Book Description
A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.
An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Perfection.......2007-10-16
There is no review I could write that would do this book justice. I read this book Christmas Eve and thought of nothing else save the characters. This book is the most moving work of fiction I have ever come across. The book takes the reader on a journey of love that is unparalleled in it's devotion and in many ways realism. This is my favorite book and have given it as a gift to everyone I love without a single complaint.
The writing is exquisite and draws you in but it is the raw emotion that will linger long after you have set the book aside. For anyone concerned by the idea that it will be too "sci-fi" for him I can assure you it is well grounded and while may incorporate elements that make it more fantastic those events are only necessary to explain the truth of the characters who have made the decision to begin a life together while accepting that their time together will not be shared. The husband, without control, changes to different period of time. The book is about how they cope and how they love despite this unusual problem.
If you are not crying by the end you do not have a soul. This book will change your life. It is a work of fine literature for the ideas, for the writing but mostly for the hope and the imagination that it will spark in the reader. It is more than a novel about love it is a novel about our dreams.
sci fi but not sci fi.......2007-10-16
Odd mixture in many ways, combining sort of science fiction (time traveling) with an unusual love story which starts when the female character is 6. Don't be put off thinking it's too sci-fi or some slush fest as it never veers too far in either direction. The books is beautifully written, really drawing you into the story and making you feel for the characters. I did find the dual narrative style a little difficult to follow at times (it's told from the perspective of both the main characters) and the last third of the book was a little drawn out once you can kind of guess where it's going but overall it's a very moving book and well worth a read.
Frustratingly Inconsistent.......2007-10-15
I wish I could rewrite this book.
The first half was exceptional. I was so often drawn in to the characters' lives. I eagerly awaited the point where it would become obvious that Clare and Henry were meant to be together. As I reconsider the novel and the expectations I held while reading this half, I can't help but realize how deeply I was disappointed by the second half. I often felt that Niffenegger lost touch with her characters as the novel progressed. Rather than feeling as though the love between Clare and Henry deepened as their lives became more complicated, their characters started to unravel. Story lines were picked up, only to be dropped abruptly without explanation. Side characters were pigeonholed to an almost insulting degree. And the time traveling, which provided such substance and meaning to my understanding of Clare and Henry early on, added very little value my experience of the second half of the book, except to infuse everything with dread. Ultimately I was waiting for the novel to amaze me, which, unfortunately, it did not.
There were many things I loved about the book, not the least of which is how heavily detailed it was. I only wish that the potential it held for me could have been reached.
Clever Idea, But Over-rated and Unsatisfying.......2007-10-13
Henry DeTamble is a handsome young librarian who lives in Chicago and time travels uncontrollably into the past as well as the future. Many of his travels take him back to see his future wife Clare Abshire as she grows up.
I thought the premise of the book was very interesting and kept me thinking and flipping back and forth to see when events happened in time.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book and I thought Niffenegger did a very good job of making the characters of Henry and Clare come to life. But the second half of the book, after Henry and Clare are married seems to be written in a completely different style. I'm not sure what happened but the story just seems to fall apart and go nowhere. There are many pages devoted to Henry's time travel but few sentences devoted to developing realistic relationships between the characters she created.
I think this could have been a really great book but I honestly didn't feel the love in the love story. And the more I dissected the novel the less satisfying it seems to me.
Okay so that's what I'm going to say without mentioning specifics. If you keep reading you will find...
***SPOILERS AHEAD*** I guess the one thing that seems to be starkly absent from this story is the reason that Henry continues to visit Clare as she grows up. Why does he do that? It seemed to me that he was grooming her to be a better wife in the future but we never see what sends him back to her.
Some other things that seem missing are the realistic details of daily life, like when Gomez and Charisse have their children, their births are not mentioned. When Clare's brother and his wife have kids their births aren't mentioned and their names are never given, they are just referred to as their kids. I think Clare and Henry's heartache over not being able to have children could have been illustrated using the births of the many children in their life.
I thought the story line of Gomez being in love with Clare was left completely unexplored.
I thought the fact that Clare's father and brother never say anything about what happened in the field in 1984 was unlikely. Wouldn't she have talked with them about those events, at least after Henry died?
And what did they tell Alba about her abilities? I think the author addressing that would have given a richer and more realistic feeling to the book. It almost seemed like she was overly focused on the time travel and failed to pay attention to the underlying story she created.
Highly original, entertaining and moving.......2007-10-13
Whew! Did I ever love this book. Niffenger breathes such life into her characters that I actually found myself relating to the woman married to the time-traveler. It's a sweeping love story told from the perspectives of the husband and wife, and he's a librarian and they both love to read so there are lots of literary references to delight book junkies. And Niffenger is a fabulous writer; here's an analogy I loved:
"...smiles in an exhausted but warm sort of way, as though she is a brilliant sun in some other galaxy."
Amazon.com
The thought that humans might one day be able to harness time, traveling freely from one age to another, has been a fixture of science fiction for years. Science fact is beginning to catch up to the long-held dream: in this entertaining survey, researcher-writer Clifford Pickover observes that current theories of physics support--or at least do not rule out--the possibilities of time travel.
In chapters that mix whimsical science-fiction scenarios with brief essays on matters of fact, Pickover takes a leisurely stroll through various chrono-cosmological theories and discusses their attendant virtues, flaws, and inherent paradoxes. One modern notion, Kurt Gödel's addendum to Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, posits a rotating universe in which it is possible for a traveler to move between states of time and return to the present (assuming, of course, that there is such a thing as the present); the theory depends on a universe that rotates slowly, which seems not to be the case, but, as Pickover points out, it nevertheless provides a mathematical basis for time travel--which, he suggests, is a fine and worthy start. Pickover peppers his well-illustrated text with learned asides on such matters as light-cone diagrams, rocket clocks, string theory, parallel universes, and other topics real and speculative. What he turns up in the course of his narrative is fascinating--and fuel for anyone who entertains dreams of interdimensional wandering. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
"Bucky Fuller thought big," Wired magazine recently noted, "Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." In his newest book, Cliff Pickover outdoes even himself, probing a mystery that has baffled mystics, philosophers, and scientists throughout history--What is the nature of time? In Time: A Traveler's Guide, Pickover takes readers to the forefront of science as he illuminates the most mysterious phenomenon in the universe--time itself. Is time travel possible? Is time real? Does it flow in one direction only? Does it have a beginning and an end? What is eternity? Pickover's book offers a stimulating blend of Chopin, philosophy, Einstein, and modern physics, spiced with diverting side-trips to such topics as the history of clocks, the nature of free will, and the reason gold glitters. Numerous diagrams ensure readers will have no trouble following along. By the time we finish this book, we understand a wide variety of scientific concepts pertaining to time. And most important, we will understand that time travel is, indeed, possible.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Layman's Exploration of the Concept of Time.......2006-11-29
Anybody with a high school diploma can read this book and walk away with a good understanding of the concept of time and time travel. Cliff presents these complex concepts and theories in ordinary terms and practical examples that are easy to comprehend and won't leave you with brain burn out. I've read other books on this topic(including a Brief History of Time) and none of them were able to make me understand these concepts like this book was. After reading this book, I feel intimately familiar with the possibilities of Time Travel and the theories behind it.
Quantum Physics Can Be Fun.......2004-04-10
An outstanding book - I have never before read a book that dealt with such advanced concepts that was so easy to read and comprehend and as hard to put down (I read it in a weekend). Dr. Pickover's style of making the first half of each chapter a sci-fi story, with the second half "the science behind the story" makes this book fun and teaches you without having to work. Definately inspires creative thought.
I have a few more Pickover books on order and look forward to more. (...)
Awesome through and through.......2002-11-26
If you ever wanted to learn more about time travel, pick up this book! Time: A Traveller's Guide combines mathematics with an intruiging plot. He weaves some non-fiction into the math and information to make it all the more interesting. I have had the privilige to contact Mr. Pickover myself and he is an amazing man! This book is one of the best I have read!
One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read.......2001-12-11
This book is one of the bet novelles I have read about temporal mechanics in years. The engrossing yet comical plot will keep you enthralled for hours on end. At times the math gets a tad overwhelming (even for a lover of math such as myself), but it is well worth the knowledge you take away from it.
One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read.......2001-12-11
Pickover brings to life time travel in stunning detail. It not only contains and engrossing yet comical plot, but is punctuated by a consistent simplicity for reader's of all ages. The mathematics can get a little heavy and times (don't get me wrong I love math), but it is well worth it. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to explore the depths of their mind.
Average customer rating:
- Good imagination
- Creative, Fun, and Practical!!
- Unique.
- Charming & whimsical.
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The Complete Time Traveler : A Tourist's Guide to the Fourth Dimension
Howard J. Blumenthal ,
Dorothy F. Curley , and
Brad Williams
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0898152844 |
Customer Reviews:
Good imagination.......2005-02-06
I enjoyed this good science fiction travel book. It certainly does give one a good idea of what commercial time travel would be like. (Although, of course, there would probably still be people who would abuse it, like to win at gambling.)
It, for instance, mentions time travel package tours, to certain times and places. One is a Christian tour. The main event is the Sermon on the Mount. That tour has also, for instance, the Roman Colosseum to see Christians being persecuted, and another day to see the Christians hiding in Catacombs.
Another package tour example is times and places in ancients Greece and Rome. It could include the above two days as optional extras.
Creative, Fun, and Practical!!.......2004-08-31
A fun, well-written book, that will tell you *everything* you need to know on your Time Travel adventures!
Funny story...once I was qualified, I used my time belt to go back and visit an ancestor, Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame). When he told me that life in Virginia was making him tired, I told him to "Go Rest". He heard me wrong, and well, the rest is history, as they say. Glad to play my part.
A note for the author/publisher: While this is truly a great book, I have discovered a few minor typos. I went back to 1988, but was unable to speak with the right person to correct them. If you do get this message, please make the corrections...I will await the changes to ripple through to my copy (actually, I guess I won't be waiting once it's done, and this message will disappear).
Anyway, if you are thinking of reading this book, do not hesitate! (It is also a great attention-getter for reading on the plane.)
Unique........2004-01-21
This is fiction-- mostly-- but it's not quite a novel. Imagine, if you will, a future in which Time Travel is something you can do as a tourist. A guide book is published, complete with ads, and just to be cute, they publish it in the past as well.
They examine the mechanics of time travel, as well as the laws, recommended stops, safety tips, and the history of time travel, as represented in this fictional future as well as science fiction (including sci-fi that hasn't been written yet).
The "ads" alone are worth the cost of the book.
Charming & whimsical........2003-01-30
A guide to time travel. Your difficulties as a tourist in other eras, your various options in time machines, & all the fun you can have as a Time Traveller are all covered in this whimsical book.
There is also a section of books & films about Time Travel.
i know where I'm going on my vacation. Or, more accurately, WHEN.
A great read! :)
Product Description
On-the-go Instrction Because your time is valuable... All Audio All on the go! Beginning level instruction is presented in an all-audio format on 4 digitally-recorded CDs. You have the opportunity to learn on the go, taking advantage of time normally wasted. Study in your car, while exercising, doing yard work anywhere you can safely listen to a CD player. No accompanying books are needed to help you complete the lesson activities. Why can t learning be fun? It can! Linguaphone has chosen to present the allTalk series in an entertaining, soap-opera format. No dry old teacher with a monotone voice putting you to sleep, you follow the adventures of a visitor to a Spanish-speaking country as she interacts with individuals in a variety of interesting situations, learning the language and beginning to understand the culture. Actually learn the language Tired of spending money on language courses that don t work? Did you ever think the problem could be with the course and not you? With Linguaphone s unique learning sequence: Listen, Understand, Speak, you will find yourself actually using the language in no time at all! You are presented with a unit of the language, it is then broken down and explained to you, then you put it back together with greater understanding than just repeating what you may not have understood in the first place. . . . and learn it well! The all Talk methodology not only teaches well, but will have you speaking and understanding basic spoken Spanish in no time at all. Other popular all-audio courses require four times the cds, four times the money and four times the time to do what Linguaphone s allTalk Basic does with 4-one hour CDs.
Book Description
Art lovers who travel and travelers who love art will embrace the new 2005 edition of this illustrated, portable guide. It offers unparalleled coverage of major art exhibitions at more than 400 museums in the U.S. and abroad, using the extensive resources of The New York Times and its outstanding cultural reportage. In addition, respected New York Times writers have contributed two informative new essays on the current art scene. AUTHOR BIO: Alan Riding is chief European culture correspondent for The New York Times, based in Paris. Roberta Smith is an art critic at The Times. Susan Mermelstein is an editor at The Times.
Amazon.com
Clifford Pickover, an extraordinarily prolific and polymathic research scientist at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, has consistently been one of the most creative writers about computer graphics, scientific visualization, and mathematical models of natural and physical systems. This latest offering is classic Pickover in its wealth of information, ideas, bold speculations and and propositions -- including proposed "hands-on" experiments with black holes -- which just may turn out to be plausible. Recommended.
Book Description
BLACK HOLES A TRAVELER'S GUIDE
Clifford Pickover's inventive and entertaining excursion beyond the curves of space and time.
"I've enjoyed Clifford Pickover's earlier books . . . now he has ventured into the exploration of black holes. All would-be tourists are strongly advised to read his traveler's guide." -Arthur C. Clarke.
"Many books have been written about black holes, but none surpass this one in arousing emotions of awe and wonder towards the mysterious structure of the universe." -Martin Gardner.
"Bucky Fuller thought big. Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." -Wired.
"The book is fun, zany, in-your-face, and refreshingly addictive." -Times Higher Education Supplement.
Customer Reviews:
Engrossing and Entertaining.......2002-01-04
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to get into and hard to put down. Don't get discouraged by the equations. I skipped over the calculation as all that interested me was the concepts which the author did well to get across. There was perhaps only a couple of sections I re-read and mainly because I was trying refresh them in my mind to relate them to sections later in the book. As a bonus there's also a cheesy little sidestory that while not exactly rife with tiwsts and turns does well to get across basic concepts in an amusing manner before delving into the knitty gritty of it. If you enjoy studying black holes buy this book. If you don't enjoy studying balck holes, well it'll look good on your coffe table with it's snazzy cover:)
Happy trails...........2000-03-16
The term "black hole" was coined by the Princeton physicist John Archibald Wheeler. What, exactly, a black hole is (if there even is such a thing) has been a source of debate and confusion for decades. Clifford Pickover inserts you as the main character of this book. You are on a spaceship (complete with aliens) way the heck in the future & your ship is near a black hole. So, you & your friends decide to do a close (literally) study of the cosmic anomaly.
The story is entertaining & has many didactic features. Pickover also inserts some humor so as to make the book enjoyable as opposed to a dense treatise of rather complex mathematical concepts. Also, at the end of each chapter is a section called "The science behind the science fiction." It is a detailed account of what we presently know (or think we know) about the notions which were presented in the narrative.
And, the concepts are many. We learn of various weird things that happen in & near a black hole, such as time slowing, the "shrinking" of one's perspective due to the singularity & the mind-numbing gravitational power which is projected by black holes.....a gravity field so immense that the escape velocity exceeds light speed. We learn how black holes were predicted by Einstein's theory of Relativity as well as how the many principles of quantum mechanics come into the picture when one is attempting to understand the nature of singularities.
Much of this book is speculation, but it is educated speculation. The conjectures on what happens inside of a singularity, as well as the possiblity of wormholes which lead to other universes & dimensions is exciting & based on our best available current knowledge of the cosmos. As an added bonus, there is a chapter in the back of the book in which many of the world's leading cosmologists answer questions posed by the author on various topics about & related to black holes. There are also computer animation pictures of some of the more dazzling geometrical effects that are generated by black holes. For anyone who is planning to visit a black hole anytime soon, this book is a must.
GET THE BOOK AND BEGIN YOUR OWN TRAVEL!.......2000-01-02
For over five years I've been a fond of classic physics, cuantic physics, cosmology and astrophysics. I've read the books of some of the greatest writers of these branches of science, among which I remember Stephen Hawking, Paul Davies, Roger Penrose, Albert Einstein, etc. All of these books are very complete if we talk about the information exposed by them, but they have a common characteristic (I don't know whether is a defect in fact), is highly recommendable to have a certain level of scientific knowledge in order to make good use of its content. The book featured by Clifford A. Pickover "Black Holes: A traveler's guide" is totally different to those that I've read before. Is a complete, funny and, overcoat, is easily understandable by anybody. At the beginning of each chapter there are presented dialogs (between the reader and an alien called Mr. Plex) with the purpose of giving the main idea of what is coming up next. In the same way, almost all chapters make reference to simple formulas that describe the most relevant aspects about the behavior of black holes. Besides the main subject (black holes), the author took charge of showing in a briefly manner another "not less important" subjects of astrophysics and cosmology. I had never understood many of the formulas presented until I read this book. When you begin to read it, you begin a journey to the marvelous structure of one of the strangest and most fascinating things in the whole universe, a black hole. Is the best book that I've ever seen about this topics and I believe that somebody difficultly overcome the clear, precise and funny style of writing of Clifford A. Pickover. GET THE BOOK AND BEGIN YOUR OWN TRAVEL!
Good Book for General Readers.......1999-08-10
This book is full of useful information about black holes that is presented in a fun manner. The dialog at the beginning of each chapter makes the reader understand the topic fairly easily. The equations were added for a more scientific approach, but you don't have to understand them to understand the theories. This book is very good for readers interested in Black Holes, but not the physics of them. I would not suggest this book to people who have studied physics or astrophysics if they are looking for a mathematical explanation of Black Holes. It often repeats itself because it is guided towards people with an interest in the subject but are not really interested in the math and physics of it all.
Overall it is an excellent overview of Black Holes, and a joy to read!
Edutainment at its best!!!!.......1999-08-08
This is an excellent book to give to anyone how are new to the subject of the physics concerning black holes. Thanks to this book I am able to explain how black holes work in a simple and clear way. I like how the author uses you and Mr. Plex to educate the reader about black holes. It's a trip! This is most likely the best (and most fun) book on black holes I've ever read.
Average customer rating:
- This was an incredible book.
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Ticket to the Twenties: A Time Traveler's Guide
Mary Blocksma
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (Juv)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0316099740 |
Customer Reviews:
This was an incredible book........1999-01-15
This book left an image on mind. I was ten when i read it and it made me want to live in the twenties. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much is because every last page was so very detailed. The illustration in this book makes everything seem so real. If there ever was a book that i recommend kids to read it would be this book. I also think that the author should do many more books like this one.
Book Description
At a time when Americans are so riveted by questions about their place in a newly hostile world that they are swearing off air travel, Elinor Burkett does not just take a trip; she takes a headlong dive into enemy territories, crisscrossing back and forth between Ronald Reagan's old Evil Empire and George Bush's new Axis of Evil.
Her adventure begins with her assignment as a Fulbright Professor teaching journalism in Kyrgyzstan, a faded fragment of Soviet might in the heart of Central Asia -- a place of dilapidated apartments, bizarre food and demoralized citizens clinging to the safety of Brother Russia. But when she refuses to join the other expatriates evacuated from the "-stans," it turns into much more. She flies into Afghanistan just as the Taliban are departing, mingles with tense Iraquis watching the gathering storm clouds of an American-led invasion and becomes the target of the resentments of the old comrades of the former Soviet Union. Journeying between Iran and Mongolia, Uzbekistan, China and Vietnam, she confronts old enemies in an era of terrifying new ones.
When she left home, Burkett, a seasoned journalist, wasn't gathering material for a book; she thought she was "taking a vacation from reality." But she emerges with a dazzling political travelogue that will make even the most enlightened reader question what he or she has considered as truth. Whether she's writing about being served goat's head in a Kyrgyz yurt, checking out bowling alleys in Baghdad, avoiding mullahs zooming along on motorbikes in Tehran or simply trying to cook a chicken in her own crumbling apartment, Burkett offers an eclectic series of adventures that are alternately comical, whimsical, poignant and discomfiting.
Customer Reviews:
adventurous spirit abroad.......2007-02-16
Elinor Burkett's account of her travels in Central Asia is vibrant, quirky, and fascinating. I especially admire her courage in traveling to a region not well known to most Americans, her observational powers, her attention to detail, and her ability to place her adventures in a global context. I also admire her integrity in sticking to her principles as a professor of journalism at Bishkek, Kyrgystan, and her sincere desire to inject the spirit of journalistic objectivity into her students' psyches.
As I read over the other reviews of this book, I found it hard to believe that anyone who had not acted with the same bravery in traveling to the truly exotic locations in this book would dare to express a negative opinion of two who dared do so. I believe that Elinor and her husband Dennis made a great team as they explored foreign cultures, not only in Central Asia, but as far afield as China, and reported their own colorful experiences, as well as the stories of the many people they met who are dealing with enormous adjustments from the communism of the former USSR to a free market economy, and from age-old peasant practices to the rapid technological advances of the first world. Elinor describes in great detail the painful shifts in mindset that are occurring among the young people in Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan, as well as in Iraq and Iran, and the way that they are caught between conflicting desires for the past and the future. She sheds light on their world and their natural wish to be regarded as important by America and other developed nations.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for which I appreciate this book is that Elinor succeeds in making us Americentric people aware that there are many other nations out there, many other peoples, all of whom have hopes, desires, and problems that are just as valid as ours. This book enriches our knowledge of the world. Bravo to a modern American trailblazer!
Misleading title, nonetheless leads to intriguing read.......2006-03-05
Burkett manages to squeeze in so much travel in a year as a Fullbright Professor from homebase of Kyrgyzstan, that it makes you want to pick up and follow her lead. She makes it seem, however, from the title, that she is somehow in danger or threatened when she does travel to areas of the world such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq. This could be far from the case, as she realizes too that these countries, places that Americans or Westerners might not think of as travel destinations, are full of life, and filled with friendly and curious people.
She also sheds light on the country of Kyrgyzstan, a newly emerged Central Asian nation, struggling with modernization amongst the gritty aftermath of the Soviet Union. The popular "resort" area of Lake Issykul is marred by discarded industrial plants rusting in the water. Trying to find a normal chicken to cook and eat for dinner is a funny vignette. Also the different outlook on life that her students take, open her eyes, as well as the reader.
Overall an intriguing read, don't expect anything too deep, especially when she goes on assignment as a "journalist" for Elle magazine. And what exactly does her husband do when he goes with her on her Fullbright trip? She never says, except once when he tries to secure press passes... I'm not exactly sure how he can be a part of the media.
The Ugly American is alive and well........2006-02-09
If Ms. Burkett's light-weight, self-important book is an example of the type of journalism she presented to her students in Kyrgyzstan they deserve their money back. For example, she begins by describing the less than rigorous practice of religion in the country as "Muslim light." What an egregious error; she obviously needed to say "Islam light", but she - and her editors - couldn't quite find the words to do so. But why would we expect her to? After all, she's only a self-described "professor" of journalism. Faculty appointments notwithstanding, she's about as much a journalism "professor" as I am the King of Siam. Frankly, she hasn't a clue what she's talking about.
Worse, Burkett mocks and denigrates everyone and everything she encounters: she dreads the food, she loathes her hosts' formality and politeness; she even hates their buildings. And she makes herself the long-suffering heroine of every story, from being in a putative Muslim country on 9/11 , to surviving flights on ancient Soviet commercial airliners. How very, very brave.
I've seen her type before: the brash complainers who go overseas - usually at U.S. taxpayers' expense - waving their American "We're Number One" foam-rubber finger at the natives! Burkett may have traveled widely, but her attitude is strictly bush, pun intended. In short, if this book is anything to go by, she is the quintessential Ugly American - or maybe just Ugly American Light.
Unexpectedly good..........2005-07-17
I picked up this book on a whim when I saw it under the "new non-fiction" at my library. And I'm glad I did. The author, a journalist, decided to spend one year teaching "American-style journalism" in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Fulbright program. Her journey at first paints a picture of a place many of us have probably heard little about. She tells us, for example, of the struggle to find edible "non-delicacies" in a country where customarily goat brain is served to guests. The author and her husband had also planned to travel extensively around the region, but then 9/11 struck. Instead of ditching what they considered a "once in a lifetime" opportunity, they proceeded on their trip to Afghanistan. The author's encounters with the people of these countries, as well as others, including Iran, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan show us how very alike- and different we are. She also tries to paint a picture of how these countries view the USA, before and after the attacks of 9/11. My only gripe with this book is I felt the end, where she traveled across Russia, China, and Vietnam, seemed a bit rushed, and I wasn't ready for the story to end.
Elinor Burkett: Today's Marco Polo.......2005-05-03
Just finished Elinor Burkett's So Many Enemies, So Little Time.
I liked it a lot. It's really a Marco Polo travel diary for today. Burkett provides needed background to world events, in a lively personal style. Fun to read, and you can think about it afterwards, too. The book recounts Burkett's adventures in Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, Burma (officially Myanmar), China, Vietnam, and Cambodia during the 2001-2002 events, when she was a Fulbright Scholar. I agree with her view that the Fulbright program is one US government initiative that really works as it was intended. She explains how her view of the world changed after her experience teaching abroad in the wake of 9/11--just the kind of growth experience Senator Fulbright wanted. Burkett has a real gift for noticing the interesting detail. Her description of the little things at her university in Bishkek--such as wandering around the hall trying to find a classroom after being kicked out for some sort of seminar--tracked pretty exactly to my experience at UWED in Tashkent (which I was pleased to see she called the Harvard of Central Asia). Burkett's observations are generally acute, the most telling ones based on her personal confrontations with age-old traditions.
Most of all, I enjoyed Burkett's Kyrgyz anecdotes, which I think reflect a certain mentality--and reality--in the region. Here's a sample:
While walking in the countryside, two Uzbeks and two Kyrgyz fell in a hole. "I'll give you a hand up," the younger Uzbek said to the older. "Then, when you're on solid ground, you can pull me up." The older man agreed, the Uzbeks freed themselves and then went on their way.
The two Kyrgyz men looked at each other grimly, and one began climbing out of the hole on his own. "Hey, you can't do that," yelled the other man, pulling on his companion's legs. "If you get out, I'll be alone and stranded."
Book Description
This innovative, inexpensive supplement will add a special dimension to any general physics class, or advanced course in special relativity. Professor Moore has written a concise yet thorough introduction to topics in special relativity, developing concepts clearly and presenting them in an accessible manner.
Customer Reviews:
never thought i'd write this about a textbook.......2007-04-09
This book is incredibly comprehensible and interesting. It was vaguely assigned as supplemental reading for my physics class and I read it in two days because I was hooked.
Great content, but get it cheaper!.......2006-11-20
This book is an excellent introduction to special relativity. It very carefully distinguishes between the different types of time measurements. Also, it is one of the few introductory books that actually teaches the reader how to make use of spacetime diagrams. Advanced topics such as transformations of electromagnetic fields are not covered, but this this book will give you a strong basis for further study.
If want to get the same content for about $20 less, buy Unit R of Thomas Moore's Six Ideas That Shaped Physics. It seems that A Traveler's Guide to Spacetime became one volume in that series. Also, the Six Ideas book is in the second edition, but this book has not been updated.
One of the most easily understandable books in physics!!.......1998-11-19
Not only did Thomas Moore write a great book, he is also an excellent teacher. It is relativity made easy. Be sure to look for the Six Ideas that Shaped Physics if you really want to learn general physics. Moore emphasizes the models of physics, not the equations generate dby these models.
read this book!.......1998-09-15
A Traveler's Guide to Spacetime is a wonderful introduction to the realm of Special Relativity. Moore presents the material in interesting format combining imaginative scenarios of evil space cadets with intuitive yet complicated equations.
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The Timetraveller's Guide to Victorian London (Timetraveller's Guide)
N. S. Narayan
Manufacturer: Salt Way Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1904153119 |
Book Description
Everything you always wanted to know about Victorian London:
• What was The Great Stink (not a Victorian teenager’s bedroom)? • Life (or most likely death) in the workhouse • Chimney sweeps and apprentices—the life of an average working child • Begging and pickpocketing—survival on the streets • The diary of Queen Vic (the woman, not the pub) • Life in the rookeries • Jack the Ripper, opium dens and the Victorian underworld • Charles Dickens, Avenging Angel • Public hangings and other entertainments • The turn of the tide—the age of reform
From the audacious Crystal Palace—a symbol of the age—to the slums of St Giles, Victorian London is a place of greater contrasts than in any other period. The more shocking because it is the most recent period in the series, here the streets are teeming with gents and pickpockets, vicars and prostitutes, philanthropists and murderers.
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