No Sweat: Fashion, Free Trade, and the Rights of Garment Workers

Book Description

A hard-hitting expose of the fashion world you don't see on the catwalk. Are you aware that the T-shirt or the running shoes you are wearing may have been produced by children as young as 13 years old, working 14-hour days for 30 cents an hour? Don't be reassured by a label that claims the item was manufactured in the USA or Europe. It could have been sewn in Haiti or Indonesia -- or in a domestic sweatshop where conditions rival those in the Third World. The label may tell you how to treat the garment, but it says nothing of how the worker who made it was treated. To find out about that you need to read this book.

No Sweat shows you: * How Nike's celebrity spokeman Michael Jordan earned more for endorsing Nike running shoes that then company's 200,000-strong Asian workforce get between them in a year. * How Disney boss Michael Eisner's annual pay and stock options, worth $200 million, are partly paid for out of profits from the sale of Pocahontas and Hunchback of Notre Dame T-shirts made by Haitian teenagers who work for less than $10 per week and are force-fed contraceptive pills. * How campaigning by the New York-based Netional Labor Committee, the American workers' union UNITE and US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich has forced embarrasing climb-downs by companies like GAP and Wal-Mart caught using sweated labor. * How the European-based Clean Clothes Campaign has linked up with charities such as Oxfam to raise the issue of codes of conduct with manufacturers and retailers in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. * How you can join the growing global campaign of consumer groups, human rights activists and international labor organizations to close down the sweatshops and guarantee basic rights for those who cut and sew our clothes.

In hard-hitting words and pictures, No Sweat tells the story of the chasm between the glamour of the catwalk and the squalor of the sweatshop. Don't go shopping without it. Contributors include JoAnn Mort and Alan Howard (UNITE), Julie Su, Charlie Kernaghan and the National Labor Committee (edited by Kitty Krupat), Bud Konheim (interviewed by Sally Singer), Mike Piore, John Cavanagh, MacKenzie Wark, Angela McRobbie, Robin Givhan, Paul Smith.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful remonstration.......2002-09-28

No one LIKES sweatshops...we know they're bad, & all hiss convincingly when the latest human rights violation in the garment industry is read off on the evening news. We shake our heads & swear we'll boycott, and we DO...until the story fades from the top of the hour & the remembrance of those that suffered is forgotten. Because in truth, we'd all just as soon pretend that all our garments are made by shining, happy people sitting in front of gently humming sewing machines, joyously making a living wage which allows for a movie every Friday night so that we can go on buying our clothes for cheap. NO SWEAT takes that gentle complacency, that warm cocoon of apathy & shatters it, laying the garment industry bare for all to see in every last bit of its infamy.

Constructed out of the voices of a few, NO SWEAT speaks for millions. Including testimony from sweatshop workers themselves, along with activists, trade union organizers, journalists, academics & industry insiders, NO SWEAT covers the entire spectrum of the labor movement as it stands today, & gives us a not entirely promising glimpse into a future beset by our own apathy. Offering harrowing firsthand accounts from workers & ground level testimony from activists, NO SWEAT paints a very vivid picture of the immense dichotomy of the industry, which begins in the squalor of the sweatshop, but emerges on the catwalks. Some of the testimony seems hardly believable in this day and age, but the accounts are real & true, a sad testament to how far the movement has yet to go. Such is terribly affective, a powerful remonstration of our own apathy. Unfortunately, though the book does not attempt to appear objective, it does make a token effort to allow the other side a forum. While a great idea, ultimately, NO SWEAT doesn't go far enough in this vein, lending the preponderance of its pages to the labor movement, & only a few, always negative pages to industry insiders. This weakens the integrity of the piece as a whole. If the editors of NO SWEAT were not prepared to go all the way, then they should have never have made even the slightest pretension towards giving the other side a say. Such is only a small cavil however, among a great many strengths. NO SWEAT should occupy a place of prominence in every library.

A strong attack on exploitative labor practices.......2000-04-25

I read "No Sweat" to research a term paper on sweatshop labor exploitation. It's a collection of essays by different authors, all on the topic of exploitation of garment industry workers. There's a decent amount of information in this book, and it's related in an entertaining style, but I have two complaints: the information is not very organized, and the book is one-sided and does not even try to explain the arguments business leaders use to defend their practices. Even if you are fervently anti-sweatshop, you need to know the pro-sweatshop arguments so that you can refute them.

"No Sweat" is a good start if you're interested in learning about the abuses of sweatshop labor, but if you want a more thorough, organized and balanced treatment of the subject, read "The Sweatshop Quandary", edited by Pamela Varley.

Book Description

The authors guide readers quickly and concisely through the complex topics of neural networks, fuzzy logic, mathematical modelling of electrical machines, power systems control and VHDL design. Unlike the academic monographs that have previously been published on each of these subjects, this book combines them and is based round case studies of systems analysis, control strategies, design, simulation and implementation. The result is a guide to applied control systems design that will appeal equally to students and professional design engineers. The book can also be used as a unique VHDL design aid, based on real-world power engineering applications.

*Introduces cutting-edge control systems to a wide readership of engineers and students
*The first book on neuro-fuzzy control systems to take a practical, applications-based approach, backed up with worked examples and case studies
*Learn to use VHDL in real-world applications

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Nonunion Employee Representation: History, Contemporary Practice, and Policy (Issues in Work and Human Resources)

Manufacturer: M.E. Sharpe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Labor & Industrial Relations | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0765604949

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Nonunion Employee Representation: History, Contemporary Practice, and Policy. (Book Reviews).: An article from: Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations
Christopher Debicki
Manufacturer: Relations Industrielles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008IMVGA
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, published by Relations Industrielles on September 22, 2001. The length of the article is 2170 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: Nonunion Employee Representation: History, Contemporary Practice, and Policy. (Book Reviews).
Author: Christopher Debicki
Publication: Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2001
Publisher: Relations Industrielles
Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Page: 816(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

From one who's been there.......2006-07-12

I picked up my copy in 1985, not long after it was published, and shared it then with my entire family. You see, we were all born and raised in Schellville (note the spelling) and raised farm animals. What a riot this book is! Sheep really do look like people I went to school with, and the same dumb things were written in my yearbook way back then. I most enjoyed studying the photos and placing each familiar building and scenery here in Northern California.

Best Book Ever.......2006-02-09

This truly is the best book ever, and my opinion on this hasn't changed over the last twenty years, since I first bought the book. I'm an English teacher with two degrees from elite institutions, but to my mind none of the classics of world literature come close to this one in terms of sheer entertainment value. My favorite part: the club photo in which Betty Fulton is the only member. We are about to have our first baby, and I tried for weeks to convince my wife that we should name her Betty, in honor of Ms. Fulton's memory (may she rest in peace). Alas, she vetoed the suggestion.

Loved this yearbook!.......2004-06-30

I laughed until I snorted Coke out my nose in the Walden's Bookstore when I first saw this book twenty years ago. I ignorantly let a high school journalism teacher "borrow" the book, and it was never returned. I bought another copy years later for a friend's 50th birthday, and he said it was his favorite gift! It's hilarious. I'm now Christmas shopping for another one and hope one day that I'll get to keep a copy for myself. It's so hard to explain how it's so funny, but it just is. I LOVE the picture of the twins side by side with the only difference being the second sheep's head being cocked to one side. It's a classic.

Shear (sic) Genius.......2002-12-21

If you like movies like "Waiting for Guffman", then this is yer kind of book. Not for everyone--thankfully!

Well worth scrounging for ..........2002-08-31

When I'm in a large used book store, I always dig through the 'humor' section hoping against hope to find another Shellville Annual. I've given away all I could find; a high school yearbook with photos of sheep that LOOK exactly like their names and titles, e.g., the Board of Education looks like a Sheep Board of Directors. It's an inspired work of art that deserves to be reprinted. I promise to buy at least 25 ...

Only explanation I can come up with is that Novello somewhere found a stash of stuffed sheep. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine a sheep sitting in a Dairy-Queen-type booth with it's paws crossed, cigarettes in the ash tray, etc. Or the Low Riders Club, with sheep sitting up in the car.

One of the most inspired projects I've ever seen! "Leaves of grass blowing in the wind like leaves of grass." Or the bus that goes from Shellville once a week, "Three times as fast as a tractor and at least twice as comfortable."

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The Blade: Shellville High School Yearbook
Don Novello
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8ORFW

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Creating your own family culture

Touching and Inspiring

Life Changing Book

How to Convert Your Child Into a Robot

Truely a Must Read

Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education
Shinichi Suzuki
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Instruction & Study | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Theory | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Ability Development from Age Zero (Suzuki Method International)

To Learn With Love: A Companion for Suzuki Parents

Suzuki Violin School: Violin Part, vol. 1 (Suzuki Violin School, Violin Part)

Suzuki Violin School (Suzuki Violin School Cd): Vol. 1 (Suzuki Violin School CD)

Suzuki Piano School Volume 1, REVISED EDITION (Suzuki Piano School)

ASIN: 0874875846

Book Description

This book is the cornerstone upon which to build any Suzuki-oriented library. In it the author presents the philosophy and principles of Suzuki's teaching methods. Through the examples from his own life and teaching, Suzuki establishes his case for early childhood education and the high potential of every human being, not just those seemingly gifted. Written by Shinichi Suzuki, translated by Waltraud Suzuki.

Customer Reviews:

Creating your own family culture.......2007-08-14

The book wonders between autobiography, philosophy, history of how Suzuki's philosophy developed, and technique but the message is clear. Most children's success is dependent on the culture parents create EVERYDAY at their home and for their children. The parents are the creators of culture and the culture is what is done, talked about, emphisized, supported, given time to, and encourage everyday with love. It is easier if society at large supports the culture that parents want but parents ultamately have to create their own culture for their children and the key is what is done everyday and it requires a serious investment of time.

We are what we do everyday (Suzuki is in line with Aristotle on this one). Patience, perserverance, determination shrouded in love 15 minutes a day, for a child, is better than an hour one day a week. Parents talking about it, encouraging it everyday, making it the family culture, are keys to success in music as most anything for most children. There are a lot of distractions that wish to throw our children into worshiping the vanities in this world, the best way to fight this is to create an inner dignity and harmony that comes from a serious but loving endevour everyday.

Touching and Inspiring.......2006-12-23

This book should be required reading for music teachers, and for parents who would like their young children to have music lessons. I teach piano and violin to young students, and I felt it was immensely helpful to me. It was a constant reminder that patience, persistance, and a deep love of music will yeild the most profound results with even my most difficult students. It is all to tempting to dismiss the abilities of a particular child, especially one who tends to be uncooperative, instead of recognizing that each child has enormous potential. The touching stories Mr. Suzuki shares of students who overcame terrible difficulties, from blindness to infantile paralysis, to play the violin as best they could, moved me more than words can say.

Life Changing Book.......2006-03-03

This book revolutionized my life. I visited a Suzuki flute instructor and fell in love with this method. I saw how excited the children were about learning and how much joy they had. When I read the book I understood why. Dr. Suzuki has a mastery over how children respond to love and encouragement. Reading the stories in here about patience, love and encouragement changed the way I taught flute and also the way I approach life in general. I now try to emulate Dr. Suzuki's teachings in all my interactions. I would recommend this book to every music instructor, whether Suzuki or traditional, every teacher, every parent, and any person who works with or has contact with children. I bought this copy to give to a former student, to help him remember his roots as he begins his music career. I hope he will choose to emulate Dr. Suzuki's love and wisdom in his teaching.

How to Convert Your Child Into a Robot.......2006-01-10

Suzuki's philosphy is a good one, and I happen to agree with his theory of Talent Education--which posits that children are the products of their environment and that, given suitable environs and nurturing parents, the ability to do just about anything is present in all of us from birth. Suzuki likens the process of learning to perform music to a child's easy,if prolonged, acquisition of his native language. Focus is made on practice--rote and repetitive--as the key to proper traning. Short and easy to read, but there's a lot of flower-fluff and almost scientific method involved. A lot of Suzuki writing "I think" and "I feel" and "I knew" without much research or external input to back some of his arguments. The chapters here (which is essentially the same tome as "Ability from Age 0") are disjointed, and often read like a loose string of Dr. Suzuki's anecdotes as both a student and teacher of violin. Some of this may owe to the translation from Japanese. Much of it is downright naive, very preachy, and self-congratulating. In Suzuki's perfect world, ALL children are special and wonderful, and anger is "unnecessary," war is nonexistent, and love is all you need. Idealistic, if not practical, words for most of we parents who aren't exactly as Christ-like as Suzuki portrays himself to be. What the doctor seems to forget, however, is that were his advice followed to the letter and all children given the opportunity to capitalize on their ability, everyone would excel, everyone would be noble--which would be great--but then no one would be special any longer, because we'd ALL be talented little geniuses in EVERY aspect of our lives. Sadly, ours is not a perfect world. A majority of the world population live in less-than-nurturing circumstances, which ensures that some children will always grow to be miserable, angry, or in perpetual need--which in turn breeds want and war.

In short, a great inspirational book for parents and teachers, in music and in life. But if anyone can really espouse all the virtues Suzuki is selling here, they should change their name to Jesus and ascend into heaven forthwithly.

Truely a Must Read.......2005-03-28

Although he boarded with a great genius (Dr. Albert Einstein), Shinichi Suzuki was a great genius himself. A must read for everyone. A combination of Dale Carnegie (the greatness in everyone) and Miyamoto Musashi (repetition to master a skill). Not only does the author understand how we learn, he sees great potential in everyone and never finds fault with the individual. As a result, he is able accomplish the seemingly impossible. On the surface this is a "music" book but it is actually a learning guide for everyone. It teaches us how we learn and he uses simple examples (parakeet page 5) to illustrate his ideas. The methods can be applied to ourselves, pets, children, students, athletes, employees, etc.

As another review states, the book tends to jump around and doesnt use an outline or chapters. It is more a scoll of "great thoughts by a genius" and progesses like his teaching style - from the basics to the advanced.

Nurtured By Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education

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Nurtured By Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education

Manufacturer: Senzay Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0918194156

Product Description

World-renowned violinist and teacher Shinichi Suzuki presents the philosophy and principles of his teaching methods for developing the natural abilities of every child. Illustrated.

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Nurtured By Love, the Classic Approach to Talent Education
Shinichi Suzuki
Manufacturer: Exposition Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VJTZX8

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A great man, a great philosophy. Sure to affect your life.

Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education
Shinichi Suzuki , and Shin Ichi Suzuki
Manufacturer: Behrman House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0682499102

Customer Reviews:

A great man, a great philosophy. Sure to affect your life........1997-03-08

It's hard to imagine a relatively unknown, mild mannered, modest man, Shinichi Suzuki, could have such an impact. The book appearance is unimpressive and the copy not quite up to normal literary standards (roughly translated from Japanese), however, this all the more speaks to it's profound underlying message that somehow touched the untouchable core of my conscience. Not since my first exposure to classics such as "Utopia" or "Sidhartha" do I recall written word having this affect on me. I want more. I intend to read everything I can find that this man has written. This book shows how a simple man combines the love of children and love of art to formulate a philosophy to grow "beautiful people with high integrity regardless of their so-called innate abilities." A must read for any parent interested in the Suzuki Method of music intstruction or any parent interested in getting back to the fundamentals of instilling good character into their children. I'm content in knowing that my four children will be raised under the influence of the principles imparted by Dr. Suzuki in this book. And I am confident that this influence will continue for generations to come long after he and I are gone

Book Description

This text deals with discrimination directed at both individuals and groups resulting in the exclusion from full participation in sport and the consequent struggle through sport for inclusion, recognition and respect. However, it deals also with sport as a source of cohesion between individuals and groups from persecuted ethnic minorities. The book makes one thing very clear: sport can be crucial in advancing the causes of oppressed minorities.

Sport, Identity and Ethnicity (Ethnicity and Identity)

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Sport, Identity and Ethnicity (Ethnicity and Identity)

Manufacturer: Berg Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1859731406

Book Description

Sport is now a major industry -- and one of increasing importance throughout both the developed and developing world -- but, until now, it has received little serious attention from anthropologists. In this first general book on the anthropology of sport, the contributors look at how different sports are used by a wide variety of peoples to express, manipulate and negotiate their identities, and to challenge the way they are defined by others.

Chapters address:

-the role played by football teams in colonial Zimbabwe to express locals' autonomy from their British rulers;

-the evolution of one of Venice's central festive occasions -- its regatta -- from a ritual of state to a sport of the people; modern and postmodern transformations of polo in Pakistan, its original home

-the resolution of problematic aspects of social life in Turkey through wrestling;

-the manner by which Catalan nationalists successfully exploited the Barcelona Olympics for their own political ends; and

-the controversy between anglers and anti-anglers in Britain.

This pioneering volume will be of interest to anthropologists, sociologists, sport historians and all those interested in this popular subject.

Sporting Nationalisms: Identity, Ethnicity, Immigration and Assimilation (Cass Series--Sport in the Global Society, 6)

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Sporting Nationalisms: Identity, Ethnicity, Immigration and Assimilation (Cass Series--Sport in the Global Society, 6)
David Mayall
Manufacturer: Frank Cass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Civil Rights & Liberties | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Emigration & Immigration | Administrative Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Reference | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0714648965

Book Description

This volume examines the ways in which sport shapes the experiences of various immigrant and minority groups and in particular, looks at the relationship between sport, ethnic identity and ethnic relations.
The essays in this volume are concerned primarily with British, American and Australian sporting traditions and the themes covered include the consolidation of ethnic identity in host societies through participant immigrant sports and exclusive sporting organizations, assimilation into "host" societies through participation in indigenous, national sports, and the construction by outsiders of separate ethnic identities according to sporting criteria.

Sport and the contestation of ethnic identity: football and Irishness in Scotland.: An article from: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

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Sport and the contestation of ethnic identity: football and Irishness in Scotland.: An article from: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Joseph M. Bradley
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000JCD9MK
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2006. The length of the article is 10046 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: Sport and the contestation of ethnic identity: football and Irishness in Scotland.
Author: Joseph M. Bradley
Publication: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 32 Issue: 7 Page: 1189(20)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Sport, Identity and Ethnicity. (Book Reviews/Recensions). (book review) : An article from: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal

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Sport, Identity and Ethnicity. (Book Reviews/Recensions). (book review) : An article from: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal
Kevin Young
Manufacturer: Canadian Ethnic Studies Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Sports | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, published by Canadian Ethnic Studies Association on March 22, 1998. The length of the article is 1256 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: Sport, Identity and Ethnicity. (Book Reviews/Recensions). (book review)
Author: Kevin Young
Publication: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1998
Publisher: Canadian Ethnic Studies Association
Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Page: 165(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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My favorite of all puzzle books

New York Times Toughest Crossword Puzzles, Volume 8 (NY Times)
Will Shortz
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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New York Times Toughest Crossword Puzzles, Volume 7 (NY Times)

The New York Times Tough Crossword Puzzles Volume 13: 100 of the Most Challenging Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Tough Crossword Puzzles)

The New York Times Will Shortz's Xtreme Xwords: 75 Ultra-Challenging Puzzles for the Gutsy, Truly Bold and Fearless Solver

The New York Times Tough Crossword Puzzles Volume 11: 100 of the Most Challenging Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times

The New York Times Tough Crossword Puzzles Volume 10

ASIN: 0812936515
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Book Description

The eighth Times Toughest volume from Will Shortz is filled with 100 extra-tough Saturday crossword puzzles designed to challenge even the best solvers.

Customer Reviews:

My favorite of all puzzle books.......2000-08-30

I have over 50 various crossword puzzle books but this series by far is my favorite, I always pick these puzzles before any other when I want to sit down and work a crossword puzzle. The other wonderful thing about them is they are from recently published puzzles (late 1990s). The only problem is, I am almost done with the book, and I'm ready for the next volume--please hurry, Mr. Shortz!

Book Description

Interactive Computer Graphics fourth edition presents introductory computer graphics concepts using a proven top-down, programming-oriented approach and careful integration of OpenGL to teach core concepts. The fourth edition has been revised to more closely follow the OpenGL pipeline architecture and includes a new chapter on programmable hardware topics (vertex shaders).

As with previous editions, readers learn to program three-dimensional applications as soon as possible. The Fourth edition focuses on core theory in graphics. Topics such as light-material interactions, shading, modeling, curves and surfaces, antialiasing, texture mapping, and compositing and hardware issues are covered.

Customer Reviews:

Great for a class.......2007-09-29

This text is great for a class on graphics. The reader may find it challenging to do a self-study however as it assumes a lot of prior mathematics... some of which the reader would not have unless he/she has studied the field of graphics before. While the book does cover most of the math in it either directly or in an appendix in the back, the book's treatment of the material is decidedly utilitarian and lacks the depth or breadth that a true mathematical text would have on such material. It is for this reason that it receives only 4 out of 5 stars. As an aid to lectures in class, this book is very good, provided one's professor covers the requisite math needed in order to understand it.

Great Job.......2007-09-09

Arrived many days early w/ free shipping in perfect condition. New book cheaper than the used book at the University book store! Great job thanks.

lovely colour plates.......2005-09-26

Stop! If you have this book in hand, the first thing you should do is turn to the colour plates in the centre of the book. Slowly (there is no need to hurry) look at each. Don't worry if some of the labels use technical terms that you are unaware of. The book teaches you those.

Admire the beauty of the plates. It gives an overview of much of current computer graphics. Far more inspiring than a page of written synopsis. The idea is to be motivated enough to learn the text. It is a good test of whether you might like the book. Hopefully you are drawn to this field because it interests you. It might sound frivolous to give such emphasis to the plates. In many other fields, this would be true. But here, inherently, the plates represent the goals.

As to the text, it comes well illustrated with numerous diagrams of three dimensional geometry. That's what this is mostly about. And the ray tracing optics that is overlaid on the geometry.

The maths assumes a good familiarity with matrix algebra. And the understanding of how matrices are used in maths and physics to model rotation and translation and scaling. The idea of matrix multiplication representing concatenating of transformations is one of the key elements to grasp. It does get more involved. In 3d, there are surfaces, and often you need to know the tangent plane or the normal to a point on the surface. Partial derivatives are needed for this.

You also get a thorough going over of OpenGL. Chosen because it gives you a powerful graphics language, that lets you learn the concepts quicker. Far quicker than if you had to hand code a lot of the basic operations.

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