Building Accounting Systems Using Access 2002, Brief (with CD-ROM)

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Today's accounting students must know how to develop, audit, and use accounting systems so the information contained within them can then be used by managers and decision makers. This textbook teaches students how to perform this role with Microsoft Access as the database tool.

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A flawless book!

Read this book with your waders on

The Effective Supervisor's Handbook
Louis V. Imundo
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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First Time Supervisors Survival Guide

Common Sense Supervison: A Handbook for Success As a Supervisor

The New Supervisor's Survival Manual

Crisp: Excellence in Supervision: Essential Skills for the New Supervisor (Crisp 50-Minute Book)

Supervisor's Portable Answer Book

ASIN: 0814478298

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A flawless book!.......2006-01-26

The supervisors are just an important link isnide the administrative chain; and the strength of such chain depends on the weakest one.

On the other hand, most of people who conform the Top Mangement pretend very often, to change the environment around them rather than change or even adapting themselves.

In the complex world we live, plentyof opportunities, challenges and fierce competitive status, the role of the supervisor implies by itself, a constant enhancement around all what concern with conceptual and interpersonal abilities, as well to develop the sense of the opportunity, in order to choose the right moment to express the message, how to express it to the right person.

The author remarks the fundamental relevance about the perception, supported by the subjectiveness of the observer respect a fact (Remember Rashomon).

In sum, this text is a sumptuous, illustrative and ambitious journey into the complex, dynamic and ever changing universe ofthe organizations, not only around its iner structures, but besides, respect the outer environment.

Read this book with your waders on.......2001-04-19

Do you have a mentor at work? Does your mentor counsel and support you under every conceivable circumstance? Picture your mentor walking toward you down the hall. It's the end of a typical business day---no earth-shaking crises had to be dealt with, just the normal day-to-day challenges of supervision---

Do you duck into the Ladies' Room to avoid yet another of your mentor's long, boring monologues?

I mean, this guy has really helped your career and you are extremely grateful for his assistance, but the next time he starts to lecture you on how to increase employee productivity, you're going to grab him by the lapels and---

I have very mixed feelings about "The Effective Supervisor's Handbook." On the one hand, it is chock-full of solutions to the everyday challenges of supervision. First-line supervision is not a very glamorous topic and this book fills a definite information gap. I have owned a copy of "The Effective Supervisor's Handbook" for at least five years, and I reference it at least one or two times a month.

On the other hand, its author never overlooks an opportunity to state and restate and re-restate the obvious. Here is a sample from the section, "Self-interest and Work":

"As participants in society, people hold memberships in various organizations. Some memberships are voluntary, whereas others are somewhat involuntary. Except for those activities or organizations where membership and participation are involuntary, people usually have a choice of withdrawing from membership."

The climax to this section is, "No one can force you to stay at a job."

The normal reaction upon completing this section is, 'why did we just spend two pages on something this obvious?'

"The Effective Supervisor's Handbook" is exactly as advertised. It has sensible advice for everything from managing the office grapevine, to the benefits and risks of counseling employees. If you are a first-line supervisor, ignore the truck-loads of trendy books on 'leadership' and 'management.' Buy this book, put your waders on, and fish out the bits that apply to your particular situation.

Product Description

Supervisors will readily agree with me when I state that the responsibility of supervising other people is complex, undervalued, and misunderstood. I have tried to clear up some of the misunderstandings and present "keys" to successful supervision. At all times I have recognized the supervisor's critical contribution to the delivery of health services. It is clear to me that the real job of labor and employee relations is done on a day-to-day basis by the first-line supervisor and the department head. I address this study with this how-to manual, to all of you who get the job done. Chapters cover: 1) The Supervisor as Manager 2) How to Interview: First Step to Better Placement 3) How to Avoid the High Cost of Turnover: Getting the New Employee Started 4) How to Evaluate Performance 5) How to Communicate for Change 6) How to discipline: The Positive Approach 7) How to Handle Grievances Effectively 8) How to Act or React to a Union Organizing Drive: What You Can Do 9) How to Measure Results of Your Supervisory Efforts

Effective Teaching Practices: An Instructional Handbook for Teachers and Supervisors

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Effective Teaching Practices: An Instructional Handbook for Teachers and Supervisors
Judith J. Delbosco
Manufacturer: Judith Del Bosco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0961743808

ICMA Effective Supervisory Skill Building Participant's Handbook

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ICMA Effective Supervisory Skill Building Participant's Handbook
Lydia Bjornlund
Manufacturer: ICMA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0873267028

Product Description

The course helps first-line and mid-level supervisors develop the supervisory skills they need. This is the participant's handbook.

Performance appraisal manual for managers and supervisors: A guide to effective performance appraisal

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Performance appraisal manual for managers and supervisors: A guide to effective performance appraisal
William S Hubbartt
Manufacturer: CCH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006QKMTC

The supervisor's handbook: A comprehensive guide to effective performance management

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The supervisor's handbook: A comprehensive guide to effective performance management
John J Aluise
Manufacturer: Wellness Publishing, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006PGE40

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View the Table of Contents. Read the Preface.

"Bazyler has written an indispensable history of Holocaust restitution as litigated in US courts. . . . Essential."
—CHOICE

”Any activist or scholar interested in any restitution movement should read this book.”
—Journal of Genocide Research

"Bazyler rightly attacks the commission as an unmitigated disaster and . . . correctly describes the situation as a disgrace."
—Financial Times Magazine

"Holocaust Justice tells the complete story of the legal campaign to win restitution for Hitler's victims and thus deserves a large reading audience. . . . The Book should remain the standard work on the subject for some time to come."
—New Jersey Jewish News

"Bazyler . . . gives details of nationwide litigation in which courts rejected the legal basis for such claims. His book is enlightening and provocative."
—Los Angeles Times

"Michael Bazyler has written an incisive and compelling history of the effort to use law to gain a measure of justice for victims of the Holocaust. Not only is the book an indispensable chronicle of the Holocaust litigation; it is a probing inquiry into the wisdom and morality of the effort."
—Burt Neuborne, John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law, NYU Law School, Lead Settlement Counsel, in Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation

“By patiently walking us through the vast and complex labyrinth of litigation and legislation that focused on securing reparations and restitution, Bazyler shows us that the loss of property caused by the bureaucratic workings of banks, corporations, and insurance companies was even more difficult to prove in court than the loss of life caused by no less bureaucratic workings of the concentration camps.”
—Washington Post

"In this lucid and compelling book, Bazyler documents the fight for restitution, its successes, and its failures."
—Booklist

"...A definitive analytical study of how the American courts and system of justice were used to address the mass-scale theft initiated by the Holocaust."
— Wisconsin Bookwatch

"Bazyler has produced a masterful study of the tragedy and triumphs of the Holocaust, and a look at the American legal system as its most effective and redemptive. The book is a "must read."
—International Journal of Legal Information

“A masterly study of the search for justice against long odds. Its analysis is compelling, its importance immense. It is also a fascinating read.”
—Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, author of Hitler's Willing Executioners and A Moral Reckoning

“An indispensable guide to the complex and controversial struggle for justice in the aftermath of the Holocaust, traversing the history of the battle for restitution in America's courts. Bazyler's understanding is authoritative and his learning deep. I thought I knew all the intricacies of the litigation, all the ins and outs of the controversy until I read this book and learned that there was so much more to know. He has done a masterful job of clarifying and elucidating. This work must be studied by anyone interested in the issue. It is a model of fairness.”
—Michael Berenbaum, Sigi Ziering Institute, The University of Judaism

“This book should be read by everyone interested in how some measure of justice was obtained for victims of the Holocaust and about how issues of historical injustice should be addressed by the international community.”
—Paul Hoffman, Chair, Amnesty International

“An incisive work of legal history and an invaluable guide to the litigation involving Holocaust-era assets. Bazyler offers an elegant and up-to-date study that will prove indispensable for those interested in restitution law, the Holocaust, and the issue of historical injustice."
—Jonathan Petropoulos former Research Director, Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States.

“Michael Bazyler brings the passion of a child of Holocaust survivors and the tenacious investigative skills of a lawyer in addressing the complexities of Holocaust restitution. The result is courageous, provocative, and sobering.”
—Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center

". . . is valuable as a play-by-play of litigation on the Swiss banks cases, slave labor, Nazi-looted art and Holocaust-era insurance policies."
—Jewish Journal

"The restitution cases he cites in support of his thesis are thoroughly researched and Professor Bazyler's argument is provocative."
—The Art Newspaper

"Bazyler writes intelligently and often bends over backward to give the other side fair representation. But there is no doubt where he stands."
— Hadassah Magazine

"A book born of passion."—Simon Reich, University of Pittsburgh

The Holocaust was not only the greatest murder in history; it was also the greatest theft. Historians estimate that the Nazis stole roughly $230 billion to $320 billion in assets (figured in today's dollars), from the Jews of Europe. Since the revelations concerning the wartime activities of the Swiss banks first broke in the late 1990s, an ever-widening circle of complicity and wrongdoing against Jews and other victims has emerged in the course of lawsuits waged by American lawyers. These suits involved German corporations, French and Austrian banks, European insurance companies, and double thefts of art—first by the Nazis, and then by museums and private collectors refusing to give them up. All of these injustices have come to light thanks to the American legal system.

Holocaust Justice is the first book to tell the complete story of the legal campaign, conducted mainly on American soil, to address these injustices. Michael Bazyler, a legal scholar specializing in human rights and international law, takes an in-depth look at the series of lawsuits that gave rise to a coherent campaign to right historical wrongs. Diplomacy, individual pleas for justice by Holocaust survivors and various Jewish organizations for the last fifty years, and even suits in foreign courts, had not worked. It was only with the intervention of the American courts that elderly Holocaust survivors and millions of other wartime victims throughout the world were awarded compensation, and equally important, acknowledgment of the crimes committed against them.

The unique features of the American system of justice—which allowed it to handle claims that originated over fifty years ago and in another part of the world—made it the only forum in the world where Holocaust claims could be heard. Without the lawsuits brought by American lawyers, Bazyler asserts, the claims of the elderly survivors and their heirs would continue to be ignored.

For the first time in history, European and even American corporations are now being forced to pay restitution for war crimes totaling billions of dollars to Holocaust survivors and other victims. Bazyler deftly tells the unfolding stories: the Swiss banks' attempt to hide dormant bank accounts belonging to Holocaust survivors or heirs of those who perished in the war; German private companies that used slave laborers during World War II—including American subsidiaries in Germany; Italian, Swiss and German insurance companies that refused to pay on prewar policies; and the legal wrangle going on today in American courts over art looted by the Nazis in wartime Europe. He describes both the human and legal dramas involved in the struggle for restitution, bringing the often-forgotten voices of Holocaust survivors to the forefront. He also addresses the controversial legal and moral issues over Holocaust restitution and the ethical debates over the distribution of funds.

With an eye to the future, Bazyler discusses the enduring legacy of Holocaust restitution litigation, which is already being used as a model for obtaining justice for historical wrongs on both the domestic and international stage.

Customer Reviews:

The story of the effort to win compensation for the Theft of the Property of the Jews of Europe.......2006-11-29

This is a clear, comprehensive well- written account of a search for justice and compensation for those whose property and possesions were stolen during the Holocaust. The author Michael Bazyler, who is Professor of Law at Whittier Law School in California and international law litigator, rightly notes the outset that the property crimes of the Holocaust, secondary to the murder of eleven million human beings, including six million Jews, are nonetheless of great significace. Bazyler makes a strong case for the historical importance and rightness of the search for compensation for the property loss.
For over five decades major international business firms in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany had ignored and covered up their role in property- crimes. The major banks of Switzerland, United Bank of Switzerland, Credit Suisse , and the Swiss Bank Corporation had been heartlessly cruel to individuals by refusing to acknowledge their bank accounts.In the course of the investigations the banks were proven to have collaborated with the Nazis in purchase of gold some of which was taken from the bodies of victims. The Swiss Government had traded with and so supported the Nazi regime.
Bazyler tells the story of the search for compensation in the United States Courts. It turns out that Justice could be attained not in any European courts but only in American ones. The willingness of the U.S. court system to hear these claims, the ability of U.S. government officials ( U.S, Senator Alfonse D'Amato and New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi played key roles ) enabled pressure to be applied to the Swiss government and firms. The tale of their shameful stonewalling, denial and attempt to escape from any honest dealing with the heirs of the bank account holders is a fascinating part of the story. The compensation deal which was finally made for 1.25 billion dollars actually meant that very small amounts of compensation went to individual holders of accounts. But the whole process did have the positive effect of exposing the degree of venality and criminality, beside sheer human heartlessness of the Swiss Banking Community and political establishment.
Bazyler then goes on to tell the even more heartbreaking story of the slave-laborers search for compensation from Germany. The German firms at first tried to deny and escape any responsibility. The slave-labor issue also extended to firms outside of Germany including even Ford and I.B.M. Again to make a long story short an agreement was reached which led to compensation being given to slave- laborers. Eighty percent of those who received compensation for having worked as slave- laborers were Slavs from Eastern Europe. The relatively small sums of compensation by Western terms, a few thousand dollars only, could in the case of many of those living in Eastern Europe be of significant help. And this when all of this was of course a mere pittance in comparison to the 'real price' in suffering, in life, in time , in dignity which was paid by the slave- laborers.
Bazyler also considers the whole question of stolen art and its return.
In his last chapters he replies to those critics of the whole historical effort to gain monetary compensation. Important well- meaning Jewish voices criticized the whole effort as demeaning the Shoah, as somehow enabling the criminals to think that they had paid off and so made up for their crimes. Bazyler takes strong exception to these critics. He shows, rightly in my opinion, how the class- suits and public attention they generated , exposed Holocaust criminals who had been masquerading as ordinary citizens. He points out that 'monetary compensation' is the only form of compensation possible when speaking of crimes of theft. There was no intention to in any way equate these crimes in weight and significance with the horrible acts of murder and torture which the Nazis and their accomplices committed. Bazyler also refutes the charge that the suits may have stirred new Anti- Semitism in a Europe which has never truly freed itself of Anti-Semitism. Bazyler points out how for a number of those who received the compensation there was a certain sense of justice done.
In his last chapter Bazyler talks about the way such class- action suits may be used by other victims of historical property theft.
This is a well- documented and extremely well- written study.
The persistence, devotion of many of the litigants and also of the lawyers is one side of the story. Another side , is the evil of the evildoers, those who profited from theft and hid that profiting for decades.
Justice of course cannot really be done to the victims, even to those victims who lost only property. For no one lost only property, in a crime whose essence was in destroying the very humanity of its victims, in depriving them of every last bit of human dignity.

An original and core addition to Holocaust Studies reference.......2003-09-18

Holocaust Justice: The Battle For Restitution In America's Courts by Michael J. Bazyler (Professor of Law, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, California, and Fellow at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC) is a definitive analytical study of how the American courts and system of justice were used to address the mass-scale theft initiated by the Holocaust, which not only exterminated six billion Jews but also stole hundreds of billions in wealth and possessions from its Jewish victims. Since the end of World War II, this mass theft was further perpetrated and exacerbated by Swiss banks that refused to give the families of Holocaust survivors their due; Italian, Swiss, and German insurance policies that refused to pay on prewar policies; wrangling in the courts concerning art looted by the Nazis in wartime Europe, and more. An original and core addition to Holocaust Studies reference collections, Holocaust Justice is a thoughtful, informative, detailed, authoritative study of the ongoing battle for justice stretching decades after Nazi genocide was ended by the Allies along with the rest of the Third Reich.

Book Description

This book on the terrestrial space environment is directed at a broad group of students and scientists, who seek knowledge of the methods and results of space research. The only prerequisites are fundamental physics and mathematics as usually acquired in introductory college courses in science or engineering curricula. Stressing physical insight rather than mathematical precision, Physics of the Earth's Space Environment derives further knowledge on selected topics as each phenomenon is considered and strives to present experimental results in conjunction with basic reasoning about the underlying physics. The content's breadth and introductory nature make this an ideal textbook for students in geophysics, meteorology, space sciences and astronomy.

The Solar-Terrestrial Environment: An Introduction to Geospace - the Science of the Terrestrial Upper Atmosphere, Ionosphere, and Magnetosphere (Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series)

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The Solar-Terrestrial Environment: An Introduction to Geospace - the Science of the Terrestrial Upper Atmosphere, Ionosphere, and Magnetosphere (Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series)
John Keith Hargreaves
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521427371

Book Description

The book begins with three introductory chapters that provide some basic physics and explain the principles of physical investigation. The principal material contained in the main part of the book covers the neutral and ionized upper atmosphere, the magnetosphere, and structures, dynamics, disturbances, and irregularities. The concluding chapter deals with technological applications. The account is introductory, at a level suitable for readers with a basic background in engineering or physics. The intent is to present basic concepts, and for that reason, the mathematical treatment is not complex. SI units are given throughout, with helpful notes on cgs units where these are likely to be encountered in the research literature. This book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are taking introductory courses on upper atmospheric, ionospheric, or magnetospheric physics. This is a successor to The Upper Atmosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Relations, published in 1979.

Book Description

Many significant fundamental concepts and practical applications have developed since the publication of the best-selling second edition of the Handbook of Conducting Polymers. Now divided into two books, the third edition continues to retain the excellent expertise of the editors and world-renowned contributors while providing superior coverage of recent advances in the chemistry, physics, and materials science of conjugated and conducting organic polymers. Conjugated Polymers: Theory, Synthesis, Properties, and Characterization, the first volume in the set, focuses on the theories, synthetic methods, and basic physical aspects needed to understand the behavior and performance of conjugated polymers. The book initially examines the theories behind p-conjugated materials and electron-lattice dynamics in organic systems. Subsequent chapters detail synthesis methods and electrical and physical properties of the full family of conducting polymers, including polyacetylenes, polyanilines, poly(arylene vinylenes), poly(arylene ethynylenes), and polyheterocycles. Featuring topics central to the science and technology of conducting polymers, this book offers easy access to up-to-date information and provides the basis for the second installment in the set.

Handbook of Conducting Polymers, Third Edition - 2 Volume Set (Handbook of Conducting Polymers)

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Two thumbs up!

Handbook of Conducting Polymers, Third Edition - 2 Volume Set (Handbook of Conducting Polymers)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1574446657

Book Description

As the field of conjugated, electrically conducting, and electroactive polymers has grown, the Handbook of Conducting Polymers has been there to document and celebrate these changes along the way. Now split into two volumes, this third edition incorporates the latest developments in both the fundamental science and practical applications of polymers while maintaining the clear format of the previous editions and the expertise of the editors and world-renowned contributors. The first volume in the set focuses on the concepts and basic physical aspects needed to understand the behavior and performance of conjugated polymers. The book describes the theories behind p-conjugated materials and electron-lattice dynamics in organic systems. It also details synthesis methods and electrical and physical properties of the entire family of conducting polymers. Picking up where the first volume left off, the second book concentrates on the numerous processing methods for conducting polymers and their integration into various devices and applications. It first examines coating, printing, and spinning methods for complex patterned films and fibers. The book then shows how conducting and semiconducting polymers are applied in many devices, such as light-emitting displays, solar cells, field effect transistors, electrochromic panels, charge storage devices, biosensors, and actuators. As the science of conjugated and conducting polymers progresses, further applications will be realized, fueling greater possibilities in textiles, optics, electronics, and biomedicine. This handbook will be there to provide essential information on polymers as well as the most up-to-date developments.

Customer Reviews:

Two thumbs up!.......2000-04-15

This book is a must for all univesity chemistry libraries! The subject of conducting polymers is of great interest in chemical research; this book covers comprehensively the important facts and findings. This book is suitable for students and researchers who are interested in this subject, and will serve as an excellent general introductory, or an encyclopedic source.

Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules and Polymers, 4 Volume Set (Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules & Polymers, 4 Vol.)

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Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules and Polymers, 4 Volume Set (Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules & Polymers, 4 Vol.)

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Conductive polymers--polymers that conduct electricity--have applications in telecommunications, electronics, materials science, chemistry and physics. The four self-contained volumes of this handbook thoroughly explore all aspects of conductive polymers including chemical and physical properties, technology and applications.

Conductive polymers--polymers that conduct electricity--have applications in telecommunications, electronics, materials science, chemistry and physics. The four self-contained volumes of this handbook thoroughly explore all aspects of conductive polymers including chemical and physical properties, technology and applications.

Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules and Polymers, Charge-Transfer Salts, Fullerenes and Photoconductors (Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules & Polymers, Charge-)

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Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules and Polymers, Charge-Transfer Salts, Fullerenes and Photoconductors (Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules & Polymers, Charge-)

Manufacturer: Wiley
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Binding: Hardcover

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Conductive polymers—polymers that conduct electricity—have applications in telecommunications, electronics, materials science, chemistry and physics. The four self-contained volumes of this handbook thoroughly explore all aspects of conductive polymers including chemical and physical properties, technology and applications.

Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules and Polymers, Conductive Polymers: Spectroscopy and Physical Properties (Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules & Polymers, Conduct)

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Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules and Polymers, Conductive Polymers: Spectroscopy and Physical Properties (Handbook of Organic Conductive Molecules & Polymers, Conduct)

Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Handbook of Conducting Polymers

Manufacturer: Marcel Dekker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 082477454X

Book Description

It is often said that speech is what distinguishes us from other animals. But are we all talk? What if language was bequeathed to us not by word of mouth, but as a hand-me-down?

The notion that language evolved not from animal cries but from manual and facial gestures--that, for most of human history, actions have spoken louder than words--has been around since Condillac. But never before has anyone developed a full-fledged theory of how, why, and with what effects language evolved from a gestural system to the spoken word. Marshaling far-flung evidence from anthropology, animal behavior, neurology, molecular biology, anatomy, linguistics, and evolutionary psychology, Michael Corballis makes the case that language developed, with the emergence of Homo sapiens, from primate gestures to a true signed language, complete with grammar and syntax and at best punctuated with grunts and other vocalizations. While vocal utterance played an increasingly important complementary role, autonomous speech did not appear until about 50,000 years ago--much later than generally believed.

Bringing in significant new evidence to bolster what has been a minority view, Corballis goes beyond earlier supporters of a gestural theory by suggesting why speech eventually (but not completely!) supplanted gesture. He then uses this milestone to account for the artistic explosion and demographic triumph of the particular group of Homo sapiens from whom we are descended. And he asserts that speech, like written language, was a cultural invention and not a biological fait accompli.

Writing with wit and eloquence, Corballis makes nimble reference to literature, mythology, natural history, sports, and contemporary politics as he explains in fascinating detail what we now know about such varied subjects as early hominid evolution, modern signed languages, and the causes of left-handedness. From Hand to Mouth will have scholars and laymen alike talking--and sometimes gesturing--for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Worthwhile........2005-08-02

Corballis assembles evidence in favor of the theory that sophisticated gestural language (as contrasted to "proto-language") preceded spoken language. Certainly, this makes great intuitive sense, since there is a steady increase over time in genus homo in that part of the brain which controls language, whether it be gestural or vocal, and this preceded the evolution of fine vocal capabilities. Moreover, it is intuitive that gestures come more naturally, and with use would become more expressive and "conventionalized". On the other hand, while tool making became more sophisticated with the Acheulian technology, found in sites as old as 1.4 million years ago, the real flowering of tools, art, religion was more likely around 50,000 years ago, when the capability for fine vocalization already existed, suggesting, as many scientists have concluded, that there may have been a major leap forward at that time in speech and conceptualization (cf. Turner, Mark and Gilles Fauconnier: "The Way We Think"). So how worthwhile is "From Hand to Mouth"? Much of the writing is good, I enjoy Corballis' many wisecracks, and he examines what is known in the many relevant subject areas. Although he tries to be fair, he can be sloppy. While he cites Jared Diamond's "Third Chimpanzee", he repeats the conclusions some scientist's have drawn from the development of the numerous "creole's", without mentioning, as Diamond does, the possible flaw in reaching such conclusions. At other times, he makes assumptions without realizing he is doing so. Thus, in mammals, right limbs are controlled by the left side of the brain, and visa versa. This is not an inevitable specialization as Corballis thinks, but may owe more to how evolution frequently works: if designed from scratch, it might be more efficient to have both sets of limbs controlled from the same brain area. The Corballis chapter on right brain vs left brain suffers very much from lack of reference to the work of a noted neurologist, reported in a great book: , "Phantoms in the Brain" by Ramachandran. Incidentally, the role of the FOXP2 gene in speech (see earlier reviewer) is quite controversial. "From Hand to Mouth" is definitely worthwhile, but a better book on the subject will undoubtedly be written.

Quite interesting.......2002-10-01

It may seem unusual for a psychologist to publish a book on linguistics and the origins of human language, but Michael Corballis has produced an intriguing work full of speculation and theory. The author asks an essential question--why did it take modern humans ("modern" meaning the last 150,000 years or so) such a long time to develop a fully spoken language? He theorizes that we may have had the potential for spoken language for as long as a million years (hardwired into our brains) but we only began significant utilization of that ability around 50,000 years ago. What was the catalyst that pushed ancient man from a mostly manual language to a spoken one? According to the author, it was a largely cultural development spurred on by numerous factors, including (but not limited to) increased socialization among early humans. Spoken language is a far more effective medium than a manual one, and early man quickly discovered that in the highly competitive world of Ice-Age Europe, vocal socialization, with its easy exchange of ideas and new technologies, may have been the difference between survival and extinction. Another point of interest: there may have been a prehistoric "Renaissance" in art and early technology at this time, perhaps resulting from our newfound linguistic abilities. Also, genetic evidence from that time period suggests divergence in the human genome; could our newborn use of language have been a factor?

However, recent evidence may undermine (or significantly alter) the socialization/culture theory. The discovery of the FOXP2 gene, which seems to control the articulation of words and grammar, may have appeared in humans as far back as 2.5 to 3 million years ago. (Interestingly, Neanderthals may also have possessed this mutation, meaning that they, too may have been capable of speech--adding fuel to the debate over how they died out). I believe this book was published before this discovery was revealed. Yet there may still be room for Corballis' theory and similar ideas, even with this new information. Perhaps the mutation gave us the potential, but maybe it took the pressures of survival coupled with the increased social interactions of people living in close proximity to fully trigger it. Of course, we haven't completely lost our manual tendencies; think about how much hand gestures factor into conversations.

Book Description

The purpose of this book is twofold: to provide a brief, simple introduction to the theory of radiation and its applcation in astrophysics and to serve as a refernce manual for researchers. The first part of the book consists of a dicussion of the basic formulas and concepts that underlie the classical and quantum descriptions of radiation processes. The rest of the book is concerned with applications. The spirit of the discussion is to present simple derivations that will provide some insight into the basic physics involved and then to state the exact results in a form useful for applications. The reader is referred to the original literature and to reviews for rigorous derivations.

The wide range of topics covered is illustrated by the following table of contents: Basic Formulas for Classical Radiation Processes; Basic Formulas for Quantum Radiation Processes; Cyclotron and Synchrotron Radiation; Electron Scattering; Bremsstrahlung and Collision Losses; Rediative Recombination; The Photoelectric Effect; and Emission and Absorption Lines.

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Radiation Proceses in Astrophysics
Wallace H. Tucker
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQKKSW

Book Description

Word Wallace is just a con man with no ambition till he falls for Alberta. She career-manages him into the Oval Office where he takes charge of a failing president and overthrows a conspiracy to impeach him.

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