I found this book to be incredibly informative and very well written. It gives the reader a simple, yet complete introduction to these beautiful creatures. I first became facinated with the Beluga whales when I saw the ones at Sea World in Orlando a few years ago. This book by Tony Martin allowed me to learn more about them. Mr. Martin has been studying the Beluga whales for over 17 years, and gives the reader a wonderful descriptive summary complete with the whales pattern of life, evolution and unique characteristics. This book is also has a collection of remarkable photographs that allow you to get a complete understanding of these animals. This is a book anyone will enjoy.

It's Great, I had to do a report and it gave me all the information I needed, I did'nt read it because I had to do this Report, It was fun to read.

I was very surprised about his literary past. Such a great writer. I was interested in hearing what he had to go through to get a book published. Good book overall. Don't get many like this.

This book has interesting facts about his ideals of life, man's envolvemet with nature and ect.

" 'The Book of Understanding' is an encyclopedic work enabling us to ascend the Ladder of Understanding. The author carefully documents each rung of the ladder as it commences from the foundation which is: 'The fear of The Lord' all the way up to the Truth at the very summit. As he presents each rung of the ladder he calls upon the Holy Scriptures, Midrashic and other rabbinic texts, the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud, the Zohar, in addition to commentaries from both Christian and Jewish tradition. So much scholarship is methodically and clearly compiled so as to prove each step up the ladder, beyond the shadow of a doubt. The author systematically searches and researches the sources to painstakingly interpret each word validating each step. Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge, all sound so much alike but he helps us to know the nuances between them - the development and advancement from one to the other. Each rung requires meditation and contemplation for he focuses our attention on how one can live the 'good life' fulfilling the purpose for which we were created, and the goals of the Almighty. 'The Book of Understanding' is in essence a text-book of life, a major contribution for those who seek a way of life based on fundamental faith leading to Understanding." - Rabbi Joseph H. Ehrenkranz, Executive Director - The Center for Christian Jewish Understanding, Fairfield, Connecticut 06432

"This remarkable book is on the concept of understanding as reflected in the Bible , the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo Judaeus, the Talmuds, the Zohar and a very wide range of Church Fathers, Rabbinic, and ancient Egyptian, Ugaritic and Babylonian writings. There is, to my knowledge, no other work on the theme of Understanding assembled with such vast industry from an extraordinarily wide scope of ancient literatures." - Bruce M. Metzger, Ph.D.,L.H.D., Theol. Professor of New Testament Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary. Editor of "The Oxford Annotated Bible" and Editor in Chief of the "Revised Standard Version Bible" and "The New Revised Standard Version Bible.

No one has such a unique style of building bridges as Calatrava, who is trained as an engineer and architect. He focuses not only on profile, shape, and unique solutions but he pays close attention to the underside of the bridge. This book is full of his very intriguing bridge styles with CAD drawings to complement the models and photos of the finished works. There are some essays at the end of the book (some by him) that outline his design philosophy and discuss the controversy his bridges have provoked.

Calatrava's works define contemporay. I might also recommend a look at Wilkinson/Eyre's bridge projects which are in a different style but equally creative.

I saw the book in the library in my university and since the this time i want to have this book. I'm Civil Engienier and in this momenst i'm studing a master degree in México.

This is not a scholarly book in the sense that it's not part of any visible academic debate. It does not treat any particular issue in enough depth to be so.

It is, rather, a sort of textbook. Call it "Introduction to Academic Thought About the Bible." Following the order of the biblical texts and with detours to discuss such topics as the pseudepigrapha and the inter-testamental period, the book lays out basic issues of historical, archaeological and textual biblical criticism, such as, for instance, the idea of the J, E, D and P-authored components of the Old Testament, or the question to what extent the books of Joshua and Judges present different narratives of the conquest of Palestine by the Israelites, and what archaeology has to say about that conquest.

The book does not discuss theology (at least, not modern theology). If you're an inerrantist, this book is not what you're looking for. If you're reading the Bible for the first time, this is probably too much information and not the kind you need to help you follow the narrative. Though it has a section of color plates (and black and white photos throughout) and a limited number of maps, this is not an atlas. This is also not a debunk-the-Bible book -- mainstream believers in the inspired nature of the Biblical should by and large have no objection to the contents of this book.

But if you're generally familiar with the Bible, and interested in increasing your knowledge (in particular, I would suggest reading this alongside a reading of the Bible itself, a method to which the organization of this book lends itself) about Bible studies, I recommend this book without reservation.

This book goes through the Bible historically and gives you the latest in textual and archeological research. It is an easy read, and it seems written for mass consumption, but it is not unscholarly. It is for true students of the Holy Scriptures and not for people who think the holy books are magic words from God. It is a sane, yet reverent approach to the study of ancient literature which we believe is inspired by God. It is NOT fundamentalist. If you are serious about Bible studies, then I recommend this volume whole-heartedly.

This book is a massive piece of work edited by Anthony Kenney, Jan Pinborg and the late Norman Kretzmann. Moreover, Eleonore Stump is an associate editor of this text as well. The book itself is over 1000 pages. It is a history of late medieval philosophy from about 1100 to 1600. The book is essentially a series of essays that deal with the various philosophical trends, ideas, issues, etc. that were prevalent within the aforementioned dates. The book deals with Aristotelian logic, logic in the middle ages (semantic theory), logic in the high middle ages, metaphysics and epistemology, natural philosophy, philosophy of mind and action, ethics, politics, and scholasticism. Thus, the reader of this text will gain a greater understanding about Abelard and old logic to free will and free choice to God's knowledge of future contingents, and much more. The Islamic philosophers and their influences and ideas are covered as well as the Jesus society philosophers of the late reformation period (i.e. Molina, Suarez, etc.). The text itself is not for the beginning philosophy student, thus the contributors expect their readers to have some back ground knowledge in the issues at hand. This book is meant for the serious student of this period. Therefore, if you love to study the philosophers of the Medieval period, then you will love the detail that this book provides. I highly recommend it.

Top medieval scholars edited this collection of essays by other top medieval scholars which brings to light some of the best thought regarding this important, but oft-neglected period in the history of philosophy. While nearly twenty years old, these essays are as enduring as the figures of which they are about. must for any serious student of the scholastic period of medieval philosophy.

I found this to be a surprisingly powerful book. It is a very unusual kid's book, well-written. At the end of the book I wanted to keep reading - to know more about the characters. The two boys whom the book is mainly about are well-drawn and true to life without being stereotypes. This is probably the best book Eleanor Spence has written. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody of high-school age (or older).

i loved this book because it shows the the clashes of behaviour within different societies.

All of my children have enjoyed this book for several years. Many visitors, friends,and relatives have delighted in its pleasant message, clever rhyme, and beautiful illustrations. The companion books Sir Maggie the Mighty , Handy Dandy Helpful Hal, and Max and the Big Fat Lie are great, too. It is a shame that they are no longer in print. They make great gifts.

I have three boys and each one has loved this series. We have 9 books in the series and each one is in rhyme. The books are all focused on one character theme with a printed Bible verse at the end of the story.

This is the best book I've read on the subject. It is complete and gives the views of various scholars both Rasta and non-Rasta. I keep it as a resource and have read it 3 times.

Chanting Down Babylon is a welcomed addition to the growing literature on Rastafari. This reader sucessfully brings together most of the scholars studying Rastafari, as well as Rastafarians themselves, providing an important insight into Rastafari. The inclusion of articles addressing biblical hermeneutics as well as Rastafari theology begins to fill an important gap in Rastafari scholarship. A real treasure for those interested in learning about Rastafari for the first time, and for those who wish to expand their knowledge of this important religious movement.

I read this book last year (2000) after reading a book of Ada Lovelace's letters (mostly to Babbage). I had purchased my hardcover copy at the Computer Museum in Boston MA back in the late 80's or early 90's, but had not read it because it looked daunting and dry. Was I wrong! This book is very readable and utterly fascinating; in fact a page turner that I could hardly put down. I've been looking for a softcover (or even another hardcover) for some time, so I could loan to friends. How delighted I am to find one! Babbage was a fascinating character and this book not only illuminates the man but also the times and the politics and the other fascinating technological events and efforts of the day. The discussion of the "great gauge wars" (the fight for the "ideal" width for railroad tracks) and Babbage's involvement was delightful. It appears he may have invented the first working strip chart recorder. This book was delightful and I got so involved with Babbage that I cried when his death occurred and the book ended. He was a giant among scientists and yet was frustrated all his life, by petty politics and short-sighted politicians, in the effort to build his stupendous and wondrous machines. A wonderful story, full of technological history. Other highlights: descriptions and pictures of the machines (of course); description of the effort to build a tunnel under the Thames river (by the the Jr and Sr Brunels); Babbage's methods (at times he did all phases of the work for his projects) and his workshop; his notes on working out the operation of the machines; family life; involvement in the technical societies of the day. (The book of Ada Lovelace's letters is also highly recommended if this is an interesting area for you.)...

In the early 19th century, a moderately well-off and very well educated Englishman dreams up an elaborate calculating machine for doing log and trig tables. When he begins this project, the railroad and the telegraph do not yet exist. The machine tools and manufacturing methods of the day are not up to the task, so the inventor pushes out the envelope. He more or less succeeds in building his machine, but the British government is not interested.

The inventor goes back to the drawing board, and dreams up a much more elaborate machine, still all mechanical and steam driven, that essentially embodies all the abstractions of a von Neumann machine. Data and instructions are fed to it via punched cards. His collaborator for a number of years, and the author of the best description of the machine and what it can do, is Byron's daughter. The inventor is well known to all intellectual Britons of his day, including Charles Dickens. The inventor even realises that Boolean algebra is may prove important to operating his machine. The Italian government is fascinated. But the British government again cannot be bothered, and so refuses to fund the first computer. And so all that is left are hundreds of detailed blueprints.

The above, and more, is a true story, told in this remarkable book. After this book was printed, IBM paid to have Babbage's machine built by a Swedish team. It works as Babbage expected it to, and is exhibited in the IBM museum in Armonk NY.