I read this book 12 years ago. This book, I believe, took about 10 years in the planning. The extended research that was done for this book is outstanding, and only Anthony Van kampen could have done such historical work. From the back alleys of a village in England, to the first establishment by the English in Australia. Where as Mary Bryant was one of the first prisoners being sent to Sidney Cove. The escape by Mary Bryant from Australia showed her determination, courage, endurance she had to go through in order to return to England. When you begin to read the first page you will have a tough time putting it down untill you read the last and than still you would like to read more. Extremely well written with the accuracy as only Anthony van Kampen can document it.

Carlos Valles was a contemporary of Anthony De Mello and attended his sadhana retreats. This book is a record of one of De Mello's last given retreats. Valles describes the main themes of the retreat and much more. Great insight is given into the genius of De Mello, as well as very interesting biographical information. I have read this book about four times.

De Mello is one of the great spiritual lecturers and writers. It is a big pity that his life ended while he was in his early 50s, it would have been interesting to see where his thought went and how he would have faced the Vatican and it's questioning of his ideas. Fearlessly, no doubt. Valles, though he lacks the charisma and bite of De Mello, he is a highly accomplished author and spiritual master himself.

A book definately worth reading.

Now available as

Applied Algebra and Functional Analysis by Anthony N. Michel, Charles J. Herget

This book is one of a kind. It affords an integrated perspective of traditional high school mathematics, making explicit the intimate relationships between arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Additionally, it indicates and suggests lines of development that are pursued in undergraduate courses. Both purposes - showing the unity of the subject, and indicating further development - are accomplished by placing traditional high school topics in a broader conceptual and historical perspective.

The book is divided into two parts; the first, titled "Algebra and Analysis with Connections to Geometry", deals with numbers, functions, equations, polynomials, and number systems. The second, titled "Geometry with Connections to Algebra and Analysis", deals with congurence, symmetry, similarity, area annd volume, axiomatics, and trigonometry.

To give some idea of coverage, the second chapter (on real and complex numbers) discusses irrational numbers, a proof of the irrationality of e, the nested intervals property of the reals, countable and uncountable sets, and the diagonal proof of the uncountability of the reals. The chapter on equations briefly discusses cubic and quartic equations and states the unsolvability of the general quintic; the names of Gauss, Ruffini and Galois are mentioned. The chapter on integers and polynomials discusses induction, recursive definitions, simple diophantine equations and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. It also indicates the analogies between the integers and the set of polynomials (both are integral domains). The chapter on number system structures discusses modular arithmetic, the Chinese remainder theorem, and gives examples of number fields other than the real and complex number systems (e.g. quadratic fields, and finite fields).

The projects at the end of each chapter extend the material covered in a natural way, and are challenging. To give some stray examples, the coordinatisation of the Riemann sphere, the Cardano-Tartaglia method for solving cubic equations, Fermat's last theorem for n = 4, constructible numbers, and the impossibility of squaring the circle and doubling the cube.

The chapter bibliographies are annotated, up-to-date, and list excellent books for further study.

I have a few criticisms. The first is that surjective functions are not discussed, and in this connection the Schroder-Bernstein theorem does not get mentioned or proved. A second and more serious criticism is the slender coverage of analytic geometry. Only five or six pages are devoted to this. As a consequence, the authors cannot discuss the rich field of algebraic curves in particular, and algebraic geometry in general. There is also no mention of projective transformations (i.e. projective geometry) or continuous transformations (i.e. topology). Finally, there is no mention of Klein's Erlanger program.

These quibbles aside, the book is well-conceived and well-written. It can join Courant and Robbins' "What is Mathematics", and Stillwell's "Mathematics and its History" as a book that gives a bird's eye perspective of (part of) the discipline.

Professors teaching undergrad courses would want this book on their shelves; it shows some of the connections between high school material and the relatively abstract courses taught at college (e.g. Galois theory, group theory, algebraic number theory, and real and complex analysis). Undergrad students might want this book for the same reasons. High school teachers who want a bird's eye perspective of high school mathematics from a sophisticated point of view might also want a copy; suggested lines of development can be used as enrichment topics.

I highly recommend this book for scholars and curious men and women alike

The book title tells the story: all the wings, medals, ribbons, and badges, from World War II to today, illustrated and explained in this comprehensive guide to the insignia of the U.S. Air Force and its predecessor organizations.
The award criteria are all thoroughly covered, with supplementary information on the evolution of wings, rank insignia, and other heretofore confusing matters. Additional advice is given on wearing, display, and post-service application for medals by veterans, retirees, and families. The coverage is complete and this work will be an excellent resource for veterans, military history buffs, and collectors alike.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

"The Mediterranean Runs Through Brooklyn contains a series of portraits: "My Mother," "My Father," "My Sister," "My Aunts" and others. Valerio writes with a rich style, and has an unusually good eye for detail. The situations happen in Brooklyn in the life of an Italian-American family, and sometimes in Italy. The book has zest, high humor, madness, detached reflection, and pathos."

--Los Angeles Times

Pierre loved his childhood and the people in it. His story is simply told but resonates with love and admiration for his Grandparents from whom it seems he learnt the truths of life, good food & good friends are among the most important things to have in one's life. This book will remain a treasure for years to come.

The recipes may be more than a home cook wishes to tackle but if ever you are gifted with foie gras or a pheasant this book will inspire you to work wonders with these ingredients.

Anthony Dyer,the last President of the East African Professional Hunters' Association, brings together some of the most compelling lives in the history of eastern Africa. The book contains an astonishing wealth of photographs from the turn of the century to the present day. The focus is primarily on those brave and independent spirits who, drawn by its wild majesty, chose to make early Africa their home. Not forgotten are the women who came to Africa; the wives and daughters who knew all the joys and sorrows of life in a brutal, yet beautiful, land. Dyer brings to life the romantics, the pragmatists, the rascals, and the intellectuals. Highly recommended!

This book gives a history of makeup effects through biographies of the biggest contributors to the field. Whether you are looking for a career in the industry, or just want to know how movie effects are created, this is a great resource