No comments about Anna Freud: The Dream of Psychoanalysis (Radcliffe Biography Series).

2 comments about Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Engineering Knight Errant.

1. This book will leave you with a good feel for the man and what drove him, but the technical side of his achievements is lacking. Extraordinary he certainly was, but somewhat less admirable than his reputation would suggest.

   The book is well written and it describes Brunel's times as well as his character excellently. I would have been more interested in how such impressive engineering feats were achieved when the mathematical methods and the physical means of realising them were so rudimentary. But it was still a good read and kept me engrossed from cover to cover.




2. I was tremendously impressed with Adrian Vaughan after watching his outstanding commentary on the British documentary "Men of Iron", so I sought out his biography of Brunel. As he explains in the introduction, Vaughan's intention here was to balance Rolt's biography of Brunel, which almost unquestionably praises everything Brunel did.
   
   I expected Vaughan's book to be a polar opposite of Rolt's, but it isn't. Vaughan looks at Brunel's activities far more critically (especially regarding the management debacles on the Great Eastern project), but not to the point of being critical for the sake of being critical.
   
   In my opinion, this book and Rolt's book are must-reads on Brunel. If you were somehow forced to read only one, however, Vaughan's book would be the choice (owing to its better balance of criticism and praise).
   
   I agree with other reviewers that this book (and Rolt's book) are not exhaustive technical resources on Brunellian engineering; they cover the man far more than his methods. Although more technical detail would be nice, their absence doesn't make the books disappointing in any way.
   
   If I had to offer one criticism of Vaughan's treatment, it would be that he emphasizes railroad projects far more than bridges and ships. That's just personal preference - I'd like a little more detail on ships and bridges. In fact, I wish Vaughan had simply written the book twice as long as it is.

No comments about Life Of Vincent Priessnitz: Founder Of Hydropathy (1898).

3 comments about Music to Move the Stars: A Life with Stephen Hawking.

1. Jane Hawking tells life as she lived it with her husband of 25 years Stephen Hawking. This is a story of families - those that Stephen and Jane came from and the one they built. The interplay of love given and received from unexpected sources is a major theme of this book.

   Kind words from colleagues were remembered as she struggled to bring up 3 children and help make a sick husband strong.
   The energy needed to run concerts, dinner parties, childrens' parties, trips and more comes through in the book, as well as profound emotions. Insights on living with the disabled from a family perspective abound.

   This book inspires one to make the most out of life. Stephen's pioneering research is clearly explained in simple terms for those who do not have a PhD in the mathematical physics of black holes. If a little lengthy, it reveals vignettes of an academic life that roams from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge across the Atlantic to dreary Seattle and sunny Pasadena.

   With candid insights into her private spiritual experiences the author draws her own conclusions regarding the role of God in the universe.




2. Jane Hawking tells life as she lived it with her husband of 25 years Stephen Hawking. This is a story of families - those that Stephen and Jane came from and the one they built.

   The interplay of love given and received from unexpected sources is a major theme of this book. Kind words from colleagues were remembered as she struggled to bring up 3 children and help make a sick husband strong.

   Insights on living with the disabled from a family perspective abound. The energy needed to run concerts, dinner parties, childrens' parties, trips and more comes through in the book, as well as profound emotions.

   This book inspires one to make the most out of life. Stephen's pioneering research is clearly explained in simple terms for those who do not have a PhD in the mathematical physics of black holes. If a little lengthy, it reveals vignettes of an academic life that roams from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge across the Atlantic to dreary Seattle and sunny Pasadena.

   With candid insights into her private spiritual experiences the author draws her own conclusions regarding the role of God in the universe.




3. This is an interesting book on a multitude of levels. It is not just your regular celebrity expose. It is also a look into the life of an academic family, the family of a severely handicapped person, and a look into British life.

   Jane Hawking married Stephen Hawking, believing that his life would be a short one. They hoped to jam as much love and fulfillment into what they thought would be short years together. They married fairly young, had children right away and set to keeping house. (Boy, wasn't everyone surprised at his staying power!)

   Jane (May I call her Jane?) describes the domestic details of a young family as well as the intrigues of her tweedy academic society at the University. Its a delightful look into how academes live, describing the politics, the society and the passion for learning. At various points, they travel to the States and other places in Europe and she enlightens us on the life of the learned in those places, as well. If you contemplate a career in academia, this book can be enlightening.

   She, for many years, was an astounding caregiver, dealing with Stephen's (May I call him Stephen?) progressive physical decline and heavier demands. She managed to run the household, raise the kids, and literally haul him around for years before a serious respiratory incident forced her to bring professional nurses in full-time. She recounts battles with the British health care system, battles for access with the University, and the domestic friction that one would expect when one member of the family is so handicapped.

   Jane got a PhD in her own right (you GO, girl!) in Spanish poetry and here is where the book loses a star. The book's a bit more wordy than it needs to be, on a number of fronts. My PhD buddies tend to write non-thesis material like that. I recognize the style. A bit of editing may have been nice.

   Still, a worthy read for moms, academes, caregivers, stargazers, Spanish poets, Baroque musicians...

1 comments about A Dictionary of Scientists (Oxford Paperback Reference).

1. For scientists of all ages this is a great book with concise
   descriptions of 100's of scientists from the Greeks onwards. A brief description of their family background, when born and died is followed by all you need to know, about their main scientific endeavors. There are few obvious omissions
   but I must bring to task the editors for not listing perhaps the greatest British chemist of the nineteenth century - Sir Joseph Wilson Swan (inventor of the electric light bulb; modern photographic paper and the production of polymeric fibres).

   At this price you will not find a better quick reference book.

5 comments about Digital Hustlers: Living Large and Falling Hard in Silicon Alley.

1. The best non-fiction uses its subject matter to provoke thought of a variety of issues. I found "Digital Hustlers" to be exactly that: a brilliant expose of how the "Gotterdammerung" effect took its toll on all aspects of late-nineties startup culture. The book collects powerful stories from all sides of this deflated, polygonal zeitgeist and presents them with clarity in a modern format.

   Being in a German synth-rock band, I found the book's philisophical implications most interesting. History continues to repeat itself and we shall never forget.

   Not to end in too heavy-handed of fashion, but I would like to commend Kait and Weiss on their triumph. They have succeeded in capturing a brief but potent era in America's history and exploding it onto the written page.

   I found it very interesting.




2. Weiss and Kait have written the greatest book about Silicon Alley tycoons I have recently read. Kait and Weiss are truly the Woodward and Bernstein of the year. The book has many insights. For example, when TheGlobe.com started paying their workers with pizza, you really got the feeling like maybe, even though pizza is good, it isn't as good as actual money. And Josh Harris really went a little overboard with that three-month party. Two months would have been enough! Was that why the Nasdaq crashed on April 17--a day that will live in infamy? Weiss and Kait think it might have been a factor. I recommend this book to anyone who lives in Manhattan and used to work for an Internet company that is now out of business and is under 25 and is unemployed and doesn't think it would be fun to be paid with pizza!



3. This 'book' is nothing but a collection of stutters from too many people. There is no central character to follow. Its really hard to stay motivated in reading this.



4. The content of this book is interesting and even fascinating at times. However, the way the content is structured makes it difficult to read and understand. Essentially, the authors have conducted many interviews of the key players of Silicon Alley companies in New York. The interviews provide a story of the rise of Silicon Alley from 1995 to 2000. What makes the story so interesting is the rapid rise of the companies such as theglobe.com and then in 2000 the rapid fall. There are many companies stories in the book and also a description of New York culture through-out the period.

   The whole book would be more interesting if it had been organised in chapters according to each company. Instead the book is organised by themes like "The New Worker". The chapter then contains partial segments of interviews from many interviews conducted which help to understand the theme. This causes quite a bit of confusion, because it is similar to skipping from one music track to another very quickly . It would have been better for the authors to do as little work as possible an simply presented the interviews as they were created. This would have turned the book into a narrative of easy and historically fascinating reading.




5. This book is snippets of conversations from people who were influences in the .com era. Unfortunately, there are so many people, I have no idea who JOHN is or what project he was related with. And I don't care. The book does nothing to tell a story. Its not really a book...its more like journal someone would use to write a book.

   I am very interested in the real-life stories of .com businesses...how they got started, how big they got and how they fell from grace.

   This is not one of those books.

No comments about Bernard G Sarnat: 20th Century Plastic Surgeon and Biological Scientist.

1 comments about A Love of Discovery: Science Education - The Second Career of Robert Karplus (Innovations in Science Education and Technology).

1. Once upon a time, science was taught in classrooms using wordy textbooks and a chalk board. There were no practical lessons and there was no room for exploration. Then a man called Bob Karplus came along and changed all that.
   "A Love of Discovery" describes the achievements of Bob Karplus in transforming American classroom science.
   Karplus initiated the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) in the early 1960s which aimed to find methods of teaching students of all ages scientific concepts in a way that would excite and inspire them about science. Their method was essentially, "Don't tell me, let me find out." They guided students through practical problems allowing them to make their own observations about the world.
   The editor of "A Love of Discovery", Robert G Fuller, states in his introduction that the book is "an attempt to support the claim that several of his contributions to science education are as important today as they were when he first made them." In one sense the book achieves its aim. It introduces a new generation of readers to Karplus' work. It places many of his key papers in one easy volume. However to some extent the book also fails this aim. The many contributors are eager to point out the success of Karplus' program, its translation into numerous languages, and its use in schools across the world. However all this success gives the feeling that the book is redundant: We don't need to hear about Karplus because we already know.
   The structure is a slightly awkward mix of plain-English introductory chapters written by ex-colleagues, and Karplus' own research papers. The juxtaposition of these two styles does not work particularly well. The introductions to Karplus' papers are filled with praise for the man and his work, but seem to have only a loose association with the papers they are supposed to be introducing. The resulting structure means the book loses momentum and the ideas presented do not seem to build upon the one before.
   Nonetheless, the book is a valuable one in that it is a tribute to a man who achieved so much in his work. The difference that Karplus' research made to science education is clear. Many science educators would find Karplus' methods a useful tool in their classrooms today.

5 comments about Everybody Wins! A Life in Free Enterprise.

1. We need more business leaders and managers who embrace and practice Mr. Cain's brand of business and general living. very pragmatic, down-to-earth, no-frills, seeing things for what they are -- Very ZEN.

   Mr. Cain is a hero, not so much for the wealth he created for himself and many others, but the way he lived his life when he did not have alot of money.

   Involved in a number of his transactions from the banker's role, Mr. Cain has set an example for all of us who call ourselves capitalists. Unfortunately, the corporate scandals of the day get the headlines whereas the true successes that create value for everyone, including the employees get little or no attention.

   Integrity, Accountibility and Maximizing Long-Term share-holder Value -- not going for the quick buck at the expense of others is what is all about -- it allows us to discover, explore, educate, entertain and enjoy the life before us -- society progresses as a result. Everyone Wins.

   High recommend this read to everyone -- whether or not you have an interest in business becasue it is the true story of one man's journey who just happened to become a successful businessman through a series of "happy accidents.




2. Gordon Cain led a fascinating and exemplary life. This book is well written and comprehensive. Well worth reading.



3. I had the pleasure and blessing financially to work for two all two short years for Gordon Cain, back in the 1980s. The man was both a gentleman and a genius. The title of the book sums up how he lived his fascinating life. As Gordon gracefully recounts his story, he leaves the business reader with wisdom of great value. His precepts are simple: Manage rationally with a human hand, make everyone an owner and a potential winner, engineer your product and processes to meet customer needs that are more important than your own, leave office politics behind. This stuff really worked, as deal after deal recounted in this book showed. It is a great mystery to this reviewer why american business rarely follows these precepts; since they always work. Post note to the book: Gordon shared the financial benefits with thousands of people and gave all his money away to build rural hospitals before he died.
   
   Further the book is well written in Gordon's plain style of speaking. It shows how one man took the cards he was dealt with in life and played them not only well, but with dignity over the course of a long and interesting life.



4. Gordon Cain tells his impressive story in a modest and matter of fact way. This book paints the broad strokes of his life. He shows some detailed financial data for his transactions but doesn't delve too much into the story. I think the book is most useful when combined with some additional research, you need to spend the time looking up information about the individuals and companies he references.



5. The late Gordon Cain was a legend in the chemical industry, first as a successful engineer and manager for various multi-national petrochemical and fertilizer firms and then as a very successful LBO architect and entrepreneur. Mr. Cain bought unwanted plants and divisions from chemical giants such as Dupont, Conoco, and Monsanto, and made them stand alone success stories. His strategy was simple, buy at the bottom of the cycle, find unwanted but well run plants, eliminate corporate overhead, and make sure that everyone shares in the gains.
   
   Mr. Cain wrote this book to let everyone, especially his grandchildren, know that one does not need to be a ruthless raider like the boys at Apollo or Drexel to succeed in business and there is nothing inherently wrong with debt or leverage. Some deals even require subordinated debt, unfortunately called junk bonds. Mr. Cain's deals were all successful, mostly because of his keen sense of the cycles of the industry, and all participants went home happy. His biggest problem was managing the success, dealing with issues like whether an LBO should be re-leveraged or go to IPO in order to get liquidity for the participants.
   
   An interesting lesson for Mr. Cain was that it is easier to do a large deal than a small one, since in the large deal, one can negotiate directly with a motivated and empowered seller. A key point for us is that Mr. Cain never became an owner until he was in his 70's. An early attempt at entrepreneurship in his 30's failed miserably, mostly because he went into it for the wrong reasons. Cain in his 80's continued to look for new business opportunities, stretching into airlines and biotechnology.
   
   As a chemical industry veteran myself, I know some of these plants and people, but wanted to hear Cain's story from the man himself. While some of these companies have not done well in the last 10 years, there are plenty of people who paid their mortgages and sent kids to college with Cain's help. Mr. Cain is no longer with us, but has made an impact on our business and has done much good with his charitable work, especially at his alma mater LSU.

1 comments about CAPTIVATING LIFE.

1. I read this book after citing Avise's work in my thesis and in papers. I have enjoyed reading other scientist's autobiographies, such as E.O. Wilson's "Naturalist", Geerat Vermeij's "Priveleged Hands", and Eric Pianka's "The Lizard Man Speaks". Avise's autobiography is in the same vein; he recounts his childhood and his entry into academic life. I must say it was reassuring to read that he had difficulty with funding as a new professor! He also describes research he has performed, from coral to birds to turtles, and tells stories on graduate students and colleagues.
   Like many scientists who have achieved so much so early in their careers, Avise has a healthy ego. (Obviously! He wrote an autobiography at what age?) However, his little bouts of bragging in the book do not make it unreadable. After I was through reading this book, I gave it to my mother. I think it is written clearly enough for a non-scientist to enjoy it and to understand the basics of phylogeography.