Sensory Exotica: A World beyond Human Experience

Book Description

Bees, birds, bats, fish, and dolphins possess senses that lie far beyond the realm of human experience. In this book Howard C. Hughes tells the story of these "exotic" senses. He tells not only what has been discovered but how it was discovered--including historical misinterpretations of animal perception that we now view with amusement.

The book is divided into four parts: biosonar, biological compasses, electroreception, and the scents of attraction. Although the book is filled with fascinating descriptions of animal sensitivities, the author's goal is to explain the anatomical and physiological principles that underlie them. Knowledge of these mechanisms has practical applications in areas as diverse as marine navigation, biomedical sciences, and nontoxic pest control. It can also help us to obtain a deeper understanding of more familiar sensory systems and the brain in general.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but not what I expected........2004-08-08

I was hoping for an overview of dozens of sensory systems in use in the world today. In that I was disappointed, because the book only covers something like 5 of them. By contrast my Encyclopedia Britannica has a better overview of sensoria under 'senses'.

On the other hand, those senses that are covered are covered in considerably more depth than I was expecting, and were an enjoyable read. Descriptions of the neurobiology of how the various senses process input were particularly welcome.

Very interesting and educational book.......2001-12-06

Good reading for those who loves animals,navigation,sensing,
biology,physics or nature.

an intriguing read..........2000-11-15

how do bats find their way in the dark? how do fish and birds experience or sense the world around them? echolocation, bioelectricity and internal navigation systems are some of the sensory cabilities discussed in this interesting book

Good subject, bad execution.......2000-01-13

This book is about sensory modalities, like a bat's sonar, which humans do not have. Ever since I read Nagel's What is it like to be a Bat as a wee lad, I have wondered that very thing. So you would think I would have loved this book. You might think so, but you woul be wrong.

Though I am very interested in the subject this review covers (hence the 2-stars) I could not finish the book because of the chatty, faux-chummy style. I compleatly support the idea that science writing does not have to be dry and jargon-heavy but there is no need for a forced imitation of an informal discusion.

I may skim though the rest, but every time I open the book I want to send the author Strunk and White.

Average customer rating:
Sensory Exotica : A World Beyond Human Experience
Howard C. Hughes
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQ9S8K

Average customer rating:

Thank goodness for this book...

My OCD Bible

Practical, informative and useful.

When Once Is Not Enough
Gail Steketee , and Kerrin White
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0934986878

Customer Reviews:

Thank goodness for this book..........2007-06-23

This book has been such a big help to me on the path of overcoming my lifelong OCD. My therapist recommended it to me and goodness, did it ever help! It put so much into perspective for me, and gave me the hope that I needed to fight this. It also helped me realize WHY I have OCD in the first place, and how to better understand other anxiety sufferers in my life. I would recommend it to anyone who suffers from OCD, or knows someone who does.

My OCD Bible.......2006-07-12

When I began intensive treatment for my OCD, my therapist told me I had to read this book before we started the treatment, ERP. That was the best thing she could have ever done. I knew little about OCD over all and absolutley nothing about CBT or ERP. This book explained all that to me in a very easy to understand way. It is a great first book on OCD and OCD treatment to begin with, like OCD 101. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. There isn't hardly a page in the book that isn't underlined, highlighted, or written in the margins. This book was truly my OCD Bible. It is an excellent book to start with, for learning all the basics and without a doubt, I did so much better in treatment because I read this book and understood what the treatment was and why it works. I also heard Gail Steketee speak at the National OC Conference and got to talk with her as well. She is an extremely knowledgeable in the field and very down to earth.

Practical, informative and useful........1999-05-12

This book can be very helpful for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) sufferers, their loved ones and therapists. It gives examples, defines OCD (as well as, other disorders) and shows a person what they can do to help themselves or others with OCD. This book is written in a way that is easy for anyone to understand, not just therapists. It gives people with OCD the information they need to better understand the disorder and helps them figure out what is the best way for them to cope with it. This book is interesting and a useful guide for anyone who must deal with OCD on a daily basis. The only thing I would have liked to have seen would be more expanded definitions of some of the different actions and thoughts seen in OCD patients.

Average customer rating:

A "must read" for aspiring blue water cruisers
Sailing adventure and survival. Once is Enough
anold set of friends reviseted..
Ship of fools.
Seamanship

Once is Enough
Miles Smeeton
Manufacturer: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Boating | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0071414312

Book Description

The Sailor's Classics library introduces a new generation of readers to the best books ever written about small boats under sail

When the 46-foot Tzu Hang sailed from Australia into the vast Southern Ocean in December 1956, her crew of three couldn't know what terror awaited them.

Customer Reviews:

A "must read" for aspiring blue water cruisers.......2006-11-06

This is a first hand account of two thwarted attempts to round Cape Horn from the west. It is written by Miles Smeeton, the skipper of the forty two foot ketch, Tzu Hang. It is not for sailors only, and if all you want is sailing, you may end up bored. Much of the book takes place in a port town in Chile, where the Smeetons and John Guzzwell (Trekka Round the World) put in for repairs. The Chilean section is interesting in that it is about the people who end up involved in helping to restore the yacht - some of whom are real characters.

Be sure to read the forward, which provides a brief expalnation of who these people were, and how they ended up spending their retirement sailing the worlds oceans.

Smeeton is not a professional writer, but he writes well, with good descriptions of the people they met, his own impressions, and sensory detail, all of which combine to make the book readable.

There is an historical angle as well. It takes place in the mid-1950's. Smeeton and his wife, Beryl, retired after World War II, Smeeton being an Btritish Army officer and veteran of that war. They are virtually never freaked-out, and always find time for tea.

If you like Brits, if you like sailing, or if you just like a first hand account of some of the original adventure travelers, you will like this book.

Sailing adventure and survival. Once is Enough.......2006-09-14

A fine book of sailing adventure, daring,and demonstration of pure determination to survive infused with applied skills and love. With plenty of luck.
Although not nearly the same, my enjoyment in reading this tale
flows from duck hunting alone in near freezing temperatures de-
parting the dock at the darkened hours of 4 - 5 a.m. --hunting
experiences that afforded me insight into and identity with
Mile's - Beryl's - and John's characters. They were fortunate
to have survived!

anold set of friends reviseted.........2006-07-09

Miles and "B" Smeton, along with John Guzzwell were all members of the same sailing organization with me, and we shared some exciting and happy times cruising Hawaiian waters..and meeting up from time to time..
While many writers have attempted to explain the incredible shambles of a rollover at sea, I think Miles, in his rather old school British style, has done it best.
This is reality in cool, understated British Brigadier style that every sailor should read, not just for the adventure, but for the example of coolness under duress, inventiveness, and determination that it represents,,
David M. "DR Dave" Parker

Ship of fools........2001-11-25

The first half of this book is an enjoyable read, even if like me, you feel that the Smeeton's goal to round Cape Horn in a yacht is foolhardy. And sure enough, the Southern Ocean serves up the house specialty for them right on cue, pitchpoles their boat, and they narrowly escape with their lives.

By the time I got to the second half of the story, I was disgusted with their pointless and quixotic drive to try to round the Horn again after they had spent half a year in S. Chile begging, borrowing, and stealing parts and labor to rebuild their nearly-demolished yacht. At this point I could not enjoy any more of Mile's detailed descriptions of their jury rig or navigational efforts.

The Smeetons deluded themselves into believing that they were some sort of noble adventurers, striking out where less daring people feared to tread. The truth was that they were fools; their experience and knowledge provided them with ample reasons why people should not attempt the Horn in a small boat. But they just did it anyway. A lot of their folly was driven by this pride. Miles even admits that they did it BECAUSE they feared doing it. To his credit, at one point he confesses that they were not thinking rationally when they decided to make the second go at it (which ended disastroulsy, same as the first).

Years later the CCA awarded the Smeetons the Bluewater Medal, but it wasn't in recognition of this particular voyage, but rather for their lifelong accomplishment of cruising nearly the entire globe in Tsu Hang. On the voyage detailed in Once is Enough, their culpability in repeatedly putting themselves in such unnecessary risk was anything but seamanlike.

Seamanship.......2000-04-07

Once Is Enough is more than enough, especially south of Cape Horn.

Perserverance and seamanship at its best!

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-01-07

Fantastic book. If you ever loved reading valley of the dolls you really need to read this book about the author. Such an interesting life cut too short. I am sure she would have continued to write fabulous books. Great read.

Susann takes on a new era.......2006-09-19

Jackie Susann's final novel published in her lifetime is the story of young January Wayne, a girl with an Electra complex so big, you'll blush. "Enough" is a terrific read. It goes quickly, is maddeningly involving and, if I may be so bold, is better written than Susann's classic "Valley of the Dolls." Sure, this is tried and true Susann territory with the milquetoast heroine and the usual stew of sex, drugs (in this case "vitamin shots")and deceit is in place but even so, this time something's different.

In "Enough," New York is no longer a glamorous city but a place becoming overrun with junkies and whores, Broadway shows feature (simulated) sex and nudity (but that's nothing compared to the downtown theater scene!) and movies are less escapist than a reflection of the growing desperation of the late 60s/ early 70s. Susann, to her credit, bravely takes on this new era but you can't help feel that she really doesn't know what to make of it. Some of the attempts at youth culture and lingo seem less than authentic (Did people really say, "How about throwing on some slacks and coming over!" back then?) and other incidents appear to have germinated in stories that Susann may have heard being whispered in passing at a party and wrote down ("Did you hear about the types of parties those kids have nowadays?") And despite featuring a heroine in her early twenties, Susann has January get involved in a bad accident and spend three years (not so coincidentally the "revolutionary" years 1967-70) in a Swiss hospital that does not allow television, radio or newspapers. Perfect - a young heroine who's a tabula rasa with no knowledge of the youth movement. Golly, what a neat trick!

The characters in the book are a fun lot, though I felt Karla was exceptionally frustrating as "the lesbian who wasn't" and David Milford was as stiff as they come (and the casting of George Harrison as David in the film version makes perfect sense.) Look out for the characters of Linda Riggs and Tom Colt allegedly based upon Gloria Steinem and Norman Mailer, respectively. Try not to laugh when you come upon Tom Colt's "ailment", perhaps one of the funniest cases of literary revenge ever.

If you only have read and enjoyed "Valley of the Dolls", you should definitely check this one out. It's a lot of fun but you won't feel especially guilty for enjoying it.

Great beach reading........2006-08-01

After reading mixed reviews on this book, I decided to read it anyway. I thought the characters were better developed than those in Valley of the Dolls, and I found this book to be just as entertaining.

I will admit that I was almost stopped reading the book because of the almost incestual father-daughter love plot line, but fortunately for everyone, it cools off.

All in all, this was a fun book to read.

Oh how I loved this book!.......2004-12-30

I didn't know if Jacqueline Susann could live up to "Valley of the Dolls" with this book, but she sure did! "Once is Not Enough" is thoroughly entertaining. The story revolves around January Wayne, a tragic heroine who has an unnatural adoration for her father and is unable to have a successful relationship with another man because of it. When her father marries a wealthy woman to secure his family's financial future, January finally falls in love. Unfortunately for her, the man she falls for is Tom Colt, a married man who is older than her father. Tom replaces "Daddy" for January, but it's only a matter of time before the relationship drags her down into the drug-induced haze that every Susann heroine eventually falls victim to.

Like "Valley of the Dolls," "Once is Not Enough" boasts many colorful characters whose lives intersect in a variety of unexpected ways. There are some funny moments in the book, but for the most part it consists of tragedy and unhappiness. The final few chapters threw me for a loop because the ending is more depressing than either of Susann's other novels. Still, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read. You won't be able to put it down!

The Art of Excess.......2001-07-03

Mrs. Susann was a cinematic writer. She was not content to write books in which poor people walk around in circles and talk about their problems. Instead, she wrote about rich, beautiful people-probably the only interesting kind-and exposed them for what they are: spoiled, lonely creatures who need to be constantly reassured of their uniqueness. Most serious writers hate Mrs.Susann because 1)she was a woman who defied convention, 2)she had more balls than most writers ever dreamed of having, and 3) she wrote about people most academics would love to be. With that said, Once is not Enough is not as good as Valley of the Dolls. You can tell that it wasn't well edited, but who cares? The protagonist January Wayne is really interesting: a rich, fragile girl with an Electra complex. She's involved in a motorcycle accident that leaves her in a coma and unable to walk. Mike, her daddy, stays by her side, but he loses his touch in Hollywood and becomes poor. He has to marry a rich society witch named Dee Milford Granger, who is secretly in love with a Polish actress named Karla, who in turn is in love with Dee's nephew David, who Dee wants January to marry when she is fully recuperated. There is also a horny magazine editor named Linda Riggs and an impotent Mailer type writer named Tom Holt. Needless to say, these characters commit all kinds of wonderful indecent acts. Once is not Enough is not the kind of novel you read for depth of character. You read it for its spectacle, and thank god, Mrs. Susann lived long enough to fill our boring lives with that. Jackie was a wonderful, brilliant woman who deserved more respect than she got.

Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizare World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough

Average customer rating:

Gripping and daring!

Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizare World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough
James Bailey
Manufacturer: Mainstream Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A glimpse into the tortured world of James Bailey who suffers from a bizarre Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. But far from being a doom-laden account of mental illness, the result is rewarding, uniquely revealing and hilariously entertaining.

Customer Reviews:

Gripping and daring!.......2006-01-17

Unbelievable! I knew this had to be good because of the quotes on the cover (2 OSCAR winners), but I had no idea I would be as interested as I was. Reading this was like eating a jalepeno popper. It starts with a sting, the middle is delicious, and the ending is just right... Read this if you want a good book for by the pool, by the bed, next to the bathroom, etc. Just be sure you're someplace comfortable when you start reading, because you WON'T want to stop!!

Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizarre World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough

Average customer rating:

Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizarre World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough
James Bailey
Manufacturer: Mainstream Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Star Warped: Once Upon A Time In A Galaxy Nowhere Near Far Enough Away (Gollancz)

Average customer rating:

very funny

Star Warped: Once Upon A Time In A Galaxy Nowhere Near Far Enough Away (Gollancz)
A.R.R.R. Roberts
Manufacturer: Gollancz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Parodies | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0575076887

Book Description

The Soddit, The McAtrix Derided, and the aptly titled The Sellamillion:
The parodies are hilarious, but the numbers are serious, with millions of copies sold. And now, in our very own time and galaxy, Star Wars finally gets its comeuppance-just in time to coincide with the release of the 6th and final film. The force is with us!

This is a satire well and truly earned: with the last chapters in the Star Wars' saga reaching new lows, the movies that have dominated popular culture for more than three decades deserve a little tweaking. Oh, sure, a long time ago, in what seems like a galaxy far, far away, there was a very good and thoroughly entertaining SF film. But that's long gone. So here it comes, a six-part mock-epic that begins in the middle of the action, pits good against evil, and features hairy co-pilots, green gurus, bizarre hairdos, steel bras, and campy robots.

In addition to his bestselling parodies, Adam Roberts has written a SF novel, Salt, which was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, as well as a number of academic works.

Customer Reviews:

very funny.......2006-03-02

A.R.R.R. Roberts always writes funny parodies, but this one is especually good. and as always, its very clever without being too crude.
jim

3 Trade Edition Titles By Susann - The Love Machine - Once Is Not Enough - Valley of the Dolls

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3 Trade Edition Titles By Susann - The Love Machine - Once Is Not Enough - Valley of the Dolls
Jacqueline Susann
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000PBF53Q

Product Description

3 Trade Edition Titles By Susann - The Love Machine - Once Is Not Enough - Valley of the Dolls

The Biscotti Book: Baked Once Is Not Enough

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The Biscotti Book: Baked Once Is Not Enough
D. Lane Johnson
Manufacturer: D & S Enterprises of Lebanon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0965417603

Coign of Vantage - Or, Once Around Is Enough

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Coign of Vantage - Or, Once Around Is Enough
Renee Schmolck Worrall
Manufacturer: Vantage Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 053311487X

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Once is Enough
Foreword By Nevil Shute Miles Smeeton
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CK9BT

Book Description

This best-selling writing guide teaches readers to think as biologists and to express that thinking clearly and concisely through their writing. Emphasizing writing as a means to examining, evaluating, sharing and refining ideas, this text teaches individuals to communicate information accurately, logically, concisely and unambiguously. Comprehensive coverage of how to read and evaluate articles, interpret and describe the results of statistical tests, maintain laboratory and field notebooks, and communicate information concisely and convincingly to professional and general audiences, this book is a “must have” for any biology student. Individuals who want to pursue a career in the biological sciences.

Customer Reviews:

The best book for writing lab reports in college........2007-03-06

Every time I have to do a lab report, I use this book. No exceptions. Although I cannot comment on the other aspects of the book in (check out the "Look Inside!" Table of Contents), its guidance for writing lab reports is helpful to the utmost. Before this book, I made in the high 80s on my lab reports; now it is rare that I go below a 95. The book is full of what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. For example, never give purpose to evolution (I am paraphrasing, of course). Birds did not evolve flight to escape predators or to travel long distance; they evolved flight because a series of random DNA mutations turned forelimbs into wings, and that increased their survival rate. That is just one of numerous examples, and, best of all, all of the examples given are extremely relevant to college students because the material comes from college-level lab reports. Still, all of my biology professors have this book, in one edition or anther, on their shelves. This review refers to the 5th edition.

The only writing manual you'll ever need.......2007-01-26

I've used this book since I was a freshman biology major. I'm now a Ph.D. student and I still reference this book. I've read other writing manuals designed for students in the sciences, but I've found that nothing is as clear and useful to students in the life sciences as this book.

Very Helpful........2006-02-26

My daugther is the one that uses this and she finds it very helpful to understanding the lessons.

An essential for all students........1999-02-04

As a university professor teaching budding biologists, I've found this book to be excellent. As the other reviewer said, I wished I had this book when I was a student. I, too, had to learn things the long and hard way. Pechinik has done a great service to science students. Let's hope we see more good writing out of this next generation of young scientists.

Absolutely Essential.......1998-03-27

Every biology undergraduate should read this book. I wish I'd known about it when I was an undergraduate; it contains most of the information I had to learn the hard way.

Book Description

Nathaniel Currier and his partner, James Ives, literally changed the American landscape by mass-producing inexpensive lithographs and selling millions of copies that adorned countless homes, businesses, and even barns. Bryan F. Lebeau provides the first in-depth study of the sweeping range of Currier and Ives images produced until the end of the nineteenth-century, placing them in historical context as meaningful representations and reflections of American values, beliefs, hopes and dreams.

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