Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People

Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People
Average customer rating:

mechanical engineering by us and by nature

A biologist view of design of living organisms

Fascinating! How nature and humans make things differently.

Interesting.

a book you must read

Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People
Steven Vogel
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393319903

Amazon.com

"Life is what biology's all about. Technology is something else altogether. Or so I believed before I got into a kind of biology that's about technology as well as life," begins biomechanics expert Steven Vogel in the preface to Cats' Paws and Catapults. Vogel examines the "mechanical worlds of nature and people" in such chapters as "The Stiff and the Soft" and "The Matter of Magnitude." Lots of line-drawing illustrations help readers understand the examples used to answer questions of animal and machine efficiency, design and repair. Vogel clearly loves the puzzles of biology--why, for instance, do daffodil stems bend at only one precise spot? This book is filled with intriguing answers to such hidden questions, and curious readers will eagerly dive into Vogel's investigations of whether nature or human design is superior and why the two technologies have diverged so much. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Nature and humans build their devices with the same earthly materials and use them in the same air and water, pulled by the same gravity. Why, then, do their designs diverge so sharply? Humans, for instance, love right angles, while nature's angles are rarely right and usually rounded. Our technology goes around on wheels--and on rotating pulleys, gears, shafts, and cams--yet in nature only the tiny propellers of bacteria spin as true wheels. Our hinges turn because hard parts slide around each other, whereas nature's hinges (a rabbit's ear, for example) more often swing by bending flexible materials.

In this marvelously surprising, witty book, Steven Vogel compares these two mechanical worlds, introduces the reader to his field of biomechanics, and explains how the nexus of physical law, size, and convenience of construction determine the designs of both people and nature.

Steven Vogel teaches at Duke University.

Customer Reviews:

mechanical engineering by us and by nature.......2007-05-24

This is a great book. Not great in the sense of changing the world as Newton, Darwin, and Freud did,
but great in the sense of well done. It is informative and entertaining at the same time.

Most of the book is a "compare and contrast" man made things and things in nature. A small part
is devoted to debunking the belief that whatever nature does is the best way to do it. Vogel
explains why airplanes do not have flapping wings. The laws of physics apply in both worlds.
Bones and I beams break under sufficient loads. The chapter titled "The Matter of Magnitude" is
important throughout the book. Things do not scale up. An elephant's legs are not as slender
as a deer's. Almost all of a small animal's mass is close to the surface, so it is easy to
disapate heat from a hard working muscle. A large animal would cook itself without additional
means of cooling.

There are chapters about shapes, surfaces, angles, rigidity, tension and compression, pulling
versus pushing, engines, transmissions, pumps, jets, manufacturing, and copying.

You do not have to be a mechanical engineer or have a great interest in biology to enjoy this book.
I think most readers with a variety of interests will enjoy it and learn a lot from it.
Even language fans will enjoy it. There is a pleasant phrase on almost every page, an expression
that will make you think "I wish I had said that."

A biologist view of design of living organisms.......2006-06-16

For anyone who has wondered about the design of nature and compared it to the design of man, where are the similitudes and the sticking differences.. why?.

This is a superb book that should make engineers have a deeper insight of the restrictions imposed by the enviroment, but also to see how nature's forms follow funtion

Fascinating! How nature and humans make things differently........2005-10-25

This book proved to be unexpectedly fascinating. It presented a wide-ranging comparison of human technology with the way nature gets things done. Several great questions were asked: e.g. why do humans use metals so much, but not nature?

Examples cover a huge range of nature. His coverage is authoritative, well-documented and balanced. It was very refreshing to read a nature book with such a different perspective.

Interesting........2002-06-21

This book contains numerous examples of design, from an engineering perspective. The theme is on comparing the design of evolution with that of technological invention. Although the book is almost precisely 50% natural and 50% artificial, you get the impression that the author is slightly biased in favour of technology. He acknowledges they are different: nature abhors using straight lines, engineers love them; nature has not been able to employ metals, yet they are commonly used in our constructions.

I for one would never be critical (as this guy sometimes is) of nature by saying that it never utilises metals or whatever. It doesn't need to - it isn't required. To favour an I-beam over a tree limb is foolish and misguided. Is a piece of metal or lump of concrete alive? Certainly not. The astonishing feature of nature is that it manages to evolve these things, that are inherently living entities, which can grow and replicate themselves with no awareness or foresight!
So the trouble with this book is that it doesn't address the fact that a tree does way more than just support itself: a tree is not just a vertical structure; it is an extremely complex photosynthesis machine. It is self-powered AND self-generating. It would take a tremendous amount of technology to create a very minuscule and seemingly simple creature such as an amoeba, let alone an extremely complex multicellular organism such as a hummingbird - currently, it is totally impossible. Yet nature does it for free and that is some accomplishment.

There are many obvious observations in the book, and in places it can be a little dull. I really don't think there are many people who will thoroughly enjoy this book. Either you'll be the type of person who prefers natural evolution, or you'll prefer technological invention, and so either way half of the book will not be very appealing.

A similar book is called "Diatoms to Dinosaurs". I think that book is a much more interesting read - it is predominantly concerned with nature, not with technology, and some of the examples are just so much more alluring/enticing/intriguing.

a book you must read.......2000-10-14

A wonderful book. Steven Vogel has the skill to to grasp attention of the reader and to mantain it over the whole book. And he can explain the way many very complex mechanical items work or many phisical law in a very clear way and with great rigour.Really, a wonderful book everyone must read.

CATS' PAWS AND CATAPULTS: MECHANICAL WORLDS OF NATURE AND PEOPLE

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CATS' PAWS AND CATAPULTS: MECHANICAL WORLDS OF NATURE AND PEOPLE
Steven Vogel
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXDPAQ

Book Description

When Don Blanding discovered Hawai'i back in the 1920's Hawai'i discovered its poet laureate. For many people his poems about Hawaii keep alive their romantic dreams of a paradise in the Pacific. Born in Oklahoma, Blanding lived from 1894 to 1957. His great love for Hawaii and its people is reflected in his poetry. This was his first book, originally self-published in 1923. He went on to author numerous books and later toured the country reading his poetry and sharing his experiences in Hawai'i.

Customer Reviews:

Don Blanding's first book is a gem!.......2003-11-06

This book was first privately printed in 1923 by Cross-Roads Studios in Honolulu. It is a fabulous collection of poems devoted to Hawaii as seen through the eyes of a visitor. Even non-poetry readers will enjoy the simply written verse which evokes a time and place which some think is lost forever. Blanding expresses his love for Hawaii in a most endearing manner in this book. To find out more about Don Blanding, visit www.don-blanding.com

The Hawaiian Grass House in Bishop Museum (Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Special Publication)

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The Hawaiian Grass House in Bishop Museum (Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Special Publication)
Catherine C. Summers
Manufacturer: Bishop Museum Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0930897277

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Grasses of Hawaii
Peter P Rotar
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Grasses of the Hawaiian ranges (Bulletin / Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station)

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Grasses of the Hawaiian ranges (Bulletin / Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station)
Leo David Whitney
Manufacturer: Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The influence of genetic and environmental factors on invasiveness in fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) in Arizona, California, and Hawaii : (Dissertation)

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The influence of genetic and environmental factors on invasiveness in fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) in Arizona, California, and Hawaii : (Dissertation)
Jessica Poulin
Manufacturer: ProQuest Information and Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Citation Details

Distributed by ProQuest Information and Learning

My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii (Sheet Music)

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My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii (Sheet Music)
Bill, Harrison, Tommy and Noble Johnny Cogswell
Manufacturer: Miller Music Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NF0X4A

Back in the saddle: the grass is greener at Parker Ranch.(Big Island)(Parker Ranch Inc.): An article from: Hawaii Business

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Back in the saddle: the grass is greener at Parker Ranch.(Big Island)(Parker Ranch Inc.): An article from: Hawaii Business
David K. Choo
Manufacturer: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Hawaii Business, published by Hawaii Business Publishing Co. on August 1, 2004. The length of the article is 638 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Back in the saddle: the grass is greener at Parker Ranch.(Big Island)(Parker Ranch Inc.)
Author: David K. Choo
Publication: Hawaii Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2004
Publisher: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
Volume: 50 Issue: 2 Page: 57(1)

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Effects of non-native grass invasion on aboveground carbon pools and [An article from: Forest Ecology and Management]

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Effects of non-native grass invasion on aboveground carbon pools and [An article from: Forest Ecology and Management]
C.M. Litton , D.R. Sandquist , and S. Cordell
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000P6O8L6

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Forest Ecology and Management, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Hawaiian tropical dry forests are a unique and highly endangered ecosystem. Remaining fragments are heavily impacted by invasive plant species, particularly the perennial bunchgrass Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. (fountain grass). Little is known about the impact of invasive species on carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Biomass estimates are a critical first step in understanding the effects of invasive species on carbon dynamics. Biomass data can be used to quantify carbon pools and fluxes, as well as the impacts of land cover change on carbon sequestration. The objectives of our work were to compare: (1) population structure of the dominant native tree species and (2) carbon pools in aboveground live biomass among three land cover types: native-native dominated, largely intact dry forest; invaded-intact overstory, but understory heavily invaded by P. setaceum; and converted-a formerly forested site that has been converted to grassland dominated by P. setaceum. Invasion of Hawaiian tropical dry forest by P. setaceum leads to an unsustainable population of native trees characterized by a conspicuous absence of saplings and smaller diameter individuals. Aboveground tree biomass did not differ between native (108.1Mgha^-^1) and invaded (107.0Mgha^-^1) forests due to the preponderance of wood biomass in large Diospyros sandwicensis trees at both sites. Grass invaded forest had ~7x more understory biomass than the native forest, but no differences were observed in total aboveground live biomass (tree+understory) between native (108.9Mgha^-^1) and invaded forests (112.1Mgha^-^1). However, total aboveground live biomass was ~93% lower at the converted site (7.8Mgha^-^1), which is the eventual fate of invaded forests with no natural regeneration of native canopy species. Native forests contained significantly more individuals and leaf biomass for the mid-canopy tree Psydrax odorata, which increased overall stand leaf area index. This structural difference appears to have prevented P. setaceum from invading the native site by reducing understory light levels. These results indicate that large changes in the sequestration of carbon in aboveground biomass have occurred across the landscape following widespread grass invasion and conversion of Hawaiian dry forests to grasslands. These large losses of carbon have important implications for quantifying the effects of invasive species and land cover change on ecosystem carbon storage at landscape and regional scales.

The grass ain't always greener. (Industry Focus: Nonprofits).: An article from: Hawaii Business

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The grass ain't always greener. (Industry Focus: Nonprofits).: An article from: Hawaii Business
Cathy S. Cruz
Manufacturer: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Hawaii Business, published by Hawaii Business Publishing Co. on May 1, 2003. The length of the article is 735 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The grass ain't always greener. (Industry Focus: Nonprofits).
Author: Cathy S. Cruz
Publication: Hawaii Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2003
Publisher: Hawaii Business Publishing Co.
Volume: 48 Issue: 11 Page: 31(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Hawaiian Culture is Much More Than a Grass Skirt Now.: An article from: Fund Raising Management

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Hawaiian Culture is Much More Than a Grass Skirt Now.: An article from: Fund Raising Management
Alvin H. Reiss
Manufacturer: Hoke Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Fund Raising Management, published by Hoke Communications, Inc. on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 2129 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hawaiian Culture is Much More Than a Grass Skirt Now.
Author: Alvin H. Reiss
Publication: Fund Raising Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2000
Publisher: Hoke Communications, Inc.
Volume: 31 Issue: 3 Page: 40

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Down Under never looked better! ACCESS Sydney highlights the popular sights and reveals the well–kept secrets of New South Wales' capital city – from Circular Quay to Sydney & Darling Harbours, from the Royal Botanic Gardens to the once infamous Kings Cross, this fully redesigned and updated second edition will have everyone saying "G'day, mate"!

Australia's oldest and largest city is also the country's most vibrant and sophisticated. The remarkable natural beauty of its aquamarine harbour, the luxury of 34 golden beaches and waterside suburbs filled with eucalyptus trees and bird life, teamed with the relatively balmy climate for 8 months of the year makes this spectacular city one of the fastest rising international destinations for travellers around the world.

Now, ACCESS Sydney will introduce readers to gregarious Sydneysiders, flamboyant and innovative cuisine, a host of architectural and cultural wonders and much more as it leads travellers street by street into the throbbing heart of this magnificent city. This long–awaited 2nd Edition of ACCESS Sydney will also include a special section for gay and lesbian travellers.

Average customer rating:

Access Sydney is an easy, accurate resource

Access Sydney

Manufacturer: HarperResource
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0062772635

Book Description

The 21 detailed neighborhood maps in this guide will help you immediately locate the hotels, restaurants, shops, and sights in Sydney.

Pack lightly and carry the best travel guides going: ACCESS. Arranged by neighborhood and featuring color-coded entries keyed to easy-to-read maps, ACCESS guides aredesigned to help you explore a neighborhood or an entire city in depth. You'll never get lost with an ACCESS guide in hand, but you may well be lost without one. So whether you are visiting Las Vegas or London, you'll need a sturdy pair of walking shoes and plenty of ACCESS.

Customer Reviews:

Access Sydney is an easy, accurate resource.......1999-12-11

Access Sydney was one of three books I took to Sydney and proved to be the one I used most. The orientation section at the beginning was invaluable. Some of the side bars on food, the harbor and the Olympics were very helpful. The only down side to this book (as with others) is that some restaurants had closed or changed chefs, etc, and there were not enough mid-range hotels to choose from. The illustrations are well done, but some of the other graphics are not the best. Overall, very accurate entries and the break down of neighborhoods was a big help.

Information Security and Privacy: Second Australasian Conference, ACISP '97, Sydney, NSW, Australia, July 7-9, 1997 Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

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Information Security and Privacy: Second Australasian Conference, ACISP '97, Sydney, NSW, Australia, July 7-9, 1997 Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Privacy | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Network Security | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 3540632328

Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second Australasian Conference on Information Security and Privacy, ACISP'97, held in Sydney, NSW, Australia, in July 1997.The 20 revised full papers presented were carefully selected for inclusion in the proceedings. The book is divided into sections on security models and access control, network security, secure hardware and implementation issues, cryptographic functions and ciphers, authentication codes and secret sharing systems, cryptanalysis, key escrow, security protocols and key management, and applications.

Public Inconvenience: Access and Travel in Seven Sydney Suburbs.

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Public Inconvenience: Access and Travel in Seven Sydney Suburbs.
John. BLACK
Manufacturer: Urban Research Unit/ Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, 1977.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0909778159

The Sydney Access: Terrorists Attack Down Under

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The Sydney Access: Terrorists Attack Down Under
W.H. Mefford
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1418493007

Book Description

Two terrorists' plots...one target...the clock is ticking for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is about to deliver one of the most important speeches of his career at the famous Opera House in Sydney, Australia...but terrorists have other ideas. Investigators in the United States, Turkey, Russia and Australia rush to piece together details of two separate murderous plots, one from the ground, one 911-style from the air. Racing the clock to uncover the plans are three very different men who have never met...they have exactly forty-eight hours to stop the madness Down Under...and time is running out!

No access without preservation.(Preservation Management for Libraries, Archives and Museums)(Book review): An article from: The Australian Library Journal

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No access without preservation.(Preservation Management for Libraries, Archives and Museums)(Book review): An article from: The Australian Library Journal
Gillian Oliver
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Australian Library Journal, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2007. The length of the article is 432 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: No access without preservation.(Preservation Management for Libraries, Archives and Museums)(Book review)
Author: Gillian Oliver
Publication: The Australian Library Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Page: 80(2)

Article Type: Book review

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A Wheely Good Access Guide to Sydney Australia.: An article from: Palaestra

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A Wheely Good Access Guide to Sydney Australia.: An article from: Palaestra

Manufacturer: Challenge Publications Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Sports | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Palaestra, published by Challenge Publications Limited on March 22, 2000. The length of the article is 1233 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A Wheely Good Access Guide to Sydney Australia.
Publication: Palaestra (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2000
Publisher: Challenge Publications Limited
Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Page: 50

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Access Sydney (Access guides)
John Melick
Manufacturer: Access Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006R79KQ

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Access Sydney 2e
Access Press
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEYA8K

Cultural crossroads: A collection of papers from the conference "Cultural Crossroads--Ownership, Access, Identity", Sydney, 24-26 November 1997 (Conference papers / Communications Law Centre)

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Cultural crossroads: A collection of papers from the conference "Cultural Crossroads--Ownership, Access, Identity", Sydney, 24-26 November 1997 (Conference papers / Communications Law Centre)

Manufacturer: Communications Law Centre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

I hadn't really thought of my breasts as "problem breasts." It made them sound like children who wouldn't behave. No bra was going to keep these babies a secret. And those tips for the full-figured girl in the magazines? Please. Even NASA couldn't design a tank suit to camouflage my proportions.

Kayla Callaway has been studying ballet since she learned to walk, and her heart is set on a future in the dance world. She's sure she'll get a solo part in Cinderella, the spring ballet at her high school.

But when the parts are finally posted, Kayla is shocked that she's only landed a role as a stepsister -- and an ugly one, at that! The brutal truth: Ballet and big boobs don't mix. Suddenly Kayla's dream for the future has become a real-life fractured fairy tale.

To make matters worse, bloodred pointe shoes with threatening messages start popping up all over school. When Kayla learns that she'll be wearing red pointe shoes in the ballet, she wonders if the messages are meant for her. But who are they from? And more important -- what do they mean?

Customer Reviews:

Quirky Fun.......2005-05-17

This is a delightful and fast-paced book, which also thoughtfully explores issues such as body image and artistic passion. Not only is the main character endearing and makes us root for her as she worries about her body, a boy, and rivalries at school, but each supporting character is fully drawn. I liked the humor throughout the book, as well as the inciteful glimpses of the pressures of being a voluptuous ballet dancer.

Buy This Book!.......2005-03-15

Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You is an important novel by first time author, Dorian Cirrone. Ms. Cirrone tackles the politics of female body image through the story of Kayla, a ballet dancer with size double D breasts who is heckled by classmates and encouraged to pursue plastic surgery by her dance instructor if she wants to get leading roles as a ballerina. Another more subtle message in the book is females supporting other females in their success.

Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You has a fantastic cast of characters--from Paterson, the feminist, to Joey's humor to Gray, Kayla's hot love interest--and a plot that will keep the reader turning to the next page and the next and the next...

This is a must buy book for mothers and fathers who want to reinforce the importance of a positive self-image for their daughters.

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Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You
Dorian Cirrone
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEN63U

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Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You
Dorian Cirrone
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEP8TK

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