5 comments about Human Factors in Flight.

1. Concise, clear and through view of the inner and outer working environment of an aviators life. Very well researched and documented in an easy to understand format, no technojargon to confuse the novice. Required reading for any current or aspiring commercial pilots, and a must have for industry safety affiliates. Good use of informative and entertaining illustrations and graphs, not stuffy or boring. Up to date with current technology and encompasses history as well. This is an excellent book.



2. "Human Factors in Flight" is an excellent book in human factors for aviators that is well written in simple English making it easy to follow and understand by non-experts in the field. Human factors encompasses a wide range of knowledge, skills and attitudes including communications, situational awareness, problem solving, decision making, and teamwork.
   
   Human factors is concerned with the cognitive and interpersonal skills required to manage the flight within an organised aviation system. In this case, cognitive skills are the mental processes required for gaining and maintaining situational awareness, for solving problems and for taking decisions.
   
   Interpersonal skills include effective communications and good teamwork. Good interpersonal skills encourage the creation of synergy and the development of successful teamwork. Both cognitive and interpersonal skills are enhanced by a good emotional climate amongst the crew, but they are also easily degraded by stress, so management of the emotional climate and stress becomes and integral and important element of good human factors.
   
   Safe and efficient flight operations depend for their success not only on the attainment of sound technical knowledge and skills but also on the mastery by aircrew of the cognitive and interpersonal skills which form the basis of good human factors.
   
   Human factors is not merely an abstract management concept but rather is a discipline that embraces principles and skills which, when coupled with good technical knowledge and expertise, will allow the crew to make the best use of all available resources to realize optimum effectiveness in the conduct of operations whilst simultaneously maximising the safety of the flight.
   
   This excellent book is recommended for all pilots and cabin attendants, regulators, safety managers and aeronautical engineering students.



3. This is currently a required reading for ERAU. The author is very knowledgable; however, he needs a better editor. It is difficult to decipher the author's meaning at times due to his tendencies to ramble.



4. This book is by far the WORST book I have ever had to read. This book is required reading for ERAU. Our instructor said this is one of the most comprehensive books dealing with aviation safety, but it does not change the fact that the spelling and sentence structure is awful. It is full of contradictions and barely makes any sense. Do not buy it unless you absolutely, positively have to!



5. This book is a great aviation safety book because it describes why accidents occur in aviation and what is done to prevent them. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys aeronautics.

4 comments about Space (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R)).

1. Once you are 100 miles above Earth, you are in space. Anything beyond Earth's atmosphere is space. There are a lot of planets, stars, and space rocks in space.
   A spacecraft travels in space and carries supplies and people. A spacecraft has to go 25,000 miles per hour to get away from gravity and get into space. Spacecrafts have rockets to lift them into space.
   Fuel is burning in the rocket at very hot temperatures. The hot gasses come out from the bottom and push the rocket up. Rockets were used 1,000 years ago as fireworks and weapons by the Chinese.
   The Soviet Union and the Unites States had a race to have a spacecraft go into space. The Soviet Union sent the first satellite into space. A satellite is something that travels around a planet. The Soviet Union won that race. The United States put its own satellite into space and the race began.
   An astronaut is a person from America that is trained to go into space. A cosmonaut is a person from Russia trained to go into space. A person from Russia, or a cosmonaut, orbited the Earth in less than two hours. He was the first person to orbit the Earth.
   The United States and the Soviet Union had a race to get someone into space first. John F. Kennedy made a challenge to send someone to the moon before the 1960's were over. A lot of people worked for that goal.



2. My kids love these research guide books from Magic Tree House writers but this one was a disappointment. One whole chapter was devoted to the big bang theory which we personally don't believe in. They should have skipped this chapter and focused on facts.



3. The kids realy like the animations and presentations of this book. While it is definately not boring, the planets themselves get only one page each of factual info in super small text. The solar system overview chapter was great for group reading and was primarily what I used from the book, including a photo of a meteorite in comparison to the size of children. Translation: great as a fun addition to learning but not to replace hard fact texts and in-depth lesson plans.
   ----You don't need to read the accompanying Magic Tree House fiction book in order to use this research guide.



4. This is a bit out of date. Perhaps children won't mind. Pluto is no longer a planet. Plans for humans to go to Mars have been scrapped. The Very Large Telescope in Chile was completed years ago. Etc.
   
   It says there is no proof that UFO's exist when clearly objects that haven't been identified do exist, there's just no proof they are space aliens.
   
   But, nevertheless probably a fun book for kids who like science.

5 comments about The Hunt for Zero Point: Inside the Classified World of Antigravity Technology.

1. Really enjoy a well researched book. Subject matter couldn't be more fascinating. Reads as a detective novel. Other books on this subject feel circumstancial and speculative, so it is refreshing to have a guy "pounding the pavement" perspective. I felt like if Nick corroborates the information then you can bet that something is there. If this subject is new to you then, this should be the first book you read. Makes really high tech stuff comprehensible, for the dummer people like me.



2. This is a very well researched and detailed book. It can be a bit slow at times with all the details, but the author does an excellent job of tying everything together. If you want to know what our "real" government has been up to since WWII, then read this book. The answer will shock you and leave you wondering, "what do they plan to do with this technology and who is actually in control of it".



3. I won't summarize as others have done that better than I could (see Seeger's review) but Cook has taken what could have been a very dry investigation and presented it in an interesting and very enjoyable read. I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I expected one of those books where I'd read about 7-8 pages and fall asleep. Instead, I could barely put it down. Good investigative reporting presented in a great manner. What he finds really made me think. Great job Mr.Cook! I'm ready for the next adventure.



4. A fascinating trip through history and government black projects. Nothing in this book is beyond possible. Nick Cook has done a masterful job!



5. .
   
   This book was written by a British aerospace journalist that writes for Jane's. If you are familiar with Jane's then `nuff said. If not, let me put it this way... if Jane's publishes it, you can bet you life on it; and somebody, some where is doing just that as you read this.
   
   Jane's Publications are the gold standard in military technology. End of story.
   
   Let me grossly over simplify, everything in our universe is made from energy in some form...atoms and their components, dark matter... zero point is about tapping into this energy. This book states that this connection has already been made by Nicola Tesla, and that others have done a great deal more in developing this technology.

5 comments about The Ra Material: An Ancient Astronaut Speaks (The Law of One , No 1).

1. The Ra material is the transcription of the taped communications between researcher Don and the entity RA, a being that is talking through Carla, often referred to as the "instrument" throughout the book (s), in a state of deep trance. The transcriptions are carried out by Jim and the three are always present during all sessions, creating a triangulation of light that allows for RA, a sixth dimensional being, that calles itself a "socialmemory complex", to come through and speak.

   RA has choosen this group because of the purity of their intent and makes himself available to them for questions about the Universe, the Creator, the dimensions, Karma, the law of One and any other material that might aid people in understanding universal truths that might be helpful for mankinds evolution.

   The materail is very esoteric and requires some concentration. However, it is well worth the effort, as it is enlightening, very precise, accurate and informative. The explanations around the shift in dimensions we are about to undergo on the planet, that Ra defines as the harvest, are devoid of hype and sensation. Harvest is a process that all beings and planetary bodies eventually encur, following physical/spiritual law just as eclipses do or the seasons.The science of the harvest ( ascension) is explained in depth here as is the chakra system and it's role in Soul evolution.

   Also extremely interesting the explanation of the polarization of entities into Service to Self orintated entities and Service to Others orientated entities and the implications these have in the ascension process and the roles they play within the bigger picture.

   A really deep read and well worth the effort. I have read all four volumes and I am about to tackle vol 5. I thoroughly recommend it.




2. This book contains very interesting information inside which I'm not sure if they are true or false.. But, it is so detailed and realistic that I want to believe it and after I read the book, I realized that it may be like the book says.. Ra Materials answer all the unknown about cosmology, from where men came, what will happen etc... Even if the book is full of false information, it is worth reading because of it's interesting theme..



3. There is a lot of channeled material out there, some good and some not so good. I think it is important to use discernment when reading channeled material, just as it is important to use discernment when reading anything, or when listening to a preacher talk.
   
   Ultimately, the truth is inside of us, but we don't know it. So it helps to have it confirmed by `outside' sources. Sometimes we come across something that has that ring of truth in it, and we know it is appropriate for us in this point of time in out lives. Not necessarily appropriate for everyone at all times, or even for ourselves at all times, but appropriate in the now, for where we are at right now.
   
   Thus, I have encountered many books and other sources of info that have all had varying degrees of what I consider `truth', but no one of them being THE TRUTH. (I have long ago dismissed the bible as THE truth, but consider it to have SOME truth in it, while most of it has been distorted.)
   
   The Law of One books are the closest I have found to being THE truth. Many of the channeled works out there are cheesy, or they come across too `authoritative' ie `...in such-and-such year this WILL happen...', `...that IS the way it IS...', etc.
   
   Ra, on the other hand, does not claim to be an authority. Rather, this entity repeatedly tells us to please use discernment and accept only that which resonates as truth within ourselves. Then proceeds to give info that totally rocks your socks off!
   
   This stuff is deep, very deep. I have never read anything else, channeled or not, that even comes close to such high caliber! It is just completely obvious to me that the info really is coming from a higher being, cuz no way anyone could have made all this up!
   
   OK, maybe someone could have. But this info came thru a woman in a trance, and she did not even know what she was saying until she woke up. Even very specific details are consistent throughout the text, over the course of several years of channeling.
   
   AND, the material describes a cosmology that was ahead of its time. Certain aspects of quantum physics, for example, described in the books had not yet been discovered. So no, no one could have made this up!
   
   When you read the material, you get a very strong sense of HIGHER KNOWLEDGE. It's just really obvious that this is NOT coming from a human source, the way most other channeled material seems to be. I had a lot of 'Aha' moments while reading it...in fact, pretty much every sentence!
   
   But, my purpose is NOT to try to convince you. B4 the skeptics start, let me say that I am NOT trying to prove that this channeled work is authentic - if you are searching for absolute proof, then clearly this book (or any channeled work) is not for you. Better to stay in an organized religion and do as they tell you.
   
   However, if you are a serious seeker who is not afraid to think for yourself, then I highly recommend you give these books a try. Prepare to have your mind opened!
   
   If you're still with me, then maybe you'd like to know what the books are about. OK, for starters: the nature of life, the universe, how the pyramids were built, who the aliens are, the chakras, other dimensions, the important elements of a spiritual path, the nature of sexuality, etc. and lots of other interesting topics. But that is not what makes these books stand out - other books have tried to address these topics as well.
   
   What makes the Law of One stand out is the explanation of `Good' vs `Evil'.
   
   If you find the idea of a `good God' being in a constant war with the `evil Satan' oversimplistic, or if you believe that God is all-powerful and beyond good and evil, or if you have a hard time believing that God will `lose' most of the world's population to the `devil', and you are searching for a more intelligent explanation of why there is evil in the world, then these books might be for you.
   
   Or, if you are tired of all the `doom and gloom' prophecies and would like to rekindle hope, then these books might be for you.
   
   Be forewarned: these books are NOT light and fluffy. And whatever you believe, they will challenge you. But they will also inspire you, and give comfort.



4. I discovered this material in the early '80s about the time it was released. I was blown away then and still am. I'll never forget the feeling - something similar to having uncovered a profound and precious secret. I remain convinced that other than ACIM, this may be the ONLY channeled material out there that is what it purports to be. Much more recently, I've begun kinesiologically calibrating books, people, spiritual teachers, institutions with the method taught by Dr. David Hawkins. The Law of One books collectively calibrate (or they did with my calibration) at over 800, in fact somewhere in the neighborhood of 850 if I remember correctly. Astounding, considering that Hawkins states that less than 5% of channeled material calibrates over 455.That's about all I can say. Uh...Adonai.



5. Many reviews have covered this more in depth than I will here. Reinventing the wheel is not my objective. As a spiritual worker, counselor, and teacher, I have to say that the Ra materials (and this means all 4 books of transcription) are basic. They create an understanding of who and what we are and where we are going. Understanding our place with respect to service to other-selves or service to self is the start of wisdom. Further, while some argue that service to self is indeed service to the whole, these writings give clear understanding of why you may wish to follow a service to other-selves path in preference to service to self. If your heart presses you to spiritual growth, start here.

5 comments about Dark Side of the Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Cosmos.

1. Iain Nicolson has done a wonderful job of presenting many of the facts and hypotheses about cosmology to the layman (and to the interested high school student).
   
   The book starts with some fundamentals of astronomy. We then proceed to a discussion of Big Bang cosmology. And we learn all about the Hubble expansion, as well as observed evolution of the visible universe, comparison of the time since the Big Bang to the lifetimes of the oldest stars. In addition, we're told about Big Bang nucleosynthesis (this is one topic I would have wanted to see discussed in more detail), and evidence of the Big Bang from the cosmic microwave background.
   
   After this, we learn about the existence of dark matter in spiral galaxies and galaxy clusters. But what's the dark matter made of? One possibility is "MACHOs," (MAssive Compact Halo Objects). However, the author explains that MACHOs alone can not account for the dark matter in our own galaxy, much less for the dark matter elsewhere.
   
   It turns out that we need to look for non-baryonic sources of dark matter. And that means "WIMPs," (Weakly-Interacting Massive Particles). It also means wondering about whether dark matter is all that cold.
   
   Next, we look at an interesting hypothesis: maybe Newtonian gravitation breaks down at high accelerations! Most physicists think this idea is wrong, and so far (as this book shows), the evidence for it is not all that favorable.
   
   That brings us back to looking for those WIMPs. And we see some of the ideas for detecting them including Super-Kamiokande (a water-based neutrino detector) and atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes.
   
   Nicolson's next topic is the inflationary model of cosmic expansion. And there is a section on the growth of cosmic microwave background density fluctuations, including results from the BOOMERanG balloon experiments and the WMAP mission.
   
   Now comes something relatively new and exciting. In the past ten years, we've seen that data from supernovae indicate that the expansion of our universe is accelerating. And that leads to a search for the driver of this expansion, which most folks call "dark energy." That in turn brings up questions about whether there needs to be a "multiverse" to explain what otherwise would be an unusual set of coincidences about the properties of our own visible universe. In addition, it means questions about the history of dark energy in our own universe. And there is a discussion of possible outcomes: eternal accelerating expansion (where gravity loses), a "Big Crunch," (where gravity wins) or a "Big Rip," (where the repulsive force destroys everything).
   
   I highly recommend this book.



2. This book is a detailed overview of the contemporary ideas in cosmology, the meandering history of their conception and development, and the experimental observations supporting and sometimes contradicting them including the most contemporary experiments and collaborations up to 2006 and the future experiments planned. The emphasis is on concepts and how astronomical observations support or refute theories, formulas are used very rarely, the narrative is illustrated with numerous beautiful diagrams, photographs and pictures from state of the art telescopes. Theoretical highly speculative ideas in cosmology are also given some discussion. Big part of the book would be accessible to anyone that had a general physics course, but it contains a wealth of detailed information tailored to people that actually would want to work in the area like physics students specializing in cosmology and astronomy students and they will be able to pick up much more from that book than laymen. I've read the book in 3 days but most of the material wasn't new to me, a beginner reader would probably need 1-2 weeks. At the end, the reader will gain a very clear conceptual understanding of the main picture in contemporary cosmology and which observations agree/disagree with it. I HIGHLY recommend this book before or during any course in cosmology, dark matter or dark energy. If you want to be more informed than your adviser, read that book :)
   
   Chapter 1 introduces the reader to general astronomy - types and lives of stars, galaxies, clusters - and a basic understanding of light spectrum and redshift necessary to understand astronomical observations.
   
   Chapter 2 is an introduction to general cosmology: the expanding Universe, Hubble time, redshift, microwave background. The author gives a very clear account of observations that support the current Big Bang theory. A very understandable short story of the different stages in the cosmic evolution is given, including nucleosynthesis and recombination.
   
   Chapter 3 discusses astronomical evidence from galaxies and clusters supporting the dark matter hypothesis. All main points are there from optical observations of Coma cluster in 1933, through the rotation curves of spiral galaxies obtained from radio emission of their neutral hydrogen clouds to the contemporary observations of X-ray emitting gas allowing to map the mass distribution in galaxy clusters and large eliptical galaxies and the most recent observations of weak gravitational lensing in clusters. Mentioned is the 'dark galaxy' of swirling hydrogen gas without stars in it which was observed in 2005. The author points out problems of the dark matter scenario - the observations of planetary nebulae in some eliptical galaxies in 2003 suggest they don't contain much dark matter, the inferred profiles of dark matter halos in many galaxies do not show the expected cusps at the center, and the observed number of small satelite galaxies in galaxies disagrees with the expectations based on dark matter simmulations of galaxy formation.
   
   Chapter 4 is about a possible dark matter candidate - MAssive Compact Halo Objects (MACHO) - which gravitational microlensing observations suggest can't comprise more than 20% of the dark matter halo in our Galaxy and hence can't account for the total amount of dark matter.
   
   Chapter 5 is about another dark matter candidate - the neutrinos. Discussed are the experiments confirming the neutrino oscillations which show neutrinos have small masses. Constraints from cosmological observations of the microwave background fluctuations and recent surveys on the large scale structure show that if neutrinos are indeed only 3 types, they don't have enough mass to explain the necessary amount of dark matter in the Universe. The reader is introduced to the ideas of hot and cold dark matter of which only the latter is shown to produce enough large scale structure compatible with observations. The chapter concludes with Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) as viable candidates for dark matter and guesses of what these particles could be from highly speculative extensions of Standard model like Supersymmetry, Kaluza-Klein particles, axions and other blah blah blah ....
   
   Chapter 6 is devoted to the MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) as an alternative to dark matter. The chapter starts with giving the complete list of observations that disagree with the cold dark matter simmulations. Then MOND is introduced, with its characteristic acceleration separating the Newtonian regime from the MOND regime. The successes of MOND are listed - the spectacular fit to rotation curves with only one fitting parameter, the Tully-Fisher relation - as well its discrepancy with the data from galaxy clusters and the recent observation of 'dark galaxy' in 2005.
   
   Chapter 7 describes the numerous experimental collaborations searching for dark matter WIMPs through direct detection of nuclear recoils when a WIMP hits a nucleus or indirect gamma ray detection from WIMP annihilation. The expected crossections, types of detectors and experimental difficulties are listed. Mentioned is the controversial result of DAMA collaboration and some hints of WIMP annihilation, although inconclusive, from gamma ray observations across our Galaxy. The main proof of dark matter existence, its detection, has yet to come.
   
   Chapter 8 is about the matter-energy content of the Universe, being constrained by the observational data from the cosmic microwave background(CMB). The idea of inflation was posed in the early 1980's to resolve the problem with the finely tunned matter density and the approximate isotropy of the microwave background. Inflation leads to flatness and to big part of the density in the Universe not in the form of baryons. These two stipulations were made before their experimental confirmation in 1990's when the COBE satelite measured the fluctuations in the microwave background. It turned out, the fluctuations in CMB are way too weak to lead to the currently observed large scale structure unless there is a big amount of dark matter uncoupled to baryons and photons. The latest data in CMB comes from the WMAP satelite launched in 2001. The first peak in CMB power spectrum constraints the spatial curvature of Universe which turns out to be flat. The heights and positions of the peaks in the power spectrum fix the ratio of baryonic to dark matter and the total amount of matter. The matter content from CMB is in agreement with the baryon density from the Big Bang nucleosynthesis theory.
   
   Chapter 9 is about using type Ia supernovae to measure the expansion history of the Universe. The reader will learn about the different types of supernovae and why only type Ia can be used as a standard candle. Difficulties in calibrating the supernovae and making sure the supernova from the distant past have the same properties as the contemporary ones are emphasized. The supernova data shows the universe recently entered a period of accelerated expansion which seems to require a nonzero cosmological constant.
   
   Chapter 10 discusses the historical evolution of our cosmological models and how the conflict with observational data, mainly the ages of stars, the large scale structure and the missing nearly 70% of the critical density, finally lead to the idea of including the dark energy in the equation. That term was corroborated later with the supernova results in 1998.
   
   Chapter 11 mainly discusses the nature of the dark energy term and is highly speculative since we don't have a clue what it is and where it comes from. It could be vaccuum energy in the form of cosmological constant or time evolving dark energy in terms of quintessence and phantom fields. The coincidence 'problem', why is the dark energy density similar to the matter density at the current time, is pointed out. Possible crazy 'solutions' are the anthropic principle, multiverse, buble universes, oscillating universes blah blah blah ... The exact nature of the dark energy will determine the future fate of the Universe, be it Big Cool, Crunch, Bounce or Rip Off.
   
   Chapter 12 describes the most contemporary experiments/collaborations and some future ones designed to further constraint the parameters in the standard cosmological model, LCDM. The latest detailed data from CMB contains some yet unexplained correlations in it which may be due to distortions in CMB when it passes through clusters on its way to us. Lyman alpha forest, baryon oscillations, weak gravitational lensing are just some of the few possible techniques mentioned to further constraint our understanding of Cosmos.



3. This is a terrific astronomy/cosmology book with a focus on providing an overview and update on what is known and (& not known) about dark matter and dark energy. It's a beautiful, large format book that is well laid out and printed on high quality paper with lots of beautifully drawn, textbook quality figures (drawn by James Symonds), data, and pictures, all at a bargain price. The book is well organized and comprehensive, and Nicolson writes clearly and concisely for the literate general reader, often throwing in helpful analogies. I am an engineer and astronomically literate, and I learned a lot from this book.
   
   Dark matter is invariably described as forming a 'halo' (ring) around a galaxy extending far beyond the visible stars. I knew from college physics that the motion of a particle inside a spherical shell of matter is completely unaffected by the gravity of the shell, because the gravitational pull from all the little pieces of mass in the shell cancel out everywhere inside. So prior to this book, I was always puzzled as to how a galactic dark matter 'halo', (supposedly) far outside the visible part of the galaxy, was able to flatten the rotation curve of visible stars in the galaxy?
   
   Nicolson is not adverse to including a simple equation now and then, and he does this in his clear explanation of how dark matter speeds up star rotation speeds in the outer parts of a galaxy. The equation shows the average rotational speed of a star about the galaxy center depends on the ratio (mass 'inside orbit'/radius of orbit). Hence to flatten galaxy velocity rotation profiles, it is only necessary that mass inside star orbits increase linearly with radius. This requires nothing more (Nicolson explains) than dark matter density that falls off as (1/radius^2), because the volume of a sphere increases as (radius^3). In other words flat galaxy velocity curves are not caused by the 'outside' halo of dark matter, but by an increasing density of dark matter toward the center of the galaxy. It is the dark matter through which the stars are orbiting, that is 'inside' their orbits, that speeds up their rotation. Only after reading this book did I understand this.
   
   There is the occasional lapse in the book, for example, the mass of a muon (page 59) is described as approximately 400 times that of an electron (it's closer to 200 times), and a surprising omission is that there is no figure showing measured galaxy velocity rotation curves, one of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting the existence of dark matter. But minor quibbles aside, this is an excellent book for those wanting to understand the latest research, data, and thinking in cosmology. Highly recommended.



4. The author does a most excellent job of describing a quest that absorbs astronomers today in words that the reader can undrstand. For me, he could have included a few formulas ...is "the inverse square law" really easier to understand than the appropriate formula?



5. This book gives a detailed and comprehensive account of modern cosmology and the astronomical observations that provide its theoretical foundation. Many charts, diagrams, and photographs supplement the text. The book is logically organized and easy to follow for those already acquainted with this material. But a beginner, willing to put in some effort, will also find the material comprehensible, although some effort is required to master the basic concepts. All in all a good choice for anyone who wants to know more about the universe and its ultimate fate.
   
   Ellen Jackson, author
   THE MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE

5 comments about Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space.

1. First, I must say that I am enjoying the book very much. I love reading Professor Sagan's books very much. So this rating applies more to the decision of the publisher than the book itself.
   
   I have never written a review on Amazon before, and I have been coming here for years. I had to say something about this. After I finish this, I plan on emailing the publisher with the same review.
   
   Wow. A book named Pale Blue Dot, inspired by the famous photograph of the Earth of the same name. It is referenced in the first few chapters heavily and Prof. Sagan asks us to visit and revisit the photo several times as he builds his introduction. I think to myself "Great! Can't wait to see it. Now where is it?" This then led to the disappointing finding that there are no pictures at all in this printing. None, not one, not even just the one of the Pale Blue Dot image itself. How can you publish a book inspired by a photo and not include the picture itself, not even a low res poorly printed picture? All you get is a few instructions to look at it, but you won't be able to look at it in here. Apparently, the hardback and first soft-back printing had photos. I guess I can understand (not like, mind you) why the decision was made to eliminate photos, but to get rid of the Pale Blue Dot photo is mind boggling. Surely this decision couldn't have been made on purpose. Surely, this was just an oversight. If this was a conscious decision, then it speaks volumes about how Ballantine views this work and it makes you wonder if they have any idea why it was written in the first place.
   
   Anyway thanks for listening.



2. Carl Sagan was an enthusiastic explorer of the universe. His passion for science and for understanding the universe became widely known through his 'Cosmos' television series. In this book he continues describing and exploring the universe- and projecting into its distant future. He does this while attempting also to put the human story in its cosmic place, and in a way diminishing any arrogance we might have. He points out that we live on a minor speck of the universe and the thin layer of earth upon which we live indicates the fragility of our existence. Sagan projects forward to those cosmic events which will eventually put an end to life on earth and considers various ways we might venture out into the universe. He is optimistic about our capacity to begin to inhabit and wander through the universe. However what is clear , and he is quite explicit about this, and this is something which deeply troubles me and limits my own optimism- is his sense that it is not humans as we know them but our ' successors' who will make this exploration. In other words implicit in what Sagan is saying is the idea that mankind is a transitional phase in the whole story of Intelligence and Life both on Earth and the Universe. Sagan is optimistic regarding the distant future and our possible successors. But I must admit that I am stuck with my sense that what I care about most is people- and that 'humanity' is of more value to me than any possible more intelligent 'successor species'.
   I in other words am troubled that Sagan does not see the loss of humanity in the future as something which disturbs him.
   What will it matter to you and me after all if millions of years from now some kind of 'mind' wanders through the universe without having human feeling and identity?



3. Dr. Carl Sagan's book "Pale Blue Dot" is very intriguing and of utmost interest to all people who seek intelligent answers to understanding the Universe and our Solar System. Sagan does interweave valid questions in relation to the existence of a creator or God in the text. He does take it to task and pretty much says that a God or creator is unlikely.
   
   "Look back again at the pale blue dot (picture of earth) of the preceding chapter. Stare at the dot for any length of time and then try to convince yourself that God created the whole Universe for one of the 10 million or so of life that inhabit that speck of dust. Imagine that everything was made for a single shade of that species or gender or ethnic or religious subdivision. If this doesn't strike you as unlikely, pick another dot (another star or planet in the Universe). Imagine it to be inhabited by a different form of intelligent life. They too cherish the notion of a God who has created everything for their benefit. How serious do you take their claim?"
   
   Sagan reduces religious arguments that persist in the notion that we (humans) are special, the earth is special etc... in a logical and systematic manner to highlight how fallacious this way of thinking really is in light of how miniscule we really are in this vast Universe.
   
   In terms of providing a historical background for scientific discovery and the development of scientific theory throughout history, Sagan does a fine job. The photographs in the book are superb. Nicely written book with many passages you will want to read twice to fully appreciate the eloquence of Dr. Sagan's writing.
   
   Some reviewers may discredit the book and say it is outdated. It was written in 1994. 14 years ago, but by no means ancient mumblings and rambling writings of a scientist from your grandfather's time. Being older myself, 1994 only seems like yesterday. A good book and it is packed with information and intelligent thought processes that will make one view the Universe from the perspective of a scientist.
   
   Dr. of Biological Sciences



4. It's hard to believe Pale Blue Dot has been with me for over 8 years, it is also the 8 year during which I was transformed by the intelligence and wisdom of Dr. Sagan, and of course, his other works Cosmos and The Demon Haunted World become my favorites.
   
   Pale Blue Dot reads like the sequel to Cosmos, but with more focus on our Solar System, and it shows a much more wide perspective than Cosmos, with a theme so haunting and thought-provoking that makes me really think something important even without that famous picture captured billions miles away.
   
   Newspapers, TV coverages is often inundated by slogans like "We only have one Earth", "Save the Earth", we are so familiar with that. But unfortunately, most of us do not quite understand what's truly behind that. And Dr. Sagan tells us all, we are here, in that point of pale light, a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. He starts the book with this humbling revelation.
   
   But with its insignificance, it's also the respiratory of all our potential. We touched moon with the rockets not yet designed when the project started, we explored the whole Planet in the system, our spacecraft hit the comet billions miles away, we healed our Ozone Layer, just as Dr. Sagan says, we are still capable of greatness if we do not destroy ourselves first!(in fact, if we can not handle our fallibility, our specie is hopeless)
   
   Pale Blue Dot is the history of human beings in terms of exploration, the very nature of us. Dr. Sagan perhaps gives hitherto the most precise definition of our species in the book, it's about our inclination toward mistakes, and more importantly, about our potential. We became the first specie on Earth which has the ability to wipe itself out, but don't forget, we are also the first to be able to leave Earth, to explore our future in the vast cosmos, to handle space mountains. That is, according to Dr. Sagan, what we should learn from that blue pixel in the sun beam.
   
   Dr. Sagan passed away in 1996, before I started to read this book. When we confront difficulties, when we are in trouble, I always recall the final chapter of Cosmos, Who speaks for Earth. If not us, who will? As Dr. Sagan says in Pale Blue Dot, "there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves". And still I see that we are making big progress, with the hard work of Al Gore, Bill Gates and others. Everytime I think of that, I can feel that we do learn something from Dr. Sagan, and, as Ann Druyan wrote in the epilogue of Billions and Billions, "They allow me to feel.........that Carl lives."



5. This wonderful Carl Sagan book does not include the wonderful color illustrations as the earlier version contains. Consequently, it is like a National Graphic Magazine without the pictures.
   
   I love the words of Dr. Sagan, but words plus the spectacular pictures truly make "music."
   
   Following is the edition you should get. I threw away the "Pale Blue Dot" paperback I received yesterday and today ordered a used hardback:
   
   Product Details
   Hardcover: 429 pages
   Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (November 8, 1994)
   Language: English
   ISBN-10: 0679438416
   ISBN-13: 978-0679438410
   Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
   Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
   
   I hope this is helpful to you.
   
   Bob Cargill
   Minneapolis, MN 55347Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

5 comments about Astronomy For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science)).

1. A fine book except for one major flaw on page 236. Intelligence is not a rare accident in biological evolution. Readers and authors who think so should study E. Raymond Capt's "The Glory of the Stars."



2. Thorough on most matters, though a little light on the Big Bang, quasars, antimatter, and Stephen Hawkings. But strong on SETI and other revolving planets. And I enjoyed the space mission coverage. Overall, gets the job done.



3. If there is a rank below amateur, then I hold it. This book is crisp, delightful and helpful.



4. I just bought this book April 30th. I've read nearly half of it already. This is a great introduction to the science and hobby of astronomy. The author's easy manner make reading fun, and understanding easy. I recommend this to anyone wanting to learn about astronomy.



5. This is a fun little book that is well written. I would recommend it to all beginners.

5 comments about National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky (Audubon Society Field Guide Series).

1. One of my favorite books on the bookshelf, simply because of its easy-to-read format, and information for both the amateur stargazer and serious astronomer. The book covers everything that the curiousity seeker is looking for, with an exhaustive selection of sky charts for each month, a detailed section featuring each constellation with its history and details, and an exciting tour of the solar system and its celestial denizens.
   Plenty of information, and just the right amount of photographs, too. A handy guide for everyone curious about the world "up there"!



2. For those who remain spellbound by the canopy of night with all the beauty and mythology and mystery gazing at the stars brings to mind, this book is a godsend. Without requiring previous courses in astronomy and without spending hours cross referencing words to match constellations to match positions to match meanings, this book comfortably and beautifully offers maps and photographs, essays and information that make looking heavenward all the more exciting. The writing is accurate, updated, understandable to the novice, and makes a terrific companion to seeking answers and directions to the stars and the planets. A valuable aide to your appreciation of the universe! Grady Harp, December 2004



3. If you're interested in studying the night sky by eye, this is an awesome guide. The explanations are clear, the charts are great, and the background material is interesting. It will tell you what you can see up there, how to find it, and when you'll be able to see it, which was exactly what I was looking for. This book has everything you need to appreciate your backyard view more fully.



4. I've used this book for years with happy results. I've often impressed friends with my knowledge of planetary positions in the night sky by using the "planetary longitude" table in the appendices.
   
   However, this year marked the end of the usefullness of the planetary longitude table(which is something I use a lot). It only has information through 2005. Audubon should offer an update to this so I don't have to purchase the book again just to get the P.L. table.



5. The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky is a good book to get you started in the field of astronomy. Alone the book offers a ton of information, but is not the clearest in its descriptions of several concepts. As a pocket reference this book cannot be beat. Filled with many many good pictures to help fuel your imagination and fervor towards astronomy, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the basics of this field of study.

5 comments about Forbidden History: Prehistoric Technologies, Extraterrestrial Intervention, and the Suppressed Origins of Civilization.

1. quite an interesting read. Somewhat repetitive and lacking in hard data, but generally well researched and argued stories, which does leave one wanting more.



2. I have been reading ALL this stuff for at least 35+ years. I still have all of it (including dear old Von Danniken)and NOBODY EVER "proves" anything!
   Indus Valley script still an enigma?
   That "Keeper of Antiquities" clown in Egypt who accepts foreign money for exploration, then slaps the lid on the results?
   On and on goes the list of teases...but never anything DEFINITIVE.
   Because where I come from we believed in mermaids, ghosts and fairies anyway...my grandma already said there were some forgotten ANCIENT ONES...(whose Memory you do well to RESPECT!)
   So let's find their stuff, their flying craft,their translation stones...and JUST GET ON WITH IT!!
   
   Oh, by the way: those ubiquitous Olmec stone heads. Why are they supposedly African "male ballplayers"? They could just as well be Priestesses, Queens or even Medicine Women.
   Don't forget those long-head skulls from Peru whilst you ponder the things we are not supposed to know!
   It is also worth asking anyone who is "supposed to know" just HOW ancient stone was dressed and polished. All I ever get is something about rubbing sand on it. Has anybody tried that? (This simple question must be more significant than first appears BECAUSE...the highly polished stone "talisman" which that ICEMAN was carrying seems to have dropped out of recent lists detailing his accoutrements)........



3. A good read. Discredited Darwinian evolution. Shows how so many scientists will manipulate findings to suit this antiquated therory. Although I feel the author needed more evidence for some of the fantastic claims made in Chapter six : Evidence for Advanced Culture in Distant Ages , it was fun to read.( Their may have been more in the unabrigded version to back up their claims.) It made me aware of how truly unreliable dating methods can be and how easy they can be manipulated. Overall interesting and shows that we all need to continue to be sceptical of accepted scientific "FACTS".



4. This books shows that there are other arguments besides Evolution vs Creationism. It is not necessary to accept everything or anything in this book. All that is required is that the ideas be open for consideration.



5. Forbidden History: Prehistoric Technologies, Extraterrestrial Intervention, and the Suppressed Origins of Civilization
   
   J. Douglas Kenyon, ed.
   
   As we explore the new frontiers of human evolution we are rapidly finding out that we need to rethink our past. All of our rigid beliefs, both scientific and religious, need to be redefined in light of recent archaeological discoveries. This is an excellent compilation of the work of some of the key thinkers on some very highly charged issues, such as creationism and Darwinism. If you find the works of Zecharia Sitchin, Graham Hancock, and John Anthony West intriguing you will find this book a landmark synthesis their ideas.
   
   Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide magazine

5 comments about Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Statics and Dynamics.

1. Easy to understand with ample well-explained examples to help follow the subject. Great book overall!



2. took forever to come, and in fairly bad condition tho it said was acceptable it was fairly close



3. It's a school book, what else is there to say. I had to get it.



4. This book has helped me understand the mechanics in physics. It has a slow pace, which helps you understand each subject thoroughly. For example, in my physics book, we cover momentum in like 10 pages, but in this book, momentum is covered in like 50 pages. There are many problems within each section to help you understand the subject and they also give example problems to help you solve these problems.



5. It is a book that I was required to buy for class but never the less it gives detailed solutions to practice problems and is a well rounded edition.