From Lava to Life: The Universe Tells Our Earth's Story (Sharing Nature With Children Book)

Book Description

"Once upon a time" meets science in a children's picture book that tells the thrilling story of how life began on Earth. The second in a trilogy of Universe stories - the first being the award-winning Born with a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story -- this book picks up the story with the first appearance of life on Earth. It's a thrilling story about how Earth triumphs over crisis to become bacteria, jellyfish, flowers . . . even dinosaurs! The author, Jennifer Morgan, studied evolutionary science and saw its storytelling possibilities when she explained it to her elementary-age son. Coupled with brilliant artwork by Dana Anderson, who also studied Cosmology, these books will intrigue children and adults alike with their storytelling style and colorful pages. The third book in the trilogy will be available in Spring 2005.

Customer Reviews:

my daughter loves this book, and so do i!.......2007-09-03

i was a little unsure about getting a book that made the universe a consciousness being. but i have to say that the way in which this book, and the first in the series, are written is very easy to read, and very easy to understand. some books in this genre are harder to read, because they are more like text books with words. this book flows smoothly, and reads like a story book, and keeps my daughters interest the whole way through. my daughter is always asking me to "read the universe story" and "read the lava book!" i have not purchased the 3rd in the series, but after reading the first 2, i will definitely be purchasing this author's take on evolution!

A lot of learning in an easy-to-absorb format.......2007-02-05

After reading this book, my five-year-old grandson brought me a picture he had drawn of a eukaryote with a twisted DNA helix and mitochondria. I promptly order its sequel. I even reread the book on my own to help my understanding of the terminology of early evolution.

Accurate science for children and adults!.......2006-12-09

As a scientist who works on early evolution I was looking for a book for my 7 year old cousin who is fascinated by science that would counterbalance the creationism he is getting in Sunday school. I purchased this book after reading reviews but was skeptical that it would be accurate. I was beyond thrilled while reading through it! Jennifer Morgan does an excellent job of taking the origin of life, evolution of eukaryotes, prokaryotes and metazoans, the oxygen crisis, migration from sea to land and mass extinctions and making it understandable to children (and lay adults!)
I found no true errors in the science, only things that I wish were expanded on such as calling the "mounds of bacteria" what they are, stromatolites (though I may be biased as I work on these and other similar structures!)
Evolution is never mentioned by name though she does a wonderful job of saying that certain animals are "your ancestors" and, for example, how dinosaurs evolved into what are ancestors to modern birds.
I honestly believe that not only should every child be reading this book and that it would be an excellent addition to grade school science curriculum, but that every adult in the United States should read this as well. I had several adult friends and family members read it and they said they finally understood certain concepts that I work on and have tried to explain to them in the past. One friend actually said "oh so that is the difference between a eukaryote and a prokaryote!" I'm going to purchase a second copy to keep for myself to help explain the origins of life and early evolution to others.
I look forward to purchasing the other two books in this series and highly recommend this book to anyone.

Where did I come from?.......2003-03-19

Told as if the Universe has patted her lap & invited to you up for grand story, she takes you back into a time before time, when the Earth was formed, long, long before you or I were motes in the storm. Long before dinosaurs were born & flowers grew.

Told in a confidential, amusing & lyrical turn of phrase, FROM LAVA TO LIFE spills the beans on how life began here from microscopic cells in a churning brew of chemicals as our raw orb rolled around the heavens.

Fascinating images! Dana Lynn Andersen captures our imagination with her broad strokes of things bigger & smaller than one pair of eyes can see. Jennifer Morgan's sense of humor is both reverential & irreverent, charming & instructive.

If you are stumped when your kids ask the oldest of questions: "Where did I come from?" Then FROM LAVA TO LIFE & its prequel BORN WITH A BANG are for you!

Vividly illustrated in striking color.......2003-03-10

From Lava To Life: The Universe Tells Our Earth Story by storyteller, educator, and environmental advocate Jennifer Morgan is the second volume in an amazing summary series for readers ages 8 through 12 of what science can tell us about how the Earth came to be, and how life arose upon and in it. Vividly illustrated in striking color by Dana Lynne Andersen, From Lava To Life is a most fascinating introduction to science for young readers, beginning with the formation of the earth and concluding with the age of the dinosaur. From Lava To Life is also available in hardcover. Also very highly recommended for young readers is the first volume covering the birth the universe and the development of the solar system, Born With A Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story: Book 1.

Customer Reviews:

Good content poor performance.......2005-07-19

Poor paper, black&white printing, few figures.
But I opened interesting places for new investigations in Greece.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting read, but be prepared.......2003-11-09

Las Casas is an interesting figure: bishop, Dominican, late scholastic, polemicist, he spent great amounts of time and effort in order to ensure the equitable treatment of the American natives by the Spaniards. This tome is a good example of his toils.

This book (if memory serves) is basically the defense of the native peoples Las Casas presented at the Council of Valladolid against various others, most especially a theologian named Sepulveda (who argued, among other things, that the natives were Aristotelian "natural slaves"). Las Casas makes his case that the natives are fully human, can be converted, and should be treated rightly. In the process of doing this, Las Casas touches on (among other things) the nature of the Church, conversion and "scandal," and the just war tradition. Las Casas manages to pile quite a bit into this work.

The reader should prepare, though, for a somewhat difficult read. Las Casas was using every argumentative means available to make his case for the Indians. He goes from scholastic argument and legal discussion (often times repeatedly bringing up the same or similar point) to out and out polemics and ad hominem attacks. The work is not terribly systematic, and can seem a bit frenzied.

Customer Reviews:

Please give me a glass of water.......2003-08-19

If you enjoy reading facts then this is the book for you, HOWEVER (DRUM ROLL PLEASE) I found it to be dry. It is a history book in the genre I research. Somehow it could be made more interesting. I do not claim to be an expert by any means, but I own over 3,000 books and this one is definitely hard to read.

A very readable history of Southeastern Spanish missions........1999-08-31

Few Americans realize that the Spanish colonization effort in the Southeast was as strong in its day as the better-known Southwestern efforts, so heralded in books and movies. Milanich, an arcaheologist, combines his science and that of historians to tell an intriguing tale of priests, soldiers, colonists and Native Americans. He knows his subject and he knows how to write a jolly good tale. Andi Reynolds

The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom : With Transliteration He Theia Leitourgia Tou Hagiou Ioannou Tou Chrysostomou : A New Translation

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The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom : With Transliteration He Theia Leitourgia Tou Hagiou Ioannou Tou Chrysostomou : A New Translation
Hellenic College Faculty
Manufacturer: Holy Cross Orthodox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Orthodoxy | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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A word from Black cloud

Border Lords
Terry C. Johnston
Manufacturer: Jameson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0915463113

Customer Reviews:

A word from Black cloud.......2001-07-23

I have fallen in love with the carry the wind triliogy scratch and padock are a perfect pair and their adventures are outstanding I have learned so much from them.The way Terry C Johnston writes he makes you beleive that you are part of the story. Through thick and thin the pair will always be part of me and each other.I hope that this book and others will touch others as it has mine Black Cloud

Lords of the Rivers (The Heartland Chronicles, Book II)

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Lords of the Rivers (The Heartland Chronicles, Book II)
Nancy Niblack Baxter
Manufacturer: Emmis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0961736771

Singing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land: Hymnody in the History of North American Protestantism (Religion & American Culture)

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Singing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land: Hymnody in the History of North American Protestantism (Religion & American Culture)

Manufacturer: University Alabama Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0817313966

"Rememb'ring Our Time And Work Is the Lords": The Experiences of Quakers on the Eighteenth-Century Pennsylvania Frontier (The Pennsylvania History and Culture Series)

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"Rememb'ring Our Time And Work Is the Lords": The Experiences of Quakers on the Eighteenth-Century Pennsylvania Frontier (The Pennsylvania History and Culture Series)
Karen Guenther
Manufacturer: Susquehanna University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1575910934

Lord North: The Prime Minister Who Lost America

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Lord North: The Prime Minister Who Lost America
Peter Whiteley
Manufacturer: Hambledon & London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1852855193

Book Description

Lord North was in many ways a most successful politician. Prime Minister for an unbroken twelve years, his management of both parliament and of the business of government was adept. He enjoyed the confidence of King George III, not always an easy political ally, avoided factional strife (having no political following of his own), was notably uncorrupt and made virtually no enemies. In many ways he epitomised the political outlook and aristocratic assumptions of the eighteenth century.He is, however, principally remembered for presiding over Britain's loss of her American colonies. Lord North: The Prime Minister Who Lost America is a scholarly but highly readable account of his life. It includes a full study of the American War of Independence, examining it from the perspective of the British government as well as from the colonial standpoint. No senior politician had visited America and few had a proper knowledge or understanding of Americans. Too often the colonists were regarded as unruly and ungrateful children, with whom compromise was either a sign of weakness or the betrayal of the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. Highmindedness contributed to the final humiliation, as did ignorant overconfidence. Military defeat, to a country that had become preeminent in Europe by the end of the Seven Years War, was not entertained as a possibility.

North America Is the Lords (Christian Day School Series)

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North America Is the Lords (Christian Day School Series)
James W. Lowrey
Manufacturer: Christian Light Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0878139168

Great Week and Pascha in the Greek Orthodox Church

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Great Week and Pascha in the Greek Orthodox Church
Alkiviadis C. Calivas
Manufacturer: Holy Cross Orthodox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Orthodoxy | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0917651979

Book Description

Traces the development of the liturgical celebration of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ in the Greek Orthodox Church. Fr. Calivas elegantly describes the theological themes for each day, clarifies the liturgical practices, and provides rubrics for their proper celebration. Through the text the reader can find answers to many questions about Holy Week as well as insights into meaningful participation in each of the services. According to Fr. Calivas, "Everything converges on the person of Jesus Christ, who was betrayed, crucified and buried, and who rose on the third day. These events are the keystones to the structure of Great Week. Through them we embrace the mystery of our salvation."

Book Description

Concise Histology is the successor to the world-renowned Bloom and Fawcett's Textbook of Histology. This major new edition focuses on the core information and skills needed by students, and presents the essential elements of the body at the cellular, tissue and systematic levels. Highly illustrated in full color, the new edition has been fully updated throughout. The introductory chapter on cell biology has been substantially expanded and a new glossary has been added to help students with unfamiliar terminology. Each chapter contains a brief section on the histophysiology of each tissue and organ, and highlighted boxes identify the diseases resulting from the malfunctioning of specific cells. At the end of each chapter a series of questions allows students to test their knowledge. EM and microscopic level photographs have been digitally enhanced to provide optimum quality images. This new edition also comes with a free CD-ROM containing over 2000 questions and answers for self-assessment and 150 text-labelled images.

Customer Reviews:

Bloom and Fawcett: Concise Histology.......2005-09-01

book isn't bad, you definately need a good atlas to go along with it. But lays out the details pretty nicely

Great book for histology.......2003-09-03

I first just relied on the classnotes to try to pass my medical histology exams. I learned the hard way by falling the midterm. I then used this book and of course it helped me immensely. I also used (ISBN # 0971999686) Histology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers. This study guide helped me to prepare for the final and the kind of questions to look out for. I got an A on my final with the aid of these two books. Both well worth the money.

Great concise information for histology class.......2003-08-16

I'm a med student and used this book to help me with my medical microbiology class. The pictures are clear and helped me to get a mental picture of histology, in this way, it was easier to remember the facts for the test. However, I also used the following:
Histology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
The second book focused on the kind of questions that were asked on my medical histology exams. In this way, it better prepared me for the type of questions to look out for. Both books are highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Get the unabridged version

Bloom & Fawcett: Concise Histology
Don W. Fawcett , and Ronald P. Jensh
Manufacturer: A Hodder Arnold Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anatomy | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0412079712

Customer Reviews:

Get the unabridged version.......2002-02-06

The only reason this book gets a 2 is because is does have some nice electron micrographs. But my praise for the book stops there. "Concise" doesn't begin to describe how concise this book actually is. Its depth of topic exploration does not delve any further than "This is a kidney" or "This is a heart." Which I already knew of course. Yes, I'm being slightly sarcastic, but you get the point. This was required for our first year medical class (why?), and yet our professors' lectures always exceeded the information contained in this book. I'm a second year now, and when I wish to brush up on my histology in order to help me understand pathology, I have no reference book! Do yourself a favor and buy the unabridged version if you can find it (it's out of print now). Surprisingly, this version is EXCELLENT and is considered to be the THE authoritative histology text. Don't waste your money...

Book Description

The best-selling, best known text in Mathematical Economics course, Chiang teaches the basic mathematical methods indispensable for understanding current economic literature. the book's patient explanations are written in an informal, non-intimidating style. To underscore the relevance of mathematics to economics, the author allows the economist's analytical needs to motivate the study of related mathematical techniques; he then illustrates these techniques with appropriate economics models. Graphic illustrations often visually reinforce algebraic results. Many exercise problems serve as drills and help bolster student confidence. These major types of economic analysis are covered: statics, comparative statics, optimization problems, dynamics, and mathematical programming. These mathematical methods are introduced: matrix algebra, differential and integral calculus, differential equations, difference equations, and convex sets.

Customer Reviews:

Great introduction to mathematical economics!.......2007-07-18

I enjoy Chiang's writing style. I've been reading up on mathematical methods in preparation for a masters econ program, and feel very comfortable with the material thanks to this textbook. The international edition is a good bargain.

A must read text book for any economics undergrad student.......2006-04-02

I found it extremely easy to read and at the same time rigorous enough to settle the bases. The author knows very deeply the economics students needs of mathematical methods and achieves a precise and complete explanation of all notions I needed to know for my undergrad course. I strongly recommend it during the first or second year.

A must read for graduate students in economics.......2006-02-26

Alpha Chiang's text should serve as the foundation for all quantitive analysis done in economic theory. It is an invaluable teaching tool for graduate students in economics and will help them better understand the mathematical techniques that have become so necessary for economic modeling.

I am not a highly quantitative person myself, but I found Chiang's book comprehensible and a useful reference guide in my gradaute economics classes. Along with Hal Varian's "Microeconomic Theory" and Jan Kmenta's "Econometrics", I would say that Chiang's "Fundamentals of Mathematical Economics" should serve as sacred literature for any prospective graduate student in economics.

not so good.......2005-10-14

the text carries to excess the concept of "keeping the presentation as simple as possible". but in general you cannot understand or solve problems with a fifth grader's ability to abstract them.
especially the relunctance to use matrix notation makes some topics actually harder to understand once they become more complicated.
furthermore I find the structure quite confusing since the text amounts to a monotous blabla - clear definitions might be helpful and some rigor would keep the reader conscious instead of drifting off. after all the text is not so bad but I think we deserve something better. blume might be better.

The best math textbook for economist.......2005-09-30

That is why it used everywhere, in nearly all economic departments. I strongly recommend you buy this book. It really helped me in my undergrad, and it is helping in my graduate courses. If you want to buy another book to accompany this, get Simon and Blume book. One person (probably little masochistic) was saying that Chiang has so many examples, blah, blah, blah. Look, not everyone is a math genius, undergraduate student's need Chiang, it's even useful for graduates. Math is used quite too excessively in economics...showing off?

Average customer rating:

Very easy to read!

Matrix Algebra for Applied Economics
Shayle R. Searle , and Lois Schertz Willett
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

Matrices | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471322075

Book Description

Coverage of matrix algebra for economists and students of economics

Matrix Algebra for Applied Economics explains the important tool of matrix algebra for students of economics and practicing economists. It includes examples that demonstrate the foundation operations of matrix algebra and illustrations of using the algebra for a variety of economic problems.

The authors present the scope and basic definitions of matrices, their arithmetic and simple operations, and describe special matrices and their properties, including the analog of division. They provide in-depth coverage of necessary theory and deal with concepts and operations for using matrices in real-life situations. They discuss linear dependence and independence, as well as rank, canonical forms, generalized inverses, eigenroots, and vectors. Topics of prime interest to economists are shown to be simplified using matrix algebra in linear equations, regression, linear models, linear programming, and Markov chains.

Highlights include:

Numerous examples of real-world applications
Challenging exercises throughout the book
Mathematics understandable to readers of all backgrounds
Extensive up-to-date reference material

Matrix Algebra for Applied Economics provides excellent guidance for advanced undergraduate students and also graduate students. Practicing economists who want to sharpen their skills will find this book both practical and easy-to-read, no matter what their applied interests.

Customer Reviews:

Very easy to read!.......2004-05-23

This bood can be the introduction level bood for undergraduate students. Authors explain everything very clearly from first chapters. If you already have background about linear algebra this book could be the supplementry material. If you want to focus on the advance econometrics this book would be the good choice for reinforce your matrix ability.

Comparisons of Stochastic Matrices with Applications in Information Theory, Statistics, Economics and Population

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Comparisons of Stochastic Matrices with Applications in Information Theory, Statistics, Economics and Population
Joel E. Cohen , J.H.B. Kempermann , and G. Zbaganu
Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Boston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0817640827

Amazon.com

Morgan Leafy had high hopes when he first headed out to the small African nation of Kinjanja to serve as Her British Majesty's representative. But once there, Leafy's dreams of professional advancement and personal happiness soon fade: this son of an airport catering manager finds himself overtaken on the career ladder by other, newer recruits to the diplomatic corps who come from the right family and attended the right schools. What's worse, the girl of his dreams has just become engaged to someone younger, thinner, and better connected. And if all this weren't enough to make a career civil servant miserable, Leafy is also being blackmailed by a representative of one of Kinjanja's many political parties who has presented him with a puzzling task: get to know the Scottish medical doctor at a local university.

Author William Boyd has written about Africa before, most notably in his bestselling novel Brazzaville Beach. In A Good Man in Africa, Boyd spins a darkly comic tale of political corruption, revolution, sexual misadventure, blackmail, and death. By novel's end, Leafy may not have become a better man--or even a much wiser one--but he has acquired a kind of dignity and gritty courage for which he is well suited.

Book Description

In the small African republic of Kinjanja, British diplomat Morgan Leafy bumbles heavily through his job. His love of women, his fondness for drink, and his loathing for the country prove formidable obstacles on his road to any kind of success. But when he becomes an operative in Operation Kingpin and is charged with monitoring the front runner in Kinjanja’s national elections, Morgan senses an opportunity to achieve real professional recognition and, more importantly, reassignment.

After he finds himself being blackmailed, diagnosed with a venereal disease, attempting bribery, and confounded with a dead body, Morgan realizes that very little is going according to plan.

Customer Reviews:

A good read.......2007-05-13

If you like Boyd, then you will like this novel. Like most of his writings, the story is complex but very readable. He is very original and while telling a fictional story gives you insight into countries, characters, and events that you may have little knowledge of.

Merciless dissection.......2007-01-09

If you can imagine Kingsley Amis' "Lucky Jim" transplanted to West Africa, you would be getting close to William Boyd's highly readable novel. The author's scalpel mercilessly dissects not redbrick academia and its foibles, but the colonial civil service. An easy target for satire perhaps, but a good read is a good read.

English Humour.......2005-05-22

This is a very satirical and readable book. The title cannot be more cynical, which put me off at the beginning, as I was expecting a "better" person. The protagonist is anything but a good man, he is petty and selfish, and a looser. Events do not help him much, as when he really tries do the "right" thing he ends up messing it up. It is a fun read. I highly recommend it.

Superb dark comedy of the British colonial experience.......2005-02-21

It is easy to see why this book won two important literary awards. Boyd has produced a highly readable, literate, darkly comic story of the British colonial experience. The characters are superbly developed and believable, the plot is extremely well paced and engaging, and the strengths and weaknesses of the human character are fully explored. A great piece of literature, very highly recommended. Boyd's many other novels, including An Ice Cream War, The New Confessions, Brazzaville Beach, The Blue Afternoon, and Any Human Heart are equally terrific. Boyd is clearly one of our most talented contemporary writers of fiction.

a well-written, funny/satiric blast on the colonial British.......2003-07-20

William Boyd, a terrific writer who knows Africa quite well (..he was brought up there), really cuts loose with 'A Good Man in Africa'. He completely deconstructs the psyche of the pompous, self-righteous and arrogant British colonial rulers (diplomats) of Africa during the 1960s. However I think even the most right wing British will not be offended with this book since his leading characters are so over-the-top buffoons and prigs it is obvious the author is writing a purely fictious comic novel, in the Tom Sharpe-esque tradition (but better written), rather than intentionally being cruel.

The story is about the travails of a junior British diplomat who is stuck in a nowhere African country and, despite wanting to succeed in his job/life, completely makes an ass out of himself. This is made easier by having a nitwit boss, a local mistress with a social disease, and the knack of always putting his foot in his mouth. The book is often laugh-out-loud funny. And the author has done a marvellous job in structuring the book; it is well-paced and literate.

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