Tracks Across Alaska: A Dog Sled Journey (Traveler)

Customer Reviews:

Laughed out loud quite a few times..........2004-11-08

Being owned by a couple of sled dogs myself and utterly familiar with their character(s), I was able to fully empathize with the author. This book is very well written, and I admired the author's candor when describing the rookie mistakes he made in the beginning of his adventure. Training sled dogs is a tough job in itself, now try doing it in a very harsh, demanding environment without all the comforts of (most people's) home.
But the book not only focuses on the dogs, it also paints a very colorful picture of the people who live in Alaska's towns and in the wilderness. Hats off to those individuals who make it in an environment that can turn from stunningly picturesque to life-threatening within an instant!

If you love adventure travel books, and happen to like dogs, too, this is the book for you.

The dogsledding dream at its finest........2002-07-16

If you've dreamt of leaving your job, car payments and cell phone for a pack of Alaskan Huskies and wide open tundra, you'll love this story. Keep in mind, it is not a book about running the Iditarod, but rather following the Iditarod trail. Excellent read and a must have for any dogsledding fanatic.

very fun read.......1999-08-13

A great read for anyone who romanticizes the great white north, or at least wants to know what its like. I was captivate by the crisp clear prose and was swept up in the adventure.

This is definitely worth looking at.......1999-03-30

A useful and crisp description of Alaska by an inveterate traveler. Scott has a good grasp of the art of writing clear and readable prose. A good view of the Idiatrod race and a cursory history of Alaska as well.

Tracks Across Alaska. A Dog Sled Journey

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Tracks Across Alaska. A Dog Sled Journey
Alastair Scott
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUKING

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Bacteria, Yeasts, And Molds In The Home
H. W. Conn
Manufacturer: Ferrero Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1406717525

Book Description

PREFACE The rapidly growing interest in home economics is caus- ing this subject slowly to assume the aspect of an exact science. At the present time it is becoming necessary for those expecting to become housewives to understand at least the elementary phases of a number of sciences, most prominent among which are chemistry and bacteri- ology. The relation of microorganisms to household affairs has only been recognized in the last few years, but is now felt to be one of the most important phases in the study of the problems of the household. The present work is therefore designed for all interested in household affairs, including not only students of household economics but all persons who have practical charge of homes and are interested in keeping them in the best and most healthful condition. 238904 iii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I MOLDS PAGE II. THE GENERAL NATURE OF MOLDS . . . 12 III. CONDITIONS FAVORING MOLD GROWTH . . . . 32 IV. THE DECAY OF FRUIT USEFUL MOLDS MOLD DISEASES . . , . . 40 SECTION II YEASTS V. YEASTS AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION . VI. YEASTS IN THE HOUSEHOLD. VII. BREAD RAISING FERMENTED LIQUORS . SECTION III BACTERIA VIII. THE GENERAL NATURE OF BACTERIA . . . 100 IX. BACTERIA WHICH LIVE UPON DEAD FOOD . . 124 X. THE PRESERVATION OF FOOD DRYING COOLING 139 XL THE USE OF PRESERVATIVES . V . . . 157 XII. PRESERVATION BY CANNING . . ... . 169 XIII. MILK EGGS PTOMAINE POISONING . ... I 56 68 86 . . 182 XIV. DISEASE BACTERIA 203 Vi CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XV. PREVENTION OF DISTRIBUTION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES . ... . . . .212 XVI. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS . . . . . 241 XVII. DISINFECTION . . . . . . . . 255 APPENDIX DIRECTIONS FOR LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS . . . 267 INDEX . ........ 287 BACTERIA, YEASTS, AND MOLDS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Bacteria, yeasts, and molds comprise a series of plants commonly known as microorganisms, or more popularly as microbes. It has for some time been recognized that together they form a group of the utmost importance not only to the physician but also to the agriculturist. that their rela- To-day it is beginning to be appreciated tion to the ordinary household, and hence to the housewife, is even more intimate than to the physician. We are learning that many of the tasks of the housekeeper, some of which may be more or less unpleasant, have their foundation in bacteriology, and we are beginning to recognize that these microorganisms constitute the foundation of the demand for cleanliness so forcibly emphasized in modern times. In the household microorganisms have an important bearing in three directions 1. They are the cause of the decay and spoiling of foods and many other products. 2. They are sometimes of value in the preparation of foods. 3. They are the cause of contagious diseases. Although household duties are varied in character, the larger part of them concern the preparation and the pres- ervation of foods. The preparation of food belongs pri- marily to the department of cooking, although certain other factors are concerned. But the science of cooking has little to do with the preservation of food. This latter problem is intimately related to modern bacteriology. It is largely for this reason that the study of bacteriology and kindred subjects has in recent years come to be looked upon as a part of the necessary training of the housewife...

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Bacteria, yeasts, and molds in the home
H. W Conn
Manufacturer: Ginn and company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Bacteriology | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007ELK2G

Book Description

You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.

Customer Reviews:

be prepared!.......2002-06-25

I recommend this book to anyone who will be spending considerable time in Venezuela. It is useful for a tourist, but essential for someone going there to live! I spent 18 months in Venezuela very recently and I read this book before I went. It helped to cushion the CULTURE SHOCK and make it humorous instead of shocking.

PERFECT ACCOUNT.......2000-10-17

If you are planning on visiting Venezuela or if you are just interested in finding out about the Venezuelan culture, I would reccomend this book to you. It is a perfect account of what my experience was like. However, if you are a wild spirit and you wish to have an untainted experience of the country...then I would not reccomend this book to you. Because it is so accurate, it might spoil the fun of your adventure. I enjoyed this book very much. It helped me to understand the people and why they are how they are.

I wish I'd seen it earlier.......2000-02-28

I spent eight months teaching English in Caracas two years ago. I spent nearly as much time trying to find a guide to the country that would tell me what I needed to know as a foreigner. I picked up this book out of curiosity and perhaps out of snobbery... I had been there, so what could a mere book tell me? I was wrong. I learnt a lot and found myself smiling in agreement at some of the situations it described as I had been through them myself. While I could have done without the history section, the rest of it was right on the button. An excellent guide to a country that is very alien to a Northern European person like myself. Excellent.

A Great Guide to Life InVenezuela.......2000-02-02

Culture Shock! Venezuela is an informative,enjoyable, well-written and extremely useful guide for anyone visiting Venezuela. Although I had already spent 9 months in Spain I needed to know about life in Venezuela and this book told me maynt things I needed to know.

I impressed the Venezuelans I stayed with and their friends with the knowledge I picked up from this book and was warned about some of the downsides of the country. Overall a fine introduction to anyone visiting Venezuela.

Not up to Culture Shock! series standards.......1999-12-01

Living in Venezuela, I waited long for a Culture Shock series book about it. After reading it and comparing some of the items with friends I have to conclude that this is the worst Culture Shock book I have read. Most items only tell part of the story and what they say is in a lot of cases incorrect. Also there is a whole section dedicated to travelling, if I wanted a travel guide I can buy a Lonely Planet guide or something similar. I would not recommend this book, experience Venezuela yourself until a good reference book on Venezuelan culture comes onto the market.

Book Description

Now they exist only within the precise, rectangular pits of excavated remains that capture a once-powerful dream whose images continue to echo around us. But, centuries ago, the Seven Wonders of the World were advertisements for a contemporary, thrilling, and heroic way of life, the finest examples of a brand-new civic architecture, the ancestors of every modern city on the planet. Here is the history behind these legendary lost structures: the enormous statue to the Greek god Zeus, carved by Phidias and holding a figure of Victory in one hand and a scepter in the other; the Colossus of Rhodes, a tribute to freedom looking up to Olympus and over the sea; the elegant lighthouse on the island of Pharos in Alexandria; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, adorned with numerous statues and carvings; the many-tiered Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, as beautiful as the goddess for whom it was named; and the eternal Pyramids and the Rise of Wonder.

Customer Reviews:

A good book and better film.......2005-05-07

This is one of Mr. Romers better efforts both as a book and as a video. He takes you places where most folks will never be able to go to. He then takes what you think is nothing and shows you how it is really connected physically to the Hellenistic Era. He has opened my eyes to an era that I had not really thought important but I now see the errors of my ways. His choices of music, locations and his train of thought used in the film are outstanding. I just hope that it comes out in DVD soon. All together a mighty effort that pays off handsomely, Mega Kudos to all hands involved!

Excellent text for the record.......1999-02-10

Very well written and to the point. Sheds new light on the Wonders

Seven Wonders Of The Modern World (Seven Wonders of the World)

Average customer rating:

Works very well for both classroom and computer research

Seven Wonders Of The Modern World (Seven Wonders of the World)
Doreen Gonzales
Manufacturer: Myreportlinks.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Architecture | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Mystery & Wonders | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Curiosities & Wonders | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0766052923

Customer Reviews:

Works very well for both classroom and computer research.......2006-03-13

From the Panama Canal to the CN Tower and the Empire State Building, Seven Wonders Of The Modern World joins others in the 'Seven Wonders of the World' series to survey the structures' history, impact, and the web sites which offer further information. Between color photos of web site screens and supplemental details, Seven Wonders Of The Modern World works very well for both classroom and computer research.

Dreams of Iron and Steel: Seven Wonders of the Modern Age, from the Building of the London Sewers to the Panama Canal (P.S.)

Average customer rating:

Informative yet Captivating
A delightful read that reminds us that history is about people, not machines
Good Story Telling
Exceptional story telling of 7 great wonders by one of the best historians around

Dreams of Iron and Steel: Seven Wonders of the Modern Age, from the Building of the London Sewers to the Panama Canal (P.S.)
Deborah Cadbury
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 000716307X
Release Date: 2005-01-04

Book Description

A world that had changed little from the Middle Ages was altered beyond recognition by the pioneering genius of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In Dreams of Iron and Steel, acclaimed historian Deborah Cadbury tells the heroic tale of the visionaries and ordinary workers who brought to life seven great wonders of the world that still have the power to awe and inspire us today. Fueled by Deborah Cadbury's characteristic scholarship and insight, this extraordinary chronicle re-creates the human odyssey of how our modern world was forged not only with rivets, grease, and steam but also with blood, sweat, and extreme imagination.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Informative yet Captivating.......2007-07-20

Deborah Cadbury's Dreams of Iron and Steel is exceptionally well written, even for those with only a casual interest in its theme. I too picked up this book on a whim and was quite delighted with it. Each of the seven `modern wonders' is well researched and focuses on the colossal engineering and social challenge behind their creation along with a clear focus on the personality of their creators. Personally, I found the book to be both informative in its detail and inspirational in its character.

I would include this book with other well-written works of similar themes, such as Bill Bryson's `A Short History of Nearly Everything'. This book is a must-read for all who care to know where our global society came from.

A delightful read that reminds us that history is about people, not machines.......2007-05-15

I picked this book up on a whim, but I'm glad I did. The 'history' is presented in a light and easy-to-read way that makes this book fun. The stories of the individual "wonders" are presented as stand-alone chapters, so you can start with whichever one suits your fancy.

The book reminds us that history is really about people, not machines or structures. But the people who created those machines and structures tend to be fascinating. The ones detailed in this book were (almost without exception) highly-driven, obsessively focused individuals with lofty dreams they would nearly die to achieve.... and in some cases more-or-less did go that far.

If there's a downside to this book it's that the chronology of some of the events is occasionally hard to follow. The author seems to jump ahead to near the end of a project, then back the beginning. This isn't a deal breaker and once you get a handle on her style it's really not something that takes away from the fabulous (and true!) tales she tells.

On the 'worth noting' front is an extensive bibliography and a really interesting section called "P.S. Insights, Interviews and More..." You get a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the author and a bit of what went into the creation of the book. I would love to see more books include sections like this.

All-in-all a great read and highly recommended.

Good Story Telling.......2006-02-14

I bought this book because I thought the format and subject nature were most suitable for a long plane ride back to Japan: Seven Chapters on the engineering marvels of the modern world. Each different with its own challenges and particular history. The changing subject nature would keep me interested during the flight -- I was not dissapointed.

The storytelling here is first rate with a good introduction to the historical challenges and necessity of each project -- setting the story in its place as it were. Cadbury then spins anecdotes choosing what she wants and no doubt leaving out a lot of interesting and germane stuff... but it doesn't matter... the purpose of the book is to outline these great projects and, if one wants to, point one in the direction for more material related to such things as Brunel's "Great Eastern" or the Brooklyn Bridge, Hoover Dam or the Panama Canal.

The book has no pretensions to be a serious exposition of any of the projects. It is a good historical tale of each one of them with enough drama and description of the engineering difficulties and personalities to keep one's interest.

Serious Engineers may be expecting more... if so, you will need to look elsewhere. There are no sheer force equations, analysis of holding strength or geographic analysis of strata. But if there were I probably would not have bought this book.

It also fills a vital role in filling in some of our knowledge in these little known challenges that shaped our world so much... I hope I make as wise a choice of books for the next flight.

Exceptional story telling of 7 great wonders by one of the best historians around.......2005-09-28

If you haven't discovered Deborah Cadbury yet then she is one of the best and sharpest writers around. Her text is spare, her research impeccable, and her ability to draw out threads without resorting to tabloid sensationalism makes for satisfying reading. In this, her third book, Cadbury covers the seven wonders of the industrial world, putting the feats, their makers, and the events into context of the time and what they have meant in history.

This is the GREAT industrial revolution. The 7 wonders are The Great Eastern (the largest boat of its time a double hulled steel boat by Brunel), The Bell Rock Lighthouse, the Brooklyn Bridge, The London Sewers, The Transcontinental Railroad, The Panama Canal and the Hoover Dam.

What I love about Cadbury is that she has not only picked 7 extremely diverse items, (dams, lighthouses, sewers, railroads, bridges, canals, and boats) but she manages to put them into the context of the history of that particular engineering feat, but also in context to the events of their own time.

Her research takes her right into the buidling as well - for instance with the building of the Great Eastern she talks about the need for large numbers of young boys who were employed inside the boat, working in appalling hot and cramped conditions and juggling white hot rivets. There were dreadful accidents but a steady supply of labour meant that new workers were never a problem. The sheer volume of workers however never even made it into the day book though, they were never considered important enough.

She relates this sheer volume of workers back to all these structures. They were all built through the enormous supply of labour available.

This does not denigrate the sheer feats of engineering which these men needed to create these structures. No one thought the Great Eastern would be able to sail. The London Sewers were built in competition with the Underground in London, The Transcontinental Railroad needed to have all the items shipped around by sea via the Cape to get to the WEstern Side of America. As an aside I would really recommend reading Laura INgalls Wilder's book on the Banks of Silver Lake, if you are interested in the Transcontinental as Wilder's father worked for a time on the Railroad and she describes the working day in excellent detail including how they 'flattened' out the prairies by hand.

I cannot emphasise enough how great the detail is in the book - for instance, the work on the Brooklyn Bridge laying the foundations lays bare the horrendous circumstances in which men worked, in 80 degree heat at the bottom of the river. Explosions at the edge of the caissons often resulted in blow outs of compressed air which would send a 'fury of debris and water" in a column as much as 500 feet in the air.

I saw the television series on this book but was very disappointed. It was reenactments and it just didn't bring the depth of detail which is in this book.

This is one of the best reads this year. I would strongly recommend it to anyone. Deborah Cadbury's books are excellent and she is on my must buy list.

Seven Modern Wonders of the World: A Pop-Up Book

Average customer rating:

A three-dimensional delight

Seven Modern Wonders of the World: A Pop-Up Book
Celia King
Manufacturer: Raincoast Book Dist Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0920417841

Customer Reviews:

A three-dimensional delight.......1997-09-12

Seven Modern Wonders of the World: a Pop-up Book and others in this series are among the reasons I started collecting pop-up books. Leonardo Da Vinci and A Walk in Monet's Garden are other reasons , but that's another three-dimensional story.

Most pop-up books are created for children, with easy text, simple visuals, and pop-up effects that take up whole pages, leap out at the reader or involve string or pull-tabs. I have 100 or more of them. I love them all, but I especially love the higher form of the genre, such as this series created by Celia King.

Celia King's books are meant for advanced children or adults of exceptional taste. They are small and wonderful. The text, separated from the pop-up pages so you can better appreciate the artwork, details the history and background of each object or concept. Then, delight--a page of rich, complex colors and images. Each page is a small piece of art unto itself. And the paper engineering is integral the whole--the pop-up complements rather than overwhelms the rest of the artwork.

In Seven Wonders, the architectural and engineering marvels of the modern age are represented in glorious color and effect. The dark blue sky behind a pop-up Manhatten skyline and towering Empire State Building, the Trans-Siberian Railway steaming past Russian mosques and Chinese pagodas, a puff of smoking popping out of the engine, the Statue of Liberte standing tall above a sea of blue and purple.

Buy it for yourself, or the advanced children in your life.

Average customer rating:
The Seven Wonders of the World a History of the Modern Imagination
John & Elizabeth Romer
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0760770158

Average customer rating:

A wonderful account

HISTORY LITE

Highly Recommended

An excellent survey of fantastic 19th century engineering

Dreams of Iron and Steel: Seven Wonders of the Nineteenth Century, from the Building of the London Sewers to the Panama Canal
Deborah Cadbury
Manufacturer: Fourth Estate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Panama | Central America | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0007163061
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Book Description

A world that had changed little from the Middle Ages was altered beyond recognition by the engineering genius of the nineteenth century:rivers tamed, oceans pacified, continents bridged. In Dreams of Iron and Steel, acclaimed historian Deborah Cadbury tells the heroic tale of the visionaries and ordi-nary workers who brought to life seven wonders of engi-neering that still have the power to awe and inspire us today.

From the London sewers that banished cholera to the Panama Canal that shaved thousands of miles off a dangerous sea passage, from the Hoover Dam that diverted the world's most unpredictable river to give power to over half of the country to the transcontinental railroad that fulfilled the dream of manifest destiny, Dreams of Iron and Steel reveals the epic struggles and personal stories of the most brilliant pioneers of the industrial age, and the financiers and politicians who hung on for the ride as fortunes and reputations were lost and won.

Fueled by Deborah Cadbury's characteristic scholarship and insight, this extraordinary chronicle re-createsthe human odyssey of how our modern world was forged -- with rivets, grease, and steam, but also with blood, sweat, and extreme imagination.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful account.......2004-05-19

A wonderful and original account, with several small flaws. First the Hoover dam wasn?t completed until 1936, hardly making it fair to combine with the other feats. It would have been better to add the Suez canal or Moscow Metro in its place. Perhaps the building and designing of Brasilia would have been acceptable as well. Nevertheless this is a fun action packed account of many extraordinary accomplishments. An enjoyable read.

Seth J. Frantzman

HISTORY LITE.......2004-05-19

DREAMS OF IRON AND STEEL is a serving of History Lite. It is the written form of a BBC television series, subtitled "Seven Wonders of the Nineteenth Century". The subtitle is symptomatic of what is wrong with the book. In order to come up with seven wonders, Deborah Cadbury has stretched the nineteenth centruy to 1931 when Boulder Dam was begun. Her focus on one or two individuals who designed or constructed each of the wonders is probably dictated by the exigencies of television, rather than her adherence to the "great man" theory of history. Cadbury has the good taste, at least, to idolize the engineers and superintendent of the US intercontinental railroad instead of the crooked financiers who backed the project, as the late Stephen Ambrose did.

The British wonders are more interesting to an American reader because they are not so well known here. Cadbury's gaffs in setting the historical scene in Victorian Britain are less obvious to the reader in this country than the American ones. Example: "Nothern plans to abolish slavery had prompted seven southern states to break away and form the Confederate States of America." That statement wouldn't even pass muster in a high school essay on the causes of the Civil War.

Cadbury writes well, if a trifle overdramatically. That too may be traceable to the book's parentage. She appends a large "Bibliography and Sources" section at the end for readers seeking more substantial fare.

Highly Recommended.......2004-03-16

A very well written book that covers what the author has chosen to be subtitled ?The Seven Wonders of the Industrial World.? The basis of this book is that, worldwide the knowledge and the production of iron and steel had reached the point where certain engineering visionaries dared to start considering the material?s properties to build on a grander scale than traditional wood and stone would allow. In little more than the span of a century these diverse engineering projects set a new world standard in their respective fields, and it became the basis for catapulting Western civilization into the modern era of undertaking grand projects. Deborah Cadbury, the author has a very nice writing style. The subject is easily understood, and there is no math. The author evidently did a large amount of research, she includes a bit of background material, but keeps the subject relevant to the central theme. The author does not delve into the engineering details of the problems, but generally strives to give the reader an overall view of the main problems encountered, usually a collection of engineering, financial and political obstacles.
As with most books explaining engineering techniques, a few more diagrams would have been helpful. One consistent pattern throughout many of the projects is that the Engineer/Visionary generally were obsessive control freaks when it came to their projects, and as their project came to life it manifested itself as exacting an equal toll on their health. The title is a little misleading, three of the projects, London Sewers, Bell rock Lighthouse, and the Hoover Dam deal mainly with stone or concrete. The subtitle would be better suited to be the title of this book. This reader highly recommends this enjoyable book

An excellent survey of fantastic 19th century engineering.......2004-02-21

Engineering can at times be less than interesting, yet it was not always so. During the middle of the 19th century, materials and automated power made new endeavors that were once far-fetched dreams, bright new possibilities. Deborah Cadbury skillfully holds the reader enthralled during the tale of each endeavor, laying out the politics, players, economics, and natural obstacles that confronted the dreamer engineers who sought to make the world more civilized and safe for their fellow human. The one aspect of each engineer that struck me above all, was simply the nearly masochistic work ethic each of them displayed in their attempts to accomplish their dream.

All but three of these engineering marvels are notable because of the large impact they had on civilization at large, not simply within the geographic area in which they were manifest.

The three exceptions are monuments to overcoming fantastic environmental challenges to save lives and safeguard property that serve as examples of excellence and durability to this day.

Another aspect of these marvels that presented itself unexpectedly, was the assistance from, or directly to the medical profession from at least three of these projects. It is actually somewhat frustrating to think how many lives could have been saved if only someone had listened to the medical professionals at an earlier point in these specific endeavors.

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