Book Description
Many people call our current era "The Age of Information." True, the body of information is increasing at an unprecedented pace, and information is more accessible than ever. But information doesn’t mean diddly-squat if you don’t know how to use it. Access 2003 All-In-One Desk Reference for Dummies is your one-stop guide to building databases and managing information with Access 2003, covering the basics like tables, queries, forms, and reports and more advanced functions such as using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and writing code. If you want, you can go all the way to geekdom, or you can simply find out how to make the most of your data to better manage your business by:
- Creating and modifying tables and entering and editing data
- Sorting, finding, and filtering data
- Creating queries, including update queries, action queries, and the Query Wizards
- Building forms with AutoForm and Wizards
- Creating charts and graphs from your data
- Maintaining, sharing, and securing your Access database
- Letting Access do the math, whether it’s calculating simple cost per unit or performing complex financial functions
Microsoft Office Access 2003 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies was written by three computer gurus: Alan Simpson, author of over 80 computer books; Margaret Levine Young, co-author of several dozen computer books, including The Internet for Dummies; and Alison Barrows, book author and writer and editor of technical documentation and training material. To give you hands-on experience and demonstrate practical applications of database management, there is a Web site that complements the book and features a fully functioning mail order management database used in examples throughout the book. You can download it and follow along as you explore:
- Working with external data sources such as Microsoft SQL Server
- Writing and debugging code
- Using HTML, JavaScript, Jscript, VB Script, and Java to facilitate the exchange of information on the Internet among different programs on disparate platforms
- Using data access pages (DAP) to share information on your intranet
With Access 2003 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies, you’ll discover how to put information to work for you.
Customer Reviews:
Worth Getting.......2007-05-13
I found myself suddenly needing to use Access for analysis that was way too big to do in Excel (comparing data sets from 3 sources with ~800K records each). I really knew nothing about Access. Between this book and the internet I have become very proficient in Access. I practically slept with the book for a week. I now find I don't need it and have lent it to a co-worker.
Great book for filling in the blanks.......2007-05-13
I've had limited exposure to Access before reading this book, and I found it fantastic for filling in the blanks in my knowledge. Access is complicated enough that, for true beginners, it would probably be more helpful to get a book that comes with a CD of examples and walk-throughs. But if you have a handle on the basics, I'd highly recommend this book.
Mostly Worthless.......2007-04-25
Most of the examples and/or instructions do not work correctly when applied to an actual database.
ACCESS Dummies book is good..........2007-02-21
I am pretty good with computers and figuring out new software. This book had decent basic explanations of the functions & tools, but I had to review the book several times to figure out how to link Tables, and I still couldn't figure it out. I looked on Microsoft.com/Access at their Access database Templates to see how tables are linked together (see the Contact Management Database - its fantastic !) and had to look at each individual table & form to figure out how tables relate to each other in order for them to be linked... and I still couldn't quite figure it out.
The disappointing part about the book is that in order for ACCESS to really work for you, you need to understand how to link tables and the book was just not that helpful in that area.
I'm glad I have the book, however, it does help with many other basic things, but I would imagine you'd have to get someone to sit down and show you how to link tables in order for you to grasp the concept of it. To me, its like 3-dimensional thinking - and that's a bit too mind numbing for me to figure out on my own.
Microsoft Office Access 2003.......2006-11-07
Excellent book. Easy to follow; includes lots of cross-references.
It's helped me to improve my database building capabilities.
Customer Reviews:
Hot Pursuit.......2007-05-15
"Barrow of the Forgotten King" is a 64 page 2nd level module (the first in a series of three, continuing with "The Sinister Spire" and "Fortress of the Yuan-ti"). It's a classic dungeon crawl with a twist. Something strange happens at the graveyard of the sleepy town of Kingsholm. Enter the player characters... An ancient mausoleum has been breached by a group of ne'erdowells and soon the module turns into a heated pursuit, with the players characters fighting both against the intruders amb the tomb defenders. A well developed plot and memorable villains make for an excellent adventure. Kudos to Ed Stark for a work well done. Also attractive interior illustrations by Joel Thomas.
To sum it up: a must. After reading the adventure I changed my planned campaign to include it. Hope the next module keeps up the good level. From the name of the third and final module "Fortress of the Yuan-ti", you can guess who will be the cold-blooded villains behind the intricate conspiracy...
Solid and well laid out.......2007-05-11
Solid overall. Story line is good and the new layout for encounters is growing on me. Nice mix of encounters.
Standard Dungeon Crawl with a few extra elements.......2007-04-26
Barrow of the Forgotten King sounded like a great adventure to use to get characters high enough in level and skill to go to more interesting adventures such as "The Red Hand of Doom" and "Expedition to Castle Ravenloft" and for that it works great. My main problem with the adventure is the fact that the city of Kingsholm isnt very fleshed out and it recommends that you can use some of the Npc's to help in the adventure and it doesnt flesh them out hardly at all. The puzzles or "roleplaying encounters" are not very challenging and a party of 3 2nd level characters had no problem with most of the regular encounters. So i'm guessing a full party shouldnt have any trouble with most of the encounters before the regular levelling up point that it recommends in the book. Most the adventure didnt seem very challenging and i had to "fix" a lot of things in order to make it so as well as adding in my own dungeon rooms and traps to make it a more thought out process than travelling room to room and killing whatever is there. A pc with track is also a must as i had to introduce another character later on because with no track the magical maze is nowhere near as fun as it could be. Also, if you want to run the module exactly as it reads then be prepared to pick up the 2nd and 3rd modules in the series when they come out.In conclusion, this is not a 5 star module, there are better modules out there...even for low levels, however if you are looking for a standard dungeon crawl with a low level puzzle or two (easy stuff with an experienced group of players) then this module is for you. It wasnt bad but then again it wasnt that good either.
One last thing i would like to talk about is weapons of legacy which WoTC seem to be pushing with each product. Legacy items are a cool idea but the way i understood them were that they were few and far between and very rare. It seems like every adventure they publish now...even the low level ones have weapons of legacy in them. I bought the "weapons of legacy" book off of amazon used and overall the book gave some decent quest ideas as well as the weapons but its extremely annoying when every module i buy gives a sword of legacy out at the end or in the middle thats used to defeat the main boss...this is part 1 of a 3 parter and it will add more legacy items each time i am sure and i am sure that the legacy sword in this one (which is an awesome weapon for paladin/fighter types)will be replaced by the sunsword in the expedition to castle ravenloft when my party goes through it. Artifacts were good enough...legacy items are just being overused and with a limit on using them they will soon be thrown away and upgraded with other ones.
SOLID, LOW LEVEL ADVENTURE.......2007-04-01
The Barrow of the Forgotten King is a D&D adventure for four to six 2nd level characters that should advance to the 4th or 5th level upon completion. It can be easily modified if the characters are somewhat higher in level. The adventure is set in the village of Kingsholm whose most notable feature is its ancient cemetery that is said to have existed even before the village. The most prominent landmark in the cemetery is the statue of an unknown, ancient king. The hook for the characters is that a family of mourners has vanished from the cemetery, as has the guards who went in search of them.
Enter the PC's who can be hooked into the adventure by being hired to investigate the disappearances or perhaps by the legend of the unknown king. Beyond the village' Inn where the players will learn of the cemetery and the disappearances, there are no other aspects of the village that are explored. It's pretty much just head right to the cemetery and into the great mausoleum. The players will descend into the tombs and catacombs beneath the cemetery to begin their exploration.
The Adventure locations will key several different encounters that the PC's will face. For some reason, rather than present the encounter information to the DM as you get to them, the adventure keys instruct the DM to turn to a particular page to set-up and complete the encounter. Each area also has its own mini map. To me this is a little awkward and unnecessary but doesn't hinder the game play too much. The adventure is fairly linear but a solid dungeon crawl anyway. I'd say that 2nd level characters may be a little weak and I'd at least allow 3rd level characters to start things off. It should take a few sessions to complete. I do like the detail presented by writer Ed Stark. It's a dungeon crawl but at least its not a featureless one. It's not all hack-n-slash either, as there are also a fair amount of puzzles and other obstacles the players will have to face.
The art is the usual high quality work that fans have come to expect from Wizards of the Coast with a solid cover by Steve Prescott and interior art by Wayne England and Joel Thomas. The book's cover is actually the players version of the map should the DM not want to take the time to have the whole thing mapped out by hand (although it's really not all that big).
This is actually the first installment of what will eventually be a trilogy set within the same landscape. The second adventure, The Sinister Spire, will continue things and will eventually make for one large, epic campaign.
All in all, a fairly solid low level adventure. A good drop in and go module that can be utilized with any D&D setting. They recommend the use of miniatures but it's hardly a necessity.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
First Rate Dungeon Crawl.......2007-03-27
Publisher Wizards of the Coast has been keeping up their trend of releasing new products for the Dungeons and Dragons game every month, and interspersed between all the source books and campaign expansions have been a few new official adventures. Barrow of the Forgotten King is one of those adventures, designed to seriously challenge a group of second level characters and take them all the way to fifth level by the time the entire adventure is concluded. This is also the first in a set of three adventures that all follow the same background story, each of which will be released several months apart to coincide with the release of a source book that the dungeon master may find useful in running the adventures.
The story arc presented in Barrow of the Forgotten King is interesting both to dungeon master and player alike, and can very easily be modified to mesh with an already existing campaign. The basic plot revolves around a group of grave robbers, working for an unseen evil organization, who have come to the sleepy town of Kingsholm to plunder an ancient tomb under a giant statue of a long forgotten king. Besides the obvious lure of riches buried with a deceased monarch, the tomb raiders are also motivated by an age old prophecy which the characters will become embroiled in. A dungeon master wanting to run the adventure in the middle of a campaign could easily swap out the organization behind the robbery with whatever evil group dominates his campaign world. Likewise, the section regarding the prophecy of the forgotten king, which ties into the next adventure in the series, could easily be dropped out or changed to better fit a game that has already been running.
The art in this module is the same high quality that has come to be expected of Dungeons and Dragons products. The cover art alone is outstanding, perfectly capturing the feel of one of the combat encounters towards the end of the adventure. The interior art is equally good, showcasing some of the more fearsome creatures that the characters will be pitted against. The jacket around the actual book pulls off and doubles as a map of the entire dungeon, minus any details the players shouldn't know such as locations of secret doors or monsters, which means the dungeon master doesn't have to take the time to re-draw a player friendly version of the map.
At its core, Barrow of the Forgotten King is a dungeon crawl, and a very well thought out one. The mausoleum and it's hidden under levels, where most of the action takes place, isn't so large as to cause the players to tire of searching room after room, nor is it small enough to hamper the illusion that this is an actual complex people built long ago to honor their dead king. The dungeon has a good mix of straightforward combat, traps and puzzles, and opportunities for role-playing. One of the shining moments of this module is a puzzle that the actual players will have to decode by puzzling out a riddle sequence, rather than their characters overcoming the obstacle by making a couple of dice rolls, which is a very nice change of pace. Being set in a mausoleum also allows for several creepy moments that will remind the players that they are very much in a dark and scary place where less adventurous souls wouldn't dare to tread.
Barrow of the Forgotten King is presented in a new format that Wizard's of the Coast has been toying with recently. The first quarter of the book is a straightforward synopsis of the overall plot, and then each area of the adventure is presented in chronological order with flavor text to read to the players as they progress through the dungeon. The last three quarters of the book explain in detail each encounter or tactical situation in much greater detail, including all the statistics for the monsters or non-player characters in the area. The reasoning behind the change in format is that it theoretically reduces page flipping and the amount of time the dungeon master has to search through the back to find a particular creature's statistics during the course of a battle or role playing exchange. In practice it doesn't actually reduce the amount of page flipping, it just changes the circumstances under which the dungeon master is forced to search around in the book for a particular piece of information. Rather than trying to find statistics, the dungeon master will now be searching for room descriptions and notes on what's going on in the next areas. The only real problems with this adventure are a couple of glaring typographical errors that never should have been missed, and the time it will take the dungeon master to get used to the new format.
Barrow of the Forgotten king is a great dungeon crawl that will challenge players and allow characters of all classes to use their special abilities. It's excellent art, ease of transition into existing campaigns, and well fleshed out setting make it a highly recommended module.
Book Description
A major contribution to our understanding of the basic laws of the universe -- from the author of
The Book of Nothing.
The constants of nature are the fundamental laws of physics that apply throughout the universe: gravity, velocity of light, electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. They encode the deepest secrets of the universe, and express at once our greatest knowledge and our greatest ignorance about the cosmos.
Their existence has taught us the profound truth that nature abounds with unseen regularities. Yet while we have become skilled at measuring the values of these constants, our frustrating inability to explain or predict their values shows how much we have still to learn about inner workings of the universe.
What is the ultimate status of these constants of nature? Are they truly constant? And are there other universes where they are different?
John D. Barrow, one of our foremost mathematicians and cosmologists, discusses the latest thinking about these and many more dramatic issues in this accessible and thought-provoking book.
Customer Reviews:
Historical and Baffling at times!.......2007-08-27
Barrow's has a good humour about philosophy but also takes it seriously enough to explain all concepts clearly. Numbers are not my thing but this one pulled me in pretty tight. This bloke knows his stuff but the book is very readable. If you're interested in math and M Theory stuff, this a good one. It starts from the beginning when measurements were first used and numbers' significance in the universe, thus spiralling into some fairly complex and modern issues.
Are there any constants in the universe?.......2007-02-23
In considering physics, Einstein once asked whether God had any choice in laying out the rules.
After discussing the history of human measurements (historically a product of chance), Barrow turns his attention to the so called physical constants of measurement and ultimately asks the question of whether they too are a product of chance (albeit on a different scale).
Though admittedly he makes errors along the way (like saying it takes 3 seconds for light to reach Earth from the sun instead of eight minutes), Barrow nonetheless manages to create a physics book that accessible makes cutting edge insights available to the casual reader.
And what Barrow has to say about the "constants of the universe" and perhaps their ultimately changeable nature speaks mightily to the boundless enigma that is the universe (perhaps one of many) in which we live.
Good book.......2007-01-13
This was an entertaining book but a little tedious at times. Also it was not exactly what I expected. I thought it would be more of a description of different physical phenomena, while this is more like a survey of different historical approaches to uniting all constants with one theory, which constantly failed but shed light on many side issues along the way.
ARE FINE-TUNED CONSTANTS EVIDENCE OF GOD?.......2006-09-30
As one who believes that life is a natural property of the universe, I am intrigued by the concept that the constants of nature seem to have been fine-tuned to make life possible. The conservative Patrick Glynn asserts, in God: The Evidence, that they constitute essentially incontestable evidence for what was once merely a matter of faith: "the existence of soul, afterlife, and God." The notion that the universe is really an infinite multiverse, and that we just happen to inhabit one of the infinitesimal few whose constants make the wildly improbably string of coincidence leading to our existence possible, is dismissed as far-fetched nonsense propagated by atheistic scientists desperate to find some way to justify their materialist dogma.
While I once considered the notion of a multiverse to be unlikely, further study has convinced me this is not so. However, even if the multiverse is a fact, the theory offers no more support for materialism than fine-tuned constants constitute evidence for a God whose existence is completely external to the universe. We have no way of examining these other universes, and hence no way of knowing that they have constants incompatible with the evolution of life and intelligence. If consciousness is intrinsic to physical existence, and there is no compelling reason for insisting that it is not, then the constants of nature would necessarily have "fine-tuned" values.
It is odd that John Barrow's interest in this possibility arouses such animosity and ridicule in some people. Is the idea that our existence might not be an accident really so distasteful? There are those who argue that the anthropic principle should instead be called the insectoid principle since the constants are also fine-tuned to produce insects. True enough, but insects are unable to discuss the matter. We are.
Dr. Barrow's book is an excellent choice for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of some of the intriguing coincidences of nature, and of the myriad ways in which these coincidences have been interpreted by scientists of different historical eras. There are some minor errors in the book, such as the sun being three light-seconds from Earth instead of eight light-minutes, but these are really important. The one question I have is the claim that human behavior, even if free will is illusory, is unpredictable in principle because if people are aware of the predictions made about their behavior, then they can act to falsify those predictions. But if free will really is illusory, why should the scientist not be able, in principle, to predict that behavior also?
(Peter Payne, author of CAPTAIN CALIFORNIA BATTLES THE BEELZEBUBIAN BEASTS OF THE BIBLE)
Barrow embraces change........2005-10-03
Interesting and topical to a discussion on the possibilities of existence. Barrow explores the difficulties of objective measurement, Einstein's fascination with what the universe could have been, Eddington's strange love of theory over experiment, the position of Dirac in the coincidence vs. consequence of habitable places, and the unexpected finding of possible variance in the fine structure constant from the worlds earliest known nuclear reactor.
Average customer rating:
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Fundamentals of Math with Career Applications
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Hole's Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology
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Book Description
Instants Access! With this unbeatable A-to-Z reference, you can zoom in on any topic and get just the information you need to solve a problem or perform an operation. From creating a new field to setting up shared files, you get clear, succinct directions on how to make the most of every Access feature immediately !
Customer Reviews:
Access 200 - for dummies.......2001-08-06
Book was well organized, and delivered promptly.
However, was disappointed in that the book did not address many areas of interest for me, such as setting up security, protecting against errant/accidental data entry into exisitng records.
Book would be useful to user with very little experience.
Book for my Family.......2000-06-23
My family wanted to try out the different software on thier new computer. They had a sparked interest in Access. I use Access at work on a dily bases, so after many nights of phone calls I bought my parents this book. My parents, who have never used Access, are able to create tables, queries, reports and forms with ease. All I have to worry about now is them applying for my job.
Book Description
Levels of 'employer brand awareness' are rising fast across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, as leading companies realise that skilled, motivated employees are as vital to their commercial success as profitable customers and apply the principles of branding to their own organization. Starting with a review of the pressures which have generated current interest in employer branding, this definitive book goes on to look at the historical roots of brand management and the practical steps necessary to achieve employer brand management success - including the business case, research, positioning, implementation, management and measurement. Case studies of big-name employer brand stories include Tesco, Wal-Mart, British Airways and Prêt a Manger.
Download Description
Levels of 'employer brand awareness' are rising fast across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, as leading companies realise that skilled, motivated employees are as vital to their commercial success as profitable customers and apply the principles of branding to their own organization. Starting with a review of the pressures which have generated current interest in employer branding, this definitive book goes on to look at the historical roots of brand management and the practical steps necessary to achieve employer brand management success - including the business case, research, positioning, implementation, management and measurement. Case studies of big-name employer brand stories include Tesco, Wal-Mart, British Airways and Prêt a Manger.
Book Description
While visiting Russia in his twenties, Rainer Maria Rilke, one of the twentieth century's greatest poets, was moved by a spirituality he encountered there. Inspired, Rilke returned to Germany and put down on paper what he felt were spontaneously received prayers. Rilke's Book of Hours is the invigorating vision of spiritual practice for the secular world, and a work that seems remarkably prescient today, one hundred years after it was written.
Rilke's Book of Hours shares with the reader a new kind of intimacy with God, or the divine--a reciprocal relationship between the divine and the ordinary in which God needs us as much as we need God. Rilke influenced generations of writers with his Letters to a Young Poet, and now Rilke's Book of Hours tells us that our role in the world is to love it and thereby love God into being. These fresh translations rendered by Joanna Macy, a mystic and spiritual teacher, and Anita Barrows, a skilled poet, capture Rilke's spirit as no one has done before.
Customer Reviews:
Glad to have the German alongside the translated poems.......2007-01-02
As previous reviewers have noted, _Rilke's Book of Hours_ has its shortcommings, most notably the way in which the poems have been translated. While I am more forgiving of the translations than others, it is valid concern.
First, the German - Rilke's poetry is spiritually transcendent, moving and sublime. This collection is marvelous. However, the translations are a bit sticky. Certainly some slack must be given anyone who translates literature, poetry especially so. And while I was not happy to see some of Rilke's poems "reinterpreted," the translators were quite upfront and honest with their intentions.
Certainly purists will take issue with the English translations. Nonetheless, I found this a wonderful, beautiful collection of spiritually moving and thought-provoking poems.
90% Rilke, 10% Translator.......2006-03-28
Rilke wrote exceptional poetry. This book offers prayers he felt compelled to write after visiting Russia and encountering a simpler form of Christianity. It is engaging and powerful to wrestle with God and the human condition as they intersect. Rilke holds himself open and offers the reader language, terror and beauty in the face of an exceedingly complex yet personal God.
Rilke himself deserves five out of five stars. However,as has been noted in other reviews, this book bears the scars of interpretation from its translators. The muddled stories of conversion to Buddhism tip their hats to their interpretive goals. Consider the following end note:
"I,55 We have omitted two lines that didn't fit in the cup. It wasn't just the first murder that fragmented God's ancient names (see I,9), but also our presumptuous attempts to describe God. From the Tao Te Ching: 'The Way that can be named is not the Way.'"
I had bought the book to read Rilke, not some deconstructed version of him. So, although the writing is a fantastic set of poetry, I would caution the reader to move on to another translation that is more about Rilke as Rilke wrote. I wish I had examined my copy more closely before I purchased it.
Rilke's Century-Old Spiritual Poetry Made Bountifully New Again.......2005-12-22
I adore, truly adore the writings - and the heart - of
Rainer Maria Rikle - and as I read each author's preface
to this award winning translation, I felt as if I was
finding two kindred spirits who love Rilke as much
as I do.
Listen to this from the opening notes:
"Most of all we acknowledge the young man who, standing
at the brink of this fearsome century, opened the treasure
house of his huge heart."
I am not a German scholar - all I know in German is
how to say "I love you" - so I can not read Rilke in
the original German. I have read other reviews which
find fault with this translation. I found myself
appreciating the thoroughness of their choices... and
the care they put into word selection and the time
they studied other translations with the intent to
honor the original German.
I have spent the last several days revelling in this
volume and was thrilled to discover this pair of
translators have another Rilke volume on the way.
The book includes a brief history of the poems themselves
and the life of Rilke (vis a vis the collection of poems.)
The included commentary explains their choices.
I would recommend this book for Rilke and non-Rilke
fans a like. The words are timeless, lovely and
imblued with love.
Poems of spiritual yearning originally penned one hundred years ago by Rainer Maria Rilke.......2005-12-04
Co-translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy and a finalist for the Pen/West Translation Award, Rilke's Book Of Hours: Love Poems To God presents poems of spiritual yearning originally penned one hundred years ago by Rainer Maria Rilke. Presenting both the original German text and skillful English translations by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy, Rilke's Book of Hours speaks of a reciprocal relationship between mortals and the divine, in which God needs us as much as we need Him. A preface and brief commentary round out this commemorative 100th anniversary edition of classic works of faith and inspiration. I find you there in all these things / I care for like a brother. / A seed, you nestle in the smallest of them, / and in the huge ones spread yourself hugely. // Such is the amazing play of the powers: / they who give themselves so willingly, / swelling in the roots, thinning as the trunks rise, / and in the high leaves, resurrection.
Poems for the theological unconventional........2005-08-28
Rilke's "Book of Hours" is a real treasure. Macy and Barrows give us a wonderful translation, as well as helpful biography of the poet. Context in poetry is important and we get that from the translators in both the Rilke's personal history and the history of his time.
Some of these poems are dark. Rilke was deeply effected by the povery he saw and it can be seen in his poetry. Some have accused him of romaticizing poetry, to which I respond, "What?" There is nothing remotely "romantic" about poverty and Rilke, through Macy and Barrows, gives it to us with all of its grit. Would that we had a similar modern sensitivity today when world poverty is undoubtedly worse.
Dark also are his poems on death. Like the ones on poverty, he tells it like it is. But he asks God to "give us each our own death, the dying that proceeds from each of our lives" (III,6) Isn't that what we all want? I know I do.
Poverty and death are not the only themes here. The Books of Monastic Life and Pilgrimmage contain some of the best writing on mysticism from a Western mind. As with all mystics, sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't, but Rilke's gift, as well as our translators, is to make his mysticism, his experience accessible to us. I am grateful that he did.
Book Description
The revised edition of the classic introductory volume to hospitality management
Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry covers all aspects of managing in the business, from operational issues to the role of management. This extensively revised Seventh Edition continues to set itself apart with:
* A new, full-color interior design
* New and revised Internet exercises
* More than 230 photographs, figures, and tables from a diverse cross section of hospitality spots around the world
* Case histories
* Global hospitality notes and industry practice notes
* Chapter review questions
The authors' accessible treatment makes it easy for students to gain a clear understanding of the size and scope of this expanding industry and what goes into managing it. Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry, Seventh Edition is the perfect beginning for students interested in a management career in the hospitality sector.
Visit the accompanying Web site at www.wiley.com/college
Book Description
Is there any connection between the vastness of the universes of stars and galaxies and the existence of life on a small planet out in the suburbs of the Milky Way? This book shows that there is. In their classic work, John Barrow and Frank Tipler examine the question of Mankind's place in the Universe, taking the reader on a tour of many scientific disciplines and offering fascinating insights into issues such as the nature of life, the serach for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the past history and fate of our universe.
Customer Reviews:
700 Page Paperback.......2006-08-19
Originally published in late 1980s this book discusses what has come to be known as the `anthropic principle'. Barrow and Tippler are physicists and popular science writers.
This anthropic principle has been variously understood, but, in a general sense, it pertains to the relationship between the characteristics of the universe and our existence within the universe - i.e. the universe seems remarkably tuned for human life. A strong formulation of this principle would argue along the lines of "the universe was intended/designed for our type of life". While a weaker formulation would take the tact that these qualities are required in order to produce observers such as ourselves. I applaud the author's ambition in tackling this issue. They make a laudable effort to be comprehensive and attempt to cover the pertinent historic, philosophical and scientific ground.
Unfortunately, the book is too broad, as a result, at times it devolves into a litany of disparate quotes and facts that leaves the reader thinking; so what? Someone looking to get the gist of the types of questions addressed in this text is better looking at on-line sources such as Wikipedia (it has limits, but is a better entry point). I wonder who is the intended audience for this text? Anyone capable of following the discussion will likely find it superficial. While someone new to this area might find it impenetrable. Additionally, it is a 700-page pocketbook - the quotes are vanishingly small!
Despite the limitations of this book, the authors deserve some credit for their pioneering effort. I would, however, not recommend it. There is a tremendous range of outstanding popular works on the market that cover similar ground much more effectively - Greene, Ferris are especially good for the science aspects.
Modern cosmology........2005-09-08
A great book about the modern scientific theories on the origin and functioning of the universe.
NOT a Layman's guide to the Anthropic Cosmological Principle.......2005-08-03
Although this is a very extensive book, covering the Anthropic Cosmological Principle (which in short focuses on the fact that so many aspects of the cosmos and nature are finely tuned to make life possible) in a historical perspective, within cosmology, quantum theory, chemistry and biology, it is definitely not a book for the Layman. It includes a lot of mathematics, which I think should have been included in the references at the end of each chapter. However, when you filter those passages out, and focus on the main points, this book is a must-have and a classic for everyone with an open mind and interest in our place in this universe.
Rob (The Netherlands)
What principle?.......2005-06-04
Barrow is the chief advocate of the so-called "anthropic cosmological principle," which he treats in some detail in this book. There are two basic objections to this notion.
First, if chaotic inflation is correct then there should be an infinite number of universes out there, past, present and future, taking all possible physical constants. In this case, there should be no wonder that a certain percentage of these universes should happen to take fundamental constants (such as the ratio of the strength of the gravitational force versus that of the electromagnetic force) that are favorable to life. The law of large numbers means that it would be strange if NO universes should have life. A percentage of life-supporting or even life-suffusing universes would be infinite if the number of "baby" or "bubble" universes out there is indeed infinite. If a large enough number of people buy the Powerball lottery, then some people are bound to win sooner or later, no matter how small the odds. Feeling that life is special because the physical constants in our universe require "fine tuning" would be like saying that if you are the Powerball winner, that's because the lottery was designed for you and you only. And that's absurd. The jackpot is given to whoever has the winning ticket, and not just you. And more importantly, the lottery was never designed with giving away prizes as its primary goal - it was designed to bring in revenue. Winners are just an inevitable side-effect of the whole scheme. If you win, you're merely lucky. But there is nothing special about you. Of course, a lottery must have winners or else the lottery would not work. The difference between lotteries and nature is that there is no reason to suppose that life is necessary in order for universes to exist.
We can all feel life is special for other reasons, but one should not argue that this is because nature is the way it is in order that life exists without also asking why it doesn't exist in SO MANY other places. And even if our universe is the only possible one (such a view is no longer acceptable), it is still a matter of debate among physicists as to whether fine tuning actually occurred.
The other objection is that this so-called "principle" is really just an interpretation, and is in no way a scientific principle comparable to the laws of mechanics or natural selection. Sir Martin Rees says "anthropic reasoning" would be more appropriate. It does not command general consent among scientists, and is thus more like a philosophical school of thought than a genuine scientific principle. To elevate anthropic ideas to the status of "principles" is exaggerated and misleading.
In my view, scientists like Barrow who win the Templeton Prize are disqualified thereby, somewhat like athletes who test positive for banned drugs. I'm not suggesting that scientists cannot have religious beliefs (and I was surprised to know that Andre Linde, a founder of chaotic inflation, also does). I only insist that scientific research should not be misused for religious purposes. Barrow can perhaps point to distinguished scientists like Freeman Dyson and John Wheeler for sympathy with his views. But I think this only shows that even distinguished scientists can be in serious error. Nobel Laureate in Physics Steven Weinberg, who thinks more clearly about these matters than most, finds that the Weak Anthropic Principle is nothing more than "mystical mumbo jumbo" (because it's just common sense to say that if the physical constants had been any different we would not have existed), and that the Strong Anthropic Principle is unbelievable because our universe is probably not the only one.
The main virtue of this book is the breadth of its coverage and the range of subjects discussed. Its erudition is broad rather than deep.
He's got the whole world... upside down! .......2005-04-13
Dear Frank Tipler. In case you don't know, it was God who created the Universe, and not the other way around.
He is the Alpha and Omega points. He is not a creation of nature. He is the Creator of nature. Nature is the Beta point. Are you intelligent and wise enough to get that?
Once you understand this simple truth, everything will start to fit in and feel right, and it will help a lot to clear up your helplessly confused and senseless thoughts and speculations. Right now you have it upside down. You have to change your assumptions and renew your mind, as the Apostle Paul has put it.
You see, once your starting assumptions are wrong, the brighter you are the worse is the trouble your reasoning gets you in.
By the way, the thousands of anthropic coincidences that can be found in the macro and micro spheres of the Universe are exactly what biblical creationism would predict.
Book Description
This new edition of Introducing Delphi Programming:Theory through Practice covers the basics of Delphi and includes features of Delphi 6,7 and 8. The book has been written for students taking first year course in Information Systems at universities and Institutes of Technology and is ideal for the independent, distance learner. It teaches students both the practical side of programming and important programming theory.Delphi is a versatile and sophisticated visual programming environment for rapid application development that allows the programmer to develop Windows and Linux programs easily and speedily. . Introducing Delphi Programming: Theory through Practice is considered to be the leading introductory text on computer programming. It allows students to gain confidence as they develop their skills in an interesting and practical way.
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