Young Elizabeth: The First Twenty-Five Years

Book Description

Elizabeth I is perhaps England's most famous monarch. Born in 1533, the product of the doomed marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was heir to her father's title, then disinherited and finally imprisoned by her half-sister Mary. But in 1558, on Mary's death, she ascended the throne and reigned for 45 years. Respected by her subjects and idolized by subsequent generations, Gloriana was fiercely devoted to her country and its people. In this first volume of her Elizabethan quartet, Alison Plowden charts the history of Elizabeth's first 25 years, telling the tale of Elizabeth's difficult childhood and her alternate status as princess and bastard, culminating in her coronation and the beginning of the legend.

Customer Reviews:

Detailed look at the early life of this intriguing woman.......2002-08-16

Elizabeth I is one the most famous woman in history, and yet history books concentrate on the accomplishments of her reign without paying much attention to the woman behind them. This book is a wonderful introduction to Elizabeth the woman- well researched and detailed, it is never-the-less an enjoyable read for the non-historian. By reviewing the early incidents which shaped Elizabeth and her view of the world, Plowden lays the groundwork for explaining her actions thoughout her long reign. I haven't read the rest of the series yet, but I am looking forward to doing so in the near future.

confusing beginning, but still a brilliant success.......2002-06-26

Books should be judged on whether they achieve their purpose. Plowden's purpose in this book appears to be the creation of a scholarly, yet readable biography of Elizabeth I's pre-queen years. This she does with consummate skill. The writing is superb, and the scholarship seems excellent. Plowden selects details calculated to wet the reader's curiosity and to draw a thorough picture of her subject. She has definite opinions, but she does not do all her readers' thinking for them.

I found this book and the rest in Plowden's Elizabeth quartet very appealing. Based on these books, I've been collecting biographies on all sorts of other tantalizing personalities that the writer mentions in passing.

Note: I am an English masters student, not a historian. I am therefore better qualified to judge the quality of the writing than the quality of the research.

One criticism: The book begins with a very swift overview of the complex circumstances leading to Elizabeth's birth. The part pertaining to Henry VIII is easily digestible, but the earlier section involving Henry VII, Katherine of Valois, Owen Tudor, and the War of the Roses proceeds at baffling speed. If you are not already familiar with this convoluted period of English history, the multitude of characters entering and exiting the stage may overwhelm you. My advice: hang in there; it gets better.

Simply Excellent!.......1999-07-07

I think this excellently written book gives a historically accurate insite of the early life of Elizabeth I. I would recomend this book to anyone who is interested in Elizabeth I and Tudor history. :)

Book Description

Nathaniel G. Herreshoff is credited with the introduction of more new devices in the design of boats than any other man, and this is his exciting story.

Customer Reviews:

Yacht Design in late 1800's to early 1900's.......2007-02-13

This book is a reprint of the classic 1953 edition. It reads as though it was written some years before that.

Capt. Nat was one of the preeminent yacht designers from the late 1800's to about 1920. He and his shipyard built a lot of the more famous racing yachts of the time. This included some that he designed for the successful defense of the America's Cup.

Part of the interest in this book is that these boats were being designed at a time long before computers came on the scene. Capt. Nat first made a small sketch of the boat. Then he built a half hull model. He had a machine of his own design that would then trace along the model at prescribed intervals and draw the lines of the boat.

Of coure, in these days, all the boats were wooden or steel. The exotic material of todays boats had not been invented.

This is interesting reading from a time long past.

Average customer rating:
The Unofficial Story of the Making of a Wiseguy
Edward Gross
Manufacturer: Pioneer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1556982569

Amazon.com

Simply put, AI for Games and Animation: A Cognitive Modeling Approach shows how video game characters can be taught to "think" for themselves. This groundbreaking title points the way for the future of intelligent gaming. While this book features formal mathematical proofs of its arguments, it also provides a worthwhile overview of how today's video game characters are currently programmed, as well as future possibilities for making them "smarter" (and more realistic) through techniques borrowed from AI and robotics. At this level, the text shows off the possibility of adding cognitive models (expressed in the author's own Cognitive Modeling Language, CML) to the games of the near future.

While today's games feature behavior models and incorporate the rules of physics to create realistic scenes, this book makes a strong case that by adding intelligence to characters, game realism can be enhanced further while actually simplifying development. Though this book is certainly worthy as an academic treatise on the subject, the author keeps an eye on real-world programming issues. For instance, he suggests that adding AI to game characters will coexist with current programming techniques. He is also careful to pay attention to the limits of CPU and graphics processing power when suggesting new algorithms.

The most abstract sections here show off the mathematical techniques (and modeling language) for adding knowledge representation, sensing, and learning to characters. Later sections offering two simulated worlds (featuring T-Rexes and raptors, for example) show off the author's argument to good advantage.

Though it requires a background in math to appreciate fully, AI for Games and Animation can be read profitably by anyone interested in the future of gaming. It is only a matter of time before games adopt some of the techniques presented here, and serious game developers will get a head start with this intriguing and groundbreaking book. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Cognitive modeling for games and simulations, geometric and behavior models, domain knowledge, sensing, interval arithmetic basics, creating nondeterministic behavior, Cognitive Modeling Language (CML), and sample model worlds.

Customer Reviews:

Good ideas, but not fleshed out enough.......2003-12-20

The idea of creating an autonomous virtual creature with behaviors that dynamically change in response to alterations in the virtual environment is intriguing. With a set of many different creatures available, one could add as many of each type as necessary and have a game or simulation with an enormous number of possible outcomes. This idea is consistent with the object-oriented approach to programming, where complex blocks of code are called components. In the ideal scenario, to build a program from components, you would select the ones that you need and then specify how many of each type and how they are to interact.
Funge puts forward the principles of a high-level language that can be used to abstractly define the behaviors of virtual characters. Unfortunately, he does not describe enough of the language to be completely convincing that his approach has been effectively implemented. Even insects demonstrate behavior that appears complex, and his examples are those of a Tyrannosaurus Rex trying to herd a small set of Velociraptors and a set of merpeople trying to avoid a predatory shark. Both examples include fixed obstacles and to be interesting, the creatures must exhibit behaviors that surprise human observers as well as their virtual opponents.
The treatment of artificial intelligence (AI) is also too light to completely prepare the way for the case studies. For example, the title of chapter 6 is "Learning", where the topic is ways in which a machine (virtual creature) can learn. However, it is only fourteen pages long, which is hardly enough paper and ink to even scratch the surface of this complex topic.
This is not to say that there is a lack of good ideas in the book, in fact there are many. My criticism is that they are not expanded out to the point where someone who reads only this book will be able to act on them. Intelligence is a complex topic, and making it artificially has proven to be very hard. Therefore, none of the ideas put forward in this book are adequately covered.

Nothing new about AI.......2001-07-24

When you are reading this book you fell like a man telling you things that you already know, nothing new. If you dont know nothing about AI maybe will help you.There is not algorithms on it, only obvious info. If you want to learn real AI buy "Artificial Inteligence" by Rich

An invaluable contribution to CGI animation.......2001-01-10

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) has transformed the art of animation. Computer-generated characters are now an everyday part of contemporary culture from advertising to video games, from movies to the Internet. Artificial intelligences gives computer-generated characters the ability to react to their environment in logical ways. In most cases, a character is programmed to present a specific set of behaviors that allow it to interact with other characters or game players. But this approach also results in severe limitations on responses to a characters world and its behavior becomes too easily predictable.

In AI For Games And Animation: A Cognitive Modeling Approach, John Funge introduces a new approach for creating autonomous characters. Cognitive modeling provides computer-animated characters with logic, reasoning, and planning skills. Using this technique, an animator or programmer need only specify a behavior outline and, through reasoning, the character will automatically work out a detailed sequence of actions. AI For Games And Animation is an invaluable contribution to personal and professional CGI animation reference libraries.

Not really useful for game programmers.......2000-09-06

The title of this book is its biggest flaw because it appears to cater to game programmers but the techniques described within it are not that useful. It appears that the book is marketed to the game programming community due to its immense size. Anybody interested it this book would be well advised to purchase the siggraph proceedings that it comes from because not only will you learn what this book is about, you will also have a large resource of other techniques that can be used for graphics and animation.

Yes, John's technique is interesting and different ... however he does not have a gaming background, has never worked on games, and it is obvious that this book is simply an extension of a research paper. You can find better resources for both AI and game programming elsewhere.

One of its kind - look into the future of games.......2000-07-12

This book covers the fundamentals of AI techniques used in building intelligent characters. Not a step by step cook book, but gives a solid overview of various AI methods for behavior modeling and proposes a novel and totally compelling approach (cognitive modeling) to creating a new breed of characters - characters that are able to think for themselves! Definitly a good addition to your collection!

Average customer rating:

For those new to the hotel business

Not good for real world application

Reviewing both 2nd AND 3rd editions of HMO

Hotel Management & Operations, 2nd ed

Hotel Management and Operations, 3rd Edition
Denney G. Rutherford
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Hotel Design, Planning, and Development, New Edition

Managing Hotels Effectively: Lessons from Outstanding General Managers

Check In; Check Out: Managing Hotel Operations (7th Edition)

Hotel Operations Management (2nd Edition)

Heads in Beds: Hospitality and Tourism Marketing

ASIN: 0471370525

Book Description

A real-world look at every major aspect of hotel management and operations

Hotel Management and Operations, Third Edition, helps readers to develop the wide-ranging knowledge and analytical skills they need to succeed in today's burgeoning and dynamic hotel industry. Featuring contributions from 60 leading industry professionals and academics, this comprehensive presentation encourages critical thinking by exposing readers to different viewpoints within a coherent theoretical structure, enabling them to formulate their own ideas and solutions.

Each of the book's nine parts examines a specific hotel department or activity and presents a variety of viewpoints on the duties, responsibilities, problems, and opportunities encountered there. Multidimensional case studies challenge readers to identify the central issues in complex management problems, understand the structure and resources of the department in question, and find solutions that may involve other hotel resources and departments.

This remarkably well-designed learning tool:
* Covers all hotel departments, from front office to finance, from marketing to housekeeping
* Links advanced theory with real-world problems and solutions
* Encourages critical thinking by presenting differing viewpoints
* Features "As I See It" and "Day in the Life" commentary from young managers
* Provides a solid introduction to every aspect of hotel management

Complete with extensive references and suggestions for further reading, Hotel Management and Operations, Third Edition, is an ideal book for university hospitality programs and management training programs within the hotel industry.

Customer Reviews:

For those new to the hotel business.......2007-07-27

I am a 22 year real estate professional, but have never been involved in the hotel business. This book is a comprehensive introduction to the subject. Most articles are by people who have been in the business for a long time, and these are very helpful. I highly recommend it.

Not good for real world application.......2007-07-25

This book was made for college students. It has alot of statistics and historical information that would provide fodder for a semester of lectures for people who will never own a hotel but not really applicable to the real world and the people who really run hotels.
It does not really give the realities of hotel operations and restaurant management. It does not give procedures or even discuss the import aspects of hotel operation. It is missing the real world application of managment concepts. Anyone interested in really running a hotel should not get this book.
I would suggest getting "Front Office Operations & Management" by Ahmed Ismail or some other book that provides checklists, real world application of theory, marketing techniques, reservation softwares, etc. I am just glad I got the book used.

Reviewing both 2nd AND 3rd editions of HMO.......2002-06-10

As soon as Dr. Rutherford's 3rd ed came out, I continued to use his text book for two more semesters and 1 summer, under the same conditions described in my review of his 2nd ed.
Hotel Management & Operations, 3rd ed is the premier hospitality reference for students, educators, professionals, and researches.
The reservations I still have with the 3rd ed (see comments for 2nd ed) is that Dr. Rutherford did not have plans (confirmed via E-mail) for any of the following: an instructor's manual or workbook, a test bank of questions, an e-book version, and reducing the content on Marketing (almost double the amount of information in other chapters).
It is great that Denney added a much-needed section on Information Technology.
The great new additions include "As I see It", "A Day in the Life", and a variety of new articles for each departmental section. These articles, as are the original ones in the book, are also written by working professionals in the hospitality industry. There are now 536 pages vs 462 pages: the additional 74 pages are a good contribution to the 3rd ed.
Educators should have no hesitation using Hotel Management and Operations, 3rd ed, but must ensure the actual text reading is appropriate for their target market. Students, educators, and hospitality professionals should continue to enjoy a favorable ROI on this purchase. With my ESL (English as a Second Language) student body, however, I was hard pressed to continue using this textbook. I decided to design such a CD-ROM workbook, Making Hotel Operations Work! (Summer 2002), and Dr. Rutherford wrote the Preface.

Hotel Management & Operations, 2nd ed.......2001-02-11

My review is based on having used Dr. Rutherford's book the past consecutive 7 semesters (incl summer) at Hawaii Pacific University's Travel Industry Management program.

The compilation of articles is ideal for us because chapters are short, but comprehensive and interesting enough to retain student attention. 95% of my students are foreigners, and my average class size is 30 students from at least a dozen countries.

Chapters have numerous references, and all the chapters have challenging case studies except Finance.

This particular construction lends itself to a variety of delivery techniques, as stated in the Preface.

My wish list for the 3rd edition would include: an instructor's manual or workbook, a testbank of questions, e-book version, reducing the content on Marketing (almost double the amount of information in other chapters), and adding a section on Information Technology.

Book Description

Identifies the crucial elements involved in the operation of a restaurant, and their interrelationships that are necessary to achieve success. Structured around the three parts of the meal experience—the customers, the operation (consisting of food, beverage and the physical facility) and the employees—the book examines how to effectively manage an existing restaurant operation. This edition continues its strong coverage of marketing, promotions, and employment issues, and captures the essential elements needed to produce satisfied customers and a profitable restaurant operation. Offers fully updated material including: Updated figures and numbers, Longitudinal analysis of recent trends, The latest demographic projections and the implications for managers, Added section on ergonomics and its impact on layout and design and New material on energy conservation and cost savings. Strategies for using the Internet as a promotional tool shows readers how to use technology to run and increase their business. A focus on profitability addresses common reasons restaurants fail. Examines factors to success, such as concept, creativity, menu, pricing, productivity, cost control etc. Restaurant managers. For anyone interested in “the meal experience,” or thinking about becoming a restaurant entrepreneur.

Customer Reviews:

Very usefull.......2006-03-11

Although this book is expensive, the quality of its contents justifies the aquisition. It's a comprehensive manual of all the aspects the you must take into account when you are running a restaurant or you wish to start one. Nobody should start a business in this industry without reading books like this.

Awesome in understanding all aspects of the restaurant.......2003-06-04

It's been a year since we opened our restaurant in Chicago without any prior experience in the food industry. Having read this book helped me create and maintain our financial controls and understand our customer expectations. For less than 90 bucks, this book has provided me with invaluable, easy to understand and directly applicable concepts. A must read for anyone starting out in the restaurant business.

Restaurant Management-customers, Operations, and Employees.......2000-05-24

I will soon be opening a cafe and have been desperately looking for a book like this. It is a detailed text book covering everything, plus hundreds of "quick bites" that offer tips and examples to help with understanding. I know its a reference that I will go back to over and over.

Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, 3rd Edition

Average customer rating:

Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations, 3rd Edition
Robert J. Martin
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471198625

Book Description

This book addresses the changing, growing role of the housekeeping department to include maintenance of health club facilities, grounds, valet, and foodservice facilities.

Hotel and Motel Management and Operations (3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Not a good text
UPDATE?

Hotel and Motel Management and Operations (3rd Edition)
William S. Gray , and Salvatore C. Liguori
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 013095795X

Book Description

This book provides information on every facet and department of the hotel. Operation of a property management system is discussed with sample reports for readers are provided. The operation of restaurant point of sale systems is also discussed, with related sample reports included. This comprehensive, easy-to-follow guidebook covers all aspects of hotel and motel development, hotel management, hotel operation, hotel accounting and controls, and the future of the industry. For hotel management and training professionals.

Customer Reviews:

Not a good text.......2002-06-30

This book is not worth purchasing if you have any knowledge whatsoever of the hotel industry. It attempts to cover too many topics in too little space and fails to penetrate the surface of any given issue. I think that it is probably too much to ask that an in depth analysis of an industry as diverse and complex as the hotel industry be compiled into a single volume.

UPDATE?.......2000-02-20

A good book...But needs an updated version....1993 is a long time ago

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