Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter: Coyote Builds North America

Book Description

Prankster, warrior, seducer, fool -- Old Man Coyote is the most enduring legend in Native American culture. Crafty and cagey -- often the victim of his own magical intrigues and lusty appetites -- he created the earth and man, scrambled the stars and first brought fire . . . and death. Barry Lopez -- National Book Award-winning author of Arctic Dreams and recipient of the John Burroughs Medal for his bestselling masterwork Of Wolves and Men -- has collected sixty-eight tales from forty-two tribes, and brings to life a timeless myth that abounds with sly wit, erotic adventure, and rueful wisdom.

Customer Reviews:

Intelligent Design, Coyote-style.......2005-09-11

For those people who are still trying to decide between evolution and intelligent design, here is yet another creation story to ponder (or add to the curriculum), this one involving Coyote, who "was not necessarily a coyote, nor even a creature of strict physical dimensions." The subtitle of this book is "Coyote Builds North America."

"Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with his Daughter" is a magical read, like all of this author's books. It is mythology without the density of "The Golden Bough," but still with the serious purpose of teaching world views that may seem strange to non-Amerinds.

I needed to ponder the implications of these stories. I wondered if coyote creation myths were any more unbelievable than the invention of a CNN 'faith and values' correspondent, or the news of a televangelist encouraging his fellow Christians to assassinate a foreign head-of-state. Are they stranger to the human experience than mullahs issuing death fatwas against authors or encouraging followers to gang-rape young women?

Coyote steals, rapes and murders in these sixty-eight stories from forty-two different First Nation tribes. He is a Creator, dupe, loving husband, and lusty rogue; a sorcerous Rhett Butler with a brushy tail and extreme bipolar disorder. My favorite stories involve other clever creatures who dupe the Trickster into eating his own anus or tossing his eyeballs into a tree. It's always good to see a powerful bully with an uncertain temper taken down a notch or two.

Luckily Coyote is able to laugh at himself, unlike certain gods on the other side of the Atlantic.

Best Coyote Mythology Book Ever.......2001-08-10

Of all the Coyote mythology collections I've read, this is the best. It features an assortment of styles from over 30 tribes, giving a broad sense of what the Coyote is. The author takes great pleasure in the introduction when he states that the greatest mistake is to generalize the Coyote, even to say he is a trickster is sometimes wrong. This book is just as if someone took all their favorite Coyote stories and put them in order (he starts the book at the creation of the Earth, and Man. Ending when "Coyote finishes his work.")

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about the Coyote.

Hairball "Roots".......2000-06-08

Lopez heralds a message to our so-called "modern" Judeo-christian culture from the stone-age past: You can't separate the good from the bad. Coyote resembles nothing short of an agent of Bacchus, welding god-like powers of creation, with basal human desires and weaknesses.

In his anthology, Lopez has focused strictly on the Coyote of Native American lore, and thus has attempted to filter out most of the more modern interpretations and spin-offs, as well as removing any european influences. The observation that Lopez was not entirely successful in this effort shows the difficulty of such a task. The last story, "Coyote Finishes His Work", shows a distinctly "Euro-christian" influence. However, Lopez was at least successful enough to distinguish this piece from Bright's "Coyote Reader". Both are excellent works, and deserve your eye.

A wonderful book full of adventures by coyote trickster.......1998-04-28

I know this book is out of print and hard to find, but if you can let Amazon.com search it out for you, it is worth the effort. Lopez is at his best form in telling these stories of the coyote trickster. Some of the stories can best be described as ribald versions of the Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit stories. However, these are fresh stories that will engage your imagination and tickle your funny bone. I once entertained a group of young men with these stories one evening around a campfire...young men who thought they were too old to be read to. They laughed and wouldn't let me stop reading until my throat was hoarse. Find a copy if you can!

Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter

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Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter
Barry Holstun Lopez
Manufacturer: Avon, 1981
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0KGD2

Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter: Coyote Builds North America

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Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter: Coyote Builds North America
Barry Holstun Lopez
Manufacturer: Sheed Andrews and Mcmeel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FSS3T2

Book Description

New Orleans aficionado and travel writer Andrew Collins knows the best way to experience New Orleans, from exploring the plantations on the Great River Road and where to grab a drink Bourbon Street to taking a swamp tour on the North Shore. In this fully updated guidebook, Collins includes unique trip ideas such as "Two-Days in The Crescent City" and "Eating Your Way Through Southern Louisiana." Packed with information on dining, transportation and accommodations, Moon New Orleans has lots of options for a range of travel budgets. Every Moon guidebook includes recommendations for must-see sights and many regional, area, and city-centered maps. Complete with details on partaking in the famed festivities of Mardi Gras and listening to jazz in Cajun Country, Moon New Orleans gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience. With expert writers, first-rate strategic advice, and an essential dose of humor, Moon guidebooks are the cure for the common trip.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Guide To New Orleans EVER!.......2004-05-20

If you are like me, wondering who designed that building, who invented that recipe, and why a street name is pronounced a certain way- this book is for you. You will find everything you need to plan an enjoyable vacation, but most of all you will find the history of the city and answers to all of the questions you will encounter. Never has there been a better guide to New Orleans!

Book Description

The importance of understanding basic physiological mechanisms and their relationship to species propagation and preservation is emphasized by the wide range of adaptations to diet, environment and other characteristics covered in this study.

Book Description

Fractal structures are found everywhere in nature, and as a consequence anomalous diffusion has far reaching implications in a host of phenomena. This book describes diffusion and transport in disordered media such as fractals, porous rocks and random resistor networks. Part I contains material of general interest to statistical physics: fractals, percolation theory, regular random walks and diffusion, continuous time random walks and Levy walks, and flights. Part II covers anomalous diffusion in fractals and disordered media, while Part III serves as an introduction to the kinetics of diffusion-limited reactions. Part IV discusses the problem of diffusion-limited coalescence in one dimension. This book will be of particular interest to researchers requiring a clear introduction to the field. It will also be a valuable source to graduate students studying in areas of physics, chemistry, and engineering.

Customer Reviews:

A fantastic introduction to the field..........2001-06-22

I am a graduate student in statistical physics with a primary interest in diffusion-limited reactions. I have found the above book to be invaluable, so much so that I'm disappointed that I didn't know about it earlier, as I'm sure it would have accelerated my understanding. It is, in my opinion, the best introduction to the field of diffusion-limited reactions that I'm aware of and certainly makes the research literature in this area much more accessible. I have also found the other sections of the book to be particularly illuminating and essential background reading, with Part I covering many of the principles of statistical physics. Each chapter contains a list of exercises to enhance understanding of the material and a list of "Open Challenges" which provoke new avenues of research. I personally think that the book references the research literature extremely well (indeed the authors have themselves made substantial contributions to the field) which makes it easy to pursue further details on areas of interest. I regard the book as essential for anyone wishing to develop an understanding of anomalous diffusion in disordered media and to be particularly accessible to graduate students and young researchers. It has certainly made it easier for me to make the transition from student to researcher in this area of statistical physics.

Estimating the Error of Numerical Solutions of Systems of Reaction-Diffusion Equations (Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society)

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Estimating the Error of Numerical Solutions of Systems of Reaction-Diffusion Equations (Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society)
Donald J. Estep , Mats G. Larson , and Roy D. Williams
Manufacturer: American Mathematical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0821820729

Numerical Solutions of Time-Dependent Advection-Diffusion-Reaction Equations

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Very Disappointing Book

Numerical Solutions of Time-Dependent Advection-Diffusion-Reaction Equations
Willem Hundsdorfer , and Jan G. Verwer
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540034404

Book Description

This book describes numerical methods for partial differential equations (PDEs) coupling advection, diffusion and reaction terms, encompassing methods for hyperbolic, parabolic and stiff and nonstiff ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The emphasis lies on time-dependent transport-chemistry problems, describing e.g. the evolution of concentrations in environmental and biological applications. Along with the common topics of stability and convergence, much attention is paid on how to prevent spurious, negative concentrations and oscillations, both in space and time. Many of the theoretical aspects are illustrated by numerical experiments on models from biology, chemistry and physics. A unified approach is followed by emphasizing the method of lines or semi-discretization. In this regard this book differs substantially from more specialized textbooks which deal exclusively with either PDEs or ODEs. This book treats integration methods suitable for both classes of problems and thus is of interest to PDE researchers unfamiliar with advanced numerical ODE methods, as well as to ODE researchers unaware of the vast amount of interesting results on numerical PDEs.

Customer Reviews:

Very Disappointing Book.......2005-12-03

If you think this book is actually about advection-diffusion-reaction equations, you might want to take a good look at the table of contents. With respect to spatial discretization, there is almost nothing about "reaction" and very little about "diffusion". Besides, most of the material is on classical (linear) methods. For instance, where is WENO? They say much about time integration, splitting, and so forth, but seem to have forgotten that you cannot use that if you don't do a proper spatial discretization.

Global Solutions of Reaction-Diffusion Systems (Lecture Notes in Mathematics)

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Global Solutions of Reaction-Diffusion Systems (Lecture Notes in Mathematics)
Franz Rothe
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

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Information Management System Development for the Investigation, Reporting, and Analysis of Human Error in Naval Aviation Maintenance

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Information Management System Development for the Investigation, Reporting, and Analysis of Human Error in Naval Aviation Maintenance

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423525906

Product Description

This is a NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A362793. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: The purpose of this research is to evaluate and refine a safety information management system that will facilitate data collection, organization, query, analysis and reporting of maintenance errors that contribute to Naval Aviation mishaps, equipment damage and personnel injury using OPNAV 3750.6R, Human Factors Analysis and Classification System Maintenance Extension taxonomy. The target audience for this information management system tool included safety personnel, mishap investigators, Aircraft Mishap Board (AMB) members, and analysts. A review of three areas was needed to refine the prototype tool: (1) the collection, use and management of accident information, (2) human error theories as related to aviation mishaps and (3) the design of an effective mishap database tool. A usability study was conducted using potential end- users. Fifteen Naval Aviation Safety Officers and Naval Aviators were given written procedures to navigate through the prototype and an exit survey. The survey responses, including objective and subjective responses about the prototype were gathered. The results indicate, that with proper training, the prototype could provide insight into maintenance errors, which could be used to target hazards and develop intervention strategies to prevent future mishaps.

Dynamical Systems: Lectures given at the C.I.M.E. Summer School held in Cetraro, Italy, June 19-26, 2000 (Lecture Notes in Mathematics / Fondazione C.I.M.E., Firenze)

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Dynamical Systems: Lectures given at the C.I.M.E. Summer School held in Cetraro, Italy, June 19-26, 2000 (Lecture Notes in Mathematics / Fondazione C.I.M.E., Firenze)
S.-N. Chow , R. Conti , R. Johnson , J. Mallet-Paret , and R. Nussbaum
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3540407863

Book Description

The C.I.M.E. session on Dynamical Systems, held in Cetraro (Italy), June 19-26, 2000, focused on the latest developments in several important areas in dynamical systems, with full development and historical context. The lectures of Chow and Mallet-Paret focus on the area of lattice differential systems, the lectures of Conto and Galleotti treat the classical problem of classification of orbits for two-dimensional autonomous systems with polynomial right sides, the lectures of Nussbaum focus on applications of fixed point theorems to the problem of limiting profiles for the solutions of singular perturbations of delay differential equations, and the lectures of Johnson and Mantellini deal with the existence of periodic and quasi-periodic orbits to non-autonomous systems. The volume will be of interest to researchers and graduate students working in these areas.

Global Solutions of Reaction-Diffusion Systems

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Global Solutions of Reaction-Diffusion Systems

Manufacturer: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 3540133658

Growth and Diffusion Phenomena: Mathematical Frameworks and Applications (Texts in Applied Mathematics)

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Growth and Diffusion Phenomena: Mathematical Frameworks and Applications (Texts in Applied Mathematics)
Robert B. Banks
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Diffusion and growth phenomena abound in the real world surrounding us. Someexamples: growth of the world's population, growth rates of humans, public interest in news events, growth and decline of central city populations, pollution of rivers, adoption of agricultural innovations, and spreading of epidemics and migration of insects. These and numerous other phenomena are illustrations of typical growth and diffusion problems confronted in many branches of the physical, biological and social sciences as well as in various areas of agriculture, business, education, engineering medicine and public health. The book presents a large number of mathematical models to provide frameworks forthe analysis and display of many of these. The models developed and utilizedcommence with relatively simple exponential, logistic and normal distribution functions. Considerable attention is given to time dependent growth coefficients and carrying capacities. The topics of discrete and distributed time delays, spatial-temporal diffusion and diffusion with reaction are examined. Throughout the book there are a great many numerical examples. In addition and most importantly, there are more than 50 in-depth "illustrations" of the application of a particular framework ormodel based on real world problems. These examples provide the reader with an appreciation of the intrinsic nature of the phenomena involved. They address mainly readers from the physical, biological, and social sciences, as the only mathematical background assumed is elementary calculus. Methods are developed as required, and the reader can thus acquire useful tools for planning, analyzing, designing,and evaluating studies of growth transfer and diffusion phenomena. The book draws on the author's own hands-on experience in problems of environmental diffusion and dispersion, as well as in technology transfer and innovation diffusion.

Maintenance Error Information System (MEIMS) Upgrade and Training Evaluation

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Maintenance Error Information System (MEIMS) Upgrade and Training Evaluation

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423531825

Product Description

This is a NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A124783. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: The purpose of this thesis is to study the usability an upgraded Maintenance Error Information Management System (MEIMS) tool used to capture human error in Naval Aviation maintenance mishaps. Built upon the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System-Maintenance Extension taxonomy, the tool provides the framework for examining maintenance errors that lead to mishaps, incidents, and personal injuries. The tool is developed for safety personnel, mishap investigators, Aircraft Mishap Board members, and analysts. In limited usability testing, the tool was found to be useful, but in need of revisions, specifically regarding functionality and user friendliness. Additionally, a tutorial is provided to better prepare targeted users of the tool. The study requires a review of mishap information systems, human error theories related to aviation mishaps, design considerations for human-computer interfaces and usability study applications. A follow-on usability study, conducted using two groups of potential users, one which received the tutorial and one which did not. It includes a survey regarding subjective responses about the prototype tool. The results indicate that the tutorial is effective in preparing and assisting potential users, and that the tool could make a significant impact in the reduction of mishap rates due to maintenance error.

Numerical Bifurcation Analysis for Reaction-Diffusion Equations (Springer Series in Computational Mathematics)

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Numerical Bifurcation Analysis for Reaction-Diffusion Equations (Springer Series in Computational Mathematics)
Zhen Mei
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540672966

Book Description

This book provides the readers numerical tools for a systematic analysis of bifurcation problems in reaction- diffusion equations. Emphasis is put on combination of numerical analysis with bifurcation theory and application to reaction-diffusion equations. Many examples and figures are used to illustrate analysis of bifurcation scenario and implementation of numerical schemes. The reader will have a thorough understanding of numerical bifurcation analysis and the necessary tools for investigating nonlinear phenomena in reaction-diffusion equations.

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Horrible,Horrible,Horrible!

Only for Bret Easton Ellis fans?

Mixed Feelings.

Painful to read (this is a good thing).

Too Loose

My Loose Thread (Cooper, Dennis)
Dennis Cooper
Manufacturer: Canongate U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Period Period

Try Try

Guide (Cooper, Dennis)

The Sluts

Closer: A Novel (Cooper, Dennis)

ASIN: 1841954128

Book Description

Dennis Cooper's latest novel has emerged as his finest, most thought-provoking and challenging piece of writing yet. At the heart of the work is Larry, a teenager who is struggling to understand not only his sexuality and physical feelings toward his younger brother but also the purpose and reason behind his own existence. Larry is offered $500 to kill a fellow pupil and retrieve the boy's notebook. It all seems straightforward enough. However, once Larry ventures into the notebook, complications arise. Captivated by both the beauty of its articulation and the horror of its content, he longs for such an ability to communicate himself. Written in sparse yet concentrated language that surrounds, submerges, and potentially overwhelms the reader, My Loose thread is a claustrophobic, harrowing, and intensely moving piece of fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Horrible,Horrible,Horrible!.......2007-03-19

I have read many books that are intended to shock and disgust it's readers, but this book was a down right mission to read! I have read from Chuck Palnichuk to Kurt Vonegut so I am not easily surprised or turned off by racey content. This has to be one of the worst books I have read in a long time. It is very difficult to follow who is talking and what they are actually talking about! I give it a big thumbs down!!!

Only for Bret Easton Ellis fans?.......2006-07-23

Several years ago, I picked up a few Bret Easton Ellis books and really wanted to like them, but found that they simply weren't my thing. My Loose Thread reminded me strongly of Ellis' work in both style and subject.

The extreme violence may put off some, although I would argue that the imagery is relevant in understanding Larry and the world as he sees it. But it is the chaotic narrative that challenged me. While I suppose it is a device to underscore the confusion and insanity of the main character, we only jump into situations as an observer in Larry's head with the reality or Larry's perceived reality at that moment is what we experience. Larry, as the narrator of the book, never treats the reader as a trusted confidant and doesn't help us pull the pieces together in a way that help really understand who he is and what his motivations are. I believe that is probably intentional, but is a writing style that does not work for me.

Mixed Feelings........2006-03-26

A disturbing read but it was so contradictive to itself. It was hard to follow.

The thing about this book though, it kept my attention the whole way through. Is this because of Mr.Cooper's talented writing skills or just a fluke? None the less it still kept my interest.

Get this if your looking for a short book of mania in each page.

Painful to read (this is a good thing)........2005-07-07

Dennis Cooper, My Loose Thread (Canongate, 2001)

My Loose Thread is above all a difficult book to read. Not just because Cooper is obviously a born-and-bred postmodern writer, but because this is not subject matter that's going to sit well with most folks, and the confusion engendered by both the style and having a narrator who gives new meaning to the word "unreliable" can make this book into something of a chore. However, once you get down to the meat of the novel, it's worth it.

Larry is a teen who is, shall we say, somewhat messed up. He's having problems dealing with confusion. A whole lot of problems, in fact. Not only is he struggling with his emerging homosexuality (he denies, to himself and others, that he's gay, but it's pretty obvious to the reader he's in denial), which comes out in part in a sexual relationship with his younger brother, but also with the death of his friend Rand after the two of them fought. Even though Rand seems to have died of natural causes, Larry can't help but blame himself, for relatively obvious reasons. Thanks (we gather) due to the new mystique surrounding Larry in certain circles as a result of Rand's death, he's been approached by Gilman Crowe, head of the school's Nazi sect, to kill a fellow student and get the kid's notebook. (Whether Larry is then supposed to turn the notebook over to Crowe or destroy it is a piece of the puzzle which shifts throughout the novel.) As the book opens, Larry is doing the deed with the help of his on-again off-again girlfriend Jude and her other lover Pete; Larry comes into possession of the notebook, reads it, and finds his world tilting even further askew. Why this is, we never quite find out, but some conclusions can be drawn by the rest of the novel's events.

The first point of artistry the reader is likely to notice here is that Cooper never actually quotes from the kid's notebook-- it achieves a sort of iconic status as the novel progresses, but the reader can only infer the vaguest details about its contents. It's the literary equivalent of the nameless thing-in-the-trunk in Pulp Fiction; no one knows what it is, but everyone who comes into contact with it is in some way changed. The second point is that despite Larry's inability to be honest with himself (and thus the reader, as the book is told from Larry's POV), we emerge with a relatively complete picture of him. We can never quite be sure what he's doing, but by the end of the book, we have an idea of why he's doing it. The act of getting to know Larry is the reader's basic task with this novel, and rest assured, you'll have to work for it. If you succeed, however, you will definitely feel as if the time you've spent mulling over the events here was well worth it. Definitely not a book for everyone (if gay incestuous themes turn your stomach, for example, you'd do well to stay away), but the balm of Gilead for the few.

Too Loose.......2005-07-04

It is hard to understand the rave reviews from usually reputable sources regarding this book (I use the term loosely). It is almost impossible to follow and frequently contradictory. Did Larry do his little brother or not? Is Cooper sloppy or does he intentionally misspell Dylan Klebold's name? If so, why? Read this only if you like whacked out, deeply disturbed characters who you may or may not be able to understand.

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