Product Description
The solos, duets and trios feature the music of one of the most popular films of all time. Featured are: Cantina Band, Han Solo And The Princess The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme), May The Force Be With You, Parade Of The Ewoks, Princess Leia's Theme, Star Wars (Main Theme), The Throne Room, Victory Celebration and Yoda's Theme. We strongly suggest that the players switch parts occasionally so that everyone gets a chance to play lead. To sound like you are in a studio we have included a fully orchestrated CD to play-a-long with. Published in 5 editions (C Book, Bb Book, Eb Book, Bass Clef Book, and Piano accompaniment book) will enable most players to join in no matter what instrument is played. ... Read more

Product Description
Ted Williams today is an expert fisherman, perhaps the most expert of our time, the way Zane Grey was considered to be in his. The unique drive that made him desire to be, in his own words, "the greatest baseball hitter that ever lived" turned out to be transmutable: he wouldn't mind at all being called "the greatest fisherman that ever lived." His expertise is vast. He has fished black marlin in New Zealand and tiger fish on the Zambezi, and he has won international tournaments catching near-record sailfish and tarpon. No kind of tackle, no kind of river or body of water has escaped his attention. The weight of his experience has led him, now, to certain hard-held beliefs on the subject. Of all the fish that swim, Williams believes there are three worthy of a sportsman's consistent attention: the tarpon, the bonefish, and the Atlantic salmon. He has now caught (and released for the most part more than 1,000 of each. He considers it the triple crown of fishing. The first two he fishes for near his hometown in Islamorada, in the Florida Keys. For Atlantic salmon, he spends the greater part of every summer and fall, from June to the end of October, at his camp on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick. Every sportsman will delight in reading this unique, anecdote-filled volume in which Sports Illustrated staff writer John Underwood first tells about the actual experience of fishing each of "the Big Three" with Ted Williams. And then no angler will want to be without the secret technique that Williams himself reveals for catching these three elusive game fish - a compendium of knowledge that is applicable to any fish, in any water. --- from book's dustjacket ... Read more

Product Description
The award-winning music of John Williams includes some of the most popular and well-known movie themes ever! This incredibly versatile new collection includes some of Williams’ most-loved titles arranged for Level 2-3 instrumentalists. All arrangements are completely compatible with each other and can be played together or as solos. Each book contains a carefully edited part and a fully orchestrated accompaniment CD. Each song on the CD includes a demonstration track, which features a live instrumental performance, followed by a play-along track. The piano accompaniment book includes a CD that features various instrument demonstration tracks from the series. Titles are: Can You Read My Mind? (Love Theme from Superman) (Superman) * Cantina Band (Star Wars®) * Double Trouble (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) * Duel of the Fates (Star Wars®: Episode I The Phantom Menace) * Fawkes the Phoenix (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) * Harry’s Wondrous World (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) * Hedwig’s Theme (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) * The Imperial March (Star Wars®: The Empire Strikes Back) * May the Force Be With You (Star Wars®: The Empire Strikes Back) * Olympic Fanfare and Theme (1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles) * Star Wars (Main Title) (Star Wars®) * Theme from Superman (Superman) * A Window To the Past (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). ... Read more

Product Description
Oh, this is a winner! The first page says, "A modern and happy-time preparatory book which may be used to precede any piano method. Contains full size five-octave staff-notation chart." About half the book is instructions, and half is very fun little songs, with lots of drawings & illustrions!! Some songs have pictures of the keyboard, as shown on the cover. Also little notes here and there on reading music. Have a happy-time with this. Great deal, recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time, selections from all six Star Wars movies are included in one book. This collection includes several all-new easy piano arrangements by Dan Coates. Titles: Twentieth Century Fox Trademark
* Anakin's Theme
* Across the Stars
* Battle of the Heroes
* Binary Sunset
* Cantina Band
* Duel of the Fates
* The Force Theme
* The Imperial March
* Jawa Sandcrawler
* Luke and Leia
* May the Force Be with You
* Princess Leia's Theme
* Star Wars (Main Title)
* The Throne Room
* Yoda's Theme. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Star Wars
Purchased this book for my son and it falls into his love for Star Wars and his skills at the piano.

Star Wars perfect for beginners!
This version has been great for my 9-11 year old boys.They do need to have at least a year of piano experience before beginning, but so far all of my students have really enjoyed learning this piece!

Star Wars--A Musical Journey (Easy Piano)
My child requested this. The music is somewhat challenging for a piece rated "easy".There are pictures inside.She loved the movie. She loved the book.

Great Arrangements for Young Pianists
Obviously, kids like this music.Dan Coates does a really great job of arranging the sometimes complex music of John Williams so that it can be played by kids, but sounds sophisticated.There is also a range of difficulty of the pieces contained in this book.The "Star Wars Main Theme," and the "Imperial March" are fairly easy and straight forward."May the Force Be With You" and "Cantina Band" are somewhat more difficult. I would say that if your kid is at the level 2A-B, he (she) would be able to stretch a bit and play the easier selections.The harder selections could be approached by level 3A-B students, although my son was able to master some of the harder arrangements (with considerable practice) coming from level 2B, and improved his musicality accordingly. Thus, children will be able to go back to this book time and time again as their ability increases.The Coates Star Wars arrangements must be popular at recitals as attested to by the large number of videos of these pieces on You Tube.

exactly what I was looking for
This is the book of music you want if the most famous songs are your goal.My son sat down right away and tinkered on the piano.Doesn't have chord markings to use for guitar, though.For the price it is good. ... Read more

Product Description
Self-taught photographer Clarence John Laughlin (1905-85) spent most of his career in and around New Orleans. Dubbed "Edgar Allan Poe with a camera," Laughlin and his haunting images capture -- like nothing before or since -- the weathered elegance and dreamy decadence of Louisianas buildings, streets, and cemeteries.ÂAfter experimenting with photography in the early 1930s, Laughlin devoted himself to the medium in 1935 and had his first showing a year later. In 1948 his book on Louisiana's plantation architecture, Ghosts Along the Mississippi, vaulted him into the pantheon of great American photographers. He continued photographing actively until 1967, and lectured and wrote until his death in 1985. Over the course of his lengthy career, Laughlin produced more than 17,000 negatives and a large collection of writings on the art of photography. This stunning volume brings together 65 of Laughlin's characteristic images, both classic and unpublished -- an eerie gallery of French quarter facades and ironwork, funerary sculpture, Spanish moss, and other details that summon up Louisiana gothic. Accompanied by selections from Laughlin's various writings and letters, as well as essays by eight distinguished writersJon Kukla, John H. Lawrence, Andrei Codrescu, Ellen Gilchrist, Shirley Ann Grau, Jonathan Williams, Albert Belisle Davis, and John Wood --- Haunter of Ruins is the only book currently available on this incomparable American original. Haunter of Ruins was chosen as a winner in the General Trade Illustrated Book Category by Bookbuilders of Boston. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

an overlooked photographer, was ahead of his time
This book probably does more than any other to get inside the strange mind of Clarence John Laughlin. This is Southern Gothic at it's height. Best known as a documentor of crumbling plantation homes, Laughlin himself believed he was documenting something else indeed; he felt the camera can record the psychic impressions and nuances of the spirit world, which permeated the sites he photographed. It's weird stuff, and always overlooked in photo history texts.

If you've ever seen the movie "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" with Bette Davis, you'll realize that it was heavily influenced by Laughlin's still images. The fan of gothic culture will find much to brood upon in Laughlin's work. The fact that the bulk of it was done in the years 1935-1950 amaze people when I show them this book. So, photographers, southern historians, paranormal afficianadoes, and Goths should all check out this and any of Laughlin's unique photographic works.

surrealistic and haunting view of new orleans
Laughlin's photography goes inside the beauty and decay of New Orleans and surrounds, yielding a surrealistic view that mirrors much literature, but few photographs, of the area.Laughlin often uses models whose faces are distant yet haunting, and has a marvelous eye for architecture.Much more than photographs of a place, these are photographs that become part of the place.Comments by Laughlin and others that accompany the photographs are definitely an enhancement. ... Read more

Product Description

Ted Williams is our greatest living expert on how to hit a baseball -- the last baseball player to hit .400 in the major leagues. Williams's career hitting statistics will stand forever as a monument to his complete mastery of the single most difficult thing to do in sport: .344 lifetime batting average, 521 home runs, 1839 RBI and 2654 hits.

The Science of Hitting has reigned as the classic handbook on hitting since being published in 1971 -- and now it's even better! Ted's hitting advice has been updated, and exciting new color graphics and photos have been added to enhance your reading pleasure. The Gallery of Great Hitters has been expanded to include Ted's choices for the best hitters of the '70s and '80s: look inside to see who made the cut!

You'll still find all of Ted's great advice on how to improve your turn at bat and become the best hitter possible. Learn:

* How to think like a pitcher and guess the pitch
* The three cardinal rules for developing a smooth line-drive swing
* The secrets of hip and wrist action
* Pitch selection
* Bunting
* Hitting the opposite way

And much more!

Whether you play the game or simply enjoy reading about it, you'll find The Science of Hitting an unforgettable addition to your sports library.Amazon.com Review
As a boy, all Ted Williams wanted was to be the best hitter there everwas. Through his storied tenure with the Red Sox, he pretty much gothis wish. He not only hit, he knew how to hit; there was nokeener, more devoted, more articulate student of the art. TheScience of Hitting is his comprehensive book of wisdom andanecdote, a baseball bible that offers clear, concise,well-illustrated, fundamental information on how to hit a baseballand, just as important, how to think about hitting abaseball. Williams's first commandment is "Get a good pitch tohit," and, in one of baseball's most dramatic teaching tools--aphotograph that divides his strike zone into 77 baseballs, seven wideby 11 high--Williams projects what he would hit at each pitchlocation, from .230 on the low-outside strike to .400 in what hecalled his "happy zone," the heart of the plate belthigh. In 1941, that happy zone was obviously ecstatic; Williams hit.406 that year, the last to break the magic .400 barrier. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

Old school approach to hitting
Very good book for developing a hitter.While this is very old, the fundamentals of hitting a ball stay pretty much the same.I'd recommend it to the young (mid teen +) who want to bring their game to the next level.

It works!
My son is a 10 year-old player and I am a 45 year-old player.We both have improved from reading Ted Williams wisdom about hitting.My son was having trouble pulling the inside pitches.He was hitting line-drives and grounders to the opposite field, but the inside pitches were usually fouled off or taken.Ted Williams explained how clearing the hips is essential for power and hitting the inside pitch with authority.My son read those words and began thinking about his approach differently.He is now ripping balls to right field (He's a lefty).I have been doing the same.I had always been a line-drive hitter through college ball, but now I have found power that I did not seem to have before.It's all in the head.

Damaged Book Cover but Fast Refund
I got my book with a damaged cover (it is soft back cardboard cover) and called the sender. No response. I then wrote an email and got a refund for my book but still have the book as they did not give me money to send it back. I wanted a "new" book as advertised to give to author to sign but would not give damaged book for autograph. Phone calls were not returned but email worked.

THE BIBLE OF BASEBALL HITTING SECRETS
THIS BOOK IS A CLASSIC, WRITTEN BY THE MASTER HIMSELF, TED WILLIAMS.MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE PROS IN THE EARLY 70'S. THIS BOOK WAS THE MAJOR INFLUENCE IN HIS HITTING CAREER, AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES BY WHICH HE FOLLOWED TO GIVE HIMSELF AN OVERALL HITTING AVERAGE OF .360 FOR HIS JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS AT USC UNDER COACH ROD DEDEAUX (WITH WOOD BATS!)
MY HUSBAND IS NOW A BASEBALL COACH, SPECIALIZING IN HITTING INSTRUCTION. MOST OF THE TEACHING HE DOES IS FROM THIS BOOK.ANY HITTER AT ANY AGE CAN BENEFIT FROM THE ADVICE TED WILLIAMS GIVES IN THIS INSIGHTFUL MANUAL.IT INCLUDES A COLORED HITTING CHART THAT SHOWS WHICH PITCHES IN THE STRIKE ZONE GAVE HIM A BETTER HITTING AVERAGE, AND WHICH ONES HE AVOIDED UNLESS HE WAS IN A 3-2 SITUATION.A MUST-HAVE BOOK FOR ANY SERIOUS BASEBALL PLAYER.

A Classic by the greatest hitter of ALL time!
Nice book which discusses the mental and "spiritual" aspect of hitting. A must for every hitter from high school to college to professional. Not so much a "how to" book but rather a "why" manual for the hitter who has the passion to spend the time and effort to get better and master the art of hitting. An absolute must for hitters. ... Read more

Product Description
In her pioneering book Hard Core, Linda Williams put moving-image pornography on the map of contemporary scholarship with her pathbreaking analysis of the most popular and enduring of all film and video genres. Now, fifteen years later, she showcases the next generation of critical thinking about pornography and signals new directions for study and teaching. Porn Studies resists the tendency to situate pornography as the outer limit of what can be studied and discussed. With revenues totaling between ten and fourteen billion dollars annually—more than the combined revenues of professional football, basketball, and baseball—visual, hard-core pornography is a central feature of American popular culture. It is time, Williams contends, for scholars to recognize this and give pornography a serious and extended analysis.

The essays in this volume move beyond feminist debates and distinctions between a "good" erotica and a "bad" hard core. Contributors examine varieties of pornography from the tradition of the soft-core pin-up through the contemporary hard-core tradition of straight, gay, and lesbian videos and dvds to the burgeoning phenomenon of pornography on the Internet. They explore, as examples of the genre, individual works as divergent as The Starr Report, the pirated Tommy Lee/Pamela Anderson honeymoon video, and explicit Japanese "ladies’ comics" consumed by women. They also probe difficult issues such as the sexualization of race and class and the relationship of pornography to the avant-garde. To take pornography seriously as an object of analysis also means teaching it. Porn Studies thus includes a useful annotated bibliography of readings and archival sources important to the study of pornography as a cultural form.

Contributors. Heather Butler, Rich Cante, Jake Gerli, Minette Hillyer, Nguyen Tan Hoang, Despina Kakoudaki, Franklin Melendez, Ara Osterweil, Zabet Patterson, Constance Penley, Angelo Restivo, Eric Schaefer, Michael Sicinski, Deborah Shamoon, Maria St. John, Tom Waugh, Linda Williams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good academic work
Linda Williams is nearly alone (until quite recently) as a serious academic on the topic of porn.Her insights and scope of information are wide and deep.This is a well informed serious scholar. ... Read more

Product Description
For the "old crocodile," as Williams called himself late in life, the past was always present, and so it is with his continual shifting and intermingling of times, places, and memories as he weaves this story.When Memoirs was first published in 1975, it created quite a bit of turbulence in the mediathough long self-identified as a gay man, Williams' candor about his love life, sexual encounters, and drug use was found shocking in and of itself, and such revelations by America's greatest living playwright were called "a raw display of private life" by The New York Times Book Review. As it turns out, thirty years later, Williams' look back at his life is not quite so scandalous as it once seemed; he recalls his childhood in Mississippi and St. Louis, his prolonged struggle as a "starving artist," the "overnight" success of The Glass Menagerie in 1945, the death of his long-time companion Frank Merlo in 1962, and his confinement to a psychiatric ward in 1969 and subsequent recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, all with the same directness, compassion, and insight that epitomize his plays.

And, of course, Memoirs is filled with Williams' amazing friends from the worlds of stage, screen, and literature as heoften hilariously, sometimes fondly, sometimes notremembers them: Laurette Taylor, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, Elia Kazan, Marlon Brando, Vivian Leigh, Carson McCullers, Anna Magnani, Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor, and Tallulah Bankhead to name a few. And now film director John Waters, well acquainted with shocking the American public, has written an introduction that gives some perspective on the various reactions to Tennessee's Memoirs, while also paying tribute to a fellow artist who inspired many with his integrity and endurance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

At first, shocking, but then...
While my daughter was performing in Glass Menagerie, I picked up a copy of Tennessee Williams's Memoirs hoping to learn how much of his sister Rose was portrayed in Laura. That was soon answered by his comment that "Laura of Menagerie was like Miss Rose only in her inescapable 'difference,' which that old female bobcat Amanda would not believe existed." The most lasting impression from this hurly-burly book is the tenderness, almost reverence, of his feeling for Rose. Even his redoubtable mother is treated with gently barbed irony.
Yes, there is an incredible amount of sex (seven times in one night? A man with a serious heart condition?) but the tenderness comes through more and more until you just want to take care of this troubled guy, who poignantly remarks that while he often announced he was about to fall down, hardly anyone ever caught him.
Revealing, sometimes scathing portraits of theater people and others enliven the book; his loving account of Anna Magnani for example is a delight. Hemingway, he writes, "struck me as a gentleman who seemed to have a very touchingly shy quality about him."
Eccentric and informal in style, honest and probing for still deeper truths about his life and work, Memoirs leaves me with the sense that I have actually met and come to care for a rare human being.

Great Gossip
Tennessee Williams "Memoirs" are a feast for people who love theater gossip.While the info may not be entirely reliable, it is fascinating.TW was never vague about his opinions of people or shows;who would have thought that Kenneth Tynan would have introduced him to Hemingway (they hit it off) and Hemingway led him to Fidel!Great fun and useful for the Williams Centennial Fest I'm leading in Albuquerque.(This book is hard to order from the publisher, but Amazon sent it promptly and in good shape.)pkb

What a life
If you like memoirs, written by great writers about themselves, you'll love this one.

I was born in 1970, this was written not long after--my sense of being is way different than this guy.He wrote this himself in his later years, meanders here and there, but more in the end. Charming all the way thru.

I'd heard that maybe this was a little racy, but again--only in the beginning.And even then, not nearly what you see when you tune into any television station. Really, just a glimpse into what gay men of his era went through (a good glimpse).

When I realized what gold I had in my hands I slowed way down with this one--he writes in a way that makes you want to savor.It's a whole different time, you hafta listen.

Thank you older gay men, you paved the way.

An American Jewel
I think "badges of honor" (from a previous review) misses the mark. "Badges of dis-honor" would be closer to the truth. I think Williams' extremely destructive drug abuse and alcoholism are obvious escape hatches - escapes from his inner deamons, his possible self-loathing, and certainly an attempt to reconcile the loneliness that each artist has to contend with. The same isolation and deamons that Williams faced nearly destroyed Michelangelo - and they did kill Virginia Woolf, Francis Bacon, and Oscar Wilde. I still think "Iguana" and "Streetcar" are among the finest literature in the American canon, while "Suddenly Last Summer" is among the most compelling psychological (if not philosophical) horror stories ever written. In fact, it's worthy of Poe. Tennessee Williams can be difficult and disturbing, because he NEVER lies to us. Every one of his works renders him defenseless - and by extension our defenses are stipped bare as well. Only the greatest authors, artists, and poets are able to do this. No thoughtful person is quite the same after delving into the work of Tennessee Williams. I think that's an awesome power to possess - and William's never abuses it. Instead, he saved the abuse for himself. I'm still coming to terms with this.

An Act of Defiance by a Great Gay Author
If you are looking for a well organized overview of TW's life and career, look somewhere else.For someone truly interested in Tennessee Williams, I would suggest first reading a biography of him, and if you are still interested, read this to find out what made this man tick, what made this man get out of bed each day and write, and what a (....) guy he was. This is a nitty-gritty, confessional look inward at the personal aspects and thoughts of the life of a very talented writer.
I am sure what shocked his public when it was published in 1975 was his frank description of his love life and sexual affairs. For Ernest Hemingway it was okay to describe his love life because he was straight, but for a gay man it was (and still largely is) expected to be kept discreetly sub-rosa.But Tennessee was not ashamed of his nature and not ashamed of his life and in that way this memoir (and his life itself) is an act of cultural defiance. It pours out in a fairly disjointed stream of recollections. To be honest, it reads like a rough-draft that needs a lot of editing and filling in. But all-in-all, the inherent drama, passion and thirst for life itself jump out of the page and carry one through to the end and you can't help but be touched by his humanity and his passion and his drive to express himself through his art. ... Read more

Product Description
When The Compleat Strategyst was originally published in 1954, game theory was an esoteric and mysterious subject, familiar only to specialized researchers, particularly in the military. Its prominence today can be traced at least in part to this classic book, which popularized the subject for amateurs, professionals, and students throughout the world. This is a reprint of a 1966 revised edition of the book originally published in 1954. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Mathematicians Beware
If you're interested in learning a significant amount of game theory, stay away. Williams's writing style is excessively verbose and, frankly, tiring. Williams takes ages to get even the smallest point across and devotes huge portions of the text to dealing with common-sense topics that really don't deserve so much attention. The many examples in the book are overly complex and poorly worded.

Aside from that, the book simply doesn't cover very much material. After reading over 300 pages of this book you will know less about game theory than someone who read 60 pages of Philip Straffin's book on the topic. This isn't helped by the fact that by restricting himself to elementary arithmetic, Williams is forced to skip over most of the important details of the workings of game theory. As a result, readers of this book will only understand how - not why - zero-sum games can be solved.

I recommend this book to adults who have a paralyzing fear of anything but the most basic mathematics. Younger readers will most likely find it tedious wading through the writing style and readers capable with math with be frustrated with the lack of mathematical rigor.

As an alternative, I wholeheartedly recommend "Game Theory and Strategy" by Philip Straffin. It's shorter, covers three-to-four times as much material, and offers a truly compleat understanding of the topic while requiring only high-school level math (no calculus!).

For mechanics not engineers
Game theory for the users not for mathematicians.

Write a book on jet engines for engineers and you'll have chapters on the choice of alloy for the turbine blades and casing, formulae for fuel nozzle diameters, air flow and compression ratios, etc.Write a book on jet engines for mechanics, and it might be just as long, but have very different content, with types of failures and their causes, proper tool selections, techniques for cleaning internal components, etc.

"The Compleat Strategyst" is for people who (figuratively) turn wrenches in problems of decision-making.Were it for mathematicians, it would have long, convuluted derivations of axioms, and use sigma notation on 2 out of three pages.As a liberal arts major, it was a relief to find out that calculus appears nowhere in this book, as greek letters mixed in math disturb my digestion, and cause anxiety attacks.You'll need some math, but only what would show up in junior high school pre-algebra.The worst you'll run into are ratios with five or more elements and some long division problems, nothing that requires a recovery period.

What it does have is a first rate explaination of decision matrices for economists, historians, and poli-sci majors, along with other essential topics in game theory.The focus is basic, two-player games with only passing mention to anything other than zero-sum games, but within its limits, it is very good.Use of matrices to support decisions, the value of randomness in situations where strategies are of similar risk-benefit, and multiple strategy games are covered very well.Although basic, enough detail and examples are given, that the concepts can be readily applied to real world decisions.Any student of political science would do well to read this book and do the problems.

The book was first publish in 1954, and the illustrations and prose can be a little 'camp' at times, but younger readers will be mildly amused at the corniness of their elders, and have a brief glimpse of life during the Cold War, and the early post-WW II era.

Within in its limits, Great!But it is limited.

E. M. Van Court

Dated and Quirky -- not best intro
It's cheap, it's a classic, and it's got a sense of humor.These would
seem good reasons to choose this as your intro to game theory.
On the other hand, it's dated, the elaborate writing style can
get tiring, and most importantly the ideas are not communicated
very well.For example, there's quite a bit of focus at
the beginning on the formalism itself (the payoff matrix),
instead of tying to applications and intuition.

I highly recommend Philip Straffin's book on game theory as an
alternative.My son and I were reading The Compleat Strategyst
together and he found it a turn-off.We switched to Straffin's
book and are both enjoying it.The pedagogy is excellent, the
writing is clear, and there are many examples and exercises.
It not only gets the ideas across better -- it is also more
precise, with many explicit definitions, theorems, and proofs.
Game Theory and Strategy (New Mathematical Library)

Beware!
Warning:This book only tells you how to solve game theory problems, NOT WHY the solutions work!So you actually aren't truly learning game theory at all.It's really more an answer key than a primer on game theory.If that's what you want, fine, but if you're looking for an initial step on the road to UNDERSTANDING game theory, look elsewhere.

Games People Play
Funny thing about words:depending on context, they can evoke quite different moods.Take, for example, "matrix":when referring to a certain movie with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss, most people react favorably.Used, however, when discussing mathematics, and the majority will feel something different, perhaps akin to fear and repulsion.On the one hand, this is understandable; working with matrices can be tedious grunt work with little of the theoretical beauty that much of math offers; on the other hand, it is the heart and soul of one particularly interesting branch, game theory.

J.D. Williams's The Compleat Strategyst is an introduction to game theory and by the end of the volume you will see your fair share of matrices, but this should not be overly intimidating.Williams knows that they can be unwieldy and does his best to simplify matters.But first, he introduces us to game theory itself.

Essentially, game theory is a mathematical method for calculating strategies.In most games, the theory will be too overly simple, but it does offer a lot of insights with practical implications in fields such as economics (for example, John Nash of "A Beautiful Mind" won his Nobel Prize for work in this field).The classic illustration, not really discussed in this book, involves the Prisoner's Dilemma:two men are held for a crime.If neither confesses, both go free;if only one confesses, he gets a light sentence and the other gets a heavy one; if both confess, they each get a medium sentence.What should the prisoner's strategy be?Silence can result in the best payout (freedom), but also the worst if the other prisoner confesses.Confession guarantees a sentence, but at worst, it will not be as bad as the one that can result from silence.

So what is the best strategy?Generally, if both prisoners act rationally, they will take the choice that results with the least "bad" result:That would mean confession, which at worst, results in a medium sentence (which is better than the long sentence that silence could lead to).Of course, things can work out differently in the real world.

In many games (though not the Prisoner's Dilemma), the player gets to play multiple times, in which case, the best strategy can actually be a mix of various strategies.The laying out of these various strategies and the various payouts is in the form of a matrix, a square or rectangular grid of numbers, with each row representing a strategy of player A and each column one for player B.

Even if this seems a little bewildering, Williams does a good job at explaining it, lacing his examples with plenty of humor (which I actually found only mildly funny, but it does lighten the prose).But no matter how good the writing is, eventually, the complexity of matrices can get overwhelming.It is here that one of the weaknesses of the book shows:due to its age (this edition was written in 1966), the use of computers is virtually ignored, although they could be very useful:the work here uses algorithms that can be reproduced easily on a computer.Then again, maybe it's more important to know the mechanics of game theory rather than relying on a computer.

Most of the math in this book is basic addition and multiplication, so if you're patient enough, you can learn this material even if you're not mathematically inclined.And even if you don't want to learn the more complex methods (or do the sample exercises), you can still get a lot of good insight from this book.The Compleat Strategyst may not help you win many games - at least directly - but it will give you an opportunity to think about them in a new manner.
... Read more

Product Description

Creamy risotto, dotted with fresh spring peas or delicate shellfish, is a classic of the northern Italian table. This versatile dish never ceases to please -- combining the satisfying flavors of tender rice, fresh herbs, and seasonal ingredients with delicious results. Whether featuring grilled sausage and bell peppers, wild mushrooms, or the perfect pairing of salmon and dill, risotto is as equally well suited to simple suppers as it is to formal dinner parties.

Williams-Sonoma Collection Risotto offers more than 40 recipes, including old favorites and fresh new ideas, all rooted in the venerable Italian tradition. Warm up winter evenings with a rich, satisfying four-cheese risotto, or serve a light risotto with artichokes for an early summer supper. Delight guests with special dishes such as risotto-stuffed tomatoes or crisp risotto croquettes. Risotto recipes in the dessert chapter combine figs and almonds or chocolate and hazelnuts to complete this inspired collection.

Full-color photographs make it easy to decide which risotto to prepare, and photographic side notes highlight key ingredients and techniques throughout, making Risotto more than just a fine collection of recipes. An informative basics section and glossary include everything you need to know to make this hearty Italian dish a trusted favorite in your kitchen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Will not disappoint you!
Who doesn't enjoy walking through a William-Sonoma store?This book includes a wonderful variety of risotto recipes and is one of my favorites.

Very solid like most of the series
Like all of the William Sonoma cookbooks I have (about 10) it is easy to use, informative the recipes work well and are relatively easy to make.
We love Risotto around my house and there several real crowd pleaser here that I make over and over.I also recommend the new version also with more good recipes. It is not a remake of this one but more recipes in a larger format.

Yummy Book!
This is a really good book about Risotto.The recipes range from light to deliciously heavy and creamy.There are also very basic instructions and tips for the beginning Risotto maker.

Excellent
I have seen risotto prepared in many different ways, unfortunately there is only one way to properly go about the task. Arborio or Carnaroli rice depending on your choice requires a certain method to extract all of the creaminess from the rice while maintaining a good al dente texture. In this book, the author here has done a wonderful job of illustrating the proper way to produce a quality risotto. Nice photos to give you ideas as risotto leaves much room for experimentation once you have mastered the basics.

Beautifully Illustrated, Delicious, Easy Recipes
Risotto is a wonderful, filling, nutritious meal and can be simple or sophisticated, served at family meals or dinner parties. (It also makes great left-overs!) Whether you're browsing or planning a menu, this book will fulfill your appetite. Each recipe is beautifully illustrated and presented on a separate page with easy-to-follow instructions. Several of the recipes I've tried have become family favorites. Just serve with a fresh baguette, and some can be considered one-dish meals. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Yumm!
This is an amazing book with easy recipes...and I love how they provide recipes for grilling vegetables with nice marinades. ... Read more

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"Do you have a sane work-play balance? Had enough of your job and want to change your life? Here's how to do it" The TimesStuck in a job that's boring you to tears? Slogging away at a business that's never quite taken off? Still can't decide what you'd rather do?Well, it's time to change all that.We've reached a remarkable point in the history of work. With the right guidance, it's now possible for anyone to make a living from doing the things they love.Written by a career maverick who escaped corporate life, Screw Work Let's Play is your blueprint to create a work-life full of fun, freedom and creativity; something more like play than work.Packed full of stories from people who turned their passion into their living or even a million pound business you'll discover 10 secrets to transform your working life, starting today.Discover life-changing ideas and practical plans including:*How to win your first playcheque without quitting your current job*How to beat the doubts and internal blocks that hold you back*How you can play and get rich even in a recessionWhether you want to start a business, create an ideal job, write a book, or change the world, there's no need to suffer unfulfilling work any more. Ready to play? Unlock exclusive extras at www.screwworkletsplay.comJoin the Play Revolution ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best books I have read in a long time
I just finished reading this book and its absolutely awesome! It has made a difference to my life, I have been thinking about "getting paid to play" for a while now and have been wondering how I would go about doing that. John has captured the factors that one needs to consider when making the jump from "worker" to "player" and it all makes loads of sense. I had several "aha" moments when I read this and feel energised to go ahead and make the big jump. This is an excellent book and I cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone looking to improve their life by getting up every morning to get paid for doing what they truly love. ... Read more

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Accent on Achievement is a revolutionary, best-selling band method that will excite and stimulate your students through full-color pages and the most complete collection of classics and world music in any band method.The comprehensive review cycle in books 1 & 2 will ensure that students remember what they learn and progress quickly.Also included are rhythm and rest exercises, chorales, scale exercises, and 11 full band arrangements among the first two books.Book 3 includes progressive technical, rhythmic studies and chorales in all 12 major and minor keys.Also included are lip slur exercises for increasing brass instrument range and flexibility. Accent on Achievement meets and exceeds the USA National Standards for music education, grades five through eight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

shipped wrong book
I dont want to say the book was bad just not what I ordered so sent it back and got my refund with no problems

Book For Trumpets
This book is not specified as a book for trumpets. Unless the image is enlarged, you can't tell.Had to return it for another because I was looking for a book about clarinets.

A happy customer.
The best service, excellent quality, a very profitable purchase.
I knew the ratings on your products are accurate so I expected nothing short of very good quality, making my purchase a confident one.
Thank you ... Read more