Jack Corbett: Mariner

Book Description

This is the true and compelling story of the relationship between one of America's foremost financiers and the old Irish seaman who changed his life.

In 1849, Alfredrick Hatch, a delicate and slightly asthmatic youth, was dispatched to sea by his physician father to "either cure him or kill him." He signed onto a Liverpool packet as an apprentice seaman, in the company of the "roughest, dirtiest, swearingest, drinkingest men alive." Hatch probably would not have survived had he not been befriended by an illiterate, bewhiskered Jack-tar named Jack Corbett, who became his guardian and mentor. The often dramatic story of their experiences sailing together is the centerpiece of this autobiographical narrative, rich in language and its description of life aboard a square-rigged sailing vessel in the mid-19th century.

Thirty years later, after Hatch had become a prosperous Wall Street banker—one of the principals in financing the Union's effort in the Civil War—and President of the New York Stock Exchange, Jack re-entered Hatch's life and household, where he became the guardian of Hatch's eleven children and remained to the end of his days. 15 halftone illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Jack Corbett Mariner is a Must Read.......2005-04-19

Our entire family loved this book (2 adults, chlidren ages 15, 13, 10 and 8) and we were so intrigued by Alfredrick Hatch we did a little further research. Mr. Hatch liquidated much of his amazing fortune after a stock market crash to make sure none of his investment clients lost money. The Rockefellers didn't do this. The Goulds didn't do this. The Kennedys didn't do this. But for Alfredrick Hatch, his word was vastly more important than his money. By the way, you won't find this story in Mr. Hatch's book. This book wasn't written to impress. It was written to entertain and entertain it does!

Jack Corbett, Mariner reads like fiction; is pure memoir.......2003-01-04

Although it may read like fiction, Jack Corbett, Mariner is pure memoir. In November 1849, a 20-year-old Vermonter ventured down to New York City's bustling commercial waterfront and got his first, faint whiffs of sea air. He was on a mission. His physician father had dispatched young Alfrederick Hatch to crew aboard a sailing ship in hopes of ridding his son of various youthful infirmities, including asthma. According to family lore, Dr. Horace Hatch proclaimed, it would "either cure him or kill him."

Very luckily, young Fred quickly found the ideal mentor and protector in Jack Corbett -- "a rollicking, reckless, horny-handed, hairy-chested product of wind and storm and sea and the rough and tumble of a sailor's life." The two signed on aboard a three-masted, 1,400-ton sailing ship bound for Liverpool and back. The crossing was about 3,300 miles, made all the more challenging by the late-fall, early-winter season. Hatch, under Corbett's dogged tutelage, thrived in his role as apprentice sailor, standing up to all that the sea threw at him.

Hatch and Corbett developed a solid relationship on the crossings, but on return to New York, Corbett mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear 30 years later, knock on the office door of his former charge and now very successful financier, and become an intimate part of Fred's household as guardian for his 11 children.

Jack Corbett, Mariner is Hatch's tribute to Corbett, penned when Hatch was in his 60s, after Corbett's death. The manuscript has remained unpublished until now.

What could have been a workmanlike document of family history turns out to be a solid piece of literature and a page-turner to boot. Hatch's and Corbett's lives intersected with true mutual benefit, but the saga could have gone horribly wrong at many points. Hatch's father had vested a lot of faith in his asthmatic son when posting him to New York to go to sea. This gem of a book reveals just how fully that faith was justified and how a crusty sailor played a key and loving role.

Written in first-person narrative, young Hatch, proves to be a fast learner aboard the 187-foot ship and quickly gains the grudging respect of his fellow crew in often harrowing conditions. His descriptions of those crew members, including the captain, the passengers, fellow crew, and most immediately, Corbett himself, reveal a canny observer of the human condition and sailors in particular:

"The majority of sailors are naturally religious in sentiment, though they may be far from it in practice. They are firm believers in the supernatural, both divine and diabolical. To them, both God and the devil are personal realities, There are a few, however, who like their skeptical brethren ashore, believe in nothing that cannot be seen or handled or demonstrated to the senses and the reason."

And consider this passage on sailors' temperament:

"The sailor is not naturally brutal. For the most part he is kindhearted, submissive to authority, disposed to be peaceable when you will let him, and susceptible to decent treatment. It is only when he is goaded and bullied beyond endurance and exasperated by a sense of injustice, that the brute in him rises up and snaps at the other brute [in authority] that is worrying him ... [but] it is true that there are exceptions."

Hatch's egalitarianism allows him to see the essential goodness that may lie behind an individual's coarse exterior. That innate attitude informs Hatch's later charity work with sailors and allows the relationship with Corbett to be rekindled after the 30-year separation.

Hatch the writer develops a colorful voice for Corbett. One example is from a scene where Hatch is recuperating from an illness contracted after going ashore during the ship's normal turnaround and refitting in Liverpool. Corbett is caring for Hatch on the captain's orders and telling some of Hatch's sailor friends not to overstay their welcome at Hatch's sickbed:
Now look a-here, you youngsters ... this ain't no fo'c's'le for spinnin' yarns in, nor yet no concert hall for c'rousin' an' jollyfyin', an' this `ere boy ain't no haudience fer a v'ri'ty show, not wile Jack Corbett's `esponsible fer `im to the skipper, an' you boys has got ter be qui't wen yer in `ere an' git out w'en I tells ye, or get yer `eads punched.

A five-page glossary of nautical terms at then end of the book unravels arcane sea language.

Hatch lays out the illiterate Corbett's weaknesses, particularly for alcohol and cursing, often hilariously, but never with disdain. That equanimity informs the whole text and makes the book a morality tale of sorts. Whether the subject is temperance or tattoos, the humor never lapses into ridicule.

Hatch brings the same balance of respect and humor to his portrayal of Corbett ashore, after the 30-year separation, the last third of the text. It is a situation rife for comedy: the old salt plunked down in a family of thirteen. Naturally, Corbett remakes his new world in nautical terms. The initial transition is made easier by Corbett's being appointed "captain of the pier and boat landing" at the Hatch waterfront estate. When the family moves inland, his title becomes "quartermaster of the castle." Hatch's daughters try various stratagems to reform Corbett, still given to the occasional cursing rant and alcohol binge, and the humor flows. By this time, Corbett has become a trusted family intimate, and his death is truly mourned.

Hatch's skills as a mature author leave the reader yearning for more. Pity that Hatch had not also directed his talents to analyzing his formative Vermont childhood or those very successful years as a Wall Street financier. All the more reason not to forgo this very satisfying single sample of his work.

Book Description

Beyond the statistical record of this truly great baseball player, this book focuses on Mel Ott's personal life, his strong family ties, and the contributions that he made to the game of baseball. This volume is enhanced by intimate contact with the Ott family, particularly his daughters Lyn and Barbara, both of whom contributed to the story.

Customer Reviews:

Mel Ott: The Gentle Giant (American Sports History Series, No. 24.......2006-09-15

Only half the book is about Mel Ott. The rest is about things such as Bobby Thomson's home run and the Giants moving to San Francisco. I expected to read more about Mel Ott and was disappointed with this book.

Mel Ott: The Gentle Giant.......2003-09-02

As the author of MEL OTT:THE LITTLE GIANT OF BASEBALL, I had a special interest and perspective in reading this book. I found it to be very well done and an excellent complement to my book. I was especially interested in the views of Ott's family and other acquaintances on this wonderful player and exemplary man.

Amazon.com

Technology changes storytelling--movies don't tell stories in the same manner as wandering bards. Janet H. Murray, director of the Laboratory for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is fascinated with the changes emerging technologies may bring. Interactive tales, more versatile structures, stories as games, and games as stories are among the topics she explores in her very personable and entertaining style. And what about fears that interactive escapism could be the coming addiction? She makes an unblinking examination of this question with insight into both the technological possibilities and the strengths of the human psyche. Strongly recommended for anyone who loves the art of storytelling in any medium.

Book Description

Stories define how we think, play, and understand our lives. In this comprehensive and readable book -- already a classic statement of the aesthetics of digital media, acclaimed by practitioners and theorists alike -- Janet Murray shows how the computer is reshaping the stories we live by.

Murray discusses the unique properties and pleasures of digital environments and connects them with the traditional satisfactions of narrative. She analyzes the dramatic satisfaction of participatory stories and considers what would be necessary to move interactive fiction from the formats of childish games and confusing labyrinths into a mature and compelling art form. Through a blend of imagination and techno-wizardry, Murray provides both readers and writers with a guide to the storytelling of the future.

(cloth published by Free Press, 1997)

Customer Reviews:

There's no future in Murray's dreaming..........2005-02-14

This book came highly recommended to me. With all the hype surrounding its apparent genius I expected to be blown away. Sadly though, this book comes across as someone who has just played a video game for the first time (MYST) and decided that the kids might be on to something. Murray proclaims that one day in the distant future, they'll make a 'holodeck' and we'll finally have true immersion. In the mean time, we can gloss over all the interactive components that make such an experience compelling in the first place. The future of gaming/narratology/ludology whatever-you-want-to-call-it is already here. You don't need a "VR Suit" or some imaginary technology to have a truly immersive experience. Her woefully uninformed look at the games of her day are completely inexcusable:

"...interactors will be lured into worlds where they float, tumble, and arc through thrillingly coloured spaces, fly through imaginary clouds and swim lazily across welcoming mountain ponds. The nightmare landscape of the fighting maze, in which we feel imperiled may give way to enchanting worlds of increasingly refined visual dealight that are populated by evocative fairy-tale creatures."

At the time of this book's publishing (1997) games such as Jumping Flash, Mario 64, and Tomb Raider had already taken the world by storm. By reducing contemporary gaming to mindless, juvenile violence (while championing those themes in 'War & Peace', 'Hamlet' and 'Star Trek') Murray shows a complete lack of interest and imagination.

The heavy hand of narrative is not the only way to tell a story. We don't need a "cyberdramatist" the likes of a Dickens or a Shakespeare to show us the way. She could have explored the work of Miyamoto, Wright or Kojima and the stories that arise out those gaming experiences. Instead she focuses on the Miller Brothers because they offered up the most conventional form of storytelling. Eight years on, their impact is almost forgotten. Above all, people want to act - not in the theatrical sense, but in the name of imaginative 'play'. Maybe someday she'll prove us all wrong and the "Dr. Quinn Holodeck" will sweep us up in the rapturous joy of existing in a town populated by:

"...blacksmiths, barbers, general store owners, saloon keepers, scouts, and, of course, female doctors and who could be given their own homesteads or boardinghouse rooms in particular physical locations within the fictional world."

Sounds like fun.

Criticism aside, I did enjoy the chapter "Eliza's Daughters". Murray's look at procedural characters and believable agents proved informative and intriguing. If only the rest of the book were as objective and plausible then I might actually believe the hype surrounding, "Hamlet on the Holodeck".

playing with Story in cyberspace.......2001-08-19

janet murray's book is a seminal work for anyone interested in what story-entertainment is going to look like in cyberspace.

imagine if you were alive in 1889 when the movie camera was invented. it was not immediately obvious that this new invention would play a role in the world of story. There wasn't until the teens of the 20th century that dw griffith developed a language of story on film... and not until the early teens until the movie theatre with pop corn came upon the scene.

we are at a similar place with the new technologies of digitalness, cbyberspace, interactivity, ..... as humans were with the movie technology over 100 years ago.

janet murray's book gives us the thinking of the best minds at the MIT Media lab as to what might be going on here.

a great book...

Take a spin into the midst of the future.......2001-02-05

Some may find this terse, warmly witty, and tidy treatise about "whither literature in the world of CyberSpace" as just too esoteric to read. Stop. This is not a book grieving over the lost art of words and writing that nurtures the lives of all readers. This wise book is a guide to the possibilites that elude pessimists wary of the ultimate effects of the computer on this century. Relax, discover the possibilites about which you've never dreamed, and let Murray tell you some stories in the mode of the future. For writers, for teachers....but also for the committed readers. Enjoy!

Superb look at the structures of digital storytelling.......1999-04-20

Great book that gives an thorough account of the structures that are given by the format of the digital media. You not only learn to analyse how digital storytelling works but also how it could and should migrate from the status quo to elevate itself onto the next literary level. To anybody who is interested in digital storytelling I recommend this book with all my heart.

The history of the video game meets narratology.......1999-02-09

I'm writing a dissertation on postmodern literature and thus had the pleasure of considering this book as research. The truth of the matter is, that in the dull, dry world of books on narrative theory, this one was FUN! This is exactly the point- video games and Star Trek have EVERYTHING to do with the way narrative works today, (which Murray compares with the way it worked in Shakespeare's time,) and will work once the average American can no longer remember a time when video games had no graphics.

It's fun AND it shows how things are changing and how quickly.

Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace.

Average customer rating:

Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace.
Janet H. Murray
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M45ZVI

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The Black history trivia quiz book
Melvett G Chambers
Manufacturer: M.G. Chambers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0961652209

Average customer rating:
Black history trivia: Quiz and game book
Morrie Turner
Manufacturer: News-America Syndicate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

African-American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000727N5Q

Average customer rating:

Good mix between theory and practice

Solid, comprehensive textbook, but a little uneven

Outstanding

Excellent theoretical background

Excellent coverage, friendly lingo

Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis
Edwin J. Elton , Martin J. Gruber , Stephen J. Brown , and William N. Goetzmann
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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The Investment Portfolio User's Manual

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Book Description

An update of a classic book in the field, Modern Portfolio Theory examines the characteristics and analysis of individual securities as well as the theory and practice of optimally combining securities into portfolios. It stresses the economic intuition behind the subject matter while presenting advanced concepts of investment analysis and portfolio management. Readers will also discover the strengths and weaknesses of modern portfolio theory as well as the latest breakthroughs.

Customer Reviews:

Good mix between theory and practice.......2007-09-14

I was looking for a hands on book. It is a pity I had to buy also the software "The Investment Portfolio" which should be included, and also I missed the answers to chapter problems. After a couple of weeks I feel I could advise in making and managing a portfolio.

Solid, comprehensive textbook, but a little uneven.......2006-06-10

If you are looking for one textbook on financial investment, this book should be on the top of your list. It has very solid and comprehensive coverage of all the major topics in financial investment, from portfolio construction to CAPM to options to global investing. What I like the most is the detailed discussions on the various pros and cons of each model or technique people use in the real world. This book is a little light on math, but there's enough to satisfy casual readers who want some math but don't want to deal with things like linear algebra or stochastic processes. Another excellent feature is the large number of references the authors provide.

I cannot give this book 5 stars because, due to the multi-coauthorship, the chapters can be a little uneven in both readability and level of treatment. One chapter will give you two pages of algebra from the first grade, and the next chapter is packed with discussions that require a deep understanding of economic theory. The audience of this book is a college senior or a first-year master's or Ph.D. student, which may explain some of this unevenness. The book also tends to be wordy at times.

But overall, this is a good textbook that you can learn from as well as reference in the future.

Outstanding .......2005-10-01

I got what I expected at the time I was supposed to get it.

Excellent theoretical background.......2001-06-09

This was one of the texts I had to read for one of my MBA classes. It provides an excellent theoretical background in finance and the theories that link finance to macro and micro economics. It is not very practical however. Not much in the book can be applied. It is a must, however, for any serious student of finance. The coverage of option models is a little light, however. I highly recommend that people have a background in calculus, differential equations, probability theory, and linear algebra before reading this book.

Excellent coverage, friendly lingo.......2001-03-30

For a textbook, this is written in a reader-friendly style. You can almost see the author at the blackboard explaining the concepts AND math in plain English. And yet, very little handwaving at all. On the other hand, this may also present special readability challenges: you may find yourself constantly flipping between text and tables to follow the discussion.

From a pedagogical point-of-view, some of the developments might have been more intuitively presented. For example, the chapter on option-pricing theory should mention the expected-value interpretation. Over all, however, this text does very well on this score.

I particularly liked the survey of empirical studies at the end of each major concept, that discusses the imperfections that other researchers have looked into, and their findings.

Customer Reviews:

A definitely good book for starter.......1998-02-20

The publisher has added a lot of graphs and diagrams to aid understanding. It is a very user-friendly book and suitable for undergraduates and beginner postgraduates courses. The only room for improvement is that the depth of material is not enough for more advanced course.

Elton: Instructor'S Manual to Accompany Modern Portfolio Theory & Investment Analysis 4ed (Manual

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Elton: Instructor'S Manual to Accompany Modern Portfolio Theory & Investment Analysis 4ed (Manual
E J Elton
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0471533688

Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis

Average customer rating:

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Manufacturer: John Wiley and Sons (WIE)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

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Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis
Edwin J. Elton
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Limited
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Modern Portfolio Theory And Investment Analysis
Edwin J. Elton
Manufacturer: NY
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Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis Fifth Edition and Investment Portfolio Software Version 2.5

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Wonderful text for finance students

Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis Fifth Edition and Investment Portfolio Software Version 2.5
Edwin J. Elton , Martin Jay Gruber , and Intellipro, Inc.
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Customer Reviews:

Wonderful text for finance students.......2000-04-05

I bought this book for a finance course, i audited.Book covers in detail about various option pricing models(CAPM,Single Index, Multiple Index). Portfolio analysis is covered in detail plus seperate chapter on International Diversification.Arbitrage Pricing Model(APT) is compared against CAPM, this might be essential in chosing efficient portfolio.

Also includes selecting efficient portfolio. Bond pricing with detail explanation of Black-Scholes model is the best chapter .

The authors have given a detail explanation of all financial terms, which doesnot make this book daunting for novices. Best part is the various references at the end of which chapter which provide for additional information.

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