Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed

Customer Reviews:

A guide for the perplexed, but adds to the perplexity in some aspects.......2007-07-06

Great text. I really enjoyed reading this book by Boehm and Turner. Especially enjoyable was reading Grady Booch's comment in his forward that "there's a delightful irony in the fact that the very book you are holding in your hands has an agile pair of authors yet requires three times as many forewards as you'd find in any normal book". The material of this text is centered around the dimentions affecting method selection that the authors provide as the five critical factors involved in determining the relative suitability of agile or plan-driven methods in specific project situations. In most situations, the authors indicate that some mix of these methods will be needed after risk assessments are performed for each of the five factors. The radar plots provided that depict different levels of these five factors for example projects aid in understanding how projects differ. What is unfortunate is that the metrics for each of these factors (personnel, dynamism, culture, size, and criticality) are not explained well. Size, the number of personnel working on any given project, is the only concrete metric. However, I think the reader needs to understand that determining the level of each of the other four factors is really not meant to be exact. In fact, the presentation by the authors of various projects, although sometimes a bit detailed for the subject matter, help in the understanding that these metrics are relative. For example, unless personality tests are administered to all project personnel, it can be quite difficult to determine the level of Culture (the percent who thrive on chaos versus order), but guestimating an approximate level for this factor is probably good enough to get a sense whether agile or plan-driven methodologies are more appropriate. Of the first few chapters of the text, I think the first two chapters that provide a background to the balancing agility and discipline problem are the most effective, followed by the chapter six summary chapter that lists the top conclusions of the discussion. The appendixes to this book, which comprise almost one-third of the text, are also very informative. Thirteen software development methodologies are presented side-by-side in Appendix A to enable the ability to compare each, although admittedly some of the methodologies are covered more extensively than others. And in Appendix E, some interesting industry statistics are presented from various studies, including a discussion on how much architecting is enough for a particular project, although there is some overlap with the well-written, thorough, recently-released text by McConnell called "Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art" (see my review). Overall, this book fits a gap on the software development bookshelf, and I am sure that other works of this genre will be released by other authors over the next couple years, as writing on this subject matter is still in its infancy.

A beginner's guide for methodolgy tailoring.......2007-01-12

This is a very good guide if you are a beginner to methodology tailoring.

This may or may not be the right book for you. I would consider this a beginner book for someone seeks to be a level 3 methodologist. It is better to have a firm grasp of a given methodology before using this book. However, if you are using structured methods or traditional OOA&D and trying to move toward agile, this is a good starting point. Resist the urge to feel the world has changed. Everything you might have learned before is still there, it just needs to be balanced with common sense rather than blind devotion.

A level 1 methodologist would use a proscribed process like XP. They can use all the artificats of the process but don't really understand it and use it fully. These people are learning.

A level 2 methodologist understands the artificacts of a given methodology and how they work to construct value for a project. They don't use items like TDD because they are proscribed but rather because they understand the benefits of the artifact. They actually understand the process and derive value from their understanding. They might be able to tailor a specific methodology to a project. They might be an XP or RUP coach. Not everyone can get to this level. However, optimally, all the people involved in the management of software development should have reached this level in some development methodology.

A level 3 methodologist understands multiple methodologies and techniques. They are able to approach a project as a puzzle and put together and optimum technique for developing software. Ideally, they are always monitoring development and modifying the techniques to produce the best software possible. A good agile coach or methodologist like Alistair Cockburn would be in this category. It usually takes about 10 years of software development to reach this level and very few people actually get there. These people can create new methodologies and judge existing methodologies.

A note to the wise, Barry Boehm developed methods like COCOMO and as such tends to explain method tailoring like it can be reduced to a formula. I tend to fall into the school of art rather than science. I don't believe that method tailoring is as easy as quantifying different methodologies, the needs of the project and then comparing the two. As such, I tend to find the work dry. However, if you are from a very disciplined school where you like to use equations and real world engineering to figure out everything, I am sure you will have a great appreciation for this book.
This attitude is very prevalent in academia, high severity, and government projects and should not be dismissed as not being real world. It is very real world, it is just not the world the normal developer is probably familiar with. Barry Boehm has given us a great deal of work on the spiral model which has had a huge influence on modern iterative development practices and his words should not be readly disparaged.

This book is rated shy of five stars because of its lack of depth and its overall introductory nature.

Too specific at points.......2005-09-24

The material, if you wade through it, is good. BUT this book is extreamly dry. And there is no excuse for that in the modern era. As the authors of the Head First series explain, dryness is not the way to impart knowledge. It simply doesn't work on humans. Good ideas, bad execution.

Why mention COCOMO methodology? 95% of people will never hear of, or deal with it. That and other terms are assumed when the concepts they represent could be used. Basically they are caught not "writting to interfaces". I know they have written important technical books, but these days you can find book that impart the same knowledge in a more entetaining and memorable fashion.

If you needed more factual evidence for a presentation on why or why not to use more agile software development methods, this may be your book. If you are looking to learn the merits of agile development, this is not your book.

I probably should have given it 5 stars..........2005-08-13

This book succeeds brilliantly in two areas, but comes up a bit short in the third.

First, as far as distilling how plan-driven and agile-driven development methodologies are different (and the same), it is wonderful. They use five "critical factors" to determine a project's relative suitability for choosing one type over the other. I believe about 40% of the book is spent here.

Second, using the above information, the authors discuss how to ascertain and mitigate project risks, given the size and type of the application being developed, as well as the cultural (agile v. plan-driven) leanings of the development staff who will be working on it. This is mostly done at a "process framework" level. The premise of the book is that each project is somewhat different, so rightly they do not prescribe a process. I believe another 40% of the book is spent here.

Third, the book presents a number of charts showing how much impact plan-driven and agile-driven processes have had. Here I just feel like Boehm lent the book a bunch of his data. Although it is very useful data, it isn't detailed enough. It could have used an additional Appendix describing another project (there are three case studies already) more concretely. Especially in terms of the schedule, defect reduction rate, etc. metrics that are in one of the appendixes.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

More balanced than perplexed.......2005-02-19

Sometimes we want to have things to be black and white, but working at extremes has shown to be the failure path.
That is why IT systems have buffers, project plans have slacks, and mathematical models are most precise when they are fuzzy.
That is why we are most happy with systems where form follows function and the interface follows the user. In the same way Barry displays ways to pick an appropriate method for each project making clear that there is no single solution, but that all models aim at advantages and disadvantages.

Ask a plummer:
- picking the right tool will help to finish the task in the quickest and most reliable manner.

Ask a Karateka or a boxer:
- if you are well-balanced you are unlikely to fall over and happy to sustain hits.

Barry makes sense of it all for IT projects, lists existing knowledge and in my view his book is building the foundation of acceptance for agile methodologies and combining them with proper methods for documentation and project management with a focus on preemptive risk management.

He favors to approach projects by looking at the risks and how to overcome them thus solving the biggest problem in IT projects: "taking a risk-driven approach is a pragmatic means of reconciling the strengths and weaknesses of disciplined and agile methods." (Boehm, B. and Turner, R. (2004), p. xiv)

I was perplexed, by the clarity and and combinations of the principles listed in this book, which is indeed very well balanced and applicable.

Average customer rating:

Guide for the Religious
Opening Up
An exploration of levels of knowledge and an argument against scientific theory.
Disappointing
The best book to explain the true meaning of why we are here

Guide for the Perplexed
E. F. Schumacher
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered
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On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs: Teaching, Writing, Playing, Believing, Lecturing, Philosophizing, Singing, Dancing

ASIN: 0060906111

Book Description

The author of the world wide best-seller, Small Is Beautiful, now tackles the subject of Man, the World, and the Meaning of Living. Schumacher writes about man's relation to the world. man has obligations -- to other men, to the earth, to progress and technology, but most importantly himself. If man can fulfill these obligations, then and only then can he enjoy a real relationship with the world, then and only then can he know the meaning of living.

Schumacher says we need maps: a "map of knowledge" and a "map of living." The concern of the mapmaker--in this instance, Schumacher--is to find for everything it's proper place. Things out of place tend to get lost; they become invisible and there proper places end to be filled by other things that ought not be there at all and therefore serve to mislead.

A Guide for the Perplexed teaches us to be our own map makers. This constantly surprising, always stimulating book will be welcomed by a large audience, including the many new fans who believe strongly in what Schumacher has to say.

Customer Reviews:

Guide for the Religious.......2007-10-09

I don't want to spend too much time writing this review, but i feel morally obligated to do so because i was essentially tricked into buying this book. Judging by the other reviews written for this book, as well as the description, i was lead to believe that this is a philosophy book thats grounded in reality, one that is capable of offering rational perspectives which it supports well; in short a book that is not only a pleasure to read, but worth my time to read.

This is a RELIGIOUS book (christian to be specific). It essentially argues that all of modern science is wrong, and is wrong because it ignores god, using some fancy verbal footwork and inflammatory rhetoric to "convince" you. It argues against the theory of evolution, and even against creationism or intelligent design; according to this book the theory of genesis is the only right one.
Additionally, this is not a light read. its something you might find at a 200 level philosophy course--not unbearably dense so as to be inaccessible, but not "fun" in the way other popular philosophy books are.
You have been forewarned.

Opening Up.......2007-02-20

In "Another Sort of Learning," James Schall idenitifies "A Guide for the Perplexed" as one of "Three Books that Begin to Open Up the World..." and he was right. Schumacher's little book is a cogently written explanation of a way to view the world beyond scientific materialism. I was expecting a dense, esoteric book, but I found a refreshingly approachable, inviting text. I'm looking forward to further exploration of the ideas he presented.

An exploration of levels of knowledge and an argument against scientific theory........2006-07-08

This is a very difficult book to review, as its structure does not seem to allow for partial disagreement. Indeed, this is my biggest problem with Schumacher's little philosophical text. He uses logic to structure his thinking about levels of being and fields of knowledge. So far, so good. He then uses the same logic to demonstrate that levels of thought beyond logic are more valuable-- stretches the point, I think, but I was willing to buy it. Unfortunately, he then digresses and winds up in an extended rant about evolutionary theory as an extension of his position on the limits of scientific thought. Apparently anyone who disagrees with him is clearly engaging in "nineteenth centry materialistic utilitarianism."

I frankly resent the structure of the book, even if I might have been inclined to agree with much (if not all) of what he has to say.

I will say that there are sections of this book which are well worth reading. The way in which he discusses knowledge of the self as crucial to knowledge of the neighbor is brilliant. I would be inclined to recommend this book for that aspect alone.

I was familiar with Schumacher's views on development before reading A Guide to the Perplexed. In general, that while I find that I am sympathetic to his longing for sustainability and human scale, I am less convinced by his need for absolutes in the face of materialism and relativism.

Certainly, I would recommend people read this book for themselves and make up their own minds. Schumacher is an important thinker, and one well worth reading. This stands even if it makes me a little sad that he seemed to allow so little room for dissent.

Disappointing.......2005-08-05

I so wanted to like this book. I thought it was going to address the lifestyles and social confusions which confront us today: because of mass media and advertising, consumerism, globalism, and the increasing speed of technological innovation, to name a few. Instead, it turned out to be another philosophical attempt to justify religion. It also disappoints in that it justifies the Chain of Being, further condoning the idea of man being superior to (and disassociated with) nature, something that the "materialistic Scientists" Schumacher attacks in this book would actually agree with. This idea has led to the environmental crises we find ourselves approaching, and it's time to abandon the belief that humans are separate from nature. Are you perplexed with your life? Perhaps that is because we have increasing diverged from the natural cycles of life in the first place. Skip this book.

The best book to explain the true meaning of why we are here.......2005-07-28

This is the best book I've ever read about why we are on this earth, the true meaning of religion, its meaning in each of our lives - if we choose to have faith - and how it is so easily and increasingly lost in modern times, where over-rationalisation and the worship of only 'measurable' scientific thinking counts for anything (especially of course money).

A small and utterly profound book that needs to be read with care and not in a rush in order to capture its full and true meaning.

I will treasure this book and 'replenish' myself by dipping into it if I need to, although its truths do stay with me and are not easy to forget once taken on board.

Average customer rating:

Excellent book for someone who is new to the Quantum World
Extremely Good Intro to Quantum Physics
Great concept book
Great book on Quantum Physics!
Better than Quantum Mechanics for Idiots

Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed
Jim Al-Khalili
Manufacturer: WN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Quantum Theory | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone
Quantum Reality: Beyond the New Physics
Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Black Holes, Wormholes & Time Machines

ASIN: 1841882380

Book Description

In this lively look at quantum science, a physicist takes you on an entertaining and enlightening journey through the basics of subatomic physics.

Along the way he examines the paradox of quantum mechanics—beautifully mathematical in theory but confoundingly unpredictable in the real world. Marvel at the Dual Slit experiment as a tiny atom passes through 2 separate openings at the same time. Ponder the peculiar communication of quantum particles, which can remain in touch no matter how far apart. Join the genius jewel thief as he carries out a quantum measurement on a diamond without ever touching the object in question. With its clean, colorful layout and conversational tone, this text will hook you into the conundrum that is quantum mechanics.

“Takes readers on a fascinating journey. Al-Khalili [uses] simple and clear language and he provides excellent graphics. This is mandatory reading for undergraduates with or without a science background.”—Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book for someone who is new to the Quantum World.......2007-08-09

The book offers excellent insight into the world of Quantum Mechanics with very simple and easy to comprehend explainations. Instead of taking the traditional matehematical approach, the author explains the complexities and nuances of the esoteric quantum world in a very simplistic manner including important historical landmarks in this field. The reader would have a feel of the discovery and development of this field and how it has become a quintessential part of modern scientific breakthroughs.It is an excellent reading material for people interested in understading the basics of Quantum Mechanics....

Extremely Good Intro to Quantum Physics.......2007-07-23

This is a most excellent book for any layperson who wants to the learn the basic ideas of Quantum Physics, with very clear explanations, and very good illustrations.

Great concept book.......2007-05-18

Great book to start your journey into quantum mechanics, or to get a better grasp on the different conceptual camps behind the theories. This book segregates the ideas from the math, and does a great job at it.

Great book on Quantum Physics!.......2007-03-03

I've read several books on Quantum Mechanics and Physics. This book is the best I've read to date. Very well written, great illustrations, entertaining, and thought provoking. The books gracefully takes you to a higher level of Quantum understanding without blowing you away with PHD level discussions. Great book!!

Better than Quantum Mechanics for Idiots.......2006-08-21

This is a very good book for the math-impaired know-something-but-not-much crowd. I took a semester of physics (mechanics) in college, and have read "A Brief History of Time" and watched the PBS thing on string theory, and something about quantum physics on the Discovery Channel, and decided that I wanted to know more. Being over 50 with an aging brain, I needed something that wasn't too technical, that didn't go too fast, but wasn't a children's book, and this was it.

The first half of the book covers some history and the discoveries that made the development of quantum physics necessary. Also covered is the "weirdness" that seems to occur in the microscopic (quantum) world. I'll have to admit that on first reading, I only 'got' about 75% of what the author was presenting. If I read it again, I'll probably get more. And this is why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

The second half of the book is not quite as brain intensive and covers speculation on the WHY of quantum physics. (Yeah, weird, huh? They know how it works, buy not why it works.) In addition, some particle physics is covered, an overview of quarks and stuff, the effort toward a unified field theory (including a bit on string theory), some really cool discoveries, some unexplainable discoveries (like negative energy), why transistors and MRI's work, and quantum computers.

I would like to have this book on my shelf so I could offer it to my friends to read. I will probably re-read parts of this book in the future. I wish I read this book 35 years ago.

Average customer rating:

Typeface Small and Uncomfortable
Guide for the Perplexed keeps on showing the way.
Another Guide for the Perplexed
A Difficult and Perplexing Work
very dense and perhaps not the ideal translation . . .

The Guide for the Perplexed
Moses Maimonides
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0486203514

Book Description

Great classic of medieval Judaism, major attempt to reconcile revealed religion

— Pentateuch, commentaries — and Aristotelian philosophy. Enormously important in all Western thought. Includes Life of Maimonides, analysis of The Guide, indexes of quotations from Scripture, Talmud. Unabridged Friedlander translation. 50-page introduction. "...a great influence on Jewish and Christian scholasticism." — Jewish Civic Press.

Customer Reviews:

Typeface Small and Uncomfortable.......2007-05-14

My review and rating is restricted to a comment regarding the small typeface which makes this edition a difficult read. If an edition can be obtained with a larger typeface, I would recommend it, even at some additional expense.

(Aside from this comment regarding the typeface; obviously, Maimonides does not need my approbation.)

Guide for the Perplexed keeps on showing the way........2006-07-14

Yes, this is a true classic. Though there have been many works written since this jewel was first written, it still shines as a jewel in the crown of the Torah.
The translation may not be of the order of some of the more recent interpretations, yet it remains clear and lucid. There is littel interpolation in the translated text ( a difficult ask). This edition keeps the classic cover, and surely remains an essential component in any discerning thinkers library. Whether you are Jewish or not, this seminal text is one that can only benefit the thinking reader.
This edition has good, sturdy paper (ok, it is not parchment standard, but at this price, what more do you want?). Its binding is equal to much more expensive books, and its size ensures it will be used again and again.
Read and enjoy (even if you disagree with the text) and you will understand why "From Moses to Moses, there is no-one like Moses!"

Another Guide for the Perplexed.......2006-06-09

Maimonides offers an interesting perspective on the questions of theology. As told in the introduction, Maimonides rose from relative obscurity to a high level of academic merit very quickly due to his clear and distinct understanding and interpretations of the scripture. Indeed, his insights are what this book is all about. It is not an exhaustive study of all of the questions raised in the old testament, nor of other inquiries into the various properties of the divine, but it covers a lot. I found the text to be a little dry; not as captivating as a Platonic dialogue, but not as confusing as, say, one of Aristotle's essays. Were I to do it again, I might reconsider buying this edition because the type is quite small and Maimonides covers a lot of ground in little space, so I found my self using up the margins while trying to keep up with his thoughts. One of the nice things about this edition, however, is that it is in one volume, the entire guide to the perplexed. I found other editions, with larger print and such, but nothing besides this has the complete text. Moreover, it's cheaper than everything else I found! The translation is descent to good. It was done in the late 19th century, so you might say that it's a little dated, but it doesn't effect your reading. I read this book during a college seminar at St. John's, if you were wondering why I would have read this thing in the first palce. Speaking of which, I don't know if I'll ever really read this book again. This may be an important point, because while owning a book means you can do with it as you please, if you don't read it again, then it's just dead weight.

A Difficult and Perplexing Work.......2005-09-21

An excellent work by a late medieval Jewish theologian/metaphysicist (a contemporary of Aquinas) who presents and breaks down the metaphysical arguments of the day for the existence of God, a God-created universe, and the interpretation of the Torah in regard to these topics. He examines the Aristotelian arguments supporting the eternal existence of the Universe and determines whether or not they are supported by Scripture and logical analysis. Our contemporary physicists could use his methods to uncover logical flaws in their theories about the ultimate origins of the Universe. He finishes the text with a treatise on Scripture and the perfection of Man. A must read along with the works of Augustine and Aquinas, and for that matter, any modern work on the ultimate nature of Nature.

rac

very dense and perhaps not the ideal translation . . . .......2004-09-05

as other reviewers pointed out. But even so I got something out of it - especially at the beginning (where Maimonides attacks simple-minded literalism) and the end (where Maimonides tries to justify the mitzvot). I'm sure that in a few years when I am a bit more intellectually sophisticated, I will get more out of it.

One really interesting part of the book that none of the other reviewers has mentioned so far: Maimonides' explanation of divine intervention in our lives. He asserts, based on Torah, that such Divine intervention affects humans but not animals (Part III, Ch. 17). Why? Because "Divine Providence is connected with Divine intellectual influence, and the same beings which are benefited by the latter so as to become intellectual, and to comprehend things comprehensible to rational beings, are also under the control of Divine Providence." (Id.) And given that Divine Providence is connected with intellect, it further follows that "the greater the share which a person has obtained of this Divine influence ... the greater must also be the effect of Divine Providence upon him." (Id., Ch. 18). Thus, "the greater the human perfection a person has attained, the greater the benefit he derives from Divine Providence." (Id.) In other words, if you are Abraham or Moses, you get plenty of divine influence in your life. For the rest of us, the world takes its natural course.

It seems to me that this theory allows us to reconcile Biblical miracles with the day-to-day reality of bad things happening to good people and vice versa: perhaps prophets get individualized reward and punishment in this world, and the rest of us don't. (Caveat: I am NOT saying that this view is factually correct, or even that Maimonides endorses this view; it is not clear to me how spiritually elevated Maimonides thinks one has to be to receive Divine intervention- whether only Moses, Abraham, etc. get it, or whether ordinary good and intelligent people get it as well, or whether he would draw the line someplace in between).

Dan Appleman's Developing Activex Components With Visual Basic 5.0: A Guide to the Perplexed

Average customer rating:

Average-to-Good book
Superb!
Great book, but I give it 4.5 stars
Everything but what you need
Appleman's writing style makes complexity understandable

Dan Appleman's Developing Activex Components With Visual Basic 5.0: A Guide to the Perplexed
Daniel Appleman
Manufacturer: Ziff-Davis Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Databases | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

With the release of version 5, VB programmers can finally create ActiveX controls without resorting to C++. And when the manual can't help, turn to VB master Dan Appleman, who can. In this well-designed guide, you'll find a serious review of all the key technology-from beginning OLE fundamentals to the latest in ActiveX component, ActiveX control, and ActiveX document technology.Dan Appleman's Developing ActiveX Components with Visual Basic 5.0: A Guide to the Perplexed teaches you everything-from designing the object model to creating and testing your new components, to straightening out versioning problems and understanding container dependencies. Simply put this book is a best-of-class addition to any dynamic VB developer's library!Building on the Visual Basic documentation without trying to replace it, this book covers methods, properties, events, databinding, multithreading, Internet/intranet, licensing, and more.

Cuts to the chase, covering the most essential problems
Explores how to avoid common pitfalls
CD-ROM includes sample source code from the book

Customer Reviews:

Average-to-Good book.......1999-05-21

Good presentation of complex topic. Good source for reference

Superb!.......1999-05-13

Somehow Dan Appleman has managed to explain COM in a clear, consice way that doesn't require you to read it over and over again in order to understand it. After reading this you will have a thorough grounding which will enable you to develop ActiveX controls, but more importantly you will find yourself designing you applications in a more structured, efficient way.

Great book, but I give it 4.5 stars.......1999-04-07

I liked the book. It clearly explains what MS manuals should have explained. I liked the Stock Ticker as an ActiveX Exe example. My only problem with the book is that it rehashed a lot of material that I already knew. For some reason, I thought there was more to the ActiveX components. But I guess there isn't.

Everything but what you need.......1999-03-20

If you have a handle on VB and just want to know how to create ActiveX controls that can be implemented with ASP, this book is definitely not for you.

I wanted a step by step process and I didn't get it.

Appleman's writing style makes complexity understandable.......1998-11-06

The author's logical, step-by-step description of how ActiveX really works, coupled with abundant sample code, makes this book a winner. Appleman resists the temptation to re-hash the Microsoft documentation, and instead offers a path to understanding ActiveX that is lucid and interesting. His writing style makes this complex technology understandable for all levels of VB programmers. The sample code offered on the accompanying CD is an education unto itself. It is very informative to see how the heavy-hitters write VB code, and Appleman doesn't disappoint. I learned to approach my own programming a little differently by going over his code.

Mathematical Models of Social Evolution: A Guide for the Perplexed

Average customer rating:

Excellent addition to cultural evolution
Wonderful Hands-On Guide to the Math of Cultural Evolution!
A fantastic introduction to theoretical sociobiology
Perplexing indeed

Mathematical Models of Social Evolution: A Guide for the Perplexed
Richard McElreath , and Robert Boyd
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

Evolutionary Dynamics: Exploring the Equations of Life
Complex Adaptive Systems: An Introduction to Computational Models of Social Life (Princeton Studies in Complexity)
The Origin and Evolution of Cultures (Evolution and Cognition)
Culture and the Evolutionary Process
Evolutionary Games and Population Dynamics

ASIN: 0226558274

Book Description

Over the last several decades, mathematical models have become central to the study of social evolution, both in biology and the social sciences. But students in these disciplines often seriously lack the tools to understand them. A primer on behavioral modeling that includes both mathematics and evolutionary theory, Mathematical Models of Social Evolution aims to make the student and professional researcher in biology and the social sciences fully conversant in the language of the field.

Teaching biological concepts from which models can be developed, Richard McElreath and Robert Boyd introduce readers to many of the typical mathematical tools that are used to analyze evolutionary models and end each chapter with a set of problems that draw upon these techniques. Mathematical Models of Social Evolution equips behaviorists and evolutionary biologists with the mathematical knowledge to truly understand the models on which their research depends. Ultimately, McElreath and Boyd’s goal is to impart the fundamental concepts that underlie modern biological understandings of the evolution of behavior so that readers will be able to more fully appreciate journal articles and scientific literature, and start building models of their own.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent addition to cultural evolution.......2007-09-27

For a mathematically-challenged individual and a novice to cultural evolution, the models explained were tough but the explanations of each were invaluable in providing an understanding of the social world, particularly conflict and cooperation. Strongly recommended to those interested in learning more about social and cultural evolution.

Wonderful Hands-On Guide to the Math of Cultural Evolution!.......2007-05-02

This concise book will allow any mathematically competent but sociobiologically inexperienced reader to dive right into the debates about human evolution. Although the many of the models described in McElreath and Boyd's Guide for the Perplexed come from evolutionary biology and were conceived as genetic models, a great deal of them apply without alteration to related processes in the social world. Take the prisoners dilemma, the battle of the sexes, the Price Equation, or the Phillip Sidney game, honest signaling, and social learning. Everything inside has direct bearing on how we should understand the evolution of social systems, it's just that the *math* has already been worked out by others in the biological sciences.

The social sciences have much to gain from game theory, and this book is a concise, complete and speedy primer.

A fantastic introduction to theoretical sociobiology.......2007-04-10

This book provides a thorough, lucid and near-complete guide to the theories used by sociobiologists like no book has achieved before it. As a working biologist, I strongly recommend it to those interested in why animals and indeed all organisms cooperate, or conflict.

Perplexing indeed.......2007-04-08

The mismatch between title and content is perplexing enough: the book is a summary of biological and game-theoretical modeling that has been done and more competently described by others decades ago. These models have little, if any, connection to what one would consider as "social evolution." The words "society" or "social" do not even appear in the index. The index term closest to the equally absent "culture" is "covariance genetics." Welcome to social evolution!

Even more perplexing: why should a reader perplexed by society be guided away from society and into genetics by, of all people, two anthropologists?

What the Heck Were You Expecting?: A Complete Guide for the Perplexed Father

Average customer rating:

Great book for the new dad.
Condescending and unfunny.
Inaccurate information
not the best
Thomas prints the same books in different cover

What the Heck Were You Expecting?: A Complete Guide for the Perplexed Father
Thomas Hill
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fatherhood | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home
Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
What To Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding
Dad'S Survival Guide To Babies
Rookie Dad: Fun and Easy Exercises and Games for Dads and Babies in Their First Year

Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0609805169
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Amazon.com

Tired of earnest arias on the mysteries of fatherhood? What the Heck Were You Expecting? is a hilarious send-up of those comprehensive what-to-expect manuals. Even better, so much useful information is folded in with the wisecracks that even know-it-all dads are bound to learn something. In his bestselling What to Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding, author Thomas Hill acted as the third-base coach who signaled expectant fathers to home plate. In this follow-up, Hill tells them what happens afterwards, from a teething crisis (put down the Jack Daniels and reach for the Tamnavulin) to reassuring partners that their cracked, aching nipples are still sexy. Chapters are broken into chronological order, one for each month of your new baby's life (except for months eight, nine and ten, which are lumped into one). Regular features include "What Your Above-Average Baby May Be Doing," "What Your Wife May Be Complaining About" (the new father is always on the list), and "What to be Terrified About." Despite this glibness, readers will actually learn things from this book, though it's not the sort of manual that comes with a plump, user-friendly index. Rather, What the Heck? is designed to help new dads loosen up, while offering a truly "complete guide for the perplexed father."--Kathi Inman Berens

Book Description

Everything you need to know about fatherhood -- but were afraid to ask!.

Why are all parenting books directed at mommies? Daddies need help, too. In fact, when you think about it, they may need more help than their naturally maternal mates do. They need guidance, comfort, and validation. They probably also need a good night's sleep, and they definitely need a good laugh.

What the Heck Were You Expecting? provides month-by-month counsel for the spit-up covered, the sleep deprived, and the just plain peek-a-booed out, including such subjects as:What your wife might be complaining about (. . . anything she can think of)
What your above-average child may be doing (. . . paying attention to small objects)
What you might be concerned about (. . . the meaning of life)
A couple of things to say to let her know that you're caring, sensitive, and up on the required reading (. . . "Listen to this one: Statistics show that attendance at work is better among married men with children and spikes even higher among fathers of newborns. Quite a coincidence, huh?")

Thomas Hill, registered father and author of the best-selling What to Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding, answers every father's questions about:

ESPN as Edu-tainment
Horsy Knee Burn
Zen and the Art of Spoon-feeding
Basics of Crib Assembly
Nap Time . . . and How to Hide It from Your Boss
. . .among other topics.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for the new dad........2006-07-18

This book is great. It really puts things in a new dad's perspective. The book is really funny and we all got a kick out of reading it.

Condescending and unfunny........2006-06-26

These are the sorts of books where you really have to find one on your level, and this was really shoots way, way below my level. Beyond making antiquated and sexist assumptions about the relationships between husbands and wives, the book is light on practical advice and heavy on sports metaphors low-brow yuk-yuk humor. I'm going to spend some time thumbing through this book's competitors before I buy another "guide for dads."

Inaccurate information.......2005-08-06

I wouldn't recommend this book at all, since lots of the information contained is just to try to make you laugh. don't try to follow what the author says, because if you ask your doctor or read about those methods, they are actually not recommended at all

not the best.......2005-07-30

I bought this for my husband but it isn't that great. I guess it's better than nothing but not as humorous and not as useful as 'Be Prepared' for example. Some of the points were plain dumb or even offensive to me when browsing it as a new (hormonal?) mom, while I (and he) found the BP book much better all round. We gave this one away pretty early on.

Thomas prints the same books in different cover.......2005-06-01

I purchased 2 books from Thomas Hill , surprising but they are almost the same.. " What the heck u are expecting .." & "What to expect when..." just one of them is enough from Thomas... they are interesting , buy only the latests one.

Get into Medical School: A Guide for the Perplexed, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

Perfect for the paranoid premed
This book is outstanding
Alot of money for poor info
A solid book for anyone trying to get into med school.
The Best Pre-Med Book Out There

Get into Medical School: A Guide for the Perplexed, Second Edition
Kenneth V. Iserson
Manufacturer: Galen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education & Training | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Medicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Essays That Will Get You into Medical School (Essays That Will Get You Into...Series) [Second Edition] (Essays That Will Get You Into...Series)

ASIN: 1883620317

From the Publisher

Finally a book that gives premed students, and those thinking about becoming premeds, everything they need to know! A detailed, step-by-step guide through the processes of preparing for medical school, selecting a medical school, and obtaining the position. Packed with tips and practical information. Numerous charts illustrate the medical school selection process, and the "Must/Want" Analyses provide a way to rank the schools to meet individual needs. This unique book provides invaluable information about the entire process—from high school through what to do once you are accepted (or have been turned down). This is the book every potential physician has been waiting for.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for the paranoid premed.......2005-05-20

I was once a paranoid premed who needed some guidance on how to pursue my dream. This book acts as a detailed guide to the medical path. Sometimes the book gets a little too specific on some of the "rules" (i.e. how to pack your clothes with attached diagrams), but these are only suggestions. Sometimes, these specifics are really helpful if you're clueless on what to do. This is an excellent book and I have already recommended it to some of my premed friends.

This book is outstanding.......1999-08-30

This books gives one information on how to prepare for medical school since the time one is in high school. Check list of things to do all throughout college and/or high school to get ready for the ultimate goal: Medical School.

Alot of money for poor info.......1999-06-10

Now that I am in I am writing reviews on these books. The reviews for this one must have been written by the publisher. My friend lent me this one because he told me to save my money. You can spend alot of time reading this and not getting much from it. Better to spend time studying for the MCAT's and reading a more concise admissions book. Rec. Princeton Review and Insider's Guide by Toyos.

A solid book for anyone trying to get into med school........1999-03-13

This book is almost exactly what I've been looking for. It has solid information on every step of the application process, from high school activities to choosing between multiple acceptances (we wish!). Also very useful was the section on international options, for those who have been rejected in the U.S. My only complaint is that nothing is mentioned about the importance of residency (i.e. what state you live in and what states you are applying to), and no mention is made of Canadian schools as an option.

Overall, however, this is probably the best medical school applications resource that I have found,

The Best Pre-Med Book Out There.......1999-02-05

No Frills, with solid info about every medical school. All the stats about the medical schools and trends in medical education. Mock interview questions AND "answers." Details about what to wear during interviews even down to what kind of tie. It also has more info about personal statements than many books that are only about personal statements! Excellent book. Iserson also does a Getting into Residency book that is also excellent. Please look into this book.

Truth: A History and a Guide for the Perplexed

Average customer rating:

A introductory history to an important philosophical topic
There've been better attempts
The operative word is "perplexed"
Good on history short on philosophy
He's no philosopher

Truth: A History and a Guide for the Perplexed
Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Surveys | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Civilizations : Culture, Ambition, and the Transformation of Nature
Millennium
Humankind : A Brief History
Ideas That Changed the World
Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration

ASIN: 0312274947

Amazon.com

The pursuit of truth, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto, is "the quest for language that can match reality." He believes that the nature of that quest has never quite been fully understood; Truth aims to fill the void. He identifies four key methods of determining the truth--what we feel, what we are told, what we figure out, and what we observe--which are given poetic names such as "the hairy ball--teeth optional" and "the cage of wild birds." These four methods always exist together in every culture, although each one may be differently valued in different places at different times.

But Western philosophy after Descartes, in Fernández-Armesto's assessment, has been largely hostile to these ways of knowledge, and has steadily come to question the very existence of truth. His summation of post-Cartesian philosophy is a largely negative one, which veers dangerously close to ad hominem assaults. Nietzsche, for example, who "was praised too much in his youth for his superior powers of mind and never achieved prowess or position to match," is dismissed as "a sexually inexperienced invalid" whose philosophy was "warped and mangled out of his own lonely, sickly self-hatred." Pragmatism and existentialism, two of the 20th century's most important philosophical movements, are found inadequate; the former is "the philosophy of lovers of technology," while the latter "represents the retreat of Luddites and pessimists into the security of self-contemplation." But even though "philosophical subjectivisms, scientific uncertainties, and dumbing, numbing linguistics" have served to undermine the notion of truth, Fernández-Armesto believes, they cannot destroy it thoroughly. It seems that even in the face of relativism, truth will win out.

Book Description

Written by a renowned Oxford historian, this fascinating volume presents a global history of truth. Sharp and authoritative, Truth manages to touch every period of human experience; it leaps from truth-telling technologies of "primitive" societies to the private mental worlds of great philosophers; from spiritualism to science and from New York to New Guinea. In clear, lucid prose, this little book takes on an enormous subject and makes it understandable to anyone.

Customer Reviews:

A introductory history to an important philosophical topic.......2004-01-28

This is not a book of philosophy, but rather philosophical history. It is an extremely fast survey of philosophical thought through the millennia of human history all around the world in a broad variety of cultures. Experts in any of the fields covered in this book will surely find their specialty too cursorily treated, but the point of the book is not the details of the points made.

The issue here is how human beings have wrestled with the concept of Truth throughout history. Does it exist (it is not a modern question)? How can you tell what is True? How do you communicate it? I found the author's skillful demonstration that the seemingly modern focus on private meaning and internal construction to be the resurfacing of a very old issue.

Proffesor Fernandez-Armesto points out that while no system ever devised can irrefutably demonstrate Truth to the satisfaction of everyone, no approach declaring the death of meaning has also been a self-contradictory system of faith. I am a believer in the validity of an independent external reality that can be sought and, in part, known. But whether known or not, it courses on its way with or without us. Its reality is not subjective or open to societal interpretation. Our interpretations of it are, but it can be demonstrated that some interpretations are better than others. Some can land rovers on Mars and others cannot.

I think that this short book should be read by nearly everyone, whether you agree with its thesis or not, or the author's summaries or not. The sheer breadth of topics in only 229 pages can provide a wonderful introduction to further study.

There've been better attempts.......2004-01-12

So, Felipe Fernandes-Armesto is a great historian, truth. He is no philosopher, also truth. However, it is important to understand that this book is meant as history, not as philosophy. What the author intends is to portray the different perceptions of truth that have been developed throughout history. He does a great amount of research and the work is properly developed, however, he doesn't keep his distance in this one. He forgets that he intends only to portray, neither to support, not contradict different points of view.

This book lacks the cold view of the sckeptical historian that would create the propper environment for such a work. Better examples of truth understandig throughout history might be found after studying history itself. I would ratner recommend "The Golden Bough" by Sir James, and suggest "Anacalypsis" by Godfrey Higgins, if you can get your hands on any of them.

One thing to keep in mind though, truth never ceases to be theleology, a distant explanation, even if it comes through scientific theory. To understand this will help understand the variegated points of view about truth throughout history.

The operative word is "perplexed".......2003-11-21

As in the writing. Fernandez-Armesto is brilliant, insightful, well-researched and opinionated. He is a terific historian and social commentator witness his output: CIVILIZATIONS, MILLENIUM, FEAST OF A THOUSAND TABLES, IDEAS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, etc.

But this kind of writing is not directly transferable to the kind he attempts in TRUTH. All the small annoyances present in his other books have combined into a barely readable tome. The opacity is everywhere - a sodden blanket over the entire work. His praise (preference?) for primitive cultures is especially pointed here in his attempt to demonstrate a similarity of thought between ancient and modern humans in terms of abstract thought.

This idea is repeated with all the finesse of a slegehammer. Of course Kogo from the Uhuri tribe was not aware of the sciences but yet could discern the truth from the untruthful. But then children do the same thing (which semi-invalidates his berating of modern anthropologists who compare primitive thought to the mindset of children).

This is one of those books that should have been terminated at midpoint, divided and parcelled into other works. Disappointing.

Good on history short on philosophy.......2003-04-17

The title of my review pretty much sums this one up. But to add a little detail to that. This book claims to be a history and a guide, but it's really just a history. It examines the methods by which humans have looked at the idea of truth, and the varying conclusions they have reached. You would think that the analysis of such varied views of truth would lead the author to think that absolute truth is a near impossible thing to find, but he comes from a very conservative angle thus viewing deconstructionism and postmodernism as wrong headed and ludicrous. It has very interesting historical analysis, but suffers from the very thing the author is trying to tear down-subjectivist thinking. If there is a philosophy of truth involved in this book it is never clearly outlined. He analyzes various ways in which people are arguing for the existence of absolute truth but doesn't really add anything to the debate, he may not have set out to do this, but that's what I was looking for and never found. He tries to attack various positions that would lend credibility to the subjectivist school of thought, but really only does so through name calling with little analysis. If you are interested in how people have historically viewed truth and can disentangle the authors critiques and opinions from the history, than you might like this, if not I would looke elsewhere.

He's no philosopher.......2001-11-16

To get the measure of this book, I checked out the bit about Nietzsche, a philosopher I know something about. The authors's comments are so ridiculous I thought it must be a joke. It reminded me of the kind of anti-German propaganda article printed in World War 1 newspapers. I'm afraid this experience put me off the book altogether.

Maybe it's unfair to judge a book by a couple of pages, but when someone gets it so wrong about a subject that you know, you are bound to distrust them on others you don't. My advice - forget this and read any decent introduction to philosophy instead.

Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides for the Perplexed)
Average customer rating:
Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides for the Perplexed)
Matheson Russell
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Existentialism | Movements | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Phenomenology | Movements | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0826485944

Book Description

Edmund Husserl's work is a cornerstone of Continental philosophy and the phenomenological tradition. Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed addresses directly those major points of difficulty faced by students of Husserl and leads them expertly through the maze of complex ideas and language. The book builds up a comprehensive and authoritative overview of his thought and, more broadly, of phenomenology itself. Divided into three parts, the text covers the central tenets of phenomenology, Husserl's work on consciousness, and key philosophical topics in Husserl, including psychologism, intersubjectivity, the lifeworld and the crisis of the sciences.

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