is obviously out of step with todays economy, but that is to be expected. I actually was looking for a book to help me identify models, and for that this book usually just gets me into the ballpark.The author chose to feature different manufacturers clocks all from the same year for a particular maker.For instance, all of the Seth clocks may be 1885, then all of the Waterbury clocks may be 1930, etc.Overall not a bad book, one I actually use, but not what I envisioned before buying.

Antique Clocks
The Standard Antique clock Value Guide is very helpful.I would have liked even more information, but this was more than I had prior to purchasing the book.
I'll be looking around on Amazon for another book, with more details. Thank you.
I do not have the item number.

COMMON CLOCKS MANUFACTURED IN AMERICA IN 19TH & 20TH CENTURY
215 pages of detailed illustrations with information on the type of clock, pattern name, when manufactured, dial size and price. Even if you're not a collector or seller this book is interesting to look at with all the different styles of clocks. Would make a wonderful coffee table book.
... Read more

Product Description
Book DescriptionDid you know that the foods we eat can be our most powerful weapon in the battle against aging and obesity? Wrinkles, fatigue, strained vision and extra pounds are just a few of the challenges that more than 75 million Baby Boomers are facing daily. But for 40-something Cheryl Forberg, getting older meant fighting back. She invented antidotes in the place she knows best -- the kitchen. In this innovative book, Forberg shares advice and a feast of her best-kept antiaging and weight loss recipes. From cocoa to cabbage, Forberg unearths ingredients from around the world that turn back the clock on the aging process. The results are delicious with over 110 recipes to perk up vision, memory, digestion, complexion, and more. With sections on berries, salmon, tomatoes, soy, grains, and even chocolate, Stop The Clock! Cooking: Defy Aging--Eat The Foods You Love easily puts delicious foods into your arsenal of weapons against obesity and the aging process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Food that is out-of-this world fantastic and good for you too?!
Yes, apparently it is possible to have great tasting food that is great for your health too!The Stop The Clock! Cooking: Defy Aging--Eat the Foods You Love, by Cheryl Forberg has been life changing for me.For the first time in years I am enjoying cooking again, loving the food, losing weight and feeling better than I have for a long time now.

This book is not just another round of recipes and ideas that you've seen a hundered times before...it is chock full of marvelous fresh ways of adding healthy, exciting ingredients to your cooking and turning out really special meals that are fit for a King!

The book also helps you understand how these healthy ingredients affect your body, all in an easy to understand format. Put this book on the top of your "must have book list"!

My New Way of Life
I am a fitness professional, and last May I attended a lecture at UCLA on anti-aging foods taught by the author. I loved everything she talked about and immediately ordered her book from Amazon. For the last month I have eaten mainly the foods she extolled (fruits, veggies, nuts, olive oil, fish, soy) and have made many of the recipes in the book. I have never felt better!In fact,I am planning on giving this book to all my training clients for Christmas. Even my husband and teenage kids love most of the recipes. Every recipe has been absolutely delicious and fairly simple to make. You may need to go to a special market that sells organic or ethnic food to buy some of the ingredients rather than find everything at the supermarket, but it's worth it. My only complaint is that she didn't include more recipes using cocoa powder. It has the highest antioxidant rating, yet she features it in only 3 recipes--none of them dessert! I hope Cheryl does a second book.Atkins, shmatkins! This is the way to eat!

It's not a fad diet!
The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends this same style of eating, with a focus on antioxidants and getting back to home-made food using basic ingredients.The book provides a lot of motivation and easy-to-understand explanations of what modern research has identified in terms of the cancer-fighting and age-fighting benefits of each food group.Good recipes too.

Stop The Clock! Cooking by Cheryl Forberg
I have always wanted to learn about the benefits of antioxidants and this book certainly gave me the information I needed and wanted.Great book and extremely informative!! Interesting and yummy recipes too!

The Ultimate Guidebook for Anti-Aging Cooking
I bought this book because of its intriguing title and appealing cover. I'm sure glad I did. I'm beginning to execute Chef/Nutritionist Forberg's suggestions into my daily life. Not only are her recipes delicious, I feel more energetic---and its only been a few weeks.

Who needs botox when berries, beans, greens, fish and other scrumptious natural foods will do the trick! ... Read more

Product Description
The beginning of rock and roll as a phenomenon was July 9, 1955, when "Rock Around the Clock" climbed to the pinnacle of the American pop charts to herald the arrival of the youth culture that eventually conquered the world. Rock Around the Clock is the inside story of the beginning of modern youth culture in the early 1950s, culminating in Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" — the first rock and roll hit and one of the biggest-selling singles of all time — and its explosive role in Blackboard Jungle, one of Hollywood's first films to deal with postwar youth culture gone wrong. The combination of uninhibited music and cinematic juvenile delinquency inextricably connected rock and roll with teenage rebellion in the public mind. The record also led to the making of Rock Around the Clock, the first rock and roll movie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Preaching to the flock
RATC (Rock Around the Clock) was "the original rock 'n' roll giant," the text tells us.The record "changed everything."It was "the dividing point between pre-rock and rock."However, says the same text, RATC "wasn't the first modern rock 'n' roll hit."Meanwhile, in the Index, four pages are listed for RATC "as (the) beginning of rock 'n' roll."

Sounds like the book couldn't make up its mind.

Along with a number of interesting tidbits about the song's history and the 1954 Comets recording date, there's unfortunately much incorrect musicology of the "Rolling Stone" type.For instance, the song's eight-bar verse (which author Jim Dawson misidentifies as, alternately, a four-bar intro and an eight-bar instrumental section) is described as "a patchwork of Jewish folk melody" because it happens to have been written in minor mode.The significant changes made by Sonny Dae and Bill Haley to the song as published would have made for interesting reading had they been accurately described, but the account given here is pretty remarkably off.

Astonishingly, an earlier "Rock Around the Clock" was recorded by Hal Singer in 1950, and it featured a chorus in twelve-bar-blues form, with the last eight devoted to repetition of the title phrase.In other words, RATC's chorus had already been laid out in its basic form!Yet Dawkins' finds the Hal Singer tune (written by Sam Theard) to be different in "overall construction" than the later hit.Not quite.

Many pages are wasted with a specious history of the phrase "rock and roll" (Shakespeare used the verb "rock," for instance, as if this had anything to do with its use in R&B), and mock-historical asides such as a two-page history of the bass to accompany mention of the slap-style bass used on Haley's records.I don't remember whether or not a history of sound recordings found its way into the text as well.Probably.

Nothing much new here--as always, blacks are relegated to the "pre-" phase of rock 'n' roll, and whites (in this case, Haley) are given the credit for bumping it up to the next level, which rock 'n' roll presumably represents.Whether it's Haley or Presley getting the credit is beside the point--it's the same ol' rock-genesis account, and it preaches to the same flock.Someday, rock journalism may rise above this basic story type.I'd like to think the clock is ticking on this kind of account.

TRUE GUITAR PLAYER IN ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
MY UNCLE,
DANNY CEDRONE - Created a signature guitar solo which he used on a number of recordings, including two with Bill Haley: "Rock the Joint" (1952) and "Rock Around the Clock" (1954). He was born in New York and raised in Philly. He played locally in Philadelphia with his group the Esquire Boys and they released a song written for them by Bill Haley called Rock A Beatin' Boogie in 1954. Bill Haley was a good friend of Danny Cedrone, and every time Bill recorded he insisted that Danny be on hand to play lead guitar. Danny played on most of Haley's recordings from 1949-1954. In April of 1954, Danny was called to the studio to help Haley and the Comets record their first Decca record 13 Women and Rock Around The Clock. Amazingly, Decca released 13 Women as the "A" side, and the record sunk without a chance to be heard. A year later, Rock Around The Clock was used over the credits of a movie called "Blackboard Jungle". The song took off immediately and established itself as the first multi-media Rock & Roll hit. Rock &Roll songs had been recorded as early as 1951, but Rock Around The Clock was the first song to achieve unanimous popularity.
Danny Cedrone never lived to see his work accepted; he died six weeks after the song was recorded. He slipped, fell down a flight of stairs, broke his neck in three places, and died instantly. He was 33 years old.

He died weeks after recording "Shake Rattle and Roll" and months before "Rock Around the Clock" became a worldwide hit. Numerous guitar players over the years, including Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Chris Spedding, Brian Setzer, Danny Gatton, Reverend Horton Heat and the group Ten Years After have gone on record as naming Cedrone's solo on "Rock Around the Clock" as an influence on their own work. THANKFULLY HE IS NOW IN THE ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME. He certainly deserves the recognition for his work. The true guitarist for Bill Haley and the Comets.

Fun and informative read!
For Bill Haley fans this is a must read, and even the casual music history buff will enjoy it. The book contains interesting and relevant details, but not so much to wander away from the main topic or resort to "filler." If you don't know the story and characters behind "Rock Around the Clock," this is the perfect book to hear the rest of the story. Lots of pictures, too! Highly recommend. ... Read more

Product Description

Are children hardwired to stay up late, scarfing down cookies and soda and surfing the Internet? No, says Inda Schaenen, who advocates a no-nonsense, nurturing approach that will help you get your kids into bed by 7 o'clock -- and help you make a saner life for yourself.

Most kids today are overscheduled, and consequently they're often wound up and active until late in the evening. But when kids are exhausted, bedtime becomes a struggle and everyone loses.

The solution? Put your kids to bed at 7 o'clock and reap the benefits:

Product Description
"The Body Clock Advantage" is how to use your body's inner timing to get the most out of life.Your body is built on time, and Time Rules Life. When you understand how your own unique Body Clock works, you can achieve the best results in all areas of human performance - whether it's health, love, work, sports, or play. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Makes a good point
As someone who has never understood America's obsession with getting to work at 7:00 am, or getting my kids onto the football field in the freezing cold on a Saturday morning at 0 dark thirty,I was thrilled to find a book that makes it socially acceptable to admit that I'm simply not a lark. I need to sleep past 7:00 am. The first couple of chapters of the book the author presents some interesting case studies and you think, wow! I really need to know this stuff, but as the book goes on you realize all the good stuff is up front, in the first few chapters. The light box, while interesting, is not practical unless you have a serious case of the owl. The chapter on jet lag was interesting because I travel all the time across multiple time zones and have come to rely on sleeping pills for time zone adjustment (which is one method the recommends as long as you control the use to cope with jet lag and don't make it an every day habit). I have never tried the melatonin - its too complicated for me to remember, take it when to stay awake? and how much to fall asleep? I haven't changed my basic habits, because I could never get to work on time with everyone else, but instead of walking in cowering my head and trying to look like I've been there for an hour, I now stroll into work guilt free long after everyone else and leave a copy of the book out on my desk just in case anyone has a problem with that. I didn't get all that much from this book except for the fact that it is a subject near and dear to me. I felt the book fell short in a couple of regards, some of the ideas are very superficial and not expanded to the point of being really useful. If you have a school age child who is a natural owl, life can be very difficult for you and for them, but I don't really see sitting them under a light box as a practical solution. However,if your school ager can't get up in the morning, it does help to realize they are not just lazy slobs, but battling a true physical condition that really is not their fault. If you are really having trouble as an owl in a lark's world, this book might help give you some ideas, but if you have already learned to adjust, it might not be that useful to you.

Very Good Book
I am gonna be forty years old this year and I wanna be prepare mentally and physicallyand this book its helping me a lot to be aware of my upcoming age its a very good book I recommended for those who wants to loose weight and get better sleep at night.

Get multiple copies, expect to loan them out.
There are probably about 20 books every person should get and read as a kind of human body instruction manual. This is one of them.If you work a job which makes regular sleep difficult, this book has many tips I've used to great success.It will most likely convince you to make time for ample sleep in your routine as an essential priority alongside nutrition and activity. Better sleep will improve almost every aspect of your life. With all the expensive "solutions" weight loss gurus, self help speakers, and fitness device manufacturers try to sell, this is a cheap and incredibly effective investment to improve your life.

a resource guide for the body
In my daily practice of primary care medicine, where I deal frequently with the challenging problems of obesity, sleep disorder, sexual dysfunction,inability to concentrate on tasks, fatigue, and depression, I now have another valuable resource in my armamentarium.

Dr.Edlund in very understandable language lays out a practical and sensible game plan for dealing with life's problems.His explanations of how the human body responds to time change and the variability of individuals, ie: larks vs. owls, is intriguing.How to harness time and use it to one's advantage by being cognizant of the effects of light vs. dark hours and manipulate these effects with light boxes can certainly improve the quality of one's life.

Dr. Edlund's expertise on diet, exercise, sleep, and pharmacology helps the reader adjust his lifestyle for a healthier existence.This book offers something positive for everyone.It serves as a user's guide for the body.

It's fun and easy!
The Body Clock Advantage is easy to read and offers practical advice on a variety of subjects. Dr. Edlund offers nuts and bolts solutions for a variety of challenges facing modern people such as reducing jet jag, improving romantic relationships, and establishing a pain free exercise program. The writing style keeps your attention throughout the book (I read it in less than 3 days!). He weaves real life examples into the advice so it's easy to "get the point" and see the value of using your body clock to your advantage.
It's hard to pick a favorite section because so many apply. I discovered that my husband is an owl and that I'm not ... I now have practical things to help me if I want to stay up late with him. I particularly enjoyed the section on not only WHY to fit breakfast into my busy day, but HOW to do it. I followed the advice and feel better at work already!I'm going to recommend this book to family, friends, and coworkers! It can help eveyone and it's easy! ... Read more

Product Description

Travel through time with the maestros as they explore the amazing history of timekeeping!

Customer Reviews (1)

The history of time-keeping for 2nd to 6th grades
I am using this book in a math-through-history course I teach for all ages, including my own children, along with a similar book by Betsy Maestro, The Story of Money. These books are beautifully illustrated, with "denser" text than a picture book, and they fit a need for middle-grade level materials. I enjoy the simplicity of the text and stories, and find I can read these aloud to interested children of even younger ages if I can abridge the text and use the illustrations to advantage. Yet the material cannot be considered light, I learned a lot of history I never knew about before reading these books, and it whetted my own appetite to investigate the topic deeper. A great compliment to this book would be Marilyn Burns' This Book is About Time. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of a very normal girl on an almost normal night in a fairly normal house—normal, that is, except for a not-so-normal clock whose numbers count not twelve but a spooky thirteen. James Stimson's extraordinary book about the antics of a perky prankster in pajamas is a feast of words and pictures. Filled with sly wordplay, atmospheric illustrations, and a baker's dozen of spritely, spooky, spunky characters, it reminds readers that more fun than fright can be had from things that go bump, bong, groan, clatter, squeak, and gong in the night. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Quirky story that is well-written
This story is quite quirky and has a ton of alliteration.It is fun to read and will definitely expand any kid's vocabulary.

Thirteen O'clock
A creative story with a great typesetting and a good amount of alliteration. The best part about this book, however, isn't the story, the prose, the way the type is set up, but it is in fact, the illustrations. It's set in darkly toned colours and fairly simple drawings, each of which are extremely adorable.

This book is a cute read, even if you're older than four!

A gem!
The illustrations of Thirteen O'clock are enough of a reason to buy this darling of a book. In simple white, black and a shade of green, the scene comes to life in a marvelous way. A simple story that will have your tongue rolling in fun, and plant a smile on your face. A heart worming book that will set the stage for, what I hope will be, more books by Mr. Stimson.

"A skeleton with a skeleton's key..."
I love the illustrations in this book and its innovative concept: a quirky clock that actually chimes at thirteen, quite unlike the ordinary timekeeper, that only runs from one to twelve. Stimson's brilliant illustrations remind me of my favorite animated films, The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, with the eccentric faces of unusual characters that pop out at the chime of each hour: "a spiteful FRIGHT who would have seemed more at home with his name on a tombstone"; a skeleton with a skeleton's key to "unlock the odd clock's small door to free his MONSTROUS friend, the THING"; "four ghosts with frightening groans (in their stomachs)"; and "with each haunting clue there came another, more horticulturally hideous than the other".

With dense illustrations featuring lots of black, dark green and huge letters for emphasis, each page is filled with images as the clock unleashes a series of "things" and tongue-twisting alliterations, "hollow and echoey, and exceedingly eerie". This wildly imaginative book will delight anyone who appreciates oddball humor and the joy of language (even adults!), a vocabulary stretcher to trip the tongue and leave you laughing. My one criticism, and it is very minor, is that at times the type is difficult to read against the black page. But who cares? This book is a delight. Luan Gaines/ 2005. ... Read more

Product Description
Explains to the reader how to find out whom they should be talking to, and how to get those people to agree to meet with them. The reader no longer needs to wait for the phone to ring after sending out those resumes, but learns how to get informational meetings and networking interviews with decision makers. Also includes complete information and advice on using the internet to find out about industries, research companies, and identify key decision makers to contact. ... Read more

Product Description
What time is It?

When it's 9 P.M. in Brooklyn, it's 10 P.M. in Puerto Rico, and midnight on the mid-atlantic. Far from the vroom of New York traffic, the Puerto Rican night is filled with conga music, sweet rice, and fruit ice. In India, villagers begin their morning chores as well ropes squeak, buckets splash, and bracelets jangle. Meanwhile, in Australia, a sly kookaburra is ready for a noontime feast.

Marilyn Singer's rhythmic lullaby, with bright illustrations by Franc. Lessac, gently transports children through different time zones and distant lands. Young readers will travel far from home, then back again, on a glorious bedtime journey.

Customer Reviews (2)

Poetry rather than a story
This books isn't so much a story as a poem about the world and time zones. The pictures are great, and the poem is fun. My kids really love it and have it memorized. Perfect for the littlest kid, this book holds attention with plenty to look at and the words have great rythym to them.

what is happening around the world at various times
This is a unique concept: show a flash of what is happening in various countries at different times of the day. We are taken on a journey around the world, at one hour increments to see what is happening. Some of the time frames are strange, like a 2 am snack in the pantry in England!

We see a child getting read a bedtime story in Brooklyn NY USA, partying in Puerto Rico, shopping at market in China, barbeque in Australia, handcrafting in Samoa, etc.

The pictures are cute, with lots going on in the illustrations to talk about. There isn't a real story here, I assume the point is to show various cultures and talk about the detailed illustrations. The only thing that bothers me is the snapshot of what they are doing can be so limiting, for example, having England illustrated as snacking in the middle of the night and Russia being depicted as a cat knocking an item over and waking up the inhabitants of the house. How real is that of a depiction of their society? It is a cute book but doesn't have enough of a true depiction of different countries for the parent to have a discussion with the child.

For a taste of other cultures I prefer "Children Like Me". ... Read more

Product Description
The House with a Clock in Its Walls; The Figure in the Shadows and The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring are three magically eerie tales gathered in this one-volume edition. The series opens as Lewis Barnavelt, a newly orphaned ten-year-old, comes to live with his Uncle Johnathan. Little does Lewis know that Uncle Johnathan and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman are witches. Lewis finds that he himself owns magical powers, and soon is thrust in a supernatural battle between good and evil. The second tale focuses on Grampa Barnavelt's old coin. Lewis thinks the coin is an amulet, but when he starts to wear it around his neck, bizarre things start to happen - and not all of them good. The last tale shifts the focus to thirteen-year-old Rose Rita, who is embittered because she cannot go to camp like Lewis. so Mrs. Zimmerman offers Rita an adventure of her own. But when a magical ring disappears, Rita gets more of an adventure than she bargained for. John Bellair's vivid characterization and and excruciatingly suspenseful plots make this series a thrilling ride! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Awesome
I loved this collection of this authors books and cannot wait to read more works by him. The book was in almost new condition and I enjoyed it greatly!! I finished the whole book in six days! Thanks!

Enchanting horror and a little bit of kid angst
John Bellairs is a master of children's horror that I'm afraid the world has forgotten in the Harry Potter rush. As much as I love all that good stuff, nothing beats Bellairs' aura on a little town in 1940's Michigan where anything spooky can happen.

The three novels in this volume ("The House with a Clock in its Walls", "The Figure in the Shadows", and "The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring") focus on a orphan boy named Lewis who has come to the town of New Zebedee to live with his eccentric uncle who just so happens to be a wizard. What proceeds is various dippings into the supernatural.

And these are not the "cute" supernatural, at least in the usual sense. Sure, Stephen King and Anne Rice would probably consider these adventures kid stuff, but they are they are perfectly creative enough for kids; honestly, I think they're more creative than most of the adult horror out there. Bellairs deals with necromancy, Biblical prophecy, possession, the whole nine yards, but all very tastefully done to be suitable to this age group.

Besides the horror, these are books about what it's like to be a kid. Bellairs gets into the heads of his characters with their thoughts and worries and hopes like few do whilst balancing another subject.

His writing is also absolutely enchanting. Without being flowery, he is a master of description with exellent pacing and a storytelling voice that just draws you in.

I know these are a couple decades old, but I adored this mans' works as a kid, and even now I can't think of many things better to do than curl up with these stories.

Still A Good Read
I read these books years ago, found them creepy, and forgot about them until recently.These are aimed at a young adult reader, but they're atmospheric and well written, and definitely make enjoyable adult reading.Check out the pages on the individual books for more info, but the three books in one edition is a great deal.These are also excellent for pre-teens and older who enjoy books on the supernatural.They do deal with themes of witchcraftand magic, but otherwise, contain no objectionable content.

Bellairs' Barnavelt/Zimmerman Trilogy
This volume contains:

The House with a Clock in its Walls (1973)
The Figure in the Shadows (1975)
The Letter, the Witch and the Ring (1976)

I have not read all of Bellairs' novels, so I cannot say whether these three are really his "best".But the grouping is appropriate for other reasons:These are in fact the first three of Bellair's supernatural horror novels for kids; each is a sequel to the last; and all three feature the characters Lewis Barnavelt, Jonathan Van Olden Barnavelt, Mrs. Zimmerman, and (in the last two novels) Rose-Rita Pottinger.Moreover, the collection is more-or-less complete, since these are the only ones featuring these characters that were written entirely by Bellairs and published during his lifetime.The "next" in the series, entitled "The Ghost in the Mirror" was published posthumously after being completed by Brad Strickland in 1993 (after a gap of 17 years, during which Bellairs switched to writing about Johnny Dixon and Anthony Monday).Strickland has gone on to write his own adventures in the series (with what success I cannot say).

HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS begins with the orphaned Lewis Barnavelt, aged 10, being sent to live with his crazy Uncle Jonathan, and his batty neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman.The Uncle and the neighbor both turn out to be magicians (of the benevolent sort), and the grand old house they inhabit is filled with magical artifacts and mysteries, including a strange ticking sound reputed to come from a hidden clock.Matters get serious after the insecure Lewis, in an attempt to impress a friend, ignores his uncle's warning that he should never attempt magic.Creepy, scary fun ensues.

The next two novels in the series are just as well written, and every bit as creepy and scary as the original.However, the grimness becomes a little more unrelenting, and some kids may even find it depressing.One reason for this is that Bellairs seems to have somewhat regretted sending mixed messages in his first book, by his positive portrayal of magic as practiced by Mrs. Zimmerman and Uncle Jonathan.In the course of these volumes Mrs. Zimmerman is almost completely deprived of her powers.Bellairs continues to pay lip service to the idea that they are both benevolent minor magicians, but he ceases to show them using magic to positive effect.Magic use becomes, for all practical purposes, almost entirely associated with evil, and any dabbling therein leads only to horrific consequences.

I don't think Bellairs is necessarily wrong to want to discourage kids from seeking occult powers.However, it is a possibly unintended effect of this decision that the stories become increasingly and unrelentingly horrific.While the first volume made it seem as though there were powerful forces of Good to compete with those of Evil, the two sequels start to seem a bit like reading H.P. Lovecraft, wherein Evil has all the power.

This edition contains the original illustrations for all 3 books.This means we get Edward Gorey for the first novel, which is good.Unfortunately, other artists illustrated the 2 sequels.The latter pictures do not enhance the stories, which would be better off without them.

Three tales in the Lewis Barnavelt series
John Bellairs is best known as the author of sixteen gothic mystery novels for young adults comprising the Lewis Barnavelt, Anthony Monday, and Johnny Dixon series. The three stories in this book are the first three in the Lewis Barnavelt series, although the last has more to do with his friend, Rose Rita.The tales collected in this book are "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," "The Figure in the Shadows," and "The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring."

So far from what I've read of this author, his characters tend to be elderly eccentrics, or ordinary children (no superkids, here).Lewis is resourceful, but with a child's fears and limitations.Most especially, he is afraid that his uncle won't like him, that the kids in his new school will make fun of him, and that he'll never have a friend.His uncle, Jonathan and neighbor, Mrs. Zimmerman are very likeable magicians.They play poker with Lewis and make him chocolate chip cookies and cocoa, and generally treat him as a small adult.

The House with a Clock in its Walls (1973) - illustrated by Edward Gorey

Lewis is a newly orphaned, plump ten-year-old, who wears "purple corduroy trousers, the kind that go `whip-whip' when you walk."The author often claimed that his imagination got stuck at ten, and here is Lewis, age ten, going to live with his Uncle Jonathan in New Zebedee, Michigan.The year is 1948, and New Zebedee bears a strong resemblance to Marshall, Michigan, where the author was born--- The Cronin House and the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Hall still stand in Marshall, just as their counterparts do in New Zebedee.

The only thing Uncle Jonathan is reluctant to talk about with Lewis is the ticking noise within the walls of his old mansion, recently acquired from a deceased magician.

Lewis discovers that his uncle makes midnight excursions throughout the house, stopping and restarting all of the old clocks.He slowly gets involved in the mystery of an undiscovered clock.The wizardly Izzard couple who used to live in the house are both dead, but what did they leave behind and why?

There are some genuinely frightening scenes in "The House with a Clock in its Walls"---most especially when Lewis tries to impress a new friend by stealing one of his uncle's magic books and taking it to the graveyard at midnight on Halloween---but I don't want to spoil the story for you (Hint:there's a scene straight out of "Count Magnus" by M.R. James when the lock pops off of the crypt).Let me say that this is a truly scary book, and if the author's imagination got stuck at ten, he must lived an awesomely spooky tenth year.

"The Figure in the Shadows" (1975) - illustrated by Mercer Mayer

Lewis wants desperately to believe that an old coin belonging to his Great-Great-Grampa Barnavelt has magical powers.He is being bullied at school and starts to wear the old Civil War coin around his neck for protection.Finally Lewis turns on the bully and beats him up, but he soon learns that the coin has other, even darker powers.

When Lewis begins to see a shadowy figure in a long coat and starts to get scary messages, he asks his friend, Rose Rita to take the coin and throw it away.She wrestles the coin away from him, but instead of throwing it into the storm drain, she hides it.

The bully starts in on Lewis again, and he decides he'll do anything to get the coin back again, even steal it from Rose Rita.

This story has a very spooky climax that will scare even the grown-ups who are reading it to their children.

"The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring" (1976) - illustrated by Richard Egielski

Rose Rita is mad at the world.Her friend, Lewis Barnavelt is going to Boy Scout camp for the summer, and he is the only one who appreciates her for what she is:a tomboy with a great pitching arm who has no interest in growing up into the world of proms and pretty gowns.When Mrs. Zimmerman offers to take her on a trip to see the farm she just inherited from her cousin, Oley, Rose Rita jumps at the chance.

Unfortunately when Mrs. Zimmerman and Rose Rita arrive at the farmhouse up in the woods of Northern Michigan, it has been ransacked.The ring that Oley had found and believed to be magic has been stolen.

When Mrs. Zimmerman herself disappears, it is up to Rose Rita to solve the deepening mystery.

Don't expect milksop magic or easy solutions from this author.Rose Rita has to confront both interior and exterior demons, and comes very close to death before Bellairs winds down to his usual cocoa and cookies (well, roasted marshmallows in this story) ending.
... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Greg Patterson just watched his beloved Boston Red Sox lose to the New York Yankees in the 2003 American League Championship Series when he gets a radical idea: Build a time machine to make sure that one of baseball history's worst sales -- the sale of Babe Ruth -- never happens. But as he's researching out that fateful event, he runs along another piece of information that he had never known.

It leads him to ask: What if the Black Sox Scandal never happened? Could the scandal that rocked the baseball world in the early 1920s and the sale of the Sultan of Swat be connected? And if it’s possible, can these two incidents be reversed in order to correct the failings of the Red Sox and end the recent domination of the Yankees?

Greg and his friend Brandon Roy build the time machine and immediately head back to 1919, where they meet Harry Frazee, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver, Charlie Comiskey, and the catalyst of the whole thing, Babe Ruth. Greg also falls in love in the past, making for an exciting conclusion to their time in 1919 Boston.

If you're a fan of baseball and baseball history, this is a book you'll want in your Kindle's memory bank. A great story that will stand the test of time. And you won't look at baseball history the same way, either. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Enjoyable mix of sports history and time travel
Turning Back the Clock mixes time travel with baseball history, adds a touch of romance, and provides the reader with a very entertaining story.A Boston Red Sox fan decides to break the curse on his team by preventing the Black Sox baseball scandel and insuring that Babe Ruth is traded to the White Sox instead of The Yankees.He builds a time machine, takes along plenty of money to be used for bribes, enlists the help of his second best friend, and travels back to the year 1919.Mr. Fitch did a great job of mixing baseball history with the adventures of his characters.I really liked the way the story was plotted - if time travel were actually possible, Greg's scheme may have worked and baseball history would have been changed.The story does require the reader to suspend his or her grasp on reality quite a bit, however.I had no problem accepting the idea of the time machine, but I kept wondering why no one noticed that the money, which Greg was constantly handing out in 1919, was from the twenty-first century, and the characters in the past seemed to have no trouble at all with the idea that they were dealing with people from a future time.Also, for me, the actual writing of the story did not flow as smoothly as I wouild have liked. Once in a while, the author's choice of words seemed a bit awkward and not a seamless part of the story.
Despite these minor quibbles, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to baseball fans and anyone looking for a light, easy story combined with a bit of sports history.

Been there, done that
I shouldn't have read this book.Time travel--again?Haven't we had enough time travel stories already?How different can they be?There was really nothing unique about this story.Fitch's writing skills are adequate, but his story-telling needs some work.He got particularly lazy when he told of the building of the time machine, which required far too much suspension of disbelief.I barely got past that part and ultimately wished that I hadn't bothered.It wasn't worth the $2.39 that I spent for it or the three hours it took me to read it.Suffice it to say that it is no longer on my Kindle.There's no point in saving this one, and I can't recommend it to any serious reader.There are far better indie novels that ARE worth two or three bucks.

Loved the Premise, But.....
I really did love the premise. I am a time travel aficionado, and a baseball nut. That said, the writing was very simplistic, and the author, in trying to render descriptions, tended to overuse the ones he chose, "his black haired friend" comes to mind. Dialogue was in the category of "Let's put on a play!" Did I enjoy the book? Yes, at least enough to finish it. Was I glad I spent money for it? No - this would have been better for me as a library or garage sale find as even at the two dollar and something price point I felt it was over-priced, although at ninety-nine cents I would possibly not have minded. Lest there be any doubt, even if the book had been free, my feelings about it would have been the same. I loved the baseball trivia. I loved the plot. But again, I found the execution sorely lacking. Hopefully Mr. Fitch will do better in his next (although I understand he has quite a blacklist, which sadly, at this point, I can't see myself reading). Three stars is probably generous, but an extra star than deserved granted for concept.

More than a baseball story
Which is worst, being a masochistic Cubs fan who knows your team will lose or a Boston Red Sox fan, who's team continually knocks at the door, yet can't seem to win the ultimate prize by coming out on top in the World Series?Genius scientist and diehard Red Sox fan Greg Patterson has an opinion and decides to do something about it.With a not-so-subtle nod to the "Back to the Future" movies Patterson sets out to fix this problem at what is generally acknowledged as the beginning, the events surrounding the trading of Babe Ruth to the hated Yankees in 1919.

I'm no sports guy, but found the story easy to follow despite that.Most with even a passing acquaintance to sport will have picked up enough baseball facts to follow that part.But at its heart "Turning Back the Clock" is more than a simple fantasy/sci-fi novel or a baseball story or a glimpse at history, although it is all of those.It's also a lesson in doing the right thing.In seeing a need and filling it.And a bit of a love story as well.

What Fun!
You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this great "what if" story.I was interested from the first pages and enjoyed living in this alternate world right to the end...despite the fact that I'm a Yankees fan. ... Read more

Product Description
"More than a history of science; it is a tour de force in the genre."—New York Times Book Review

A dramatic new account of the parallel quests to harness time that culminated in the revolutionary science of relativity, Einstein's Clocks, Poincaré's Maps is "part history, part science, part adventure, part biography, part meditation on the meaning of modernity....In Galison's telling of science, the meters and wires and epoxy and solder come alive as characters, along with physicists, engineers, technicians and others....Galison has unearthed fascinating material" (New York Times).

Clocks and trains, telegraphs and colonial conquest: the challenges of the late nineteenth century were an indispensable real-world background to the enormous theoretical breakthrough of relativity. And two giants at the foundations of modern science were converging, step-by-step, on the answer: Albert Einstein, an young, obscure German physicist experimenting with measuring time using telegraph networks and with the coordination of clocks at train stations; and the renowned mathematician Henri Poincaré, president of the French Bureau of Longitude, mapping time coordinates across continents. Each found that to understand the newly global world, he had to determine whether there existed a pure time in which simultaneity was absolute or whether time was relative.

Esteemed historian of science Peter Galison has culled new information from rarely seen photographs, forgotten patents, and unexplored archives to tell the fascinating story of two scientists whose concrete, professional preoccupations engaged them in a silent race toward a theory that would conquer the empire of time. 40 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

What was the point of this book?
Why does Poincare get the most attention of all the also rans (although it wasn't a race) assuming this was a major point of the book? "If only" could apply to several other prominent scientists of this era. I skipped the middle because it was too wordy and repetitious. Poincare was more concerned with clock synchronization for reasons of practicality which had nothing to do with relativity and everything to do with signal lag time. Einstein on the other hand was obviously more focused on the constancy of the speed of light and the inconsistencies it created. Some interesting historical accounts (investigation of a mine disaster) did not make up for a weak theme.

A wonderful book
I read this book a while ago, and just came across the reviews on Amazon. I'm surprised to see such negative comments. I thought it was a simply splendid book. If it was too long in parts, I didn't notice--maybe I'm just good at skimming when things are slow. But the thesis, and presentation, I found fascinating.

For a limited audience
Galison has written a very uneven story.It begins with a long, confusing 50 page introduction that assumes a considerable knowledge of the theory of relativity from the reader.This is followed by an often boring, pedantic 150 pages describing late-19th century efforts to synchronize clocks.The connection to relativity is described and justified, but not enough for the length of this section.The level of scientific and historical knowledge alternates between mid-level technical to detailed historical esoterica; e.g., Galison discusses the "Dreyfus affair" as if the reader would know all about it.The final 100 pages consist of a dense discussion of the philosophical and historical implications of Poincare's and Einstein's different choices concerning their approaches to relativity.

This book will be of interest to readers very involved in the history of science.The measurement of longitude is better described by Dava Sobel.Galison does a terrible job with relativity:his discussions on the subject tend to be confusing rather than enlightening.Unless you are particularly interested in the failings of Henri Poincare, or a detailed discussion of the overlap of synchronize timekeeping and the theory of relativity, skip this book.

Interesting
The goal of this book is to provide the context for a momentous shift in physics; the change from Newtonian conceptions of absolute time to the modern theories of relativity/spacetime.For Galison, the key seems to be the shift from an abstract notion of absolute time to an operationally defined definition of time based on signalling between clocks.This change is part of the enormous change from classical physics to modern physics that occured following the turn of the past century.Galison's aim is to show the broad connections between this event and a series of parallel phenomena in contemporary science, technology, and even politics.Galison concentrates on 2 key figures; the great mathematician and physicist Henri Poincare, and his younger and even greater contemporary Albert Einstein.Galison shows very well that issues of time, defintions of universal and local time, and methods of assessing time were broadly important in the late 19th century.The expansion of European empires, the huge increase in international maritime trade, and the development of dense railway networks required more accurate standardization of time and correlation of times at different parts of the globe and within different countries.These practical issues brought questions about defining time and debates over methods of defining time to the fore.Much of this debate required attention to setting conventions for time measurement.At the same time, major issues of physics and philosophy had started to undermine the historic view of absolute time.Galison shows that both Einstein and Poincare were quite deeply embedded in these practical issues.Poincare as a major figure in French science dealt directly with many of these issues on both a national and international scale.Einstein, through his work in the Swiss patent office directly encountered many of the emerging technologies related to time measurement.Both were interested not only in physics related to time but also to philosophical speculation related to time.Einstein would ultimately push physics across the threshold of a truly relativistic account of time though Poincare came very close.While some of this book is redundant, Galison certainly presents a convincing case for the interconnection between the physics of Einstein and Poincare, and the other time related concerns of this period.
While Galison doesn't address this issue specifically, his account is relevant to the famous account of scientific change developed by Thomas Kuhn.It is hard to see the decisive paradigm shift described by Kuhn in Galison's account. Indeed, much of this account seems to vindicate the conclusion of the historian of physics Kragh (Quantum Generations) who sees late 19th century physics as quite dynamic and considerable continuity between the physics of the late 19th century and what came after.

Needs to be shortened
I am in complete agreement with several other reviewers that the book is overly long and redundant. It should have been edited to at least half its size.The last chapter is totally unnecessary. This is a shame because the basic material provides a unique perspective on the history of Relativity that is convincing and illuminating. I don't find fault with the technical level as some other reviewers and I believe the connections between Einstein's and Poincare's work is well made. ... Read more