Average customer rating:
- Excellent for experienced engineers
- Excellent book for an introductory control design course...
- There are better options
- Sucks
- Good Sections on PID and Multivariable
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Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems (5th Edition)
Gene Franklin ,
J.D. Powell , and
Abbas Emami-Naeini
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Schaum's Outline of Feedback and Control Systems (Schaum's)
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Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer
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Modern Control Engineering (4th Edition)
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Digital Integrated Circuits (2nd Edition)
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Signals and Systems (2nd Edition)
ASIN: 0131499300 |
Book Description
This introduction provides an in-depth, comprehensive treatment of a collection of classical and state-space approaches to control system design. It ties the methods together so that a designer is able to pick the method that best fits the problem at hand. Includes case studies and comprehensive examples with close integration of MATLAB throughout. Clearly marks problems to indicate which section they are drawn from for easier reference. Provides a logical presentation of a control engineer’s approach to key problems (such as rejection of disturbances, improvement in steady-state errors, and better dynamic response); compares the performance of the feedback structure to that of open-loop control. A useful reference for aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineers who want to brush up on their skills in dynamic systems.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent for experienced engineers.......2007-06-14
I found lots of answers to practical situations encountered in electro-mech. systems. If you are working with signals, this book gives you good advice in general, and sufficient theory background to back it up. It is well written and has lots of plots - uses Matlab.
Excellent book for an introductory control design course..........2007-05-01
As a student learning this material, I have to say that from beginning to end, just about everything you'd want to know about control system design is in this book. Well compiled and collated off, with enough pictures to satisfy any engineer, I've got the important pages tabbed and it's now a part of my permanent reference library. The examples and the motivations behind everything done in the book are enough to get you designing your own feedback control systems.
A few things you should know: the book examples jump around a LOT. Examples from chapter 7 draw on diagrams and examples in chapter 4, etc... and consecutive pages will often refer to figures and diagrams that aren't even on the current page, nor will they tell you where they are sometimes. I found myself flipping back and for and back and forth often when trying to follow examples or read chapters.
Second, I really hope you aren't trying to learn control system design without MATLAB. All I gotta say is... DON'T. For example: the intricacies of linear quadratic regulator theory are not as important as learning how to apply it in a design project. Plus, the iterative nature of control system design means that you will want to save your process as an m-file. Don't try this stuff without a copy of, or access to a copy of MATLAB.
There are better options.......2006-07-10
I own several books on Control Systems (including this one), but if you have to buy just one and you are in the process of choosing it, I would recommend Katsuhiko Ogata's Modern Control Engineering.
This is not a good textbook for a beginner, and considering its price, it's not a good buy.
Sucks.......2005-09-28
Well first off the book does not do a good job of providing sufficient examples on how to do things. On top of that the solution manual you can get online through those 2 ppl that are selling it is useless. It has all the problems worked out wrong...just my luck!
Good Sections on PID and Multivariable.......2005-06-15
As a practicing engineer, I found the book's sections on PID controllers and Multivariable control to be more informative than my other references, including the venerable Ogata.
Though perhaps the objections listed in the other reviews are valid when the text is used for an introductory course, I would just like to point out the text had value for me in understanding real-world PID controllers. Not sure if I would recommend it over Ogata for an introductory course, though.
Both Ogata and this text make extensive use of Matlab, which is almost a requirement to have in order to follow the examples. The author makes available all his Matlab source code on his website, as well.
Book Description
The long-awaited new edition of James D. Watson's classic text, Molecular Biology of the Gene, has been thoroughly revised and is published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's paper on the structure of the DNA double-helix. Twenty-one concise chapters, co-authored by five highly respected molecular biologists, provide current, authoritative coverage of a fast-changing discipline, giving both historical and basic chemical context.
Divided into four parts: Genetics and Chemistry, Central Dogma, Regulation, and Methods.
For college instructors, students, and anyone interested in molecular biology and genetics.
Customer Reviews:
Am Studying for the Biochemistry GRE - This book is golden.......2006-09-19
I got this book to assist for my prep for the Biochemistry GRE - I know a lot about Biology. So this is a great Book - First, It is very readable - I was surprised I was not able to put it down and knocked off 100 pages in record time. Besided that - it is enjoyable and not dull and boring - Second, The great experiments are given and insight into the science reasoning behind them also. This book makes the discover of genetics, DNA, RNA and protein building come alive. Third, this book is very current with research and cites the papers and journals where the important biology, Genetic, molecular & cell biology was published. That alone would save you the time to research and site these for your own research. Lastly, the pictures and recollections of the experimenters and "who knew who" are a total hoot.
Great Book.......2006-03-18
This book is an awesome teaching guide but the real prize goes to the CD and animations. Where a subject might be a bit hazy in the text, the flash animations on the CD are clear and concise.
Good book.......2005-11-05
Some books are just very well written-this is one of them!
I like that they leave space in the margin to write notes. Organized more like a book you can read in chapters compared to the Lewin Genes text. Concise and up to date.
Good disc included with lots of great animations.
Don't buy this book.......2005-09-24
Buy this book if you are really unintelligent and knows virtually nothing about biology. Really. if you are the person who wants to learn, find an alternative book.
Readable and Thorough, An Excellent Reference.......2005-07-13
I am a layman with a serious interest in biology. I read science news, especially in Nature and Scientific American, and I often find that I don't have enough background to understand articles at the level at which I want to understand them. I bought this book hoping to get that background, and I wasn't disappointed.
For example, once the human genome was sequenced, it appeared that there were far too few genes for an organism as complex as ourselves. But investigation shows that most genes occur in segments and that the messenger RNA must be cut and spliced before the protein can be formed. Often there are two or more ways the RNA may be spliced, so that one gene can specify more than one protein. Another problem is that the genome seemed to consist mostly of sections that don't code for proteins; these were called "junk". But it turns out that some "junk" DNA codes for RNA sequences that have catalytic and regulatory roles, roles which used to be considered the bailiwick of proteins alone. Articles about topics such as these used to confuse me thoroughly, but after reading this book I find them much clearer.
This book benefits from a great many illustrations and I recommend that you go through each one as you would a worked problem in a math text. Observe how the pieces fit together, how a particular group of atoms enhances or inhibits a reaction. The practice will help you to understand other things you will read later.
I called this a "reference" for good reason: I assume that I will come across many future articles which will send me back to it to fill in some background.
[Added 4 July 2006] As I assumed when I first wrote this review, I have used it for reference. I have read several books about what I call "enhanced evolution", where mechanisms that go beyond simple point mutations speed up evolution by providing more variation. For example, gene regulation, alternate splicing, and gene duplication all play important roles. I have surprised myself by remembering more than I expected to (thanks to the clarity of this book) but I have still used it for clarification.
Amazon.com
Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.
Why are there miles and miles of "unused" DNA within each of our bodies? Why should a bee give up its own chance to reproduce to help raise her sisters and brothers? With a prophet's clarity, Dawkins told us the answers from the perspective of molecules competing for limited space and resources to produce more of their own kind. Drawing fascinating examples from every field of biology, he paved the way for a serious re-evaluation of evolution. He also introduced the concept of self-reproducing ideas, or memes, which (seemingly) use humans exclusively for their propagation. If we are puppets, he says, at least we can try to understand our strings. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
The million copy international bestseller, critically acclaimed and translated into over 25 languages. This 30th anniversary edition includes a new introduction from the author as well as the original prefaces and foreword, and extracts from early reviews. As relevant and influential today as when it was first published, The Selfish Gene has become a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. This imaginative, powerful, and stylistically brilliant work not only brought the insights of Neo-Darwinism to a wide audience, but galvanized the biology community, generating much debate and stimulating whole new areas of research.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent overview of evolution.......2007-10-08
Scholars pro-evolution can generally be divided into 1) those who believe in evolution at the group level (ie: The reason lions behave in a particular way is because they want to survive as a species) or 2) those who believe in evolution at an individual level (ie: The reason a particular bird behaves in a particular way is because he wants to survive as an individual bird). Dawkins' views are closer to the latter. In fact, he takes it a step further and argues for evolution at the gene level. I think he makes a very convincing case for his views. Of course nothing is certain (except uncertainty perhaps) so he does not prove his theory definitively.
The book can be hard to read at times and may be a bit slow for those with no background in biology or science. Nevertheless I think anyone with patience can read, enjoy and learn from this important book.
No matter what your views this is a very educational and important book. Highly recommended.
Fancifully Dark.......2007-09-21
In his play "Suddenly, Last Summer," Tennessee Williams writes of a young man who, on vacation at the seashore, watches newly hatched baby turtles struggling down to the safety of the water. Only a small percentage get there, though, because the gulls overhead scoop them up and eat them faster than they can crawl. The young man, observing this and already under great psychic tension, tells his cousin that now "I have seen God!" Later on, we realize the man is morally insane, and that perhaps this was the turning point; his descent into insanity.
Whether Williams himself thought of God the same way, I don't know. But certainly the example of the turtles and gulls had been chosen, out of thousands of other such biological observations, because the young man chose to find God - or truth - in it. He could, if he had been in a sunnier mood, chosen to look at nesting robins or a mare and her colt.
In "The Selfish Gene," Dr. Dawkins argues against the idea of altruism in nature: mothers take care of their young because they love them, etc. Dawkins says they do it because it's in their genes. But he takes it one step further: he says it's the genes themselves that are struggling to survive - not the whole animal. The analogy of genes "using" animal bodies for their own "selfish" ends, as if we were robots and the genes our drivers, is made over and over again.
Of course, Dawkins realizes this is not correct. Darwinism asserts that biological life came into existence blindly: cells and animals came (and continue to come) into being, not because they chose to, but because of natural selection. And the ones who survive do so because of serendipity.
This is a very hard concept, of course, to understand. I remember Sister Pauline laboring to explain to us girls in junior biology class that the white butterflies didn't decide to turn black; they turned black over generations, due to natural selection. She had a hard time of it. (Catholics are "allowed" to choose between a literal or analogous interpretation of the Bible, so she was not breaking any official rules!)
In other words, a "selfish" gene (or animal) makes no more sense in Darwinistic terms than an "altruistic" one.
Dawkins explicitly states this on page 196. But he uses the selfish gene analogy so many more times - hundreds of times - that, just from the sheer repetitiveness of the theme, it may sink in too deeply (and do some psychic damage) to people who are not currently living on the sunny side of the street, so to speak.
For those people, like the gentleman who wrote the touching review of how this book contributed to fits of depression, I'd say: This point of view has no more legitimacy than the altrustic point of view.
An additional (and, I think, unnecessary) weight on the sensitive reader's soul is the aspersions that Dr. Dawkins, an aggressive atheist, throws on the concept of God - limited mainly, I think, to his chapter on memes (he saves most of his vituperation on this issue for another book, "The God Delusion").
On that score, I'd say: please realize that scientists don't know everything. People in different professions develop different mental prejudices: lawyers think like lawyers, engineers like engineers, etc. And scientists, for whom scientific method is everything, tend to think that anything that's not measurable therefore doesn't exist. This is a logical fallacy. They also tend to think they are so intelligent, and the world outside science is so simple, that they can read a few survey books on religion, philosophy, or history and know all there is to know about the field. This leads them to made irresponsible, blanket statements, completely unaware of how little they know.
On page 201, he winds up a chapter by saying all is not gloomy; humans can still strive towards altruism; that "[w]e, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators." Then, in a long footnote, he writes that some of his colleagues disapproved of this passionate summation. "In some cases, the criticism came from doctrinaire sociobiologists jealously protective of genetic influence...." and in others, from "high priests of the left jealously protective of a favorite demonological icon!" (His exclamation point.) These latter, apparently, were objecting that he on the one hand implied a belief in free will while on the other hand talking like a genetic determinist. He objects to this, saying, if I understand it, that he's both, and ends the argument by saying, "We, that is our brains, are separate and independent enough from our genes to rebel against them. ...[W]e do so in a small way every time we use contraception."
Now, I don't pretend to have a handle on the philosophical and sociobiological arguments regarding whether or not humans have free will, or even what exactly free will is. But in the above I don't see that Dr. Dawkins really does, either: he treats it far too simply.
In sum, read the book, but don't let it get you down. After all, if the village priest doesn't have the right to bully people intellectually, than neither does the research scientist.
Mandatory reading for students/interested persons.......2007-09-17
This is an excellent primer to biological evolution and could also be a valuable co-text with a standard high school biology course. Written in British english, it is quite understandable though more academic than casual.
Dawkins' use of the 'gene's eye view' of the world permeates the text. It is very easy to follow. A great book to rebut any creationist's
viewpoint. This was Dawkins' first book in the field. It will not disappoint or talk down to you.
Enjoy.
a mixed bag.......2007-09-09
Parts of the book were utterly fascinating to me, such as the groundbreaking idea of the "meme" as a unit of cultural transmission. But the argument that species are survival machines for our "immortal genes" seems seriously flawed.
First and foremost in my mind, it is hard for me to swallow that organisms practice altruism because the gene or genes that are responsible for this altruism have a probability of existing in the recipient of the altruism, the probability increasing with the closeness of familial relatedness. How, then, to explain altruism beyond the family, or even beyond the species? The author mentions that there is at least one well-documented case of a dolphin rescuing a drowning human being. In the book this was suggested to be a mistake. One of Earth's most intelligent animals has a gene for rescuing long, narrow objects and cannot tell the difference between a human and its own species. I got doubtful when contradictory evidence was explained as a mistake. And what about organisms' adopting children originating from other parents? Always a mistake? Highly expensive practice for when the real deal arises?
I do not understand why there must be *a* unit of natural selection. Can't there be more than one, sometimes at odds with each other, sometimes in tandem? I do believe genes are selected over other genes, but I believe groups can be selected over other groups, too. Perhaps other units, both larger and smaller than genes (Why not the selfish base pair?), are also naturally selected.
Finally, especially considering recent discoveries in genomics that have downsized the number of estimated human genes, there cannot be one gene behind any behavioral trait you can think of, a gene for being nice to your cousin, for example. I get that a gene can have many functions and can have a net effect of being nice to your cousin, and in its absence you would be less nice to your cousin, but this makes for a complicated web which would get torn apart as succeeding generations inherit just part of the web. The influences of biology, environment, and history get harder to ignore.
a new way to look at the world.......2007-08-29
Dawkins challenges us to look at old ideas (Darwinian) in a new light. At times I found his mathematical calculations tedious to follow, however when I bothered to think them through, they did make sense. I esepcially enjoyed the chapter on game theory because it helped to explain why humans do not usually behave in blatantly exploitive ways in spite of our "selfish genes". I recommend the book to anyone who wonders how the world works.
Book Description
Genetics: From Genes to Genomes is a cutting-edge, introductory genetics text authored by an unparalleled author team, including Nobel Prize winner, Leland Hartwell. The Third Edition continues to build upon the integration of Mendelian and molecular principles, providing students with the links between early genetics understanding and the new molecular discoveries that have changed the way the field of genetics is viewed.
Customer Reviews:
Not for the uninitiated.......2007-07-07
This is a good book if you already have a foundation in genetics. Oddly, the book is marketed as your basic undergrad genetics text. Yet instead of just explaining the concepts, it leads you on the path of discovery of how researchers figured all this stuff out. If you are still learning the subject, you may do better with Klug/Cummings/Spencer. If you are going into higher levels of biology and want to learn some research methods, this is a good book.
Genetics: From Genes to Genomes.......2007-03-09
The book came in very quickly and I am very happy with the purchase.
Book Description
The beloved actor and screenwriter’s first novel, set during World War I, delicately and elegantly explores a most unusual romance. It’s almost the end of the war and Paul Peachy, a young railway employee and amateur actor in Milwaukee, realizes his marriage is one-sided. He enlists, and ships off to France. Peachy instantly realizes how out of his depth he is—and never more so than when he is captured. Risking everything, Peachy—who as a child of immigrants speaks German—makes the reckless decision to impersonate one of the enemy’s most famous spies.
As the urbane and accomplished spy Harry Stroller, Peachy has access to a world he could never have known existed—a world of sumptuous living, world-weary men, and available women. But when one of those women—Annie, a young, beautiful and wary courtesan—turns out to be more than she seems, Peachy’s life is transformed forever.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Sensual Nuance!!!.......2007-09-26
Though the novel (length-wise) lacks a certain depth, the sensual interchange between Peachy and Annie is very provocative even in something as simple as a haircut. All of Wilder's works since the Richard Pryor days, seem to have this since of sensitivity that empathizes with the human condition. The creativity and adventure of this story is definitely worth a 5!!!
All's Fair in Love and War........2007-09-22
Gene Wilder has written a beautiful book with a simplicity of language that is rare. This is a book you can read quickly but don't let the size fool you. It deals with big issues like love and loyality and integrity and honour. I gave it only 3 stars because it was so small and easy-to-read and yet the price is hefty.
The ending is poignant and restrained.
A Treasure.......2007-08-18
This book is so simple and straightforward in its writing. Somehow, with a few broad strokes, Wilder creates rich, believable characters who embody the complexity of the human experience. The main character, Peachy, was fascinating -- disarmingly human and familiar. There is such honesty in how Peachy reports his experiences in his notebook. There is no pretension of being able to understand how and why he responds to events as he does.
Wilder proves himself to be a great storyteller -- I found it hard to put the book down. The story is full of surprises, intrigue and humor.
This is a wonderful love story, not just about the love between a man and a woman, but about love itself.
A Real Quickie.......2007-06-19
A real quickie...a short story/play for those who know life can change in an instant...a delightful read.
Little gem........2007-06-12
Don't let the small size fool you. Inside there is a big book about life and about a coward with a big courage to live.
As mentioned before, an awesome breather for some reading groups.
Quick, enjoyable, one sitting read. I love it, including the title.
Yeah,It's a little pricey gem, so I'm cutting off one star for that.
Get in the sharing spirit! It also makes a nice gift.
Book Description
Teaching TodayUs Health balances a strong foundation of health methods theory with a wealth of activities to give readers the tools they need to become successful health educators. In addition to an enhanced design and photo program, the
Seventh Edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect current health issues such as violence and questions about terrorism. New features like Teaching in Action boxes and suggested grade levels for each activity help readers create a curriculum for their own K-8 classroom.
KEY TOPICS The bookUs comprehensive coverage includes topics such as mental health, personal health, family life, and substance abuse. A dynamic new website includes chapter quizzes and weblinks for additional review. For college instructors, students, or anyone interested in health and wellness.
Customer Reviews:
great for lesson plans.......2007-03-17
This book has very little text and does not include a wide spectrum of information but has a LOT of lesson plans and activities for teaching on the topics.
teaching today's helath.......2000-03-25
This textbook I found to be very helpful in my study as an elementary classroom teacher. I would not reccommend this book for use by parents, but it is a great text book.
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to take self-guided walking tours along the Champs-Elysées and through the Marais? With Rick Steves’ Paris 2007, travelers can experience the best of everything the city has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves’ Paris 2007 includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick’s newest "back door" discoveries. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
This book makes sight seeing fun.......2007-10-12
I really have to compliment Rick Steves for making a tour guide book fun and informative at the same time. There were moments when I was reading a description of something and started laughing out loud from humorous description he would give. Besides being fun, there is plenty of information in here...I would recommend trying to get the 2008 version after 10/07 because the Euro has jumped up in value (or did the dollar drop?) and some prices went up also. But I would certainly recommend this book to friends and family because you will be enthused to get informed.
Excellent guidebook.......2007-10-08
My husband and I used this book on our recent eight-day trip to Paris. It was a very helpful guidebook, giving several insights into how to get around Paris--such as where to buy the Museum Pass most efficiently, to navigating the Metro, to saving some money, etc. I found it very easy to use, with a good index that led us immediately to the information we needed. I would definitely recommend reading the book before you leave in order to maximize its information. We appreciated his starred ratings of sights big and small, which were helpful in planning our time. We didn't find his restaraunt and cafe suggestions too helpful, as "cheap" to him was "pricey" to us. Particularly of note were the tours of some of the major sights. We had our iPods with us, and we were able to download the audio versions of the written chapters as we toured the sights. At Versailles, we rented the audioguide, but in the end we found the Rick Steves tour (in the book and downloaded from his Web site), to be more interesting and informative than the palace's audioguide. I feel that we got a thorough and wonderful "tour" of Paris with this book--coupled with a good map of Paris, it's really all you need to enjoy your trip.
All You've Ever Wanted to Know About Paris..........2007-09-27
Rick Steves is an expert on European travel.
I am a great fan of his PBS show, "Rick Steves in...".
His information is as complete as one might want; he covers the basics plus some: how to go, where to stay, dine, explore, etc.
There is also the in-depth information on the people, the customs, the "inner side" of Paris that gives one more than
the "typical touristy" perspective.
His book is well organized and easy to read...I'm still reading it and enjoying my "chairside travel" in preparation for the real thing.
Paris walks.......2007-09-15
This book was very helpful for the walks section. On a repeat trip to Paris recently we had visited most of the obvious tourist sites. The walks section was very handy especially with the little maps which were easier to read than the street one we had. We felt we had covered the areas thoroughly and did not get too lost in the winding streets. The book was well organized, locating information easy with the clear index.
Excellent guide. Read BEFORE the trip!.......2007-08-27
I've been a long time fan of Rick Steve's but this is the first time I've based a trip solely on his books. We stayed in Paris for one week and would've run out of places to visit if it weren't for this book. This was my second time visiting Paris and like always, the big name places are awesome but the lesser known corners described in this book made the trip complete. Read the book thoroughly and read it in advance. Also, don't forget to check out the discussion forums on Rick Steve's website and download museum audio tours for your iPODs.
Average customer rating:
- Portrait of an Asian-American as a Young Man
- American Born Chinese
- You're not alone
- American Born Chinese - Book Review
- Wish There Was Something for Above 5 Stars
|
American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang , and
Gene Yang
Manufacturer: First Second
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ASIN: 1596431520
Release Date: 2006-09-05 |
Amazon.com
Indie graphic novelist Gene Yang's intelligent and emotionally challenging American Born Chinese is made up of three individual plotlines: the determined efforts of the Chinese folk hero Monkey King to shed his humble roots and be revered as a god; the struggles faced by Jin Wang, a lonely Asian American middle school student who would do anything to fit in with his white classmates; and the sitcom plight of Danny, an All-American teen so shamed by his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee (a purposefully painful ethnic stereotype) that he is forced to change schools. Each story works well on its own, but Yang engineers a clever convergence of these parallel tales into a powerful climax that destroys the hateful stereotype of Chin-Kee, while leaving both Jin Wang and the Monkey King satisfied and happy to be who they are.
Yang skillfully weaves these affecting, often humorous stories together to create a masterful commentary about race, identity, and self-acceptance that has earned him a spot as a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People. The artwork, rendered in a chromatically cool palette, is crisp and clear, with clean white space around center panels that sharply focuses the reader's attention in on Yang's achingly familiar characters. There isn't an adolescent alive who won't be able to relate to Jin's wish to be someone other than who he is, and his gradual realization that there is no better feeling than being comfortable in your own skin.--Jennifer Hubert
Customer Reviews:
Portrait of an Asian-American as a Young Man.......2007-10-10
This is the first graphic novel I've read (well, I've read many a comic book in my day, but I'm delineating here). Not a bad choice for a first time, as Gene Yang's parable of a Chinese boy in America actually begs for second and third readings. A graphic novel with multiple layers, you ask? In fact, yes.
Separated into sections that will join at the end, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE blends the ancient Chinese fable of the Monkey King with the tale of Jin Wang, the book's protagonist, who happens to be the only Chinese boy trying to fit in to his American school.
A third story, the source of over-the-top humor and under-the-belt stereotypes, chronicles the travails of a popular American high school student named Danny who is beleaguered by his Chinese-born cousin, Chin-Kee. What did Danny ever do to deserve this Eastern nightmare? Why does he have to change schools every year due to the humiliation Chin-Kee rains down on him?
The answers are unexpected but pleasing as parable, fable, and morality tale meet nicely at a place called "The End." Winner of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE is a satisfying read that can also serve as a substantive discussion piece in the classroom (Grades, say, 7 and up).
You don't have to be part of a minority in a dominant culture to enjoy it. We're ALL "outsiders" in one way or another, and Jin Wang's story will thus speak to each and every one of us.
American Born Chinese.......2007-10-09
American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
Legendary fiction
American Born Chinese is an easy read in comic book form that starts as three different stories and becomes one. The first is a young American boy named Jin Wang, whose parents are Chinese. He is an outcast who does not have many friends. The second story is about his cousin Chin-Kee who lives in China and visits Jin once a year. He is the exaggerated Chinese stereotype: eating cats and peeing in cokes. The third is an old Chinese myth about the monkey king. The monkey king has been embarrassed and tries to be someone he is not.
The legend's moral is: be true to yourself and kind to others. This relates to my life because sometimes at school someone feels they are not liked by a group of people. They will try and become someone they are not to fit in. They will even act mean to others who are not popular. The book points out that to transform like this costs you your soul.
I like the author's writing style because it is different and fun to read. It caught my interest quickly and the pictures gave me a better understanding of the story. I think that in this comic book style of writing the author can better express himself than in any of the more formal writing styles.
I enjoyed this book because it reminds me that I should not be anything but myself. I liked the illustrations because they were very inventive. One of my favorite parts was when the little monkey was wearing the shoes on his ears. I would highly recommend this book to people who like mythology, who like comics, and who love monkeys.
You're not alone.......2007-10-05
A great story for any child (or anyone) feeling alone in a strange and alien world. We've all been in the same situation at some point in our life. We are all different yet not so different.
American Born Chinese - Book Review.......2007-09-21
This book is a book of three tales about a child (Jin Wang), a Monkey King, and a visiting cousin from Japan. During the first part of the of the book you can see that in a new place, times can be difficult. People chose to be stereotypical and treat Jin Way and his friend Wei-Chin Sun like outcasts. The monkey king learns many disciplines over time, making himself become practically invincible. Danny is a normal boy visited by his cousin who starts to ruin Danny's life. As you can see this book is a thrilling graphic novel that will take through the experiences of stereotypes and problems of people and things from another place.
Written by: Austin, Neil, Pascal, Chandler (High Tech Middle Media Arts students)
Wish There Was Something for Above 5 Stars.......2007-08-29
American Born Chinese by Gene Yang was the Printz Award winner for 2007. It's been sitting in my pile for a few months now, even though I was told it would take me no more than an hour to read. All the reviews I read about this graphic novel have been very positive, and I must agree it is a masterpiece.
But, as usual, I have a different viewpoint to bring to this discussion. We all have filters we view the world through, and this is also true of the way we approach media, whether it be books, movies, poetry, etc. My Christian faith is a large filter for me, and it impacts the way I view books.
American Born Chinese is a story told in three separate stories that eventually converge. Remember Holes? Louis Sachar did the same thing. The three plotlines came together in surprising ways that add to the enjoyment of the story. It is part of the mystery of the book.
In plotline one, Jin Wang has started a new life in a new home and a new school. He struggles to fit in with his new classmates who only see his differences. His classmates focus only on the negative stereotypes they have heard about the Chinese people. He is mocked and picked on, and the only friend he can find is a bully who threatens to make Jin eat his boogers if he won't share his food. I found myself cringing a little as I remembered a classmate that was in my elementary school. His name was Nguyen Ly, but later on he changed his name to an American name. Now I understand why he wanted to do that. It is hard to be different. One more important aspect to this story is that Jin loves his transformer robot. One day, he wants to be a transformer himself.
In plot two, the King of the Monkeys is angered when he is turned away at a party for being a monkey. No matter how much skill he acquires, he is belittled for being a monkey. In his anger, he beats the tar out of multiple people using his kung fu skills. Finally, he receives a visit from the great Tze-Yo-Tzuh, a god, who encourages the Monkey King to accept his role in life and to take enjoyment in that role. Be proud you are a monkey, he seems to be saying. The Monkey King won't listen and is "punished" for his refusal.
In plot three, a teenage boy named Danny feels humiliated everytime his cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit him. Chin-Kee goes around at Danny's school seemingly encouraging all the negative stereotypes people have towards Asians. He has buck teeth, can't correctly pronounce his l's and r's, and just makes a fool of himself.
First, the technical elements: The artwork is amazing. Each drawing contains amazing colors and good use of frames to create motion and time. Also, the author uses a creative device that shows us when a person is speaking in a language other than English. The text is written in English but the quotation is surrounded by angular parentheses. This way, the reader knows the speaker is not speaking English, but we can still read the conversation.
One thing no one has pointed out is that many of the speeches made by Tze-Yo-Tzuh are taken directly from the Bible. Most of it is from Psalm 139. This is the passage where it talks about God knowing us completely, when we get up and when we lie down. We cannot escape him. I am linking the whole chapter in this for anyone who wants to read it.
What I got out of this story is that God created us each to be something, and he does not make mistakes. We can fight against it, but we usually just hurt ourselves. I am thinking of a very dear friend of mine. He is a wonderful person, but has been fighting God for years.
*Spoiler alert.*
When the monkey was fighting and striving, he was always angry and never got what he wanted. It was only by accepting his role in the world that he found himself. And notice his role was unselfishly giving of himself to help others. And the reason I put punished in quotes above is that I don't really think the god in this book punished the Monkey King out of anger. I believe he did it for his own good to lead him to the truth. Tze-Yo-Tzuh tried everything before he buried him in a mountain of rock.
Please don't think I am immune to the cultural implications of this book. When we see the cruelty with which the world treats Jin and his friends, it is heartbreaking. I hope people will read this work and re-think these stereotypes. But I also know that stereotypes exist, and you can only change yourself. Jin, the Monkey King, and anyone else who is discriminated against cannot wait for the world to change in order to find the happiness we all deserve. We must each act with integrity and take joy in the roles we have been given in this world, whether they are received with praise or hostility.
Book Description
The only performer to earn 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame--for film, recordings, TV, radio, and live performance--Gene Autry was the singing cowboy king of American entertainment. Now, in Public Cowboy No.1, Holly George-Warren offers the first serious biography of this singular individual, in a fascinating narrative that traces Autry's climb from small-town farm boy to multimillionaire. Here for the first time Autry the legend becomes a flesh-and-blood man--with all the passions, triumphs, and tragedies of a flawed icon. George-Warren recounts stories never before told, including revelations about Autry's impoverished boyhood, his adventures as an up-and-coming singer, and the impact his unbelievable success had on his personal life. She describes Autry's loving but doomed mother, who died on the brink of her son's success, and his ne'er-do-well father, who married five times and wandered the west. Autry battled his own demons but emerges here in a positive light, an immensely personable man, one of America's most charitable benefactors, known for his boundless generosity, and a patriot who enlisted during World War II. The book provides equally colorful details of Autry's lengthy radio and recording career, which included such classics as "Back in the Saddle Again" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; his movie career, where he breathed new life into the Western genre; and his role in early television, being the first movie star to develop his own TV shows. And along the way, we see how he invested shrewdly in radio, real-estate, and television, becoming the owner of the California Angels and the only entertainer listed among 1990's Fortune 400. Based on exclusive access to Gene Autry's personal papers, as well as interviews with more than 100 relatives, employees, colleagues, and friends, this engaging biography brings to life a major Hollywood star--a man who, more than anyone else, put Western music and style on the American cultural map.
Customer Reviews:
All About Gene.......2007-09-25
This is a big book all about the career of Gene Autry, and not enough about his personal life, which is usually what I like to read. I don't need to know about every record he made and when and every performance, etc., etc., etc. And I don't need to know about all his business dealings. But I like to know about what stars did behind the scenes, etc., and surprisingly this seemed to involve a lot of drinking and womanizing which I didn't think Autry had done. Oh well. There just wasn't enough about him personally for my reading taste, but the guy had no children and had a solid marriage, so I guess there isn't much dirt on him.
Autry Fans - Buy It!.......2007-08-12
Anyone who was a fan of Gene Autry or who liked westerns during their golden years or who just enjoys good biography will find this a very compelling story. It tells the story of a very good, but a very complex man who grew up in poverty, endured a difficult childhood, and displayed very human flaws. This book is endorsed by the Gene Autry Corporation but doesn't coverup or sugarcoat the fact that, despite his image, Gene drank heavily after WW2, maybe to the point of alcholism, and was not always faithful to his wife. Yet he never failed to visit children's hospitals, give supergenerously to those in need, take care of family and non-family alike, and do much good for many people. This includes several generations of children to whom he was always the ideal role model.
Holly George-Warren did an admirable job and deserves to be congratulated. One criticism: I wish Ms George-Warren had gone into greater depth into the extraordinarily complicated relationship between Gene and his wife Ina.
Memories of one of my favorite cowboys.......2007-07-31
This book brought back many great memories of Saturday matinees at our
neighborhood theatre. Gene Autry was one of my favorite western movie
stars. My favorite western movie star was Charles Starrett as the Durango Kid.
Our local movie "show" was a Columbia theatre which showed Columbia
movies including Columbia serials, the Durango Kid and assorted Columbia
"B" movies susitable for the kids' matinees. I enjoyed the Gene Autry 30's
and early '40's westerns more then the later ones he made. This book will
certainly return one to the "days of yesteryear." Excellent book!
Gene Autry, An American Idol.......2007-05-31
Public Cowboy No.1: The Life And Times Of Gene Autry, by Holly George-Warren
A book review by Jerry Rojo, May, 2007
Gene Autry, An American Idol
Holly George-Warrne's biographic tome is a definitive must-read, not only for the worldwide legions of the American cowboy moviegoing public, young and old, but also, anyone interested in a prototypical American dreamer on a lifelong trek, as defined by the arts and entertainment industry's dream factories from Hollywood to Madison Avenue. George-Warren's impeccably researched Gene Autry story, interestingly, is somewhat reminiscent of Doris Kerns-Goodwin's recent Abraham Lincoln book, Team Of Rivals, that chronicles the president's rags-to-riches life in the political arena. Both authors masterfully use the biographic form to convey their respective visions, yet provide the reader scholarly researched stories to ponder any number of themes and ideas about their subject. Like Lincoln, Autry was dirt poor, grassroots, self-made and ambitious; carefully grooming his career with a lifelong, unrelenting, innate ability to charm colleagues, friends and the public at large. Lincoln, too, was a performer. He cherished the spoken/written word, and the theatre, to the chagrin of his aristocratic, snobbish cabinet. Ironically, he was assassinated by a Shakespearean actor. The Autry book, like Lincoln's, defines his respective context/time in America. The political-rodeo arena is a metaphor for our country's so-called "culture", epitomized by the American Idol phenomena, with its demigod-like celebrities from respective realms of, popular entertainment, sports, politics. religion and, now a days, big corporations, all of which defines the current American ethos.
My can't-put-down read of George-Warren was fueled not only by her writing, but by my own childhood spent idolizing Gene Autry while growing up in Illinois, and, my subsequent professional interest in dramatic arts adds to the attraction. A compelling aspect of the book traces Autry's genealogy from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to pre-great depression Texas/Oklahoma, where Autry's story begins. During that period, one is amazed by his personal and professional character development, growing up in a family of six in abject poverty, with an on-and-off absentee, hard-drinking father, and by contrast, a deeply religious and nurturing mother. Everyone knows Autry's interest in the great American pastime, baseball, but a telling tidbit reveals that he was a pretty good sandlot player, and was offered a chance to play for a minor league team, but, declined because he was making more money working on the railroad and needed to support his family. That anecdote helps define this complex man. His devotion and generosity to family, friends and associates throughout his long life was always balanced by his knack for good judgment when it came to decisions about human welfare and the business of life.
It was during the seven odd years in the late 20s early 30s, while in the Chicago/Midwest, that young Autry began his "singing cowboy" career. But there was no overnight success here, instead, an astonishing story of how to succeed in show business--a methodology that paved the way for popular entertainers ever since. With a modicum of musical talent Autry used love of performing, hard work, determination, his WASPish good looks and savvy business acumen to mold a career that would lead to five-star recognition at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The book documents, in wonderful detail how he shrewdly evolved his signature persona-image, which, once established, never changed. At 91 he died with his boots on.
Before his Chicago days, Autry didn't start out as a cowboy singing around the campfire soothing a restless herd of cattle. He had his sights set on the popular music of the roaring 20s tin pan alley, which featured the likes of Gene Austin and Rudy Vallee (Autry's first name, Orvon, was substituted for Austin's). Ultimately, Gene Autry changed his musical style by literally imitating yodeling Jimmie Rodgers, the father of country/hillbilly music, who's great popularity appealed to blue-collar folks from the South and Midwest. After a brief trip to the Big Apple--before giving up his day job on the railroad--a failed audition with a record company sent Autry home to gain experience singing on local radio stations and other venues. He actually sang with a medicine show, a lesson learned, hawking products. Professional contacts and an established country-folk sound led him back to New York to make records. His recordings caught on, and with astute self-promotion Autry's popularity grew, garnering a spot on Chicago's popular WLS radio station's National Barn Dance program. There, his image was transformed to The Singing Cowboy.
With royalties from a national smash hit record, "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine" in his hip pocket, a newly minted Martin guitar with his ivory signature on the frets, a new Hollywood-like-Tom Mix cowboy "look" and Buick automobile, he barnstormed the environs of Chicago, Illinois. There, he discovered a key player on the road to success, the highly talented musician, singer, song writer and naturally gifted comedic performer, Smiley Brunette. Autry always had a keen eye for talented associates, musical and otherwise. Back in Chicago on the airwaves, and on tour, they soon developed their signature hero/sidekick routine.
Unlike the multitude of American denizens, then and now, seeking instant success in golden California, Autry didn't go to Hollywood; Hollywood came to Autry. He was already a "star", self-made, and, at a time when the Great Depression was raging world wide. Now, only in his late 20s, part two of his odyssey begins at a B-Western studio factory that Autry would bale-out of near financial ruin, Republic Pictures. Here, Ms George-Warren really delivers the goods with a compendium of data-based facts of tinsel-town fiction that chronicles Autry's American idol success story.
It was 1934, but he didn't have an auspicious start in the movies. After an initial bit part in a Ken Maynard flick, studio executives had reservations--with good reason--about Autry's abilities. It seemed clear, he excelled at nothing cinematic: a marginal singer-guitarist, bad acting, awkward in the saddle and, most of all, he lacked gunslinger machismo, a staple at the time. But, no matter, the audience Autry already established, had a different opinion. He had something!! And it didn't take but a couple of years or so for the Studio and Autry, tinkering with the chemistry, to come up with THE original Gene Autry that would become a one-of-a-kind icon. By 1939 he was in the big leagues with Clark Gable/Gone With The Wind, if you consider audience appeal and box-office numbers. Now, cash-cow-boy Autry played to millions of adoring fans of, so called, sophisticated folks from the East, NYC to Boston, and, Great Britain, where he seduced hundreds of thousands from across the island empire, evidenced by massive turnouts on tour. It was 1942, a turning point in Gene Autry's fame if not fortune. Here again, he makes a watershed career decision. Much to the dismay of Republic Pictures/Hollywood, he joins the military to fight in World War II. George-Warren reveals insightful, detailed stories of the war years that further defines this remarkable man. For example, why, arguably, at the pinnacle of popularity and performance-form does he do it? Is he a consummate patriot, or as he says, protecting his image-based code of cowboy ethics? He survives air force missions, military boredom and keeps in tune doing a stint with the USO at the end of the war, meanwhile at home, movie reruns and other strategies kept him in the public mind's eye. After the war Autry picked up where he left off with his still adoring fans, donning his cowboy persona, producing and performing a mind-boggling schedule of entertainment engagements, including burgeoning TV (he was the first Hollywood star to do so); but, it WAS the beginning of the end and not the end of the beginning, as Churchill coined. Then, in the early to mid 60s the fame-flame goes out, but the fortune doesn't. Now, Gene Autry transitions to the business tycoon still wearing cowboy clothes, occasionally sporting an LA Angels baseball cap. Autry scrupulously designed and protected his public image that, except for in the military, never changed. As entertainer he performed the SELF and when he hung up the guitar in the early 60s he took on the role of CEO, Gene Autry Enterprises, but little else changed.
But what was at the heart of that masked man? It's all there in Holly George-Warren's biography that unearths the Man UNDER the persona, and as she perceives you don't need his purely business-life endgame story. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone, public or private that hated or disrespected Gene Autry, then or now. And he was no pushover while wheeling and dealing in either his business interests or performance career. That's evident by his tough, recalcitrant stance with the tightfisted studio honchos, which, by the way, help lead to Actors's Equity and the independent film makers of today. And yes, the book gets into the nitty-gritty of his postwar performing years of womanizing and binge drinking but that served to make him more human and strengthen his character. A shrink would have a field day, given young Autry's polarized parenting. As a 10y.o. boy I idolized that innovative kind of cowboy-man who was good and strong, and that seemed to portray the best of American values (My grandsons have his 10 Cowboy Commandments, framed.). Singing and playing the guitar as a real-life person his pictures were action-filled musical westerns, portraying the American mantra during that time: talk softly and carry a big stick; he toted a six shooter but never killing the bad guy. My growing up after the war, it was easy to see his weakness as an aging performer and ever more commercializing career strategy, but in the long run, that never led to diminishing the demigod I worshiped circa 1942.
Gene Autry represented as performer and citizen the "God and Country" ideology. The ancient Greek and Romans worshipped a pantheon of Gods who were half-God and half-Human. A recent book, The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins offers a view on the subject of the human need for God/demigods: it's in the genes, a kind of inner quest for survival. The American mystique seems particularly wedded to the phenomena of super hero, professing a particular moral/ethical/ism standard, albeit augmented by commercialism. Some Heroes are good and others not so, Abraham Lincoln/Adolph Hitler obvious opposites, others, Brittany Spears, Babe Ruth, Jerry Falwell, and Bill Gates fall somewhere in between. Gene Autry was clearly one of the good guys/entertainers, among American's pantheon of God/demigods, further identified in the Epilogue, that points to the multimillions he gave to charity in his lifetime, contributing to schools, hospitals and building a world-class western art museum and institute for western studies. Holly George-Warren's book gives us the arc of this complex quintessential American, who was Gene Autry.
A VERY PUBLIC COWBOY by John Paddy Browne.......2007-05-10
Whatever Holly George-Warren says in her new biography of Gene Autry; however much detail she covers; however many previously unpublished facts she unearths, she is never going to please everyone. Even a monumental biography such as this one, packed to bursting as it is with dates and names and stories, will never record everything that we, the readers, will want to see.
The problem is not Ms George-Warren's. When she says she could have written a book twice this size, I believe her.
No, the problem was created by Autry himself. He lived to a mighty age, and into that great expanse of time he packed enough life experiences to fuel any number of books and magazines and newspaper articles. One glance at George-Warren's footnotes and bibliography shows how the world has been flooded with Autry newsprint throughout a career - no, several careers - that spanned 70 years. And that doesn't take account of his austere childhood (a story in itself that George-Warren tells in remarkable detail), or the vast amount of Autry material that has appeared since his death in 1998: the DVDs, the CDs, the books, the websites - even the belated victory of his Angels team in the World Series. Look at any of the online auction sites any day of the week and you will get an idea of just how much stuff Autry left behind: the supply seems endless, and endlessly varied, and all of this is merely an illusion of the man's actual working life.
Autry was a workaholic, driven, it seems, to be always doing something. When his contemporaries Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and Tyrone Power finished their day's work at the studio, they went home and put their feet up. Not Autry. As George-Warren records in breathless detail, even while shooting a movie, Autry would be called to the phone to deal with some other business in which he was involved elsewhere: or he would receive commercial partners for discussions on set. There simply weren't enough hours in the day for him.
This handsome biography could never hope to cover everything in such an industrious life, and some of the material that is missing has been judiciously excised for purely logistical, editorial reasons. Quite rightly, the author almost completely eschews Autry's involvement in baseball (a blessed relief for those of us not interested in sports), and instead concentrates a good deal of time to his early radio and recording work. A fascinating account of Autry's notorious shoot-out with Herb Yates at Republic Studios, usng the evidence of surviving documents, brings that painful episode to vivid life. George-Warren skirts around the hackneyed stories, veracious or otherwise, that Autry told so many times that he eventually believed them himself. She neither confirms them or denies them, but puts them into a sort of context from which the reader may draw his or her own conclusions about their probability.
Not that any of this matters, except insofar as how it paints a picture of a man who was as much a media creation as a real-life figure, and possibly more so since he carried the cowboy image into his private life by wearing his Western-styled clothes - his uniform - in public and at home, away from the working environment of the studios. He put on this uniform in the same way that Superman or Santa Claus put on their uniforms, and became a figment of our collective imagination. It was how he made money.
And money is the one constant in Gene Autry's life. Whatever he did, and he did an inordinate number of different things, money was at the heart of it. "Working with figures is what I do best," he allegedly said. "What I do less well is act, sing and play the guitar." There is no hint whatever in the 400-plus pages of Holly George-Warren's book that Autry ever did anything for the love of it. He frequently spoke about how "proud" he was of certain of his achievements, and he had every reason to be proud of them - but that's not the same as "love". No-one ever got him to say that he sang certain songs because he loved them, in the way that, say, folk singers might sing songs for the love of them. Autry sang stuff that would make him money, and that was the criterion for performing and recording it.
His pursuit of money, indeed, seems to have been the one true love-affair of his life - and he has said as much. No-one will begrudge the man becoming one of the richest people in America when he worked so diligently and tirelessly to attain that pleasant state. Nobody gave him his wealth: he went out and worked for it. Ms George-Warren could easily have published a page from any one of Autry's touring schedules (and I've seen them) that would have shown him to be working in a different town or city every single day for months at a stretch. None of your two-days-on and four-days-off for him.
Along the way he gave the illusion of being a happy, carefree cowboy, bestowing a bounty of delight on his fans - fans who would carry their affection for him and loyalty to him into their old age. Autry's trick, if this does not sound too cynical, is that he made them feel that they all mattered to him when, in fact, everything he did, be it hospital visits to chat with sick children, merchandising his name relentlessly, [...] or claiming writing credits for someone else's work - and even his enlistment into the armed forces in World War 2 - all of it had a "money handle" - and he saw it all as a means of furthering his career.
Autry's publicity as high-flying business magnate, which so fascinated the Hollywood press, has done his artistic reputation no favors. Dismissed as "commercial" and superficial by many, it has been an uphill struggle for those of us trying to keep his memory alive, to justify his place at the top of so many lists of achievements in the arts. Indeed, the juxtaposition of the name "Autry" with the word "art" is almost an oxymoron - a contradiction. Yet the trail that Autry left behind him, that so many fledgling artists have followed to their benefit, speaks volumes for the influence he has had on the cultivation and development of the Country and popular music of America and other English-speaking countries. Academically, though, he was never recognised in his lifetime, nor was his work and contribution ever seriously analyzed or documented.
At the end of the day we, his fans, seem not to be troubled by any of this, and even Holly George-Warren's commendably open, impartial and well-written book, with its tales of risque songs, binge drinking, and amorous dalliances with his leading ladies (and some of his female Fan Club members) does nothing to lessen the man's stature. If anything, it reveals him to be more human than the singing cowboy of the screen ever was: the sort of man we are able to relate to: a flawed hero we can identify with.
And if this flies in the face of that famous remark made by the fictional editor of the Shinbone Star: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend!" what it may do is make the legendary figure of Gene Autry a more approachable figure to a new generation of admirers. And in our hero, the Singing Cowboy, they will find a great deal to admire. Holly George-Warren has seen to that. --JOHN PADDY BROWNE
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to see St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum? With Rick Steves’ Rome 2007, travelers can experience the best of everything Rome has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves’ Rome 2007 includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick’s newest "back door" discoveries. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
A huge time saver on my trip (June 29-July 3).......2007-07-16
This book paid for itself with just the information about the Vatican Museum. It is dismaying to see a 4+ hour line to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine chapel. Fortunately, by reserving months in advance (as the book suggests), we just walked right in.
This is just one example, because the book is full of tips on the best time to visit each attraction and how to skip the long lines. Worth every penny.
So glad we had it..........2007-07-09
This was a great book to have with us on our trip to Rome. If we happened to leave it in the room we were lost without it. Needless to say that only happened once. Gave a great 'tour' which included just enough commentary and even anecdotal accounts that were interesting. We really enjoyed the information on the Roman Forum...We aren't group tour type of people but don't feel we missed anything...actually heard alot of the same stuff thats included in the book. Also gave great travel hints etc that were very useful...and seeing alot of other travelers with the same book makes it a popular choice.
Used this book on trip June 5-29, 2007.......2007-07-07
We tore out the sections we needed with an exacto knife and therefore could carry them in our fanny packs for just that day of sightseeing.
Not the best choice.......2007-07-03
I took this guide on a recent trip to Italy, along with the Eyewitness and Blue Guide books. Rick Steves' books are designed for the traveler who wants a decent overview of a particular place, and as such they're not at all comprehensive. I understand that and it's a fine approach as far as it goes, but it makes no sense in a city like Rome to leave out the Aventine Hill altogether, as Rick does. We stayed on the Aventine because it's the quietest and least hectic part of central Rome, a short walk from the ancient heart of the city, and it has some fine hotels and beautiful ancient churches. If I'd never been to Rome and had only Rick's book with me, I would have missed it altogether. Rick is very good on practical tips such as finding the best museum passes, avoiding pickpockets, and navigating the world of rail passes (he also sells some great travel gear), but I prefer to have a more comprehensive book that lets me decide what I want to see, even if that means sacrificing detail. With that in mind, I prefer the colorful and user-friendly Eyewitness Guides for broad overviews and good city maps, and Blue Guides for historical, artistic, and architectural detail.
Another thing that bothers me about Rick's books is the tone and style of his writing. Many people love him precisely for that, which is fine, but I find his writing style grating and in many places his history is just plain wrong. He's particularly bad when dealing with Christian history, a very important thing to get right when dealing with Rome! Finally, the maps are not very helpful unless you're sticking with Rick's itineraries exactly.
The only thing that made this book worth having on my trip was the inclusion of contact information for English-speaking doctors who make hotel visits, which unfortunately came in very handy. Everything else I could have found on his website without buying the book. Overall, I found this book unhelpful and left it behind in our last hotel.
Perfect for the more relaxed crowd.......2007-06-13
I love Rick Steves's book. It has great directions, maps, and information about tourist attractions as well as restaurants and tours of the city. My only problem with it is that it doesn't appeal to people of all ages. As a college student, I wish it had more information about nightlife and the like, yet I acknowledge that Rick Steves mostly appeals to the less rowdy group. Nonetheless, I wouldn't go to Rome without it. Grazie Rick!
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