Freshwater Marshes: Ecology and Wildlife Management

Average customer rating:

Loads of info poorly organized and not very useful

Wonderful knowledge for the weekend traveler!

Weekend Getaways Around Washington, D.C.: Including Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and North Carolina
Robert Shosteck , and Ken Heland
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1589801792

Customer Reviews:

Loads of info poorly organized and not very useful.......2007-09-04

This book could be 100 times better if there was half of the info and better organization. You buy this book to tell you "what are some good trips around the DC area" but it doesn't tell you that at all. YOU have to figure out where you want to go then this book gives you some basic info about every city or attraction in neighboring states. But I could get all that information from the internet! What I want is information organized by length (short trips, long trips), types of attraction, and "reviews" -- i.e., good or bad. There is almost none of that. It is just a catalog of every city in 7 states that has some tourist activities. No what is good or what is bad. What is good with kids? What about day trips? Or afternoon trips? Or trips with your dog? Nada. Kind of useless book, which is sad because a usefull book that was well organized would be great.

Wonderful knowledge for the weekend traveler!.......2000-08-03

This guide is a great companion for anyone seeking unique and clever discoveries in the mid-atlantic region. The book dives into nature, history, unique facts and unknown charms that most travel guides hardly touch.

Amazon.com

Born during the worst storm ever seen by her small village in India, Parvati is both blessed and cursed with mysterious powers that confound her people. Wild animals flock to her; she is able to charm fish, birds, even deadly cobras. But Parvati's truly exceptional talent is her ability to dance like the Hindu god Shiva himself. At age 6, she hurls herself into a cooking fire and dances safely through the flames, emerging without a single burn. Naturally, these powers scare the other villagers. Only her mother Meenakshi loves and believes in her, protecting her from the their curious and hostile stares. The guru Pillai, a famous Indian dance teacher, hears of Parvati's talent and comes to offer her a position in his dance school, or "gurukulam," in the large city of Madras. Once there, she questions her destiny, or "dharma," as she experiences both a devastating loss and a blossoming romance; "...she thought about the mystery of dharma--how some things were very difficult to accept, while others opened as simply and as naturally as a flower." But through it all, the fire of Shiva burns within her, and Parvati knows that, despite all other callings, she was born to dance.

Suzanne Fisher Staples, renowned author of the award-winning Shabanu and Dangerous Skies, has woven together a magical tapestry of a tale that is a mystical hybrid of history and legend. At a time when teenage girls have more options than ever when choosing their own destinies, Parvati's story will inspire readers to set high goals and settle for nothing less than their true heart's desire. An instant classic. (Ages 12 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Newbery Honor author Suzanne Fisher Staples turns to India for her newest novel, published to starred reviews, about a young girl whose destiny calls her to dance.

Customer Reviews:

Bookmom's Review - Shiva's Fire.......2007-09-26

[Fun: 4/5] [Learning: 5/5] [Suitable: 4/5]

Suzanne Fisher Staples is an excellent resource for books on India and a culture very different from our own Western civilization. Shiva's Fire is another excellent book that this author has written, describing a very talented girl whose gifts are seen rather as curses and oddities by those around her, until her talents are recognized and she trains to be a dancer in the Hindu religion. Part story, part fairy tale, this is an excellent book to discuss with your children, as it introduces some complexities of Hindu religion and talks about Shiva, the god of dance, as well as many pieces of Indian culture that may be unfamiliar to readers. Shiva's Fire does an excellent job of immersing the reader in a very different life, and exposing those of us stuck in our familiar surroundings to the lives of others halfway around the world. As this is a much more lighthearted book than some of her others, I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Audience:
* Middle Readers (Grades 4-7)

Positive Themes:
* Encourages living your dreams
* Reaping the benefits of hard work
* An introduction to Indian culture

Objectionable Content:
* Tragedies in the beginning--a cyclone that kills many, including Parvati's father
* Threat of bandits and outlaws

My Recommendations:
* Though it is a bit darker, I would recommend Shabanu. Also, books by Linda Sue Park, such as A Single Shard, may interest readers with their insights on Korean culture.

Bookmom - Get involved in your child's reading!

Great Book!.......2006-12-04

This book is about a girl called Parvati and she is unusual from her birth. She has the ability to remember everything since her birth, she can talk to animals and most of all she has a very good talent in dancing.

Using her talent in dancing, she changes her very poor family into a rich family with their own stone house, before they were living in a mud hut next to their uncle's house. Parvati's brother also gets married and that is very expensive to organize.

I didn't like the ending because it didn't explain what happens next and some parts were confusing, but other than that the story was very good. The author explains her thinking really well and it I can imagine what a person she is describing looks like. The book also teaches you a little about the Hindu culture and their gods. Over all this is a really good book.

Could have been great..........2005-05-25

Shiva's Fire could have been a compeltely spell-binding and gorgeous story. It could have had me sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what happened next. Indeed, the plot could have been gorgeously crafted.

But for one thing. Ms. Staples writes like a newspaper reporter! Her writing style was so detatched, like she had no connection at all with the characters SHE created. It was fairly gross. It was like she was writing an essay on a devadsi who died millions of years ago who she never met. You know, like she got an assignment: "write a some-odd word essay on someone you admire."

Never once does the reader get a glimpse into Parvati's mind. I mean sure, occassionaly you get a "Parvati thought..." but, without any substance or feeling to the writing, it's hopeless.

And with a plot like this, this could have been a heart-wrenching, exotic tale. It could have made the reader laugh and cry and love along with Parvati. It could have been so many things, but instead it was just another book. Read it once from the library, put it aside, be glad you didn't buy it.

I am so dissapointed. The cover is so exotic, the summary on the first flap is so intriguing. I thought it would kill me when Parvati had to choose between dance and the love of her life, and instead it was just like, "Oh. Whatever." This is not a book to avoid at all costs. It might even be worth one read, although I'm not convinced. Try it, sure, but don't just go ahead and buy it.

Shiva.......2005-04-04

Staples created an unbelievably wonderful novel when she wrote Shiva's Fire. The book is amazing, and gives the reader a sense of confidence that someday Parvati WILL achieve her dream, with all of her family and her friends by her side. This book is recommended for people who dream persistnently and who love to dance

this book is AWESOME.......2005-01-18

I like the storyline of this book very much, but the thing that astounded me the most was the accuracy. I, like Parvati, am Indian, and I take Bharatanatyam classical dance as well. Everything in the book was completely accurate, and my dance teacher read it as well. If you like learning about other cultures, buy this book TODAY.

LOT 4 CHILDREN BOOKS THE WHEEL ON THE SCHOOL, THE SECRET GARDEN, JULIE, SHIVA'S FIRE (HARPER TROPHY)

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LOT 4 CHILDREN BOOKS THE WHEEL ON THE SCHOOL, THE SECRET GARDEN, JULIE, SHIVA'S FIRE (HARPER TROPHY)
VARIOUS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000X1ZIP8

Multiculture Book Set 1: Born Confused, Shiva's Fire

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Multiculture Book Set 1: Born Confused, Shiva's Fire
Tanuja Desai Hidier , and Suzanne Fisher Staples
Manufacturer: Harper Trophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Shiva's Fire
Suzanne Fisher Staples
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Sorrows and joys of the spiritual life

Shiva's Fire (Unabridged)
Suzanne Fisher Staples
Manufacturer: Recorded Books, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Product Description

6 audio cassettes, 7 1/2 hours

Customer Reviews:

Sorrows and joys of the spiritual life.......2007-10-14

Born during the worst storm ever seen by her small village in India, Parvati is both blessed and cursed with mysterious powers that confound her people. Wild animals flock to her; she is able to charm fish, birds, even deadly cobras.

But Parvati's truly exceptional talent is her ability to dance like the Hindu god Shiva himself. At age 6, she hurls herself into a cooking fire and dances safely through the flames, emerging without a single burn. Naturally, these powers scare the other villagers. Only her mother Meenakshi loves and believes in her, protecting her from the their curious and hostile stares.

The guru Pillai, a famous Indian dance teacher, hears of Parvati's talent and comes to offer her a position in his dance school, or "gurukulam," in the large city of Madras. Once there, she questions her destiny, or "dharma," as she experiences both a devastating loss and a blossoming romance; "...she thought about the mystery of dharma--how some things were very difficult to accept, while others opened as simply and as naturally as a flower." But through it all, the fire of Shiva burns within her, and Parvati knows that, despite all other callings, she was born to dance.

Suzanne Fisher Staples, renowned author of the award-winning Shabanu and Dangerous Skies, has woven together a magical tapestry of a tale that is a mystical hybrid of history and legend. At a time when teenage girls have more options than ever when choosing their own destinies, Parvati's story will inspire readers to set high goals and settle for nothing less than their true heart's desire. An instant classic. (Ages 12 and up)

Average customer rating:

Shiva's Fire -- SIGNED Copy
Suzanne Fisher Staples
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus, Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Shiva's Fire [Unabridged] [Audiobook]

Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 078874769X

Shiva's Fire.(Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine

Average customer rating:

Shiva's Fire.(Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine
S.p.b.
Manufacturer: Horn Book, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Horn Book Magazine, published by Horn Book, Inc. on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 426 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Shiva's Fire.(Review)(Young Adult Review)(Brief Article)
Author: S.p.b.
Publication: The Horn Book Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2000
Publisher: Horn Book, Inc.
Volume: 76 Issue: 3 Page: 321

Article Type: Book Review, Young Adult Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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SHIVA'S FIRE
FISHER STAPLES SUZANNE
Manufacturer: HARPER TROPHY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Shiva's Fire -- SIGNED Copy
Suzanne Fisher Staples
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus, Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

This book explores the fascinating subject of motor development from birth through adulthood. The most comprehensive and up-to-date, scientifically based book available, Lifelong Motor Development, Third Edition, reviews the latest theory and research to help readers understand physical growth and motor development across the lifespan. The nature/nurture theme pervades, stimulating critical thinking and giving an exciting perspective from which to consider the biological and environmental influences on the various aspects of motor development. Highlights the latest findings in early brain development research and the importance of that research on motor behavior and application of knowledge. New research includes studies on perception, dynamical systems, infant (motor) memory, psychomotor slowing, and physical fitness. For anyone interested in physical education, kinesiology, exercise science, and human performance.

Chapters from Lifelong Motor development and Understanding Motor Development

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Chapters from Lifelong Motor development and Understanding Motor Development

Manufacturer: Times Mirror Higher Education Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0697353958

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Lifelong Motor Development Im
Gabbard
Manufacturer: William C. Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0697126293

Average customer rating:

Lifelong Motor Development, 3rd
Carl; Gabbard, Carl P. Gabbard
Manufacturer: Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OOSZZE

Average customer rating:

Great overall Math History Lesson for Dummies

A Luminous Book

Observation: error in first paragraph of Introduction (hardcover edition)

Not Bad But Not What I Had Hoped

A Great Read, and New Insights, Too

Euclid's Window : The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace
Leonard Mlodinow
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0684865246

Amazon.com

"How do you know where you are?" asks Leonard Mlodinow in his charming mathematical history, Euclid's Window. This question and others about space and time grew out of simple observations of the environment by a select group of thinkers whose lives and brains Mlodinow dissects. Starting with Euclid, geometry has flowed out over the centuries, describing the universe, and, Mlodinow argues, making modern civilization possible.

This is not just a history of geometry--it's a timeline of reason and abstraction, with all the major players present: Euclid, Descartes, Gauss, Einstein, and Witten, each represented by a minibiography.

Lots of examples pepper the narrative to help readers achieve their own "eureka!" And it's impossible not to be staggered at the mathematical feats of these geniuses, accomplished as many of them were in the absence of anything but observation and intense thought. Each story builds satisfactorily on the last, until at the end of this delightful book, one has a sense of having climbed a peak of understanding.

A working knowledge of basic geometry is helpful but not essential for enjoying Euclid's Window, and Mlodinow's chatty style lends itself remarkably well to explaining these deep and revolutionary concepts. --Adam Fisher

Book Description

Through Euclid's Window Leonard Mlodinow brilliantly and delightfully leads us on a journey through five revolutions in geometry, from the Greek concept of parallel lines to the latest notions of hyperspace. Here is an altogether new, refreshing, alternative history of math revealing how simple questions anyone might ask about space -- in the living room or in some other galaxy -- have been the hidden engine of the highest achievements in science and technology.

Based on Mlodinow's extensive historical research; his studies alongside colleagues such as Richard Feynman and Kip Thorne; and interviews with leading physicists and mathematicians such as Murray Gell-Mann, Edward Witten, and Brian Greene, Euclid's Window is an extraordinary blend of rigorous, authoritative investigation and accessible, good-humored storytelling that makes a stunningly original argument asserting the primacy of geometry. For those who have looked through Euclid's Window, no space, no thing, and no time will ever be quite the same.

Customer Reviews:

Great overall Math History Lesson for Dummies.......2006-09-30

This book is well-written, easy to follow for the most part. I really enjoyed the history of the math greats and the tidbits surrounding their lives. The Alexandria information was the most interesting to me. Miodinow was aiming for the middle-of-the-road math meddler and hit the target. It inspired me (and challenged me) to search deeper into math literature - and my journey continues...

A Luminous Book.......2006-06-03

This luminous book offers the rare combination of serious scientific contemplation and reader-friendly accessibility.

Starting with the mathematicians and geometers of antiquity, Mlodinow traces the progress of rational thought -- and irrational numbers -- from before Euclid's elucidation of the Elements of geometry to the possibilities which still wait for us to reveal them -- from "A point is that which has no part" straight up to the equally puzzling notion that space and time may only be shadowy hints of some more fully flowering, if abstract, function of mathematics on another plane of reality. Sound like science fiction? Rest assured that Mlodinow has both feet planted square on terra firma. The paradoxes and upsets of his discipline are not lost on the author -- nor, indeed, are the ironies and jokes of history (say what you like about death, but it was the decidedly un-mystical necessity of taxation which launched geometry as a scholarly pursuit in ancient Egypt) -- but the author reminds his reader at various points of the dangers of assuming too readily that any given idea is worthless, too far-out, or obviously and intuitively wrong. Intuition, as it turns out, resists and rebels against much of what has become higher learning in the fields of mathematics and physics.

Mlodinow's dedication to the subject matter at hand matches in beautiful, if heartbreaking, counterpoint to the obscurity in which many of the scholars he discusses labored. Drawing not only on the work of famous theoreticians like Einstein and Hawking, but also on essays and ideas buried in forgotten papers and musty appendices, the author gives full credit wherever it may be due. In the process, whether by design or accident, Mlodinow imparts an even more valuable lesson: the ease with which scientific knowledge can be lost, sometimes for millennia. If Artistotle knew, nearly 2,500 years ago, that the planet must be round, why do we still hear that Columbus' sailors were terrified of sailing off the edge of a flat Earth? (This story in itself is almost certainly apocryphal.) If primitive versions of the Theory of Evolution were kicking around in ancient Greece, how is it we still face voids of serious scientific credibility in modern-day Kansas? Regrettably, superstition, fear, politics, and the manipulation of knowledge -- who gets it and who pays the price for seeking too much of it -- is also part of the history of geometry, as it is part of the history of science in general.

Your reviewer himself studied a fair amount of the history of mathematics and physics in the Western World (starting, in fact, with Euclid, and progressing then through Ptolemy, Apollonius, Descartes, Newton, et al, right up through Einstein and Minkowski) and found certain parts of the curriculum cheerless, if not downright appalling. What a relief and a joy, then, to find Euclid's Window not only concise and readily understandable, but effervescent as well. Author Mlodinow clearly enjoys the subject matter and -- more importantly -- enjoys imparting it to others. As a writer and a teacher, Mlodinow demonstrates that he is gifted and enthusiastic.

Observation: error in first paragraph of Introduction (hardcover edition).......2006-04-17

"That the mast and sails vanish first, Aristole saw in a flash of genius, is a sign that the earth is curved."

Surprising that this got by the author and proof readers and wonder what other subtle "mix ups" are between the covers.

Not Bad But Not What I Had Hoped.......2005-12-21

I found that the author had no problem explaining basic ideas about reletivity and other areas of physics, but did not go into an detail about how it related to geometry. I was hoping that it would considering the title of the book. So for anyone thinking about purchasing this book, if you have never heard of reletivity and string theory, this book is for you. If you have even seen a TV show on PBS about these topics, then don't waist your time in reading this book.

A Great Read, and New Insights, Too.......2005-01-29

Although the title of this book made it seem like just another math book, I noticed, skimming the intorduction and back cover, that it is really also about both math and physics, the story of the development of geometry and how geometry is used in modern physics. That intrigued me, so I bought the book. I wasn't disappointed! I have to say that I start to read many popular math and physics books but often do not finish them. They end up getting bogged down in detail, or are just too dry, or seem as if they are written by some stuffy or priggish academic, and I lose interest. But Mlodinow manages to explain some rather difficult mathematical concepts clearly, and in an entertaining way employing humor and a very accessible writing style, making this one of the few books on this subject that, after you put it down, you actually look forward to getting back to! Mlodinow has a real knack for story-telling - the book pulls you along from concept to concept in a way that few popular accounts of science or math ever do. If only I had read this years ago, before taking high school geometry, I might have actually developed some interest for the subject! As for the physics, I now feel I understand much more of what they are talking about when I read about modern physics in magazines or the newspaper - or in other books. I highly recommend this great book!

Book Description

When Céleste Mogador's memoirs were first published in 1854 and again in 1858, they were immediately seized and condemned as immoral and unsuitable for public consumption. For a reader in our more forgiving times, this extraordinary document offers not only a portrait of the early life of an intelligent, courageous, and infinitely intriguing Frenchwoman but also an exceedingly rare inside look at the world of the courtesans and prostitutes of nineteenth-century France.

Writing to conciliate judges and creditors, Mogador (born Céleste Venard in 1824) explains how with tenacity, wit, and audacity, she managed to escape a difficult childhood and subsequent life of prostitution to become, successively, a darling of the dance halls, a circus rider, and an actress, all the while attracting wealthy young men who vied for her favor. Although her account gives readers a peek into the rakish demimonde made famous by Verdi's opera La Traviata, its greatest value lies in its candid picture of a spunky, self-educated woman who doggedly transformed herself into an esteemed and prolific novelist and playwright, who fell in love with a count and married him, and who made her name synonymous with the bohemian life of the 1840s and 1850s in Paris.

Customer Reviews:

The book is good, but..........2004-07-17

If you are searching for an inside look into the world of courtesans, you will be disappointed. A courtesan is a high priced prostitute, but I am still waiting for any mention of any sex act. The title implies that these are memoirs of her experiences as a courtesan, not her life outside of her chosen profession.

The story is pretty good in itself, but it doesn't get into depth on the professions of these women at all. Instead, this woman talks about growing up and meeting people. There's really nothing indicating she's a courtesan beside the fact that she just says so.

It is beyond me why this book was condemned because of "immoral and unsuitable for public consumption". I am still waiting for anything remotely showing that such a phrase fits at all. She seems more like a courtesan wannabe than a real one.

Memoirs of a Courtesan in Nineteenth-Century Paris. (Books).(Brief Article): An article from: The Antioch Review

Average customer rating:

Memoirs of a Courtesan in Nineteenth-Century Paris. (Books).(Brief Article): An article from: The Antioch Review
Katherine Gantz
Manufacturer: Antioch Review, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Antioch Review, published by Antioch Review, Inc. on March 22, 2002. The length of the article is 320 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Memoirs of a Courtesan in Nineteenth-Century Paris. (Books).(Brief Article)
Author: Katherine Gantz
Publication: The Antioch Review (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2002
Publisher: Antioch Review, Inc.
Volume: 60 Issue: 2 Page: 344(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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