Customer Reviews:
The Nature of Science and Evolution .......2006-05-30
Anyone arguing about science and using the words "proven," "hoax," "proof," have NO idea what Science actually IS, let alone religious faith. THERE IS NO "PROOF" INVOLVED IN SCIENCE. The concept of proof is limited to the court and legal systems as well as to Geometry class proofs,a class which I doubt many of the naysayers actually took when they were in High School.
As far as faith goes, I do not need "proof" to believe what I believe about God, if I do, then I am a Doubting Thomas and I have no faith. Asking God to prove Him or Her self is a mockery of faith. In Science we use the available data from observations to understand our physical world bettter. Sometimes we are wrong, as I believe the people who do not believe an omnipotent God who is capable of making evolution are wrong. Its a world I believe God gave us as a gift to try to get to know better and to understand. It's not here for us to fight over and ask for "proof." If our faith requires proof for us to believe, we are not really believers.
As scientists, when we get new data, we can change our ideas to better ones. I sincerely hope that these people who hide in their imitation of faith asking for proof are one day able to free themselves to believing in God just because He or She is there and not because of some paltry "proof." We crawl up a slippery slope when we try to prove God's existence. Anyone who has taken a college-level logic class can tell you that it only takes three lines to negate the existence of God, but you can never prove God exists in a logical argument. So, arguing about God and evolution is pointless. There must be some other way one can spend one's time, maybe seeing to an elderly neighbor or perhaps teaching little urban children how to read.
I've taught from this book for two years and I find it to be a 4/5 because it does not follow our California Standards directly. I think with over 50 million people we Californians would warrant our own version. I am more worried about my Language Learners understanding the sometimes dense text and my Gifted Learners not getting enough enrichment out of it than I am about the references to "evolution" in it. There is one section of one chapter about biochemistry and that is it for Life Science in this book-hence the title "Physical Science."
Challenging... yet inviting.......2003-11-14
Of Physical Science books I have yet to find one superior to this. The text is thorough enough to be challenging yet inviting to the student. Regardless of your religious beliefs I would highly recommend this text. Our local Christian school uses this text and skips over the evolution part. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. It's such a shame. Another plus for this series is the support materials offered to supplement the text. There are skill sheets, lab sheets, CDroms, test booklets, a plethora of choices. Great for home schoolers!
Darwin Fish.......2003-10-09
Even if you do not beleive the evolution theory, that does not
mean that there is no hard evidence for it. I think that this
textbook is a good teaching resource and would recommend the
"Holt Science & Technology" series to all non-religeous middle
school science teachers. THIS IS A PURELY SCIENTIFIC
REFERENCE. THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR RELIGEOUS
SCHOOLS.
--Anonymous Teacher
This book teaches evolution, which is a proven hoax........2003-05-09
Why does this book claim fossils determine the age of the dirt they were found in and then claims the age of the earth's crust can be determined by the index fossil found? This is circular reasoning! There is no proof of evolution but there is proof of the biblical flood! Read Bones of Contention or In the Beginning. Go to creationscience.org for real proof of the age of the earth. No bible necessary, though always encouraged.
Book Description
This text introduces students to both primary sources and analytical essays and is designed to encourage critical thinking about the history and culture of African Americans. The book presents a carefully selected group of readings organized to allow students to evaluate primary sources, test the interpretations of distinguished historians, and draw their own conclusions.
Customer Reviews:
A Key To Understanding African-American History.......2002-12-15
This book chronicles the strivings of blacks from Reconstruction to present day. It breaks up the chapters into the different time periods in American history. Each chapter is filled with essay and documents that futher explain black life. The many articles are insightful and allow one to jump back to the time period. It also deals with many of the black leaders ideologies. This book is for any person who enjoys history and is interested in the long and obstacle-filled past of black Americans.
Good Beginning for Understanding African American History.......2001-07-02
Thorough, detailed, and not monotonous, this is a book that I would recommend for anyone who wants to learn about African-American history, not hust through the eyes of scholars and professors, but through those who had had direct contact with the changes in African-American society. I would strongly urge those who want to learn more about African-American history to begin right here.
Book Description
Understanding the NEC Volume 1 was written to provide insight into, and an understanding of, many of the technical rules of the NEC. This book, printed in four colors, contains clear graphics, examples.
Book Description
The Only Authoritative, Comprehensive, Up-to-Date Guide to Glycemic Index Values—A Companion to the New York Times Bestseller The New Glucose Revolution
The glycemic index (GI)—an easy-to-understand measure of how different foods affect our blood glucose levels—is revolutionizing the way we eat. Now medical experts and health authorities around the world advocate using GI values in making daily food decisions—so it's never been more important to understand how to choose and benefit from low-GI foods. The New Glucose Revolution Complete Guide to Glycemic Index Values provides GI values for hundreds of foods and beverages. Included are three easy-to-read tables: an A to Z listing, a comprehensive listing by food categories, and a handy, at-a-glance table sorted according to low, intermediate and high GI values. Each entry in every table also specifies serving size, net carbohydrate per serving, and the glycemic load, which is clearly explained. Also included in the book are two GI Food Pyramids, specially created by the authors, to help guide you to appropriate daily food choices.
Customer Reviews:
New Glucose Revolution by Miller et al........2004-07-24
This book will be invaluable in the ongoing management of
diabetes and pre-diabetic states. The authors provide a
glycemic index to assist in establishing a normal glucose
level and deviations from the norm. Omega 3 fish oils have been
shown to be a useful addition to the diet. There are samples
of typical polyunsaturated fats in each food group together with
recommended portions to assist in regulating harmful fats.
This work provides a thoroughly scientific rendition for use
in minimizing the glycemic load in order to promote better
health. It is a solid value for the price charged.
Too technical.......2004-02-17
Even though the book contains alot of useful information--if you are a scientist, I found it to be frustrating for someone trying to manage a weight loss program. My mistake was to purchase this book before the program book. I am hoping it will be a better reference tool than an explanation for a diet.
Never heard of most products.......2004-01-17
I had high hopes for this glycemic index to food products. However, most items listed seem to be from Australia, Canada and South Africa and I don't recognize the brand names. The book does not have enough useful information. I am very disappointed.
Helpful information... if you're in Australia.......2003-10-22
I had searched far and wide for a good listing of foods by Glycemic LOAD (different from glycemic index). This book does have a really nice compilation that includes glycemic load and glycemic index as well as net carb count all in one chart. The frustrating part is that it is focused more on Canadian and Australian products than on United States. Many of the items that are listed are not available here. But it IS better than anything I've been able to find thus far.
More, Please.......2003-09-08
What we need is more. More specific results, more numbers for foods available in the US, more specific name-brand items, more, more, much more. Yes, I realize that research is time-consuming and expensive. I realize this is the best available resource. But we need more...
Just for fun, you should read the South Beach Diet book for contrast. This book (NGR) looks to me to have a more balanced, long term approach whereas the SBD seems to be focused on those that want fast results. Following the NGR guidelines, it seems like I eat more than I used to and am full more often, but I've lost 30 pounds over the last 4 months.
Customer Reviews:
What Are Services Worth?.......2007-07-19
Oh, what a help this book would have been when I was a library director. It's tough trying to convey to city commissioners, city managers and other funding entities what the value is for library services. (VA)
"This book is designed to serve large to medium-sized public libraries, gives librarians the tools to conduct a defensible and credible cost-benefit analysis (CBA). This hands-on reference covers the economic basics with librarian-friendly terms and examples, preparing library leaders to collaborate with economist-consultants." (summary by South TX Library System)
Here's what the book covers:
1. Introduction to Cost-Benefit Analysis for Public Libraries
2. Cost-Benefit Analysis Fundamentals
3. Important Considerations Before Commissioning a CBA Study
4. Preparing to Measure Benefits
5. Measuring Library Benefits: Identifying and Sampling Library Users
6. Measuring Library Benefits: Preparing the Survey Instruments
7. Measuring Library Costs
8. Measuring Return to Taxpayer and Donor Investment in Your Library
9. Wrapping Up Your Study: Communicating Your CBA Findings
10. Conclusions: Evaluating What Your CBA Study Accomplished
Appendix A. Measuring Consumer Surplus by Using Contingent Market Purchases or Rentals of Substitute Goods: A Technical Appendix for Economists
Appendix B. Sampling Cardholders
Appendix C. Survey Instruments
Appendix D. Calculating and Reporting Survey Response Rates
Appendix E. Technical Insights for the Project Consultants
Glossary
Bibliography
A straightforward guide for any librarian under pressure.......2007-04-12
Written by the research team of Donald S. Elliot, Glen E. Holt, Sterling W. Hayden and Leslie Edmonds Holt, who spent more than a decade developing, testing, and refining their methodologies, Measuring Your Library's Value: How To Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis for Your Public Library is a straightforward guide for any librarian under pressure to quantify the value of benefits provided to the public. Written in librarian-friendly terminology, chapters cover "Important Considerations Before Commissioning a Cost-Benefit Analysis Study", "Measuring Library Benefits: Identifying and Sampling Library Users", "Preparing the Survey Instruments", "Measuring Return to Taxpayer and Donor Investment in the Library", and much more. Step-by-step instructions, examples, charts, walkthroughs of mathematical calculations and their principles, numerous appendices including sample survey forms, and much more round out this first-rate guide for any library professional especially in today's era of tightening budgets and higher demands of accountability from public services.
Amazon.com
Most Americans remember the Whigs as morally uptight New Englanders who provided us with some of our more mediocre presidents. In his exhaustively researched book The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party, Michael F. Holt partially rehabilitates the reputation of this once-thriving political party. Founded in 1833, following Andrew Jackson's decimation of the Second Bank of the United States, the Whigs were united in the belief that the federal government was obligated to sponsor the nation's internal development and to promote manufacturing and large-scale agricultural endeavors. In Holt's account, however, proponents of Whiggery were divided on numerous other issues.
The nature of these disagreements amongst party leaders (most notably Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and future presidents such as John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore) take up the majority of space in Holt's 1,200-page account. Instead of relating how general sentiment on major issues (such as territorial expansion and the Compromise of 1850) determined the Whigs' fate, Holt shows how local and statewide political caucuses, party "kingmakers," federal patronage, and special interests created competing factions within the party even before sectionalism fractured cooperation between Northern and Southern wings in 1854. Amidst the diffused levels of power that defined the Federalism of the post-Jacksonian era, Holt concludes that the more popular leaders (such as Taylor and Fillmore) tried to balance competition amongst party factions instead of imposing an ideological "hard line" on sectional issues, a move that alienated many of the party's key ideological supporters. Written in an engaging narrative style with a minimal engagement of abstract theory, The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party meticulously reconstructs the byzantine world of 19th-century American politics. --John M. Anderson
Book Description
The political home of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Horace Greeley, and the young Abraham Lincoln, the American Whig Party was involved at every level of American politics--local, state, and federal--in the years before the Civil War, and controlled the White House for eight of the twenty-two years that it existed. Now, in The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party, Michael F. Holt gives us the only comprehensive history of the Whigs ever written--a monumental history covering in rich detail the American political landscape from the Age of Jackson to impending disunion. In Michael Holt's hands, the history of the Whig Party becomes a political history of the United States during the tumultuous Antebellum period. He offers a panoramic account of a time when a welter of parties (Whig, Democratic, Anti-Mason, Know Nothing, Free Soil, Republican) and many extraordinary political statesmen (including Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun, William Seward, Daniel Webster, Martin Van Buren, and Henry Clay) struggled to control the national agenda as the U.S. inched towards secession. It was an era when Americans were passionately involved in politics, when local concerns drove national policy, and when momentous political events rocked the country, including the Nullification Controversy, the Panic of 1837, the Annexation of Texas, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Holt captures all of this as he shows that, amid this contentious political activity, the Whig Party continuously strove to unite North and South, repeatedly trying to find a compromise position. Indeed, the Whig Party emerges as the nation's last great hope to prevent secession and civil war. The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party is a magisterial work of history, one that has already been hailed by William Gienapp of Harvard as as "one of the most important books on nineteenth-century politics ever written."
Customer Reviews:
Vital Civil War book.......2006-03-10
I have actually read all of Holt's book, endnotes and all, twice. Anyone with a serious interest in the Civil War era will have to read Dr. Holt's magnificent work. Yes, it is long but it is highly readable. I feel an abridgement would hurt the overall scholarly impact of the work. Many textbooks still claim that the Whig party died as a result of rising sectional tensions, but Holt clearly shows that while northern and southern Whigs were always divided, slavery alone did not kill the party. Other economic, moral, and social issues proved just as divisive. You need to read through the state-by-state treatments to fully understand this. That said, Holt's book can leave no doubt that tensions over slavery were vital to the breakdown of the antebellum political order, which was the real catalyst for the war. The death of the Whig party was an ominous harbinger of secession.
Unbelievably good political history.......2006-02-03
This is a massive (1178 pages if you include 193 pages of notes) history of the whig party from the early thirties to the mid fifties, Its detail and bibliography, as well as the author's knowledge of the primary sources, is stunning.
A good title for this book might be History Made Difficult. Holt goes to great lengths to show that the political history of the period cannot be summarized by illustrating one or two general trends, but must be analyzed in detail for any real understanding. By this analysis, he shows why the various leaders made the choices thay did, and, in the process reveals politics for the complex and peculiar business that it is.
As an elected public defender, I have some considerable experience in state politics. This is the only historical account I have ever read which describes the kinds of political decisions faced by real-world politicians and the myriad pieces of information (including information that is either unavailable or turns out to be wrong) which must be taken into account in the making of those decisions.
The book left me with a new respect for the antebellum leadership of our country and a sense of amazement that political decisions come out as well as they usually do.
The book is not for the fainthearted, but if you really want to understand this period of ouy history or political culture in general,you must read this book. I would give my right arm for a book like this about the contemporary political scene. It's too bad that I couldn't give six or seven stars for this one.
Wait for the Abridgement.......2005-11-26
This book is certainly the most definitive work on the Whig Party that one could imagine being written. And I, being a history major and political history buff, thought it would be a great read. But I could not make it more than about a quarter of the way through this book. There is just way too much information in this book. It is very, very well researched and documented, but it is not a good book for the armchair historian. If you are researching the Whig Party for a scholarly work, this is a great starting point. If you are an average history buff, this is not your book.
A well reasoned work of political history........2002-12-23
In the Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party, Professor Holt convicingly demonstrates through detailed inspection and analysis of national, state and local elections that the Whigs were always a deeply divided political party whose continued existance as a potent political force was always reliant upon their fervent opposition to the Democratic Party and its policies. For this reason, since Whig success or failure at the polls was always dependent upon Demoratic actions as opposed to those of the Whigs themselves, the Whigs were always at the mercy of their political opponents. Therefore, when tangable differences between the two parties began to deteriorate in the early 1850's, the long exisiting and deep divisions among the Whig rank and file allowed for crippling defections to both the enigmatic American and fledgling Republican parties. Thus, the Second Party System came to an abrupt, and for the country, a calamitous end.
Thank you Mr. Holt.......2002-08-20
First of all, I finished this book!!!
985 pages is no easy task. :o)
I think this is an excellent study of the American political landscape from 1836-1856.
For me, the book filled in a lot of gaps I had in understanding America during this time period.
Warning: This book is NOT for someone who does not have a very strong interest in this topic.
Thank you Mr. Holt.
Customer Reviews:
Holt Science Spectrum A Physical Approach.......2005-11-02
RUN, DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THIS BOOK!
First of all, please note that I hold two Doctorates--a Ph. D in Physics AND a Ph. D. in Chemistry. My daughter's class is using this book for Freshman Science, and I was attempting to help her with an assignment she did not unerstand. After reading the material she was to have completed, even I WAS CONFUSED!
This book seems to go out of its way to hide the ball, and present information in a manner and format designed to confuse even the best and the brightest.
My daughter has not received a mark lower than an A- since she began receiving letter grades. She has been finding this class difficult, and now, I can easily understand why.
If you are a teacher considering this book for your classroom, PLEASE CONSIDER OTHER ALTERNATIVES! You will frustrate and confuse your A and B students; my guess is you will totally alienate and lose the remainder. Thank you.
Not worth it.......2005-04-01
I'm currently a student enrolled in a class that is using this book. I bought it over the summer to prepare for the course and found it very confusing. The book is very illogical and not well written at all. The writers seem to try to find the most complicated way to express even the simplest idea. For example Newton's first law of motion is stated as "An object at rest and an object in motion maintains its velocity unless it experiences an unbalanced force." How much wordier can it get?
The entire textbook is this way and jumps from one subject to another with almost no logical order. I would strongly suggest that anyone thinking of buying this book reconsider. There are many superior books out there than this one.
Excellent.......2003-06-10
This book is so useful and easy. If you are not getting it then your out of your mind. I'm 15 and I'm just finishing this book. It couldn't be any easier. IF you and your teacher dont get it then you should go back to the 1st grade and along with your teacher too. Please people try to read the book not just look at the pictures!
BAD.......2003-03-31
I am a student and i happen to have a Holt Science Spectrum textbook and I do not find this book helpful to me at all. All this book does is confuse me and with this I believe that I speak for the whole class including the teacher. This book changes from one subject to the other randomly and insufficiently explains the topic, It tries to cover the lack of info with the pictures. We have even found grammatical errors.
BAD.......2003-03-31
I am a student and I do not find this book helpful to me at all. All this book does is confuse me and with this I believe that I speak for the whole class including the teacher. This book changes from one subject to the other randomly and insufficiently explains the topic, It tries to cover the lack of info with the pictures. We have even found grammatical errors.
Customer Reviews:
Holt Science Spectrum:Physical Science.......2007-03-18
I find this product very useful and it was delivered in a timely manner
Not worth it.......2005-04-01
I'm currently a student enrolled in a class that is using this book. I bought it over the summer to prepare for the course and found it very confusing. The book is very illogical and not well written at all. The writers seem to try to find the most complicated way to express even the simplest idea. For example Newton's first law of motion is stated as "An object at rest and an object in motion maintains its velocity unless it experiences an unbalanced force." How much wordier can it get?
The entire textbook is this way and jumps from one subject to another with almost no logical order. I would strongly suggest that anyone thinking of buying this book reconsider. There are many superior books out there than this one.
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