When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback

Book Description

As one of the greatest, most celebrated athletes in history, Michael Jordan conquered professional basketball as no one had before. Powered by a potent mix of charisma, nearly superhuman abilities, and a ferocious need to dominate the game, he won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and captured every basketball award and accolade conceivable before retiring and taking a top executive post with the Washington Wizards. But retirement didn't suit the man who was once king, and at the advanced age of thirty-eight Michael Jordan set out to reclaim the court that had been his dominion. When Nothing Else Matters is the definitive account of Jordan's equally spectacular and disastrous return to basketball. Washington Post writer Michael Leahy reveals the striking contrast between the public Jordan and the man whose personal style alienated teammates and the Washington owner who ousted him.

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"As one of the greatest, most celebrated athletes in history, Michael Jordan conquered professional basketball as no one had before. Powered by a potent mix of charisma, nearly superhuman abilities, and a ferocious need to dominate the game, he won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and captured every basketball award and accolade conceivable before retiring and taking a top executive post with the Washington Wizards. But retirement didn't suit the man who was once king, and at the advanced age of thirty-eight Michael Jordan set out to reclaim the court that had been his dominion. When Nothing Else Matters is the definitive account of Jordan's equally spectacular and disastrous return to basketball. Having gone on the road to chronicle Jordan's final two seasons, award-winning Washington Post writer Michael Leahy draws a riveting portrait of a deeply complex man waylaid by his impulses and impatience, frequently hampered by injuries, assaulted by younger players eager to usurp his throne, and ultimately done in by his presumption. Encouraged for two decades by his sport's magnates to believe that he had no limits or superiors, Jordan could not see his influence and power fading as his Wizards days ticked down and his team's losses and dissension grew. For teammates and outsiders alike, the star emerged as a relentlessly driven, at times unapproachable personality. Leahy reveals the striking contrast between Jordan's public image and the man who couldn't stand not ""bein' it."" Hell-bent on transforming the mediocre Wizards into championship contenders, Jordan controlled every facet of his new team, dispensing orders behind the scenes to coaches and players. As his anger and bitterness over Washington's on-court setbacks became increasingly public, his teammates' resentment of him stoked already burgeoning tensions between Jordan and the Wizards' top brass. Leahy unmasks the myths and unravels the deeper lessons behind the highs and lows of the two seasons, illuminating the excruciating reality Jordan was forced to accept after the Wizards' failed playoff bid in his final season. When Nothing Else Matters is about nothing less than a man struggling to come to grips with the end of a career, and the uncertainty of his life ahead. "

Customer Reviews:

In these pages, come to know the real Michael Jordan.......2007-03-25

Published in 2004, author Michael Leahy shares his experiences during Michael Jordan's last comeback to the National Basketball Association.

Leahy's potrayal of Jordan showed a different side of the basketball legend which is not normally seen in the eyes of the public. Jordan, the "the most marketed player in the history of the NBA," was finally..."mortal" and did go through the same trials and tribulations (from a heightened perspective) that we all go through at some point in our lives. Leahy accounts the days wherein Jordan was at his best and would score 35 points over the span of several games to the days wherein he wasn't unstoppable and hit his career lows of 8 and 2 points respectively.

What stood out for me was Jordan's lambasting of players who didn't play up to his standards. Leahy quotes Jordan on numerous occasions wherein he would lambast teammates. Coach Fred "Tex" Winter, an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers and former assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls summed it up best, "you either work hard or Michael has no use for you."

But the one paragraph in Leahy's entire book which rocked my very foundation of emulating Michael Jordan was the following:

"His people had held him up as a man to be emulated, making Jordan more than a half-billion in endorsement dollars in the process...he had raised the bar on his behavior during 17 years of unremitting self-promotion, in campaigns approved by the Jordan camp and coordinated by Nike and other corporate sponsors that elevated him from great athlete to hero and, finally, to moral symbol.

...when you present yourself as virtuous in years of ad campaigns and TV commercials, you will be fairly held in time to that standard. Fairly held because uou have sold your basketball shoes to people plunking down in excess of $100 not merely for a chance at better Ups but for a way to rub up against your aura, to feel a tiny sense of you in that admittedly silly way people feel when they wish to emulate anybody, to be inspired by your class and elegance, your morality and grace, as they've heard it told. And if some of that was artifice, then so, too, was everything you sold with your likeness on it."

Disturbing but quite true, personally, I have seen myself on many occasions wanting to "be like Mike." I've bought the shoes, worn the clothes, gotten the cards, read the books...and it is only now I realized. What about me? Leahy's book showed me that. In the years that I have been collecting "Jordan" in order to be inspired, all I needed to do in the end was look in the mirror in order to be inspired.

This is a great book that puts any not only Michael Jordan's life in perspective but also that of your own, especially if you are a Jordan fan who has collected his paraphernalia over the years.

He's still the best there ever was...........2007-02-16

Michael Leahy obviously likes to tear down icons. In doing so he comes over as petulant and singularly lacking in the understanding of what it takes for a Michael Jordan to be as successful as he was.

All of the NBA elite are tough in an over the top alpha male hyper competitive environment. If they are not, they quickly fall by the way side. Obviously the author failed to grasp this fact.

That Jordan wasn't a crack executive is neither here nor there. His single minded successful quest to be the best player ever, did not leave him much room to observe and learn board room politics.

If Mr. Leahy ecomes half the writer that MJ was as a player he would have world's of success and probably win a Pulitzer, however, he will more likely have a career mirroring a Brad Sellers, just not good in the clutch!

Detailed but biased.......2007-01-15

Mr. Leahy is a very talented reporter, but his interesting, carefully collected raw material is poisoned by his obvious agenda, which is to make the case that Michael Jordan is a terribly flawed man who never truly deserved the admiration of his fans. By the end of the book, Mr. Leahy's perspective just seems childish. He is forever blaming others for telling part of the truth, but concealing the rest--yet that is precisely what he does throughout the book. Certainly, Jordan had his faults as a teammate and as an employee, but what about the admirable features of his "last comeback"? What other fading sports star tried to turn around a miserable franchise? What other fading sports star remained one of the best players in the world at 39 years old, even though his performance was limited by a serious knee injury? What other sports legend risked spoiling an absolutely PERFECT conclusion to a brilliant career just because he loved the game and wasn't ready to give it up forever? Jordan took on an extraordinary challenge and didn't succeed. That may seem pathetic and selfish to Mr. Leahy, but I don't see why readers should view Jordan's struggles as a Wizard in that way.

Honest and Absorbing.......2006-12-12

The Michael Jordan story always seems to be told in extremes. Either he is heralded as an icon so mindlessly that the storytelling appears uninteresting or he is vilified, as previous writers knew the value of tearing down an icon.

When Nothing Else Matters is a portrait of a man that feels honest, Jordan is neither vilified nor overly praised; instead Micheal Leahy has given us a view of a man experiencing his only real failure in his career as a professional basketball player. A failure that is proven by the simple fact the Washington Wizards, with Jordan in a powerful position off, then on the court, never ascended the heights of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Eastern Conference. It is a fascinating look at the world's most famous basketball player, during a time period where he seemed unable to transition his on the court reputation and success, to a career in management.

Jordan, the man, had grown comfortable being an icon and as his skills faded and his team missed the playoffs, Leahy reveals someone whose disconnect from the world around him made him unable to finesse his way to off the court success. Therefore his last games for the Wizards are revealed to have been one last chance to court the spotlight as a prime-time player, as the chances to move forward off the court didn't exist, Leahy lays out these realities, and Jordan's apparent blindness to them, that shows Jordan as a very accomplished yet out-of-the-loop figure who couldn't overcome his last challenge in the N.B.A. It also makes clear what Micheal Jordan was to the Washington Wizards management, a cash infusion.

Leahy's even handed treatment may prevent When Nothing Else Matters from being extreme in its presentation, but it doesn't prevent it from being an extreme success as it stands as a historical document for basketball fans to turn to when looking at a honest portrait of life in the N.B.A.

Jordan's Fade Out.......2006-11-05

I was hoping that Leahy had recaptured some of the magic that Sam Smith used when he wrote 'The Jordan Rules,' and early on I wasn't disappointed. However, halfway through the book I realized that the magic ran out. It's possible that the magic ran out because Jordan himself ran out of magic when he came back with The Wizards.

This book does a fine job detailing the downward spiral of Jordan's NBA life, but becomes tedious and boring in the latter half. Much like the Wiz stopped selling out their arena during Jordan's comeback as fans lost interest, I started losing interest. The ending of the book chronicling Jordan's 2nd Wizards season is a desultory piece of writing without a strong narrative flow.

Recommended for hoops diehards, but not the casual fan.

When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback

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When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback
Michael Leahy
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0743495462

Average customer rating:

Tells it like it is

Columbus to Collier

A New Look at American History

The Earth Shall Weep for Good Scholarship

Excellently Researched and Big-Hearted

The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America
James Wilson
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Native American | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Native American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 080213680X

Amazon.com

Native Americans continue to hold a special place in the modern imagination. Images of the Native American as "noble savage," as grunting Hollywood brute, or even as nature lover reinforce what author James Wilson describes as "the principal role of Indians in US culture throughout the twentieth century: helping America imagine its own history." Wilson hopes to rescue them from this role and place Native Americans within their own context by attempting to view the Indian-European encounter through their eyes. The result is an engaging history of North America and its peoples--and a welcome addition to the already voluminous literature on the subject.

Wilson weaves Native American oral traditions and archeological, ethnographical, and historical evidence into a compelling narrative. Chapters on regional groups and their histories--from the Algonquians of the Northeast to the Zuñi of the Southwest--emphasize both their differences and their similarities. Wilson also traces the shifting relationships between Indians and non-Indians and investigates the reasons behind their misunderstandings. As Wilson points out, the image of the Native American as spiritual guide and Green Party spokesperson, while more romantic, is no more realistic than the image of the ignorant savage. Frequent excerpts from personal interviews allow Native Americans to speak for themselves and remind us that, far from ending at Wounded Knee, the Native American experience continues to evolve. Wilson's clear prose, command of the subject, and detailed suggestions for further reading make this book valuable to scholars and general readers alike. --C.B. Delaney

Book Description

Now available in paperback, The Earth Shall Weep is a groundbreaking, critically acclaimed history of the Native American peoples. Combining traditional historical sources with new insights from ethnography, archaeology, Indian oral tradition, and years of his original research, James Wilson weaves a historical narrative that puts Native Americans at the center of their struggle for survival against the tide of invading European peoples and cultures. The Earth Shall Weep charts the collision course between Euro-Americans and the indigenous people of the continent, from the early interactions at English settlements on the Atlantic coast, through successive centuries of encroachment and outright warfare, to the new political force of the Native American activists of today. It is a clash that would ultimately result in the reduction of the Native American population from an estimated seven to ten million to 250,000 over a span of four hundred years, and change the face of the continent forever. A tour de force of narrative history, The Earth Shall Weep is a powerful, moving telling of the story of Native Americans that has become the new standard for future work in the field.

Customer Reviews:

Tells it like it is.......2007-07-17

The book is honest and should be used in every classroom. Why isn't this information in textbooks? American history in current text books fail to decribe what really happened to Native Americans.

Columbus to Collier.......2003-04-08

Helen Hunt Jackson's "A Century of Dishonor," [1881] initiated a string of books by white writers attempting to impart the disaster imposed on North America's native peoples by invaders from Europe. James Wilson has taken a place in that queue with this sweeping study of how native peoples were displaced, deceived, diseased and nearly destroyed. It isn't pleasant reading, but conquest never is when told from the view of the conquered. Wilson attempts to provide a whisper of that voice with as many native peoples' accounts as he could obtain. The result vividly demonstrates the disparity of outlook between the Europeans and those they overran over the course of five centuries.

Although no attempt is made to preface the arrival of Columbus with some account of the previous life of North American native peoples, the text recounts their legends and mythology as they are encountered. Only a smattering of paleoanthropology is offered, and the "consensus" version of Native American origins is dismissed out of hand. Wilson's regional approach is a refreshing departure from the usual chronological format. However, since the focus is on the 48 contiguous States, region and chronology aren't all that distinct.

The issues are land and culture, with a seasoning of racism. The native American "used" the land while the Europeans "owned" it. Native American culture was disparate, often locked into local conditions. Europeans imported a hierarchical society and imposed it wherever they went. Since they went all across the continent, continual clashes were inevitable - and the Europeans won nearly all of them. By the end of the 19th Century, the "Indian", if not extinct, had lost the continent and nearly all culture. According to Wilson, that was precisely what the invaders intended. Where slaughter failed, assimilation could still force disappearance of the "native" from society.

Attempts to rectify, or at least ameliorate what had occurred over the years, were doomed to failure. The variety of cultures among the Indian nations made consistent policy by the federal government impossible. State government attempts, feeble at best, were worse. The closest to a rational policy for dealing with the remaining Indians in the 20th Century were due to one man - John Collier. Starting in the 1920s, Collier struggled to restore some form of the original culture of Native Americans. His programme, now referred to as the "Native New Deal," was based on his own search for a solution to world problems of the era. Years of effort were rewarded by his appointment as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The onset of the Great Depression gave Collier ample opportunity to propagandize his cause as an alternative to the failure of the dominant culture. His efforts to achieve a form of "home rule" for the Indian population is reflected in many programmes still under consideration today. He has left a long, and generally unrecognized, legacy.

Those bemoaning the "lack of balance" in this book overlook the fact that Europeans were the invaders and despoilers. The spectrum of philosophies regarding the "Noble Savage" uniformly fail to address precisely what Wilson does here. An alien culture displaced another, native one, using whatever means necessary. It's a sad, but true, chronicle. Wilson's depiction of it makes dreary reading, but that's due to events, not his style. A fine introduction to the past relationship of conquerors and conquered, this book concludes with a realistic account of the present situation. With increasing demand for resources by the planet's most avaricious society, sustaining or restoring Indian culture is a remote ambition. The clash of cultures remains an issue, which this book clearly outlines. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A New Look at American History.......2002-07-05

This book offers a true look at American history and offers more insight than the traditional books on American history whose idea of being comprehensive is starting with the history of England and the Magna Carta and only mentions the original Americans in passing. The author has a rare gift for consolidating history and for comparing and quoting other writers in order to create a well-written and coherent work.

This is first and foremost a chronological history. However, it also seeks to dispel myths and stereotypes about "Native Americans" as being the noble savage, primitive Zen masters in tune with nature, and the "Vanishing American." He shows how the Anglo society has had vacillating opinions about American Indians over the centuries. On the other hand, in his Prologue, he states, "I want to make it clear, though, that I am not setting out to reveal 'finally -- the truth behind the myth!': there is no single 'truth' to reveal, and no single 'myth' concealing it."

Other books about American Indians try to serve as an encyclopedia of documenting the various cultures as though there is a static photo in time of a group of individual cultures that was wiped away. Instead, this book is history, dynamic and alive. It tells American history from both sides and contrasts the seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints of Europeans and Native Americans.

About the only downside to this book that I have found is somewhat having the notion of "us" and "them" instead of seeing himself as part of the continuous fabric of American culture. For example he writes, "Unlike 'native' peoples in Africa and Asia, indigenous Americans have not decolonized, and we have not been forced [. . .] to see them in a fundamentally different role." It is important not to be thrown off by the incendiary title of the book. This is not a work of propaganda or a work merely cataloguing atrocities in order to evoke sympathy. Instead, it tries to be impartial and tell the way that history really happened, like it or not.

Although same may say that "the Earth Shall Weep for Good Scholarship", accusations that the book is one-sided are simply not true. It certainly does show the European and Anglo cruelty and violence, but it also does not make all the Indians seem like martyrs and saints. It mentions numerous times that Indians attacked European settlers, often as the aggressors. It also mentions the ruthless opportunism and violence caused by Pequots and their leader Wonkus.

It is true that the book does often quote vilifying passages written by European settlers showing disregard for Native Americans and lack of remorse over the attempted genocide. It's true that many of the original Americans may not have left a "paper trail" as much as the European invaders. The Shawnee Tenskwatawa is quoted as saying that the Anglo-Americans "grew from the scum of the great water, when it was troubled by an evil spirit and the froth was driven into the woods by a strong east wind. They are numerous, but I hate them." And also: "War now. War forever. War upon the living. War upon the dead; dig up their corpses from the grave; our country must give no rest to a white man's bones."

However, there is a good reason why the book makes it seem like there was more violence perpetuated by the Europeans: because it was ultimately true. To say that "Wilson is not balanced or scholarly enough" is simply false.

What make this book a great history is that it does not stop at Wounded Knee, the traditionally recognized end of the "Indian Wars". And the author points out that from the Native American perspective, "it also marks the beginning of a new struggle." Unfortunately, after Wounded Knee, the book does not describe what was going on with various tribes across various regions of the country in as much detail as previously. Instead, it focuses more on all the Federal government programs designed to assimilate the Indians, and it provides much detail about these.

It also explains the continuing conflicts between Euro-American and American Indian cultures, the struggles of those who try to consider themselves "Indians", and the clash of ideas between the "traditionals" and "progressives". It ends on a rather optimistic note, showing that the original American cultures have not been wiped out, despite all the vast number of attempts. Furthermore, culture can constantly change, and a culture changing is not the same as ceasing to exist.

Also check out Fire and Blood, A History of Mexico, by Joseph Fehrenbach.

The Earth Shall Weep for Good Scholarship.......2001-06-11

"The Earth Shall Weep" is not a bad survey if one knows little of the history of the American Indians and you are especially interested in how the evil white man crushed the peace loving, non-acquisitive and gentle "children of nature." If this is what you want to learn about you could do worse than Wilson, but ultimately, this kind of one-sided history does a disservice to the reader. Every people has been victim and oppressor at one time or another, yet Wilson makes no attempt to deal with this essential fact of life. Wilson is no scholar, but merely an informed writer with a special interest in the confrontation between the Indian and the white man. His book does not even begin to approach the requirements for good historical writing and the reader is left with the impression that the Indians rarely fought with or dispaced one another. The dynamics of life on the Indian frontier are completely absent from this book as is any semblence of fairness toward white people.

This book cannot rightfully be subtitled "A History of Native America" as it is more a story of the most conspicuous examples of white people doing harm to the Indians. Surely a history of Native American should include facts about Indian life and customs other than "creation mythology." Surely, Wilson could have treated the Shawnee, Ottawas, Ojibwas, Apache, Blackfoot, Utes, and the Comanche to a page or two! But, his agenda does not include most of these peoples who evidently don't fit the profile. The dynamics of tribal life among the various peoples, one would think, are important to a "history of Native America," yet, these are almost completely absent from the work, while ample space is given to the deeds of Indian haters like John Chivington. The lives of great Indian men and women are evidently of little importance to Wilson, but the deaths of Indians at the hands of whites seem central to his narrative. Noteworthy Native Americans like Tecumseh, The Prophet, Little Turtle, Handsome Lake, Quanah Parker, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Joseph Brant Pontiac, and Sequoyah are hardly mentioned in Wilson's book, while Chato, Nana, Victorio and his exceptional sister Lozen, Manuelito, Geronimo, Cochise, Osceola, and Sacajawea are nowhere mentioned. Wilson says virtually nothing about the Hopewell, Adenas, Anazazi people, or the great Mississippi culture and its metropolis of Cahokia. Because they were not slaughtered by white men, I guess, Wilson didn't consider it necessary to include them.

A central feature of Wilson's book is the extensive use of quotation from white men who despised the Indians and thought "the only good Indian is a dead one." Wilson is not balanced or scholarly enough to realize that most Indians who hated whites and spat venom, unlike their white counterparts, did not leave a paper trail. In Wilson's world, all racism seems to flow one way. Nowhere are men like Tom Jeffords mentioned or the fact that Abraham Lincoln personally intervened to save the lives of hundreds of Indians at the conclusion of "Little Crow's War."

If you are looking for a summary of the most terrible treatment the Indian was dealt by the white man, then Wilson's book can provide you with a good start. But, if you want a genuine history of Native America, you had better look elsewhere.

Excellently Researched and Big-Hearted.......2000-07-07

If you are searching for a book about Native American history, this is the book for you. James Wilson's research is presented in three digestable sections: Origins, Invasion, and Internal Frontiers, with the largest body of work appearing in the central section. I recently took an 8,000 miles drive around the United States and read this book the entire month as I entered corresponding areas (such as Southwest, Far West, Great Plains, etc).

Taking Wilson's book on my trip was a smart choice because not only did I experience the sites and people he describes, but his book enabled me to also see into the past, as it were, of these Native People. Wilson's research combines oral history (which will break your heart), political history and analysis, archeology, and ethnography. Several qualities make Wilson's book different from others. First, his research is current and fairly presented. For example, he provides an overview of various theories used to explain the disappearance of the great Puebloan societies so readers can appreciate the variety of ideas and political interests of the theorists. In addition, his synthesis of Native American histories in the forms of stories (and explanation of rituals) with that of modern analyses makes this book even more valuable.

It is clear that Mr. Wilson's heart and conscience is with the Native Americans, and that, above all else, is what makes this book powerful. If it lacks anything, in my opinion, it is the addition of visual aids. A few maps and photographs would have made this text even more powerful. But if you want to read about the tragedy of evil White politics, the demise of many beautiful societies and their relationships before contact,this book holds nothing back. It is a passionate, digestable, and truthful history of the horrors inflicted (past and present)on original people. END

Average customer rating:
Earth Shall Weep : a History of Native America
James Wilson
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000X6EFPW

Average customer rating:
The Earth Shall Weep: a History of Native America
James Wilson
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N76ATA

Amazon.com

Imagine an equilateral triangle. Now, imagine smaller equilateral triangles perched in the center of each side of the original triangle--you have a Star of David. Now, place still smaller equilateral triangles in the center of each of the star's 12 sides. Repeat this process infinitely and you have a Koch snowflake, a mind-bending geometric figure with an infinitely large perimeter, yet with a finite area. This is an example of the kind of mathematical puzzles that this book addresses.

The Fractal Geometry of Nature is a mathematics text. But buried in the deltas and lambdas and integrals, even a layperson can pick out and appreciate Mandelbrot's point: that somewhere in mathematics, there is an explanation for nature. It is not a coincidence that fractal math is so good at generating images of cliffs and shorelines and capillary beds.

Customer Reviews:

changed the way I look at the world.......2006-04-25

Visually, I see nature in a much richer way. As an artist, I find fractals to be inexhaustable inspiration. There is no better text to explain Mandlebrot's theories in a detailed but understandable way than the seminal work itself. Sometimes I got lost in the math, but most of it I could follow. I found helpful the notes in the text indicating which parts were mathematical asides for the technically-minded readers, where other readers could skip ahead without losing any understanding. the illustrations are evocative and timeless diagrams of real phenomena. If I were a more spiritual person, I am sure this book would be proof of the existence of god.

A seminal work.......2005-09-07

Very few books have so many quotes as this one. I am not sure if there is much left to be said, but I know this. For those professionals who still think that fractals are "spurious solutions coming from the discretization of differential equations", should take a closer look to this book. Not only won't harm, but also will show many interesting features about the nature of fractals and the "fractality" of nature, besides the fact that many of them come from *difference* equations, which are not necessarily related to the discretization of a differential equation. This book is based on serious work from many well-reputed mathematicians before Mandelbrot, e.g., Haussdorff, Lyapunov and some others. Although the book does talk about the mathematics behind fractals (wouldn't be so much a book of mathematics if it didn't, but also a philosophical one) and the necessity of coining some new mathematical terms, it also contains so much about history of mathematics, the path that leads towards fractals. As I said, the book is many times quoted, but (without trying to point a firing, accusing finger), there is a difference in quoting a book because it is famous, and another actually reading it, and having enlightenment for our own sake. Certainly I think is a "must-have-it" for most mathematicians, for many physicists, philosophers of science and engineers, but also it wouldn't be a bad guest in the library of any layman, provided the layman overcomes for some minutes the initial "classical" fear to mathematics. I would say this layman won't regret it at all. Mandelbrot does explain most of the concepts practically "ab initio", from the very scratch, including etymology and history as I previously said. One little thing against this book though: it doesn't have so many color plates as some other books on the subject, but it does have all the needed graphics to grasp the concepts.

Nice coffee table book? Not much else........2005-03-29

The BOOK by the MAN who coined the name fractal and brought them
to the general public. (Actually an enhanced version of an
earlier book with a slightly different title, same publisher.)

This book has historical value I suppose. But there are now
prettier picture books if you want those or you can easily create
your own. And if you are interested in the maths then you should
definitely look elsewhere (Devaney perhaps?). I think there is a
nice collection of papers by early 20th century pioneers
available too.

Now I wonder is Mandelbrot really the mathematician he is reputed
to be in popular imagination? It seems to me there is little here
that was not thought of before in the early 20th century by
Hausdorff, Poincare, Julia, Lebesgue, Bachelier and others. And
the whole fractal idea seems to have a life of its own in popular
imagination that does not to be justified according to the (much
smaller) importance in physics and other sciences.

Essential classic book for everyone's library.......2004-11-10

Mandelbrot presents unique and infinitely deep look at nature. The emerging theory of interaction shows that his notion of fractal turned to be more fruitful than anyone could guess. Savov's theory of interaction rigorously proves that nature is one self-reproducing and therefore self-similar fractal like interaction. Its oscillating sources remain always finite and synchronize to eject smaller similar ones.

A dated but still fascinating book.......2002-08-27

This was the book that first caught my attention. It was the cover diagram: a figure the like of which I had never seen. One thing led to another until I finally wrote my own application of fractals, Fractals in Music.

Book Description

Fractal geometry is the geometry of the natural world. It mirrors the uneven but real shapes of nature, the world as we actually experience it. Introducing Fractal Geometry traces the development of this revolutionary new discipline.

Customer Reviews:

loved it.......2007-06-15

Want to learn what fractal geometry is? Get this book, you'll know enough to be able to join in conversations on the topic.

What?.......2004-10-27

I like the format of these books, but the problem for me is that this one does not fulfil its brief, which is presumably to be, as its title implies, an introduction to a difficult subject for those not well-versed in science.
I am an interested member of the latter consituency, but I found this book presupposed far too much background knowledge - especially of terminology. Not enough is explained for those of us reformed Luddites who need to be hand-held in these matters. I shall try elsewhere. (Luckily, the field of `popular science` writing is a rich and fertile one these days.)

This Book is Ok........2004-10-17

I liked this book.

I believe it will have value to someone already knowledgeable about math and/or systems and looking for a quick and easy survey of the ideas they will encounter as they start learning about fractal geometry. This book will NOT make them an expert on the subject.

I've read other, more technical books on fractal geometry and chaos, so nothing here was brand new to me.

As for an introduction for the layman...well, that's a tall order if you hope to go beyond the "gee whiz!" phase with pretty pictures. For that, this book is probably as good as you can reasonably expect.

Glitzy graphics, Disappointing text, Broad coverage.......2001-06-15

Was this a Power Point presentation... gone missing?

First, it's important to realize that this book is part of a series of "Introducing..." books from a UK publisher. So good authors were probably forced to follow a bad format.

That format apparently required glitzy graphics which overpowered the book. Each small page seemed to be on a separate topic... much like a Power Point slide presentation.

There was disappointingly little coverage of the math side of the material. OK, there really was next to none. The saving grace was the coverage of where fractals were being used in practical applications.

Let me tell you a little more on these graphics. They were (professionally done) hand drawn cartoons. Mostly of famous mathematicians having quirky things to say about the subject, on an 8th grade level.

Overall, I think the authors did a fair job of trying to jamb an excellent subject into a stupid book format. The problem lies most likely at the feet of the publisher. This format makes sense for some of their other 8th grade books: "Introducing Feminism"... Freud... Jung... Marx... Einstein, etc. How they were able to pull off "Introducing Math" in one of these small books is probably a story in and of itself. They even have an "Introducing a Post-Feminism" book, if the first one was not enough.

This book was not a complete zero for me, as I did learn many new things. It was a fast read, but I think I have yet to find the best introductory book on Fractals. If you buy this book, you'll never have to pick up a pencil and solve a problem, or even use a calculator. It's just all... a quick read.

John Dunbar

Excellent and fun introduction to Fractals.......2001-04-17

Discovered this book serendipitously- It's easy to read, and the witty illustrations pull you right into it. It's a good book because, while it follows a logical sequence of explanation of fractals, it can also be opened almost anywhere and "read in". I will pass this book on, both to adults and young people I know, and they will get a great introduction to fractals!

The Nature and Power of Mathematics (Dover Books on Mathematics)

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The Nature and Power of Mathematics (Dover Books on Mathematics)
Donald M. Davis
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

In this engaging book, Donald Davis explains some of the most fascinating ideas in mathematics to the nonspecialist, highlighting their philosophical and historical interest, their often surprising applicability, and their beauty. The three main topics discussed are non- Euclidean geometry, with its application to the theory of relativity; number theory, with its application to cryptography; and fractals, which are an application in art, among other areas, of early mathematical work on iteration. Other topics include the influence of Greek mathematics on Kepler's laws of planetary motion, and the theoretical work that led to the development of computers. Assuming the reader has some background in basic algebra and geometry, Davis relies on exercises to develop some of the important concepts. These exercises are designed to improve the reader's ability in logic, and enable him or her actually to experience mathematics at increasingly advanced levels.

The Pattern Book: Fractals, Art, and Nature

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Better for Mathematicians
A natural first book for one interested in fractals

The Pattern Book: Fractals, Art, and Nature

Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 981021426X

Book Description

This book will allow you to travel through time and space. To facilitate your journey, the editor has scoured the four corners of the earth in a quest for unusual people and their fascinating patterns. From Mozambique, to Asia, to many European countries, the contributors to The Pattern Book include world-famous cancer researchers, little-known artists and eclectirc computer program-mers. Some of the patterns are ultramodern, while others are centuries old. Many of the patterns are drawn from the universe of mathematics. Computer recipes are scattered throughout.

Although the emphasis is on computer-generated patterns, the book is informal and the intended audience spans several fields. The emphasis is on the fun that the true pattern lover finds in doing, rather than in reading about the doing! The book is organized into three main parts: Representing Nature (for those patterns which describe or show real physical phenomena, e.g., visualizations of protein mo! tion, sea lilies, etc.), Mathematics and Symmetry (for those patterns which describe or show mathematical behavior, e.g. fractals), and Human Art (for those patterns which are artistic works of humans and made without the aid of a computer, e.g. Moslem tiling patterns.)

Customer Reviews:

Better for Mathematicians.......2007-02-18

As an artist, I had hoped this book would have presented, on equal footing, mathematics and natural/artistic elements. I ordered it based upon a review that reflected such, but was a bit disappointed to find it was definitely more formulaic based. However, that having been said, there were a few good things I extracted from this book, just not as much as I would have liked based upon the review. Would I recommend this book to a fellow artist? Likely not. To a math/science colleague...definitely. I think Gombrich is a better bet for the artist.

A natural first book for one interested in fractals.......2004-01-01

Fractals can be found everywhere, and Clifford Pickover has done a good job in selecting some of the best. The range of the collection is considerable, from "Wood Pattern" to "Trajectories of a Neural Network Quantizer in Rhythm Space." All possess a simplistic beauty that justifies the presence of the word art in the title.
Such creations, possessing enormous complexity from very simple origins, truly forces us to stretch our imaginations. All of the generation processes are very easy to understand, and some modifications for additional exploration are obvious.
One more in the collection of works devoted to fractals, this book ranks among the easiest to understand. A natural first book for those interested in fractals as objects of mathematical study or art.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Fractals in Petroleum Geology and Earth Processes (The Language of Science)

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Fractals in Petroleum Geology and Earth Processes (The Language of Science)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0306448688

Book Description

In this unique volume, renowned experts discuss the applications of fractals in petroleum research-offering an excellent introduction to the subject. Contributions cover a broad spectrum of applications from petroleum exploration to production. Papers also illustrate how fractal geometry can quantify the spatial heterogeneity of different aspects of geology and how this information can be used to improve exploration and production results.

Exploring the Geometry of Nature: Computer Modeling of Chaos, Fractals, Cellular Automata, and Neural Networks (Advanced Programming Technology)

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Exploring the Geometry of Nature: Computer Modeling of Chaos, Fractals, Cellular Automata, and Neural Networks (Advanced Programming Technology)
Edward Rietman
Manufacturer: Windcrest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Fractal Geometry of Nature
Benoit B. Mandelbrot
Manufacturer: W.H. Freeman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

$the fractal geometry of nature$
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the fractal geometry of nature
mandelbrot
Manufacturer: freeman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fractal Geometry of Nature. Updated and Augmented.

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Fractal Geometry of Nature. Updated and Augmented.
Benoit B. Mandelbrot
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fractals in Natural Science: Proceedings of the International Conference on the Complex Geometry in Nature

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Fractals in Natural Science: Proceedings of the International Conference on the Complex Geometry in Nature
Shlesinger
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9810216246

Book Description

Aerosols are generally associated with damaging effects to the ozone and human health, however, some aerosols enable productions of very clean, highly dispersed materials. Advances in Aerosol Filtration is dedicated to progress in aerosol science, presenting newly developed theories, filtration models, and novel applications of aerosol gas filtration. Topics include new filtration materials, filter testing methods, electrically enhanced filtration, mechanical and chemical filter resistivity, computational models, and much more. This book examines the history and development of aerosol filtration science and also considers research needs for the future.

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