Product Description

For introductory courses in Earth Science in departments of Geology, Geography, Atmospheric Sciences, and Education.

The twelfth edition of Earth Science offers a user-friendly overview of our physical environment with balanced, up-to-date coverage of geology, oceanography, astronomy, and meteorology for the undergraduate student with little background in science.  The emphasis is on readability, with clear example-driven explanations.  The twelfth edition takes full advantage of the subject’s visual appeal, with discussions reinforced by incredible color photos and superb illustrations by Earth science illustrator and geologist Dennis Tasa.

Customer Reviews (14)

as described, quick delivery
came in sooner than expected, same textbook as described. would definitely recommend seller to friends and family.

science book
the book i ordered is in good condition. no torn pages, no pen or marker marks. good price for product

It's good, but...
I like this Earth Science book.My only issue with it is the entire astrology section revolves around the Big Bang theory and puts the planets and such in that context.Makes it difficult for comprehension because not everyone, myself included, believes in the BBT.

Horrible Service & very rude!
I purchased this book for a three week class. I had issues with another seller forgetting to send my book to me. I purchased this book the day before class paid extra money for it to be shipped Expedia. I understand Amazons rules of Expedia shipping; however I had contact the seller to inform them of my situation of needing the book right away. They sent the book by USPS, witch we all know this takes forever! When I paid for Expedia mail I expect UPS or FedEx. I received the book 4 days later, when the class was already half over. I asked the seller if I could return the book, because I had to go to the school and pay full price for a new book. They were very rude and they cared about is how they spent $10 to ship the book and they did not want to lose that money. I informed them I would pay for the book to be shipped back and pay them the whole $10 they spend to ship the book to me. Only reason I am upset about this seller is not how rude they were, but I e-mailed them immediately to inform them that I needed the book ASAP and they told me not to worry they placed the book in the mail that morning and I would receive it in time.

Earth Science 12th Edition
I received the book I ordered in a timely manner. However, I did note that the bottom right corner was crinkled and peeled back a little bit. Observing other classmates books, they were in the same condition. The damage must have occurred at the book manufacturer. Aside form that, the book is in new condition.
... Read more

Product Description

Train.

Customer Reviews (11)

So much fun
Wow, talk about an adventure---just about everything that can possibly go wrong, does, in this rather unlikely story---with extremely amusing results. But you'll find yourself rooting for the main characters, especially Ry, who reacts to every trouble with outward calm, even if he's panicking inside.

The story is enlivened by the occasional illustration in comic book style. There is one tiny sub-plot, seen from the point of view of a pair of dogs, that is told only through drawings, and it's pretty funny.

I won't over-analyse the story here; other Amazon reviewers have talked about the novel with greater skill than I possess. I'll just say I LOVED THIS BOOK; recommended.

The dust jacket illustration is fantastic; appealing and dynamic and the little drawn-in plane and boat made me smile. Best cover design I've seen for ages.

Not As Easy To Believe Though
Since it is a road trip book about a teenage boy I was thinking it would have some Kerouac inspiration/feel to it. To the author's credit, she does know how to create characters that are warm, interesting, and provide depth to make them seem realistic. I wish the same could be said of her plot.
The story as one reviewer described it seems like a Rube Goldberg machine and unfortunately it is just as unbelievable and odd as one of those machines. The chain of events one after another seem so unrealistic I never could get to the point of suspending disbelief.
In brief without spoiling the plot, the main character, Ry, is taking a train to summer camp when the train stops in the middle of nowhere because of a malfunction. He steps off the train and then further away, in order to get better cell phone reception. Then the train leaves without him. His parents are taking a second honeymoon after a stressful move leaving the grandfather at the new house to take care of the dogs (the dogs are important believe it or not). Each character experiences unlikely mishaps that somehow make it impossible for the main character to let his family know he is lost. (Yes Ry has a cell phone for which he can't seem to find a charger, but even with low battery and the text feature enabled he can't seem to contact the friends who text him and get them to help him.) Other people really found this book charming and wonderful. I just couldn't get there.

Terrific book
I loved this story of a boy who is headed for camp and things start to go wrong. The writing is wonderful and the characters are well rounded.

I purchased the book for my Kindle, and the few scenes with the sketches/dialogue were unreadable. I highly recommend this book but not for the Kindle.

A fantastic book!
My 10-year old son is a voracious reader.It is a challenge to find books that are challenging and interesting enough to really engage him, without covering topics that are more "mature" than I'd like him to read.Despite his hesitancy, because the cover and title didn't telegraph the content of the book (10-year olds are like the rest of us, they do try and judge a book by its cover!), and he tends more towards sports books, he quickly became completely engrossed in the book.The good news it is long enough and challenging enough to read that it lasted him a full week, during which he kept sneaking away to read it some more (good summer fun!).

both light-hearted and deep
I loved this book. First of all, I adore an interesting, new premise -- and this book has that, with its protagonist being sent off to camp by his parents and ending up completely stranded in the middle of nowhere. I found all of the characters engaging.

And the coolest thing of all was how the author dealt with some of the deep issues of life (in
potentially life-threatening situations at times!)in such a light-hearted, flowing way that nonetheless gave full respect to the ways that life is, and how people relate to that.

... Read more

Product Description

Over the years, startling evidence has been uncovered, challenging established notions of the origins of life on Earth—evidence that suggests the existence of an advanced group of extraterrestrials who once inhabited our world.

Customer Reviews (198)

So Very Interesting
This book is not a casual read, but it is well worth the time. So many fascinating ideas and most are supported by factual information. If you have even a passing interest in this premise, read this book. I plan to buy the rest of the series.

A hypothetical analysis of an analytical hypothesis
While I keep an open mind on what Sitchin has written here, while I was reading the book (and the next 7 in the series) a couple of questions couldn't help popping up in my mind. Perhaps these have been resolved by now by Sitchin enthusiasts, in which case I'd be happy to be corrected. The biggest problem with this theory is the clash between Sitchin and modern evolutionary theory. Sitchin would have us believe that life evolved separately on the Earth and Tiamat, from whatever primitive stage it had already reached when they collided. That is, when the inhabitants of Tiamat came back to Earth, they were able to breed with/genetically engineer proto-humans. Yet evolutionary scientists say that even to evolve to the level of pre-human Homo Erectus, for example, would be something practically unique. If you took the seed of life, or some microorganisms, and let them evolve separately on two different planets, even under similar conditions it would be almost impossible for natural selection based on random mutations to produce similar or identical species. Yet that is what Sitchin says happened after the planets separated. I'd be interested if any Sitchin enthusiast could illuminate this problem for us.

However, on the whole I must praise Sitchin for doing intelligent research on this question of extra-terrestrial intervention, as it is certainly a possibility any intelligent person must consider when looking at the question of where we come from. It's NOT just a choice between creationism and evolution. These are just two of a number of possible explanations for the origins of life, and we should be grateful to Sitchin, flawed research and all, for opening up a new line of enquiry.

Twelth Planet
One of the best books I have ever read.Sitchin has done his homework in compiling this enlightening history of our planet with a clear focus on our first civilization, the Sumerians, using ancient clay tablets found in the desert of present day Iraq.A delightful and thought provoking tale which parallels the story of creation in Genesis of the Old Testament.

The Missing Planet
To me this is one of the best alternatives to the bible. As judge Judy says, if it doesn't make sense then it's a lie. The bible to me is a lie. That is my educated opinion.

Also, there is one thing that doesn't make sense to me with regard to The 12th Planet: The proposition that Nibiru has a 3,600 year orbit. As at least two people have observed, how could entities live on a planet that travels in such a deep orbit from our sun survive? Also, over 3,600 years have expired since the planet's last visit.

This is the case of a missing planet. What happened to planet X? Where is it?

Overall, I do like Sitchin's other propositions and consider many of them to be far more feasible than the bible.

Then, we can move on to something even more interesting: "The Grand Design" by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow as well as my own work "Reality of Time - A Definitive Explanation" (available only in softcover for $10.00).

Both works validate the other indirectly.

Intriguing, thought provoking, but lost me several times
This book has lots of very specific details that are very convincing, but this strength is also it's slight weakness....the details go on, and on, and on.I actually took a break from reading it for a couple of weeks before picking it back up, and it was more of the same.I got lost in the details despite my overall interest in the subject matter and the book, and had to "plow" my way through the last half to the end.Overall a 4 star because it is well documented and the next big leap in explaining many previously non-sensical interpretations of archealogical discoveries. ... Read more

Product Description
The triumphant return of the New York Times-bestselling, critically acclaimed fantasy series that has become a modern classic.

Since their publication more than two decades ago, the initial six books in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series have sold more than 6 million copies and have been published in ten countries around the world. Now, starting with The Runes of the Earth, Stephen R. Donaldson returns with a quartet of new Covenant novels that are certain to satisfy his millions of fans, and attract countless new followers.

In the original series, a man-living in our world and in our time-is mysteriously struck down with a disease long since believed to have been eradicated. He becomes a pariah in his small town and is abandoned by his wife who departs with their infant son. Alone and despairing, Thomas Covenant falls and, while unconscious, is transported to a fantastic world in which a battle for the soul of the land is being waged. Christened "The Unbeliever"-for he is convinced the world is only an illusion, a dream-he finds himself slowly forced to accept the role that seems to be his destiny: savior of the Land.

At the end of the sixth book, Covenant is killed, both in the real world and in the Land, as his companion, Linden Avery, looks on in horror. His death is both the ultimate sacrifice-and his redemption.

At the opening of The Runes of Earth, ten years have passed. Linden Avery comes home one day to find her child building images of the Land with blocks, and senses a terrible foreboding. She had thought that she would never again be summoned to the Land-nor ever again see her beloved Thomas Covenant. But in the Land, evil is unmaking the very laws of nature. . . .Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

Worth the Wait
More than two decades after he completed the Second Chronicles, Stephen R. Donaldson has begun a third series about the leprous Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. In this Amazon.com exclusive essay, Donaldson explains why The Runes of the Earth has been so long in the making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (165)

Best in the series
Background: I just went back and re-read the entire first two series after some 25 years, and now I'm reading this one.

Contrary to some other reviewers, I enjoyed The Runes of the Earth even more than the first series. It feels richer and more complex, and for me even the "non-action" passages are compellingly good. It also seems driven more by mystery than the previous books, and to me everything fits together just fine. I am also enjoying Linden Avery rather more than Thomas Covenant, as memorable as he is. This has been the best book I've read in a long time.

Side note: I am in the middle of Fatal Revenant now, and I am not enjoying it as much, but that's another review.

Great Donaldson so far.
I haven't completed this book yet. So far it is similar to the previous Covenant books. I really like it so far. Hope it continues that way!

Welcome Back Mr. Donaldson!
Stephen R. Donaldson's The Runes of the Earth brings us back to The Land where Thomas Covenant was the White Gold Wielder. For those of you who have not read the first six books of this series you'll want to start with Lord Foul's Bane. Mr. Donaldson does not disappoint in this much anticipated sequel set thousands of years after the first 2 series. I won't get into details because I really don't want to give away anything from the first 6 books for those of you who may be interested. However this time around we are following Dr. Linden Avery as she is transported back into The Land that she shared with her love Thomas Covenant. Although it had only been ten years in the real world thousands of years have passed in The Land. Mr. Donaldson does what he does best and that's get inside the head of the characters in such a way that you feel their innermost parts. Their thoughts and emotions are just as much an adventure as the story that unfolds around them. I can do nothing but praise these books for what they are...true fantasy at it's finest.

One of the most important things that I appreciated about this book is that Mr. Donaldson took the time to recap all six previous books and the main plot. Since it has been several years since the previous six books this was refreshing for me personally. Typical of his books they start out a little slow for my liking however once you get past the first couple chapters (yet still very important) you are transported into a fantasy off epic proportions. (I always wanted to say that)

I give The Runes of the Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant a rating of MUST READ for all you fantasy fans out there. I would however caution folks that this is not an easy read but a bit more complex than the average fantasy book that I've read in a while.

Sincerely,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy

Wordy
'The Runes of the Earth' is the first book in the 'The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant', this coming some 20 years after the publication of 'The Second Chronicles'. It's good to be back in the Land but 'Runes of the Earth' is definitely a weak link in the series. Donaldson is even more verbose than in prior books and the plot moves forward very slowly as the events of the prior books rehashed over and over. The result is that not much new seems to happen in this one. Also not much seems to have changed in the Land in the many centuries since Linden was last there, the same peoples, cultures even the same villages. It might as well have been five years since Linden was last in the Land, for all the difference it makes.
It all seems very stale, hopefully the next book in the series will add something new.

Way to long and uninteresting
I have previously read all of the CTC and enjoyed them. So I bought this book thinking they would be as good.Sadly this one isn't.It's way too long and complicated.Too slow a read to be engaging. ... Read more

Product Description
These ever popular guides include study tips, test-taking strategies, score analysis charts, and other valuable features. Each book contains between 5 and 20 recently given New York State high school Regents exams. They are an ideal source of practice and test preparation. The detailed answer explanations make each exam a practical learning experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent
I reccomend that the best way for studying for the regents is taking practice tests after practice tests. You soon to being to basically memorize the questions on it. I got a 98 on the regents and tauight myself the whole course.

Time to hit the books!
This book is good because it gives you many example problems that really were on the Regents and many of the problems appear again and again just with different numbers.It was very helpful and after doing all the problems and self-correcting myslef and then see why I got the answers wrong (or even right) by the explanation section, it was worth the time and money to get this book.It is a tool that will help you get through your studing in a great way.

This book is a great studying tool
Barron's Regents Exams and Answers : Earth Science is one of the most valuable tools in studying for the New York state regents exam in Earth Science.It has many of the past regents to practice from, answersexplained, and tips for when you take the regents.In the answersexplained section it will tell you why the answer is right and even whyother answers are wrong!I got a 95 on the regents with the help of thisbook.If you are taking Earth Science I would highly recommend that youget this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Climate, sea level, and ice sheets have always changed, and the changes observed today are less than those of the past. Climate changes are cyclical and are driven by the Earth's position in the galaxy, the sun, wobbles in the Earth's orbit, ocean currents, and plate tectonics. In previous times, atmospheric carbon dioxide was far higher than at present but did not drive climate change. No runaway greenhouse effect or acid oceans occurred during times of excessively high carbon dioxide. During past glaciations, carbon dioxide was higher than it is today. The non-scientific popular political view is that humans change climate. Do we have reason for concern about possible human-induced climate change?

This book's 504 pages and over 2,300 references to peer-reviewed scientific literature and other authoritative sources engagingly synthesize what we know about the sun, earth, ice, water, and air. Importantly, in a parallel to his 1994 book challengingcreation science, Telling Lies for God, Ian Plimer describes Al Gore's book and movie An Inconvenient Truth as long on scientific misrepresentations. Trying to deal with these misrepresentations is somewhat like trying to argue with creationists, he writes, who misquote, concoct evidence, quote out of context, ignore contrary evidence, and create evidence ex nihilo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (114)

This really is a dreadful book.
Ian Plimer has done something that I thought was impossible; got so many science facts wrong in such little space.

Did you know that:

The Sun is a pulsar?The sole reference is a 1977 paper of 2 pages in Nature entitled "Is the Sun a pulsar?"Well, is it?What has been written since then?

"The transition from a global ice age to global warming at about 250 Ma" (million years ago) "was characterised by huge rises (to 2000 ppmv) and falls (to 280 ppmv) in the amount of atmospheric CO2.During this time plant and animal life thrived".250 million years ago was the time of the end of Permian mass extinction, the greatest mass extinction known.

The non-avian dinosaurs weren't done in by the asteroid off Mexico 65 million years ago?Actually, there is a respectable minority scientific opinion that the Deccan traps super-volcano in India had a major role, and that the Mexican meteorite was just the coup de grace.But it is a minority opinion, although one that still gets respect, as being one that can be argued.

And Ian Pilmer makes many, many more mistakes of this nature.

In the chapter on the Earth, Plimer has a section entitled "Milanokovitch wobble theory wobbles".He concludes;"Climate is related to Milankovitch cycle wobbles-we just don't know how".Actually, it would have been more accurate to have written "Climate is related to Milankovitch cycle wobbles-Ian Plimer just doesn't know how".

Actually, I suspect that he knows it perfectly, but wants to buttress his argument that it's solely the variable energy output of the Sun that drives climate variation, using apparent climate change on Mars, Jupiter and Pluto.If he admits Milankovitch cycles as being significant, it raises the question whether other planetary bodies also have something similar to Milankovitch cycles.If so, then Ian Plimer would need to give reasons why he doubts this possibility.Mars for example tilts through 90 degrees on its axis frequently and abruptly.Pluto, before it stopped being a planet, used to be the 8th planet from the Sun because its orbit is so eccentric.

Milankovitch cycles are actually very simple:

There's a 100,000 year cycle of orbital eccentricity; the orbit goes from being more circular to being more eccentric with greater difference between perihelion (the closest distance and strong heating) and aphelion (furthest distance and less heating).
There's a 41,000 year cycle of axial tilt from 24.5 to 21.5 degrees.When the angle of tilt is greater, more heat is received at the poles in Summer, because the Solar rays are striking the Earth more vertically.
There's a 21,000 year cycle of precession (the wobble, currently Polaris is the polestar, 1n 11,000 years, the axis of Earth's rotation will be pointed directly at Vega).Precession doesn't directly affect climate (in-spite of what Plimer says).It just affects the timing of Summer;currently the Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is in June.In 11,000 years it will be in December, and if the orbit and tilt is much the same, precession indirectly will affect climate because the Northern hemisphere Summer will be hotter (currently perihelion is in January) and shorter (Kepler's laws of planetary orbit).

Ian Plimer has come up with a marvellous howler;"In about 9,000 years, perihelion will occur in the Northern Hemisphere and aphelion in the Southern Hemisphere, the reverse of today".I think I know what he was trying to say, but what he has written is that the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are separated by the difference in distance between perihelion and aphelion, currently about 5,000,000 kilometres (I knew that flying from America to Australia takes a long time, but I didn't know that it was that far ...)

In another part he writes;"Furthermore, although the increased ice and snow"(in an ice age)"would reflect reflect more energy back into space the increased amount of land exposed"(in the continental shelves)"would result in less reflection of energy back into space from the enlarged land masses".This is actually a monumental fail;the albedo of oceans is the minimum (that's the reason why oceans warm the climate-the Sun's rays penetrate water and heat it at depth.Land has a greater albedo and reflects more light.Exposing more land will also increase not lessen reflection of energy into space and increase cooling.

And he makes many similar errors throughout the book.

To save your time reading it, in summary, Plimer argues that in the past, the climate has been hotter or colder.The carbon dioxide levels have been higher or lower, and often increasing carbon dioxide levels follow rather than precede global warming.Computer climate models are inaccurate.

Actually, I wouldn't disagree with any of these assertions.

I also agree with his statement that to understand the present and future, you have to understand the past, and it's my understanding of the past that worries me about the future.

We are currently in an ice age which has existed for around 3 million years, in an interglacial which has lasted for at least 10,000 years.The previous 3 or 4 interglacials lasted only 1-2,000 years, before abruptly diving back into glacial periods (and that's one of the lessons I take from the past; climate is chaotic non-linear with a lot of abrupt changes, what I'd call 'tipping points').The current interglacial is different in that it has lasted much longer and has been very kind to humans, Little Ice Age here and there notwithstanding, in that the human population has increased from a few million to almost 7 billion.William Ruddiman in "Plows, Plagues and Petroleum" (an authority cited several times in Plimer's book) has argued that the present interglacial is different because humans wrested control of climate from nature 8,000 years ago with agriculture and land clearing, and the past 200 years of the Industrial Age is only different in degree not nature.

I agree the IPCC is primarily a political body.I agree that scientists shouldn't play politics;they should just report the facts and indicate the uncertainties (and there are a lot of uncertainties) and leave it to the politicians to set policy (that's what they are paid to do, to decide on courses of action when the facts are not definitely known; consider George W Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq on the basis of "weapons of mass destruction".

A useful principle to apply to difficult problems such as global warming is to ask; are there any other reasons for action?

The reason usually given for action is that climate change will be disastrous for humans.I personally agree with this;the present global climate is very benign, and any change is much more likely to be a deterioration rather than an improvement.

Mitigation (decarbonising the economy) is going to be very difficult and expensive, but it's going to have to be done eventually, because fossil fuels are finite (even coal is going to run out in 200 years), and global energy needs will only increase because the growing world population and the desire of people in the developing world to improve their living standards (currently 1.5 billion people don't even have access to electricity).If we are going to have to mitigate, now is the time to do it, while we still have (relatively) cheap energy.

Adaptation may be even more difficult.With 7 billion humans, mass-migration will be impossible, our crops are selected to be suited to the present climate and genetic engineering may not succeed, and many of the countries most threatened by climate change have nuclear weapons, and know where we are ...

Another thing (in conclusion) I didn't like about Ian Plimer's book was the insulting tone he adopted throughout, even when not necessary and only in an attempt to get cheap laughs;one example is when he writes;"In 2008, a somewhat naive and enthusiastic Englishman almost perished trying to paddle a kayak to the North Pole to highlight the effects of human induced global warming.He could only paddle to 960 km from the Pole.In 1893, Nansen was able to Kayak to 800 km from the North Pole.The pathetic Pythonesque paddle was to prove global warming had reduced the extent of sea ice.It demonstrated the exact opposite".

Well, actually no.Not only is it snide but it's also not factual.

In a stunt (and I'd describe it as a stunt), Lewis Gordon Pugh attempted to paddle 1200 km from Svalbard accompanied by a ship, on which he was going to sleep (doesn't sound particularly dangerous to me), but it was abandoned after 135 km because wind had blown pack ice south making it impossible for the ship to find a path through the ice (I have been on a ship in that area, and I tell you, you don't want to get caught in the ice, because you may be there for days or weeks).The reference to Nansen is about the very famous 'Fram' expedition, when Nansen wanted to see if he could reach the North Pole by lodging his ship the 'Fram' in the polar ice north of Siberia and emerging north of Svalbard (that's the direction the ice takes).When it became apparent that he'd misjudged the entry point and that they were going to miss the North Pole, he and a companion took a sled and kayak to attempt to trek across the icecap to the Pole (the kayak was necessary, because once they left the ship, they'd never be able to find it again).They were kayaking 800 km AWAY from the Pole not TO the Pole (the alternative to failure would have been death, the possibility of death is ALWAYS a very powerful motivating force to make you do things that you would otherwise avoid; also they were real men back in the 19th century ...).

Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science
Is a well constructed and writen book with scientifical support. It is a brave text that is based on real information. It is an independent and honest vision of the Climate change and of the global warming without complexes or concessions opportunists. Well writtenand with an accessible language to all the public . Many authors as this are needed to finish with the current unreasonableness at the momentinterpreting the change of the climate with a base of real information and that have been twisted by other investigators but that the author treats with honesty and clarity.

Full of errors
Warning: do not believe anything you read in this book without checking it out. I had heard that this was a well-researched book with tons of footnotes by a respected scientist, but to say I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the work is an understatement. It is very biased and full of claims that are not true. Even the charts and graphs are misleading and full of mistakes or distortions. For example, he claims or infers that climate scientists say things that they don't say (such as "CO2 is pollution"). He also claims that there is "little or no geological, archaeological and historical input into discussions about climate change." The reality is that an entire sub-field (paleoclimatology) is devoted to these things. In fact, their work indicates the world will probably warm faster than the models do. When he makes claims that contradict what the climate scientists are saying, he usually doesn't back them up, either with footnotes or with logic.

Many of the mistakes are so basic and so huge that I can only conclude that Plimer is deliberately trying to mislead people. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people will never take the time to check up on what he writes, and they will probably just accept his conclusions as truth. This book is often touted as the best scientific retort to the climate scientists. If so, there is no question which side is correct and is really trying to discover the truth.

I will give one example of the horrible quality of the scientific work, but the book is full of things like this. The very first graph, Figure 1, says that it "shows the hypothesis that human emissions of CO2 create global warming is invalid." Even if the graph didn't have huge problems, it would not prove that at all. It would only show that the temperature did not rise as quickly as the IPCC predicted over a short period of time. But I have looked at graphs of recent temperature before, and something didn't look right: he shows the temperature dropping sharply the last year he covers. Another thing I noticed was that even though the graph shows relative temperature (not absolute), you can't tell where the baseline is. The baseline is the comparison point, where the temperature change is zero, and all of the lines should meet at this point. Any scientist knows that when you are comparing relative temperatures, you need to show the baseline. As I investigated more, I realized why he didn't show it.

As usual when he made important claims, he did not say where he got the data. But I knew that B1, A1B, and A2 were scenarios the IPCC used in its predictions, and it was not too difficult to find the official data by searching on the web for the IPCC reports, then searching inside those PDFs. The baseline was clearly shown. I also knew that HadCRUT stood for Hadley CRU Temperature, and it was easy to find that data on the web too (search for "Global Temperature Record" "Climatic Research Unit", click on the "Comma-Separated Values" link, if you want the raw data). First of all, as I suspected, the temperature did not drop nearly as much in 2008 as it shows on Plimer's graph. His graph shows the Hadley numbers dropping 0.33 degrees, when they really only dropped 0.077 degrees. In other words, he multiplied the change by more than 4 times! (The next year the temperature went up 0.113 degrees.)

Others have caught this error too (if you search the web, you can find long list of errors that others have found in this book). But I don't know if anyone else caught an even worse problem. The reason he didn't say what the baseline was is that he used different baselines for the temperature and the IPCC predictions! He shifted the temperature down 0.15 degrees compared to the predictions in order to make it look like the predictions were off. If you think these distortions are minor, then try plotting the graph using the same baseline and the real temperature change for 2008. You'll see that the predictions match the temperature very well. In fact the temperature has risen slightly FASTER than the predictions. An accurate graph would show exactly the opposite of what Plimer says his graph shows.

If Plimer cared about the truth, or if he was a good scientist, he never would have published a book like this, and he certainly would have published corrections to at least some of the hundreds of errors and distortions that people have found. If anyone can find this let me know, but I've searched very hard and have found nothing. I can only conclude that Plimer is not trying to educate people, that he has an agenda and is trying to sway public opinion by publishing propaganda (or his "beliefs") and pretending that it is science. If he did this deliberately, that is dishonest. If not, he is incompetent. Either way, why would you want to read this book?

Great Book
I liked this book a great deal despite it's sometimes technical aspects. It showed how simplistic, ideological and political the IPCC is when it comes to science. I have read alot about Michael Mann's and hockey stick chart and it's good to know there are many serious scientists out there diligently working away.

"Consensus" Clobbered by Pugnacious Aussie
What I did not like:

1)Too disjointed in parts; could have been boiled down a bit in places.
2)Occassional assertions that while editorially entertaining are not fully substantiated by the data.

What I did like:

1)Excellent and comprehensive deconstruction of the premises of anthropogenic global warming from the perspective of a variety of physical sciences.
2)Insistence on the scientific method - and his scathing dressing down of those who push "the science is settled" line. ... Read more

Product Description
A Vietnamese woman describes her journey from war-torn central Vietnam to the United States, recounting how she endured imprisonment, torture, rape, near-starvation, and the deaths of members of her family. Reprint. Movie tie-in. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

A Vietnamese survivor...
This book was originally written in English, and published as "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places."I was in France at the time, purchased the French edition, with the not quite literally translated title of "Entre le ciel et la terre," but with a much more evocative cover. This review is posted under both editions.

Her book is a very important one, if for no other reason than she tells of the Vietnam War(s) from the point of view of a Vietnamese female who has lived in both the Vietnamese and American culture, and experienced both the French war (and she still has nightmares of her first experience with one of their mercenaries from Morocco) and the American war. Underscoring her cultural straddle, one does not know whether to call her Ms. Le, or Mrs. Hayslip. Concerning her perspective, consider that during the trial of the American soldiers involved in the My Lai massacre, not a single Vietnamese was called to testify. It was as though they were only the background, unable to state what had happened to them, and thus the books on the Vietnamese experience in the war, and there are now several by women, are all the more valuable.

After she experienced the French war as a small girl, she would eventually become a dedicated cadre of the Viet Cong. Internal strife within the movement eventually forced her to the other side, and she tried to survive, associated with Americans. Part of the ultimate strength of the book is in the chapter, "To sell my body," in which she describes her life as a prostitute, the only viable way she could earn a livelihood. This is one of the most underreported (for some obvious reasons) aspects of the American involvement in Vietnam; the creation of an immense pool of "comfort women." Various articles have appeared in American news journals over the last decade concerning the compensation issue to Korean women who served in the same role to Japanese troops in the Second World War, but there has never been mention of compensation by Americans to these women. So, it is very much to Ms. Le's credit that she is willing to discuss this deeply personal, and in many ways humiliating matter. There are also large sections describing the horrors visited upon her, and other civilians, by both sides, the Viet Cong, as well as the ARVN. She eventually manages to escape this nightmare by marrying an American, many years her senior, and emigrating to the United States. Even there she is pursued by the on-going ramifications of that conflict, including the suicide of that husband. Her experience constitutes another "Book of Job," yet she is compelled to return to the country, during the first opening to the West, in 1986, to see her relatives. Oliver Stone made this book into a most moving movie, staring Tommy Lee Jones and Hiep Thi Le.

There is no question that all events in the book did occur during this terrible conflict, but I question if they actually occurred to her. I was not near Da Nang during the war (I was further south, in Binh Dinh province, and in the Central Highlands), but I note with much interest the review posted by James Chaffee who was there, and details numerous discrepancies in the book which have not been answered. Also, another reviewer, Sonia Haya shares the sentiment that this is not a totally accurate memoir, but tends more to be a historical novel. Certainly if this is true, it fits into a larger pattern of books that purport to be "true stories" that range from an embroidery of actual events to a complete fabrication (see books ranging from "A Million Little Pieces" to "Love and Consequences").And, of course, there are others.

My "gut" feeling is that 50% of the events in the book actually happened to the author, and the other 50% are a composite of actual events that happened to others, and for this reason, despite the fact that she has written a good book, describing issues that are certainly underreported, I can only give the book a 4-star rating.

Memoir or historical novel?
While the "memoir" provides an interesting and informative view of life inside Viet Nam during the war, taken as a whole with a dose of critical thinking it left me with questions of its validity. The story is interesting and the writing is great. Oddly, Le Ly either experienced firsthand or had a family member who experienced nearly every imaginable situation during the Viet Nam War - every demographic is represented. Having an immediate family member involved in every existing faction, being raped so many times the reader loses count, being victimized in some way in every situation, marrying an aged American and receiving a financial windfall, and portraying her reception by 2 government officials in Viet Nam in 1986 as an American diplomat offering opportunities to improve relations between the countries was absurd to me. I felt that I had been duped and the story appears as a historical novel ("American Diaries" for adults) with the intent to provide the reader with a general feel of Viet Nam during the war, not a factual memoir.

Good debut!
Hayslip did a really good job with this as a first book, even if it is a memoir. It was interesting to learn how Vietnamese people lived in their country during such a long and harsh war. If anybody ever wanted to know, read Hayslip's works. As the daughter of a Hoa (Chinese born and raised in Vietnam, namely, Cantonese and Saigon), it was great to have some accounts of what was happening as my father grew up in Vietnam (although he says that most of this stuff happened in smaller towns, and the presence of American soldiers in Saigon, the largest city in Vietnam, made it difficult for any harm to enter).

As the youngest of seven, Hayslip (born Phung Le Ly) grew up in a small village in rural central Vietnam, alternating between Binh Ky and Ky La. However, the family lived in a community near the fault line between Northern and Southern Vietnam. As politicial views of neighboring residents shifted, Hayslip and village children are approached by Vietcong. They begin working for them as spies, but all of this ends when Southern Vietnamese discover what the children have been doing. As punishment, they arrest and torture whoever worked for the Vietcong, as in their eyes, this was seen as a form of "helping" the Northern Vietnamese; both countries were against each other in that time era. As her siblings are many years older than her, they have all moved out or died.

At the age of fourteen, Hayslip is raped twice in a row by soldiers. She and her mother leave their village for Da Nang, but soon move to Saigon. The following year, Hayslip gives birth to her son after she begins working for a wealthy Vietnamese family. The father is the landlord, Anh. His wife is displeased with Hayslip's pregnancy and relationship with her husband, so she orders them back to Da Nang.

Hayslip begins a string of occupations: black-market merchant, waitress, and assistant in hospitals. A couple of times, she even has casual sex with European American soldiers for money. Throughout it all, when Hayslip's son is around three years old, her father commits suicide, which shocks and upsets the family. After several failed relationships, Hayslip meets Ed Munro in 1969. Despite the fact that he is almost three times her age, Hayslip has another son with Mundro. Her family does not approve of him, but he announces his plans to wed Hayslip and bring her to live in California with him.

Right after her twentieth birthday, Hayslip is living in San Diego with two young sons. Just two years after their arrival, Munro becomes severely ill with emphysema. Hayslip remarries a third and final time, taking her last husband's surname. Unfortunately, he also dies while her third and final child is still in infancy.

After another twenty years, Hayslip returns to Vietnam in 1989 to visit the remaining family she has not seen in so long. Unfortunately, her mother has not aged well, and her own siblings and former companions no longer trust her, as they thought she shouldn't of married foreigners and left the country. Racial tensions and awkwardness are still present.

It was incredibly heartbreaking for me to learn that someone would have to go through all this. Hayslip's attitude towards all of it, though, was even more remarkable. She never blamed anything or anyone, nor did she ever lose hope. People may say she was too young to have logged all of the tragic political events and two kids at twenty, but it's really paid off now: the three sons all went to college when she hit forty, and she no longer has to worry about her life in the past or present.

Her writing style was confusing, and I do wish she had organized the more recent trip back to Vietnam and what happened in her early life better. Still, she didn't have a chance to pursue education in Vietnam, leaving when her age was still in single digits. I also feel some parts of the book were excessively detailed or lengthy, as others have mentioned. For that, four stars.

Not in as good a shape as indicated
Not in as good a shape as indicated - many wrinkled pages that seem like water damage, ripped cover - readable for sure, but just not in as good a shape as the seller reported.

A must read
Wow. I loved this book (even though the emotional story was a bit of a tear jerker). I was heading to Vietnam and wanted to learn a little about the Vietnam (although in Vietnam it is called the American) war.This story gave me a sense of what the people went through, what the country must have been like during those days for people and further reinforced the travisty of wars. I will be sharing my copy with my family to read as I am sure they will all love it too. ... Read more

Product Description
Bill Johnson’s When Heaven Invades Earth becomes a course of training through the use of this study tool. This journal/study guide takes the foundations laid by the author and constructs a framework to engage the miraculous through 40 days of exercises and meditations. It focuses on walking in the divine as a lifestyle, shaping one’s attitudes and worldview.

Use this tool as a personal guide to apply the book as you read. Or retrace the book by answering the questions with a small group of people who, like you, desire to walk in the supernatural power of God.

Challenge yourself to make a 40-day commitment to:
* Widen your understanding of the miraculous
* Embrace the attitudes and mindsets that propagate miracles
* Engage your spirit to invade earth with heaven’s principles ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent equipping tool
This book is thought-provoking and an excellent tool for those desiring to be equipped in the Kingdom principles. A great resource to get more out of the accompanying book.

Bill Johnson and Mathematical Proofs
The core of the book is fairly simple: heaven is invading earth as seen through power encounters with the kingdom of darkness. Christians are to step out in faith and expect signs and wonders to follow them.

And to that, I say "Amen."Well, maybe `amen' with a little `a' as there was a lot of stuff in the book that did not sit well with me. As I read the book I kept thinking about mathematical proofs...

In high school geometry, my math teacher stressed the importance of using mathematical proofs to solve an equation. Each proof was to be a convincing demonstration that the mathematical statement shown is necessarily true. The problem was that I hated doing proofs as I could solve the problem in my head quicker then writing out each theorem.

Theology is like this. Sometimes we can skip steps and come out with the correct answer...yet, other times we miss the boat.

Specifically, Johnson seems way too focused on individual faith and anti-intellectualism. While I recognize that faith - or the belief that God can and will heal people today - is important, I see a danger in believing that it is my faith, your faith or anyone faith that heals people.

Having grown up in a Pentecostal/Charismatic family, I know first hand the pain that comes with being told that you are the reason someone did not get healed (i.e. "if you had had enough faith, that person would heal today"). Not only does this theology hurts people, it isn't actually biblical (check out Authority to Heal by Ken Blue or Power Healing by John Wimber for more information on that point).

This leads me to Johnson's anti-intellectualism. Throughout the entire book, Johnson kept slamming people who use their brains to study the Bible or theology (note that theology is simply the study of God - meaning that every time you apply a Bible verse to your life, you are `doing' theology). Yes, Johnson says that Christians should study the Bible, but he does this after spending large chucks of time preaching against intellectual study of the Bible - meaning that the overall feeling one gets from the book is "don't use your head, just use your heart and emotions."

Again, having grown up thinking that "theology" was a cuss word, I know this mindset very well. Johnson (and others like him) is reacting against the removal of the Holy Spirit and the power of God by mainline church theologians in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, in reacting, I think he goes too far the other way, over emphasizingthe experiential nature of Christianity.

To me, being a follower of Jesus means using my heart, mind, soul and spirit. It is about being a full human being and not about separating myself into small fragments (i.e. "God can have my heart and spirit, but I get to keep my mind"). We need to return to the days when Spirit-filled, power infused Christians were the top scholars and theologians (yes, there were days like this!)

Changed my life.
I believed in miracles, why didn't I see them?This book challenged me.It made me question my values and where I had settled for a weaker Christianity.

Great devotional
Please get both this, and the book of the same name... they are absolutely excellent!

Perfect Title!
Another great book by Bill Johnson!He has so much meat in every devotional, time just slips away while I'm deep in God's Word.This book, as with all of B. Johnson's books, makes me hungry for more of a revelation of God.I've learned so much from Bill Johnson's teachings and it's helped me so much in my spiritual walk with the Lord.This is an awesome devotional! ... Read more

Product Description
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the South Pole was the most coveted prize in the fiercely nationalistic modern age of exploration. In the brilliant dual biography, the award-winning writer Roland Huntford re-examines every detail of the great race to the South Pole between Britain's Robert Scott and Norway's Roald Amundsen. Scott, who dies along with four of his men only eleven miles from his next cache of supplies, became Britain's beloved failure, while Amundsen, who not only beat Scott to the Pole but returned alive, was largely forgotten. This account of their race is a gripping, highly readable history that captures the driving ambitions of the era and the complex, often deeply flawed men who were charged with carrying them out. THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH is the first of Huntford's masterly trilogy of polar biographies. It is also the only work on the subject in the English language based on the original Norwegian sources, to which Huntford returned to revise and update this edition.Amazon.com Review
On December 14, 1911, the classical age of polar explorationended when Norway's Roald Amundsen conquered the South Pole. Hiscompetitor for the prize, Britain's Robert Scott, arrived one monthlater--but died on the return with four of his men only 11 miles fromtheir next cache of supplies. But it was Scott, ironically, who becamethe legend, Britain's heroic failure, "a monument to sheer ambitionand bull-headed persistence. His achievement was to perpetuate theromantic myth of the explorer as martyr, and ... to glorify sufferingand self-sacrifice as ends in themselves." The world promptly forgotabout Amundsen.

Biographer Ronald Huntford's attempt to restoreAmundsen to glory, first published in 1979 under the title Scottand Amundsen, has been thawed as part of the Modern LibraryExploration series, captained by Jon Krakauer (ofInto Thin Airfame). The Last Place on Earth is a complex and fascinatingaccount of the race for this last great terrestrial goal, and it'spointedly geared toward demythologizing Scott. Though this was the ageof the amateur explorer, Amundsen was a professional: he left littleto chance, apprenticed with Eskimos, and obsessed over everydetail. While Scott clung fast to the British rule of "No skis, nodogs," Amundsen understood that both were vital to survival, and theyclearly won him the Pole.

Amundsen in Huntford's view is the "lastgreat Viking" and Scott his bungling opposite: "stupid ... recklesslyincompetent," and irresponsible in the extreme--failings that cost himand his teammates their lives. Yet for all of Scott's real orexaggerated faults, he understood far better than Amundsen the powerof a well-crafted sentence. Scott's diaries were recoveredand widely published, and if the world insisted on lionizing Scott, itwas partly because he told a better story. Huntford's bias aside, it'sclear that both Scott and Amundsen were valiant and deeplyflawed. "Scott ... had set out to be an heroic example. Amundsenmerely wanted to be first at the pole. Both had their prayersanswered." --Svenja Soldovieri ... Read more

Customer Reviews (80)

Classic Adventure Told in Style, Gives Amundsen his Due
Reading this book and watching the accompanying docudrama on PBS is the reason why I am going next year on a cruise to Antarctica.I won't come near the South Pole, but seeing and photographing the White Continent and its animals, ice, and nature at its most primal will be good enough.

"The Last Place on Earth" is a wonderfully told story of the competition between Scott and Amundsen to get to the South Pole.The author tells his tale in a way that is captivating and loaded with fascinating history as well.

I was less pleased with Huntford's following book about Shackleton because it seemed under-documented (albeit very readable.But "The Last Place on Earth" does not have those faults.Is it perfect and perfectly fair?No, but I think Huntford does history a service by spending as much time on Amundsen as the better known Scott.

Reading some of the reviews of this book on amazon.co.uk is almost comical.A number of reviewers talk about the book being a hysterical character assassination.I saw no evidence of that.People are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts as the late Senator Patrick Moynihan once observed and the fact about the race to the South Pole are pretty stark:

1.Amundsen got his polar party to the South Pole well ahead of Scott and he brought all of his men back alive and possibly in better health than they were when they started out.

2.Scott got himself and his polar party all killed and arrived at the pole a very distant second.

Yet Scott gets all the glory and gets apologia written about him while Amundsen remains obscure.That is not right and Huntford has done a lot to set the record straight.

Good read
Very detailed account of the race to the South Pole between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Admunsen. This book will appeal to readers who have a more pragmatic and result oriented outlook on life and not so much to the more romantic and idealistic. Huntford conveys in a brilliant and well researched narrative the fundamental differences between both expeditions: Scott's, driven by the past, the glory of the British Empire, and the British people; and Admunsen'sgoing forward toward the future and a more modern "professional" attitude in exploration and sports in general.
This change in the approach to Polar expedition is paralleled in the mountaineering world.

Fantastic
An interesting and in-depth book of exactly what they went through to pave the way for those who dream of ploring. The last of the great discoverers. An insightful glance into how tough these men really were. A fantastic read.

Can't Put It Down!
The Last Place On Earth most deservedly earns the many five-star ratings listed on Amazon.Neither an avid reader nor a Antarctic aficionado, I found myself unable to put this book down.Huntford sets out on his own ambitious quest to tell the parallel tales of Scott and Amundsen's race to the pole in 560+ pages crafted to maintain the reader's interest.In this quest, Huntford is the master.

Huntford switches between Amundsen and Scott on a roughly per-chapter basis.A lesser author would render such a work either too choppy or slow enough for the reader to lose track.Huntford's treatment of the expeditions flows nicely, provides all of the detail of interest and none of the superfluous page-filler."The Last Place On Earth" seems daunting at over 1" thick, but turns out to be a pleasantly brisk read.It was a sad moment to actually finish the book.

Yes, as so many point out, Huntford clearly holds Amundsen in a great light and Scott, well, shall we say "at the other pole".Yet one cannot help but understand this sentiment, as Huntford thoroughly explains and "justifies" this view.Is it unfair to call Amundsen the master, and Scott the bungler when the objective evidence leaves no other conclusion?This bias, though pervasive, does not detract from the book's factual and adventure value.

Amundsen's triumph and Scott's tragedy serve as object lessons in leadership, logistics, and planning.One can learn much from this book and apply it to almost any enterprise.It is only the sharp contrast in the explorers' styles that provides these lessons, and warns of their profoundly different outcomes.

The section about Kathleen Scott's alleged affair could just as well have been left out.I saw no reference notation in the text, and without substantiation, it really doesn't belong especially in light of the book's matter-of-fact tone.This was one of the few instances where Huntford seemed unjustifiably hard on Scott.Although Huntford convinced me that Scott was clueless and brought his fate on himself, Scott's last chapter made me feel truly sorry for him.

Read "The Last Place On Earth".It will pay great dividends for a small investment of your time.

Just excellent. Read it to learn the truth.
This book is so good and so changed the hero worship apologist views of Scott that, all by itself, it spawned a whole set of NEW apologist rebuttals. Some of these books just can't accept the truth, and perhaps the only one that deserves a response is the work by Susan Solomon, a meteorologist, who contends that Scott may have made errors, but was basically the victim of "bad weather".

First, it's entirely unsurprising to expect a certain amount of bad weather at the South Pole(!), but the contention is that that the weather was even worse than what should have been expected. Perhaps, but the uncomfortable truth remains that Amundsen and his crew completed the journey (and gained weight on the return from the Pole), while Scott literally froze and starved.

What accounts for the difference?

Aside from much better technique, in all matters large (dogs vs ponies) and small (food that was less prone to cause scurvy), Amundsen did not presume on the weather. He started early---even a little too early with a false start---and was thus finished with the journey when the cold weather came to finish off Scott.

Is this luck on the part of Amundsen or bad judgement by Scott? Deciding that question is a matter of hindsight, but we can compare the record of the two on other matters. In every case, Amundsen allowed generous, even enormous safety factors (for example, literally abandoning food on the return from the pole, while Scott was starving), while Scott cut everything close. In essence, Scott expected all variables, including the weather, to be arranged for his convenience, while Amundsen took a humble and conservative approach since he was venturing into a total unknown.

Scott followed closely, in fact almost exactly, the route that had been pioneered by Shackelton, who came within 90 miles of the pole. This may have encouraged Scott to believe that he knew more of what to expect than was actually the case. Amundsen, in contrast, was blazing a trail on an unknown route with every step. He was forced to include large safety factors because of this.

Was Scott the martinet depicted in this book? This is probably what has provoked such vehement defenses of Scott, but in the larger picture, it doesn't matter. Scott made numerous errors in technique and finally paid the ultimate price for it. Arrogance, incompetence, bad luck, or all of those? Probably all, with only the proportions subject to debate.

Huntford wrote this book to give proper credit to the man who quietly planned and brilliantly excecuted the expedition that succeeded. Scott may have had "bad weather" or "bad luck" but he also had poor execution of a bad plan and he presumed too much.

Read the book. It's excellent, and you can then judge for yourself. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (17)

My handy handbook!
This is a fantastic handbook for yourself and others.It helped to define me in a way that no other book has yet.

Great Mini Book -- But
There is not much new infomation in this rewrite of the original "Earth Angels" book, but it is still a great little mini book.If you do not have the older book, just buy this new rewrite.As another reviewer already mentioned, this rewrite omits information on "Walk-Ins" (I don't know why.)

If you have neither book, this little 193 page mini-book (about the size of a pile of postcards) basically gives you clues of what to look for if you think you might be: an Earth Angel; an Incarnated Angel, an Incarnated Elemental (elves, fairys, gnomes, etc), Starpeople, Wise Ones (Reincarnated Sorceresses, etc), Hybrids (combos).

A quickie example--Incarnated Elemental: can't stand rules, always looking for a laugh, fiery, passionate, often reddish hair and freckles and Celtic (Irish) heritage or appearance, mischievious/playful, fast metabolism, slim bodies, etc.
--Incarnated Angels: obey rules, get angry at rule-breakers, serious and polite, voluptuous bodies, slow metabolism, food addictions, patient and calm, etc.

Of course, the book contains much more info.I suspect that many people will find they are predominately one of these, but have some additional aspects of others.For instance, you may be an Incarnated Angel, but remember playing with Unicorns as a very young child (Elemental Kingdom) and have freckles and a Celtic background with some red in your hair.You may also have rememberances of Isis (Wise Ones), or at least sense that you do.

Whether you believe this stuff or not, this little $[...] book can be fun to read. Heck, you probably spend more on lunch!

I have a 50-year old friend who fits "Elemental" to perfection.When you see that twinkle in her eyes, LOOK OUT WORLD! Guess what?Her red-headed, freckled grandson is "Elemental" too.He is also 4 years old, going on 35. A child of "Now," he is most definitely a very old soul in a very young body.Looks like a little Leprechan right now, right out of the old Disney movie with Sean Connery!

Realms of the Earth Angels
We all want to feel appreciated, special and validated and Doreen Virtue gets A+ for her skill in making that happen.Herein lies the problem with her book Realms of the Earth Angels.She has found a hidden marketing ploy to categorically include the human race by detailing "angel types."

It is human nature to discover "our type, our birth stone, our sign, etc.," and not think deeply enough to see the descriptive flow of temperaments and characteristics in each type, stone or sign is reworded and reworked in a way that is true about everyone on the planet.

It's a deceptive work of trickery by a writer who has found a way to make people think they are "earth angels" therefore addictions to food, drugs and alcohol are acceptable.Is her next book going to make exceptions for "earth angels" as they commit unthinkable acts of evil like incest, murder and torture!The sad part is her approach WORKS!

I love this book
I contantly refer to this book and talk about it, and recommend it to my friends.
It has struck a chord with me, and all of the other lightworkers I know.

I'm looking forward to more updates on the book as newer realms are uncovered.

Realms of the Earth Angels
If you feel you're not from this planet, yet here to get people to wake up spiritually.This is a book that I would strongly recommend.I like to think, this is like astrology, but not everybody has a "sign". ... Read more

Product Description
The Shelters of Stone opens as Ayla and Jondalar, along with their animal friends, Wolf, Whinney, and Racer, complete their epic journey across Europe and are greeted by Jondalar’s people: the Zelandonii. The people of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii fascinate Ayla. Their clothes, customs, artifacts, even their homes—formed in great cliffs of vertical limestone—are a source of wonder to her. And in the woman Zelandoni, the spiritual leader of the Ninth Cave (and the one who initiated Jondalar into the Gift of Pleasure), she meets a fellow healer with whom to share her knowledge and skills.

But as Ayla and Jondalar prepare for the formal mating at the Summer Meeting, there are difficulties. Not all the Zelandonii are welcoming. Some fear Ayla’s unfamiliar ways and abhor her relationship with those they call flatheads and she calls Clan. Some even oppose her mating with Jondalar, and make their displeasure known. Ayla has to call on all her skills, intelligence, knowledge, and instincts to find her way in this complicated society, to prepare for the birth of her child, and to decide whether she will accept new challenges and play a significant role in the destiny of the Zelandonii.

Jean Auel is at her very best in this superbly textured creation of a prehistoric society. The Shelters of Stone is a sweeping story of love and danger, with all the wonderful detail—based on meticulous research— that makes her novels unique. It is a triumphant continuation of the Earth’s Children® saga that began with The Clan of the Cave Bear. And it includes an amazing rhythmic poem that describes the birth of Earth’s Children and plays its own role in the narrative of The Shelters of Stone.Amazon.com Review
Jean Auel's fifth novel about Ayla, the Cro-Magnon cavewoman raised by Neanderthals, is the biggest comeback bestseller in Amazon.com history. In The Shelters of Stone, Ayla meets the Zelandonii tribe of Jondalar, the Cro-Magnon hunk she rescued from Baby, her pet lion. Ayla is pregnant. How will Jondalar's mom react? Or his bitchy jilted fiancée? Ayla wows her future in-laws by striking fire from flint and taming a wild wolf. But most regard her Neanderthal adoptive Clan as subhuman "flatheads." Clan larynxes can't quite manage language, and Ayla must convince the Zelandonii that Clan sign language isn't just arm-flapping. Zelandonii and Clan are skirmishing, and those who interbreed are deemed "abominations." What would Jondalar's tribe think if they knew Ayla had to abandon her half-breed son in Clan country? The plot is slow to unfold, because Auel's first goal is to pack the tale with period Pleistocene detail, provocative speculation, and bits of romance, sex, tribal politics, soap opera, and homicidal wooly rhino-hunting adventure. It's an enveloping fact-based fantasy, a genre-crossing time trip to the Ice Age. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (808)

The Shelters of Stone: with Bonus Content [Kindle Edition]
I read this book years ago in hard copy.I recently purchased the kindle edition (I can change the text size) and was disappointed that there are numerous spelling errors in the kindle edition.These errors don't exist in the printed version.It appears the publisher is not making the due dilegence effort for ebooks to avoid stupid mistakes.

Jean, where is the plot?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00466HQ1A/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img

This book reads as if it were a pastiche of parts of previous books. I came away with the feeling that there was no real plot to this book. My brother, who is a great Auel fan, called me (because I am a writer and have a doctorate in creative writing, and he is an engineer) to ask me what I thought of the book. When I told him that it seemed to lack a plot, he said in a very relieved tone, "Well, I couldn't find one, but I thought maybe it was just me."

I hope the next book, which I gather is the last and which is already somewhat overdue, is better than this.

Kindle edition rife with typos
I was excited to have the Earth's Children series available for my Kindle, but the OCR errors in "Shelters of Stone" make it almost unreadable. Surely SOMEONE must review the copy before the book is made available for sale? The quality of the story notwithstanding (the plot rather drags, as others have noted), it's incredibly distracting to come across so many mistakes in the text when trying to read the story. Publishers need to institute better quality control when issuing Kindle editions of old manuscripts.

Excellent book
Jean Auel's book "The Shelters of Stone" is another milestone contribution by the master of prehistoric novels. We look forward to next one.

Shelters of Stone - Kindle edition
This is another case of a manuscript bieng scanned and run through OCR software and then not bothering with so much as aspell check program. Still a lot of wrong words which will stop you dead in your tracks as you try to figure out what the word should actually be and a lot of not words that you get to puzzle out what ought to be. Not so bad as to be unreadable but annoying in the extreme. What ever happened to publishers actually proofing work before it is released? If they had released a paper edition in this condition they would be getting returns by the case load! ... Read more

Product Description
In the minute it could take you to read this page, the Earth will be hit by 6,000 lightning strikes; 2,137 pounds of popcorn will be eaten; 10,000 pieces of skin will be lost from your body; 21,000 pizzas will be baked; 954 camera phones will be sold worldwide; the International Space Station will travel 289 miles in its orbit around the Earth; and 750,000 gallons of water will tumble over Niagara Falls.

The Earth and its inhabitants are active every minute of the day. Isn't it amazing what can happen in such a short amount of time? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Must be Good
I purchased this book for a young man's Christmas present after reading favorable reviews.

I glanced through the book and it seemed like just the right gift full of facts for the curious mind of a twelve year old boy.I was right.After he opened the gift and was reading it to himself, I heard things like, "Mom did you know...?" and "Dad, guess what...?"

If you are looking for a book for young adults that will keep their attention, this is the one.

Great brain treat!
My son has always loved these type of books.This one is no different.It is a wonderful way to give them something to do instead of nintendo's/Wii/etc.The only thing you have to be prepared for is constant..."Mom, listen to this......" Not a bad problem to have!

Perfect book for reluctant readers-- and long car rides!!
I started reading this book and I couldn't put it down! I found myself walking around the office going "Did you know...?" The facts are all really interesting and the writing is great. I'm going to get copies for all of my nieces, nephews, cousins.. and their parents! It's truly a book that both kids and adults will love-- and PERFECT for long car rides. Endlessly entertaining!

Great for all ages
This was a great purchase.I got this book for my daughter when she was 12 and she loved it.She took it to school and her friends & teacher liked it as well.She recently told me she saw a copy on her teacher's bookshelf.1 1/2 years after our purchase, my son discovered the book and he REALLY loves it.He is 6 1/2.There are many things he's learning about.He had no idea what a"cell" or "Niagra Falls" was before.The book is also helping him learn how to read big numbers like 50,000.

Wow! Great book of fun facts.
I first bought this book for my 11 year old grandson, but before I could give it to him I found myself thumbing through the pages and stopping frequentlty when a word or phrase caught my attention.By the time I finished, it was a "used" book and I had to get another to give as a gift.

This is the perfect book for any kid who thinks he doesn't like to read.Although you could start at the beginning and read through to the end, I like to open it at random and learn something new each time.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (17)

Healthiest Meals - Practical and Fun
I purchased this in hopes that I was going to get a practical set of recipes that wouldn't require exotic, hard to find ingredients.Not only did I get what I hoped for, but the author has written in a very personable and fun to read style.This one will get lots of use in my kitchen!

Love it!
Recipes are clearly written and every meal is explained as to what the ingredients are beneficial for. Each chapter contains a 3-4 meal course and the menus are divided up by their healing properties such as Iron Power, Antioxidants from the Aegean, Anti-Inflammatory Immune-System Boosters and there's even a Healthiest Holiday Meals chapter with lots and lots of tips on how to eat sensibly during the holidays. This is not a traditional cookbook. Even though there are many recipes included, most of them are not very time consuming to make and most of the ingredients are easy to find at the local grocery store, a big part of the book is taken up by useful little tid bits regarding the meals. Examples of these sections are How to Poach Fruit, The Best Natural Sweeteners, To Grill or Not to Grill, Cacao vs. Cocoa, The "Dirty" Dozen of Food (what's worth buying organic and what's not) and so on. I especially like the Notes from the Kitchen section which is included with every recipe. The content here varies, but always very interesting and the tips are useful as well. It is so much fun to read all sorts of interesting facts about the meal you're making.

Most of the meals are low carb, but not all of them and it would have been very useful to include a nutrition section, especially for people like me who have PCOS and have to follow a low carb, low GI diet. It is a bit of an inconvenience to always have to calculate carb content myself, but this is my only complaint. Other than this, I love the book and use it often.

I've just discovered that The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about How to Make the Most Deliciously Nutritious Meals at Home-in Just Minutes a Day will be released in December and I am so glad, because we could all use more recipes like these.

"One of my favorite cook books " from a real foodie:
This is one of my favorite cook books. I use it all the time. My three year old and husband have loved everything I've cooked from here so far. All the recipes are super easy to understand and the ingredients are easy to find.

Love this book
I love this book and the recipes.I also bought the other book "the 150 healthiest foods on earth" and love that one too.If your interested in health these are the books to get.

,my new bible
I have dozens and dozens of cookbooks but this one goes to the top of my list.Great information on food and nutrition and delicious healthy recipes. Beautifully illustrated and easy to use! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (20)

a wonderful story!
I ordered this book for my son because I love how it uses the children and mother earth to personify the seasons and the energies (nature spirits)
that create the flowers, the bugs, and live in harmony with the seasons.My 16mo son loves this book.
There are so many wonderful details to look at and I love the idea of getting him in touch with nature.
This book not only creatively displays the seasons, but hints at the spirit behind each manifestation, each creation of Life.

Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale
A beautifully-illustrated picture book that appeals to a wide range of ages, on several levels. I've introduced this book to adult artists and professional quilters as well as children from Pre-K to second grade, and each reader has been fascinated by the way the artwork enhances the story. This book offer not only a quiet, gentle look at the seasons of the year but also the quality illustrations that reveal new details with every reading.

Mother Earth and her Children
Not only is this a charming fairy tale, the illustrations, from a handmade quilt, are absolutely captivating. Additionally, there are numerous options for using this book as a learning tool with your favorite child.

Great memories
I couldn't believe it when I saw this book - it brought back memories of our grandmother translating her German copy of the Root Children for us when we were kids.The detailed and colorful quilt illustrations are just gorgeous.And the story is as sweet as ever. We're getting copies for the all the families in our tree!

A++ for illustrations
I like to collect stories from different countries so this book really caught my eye with its stunningly creative and detailed quilt background for the old German folk tale (poem) about how Mother Earth and the sprite children ready for the seasons. So much to look at, loved the bumblebee getting brushed. I think I like this book even more than my daughter does. See alsoPieces: A Year in Poems & Quilts ... Read more

Product Description
A colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes follows his life as he becomes Alexandria's chief librarian, writes the first geography book, and accurately measures the globe's circumference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Fascinating piece of science in history with one man and one book
This is one of my favorite books when it comes to have a story hour with children 8-12 years old (and not 4-8, even though younger children can still be fascinated by the story, the logic here and kind of information requires more maturity!).
This nice biography for children just shows that all this knowledge we have is a heritage of those past great minds. This book talks about a curious and intelligent child who becomes the "librarian who measured the earth". It shows how a library can be the perfect place for curious people to gather information and think and how inter-disciplinary thinking and learning is important. There is science, maths, geography,and much more: the imagination and logic of this great man: Erastothenes.

Good Biography and Scienctific Discussion
This book contains a cursory biograph of his life and a good discussion of the measurement technique used by Eratosthenes.The story was captivating for my 6 year-old son.
Through the text and wonderful pictures, the book shows the scientific method used by Eratosthenes to measure the circumference of the earth.The book is a little heavy on theory (lost on a young child).As a science teacher, I would have used this in my earth science classroom to spark discussion with students.

Have genius, will measure!
It is amazing how the union of art and words can produce a book so full of wonders. How to count them? How to describe them? Perhaps the bibliography is the place to begin. The writer Kathryn Lasky consulted nine sources for the information incorporated into the story of Eratosthenes; Kevin Hawkes, the illustrator, used sixteen.

Each double-page spread of illustration displays the artist's extensive knowledge of all things Greek and Cyrenian (Greek city on the coast of Africa in what is now Libya, where Eratosthenes grew up). Textile patterns, Greek urn art, linens, palm trees, brick work, plant life, housing, clothing styles, educational settings, musical instruments, mathematical counting methods, colors, architecture, landscaping. These are just a few items from the first few pages. The artwork is truly magnificent, yet part of the story as information. His intense and deep bright colors match the intensity of North Africa.

Lasky also pours information into the story, revealing pretty much what it was like in Eratosthenes' day. As for Eratosthenes, Lasky notes in the introduction that not much is known about his life, but much is known of the Greek world, its people, and its culture. All Lasky had to do was place an intensely curious child into the Greek setting to lay the background for the development of this genius.

As a librarian, I was most impressed with the library in Alexandria and how it was run. Being named head librarian was a real turning point for Eratosthenes, as the library put at his disposal all the information he needed for solving a long-time problem that occupied his mind: How big around is the Earth? Finally, using methods over my head, Eratosthenes determined the earth's circumference at 24,662 miles, just two hundred miles off the correct figure. Solving this problem also meant concluding his book, Geographica, the first geography book of the world.

Measuring the earth is but one aspect of Erathosthenes' life. As a student in Athens, he was nicknamed Pentathlos because he was good in so many areas of knowledge. Eventually, he became tutor to Ptolemy III's son.

This is one of those very special books for children that presents not onlya story of an admirable person, but also the absolute beauty found only in the art tools of the most talented illustrator. Lasky and Hawkes have created a must-have book for libraries, both school and home!

One of the most treasured books in my library!
/


"The Librarian Who Measured the Earth" by Kathryn Lasky

This book is one of my most treasured possessions.It is a children's book,but it does contain the mathematics and geometry by which Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth to within 2% of the accurate measurement accepted by modern scientists.Eratosthenes did this in the 3rd Century B.C.E.when he was the head librarian in Alexandria, Egypt,ruled by the Ptolemaic kings. [The Ptolemaic Kings were the Hellenic successors to Alexander the Great's empire,after his death].

The book is in a large format, and the color illustrations are lovely, and they enhance the text.The author,Kathryn Lasky has done an excellent job of assimilatingvast amounts of technical and historical data and reducing it to aform that is appreciated by those without deep grasp of geometry and mathematics.I've looked into some of the geometry which Eratosthenesdrew upon to make his determinations and it can be very technical.What I mean to indicate is thatif you study further,the reader will discover that the Greeks possessed a very complex Geometry, even more advanced than what is evident in thismeasurement.

It may be that some learned peoplewere well acquainted with the proof of Eratosthenes and that this knowledge was possessed by Christopher Columubs,even as he was pleading withmonarchs Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain,during the very period when their courtiers were developing "Mad Queen Chess"which is the game we play today.

One of the fun things to do,particularly to enhance the learning experience,is to copy the data from this book and enlarge upon it.That Eratosthenes was able to do this fascinates me to no end.

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great illustrations but munged math
My nine year old can see that in order for the sun to shine straight down every hole on earth, the earth would have to curve around the outside of the sun. Ms. Lasky "simplifies" the math to the point that it is unintelligible. It might take a page or two more, but if you're going to attempt to explain the mathematics behind the measurement, do it right or not at all. ... Read more

Product Description
High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches. Its task, programmed so many millennia ago, is to guard the human settlement on this planet--to protect this fragile remnant of Earth from all threats. To protect them, most of all, from themselves.

The Oversoul has done its job well. There is no war on Harmony. There are no weapons of mass destruction. There is no technology that could lead to weapons of war. By control of the data banks, and subtle interference in the very thoughts of the people, the artificial intelligence has fulfilled its mission.

But now there is a problem. In orbit, the Oversoul realizes that it has lost access to some of its memory banks, and some of its power systems are failing. And on the planet, men are beginning to think about power, wealth, and conquest.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (103)

!
This is a wonderfully written book that is all about character interaction and emotion. Many of the reviews here seem biased and unfair. This is one of my favorite series of all time. I am not Mormon but am familiar with it's texts as well. I find the arguments that it is "too much so" or "unfaithful" ridiculous it is what it is: an imaginative and well written piece of fiction...Anyone with an open mind to beautifully constructed story lines with deep emotions will enjoy this. Anyone with narrow minded expectations and pre-concieved notions should read something else...

meh
Meh, its okay.I would probably listen to the rest of the series just because it is pretty mindless, and it doesn't suck, but it is a pretty transparently shallow attempt to rewrite the Biblical story... and somewhat insulting at that to a devout Christian.Fortunately, I am secure enough in my faith to just be slightly disappointed that the attempt was

Direct plagiarism from another piece of substandard fiction
In the event you did not guess it already, Mr. Card's writing outside of the Ender Universe is little more than mildly inventive plagiarism. Because of its progressive earth-friendly point of view (not to mention the interesting foray into historical fiction), I found the 'Heartfire' series about the fictitious life of Joseph Smith, er, Alvin Maker, rather enjoyable. The opening edition of 'Homecoming' is that dread piece of nonsense I thought I'd only find in Card's 'Women of the Bible', a series title which overtly warns a reader like me away. Sadly there was no overt warning for 'The Memory of Earth', and from the first printed instance of the protagonist Nephi, er, Nafai, I read on only in sick fascination to see how directly Card had decided to plagiarize the opening tale of his faith's addition to the Christian canon, the Book of Mormon.

As it turns out the level of plagiarism is dumbfounding. From the moment that Lehi, er, Volemak tells of his first vision from the holy spirit, er, Oversoul, there is but one substantial exception to this novel being a point-by-point navigation through the paragon tale of tested faith that is the first 'Book of Mormon story': the gentrification of men in home city Jerusalem, er, Basilica. Not that Card focuses on the history or mystical source which he imagined led to this state of affairs - all he wants to do is prophesy.

Quick rundown in case you want to do a check: Volemak = Lehi, Elemak = Laman, Mebbekew = Lemuel, Issib = Sam and Nafai = Nephi, Gaballufix = Laban. In so many places the dialogue is lifted directly from the referred verse in the Book of Mormon. The funny thing is...the first book of Nephi is a better overall read than is 'The Memory of Earth'...because it's shorter. I am no fan of the LDS faith, am in fact an atheist who will invite a missionary in for a beer and a theological confrontation, and even I insist that Card does his founding text no justice. If you still doubt I direct you to the original text's justification for the capital punishment of Laban, er, Gaballufix: it's 1 Nephi 4:10-19. Apart from some needless verbosity on Card's part the recount is nearly verbatim.

In the unlikely event that, like me, you're just now reading this first tome and wondering if you should move on let me give you the cliff's notes on what will happen next:

Lehi, er, Volemak will have his sons select brides from Jerusalem, er, Basilica and they will all set sail, er, intergalactic flight for the American continent, er, Earth. Upon arrival the family will be the foundation for several great kingdoms, er, post-apocalyptic human societies. The two most prevalent of these will be the descendants of Laman, er, Elemak and Nephi, er, Nafai. The holy spirit, er, Oversoul will favor the Nephites, er, Nafaits because of the exceptional faith, er, exceptional ability to follow non-organic telepathy of their people's founder. Over time, however, the righteousness, er, telepathic susceptibility of the Nephites, er, Nafaits will erode and God, er, the Oversoul will punish the descendants of Nephi, er, Nafai by sending them a series of prophets, er, messengers of the Oversoul whom they will ignore and defame. Their rejection of these chosen men will lead to their destruction by the Lamanites, er, Elemakites, who will inherit the American continent, er, Earth instead.

b-o-r-i-n-g

A tough sell after reading Ender's Game.
This was a decent book. It really was. It's just that it can be tedious and slow-moving at times. I read this book right after reading Ender's Game. Big mistake, mainly because EG was so completely phenomenal.

Overall, Memory of Earth wasn't too bad. The plot was interesting enough (even if it is a knock-off of the Book of Mormon), and the characters were well-developed. Card does a good job laying out the setting and context for the story, but it seemed to me that...well....that was pretty much the whole book. Setting and Context. After finishing it, I outlined in my head all of the actual events and happenings of the book and didn't come up with much more than the political setting of the city of Basillica.

Terrable names!!!
I couldn't finish this book. The names required a pronounciation guide in the back and none of the names were pronounced even close to the way they were spelled. ... Read more

Product Description

Being green is important to Nancy—so important that she wants her family to take care of the Earth morning, noon, and night!

Customer Reviews (7)

My 4 yr old loves Fancy Nancy
The Fancy Nancy books have great stories, lessons, and "fancy" vocabulary my daughter can't get enough of.

Being Green Isn't Easy
With a daughter named Nancy who is just learning to read, these "I Can Read!" Fancy Nancy titles are great.Sometimes I feel the quality of these little books is not quite up to the main series, but this one is very good.In it Nancy learns about "being green" at school and tries to take the lesson home.This book is filled with kid-friendly tips about been a little greener like turning out lights, taking reusable bags to the store, and the like.

But this book is more than tips.It shows how Nancy goes overboard and starts to irritate her family with her desire to go green.That touch of realism and irony adds a real pleasure to this book and a good lesson.This is definitely one of the better Fancy Nancy titles in this series.

Educational Too!
Reviewed by Sophia (age 7) and Madeline (age 9) McElroy for Reader Views (04/10)

Sophia: This is a story about Fancy Nancy being green. I like this book because it has stuff about being keeping the earth clean. This book has great ideas such as: by keeping the lights off in an empty room, turning off the computer when you are finished with it and turning off the TV when you are done watching it. Fancy Nancy gets herself in a little bit of trouble by turning things off before people in her family were finished! They were getting very irritated with her for being kind of bossy. She wasn't trying to be bossy; she was trying to help the earth.

I like the fancy words because I like learning new fun words. The drawings are really good and pretty. I can't choose one favorite part because I like the whole book.

Madeline: I think this is a great book for families to read together, especially if they don't really know about recycling and being "green." I think that young children will really enjoy the colorful, fun artwork. The Fancy Nancy books are really fun to read, but this is not only fun, it's educational too!

We both recommend "Fancy Nancy: Every Day is Earth Day."

Fancy Nancy: Every Day is Earth Day
Nancy, everyone's favorite fancy girl, has learned about the importance of Earth Day and saving the Earth at school.When she goes home she begins bossing her entire family around to make them save the earth, too.She goes too far when she turns off her little sister's nightlight and her sister wakes up in the dark and is scared.Nancy's parents explain that while saving the Earth is important, she can't be so bossy about it and that compromise is important, too.

As with all Fancy Nancy books, Nancy is brought to life using her fancy words and definitions, giving young readers the chance to learn new vocabulary.The story is straightforward and the plot is easy to understand.The message of the story, however seemed a bit unclear.Was the point more that saving the Earth is important, or that Nancy should not have been so bossy.By dividing that focus, the message of the story is diluted.

It's not easy being green
I'm not too keen on thrusting environmentalist slogans on very young readers, particularly as the subject matter could be presented in a less strident tone, but all in all I would consider Fancy Nancy: Every Day is Earth Day to be a very good book for beginning readers.As usual, Fancy Nancy does a good job of teaching kids the meaning of several new words, and the charming color illustrations of Aleksey and Olga Ivanov are very effective at drawing kids into the story.

I guess you can interpret this book in one of two ways.On the one hand, it is rather preachy about going green and "saving" the Earth, but - on the other hand - it also shows what can happen when you cross the fine line between responsibility and annoying bossiness in pursuit of a cause.Fancy Nancy tends to go a little overboard on new things, and that is definitely the case here.Having just learned about Earth Day and the importance of caring for the planet, she takes it upon herself to make every day Earth Day, and her well-intentioned actions at home end up causing a few problems within her household.She learns the hard way not to be so bossy and overzealous, and I think it is this lesson (on the importance of respecting the rights and wishes of the other members of her family), that proves to be the most valuable message this cute little book communicates to its target audience of emerging readers.This is definitely not my favorite Fancy Nancy book, though. ... Read more

Product Description
I'm Aang -- and this is the tale of my journey through the Earth Kingdom. I traveled there with my friends Katara and Sokka to find an Earthbending teacher. I'm not sure why, but we ran into trouble almost everywhere we went. We got chased by Prince Zuko's sister, Azula, and got caught in a sinking library. Did I mention that Appa got kidnapped by Sandbenders? There were definitely some scary moments...but I can't complain about getting stuck in the Cave of Two Lovers with Katara! All in a day's work for the Avatar, right? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

EXCELLENT
I like this book, it is informative and I can translate it to my daughter easily. Thank you. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

Engaging and multifacted
As always, Peter Ward has written a book that combines all kinds of personal experience and interesting details from recent research with a strong theme that is carried through his book. In this case, he looks at the issue of sea level rise due to global warming. This is not his area of expertise, so he relies on the research of others. This is perhaps the one weaker area of the book that could be attacked by global warming deniers. In spite of this, he also manages to weave in evidence or perspectives gained from both his hobby of ocean diving and his profession as a geologist who has specialized in the study of past mass-extinction events. The result is a somewhat speculative book on the future sea level scenarios with colorful anecdotes and personal stories sprinkled in.

This books follows what seems to be a popular format for recent books like this. Each chapter starts out with one or two fictional future scenarios set anywhere from a few decades to a few millenia in the future that demonstrate one possible outcome of the issue he covers in that chapter. Major themes in the book are possible rates for ice loss, possible sea level rises from this and other events, the threats to coastal cities, low-lying agricultural land and aquifers, the potential for changes in ocean currents and chemistry that could threaten extinction events and the potential for technological and engineering solutions to mitigate the damage.

Most official global warming reports or models underestimate or fail to take into consideration some of the more recent research and ideas on ice loss and sea level rise. Perhaps because he is a geologist and not a climate modeler, Ward eschews the typical conservative caveat-laced approach that many climatologists take when dealing with these issues and presents some of the more bleak scenarios that other authors on this topic on seem to suggest in their subtext. The result is the stark possibility that polar ice caps may melt much more quickly than generally thought and sea level may rise more than official predictions suggest. Ward combines not only evidence from his field, namely the distant geological past, but also recent evidence suggesting these shorter possible timetables.

This is an excellent and engaging book that covers some of the same territory as the growing list of books on global warming, but does in it Ward's unique way that manages to make the reader think about things in ways that may not be apparent by reading other books on this topic. This book will probably be most popular among fans of science who accept scientific conclusions on global warming. Those who deny global warming will almost certainly find the book to be a bit alarmist and based on shaky presumptions. For the rest of us, it's a sobering and honest look at some real obstacles the world may potentially face in the next few generations.

Any interested in the effects of climate change should have this!
THE FLOODED EARTH: OUR FUTURE IN A WORLD WITHOUT ICE CAPS comes from a noted earth scientist who argues that conventional estimates on the extent of global warming are too conservative, and that a much greater fluctuation in water levels may be expected. His background lends to a scientific approach to climate change and uses the Earth's past to predict its future. Any interested in the effects of climate change should have this!

A Terrifying Message
Last week, a chunk of ice four times as large as Manhattan Island broke off the tongue of the Petermann Glacier in Greenland and went swimming in the sea. For me, immersed in The Flooded Earth: Our Future In a World Without Ice Caps, it was striking evidence of what Peter D. Ward writes about: the loss of the polar icecaps and the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, caused by rising global temperatures. (At the same time, Russia was experiencing its worst drought and heat wave in recorded history, further evidence of the erratic weather created by warming.) Ward, a paleontologist who has studied the rise and retreat of ancient oceans and the mass extinctions related to ocean rise, knows what he's talking about, and his book is a full treatment (at least for the general reader) of the science behind his basic argument: that the oceans are rising and will continue to rise--unless humans reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

What I found most interesting about Ward's book (and perhaps most compelling, for many readers)are the dramatic fictionalizations of the impacts of greenhouse gases that appear at the beginning of each chapter. Chapter One opens in the drowning city of Miami, in 2120, with CO2 at 800 ppm--and Miami joining New Orleans and Galveston as abandoned cities. Chapter Three beings in Tunisia in 2060 CE, with carbon dioxide at 500 ppm--and features (I suspect) Ward himself, by this time an "old geologist" who studies evidence of mass extinctions. Food for the still-rising population is scarce, transportation fuel is not available for personal use, and the study of the past is a luxury that society can no longer afford. Chapter Four is set in the Sacramento Valley in 2135, with CO2 at 800 ppm, the rivers dried up by drought, the ocean invading the valleys and salt polluting the land and aquifers, agricultural land ruined. These dramatizations illustrate the arguments made in the chapter and allow Ward to say "Listen up, learn, take action--or this is our future."

Ward acknowledges that he and all the other scientists who are bringing this hugely important issue to our attention are considered Cassndras. "I am not sure what a Cassandra is," he adds. "But I know what I indeed am: scared."

The message of this book: If you're not scared, too, you should be--scared enough to join those who are attempting to reduce CO2 to 350 ppm. Ward himself is not optimistic "about the prospect of forestalling calamity," but outlines some climate-protecting strategies and technologies that might help, if they are implemented very soon. His conclusion isn't hopeful--but realism is what we need now, not glib answers or false hopes. This book delivers that terrifying message better than anything else I've yet to read

Honest Appraisal Without Political Agenda
Mr. Ward presents all sides of a contentious issue, in easy to read format, with enough solid science (made quite readable for those of us not deep into science) to assure the reader this is not driven by promoting the agenda of any particular group or industry.He takes the time to address many of the poltical problems surrounding "global warming solutions" from enough perspectives that the reader feels he now understands what the real problems are as compared to the over hyped scare tactics of some and the dismissive attitude of people who continue to claim "It's just not so." He does it with a balanced approach, including some realistic time lines, with no assertion of certitude, but merely presenting an intelligent analysis of known facts, and a reasonable range of projections as to what effects might occur over what time periods.

It is a complex issue, with hard choices, requiring thorough analysis, not short spots in the media, which create panic or ennui.

If we care about our grandchildren and great grandchildren, if we want to leave them a habitable planet, capable of feeding the world's population, over the next two or three centuries, then the world needs some statesmen, not political windbags, capable of building enough consensus to allow difficult decisions in the near future.

The reality is far worse
Ward makes essentially three points in the book, then goes on to describe possible scenarios.The grimness of the scenarios will depend on the realism of his projections.His points are that there is a confluence of sea level rise due to melting land-based ice, growing global population, and decreasing arable land related to sea level rise.The real unknown is sea level rise projection accuracy.The recent IPCC report predicts up to two feet sea level rise by the end of the century.With thousands of scientists contributing to the report globally, the conclusions by their nature have to be extremely conservative to produce even the semblence of consensus.

Unfortunately, the report excludes ice sheet flow.However, the main driver for substantive change in sea level comes from melting land-based ice sheets; what happens if there is future rapid dynamical change in ice flow?This is not idle speculation.The Siberian permafrost is melting much faster than predicted, and the release of permafrost (and permafrost-shielded) methane directly into the atmosphere is much greater than anyone expected.We may be in a runaway positive feedback loop with respect to the permafrost melting-methane release, which could greatly accelerate melting of the major ice sheets.While Ward estimates a worse-case scenario of about five feet by the end of the century, it could be multiples of that if in fact we are in a runaway methane release cycle.

While Ward portrays some degree of panic in his projected scenarios, think about the present situation on our Southern border.Immigrants are doing what they can just to get here and make a few extra dollars.What will happen when these Southern coastal and delta areas are no longer inhabitable, and people will have to emigrate for survival.The USA, Canada, and Russia will effectively be under siege.To forestall these scenarios, the most drastic restrictions would have to be instituted now.Instead, we have a Congress that is taking no action at all, and if the election projections are correct, will be further united to take no action in the future.We have sacrificed the future generations on this planet for a few additional years of excess.We are the true Jihadists; we will kill ourselves and many innocents for an ideology! ... Read more

Product Description
The long-awaited new novel by the award-winning, bestselling author of Startide Rising and The Uplift War--an epic novel set fifty years from tomorrow, a carefully-reasoned, scientifically faithful tale of the fate of our world. "One hell of a novel . . . has what sci-fi readers want these days; intelligence, action, and an epic scale".--Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. Line drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (86)

Pretty much unreadable
This is a horrible mashup of a somewhat interesting but very standard SF novel about a team of scientists attempting to deal with a black hole that threatens to consume the Earth, and a whole lot of gibberish about Gaia, ridiculous social changes, and heavy moralizing about what humans have done to the planet. Although I have very much enjoyed Brin's Startide novels, it took me three tries years apart to get through this thing. It got easier after I learned to just skim ahead and skip all the parts not directly related to the black hole.

And I thought I didn't like sci-fi
I'm generally not a sci-fi reader but this book was recommended by a friend; it's fabulous - so close to what I think is the truth of the future. Give it a try - it's wonderful.

the Kindle version is wretched
I'm sad to be rating this so low. The book is quite good, but the Kindle version of it is an example of lazy publishing. I am in a book group and was the only one with the electronic version. Therefore, it was very easy for me to verify that the Kindle version is riddled full of typos while the print versions are not. On top of that, the publisher DIDN'T INCLUDE A TABLE OF CONTENTS. It makes jumping between sections incredibly difficult. There is no excuse for the lack of effort that went into setting this book up for the Kindle, interestingly, a device that the book itself seems to predict.

Read the book, but know ahead of time that if you choose the Kindle version, it is flawed.

A Disaster of a Novel
EARTH is so bad it's hard to know where to begin.I won't penalize the author for being so far off in his predictions of the future (the UN has lowered its estimates on global population yet again to something around 7.5 billion in 2040).The Gaia religious movement turned out to be as dangerous and dogmatic as any fundamentalist and it made no sense why such a silly force should rise anywhere outside a few places in Europe.

I found the book too sprawling, too wordy (at least 25% too long), too preachy and way too disjointed.Individual plotlines do eventually found the loop back but it's a trial for the reader.And what in the world was that miniscule manuscript used throughout the book? I thought for the longest that I was trapped in an epidemic of typos. The use of quotes, news stories and readings from fictional books was at first mildly interesting but then became annoying and finally, boring and intrusive.

Brin obviously wanted this to be the BIG ONE and took some chances - drawings, tables, mixed fonts, new religion, epilogue as explanation - but it was a case of attempting too much.The Gaian and "scientific" plotlines kept butting heads and finally the moorings broke loose completely when the web/Gaia/visitors attained consciousness (?)Good premise, bad execution.The best part is the epilogue.My Grade - C-

Some of the best science fiction writing I've read
Not much to add, just that the book is well written, with good characterization, solid science, plausible speculation and a good plot.Enjoy this look at Earth in the future. ... Read more