Product Description
Between the Sack of Rome by the Gauls in 390 BC and the middle of the second century BC, a part-time army of Roman peasants, under the leadership of the ruling oligarchy, conquered first Italy and then the whole of the Mediterranean. The loyalty of these marrauding heroes, and of the Roman population as a whole, to their leaders was assured by a share in the rewards of victory, rewards which became steadily less accessible as the empire expanded - promoting a decline in loyalty of cataclysmic proportions. Wars, rural impoverishments, civil discord and slavery are a few of the subjects covered in this study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

For post-doctoral specialists in the classics only.
At 200 short pages I thought this would be a nice introduction to the history of the Roman Republic. An introduction it was not. I am sure it is well-written for its audience, but the author assumes his reader already possesses an extensive knowledge of the republic, which makes me wonder why you would then want to read it. It is too subtle even for the thoroughly educated literati (did I use that word correctly?). Anyway, I bought the book, so by gosh, I read it! More seriously, the title and notes on the back are terribly misleading. Somewhere the notes need to convey that the book is intended only for specialists.
A new title is in order: "Scholarly Reflections on the Roman Republic," perhaps?

Res Publica
Michael Crawford's book is not for the novice. Those unfamiliar with the chronology of the Roman Republic will find his analysis confusing, as Crawford assumes his reader has considerable background in Republican Roman history and culture. For those with a decent hold on the events of the Republic, Crawford's keen analytical text to highly worthwhile. He examines the relationship between members of the Roman oligarchy, discusses the successful consolidation of Italy, examines the conquest of the provinces and its effect on Roman politics, and finally deals with the political destabilization that led to the rise of warlords such as Marius, Pompey, and Caesar. His book is part of an essential bibliography for any Classics major or Roman history buff.

Liberals in the Academy require chastising.
A beginner or university student encountering this book would come away merely confirmed in the idea--though probably not converted to it--that the Roman Republic and Empire emerged not from a superior genius for civilization but as a miraculous by-product of the avarice of its leadership.Or is miraculous the right word?Absent throughout is any of the wonder or awe that have inspired interest in this subject since its first historians, and without which any history of the civilization is not only flawed, but false, and, at this late date, dishonest.Military campaigns, whether the most ancient or more modern, are often characterized as exercises in brutality; the governing classes are generally treated as no more than class-war caricatures--an impression as often as not insinuated by rather sneering asides and related effects.Etc.A depressing book.

A Poor Textbook
I read this book for a course in Roman History, and found it more confusing than useful.Crawford assumed too much foreknowledge for the text to serve as a primer, but his analyses might prove more comprehensible to the non-beginner.It would take a fine professor, indeed, to overcome the pitfalls of this text in an introductory class.

Not enough information
I have read many books on the Roman civilization and sorry to say when I was reading this book the information was too condense and I could not get involved in the book as I should.The reason being he the author condensedthe material and he occassionally would jump from one historian to anotherthrowing my though process out offocus. In some regards,I tried to findwhat the book was really all about. ... Read more

Product Description
The 4th edition of "CHMT" continues the trend, initiated with the 3rd edition, of encouraging the use of a numerically based, computational approach to solving convective heat and mass transfer problems. The book also continues its tradition of also providing classic problem solving approaches to this subject. This textbook presents a strong theoretical basis for convective heat and mass transfer by focusing on boundary layer theory. This new edition provides optional coverage of the software teaching tool TEXSTAN. This boundary layer computer program can be used to enhance the understanding of the relationship between the surface friction, heat, and mass transfer and their respective flow fields. TEXSTAN contains the data structure needed to describe and solve most convective problems encountered by senior and graduate level students. Other significant changes include: expanded chapter on convective heat transfer with body forces; reduced focus on heat exchanger theory; and completely rewritten chapters on mass transfer to include more engineering examples for both low and high transfer rates, to provide the student with more insight to a seemingly difficult subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good as introduction, but less good as a reference book
The book explains the momentum, heat and mass transfer in a quite accessible form. It is well organized and the reader will find quite quickly, what (s)he needs. The book is very pedagogic. It is devoted to the heat transfer theory. Consequently, it contains only a few experimental correlations. I would recommend it for the undergraduate and graduate students. The people concerned with the industrial applications will need to accompany it by a handbook, which provides heat transfer correlations in specific cases. ... Read more

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Who are the Native Americans? When and how did they colonize the New World? What proportion of the biological variation in contemporary Amerindian populations was "made in America" and what was brought from Siberia? This book is a unique synthesis of the genetic, archaeological, and demographic evidence concerning the Native peoples of the Americas, using case studies from contemporary Amerindian and Siberian indigenous groups to unravel the mysteries. It culminates in an examination of the devastating collision between European and Native American cultures following Contact, and the legacy of increased incidence of chronic diseases that still accompanies the acculturation of Native peoples today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Genetics
I think the book is absolutely fantastic. Dr. Michael Crawford is a genius. Revelational thinking, not only from a genetic perspective but cultural and archaeological as well, in reference to the human diaspora from africa, and the possibility of several pre-Clovis migrations. ... Read more

Product Description
The "national pastime" engages (and sometimes enrages) fans and fanatics across America and around the world. Many of The New Yorker's best cartoonists, an esteemed and talented lot, have experienced our passion for this great game. These 100 drawings give hilarious proof of that.

An unforgettable, all-star lineup of cartoonists from A (Charles Addams) to Z (Jack Ziegler) are all on deck, making the collection a grand slam!

In cartoons spanning eight decades, the artists have captured the emotional essence of the game—kids playing pickup and beleaguered major leaguers; fans at the ballpark or glued to the TV; zealous players to zany managers; and yes, even that necessary evil, the umpires. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Fans, owners, players and the role of baseball in the American society are all presented in a delightful and amusing manner.
Baseball fans will love this collection of cartoons that capture the essence of baseball in the American psyche. My two favorites in the collection appear on pages 34 and 72. The one on page 34 features a man wearing a religious collar standing in the stands and yelling, "Thou hast eyes to see, and see not!" On page 72 a player is being tagged while sliding into home. The umpire says, "I don't know when I've seen a more magnificent slide. You're out!"
Fans, owners, players and the role of baseball in the American society are all presented in a delightful and amusing manner.

Ok, but way dated
Many of the gags are good, a few are belly-laughers, but overall this collection is full of old-timey jokes -- men in fedoras type of jokes.Funny, I guess, but hasn't anyone at New Yorker done a gag about baseball in the past 50 years?C'mon, there are baseball fans under the age of 50.

More home runs than Barry Bonds
I love baseball as much as I love a good joke, so this collection was a "double" for me. Being a New Yorker collection, a few cartoons are Yankee-specific, and the Mets are lightly ribbed, but any baseball fan will appreciate this look at the sport's many sides. My favorite cartoon shows a player telling the media, "Hey, I'm just happy to be making an obscene amount of money." If only real players were that honest!

A Yankee Fan's Delight!
The New Yorker Book of Baseball Cartoons benefits (or suffers) from (depending on your fan allegiance) having a Bronx perspective on the sport.For Yankee fans, this will be a four-star book.With cartoons from over eight decades, many of the cartoons harken back to baseball as it was . . . rather than how it is now.Somehow, that didn't work as nostalgia for me.I have to assume that The New Yorker has a more recent selection of cartoons on this subject that could have captured the contemporary game better . . . but there are too few of those.As a result, many cartoons are sources of curiosity rather than humor.

I did find myself laughing in a few places.Here are some of the better efforts:

A woman stands over a man watching a baseball game on television and says, "Oh, no!Not already!"That reminds me of my wife's reaction when I turn on the first preseason football game every summer.

A happy woman speaks to her scowling male escort as they reach their seats in full stands, "See, Grouchy?We haven't missed a thing--the score is still nothing to nothing."As you can see, the battle of the sexes is a frequent topic in the book.

In "The First Straw" a groom turns to his bride as they drive away from the church and asks, "Mind if I put on the game?"

A woman watching a game on television speaks to a man as he returns to the room, "I think you missed something.The ball went up into the air and somebody caught it and the crowd's yelling like mad."

With no caption, you see a sign in the outfield that says "Hit This Sign and Abe Feldman will give you A SUIT absolutely free" as an outfielder catches a fly ball while being shadowed by a man in a suit and hat . . . and two gloves.

The umpires take some kidding . . . and give some out.As one ump comments to the batter, "I don't think I'd say anything about eyesight if I had your batting average."

A wealthy matron smiles at two of the players while speaking to a manager of the Yankees, "Sometimes we sell them, lady, but only to other teams."

A father speaks to his son who is praying, "Never mind mentioning all twenty-five of them.Just 'God bless the Mets' will do."

Two men are behind home plate in the stands.One of them is behind a tall beam.The other one says, "High inside. Ball three.Count is now three balls and two strikes.Here comes the pitch."

A gondolier in Venice has on a baseball uniform.He says, "I was sent down to the minors and from there to Europe, and one thing just led to another."

Unfortunately, I didn't leave out very many of the best ones.Most didn't even make me crack a smile.

As usual, there is no introduction.Surely, Yogi Berra could have been pressed into duty for such an obvious application of his well-known wit and wisdom.

Play ball!!

4 1/2*Fields of Ink
This is a funny and wryly amusing collection of 100 baseball cartoons that first appeared in "The New Yorker."Although illustrators are credited, no dates are given.(This would have been helpful in discerning which jokes are relatively old, and which just sound old.) Some of the material is fairly trite, deriding such easy targets as umpires and over zealous fans.Most of them are quite funny though, including a picture of seven infielders gathered close to home as one fan explains to another "They expect him to bunt," and another showing an umpire pondering how to call a play with a wonderful Jack Benny-like expression and the equally Benny-esque caption "I'm thinking!" (with 'thinking' underlined).

A major problem is the formatting, all the `toons are given equal size, and hence equal weight. A number of these are just "throwaway" jokes, pictures and captions without much weight or originality. As a small illustration added--like a condiment--to a large text, these are appropriately lightweight and amusing, but as large pictures they don't compare to the more creative and funnier efforts here.After a while, the similarities begin to inoculate you against the humor. A better format might have been to present these in the size in which they originally appeared.However, this would make a good gift for baseball fans and those who live with them.Overall, it's an excellent coffee table book that doesn't take up the whole coffee table. ... Read more

Product Description
Governmental GAAP Practice Manual: Including GASB-34 Guidance demonstrates, in a detailed manner, how governmental entity can implement the complex standards established by GASB-34 and beyond through a worksheet approach. (A companion publication, Governmental GAAP Guide, discusses financial accounting and reporting standards necessary to prepare the basic external financial statements of a governmental entity.) The emphasis of Governmental GAAP Practice Manual is on the process of preparing financial statements. Chapter 1 of the Governmental GAAP Practice Manual provides a detailed analysis of the interrelationship between the modified accrual basis of accounting and the accrual basis of accounting. Included is a comprehensive checklist of transactions and events that typically require a worksheet entry. Starting in Chapter 2 is a comprehensive illustration that continues through the remaining chapters of the book. For governmental funds, a variety of transactions are illustrated and journalized in Chapters 2 through 6, which result in a year-end trial balance for each individual fund based on the modified accrual basis of accounting. In Chapter 14, these trial balances are used as the basis for developing the information needed to prepare the fund financial statements. Chapter 16 illustrates the worksheet methodology for converting the information to the accrual basis. A similar approach is used for proprietary funds and fiduciary funds. Chapter 17 uses the information developed in previous chapters to present management's discussion and analysis, notes, and other required supplementary information mandated by GASB-34. ... Read more

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This collection of essays presents fresh interpretations of the growth of medico-legal ideas, institutions and practices in Britain, Europe and America over the past four hundred years.Based on a wealth of new research, it brings the historical study of legal medicine firmly into the realm of social history.Case studies of infanticide, abortion, coroners' inquests, and criminal insanity show that legal medicine has often been the focus of social change and political controversy.The contributors also emphasize the formative influence of legal systems on medico-legal knowledge and practice.Legal Medicine in History enlarges our understanding of the public role of medicine in modern Western societies, while opening up new perspectives on social, cultural, and political history. ... Read more

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Contains papers from a colloquium held at the Warburg Institute in May, 1990. Its theme was the study of antiquity in the middle of the 16th century, and the decisive impact on that study, first of a group of humanist lawyers around Antonio Agustin, and then of the gathering force of Church Reform. ... Read more

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Bayou Glen is home to a variety of characters in this enchanting and thrilling coming of age tale.Partially told from the perspective of Matt, a good hearted boy with an extremely turbulent home life, those who live in Bayou Glen face a variety of challenges as they mature.Sarah, the true love of Matt's life and his best friend, has a seemingly normal family life until it is turned upside down by tragedy.Darrin, the boy pegged as Sarah's destiny, is extremely intelligent, but skilled in making bad choices, which he demonstrates time and time again.And Richard, the oddlooking outcast, is amazingly creative when it comes to his greed and thirst for power.Loyal to each other as young children, this group of friends learns very quickly how relationships and bonds can be broken as the years pass.Just like any small southern town, Bayou Glen is filled with betrayal, deceit and secrets, some of which can turn deadly.The ultimate challenge for the residents of Bayou Glen is learning who will survive. ... Read more

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The nature of time has haunted humankind through the ages. Some conception of time has always entered into our ideas about mortality and immortality, and permanence and change, so that concepts of time are of fundamental importance in the study of religion, philosophy, literature, history, and mythology. On one aspect or another, the study of time cuts across all disciplines. The International Society for the Study of Time has as its goal the interdisciplinary and comparative study of time. This volume presents selected essays from the 12th triennial conference of the International Society for the Study of Time at Clare College, Cambridge. The essays are clustered around themes that pertain to the constructive and destructive nature of memory in representations and manipulations of time. The volume is divided into three sections Inscribing and Forgetting, Inventing, and Commemoration wherein the authors grapple with the nature of memory as a medium that reflects the passage of time. ... Read more

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This is the most current cardiology text on the market! Generously illustrated with ECGs, illustrations, and tables, this timely and clinically focused text covers the major disease entities in cardiology. Written by noted authorities, this comprehensive text is an ideal quick reference for the physician as well as an authoritative companion for the student or resident. It features new information on controlling risk factors and updated drug information included throughout the text. ... Read more