Book Description
The First Scientist is the first full-length biography in 50 years of the medieval monk who brought science out of the Dark Ages. Legend transformed the thirteenth-century English friar Roger Bacon into the Faustlike sorcerer "Doctor Mirabilis," but today he is recognized as science's first pioneer in Europe. Science writer Brian Clegg bypasses the vicissitudes of Bacon's reputation, which range from miracle-worker to charlatan, and places the true individual in the often contentious intellectual atmosphere of the late medieval era. In this vivid biography, he portrays Bacon as not only a lucid observer of nature, rigorous experimenter, and gifted mathematician, but also an original theologian and philosopher—a man who, like Galileo, would suffer imprisonment in his quest for the true nature of the world. Clegg traces Bacon's career from his popularity as a teacher at Oxford and Paris, through his innovations in calendar reform, optics, a flying machine (over 200 years before Leonardo da Vinci's), and, most famously, development of the principle of inductive experimental science. Clegg narrates how Bacon, once censored by his order, briefly wrote on experimental science and natural philosophy under Pope Clement IV's patronage, but then was imprisoned as a margician by the church after Clement's death. Clegg also unravels the controversy over the "Voynich" cypher manuscript—which some claimed Bacon wrote in code to detail his experiments with microscopes and astronomy—and the subsequent backlash against Bacon's reputation as a scientist ahead of his time.
Customer Reviews:
Connecting The Dots.......2007-07-01
So little is known about the real life of Friar Bacon that the author is obliged to make up many details of his life, based on speculation and inference. The stories feel like they could be credible, but one is reminded that the subtitle of this book is "A Life of Roger Bacon" not "THE Life of Roger Bacon."
In order to fill out a scanty bushel of facts the author delves into Medieval politics, alchemy, early church struggles et cetera, giving the reader a fairly good grounding in the times of Roger Bacon. Nevertheless, I think it would have been very possible to delve deeper into Bacon's five known works to dissect where he anticipated Renaissance science, where he hewed to Bible-based orthodoxy, and where he went off on flights of fancy. The analysis of his works -- which ARE known -- is a bit light in the loafers.
Yes and No........2006-03-01
I really wanted to like this book: Mr. Clegg obviously has a deep respect for his subject and is eager to share it with the reader. Unfortunately, a combination of sometimes sloppy writing skills and a dearth of information add up to a mostly mediocre biography. When I say information is scarce, I mean it: very, very little is known about the specifics of Bacon's life; the vast majority of this book is conjecture. We know Bacon went from A to B to A to C, and that's more or less it--Clegg sees fit to fill in the details again and again. This would be okay if it weren't pure guesswork most of the time. On top of this, particularly toward the end, the writing style becomes strained and stretched out like a college term-paper. It's as if the author is grabbing at straws to convince you that Bacon was indeed the first scientist. It's a shame that these problems overshadow what is otherwise a very interesting book on a very interesting subject from a very interesting time period. I hope one day we'll see a major biography of this strange, precocious man with the proper research to back it up. Until then, The First Scientist will do, if you keep in mind its flaws.
Although I really do love the book design.
The First Scientist-A Life of Roger Bacon by Brian Clegg.......2003-09-26
This is an excellent work for historians and science buffs.
It describes a friar who lived in the 13th century. Roger Bacon
predicted horseless carriages and telescopes. He is one of the
first scientists to link science with the experimental method.
Early in life, he studied astronomy, grammar, mathematics,
music, logic and rhetoric. He presented a fairly detailed
earth map. The work describes his incarceration for teachings
contrary to the orthodoxy of the day. This work would make
a perfect class project for students in grammar or high school.
Amazing introduction to an amazing man.......2003-04-22
The great thing about this book is it's not over-academic like practically everything else I've seen about Bacon, but rather gives a real insight into the man and his times. If you are at all interested in science, where it comes from and the people who made it happen this book should be on your have-to-buy list!
A good introduction.......2003-04-07
I found Brian Clegg's biography of Roger Bacon to be a good introduction for anyone wishing to understand the great man's life and work, and the times in which he lived. However, this book seemed to me to be too focused on Bacon as a precursor of the Scientific Revolution, and at times I would question the depth (although not necessarilly the breadth) of Clegg's understanding of ancient and medieval science. Whilst the author has obviously done a lot of research, and his admiration for his subject shines through at every page, this is not a truly scholarly life of Bacon that would be of great use to academics. But, having said this, I would still recommend this book for anyone coming at Bacon for the first time.
Amazon.com
When your marriage fails and life in England gives no solace, the solution, thought Peter Nichols, is to take his beloved boat Toad and sail across the Atlantic to Maine. Nichols, who has spent years sailing small boats but who is far from a wealthy yachtsman, had lovingly restored his 27-foot boat with his former wife. At sea, he reflects upon the busted marriage and upon the odd turns his life has taken. He also engages in some fascinating thoughts detailing the rigors of sailing single-handedly across an ocean. This book is very well written, and as Nichols slowly realizes that Toad has a flaw below the waterline making her less than seaworthy, it turns into a poignant battle for survival on the open ocean.
Book Description
Many people go to the sea in boats, but few of them write as movingly about the experience as Peter Nichols does in this enthralling meditation on the wonders of sailing, the mystery of the sea, and the ebbs and flows of love. With only a sextant, his own instincts as a seasoned sailor, and a boat full of memories of his foundering marriage, Nichols sets out alone from England for Maine, where he plans to sell his beloved twenty-seven-foot sailboat, Toad. Combining the adventure of Into Thin Air, the nautical lore of The Perfect Storm, and the spiritual self-discovery of The Snow Leopard, this thrilling adventure is a classic tale of a man struggling to come to terms with his reckless spirit, his highest hopes, and his broken dreams.
Customer Reviews:
A book about love.......2005-08-10
Peter writes about his love for boats that he developed early in life from his teacher Mr. Earl; his love for his wife J; for Toad, his little wooden boat that he rebuilt and sailed for so many miles, often alone; his love for the sea; the Hiscocks; even for the Captain that rescues him (without telling the end of the story). His is a very entertaining and inspiring story, which also teaches a whole lot about sailing offshore. This is a true story with all the elements of an intense life, as real as it gets. I definitively recommend reading this book. At one point Peter is thousands of miles offshore, alone in his small boat, and taking on water at an increasing rate. Hard to put down.
Excellent Read.......2004-11-23
A story that weaves the threads of life is found in this book. I first read it when it came out, and recently re-read it. I found it more enjoyable the second-time around. The stories within the story are filled with great tales, danger, introspection, teak, and global adventures. The reward of getting through this book will stay with you long after it has been put away. It is true that this is a story of sailing, but it is really so much more. It contains much more than other books in the same genre.
A good sailing or break-up book.......2003-06-25
Peter Nichols book interweaves two stories quite well- his emotions as his marriage declines, and the story of trying to get a wooden boat across the Atlantic. Both stories are told in a very honest manner, reminding the reader that even the best sailors and partners can hit troubled waters. The sailing lore is impressive, and will give a day-sailor a new respect for long distance sailing.
Moving, Accomplished.......2002-08-01
As a memoir of love and loss, Peter Nichols' book is as moving and accomplished as any I've read, including such recognized classics as Siegfried Sassoon's "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer." I highly recommend it for the sailor and landlubber alike.
Good but not great........2001-09-29
Nice book about crossing the Atlantic mixxed with reflections on the writer's failed marriage. Nothing new or real exciting about the book. I thought his reflections on his marriage over indulgent and sometimes boring. I kept wanting to tell him to get a girlfriend so that he could forget his depressing wife.
The sailing part is fun but there are much better naratives.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2007-07-19
I learned a lot from reading this book and enjoyed every minute. I particularly appreciated the author's take on other sailing books and his inclusion of a bibliography. His understated writing style was a pleasure.
Book Description
"Jeremy M. Devine shows off an encyclopedic knowledge of Vietnam War films in [this book]. The author, a motion picture industry executive, fills this excellent book with detailed summaries of Vietnam films, from the obscure to the best known.
"Devine tells his tale chronologically. In addition to his detailed plot summaries, he offers brief analyses, focusing on how the various films relate to historical events at the time they were released. He also connects these events to issues such as the draft, the antiwar movement, POWs, and veterans' readjustment problems. The two appendices, which list Vietnam films alphabetically and chronologically, are valuable resources.... [A] wide-ranging, inclusive, and insightful book."
—
VVA Veteran
Originally issued in hardcover in 1995 by McFarland and Company, Inc., this book is now available in paperback for a wider public and classroom audience.
Customer Reviews:
Very informative, Devine demostrates superior knowledge........1999-08-14
Upon reading this book for a class assignment, I was not very interested in the topic. However, after reading this informative masterpiece my interest in the vietnam era grew. I found this book to be very well written, and it fully shows the diversity in films made about the war.
if you want the complete history this has it all outstanding.......1999-08-14
A complete guide to an era of turmoil. Nobody realized the amount written on this subject. This book brings it all together and discusses the individual movies.
OUTSTANDING DETAIL AND COMPLETE HISTORY.......1999-07-13
A COMPLETE BOOK, giving full detail of the most popular films produced on the vietnam era. It also gives great detail on films almost forgotten or even unheard of. This is an important book in our history, it points out facts that might be missed otherwise.
Book Description
This six-volume discography lists full available details (dates, titles, personnel) on all recording sessions made between 1934 and 1973 by the Decca label, as well as its subsidiary labels, Brunswick, Coral, and Vocalion. Material from other sources (Brunswick recordings of the 1920s and the Signature label, for example) reissued by Decca are covered. Included in the discography are details on most of the big bands of the pre-war era (Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Jimmy Lunceford, Chick Webb) as well as such jazz stars as Louis Armstrong and Art Tatum and such singers as Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. In addition, Guy Lombardo's dance band, great pop stars like Bing Crosby and Judy Garland, and legendary vocal groups like the Andrews Sisters and the Mills Brothers are covered. Country hit makers such as Jimmy Davis and the Sons of the Pioneers are detailed as well. Each volume contains an index of artists, with the last volume providing numerical listings of issued recordings, including sections on 78/45 rpm singles, 45 rpm extended plays, 33 rpm albums, and compact discs. This Decca set is essential to all collectors and music libraries concentrating on the era, the key artists, and groups of the period.
Average customer rating:
- Great help for a great game
- A Must Have
|
Gabriel Knight 3: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
Rick Barba
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Strategy Guides
| Games & Strategy Guides
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Video Games
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Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned
ASIN: 076151578X
Release Date: 1999-10-27 |
Book Description
Full walkthrough of all three days
Itemized point list for a perfect score
Complete breakdown of every time block
Quick walkthough for a fast solution path
Foreward by game creator Jane Jensen
Customer Reviews:
Great help for a great game.......2001-01-21
This book is very useful for those stuck in a section of the game and those who don't want to miss any of the optional scenes. It provides the typical adventure game help: point list, actions required/possible in each section, and a more verbose walkthrough. The one thing you won't get out of this guide is more insight into the story. For example, if any part of the final cutscene was unclear to you, don't expect the book to illuminate you. Overall, though, this guide will be helpful for most gamers, and I recommend it.
A Must Have.......2000-04-04
If you have a hard time getting through RPGs, this is a must have. It gives a lot of ideas and suggestions on different things to do, but doesn't give away everything. I would never have been able to get through this game without the help of this book.
Book Description
A complete guide to understanding and setting up an accounting system for any small business. Explains the details of balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and much more. Complete with many accounting forms.
Customer Reviews:
Great resource for small business owners. One of the best!.......2006-12-12
This book is a great accounting resource for anyone who owns a small business. It is well-organized and covers the basics in an easy to understand way.
The book contains useful checklists, forms that you can adapt for your business and avoids the use of a lot of jargon. If you are a no nonsense small business person, you will will find this an invaluable resource.
Highly recommended for small business owners everywhere........2006-12-09
Now in a newly updated fourth edition, Small Business Accounting Simplified: Everything Necessary to Skillfully Manage Your Business Finances is an easy-to-use guide to the nuts and bolts of small business finance. Written by attorney-at-law Daniel Sitarz in a plain-terms style immediately accessible to lay readers, Small Business Accounting Simplified covers how to track business assets, expenses, income, and payroll, keep a chart of accounts, prepare a profit and loss statement, set up a practical recordkeeping schedule, and much more. Numerous full-page sample forms, including business tax forms, round out this invaluable and handy guide, highly recommended for small business owners everywhere.
Not Even One Star.......2005-01-09
What a waste!
The title of this book should not be allowed to use the term "accounting." There are a plethora of very inexpensive computerized accounting systems for small businesses. I purchased Simply Accounting from Best Software and was looking for a text to supplement my knowledge to assist me in implementing the system. This mechanized accounting system from Best works beautifully and then I discover this accounting book uses "single-entry accounting" which in my opinion doesn't even exist except in the author's mind or can't be defined that I am aware of. This book comprises a system of manual forms to manage your business and as I said before, should not be able to use accounting in its title. At least label it something like "Use Manual Forms to Manage Your Business."
Reviewer: Daniel C OConnor Reviewed wrong book.......2004-04-20
The reviewer was refering to Small Business Bookkeeping System Simplified, Not the Small Business Accounting Simplified. This book is not "Just a workbook". The other book is simply a workbook.
Packed from cover to cover with sage advice.......2002-10-08
Small Business Accounting Simplified by experienced business attorney Daniel Sitarz is a "must" for the non-specialist general reader determined to be their own boss, yet unfamiliar with how to be their own accountant. Packed from cover to cover with sage advice, clear instructions, helpful checklists, as well as "user friendly" forms ranging from ledger sheets and expense records, to profit/loss statements, inventory record keeping and tax preparation records, that can be readily photocopied for everything from invoices to balance sheets, payroll records, inventory records and much more, Small Business Accounting Simplified is an absolutely indispensable, accessible instructional reference to understanding and managing a small business accounting system.
Book Description
A complete payroll workbook that contains everything for small business payroll records for up to 20 employees for an entire fiscal year.
Customer Reviews:
Review for Accounting Made Simple.......2005-09-23
I bought this book to help with an Accounting class that I was taking online. I have never had Accounting, so I bought this book to help me with the basics. It was a good addition to the school book that was sent to me for the course.
Good simple real life example.......1999-05-28
It is a good book for beginner as well as people who have some accounting background. The book provides simple real life example that is easy to understand.
Average customer rating:
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Auditing Made Simple (Made Simple Books)
K.M. Glaser
Manufacturer: Made Simple
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Business & Investing
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Management
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ASIN: 0750608633 |
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Basic Computing with Windows XP: Learning Made Simple
P K McBride
Manufacturer: Butterworth-Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Windows NT Server
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Windows - General
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Windows XP
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General
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General
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Information Systems
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General
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General
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All Amazon Upgrade
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ASIN: 0750681845 |
Book Description
*First class handbooks for first-class learning
*Learning Made Simple, a colourful approach to support self-study and training courses alike
*Written by experienced trainers for inexperienced learners to succeed, matched to main qualifications
Learning Made Simple books give you skills without frills. They are matched to the main qualifications, and written by experienced teachers and authors to make often tricky subjects simple to learn. Every book is designed carefully to provide bite-sized lessons matched to your needs.
Using full colour throughout, and written by leading teachers and writers, Learning Made Simple books will help you learn new skills and develop your talents.
Whether you are studying at college, training at work, or reading at home, aiming for a qualification or simply getting up to speed, Learning Made Simple books will give you the advantage of easy, well-organised training materials in a handy volume you can refer to again and again.
*Full colour throughout with double or four-page sections for each topic
*Learning Made Simple, a colourful approach to support self-study and training courses alike
*Written by experienced trainers for inexperienced learners to succeed, matched to main qualifications
Average customer rating:
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Accounting (Made Simple)
Margaret Weaver
Manufacturer: Heinemann Educational Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Business & Investing
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Accounting
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
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| Auditing
| Bookkeeping
| Financial
| General
| Governmental
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| Taxes
ASIN: 0750632607 |
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Book Keeping Made Simple (Made Simple Books)
Geoffrey Whitehead
Manufacturer: Made Simple Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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Management
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Bookkeeping
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Case Studies
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ASIN: 0750636513 |
Books:
- The Flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie
- The Last Knight : The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era
- The Making of King James II: The Formative Years of a Fallen King. (Reviews of Books).: An article from: Albion
- The Queen of Whale Cay: The Eccentric Story of 'Joe' Carstairs, Fastest Woman on Water
- The Road from Versailles: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the Fall of the French Monarchy
- The Rockefeller Women: Dynasty of Piety, Privacy, and Service
- The Roosevelts and the Royals: Franklin and Eleanor, the King and Queen of England, and the Friendship that Changed History
- The Sisters of Henry VIII: The Tumultuous Lives of Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France
- The Uncrowned Emperor: The Life and Times of Otto von Habsburg
- Theodora: Empress of Byzantium
Books Index
Books Home
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Francis Bacon: The Major Works (Oxford World's Classics)
Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World
The Voynich Manuscript: The Mysterious Code That Has Defied Interpretation for Centuries
Francis Bacon: The New Organon (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy)
