Book Description
Maeve Binchy once again brings us an enchanting book full of the wit, warmth, and wisdom that have made her one of the most beloved and widely read writers at work today.
When a new highway threatens to bypass the town of Rossmore and cut through Whitethorn Woods, everyone has a passionate opinion about whether the town will benefit or suffer. But young Father Flynn is most concerned with the fate of St. Ann’s Well, which is set at the edge of the woods and slated for destruction. People have been coming to St. Ann’s for generations to share their dreams and fears, and speak their prayers. Some believe it to be a place of true spiritual power, demanding protection; others think it’s a mere magnet for superstitions, easily sacrificed. Not knowing which faction to favor, Father Flynn listens to all those caught up in the conflict, and these are the voices we hear in the stories of Whitethorn Woods—men and women deciding between the traditions of the past and the promises of the future, ordinary people brought vividly to life by Binchy’s generosity and empathy, and in the vivacity and surprise of her storytelling.
Maeve Binchy is at the very top of her form in this irresistible tale.
Customer Reviews:
Overrated.......2007-10-10
Whitethorn Woods:
I love the Irish authors, but Maeve Binchy is one that I have never ever managed to get into. The times I've tried her books, only to give them up because they are so hum-drum and there are so many excellent books out there, why waste time with mediocre? This is definitely the last one I'll ever try. She just ain't got it.
Single Voices Combine To Tell the Story.......2007-09-09
Maeve Binchy is one of my favorite authors and is extraordinarily gifted in telling stories in an amazingly inviting manner. Each chapter of Whitethorn Woods is told from the perspective of someone who either lives in or has a connection to Rossmore, a small town in Ireland. As she has done with some of her previous books, the chapters are each almost a short story in themselves. Characters (written in her charmingly warm and descriptive style) from each chapter intertwine and collectively tell the story.
The many individual voices from each chapter gives you insights and nuances you would not have if told from the perspective of one or two people. The end result is that the story was more about the people of the town of Rossmore - with the plot line actually becoming secondary - and I felt almost as if I'd visited the town and it's citizens by the conclusion of the book. Goodness usually prevails in Maeve Binchy's books and that is satisfying in itself.
I enjoyed Whitethorn Woods more than the author's last, Night of Rain and Stars, but I don't think it's her best (Tara Road among them). That said, any Maeve Binchy book is a soothing and enjoyable read that is probably better than three quarters of the books out there and worth reading!
A nice, pleasant book.......2007-09-08
This is a nice feel-good book--a pleasant read. At some points, I felt like each story was much too contrived. I love being swept away into another world when reading a novel, but it didn't quite happen with this book. Some parts were too unrealistic, and others too predictable. The ending was nice, but not satisfying. Overall, it was a nice book to read at the beach, under an umbrella.
Maeve's Done it Again!.......2007-08-27
Maeve Binchy's newest book is a charming addition to her body of work. There is humor and drama in a bittersweet mix. This book was as enjoyable as all her others.
Unconventional characters come alive.......2007-08-20
No one can make characters come alive in a few short paragraphs better than Maeve Binchy. She brings the most interesting characters to Whitehorn Woods, a satsifying page turner set in a small Irish town. Based on a proposed highway that would destroy St. Ann's well, which is thought to bring miracles to many, we meet diverse characters who are somehow connected to the shrine. Ms. Binchy is a genius when it comes to creating a conventional person who has more depth and layers than we would expect.
All of the characters have challenges and they learn how to use their talents to better their lives and others. I would have liked to have some of the stories resolved, particularly the tragic tale of the stolen baby. It probably was more realistic that the long-suffering mother never knew what happened to her daughter, but I did want the child robber punished and the child to know her background. I could come to terms with the other characters' fate, but this story was the most heartbreaking.
There is a "Hollywood" ending in regards to the proposed highway which tied up the many pieces of the plot. And, of course, the hero was the character who was not considered the brightest or most ambitious. A good read.
Average customer rating:
- Holy Cow, Harlan...
- A waste of time to read this
- Stay out of the Woods...
- Another Fast Paced Coben Book
- The Woods by Harlan Coben
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The Woods
Harlan Coben
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
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ASIN: 0525950125
Release Date: 2007-04-17 |
Book Description
Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again.
For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six- year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor's family are threatened.
Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.
Customer Reviews:
Holy Cow, Harlan..........2007-10-07
I have no idea what process Harlan Coben may have been working through on a personal level when he wrote this book - for his sake, I hope it was cathartic. Unfortunately for me, it also used up many bedtime hours of normally pleasurable reading. In fact, it is such a disappointing departure that I'm secretly convinced that someone else (an intern, perhaps?) wrote this book while Coben was vacationing: in the real woods of northern Montana.
The very things that make Coben's Myron Bolatar series such fun reading - the quirky characters, wise-guy dialog, flawed heroes and wacky plots - were sadly missing from The Woods.
Add to that a plot line that can only be described as ludicrous. When I'm reading a mystery, trying to follow along and deduce the killer's identity, it's never a nice feeling to discover that the reason the killer was so elusive is that no one in their right mind could have thought up the explanation.
(Following are similes - not spoilers) - How well would To Kill A Mockingbird have turned out, I wonder, had we learned that the actual murderer was a local neighborhood boy who was in reality a trained CIA operative no longer working with the Khmer Rouge, but now living a secret identity in Hohokus, New Jersey and an active member of the remnants of the Bahder-Meinhof gang?
Like an idiot, I blindly followed this trail all the way to its miserable ending. My reluctance to wake the family is the only reason I didn't shout out "You have GOT to be kidding me!" and fling open a window and chuck this book out into where it should never have been milled from in the first place: The Woods.
Harlan, let us know when you're back on track, or when you've fired whoever wrote this book and paid you to use your name on it. It's not that we want to pigeon-hole you into only Myron Bolitar novels. But next time you venture afield of that formula, I'm going to need to say a BEVY of killer reviews before I'll pick it up. I didn't donate this book to our local library - I recycled it.
A waste of time to read this.......2007-10-05
Where to start on what annoyed me about this book?? The characters are highly unrealistic...he writes them like he's in junior high. All the women are stop traffic beautiful with bodies that no man can resist. All husbands are cheaters and men are so full of lust they can't complete a sentence when a beautiful woman is in the room. It was so juvenile you just had to laugh. And he wrote such obvious clues about where the plot was going next. I love a good suprise and a few twists and turns, but this was just loaded with them. And the trial, how good of a fiction author can you claim to be when you steal all of the details out of a real trial (Duke). Flat out of creativity there? And finally, the ending. Completely lame. If it had been included earlier with more development behind it, that's one thing, but to drop it on the last page...lame.
If you insist on reading this book, make sure you get it cheap at a used book store or better yet at the library, don't waste your money on it.
Stay out of the Woods... .......2007-10-03
This was on my summer reading list. It was a quick and easy read. Very predictable and sophmoric in writing style. Coben is heavily into dialogue that adds nothing to the story except extra words. He tries to be hip and cool, and can't pull it off. A total waste of my time.
Another Fast Paced Coben Book.......2007-10-03
You pick this book up and you won't put it down---from the very first page. That's what I love about Harlan Coben. Does it make sense or is it realistic? Who cares? It is pure enjoyment, a fun read by an excellent writer.
The Woods by Harlan Coben.......2007-10-02
Don't get me wrong, this was a good book. I just find that since I have read so many of his books already, I knew how it was going to end. It wasn't his best work, in my opinion.
Book Description
John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work--not at business school or leading Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s--but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. Wood felt trapped between an all-consuming career and a desire to do something lasting and significant. Stressed from the demands of his job, he took a vacation trekking in Nepal because a friend had told him, "If you get high enough in the mountains, you can't hear Steve Ballmer yelling at you anymore."
See how John Wood came to start Room to Read and write Leaving Microsoft to Change the World in this video clip: high bandwidth or low bandwidth |
Instead of being the antidote to the rat race, that trip convinced John Wood to divert the boundless energy he was devoting to Microsoft into a cause that desperately needed to be addressed. While visiting a remote Nepalese school, Wood learned that the students had few books in their library. When he offered to run a book drive to provide the school with books, his idea was met with polite skepticism. After all, no matter how well-intentioned, why would a successful software executive take valuable time out of his life and gather books for an impoverished school?
But John Wood did return to that school and with thousands of books bundled on the back of a yak. And at that moment, Wood made the decision to walk away from Microsoft and create Room to Read-an organization that has donated more than 1.2 million books, established more than 2,600 libraries and 200 schools, and sent 1,700 girls to school on scholarship-ultimately touching the lives of 875,000 children with the lifelong gift of education.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World chronicles John Wood's struggle to find a meaningful outlet for his managerial talents and entrepreneurial zeal. For every high-achiever who has ever wondered what life might be like giving back, Wood offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to one of the world's most pressing problems: the lack of basic literacy.
Book Description
John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work—not at business school or leading Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s—but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. Wood felt trapped between an all-consuming career and a desire to do something lasting and significant. Stressed from the demands of his job, he took a vacation trekking in Nepal because a friend had told him, "If you get high enough in the mountains, you can't hear Steve Ballmer yelling at you anymore."
Instead of being the antidote to the rat race, that trip convinced John Wood to divert the boundless energy he was devoting to Microsoft into a cause that desperately needed to be addressed. While visiting a remote Nepalese school, Wood learned that the students had few books in their library. When he offered to run a book drive to provide the school with books, his idea was met with polite skepticism. After all, no matter how well-intentioned, why would a successful software executive take valuable time out of his life and gather books for an impoverished school?
But John Wood did return to that school and with thousands of books bundled on the back of a yak. And at that moment, Wood made the decision to walk away from Microsoft and create Room to Read—an organization that has donated more than 1.2 million books, established more than 2,600 libraries and 200 schools, and sent 1,700 girls to school on scholarship—ultimately touching the lives of 875,000 children with the lifelong gift of education.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World chronicles John Wood's struggle to find a meaningful outlet for his managerial talents and entrepreneurial zeal. For every high-achiever who has ever wondered what life might be like giving back, Wood offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to one of the world's most pressing problems: the lack of basic literacy.
Customer Reviews:
John Wood, you inspire me!.......2007-09-07
Reading about John Wood's motivations and personal sacrifices, I found myself re-engergized for the volunteer work I do. This book is not just for business people, but for anyone who wants to make a difference in this crazy, beautiful world we live in. Providing children with books whether on a global scale or locally is one of the best gifts (and investments) a person can make. Bravo John! And thanks for making your adventures accessible to the rest of us.
Life Altering Book.......2007-08-21
I managed to finish this book on a flu episode with a fever that lasted two days. It was a great companion at that horrible time.
Now, i read a lot of books. And over time, i got to quickly notice good books from bad books. And ever more, i get to know great books from "books you buy to balance your shelf" books. I try to buy only good books and strive to get all the great ones. This is one of the great ones.
When first browsing through Amazon(yes, i am a very loyal customer), i noticed the title. And being the geek that i am, i wondered what it would talk about(you have to admit, MS and changing the world do not mix easily). I was afraid it would turn out to be a lame book as many books which carry a similar title are. So i took a gamble and i bought it.
It talks about the story of a man(John Wood, marketing executive working at Microsoft) who took a "no-computers" vacation to Nepal. And this vacation changed his life. He describes his life in detail. The details are typical of a modern young successful man working in a high-tech firm. Basically his life consisted of work, work, work and an almost non-existent social life(or any other kind of life for that matter). He thought he was happy this way, we all do, until we stop and take a good look at what we have accomplished.
In Nepal, he noticed that even though some provinces had schools, there were no books and no libraries. So he started out with a little project of collecting a few books for one particular school in Nepal. This all started with a promise to return to Nepal with books. And the whole idea avalanched into one of the most successful projects. An organization that builds schools/libraries and provides books and scholarships for young girls.
I don't want to give out too many details. The beauty of this story is in the events that took place and their chronological order. So i don't want to spoil it. However, i will talk about why i liked this book so much.
John saw the kids in Nepal. He saw that they were trying to learn, but with very poor resources. He also understood that education is the most important gift that you can bestow on a child. Especially girls, since these girls will grow up with this education in mind and carry this belief over to their children and families. "You educate a girl, you educate an entire generation."
After John returned from Nepal, he tried to get back to his old lifestyle. But he could not. How could he? Everything he will do now will seem so empty. How can he go on working knowing that there are children in the world that are not getting the opportunities that we take for granted. He felt so empty. And even if, according to our standard, he is very successful....his life felt meaningless in light of this issue. Everything he accomplished looked so insignificant.
What is truly remarkable though, is that he ran his organization in the same way he would run a normal business. So unlike the other charities around, he never asked people for money out of pity. So instead of showing children with sad faces and sick people like all charities do, he showed the schools he built and the books that he got and the children making use of all of this. It is his belief that contributers do not give money to charity because they don't know where their money is going. They never see results.
I also believe that any book you read must alter your life in some sense. This book did just that. I learned that you shouldn't listen to all the nay-sayers. I learned that for every 1 idea you come up with, there will be a 100 people telling you how it won't work. I also learned to never give up.
If i would only take away one thing from this book, it would be my current favorite quote(which according to the book is an old Chinese quote)
Those who say it cannot be done should not criticize those who are doing it.
This books is highly recommended with 5/5 stars.
great inspiration along with fantastic advice for those who want to change the world.......2007-08-20
Wood brings a fresh, business-like perspective to the often stale world of not-for-profits. His personal journey from career success, to existential angst, to leaving the rat race to change the world is a true inspiration.
Giving back by giving effectively.......2007-07-06
There are plenty of books about one individual's accomplishments in the march to change the world. This book is different because--along with his passion for education and libraries--John Wood brings a model for transforming that passion into sustainable organizations on the ground. If you are actively involved in a nonprofit organization, you will enjoy John's down to earth advice about focusing on results, fundraising, and having fun while you're doing the hard work.
going from corporate executive to do gooder champion.......2007-06-05
This is a good book to understand risk that is inspired by passion. this guy had everything to lose and so much to gain and he did it. Kudos to him and kudos for a well written book.
Average customer rating:
- Popcorn
- good book, although not Stone Barrington's best
- Reminds me of an old 1940's mystery writer with voluptous women and lots of sex!!
- What a stinker!
- not any more
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Fresh Disasters (Stone Barrington Novels)
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399154108
Release Date: 2007-04-10 |
Book Description
With Dark Harbor, Stuart Woods proved yet again that he is the master of the popular crime novel. Now he outdoes himself with the newest addition to the series.
Stone Barrington embarks on his most dangerous adventure yet when he takes on a job as a lawyer for a sleazy and clueless con man-and ends up getting embroiled in the underworld of the New York mafia. It started out as just another late night at Elaine's, where Stone was eating a porterhouse steak and enjoying the company of his friends. But when Herbie Fisher, a notoriously not-so-sharp swindler, walked in, the pleasant atmosphere turned to ice.
Herbie convinces Bill Eggers, the managing partner of Woodman & Weld, to sign him on as a client-with the goal of taking down the infamous mafia boss Carmine Datilla. And even though Stone doesn't want to have anything to do with Herbie-or the mafia, for that matter-he is soon coerced into being Herbie's lawyer.
With the help of his ex-partner, Dino, Stone investigates "Datilla the Hun," and the rest of the mob family, encountering intrigue and danger at every turn. Will Stone finally take a stand, or will he end up at the bottom of Sheepshead Bay?
With the swift action, razor-sharp characters, and crackling dialogue that are Stuart Woods's hallmarks, Fresh Disasters is Woods at the very height of his storytelling powers.
Customer Reviews:
Popcorn.......2007-10-02
Like a big bowl of popcorn, this installment of the adventures of Stone Barrington delivers a lot of fun without much real substance. Since I don't read mysteries for substance it delivers exactly what I wanted. A fun fast paced read, with some of my favorite characters. All in all a good time.
good book, although not Stone Barrington's best.......2007-09-28
Good book, entertaining read. Maybe I've just read too many Stone Barrington stories, but this one made Stone into a superman, and everything was a little too coincidental and convenient. For this, I give the book 4 stars, not the usual 5.
Reminds me of an old 1940's mystery writer with voluptous women and lots of sex!!.......2007-09-22
Stuart Woods has gotten progressively redundant with Stone Barrington's sexual escapades in his books. Although I don't mind a little sex in them, too much is very distracting from the mystery. Maybe, he should start writing Harlequin romances!! I doubt that I will read any more of the Barrington books even though they used to be my favorites. It's just a little too trashy for my taste. Guess I will stick with Follett or DeMille for real excitement.
What a stinker!.......2007-09-16
Stuart Woods used to be a favorite author of mine, but his latest book, FRESH DISASTERS, is so poorly written I found myself skimming over most of it just to finish it. The dialogue is juvenile, characters goofy, and the events in the book defy belief. Mr. Woods must have churned it out in one day, if it even took that long to construct. How sad to see such a poor quality read delivered by an author of Mr. Woods reputation. Don't waste your time, or your money... this book is a "Fresh Disaster" of its own.
not any more.......2007-08-28
This once awesome author may want to RETIRE. He has completely lost his skills of storytelling and character developement. The last few books have been an effort to read even though I have been a serious fan from the first book. I will be buying no more and suggest if a tree has to give its gifts for books the public support a real author!
Average customer rating:
- Great Introduction to Image Processing
- Simply Excellent! Fully Justifies Its Price!
- Excellent book for Image Processing
- OK book for 1st or 2nd year undergrads
- Turn Knowledge into Code
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Digital Image Processing (2nd Edition)
Rafael C. Gonzalez , and
Richard E. Woods
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing (Prentice Hall Information and System Sciences Series)
ASIN: 0201180758 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Introduction to Image Processing.......2007-09-16
(This review refers to the second edition of the book)
This book is a simple and very well written introduction to Image Processing. This book starts off with the very basics of the subject. In fact the introduction is a bit too long and may be boring for some. The book contains many examples from different real world applications. In most chapters this book covers only the very basic techniques, so readers who want to study more advanced concepts will have to look elsewhere. For example, this book does not cover Canny edge detection which is probably the benchmark edge detection algorithm. The chapter on wavelets was refreshing; it concentrated more on how wavelets can be used for image processing and less on the math. The chapters on enhancement, restoration and color are elementary. The chapter on compression was quite good. The book ends with a few chapters on segmentation and pattern recognition. Overall, its a very good introductory textbook well suited for senior undergraduate/first year graduate students.
Simply Excellent! Fully Justifies Its Price!.......2006-05-09
The preface of this book starts with a quote:
"When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing".
And once you start reading the book, you realize how much the book lives upto this. Everything is written clearly and importany points are stressed again and again in each topic until you become fully familiar with them. Topics are written with implementation in mind, as you can get started with writing your own code instantly.
The book makes the subject as interseting as it gets, and although some existing basic concepts of mathematics and statistics are quite helpful while reading, but you dont even have to be familiar with Digital Signal Processing to fully understand the contents.
Finally, I'd like to say that out of the few poeple that fully understand a concept, fewer have the gift to deliver their knowledge to others, and the authors of this book have that gift.
Excellent book for Image Processing.......2006-03-25
This book feeds the readers all the basic concepts of Image Processing. Very easily understandable and lucid in explanations. I would rate it one among the best EE books published so far.
OK book for 1st or 2nd year undergrads.......2006-02-14
I am giving this book 4 stars because it's quite descriptive and easy to follow. It covers some of the basic concepts behind digital image analysis and touches on the more general signal processing concepts, but it doesn't go very deep into the actual math. This may be what you want, but for me it was an assigned text for a 4th year undergrad course I took in college, and I found it inadequate. I felt like I could have written this book before I even started the class. At the same time, though, I think it would have been a great text for a more entry-level course.
If you want a text that goes in further detail and provides some math to chew on, I have to recommend the "Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing" by Anil K. Jain. It is also sold on Amazon, and I found it to be more appropriate for a 3rd year, 4th year, or Master's level course.
Turn Knowledge into Code.......2006-02-11
This is the best, most understandable image processing book I ever read. It is the
only image processing book I've ever read in which I could immediately turn the concepts into code (IDL). I spent most of a Christmas vacation thinking it was a novel I couldn't put down. That's about as good as it gets for a technical book! Well done, Gentlemen.
Book Description
In this influential work about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation—he calls it nature-deficit—to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
Last Child in the Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond—and they are right in our own backyard.
Customer Reviews:
Last Child in the Woods.......2007-10-09
As humanity goes deeper and deeper into materialism and our children are displaying symptoms in their emotional, behavioral and physical health, this book brings us back to the understanding that children are not little adults and human beings are not machines. The importance of self-discovery is being undermined through our over intellectualization on one side and on the other side the over protectionism of little ones. This surpresses the development of the imagination and intuition, which is so needed if our society is to refocus on humanity instead of amassing material good and consumption!!
Thank you Professor Louv for your timely and VERY important book!!
Reclaiming Childhood.......2007-10-08
I grew up in a very small and rural town. Growing up I was surrounded by nature and even though video games were popular neither my siblings nor myself nor any of our friends ever had to be forced to spend more time outside. We liked being outside. We enjoyed playing in the fields, woods, yards, and vacant lots that were around. Having become a secondary teacher and also having spent many summers working at a summer camp, I have noticed that many children and young people no longer have the same connection to nature that I had as a child. There are some who may ignore this shift in child development and reason that it's not significant and is simply an expected result of an increasingly technologically based society. But, as Richard Louv points out in LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS, such an attitude is severely misguided and ignores the disturbing consequences of what can happen if children aren't connected to nature. Though scientific in nature, the book is written for lay people. Therefore, the text is fairly easy to read and comprehend. Highly recommended for parents and people who work with children.
Too much of the same thing.......2007-09-27
The whole concept is an interesting one but the book drug on with the same message.
Taking Back Nature ...........2007-08-05
I would have never heard of this book if it wasn't for my sister-in-law, who is battling lung cancer. She and I were talking about whether or not I should bring her some books to read while she was undergoing chemo and she happened to mention this book, as her school system was recommending that she read it before school starts in a few weeks. Naturally, I had to pick up a copy of it and was sold.
This book (with a wonderful front cover, by the way ~~ my boys kept saying, "Mom! That kid's going frogging too!" ~~ they love frogs) is chock full of information and data and statistics. It is a book full of common sense and while Louv was very very careful to say that studies have not been done yet to proven that kids with ADHD disorders can be weaned from their medicine if they were outside in nature more, he offers that as a possible solution to solve a lot of mental disorders in today's society among kids and adults. He also offers a lot of other solutions as well ~~ different types of studies or programs that other people are trying to start up to recruit people back into living in a greener world.
As a kid, I was not very interested in playing outside. I lived in a neighborhood in a small town. BUT my parents signed me up for junior naturalist programs, they took my siblings and me camping, they took us to the parks, they encouraged all kinds of outdoor activities. I did not get a chance to go into the woods by myself in the morning like my dad did while he was growing up (he lived in a very rural area), but when we were camping, I took advantage of playing in the woods. We were not encouraged to watch a lot of tv. That is a trend that a lot of my friends look down on me at ~~ I only have one tv in this house. My boys probably do watch a lot more tv than they should but whenever we get a chance, we are outside, working in the yard, playing or going camping someplace now that they are older and we can start introducing canoeing, hiking ... things that take you back to nature.
Louv writes very compelling though throughout this book about today's generation and how they are drifting away from nature. He writes about the irony of people driving ATVs into the desert with their children to look at wild life and basically destroying the terrain with the automobiles and kids are "being exposed" to wildlife but from the safety of the vehicles. Or encountering kids who show no interest whatsoever in the wild life that the author had just spotted. There are a lot of stories that he shared ~~ personal and from other people. He also writes of the connection between kids being locked up in their houses all day and the rising concidences of obesity among today's children ... and so on.
This is definitely a book for parents to read. I cannot write an accurate review of this book because there are too much information in here and one cannot honestly know where to begin. Yes, it can be dry reading in spots, but keep on reading because it gets better and more interesting. However, I do have a question for all those global warming experts out there ~~ how come none of you have read this book and tried to implement some of the theories into practice? I'd like to see this book touted more in the media.
8-5-07
Finally, a ray of hope.......2007-08-02
Until I read Richard Louv's book, "Last Child in the Woods," I only had two books on my shelf that merited permanent allegiance: Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)" and Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring." Both works were thoughtful and intelligent observations on the natural world and how we affected, and were affected by it. But they also left me slightly depressed. I felt hopeless and unsure of how to regain the ground we had lost. Although "Last Child" has numerous examples of what we've lost (including old-fashioned goofy play outdoors and an early-learned appreciation of nature), his research and interviews also focused on ways individuals and communities are turning dire predictions into positive ways to return childhood to children, and nature to families who have forgotton, (or maybe never learned,) how much we need it to survive and be healthy. Louv gathered and stitched together ideas that previously many others have tried to communicate, and this book is now my backup when I am trying to explain why I am hopeful about the future. What started as a catchy phrase ("nature deficit disorder") has morphed into a growing movement, and maybe this time the children will lead us all back into a more healthy and balanced way of living.
Book Description
The leading text and reference on wood design, updated to include the latest codes and data
Continued the sterling standard set by earlier editions, this indispensable reference leads you through the complete design of a wood structure (except for the foundation), following the same sequence used in the actual design/construction process.
Customer Reviews:
Design of Wood Structures ASD/LRFD.......2007-03-12
Excellent. Very well organized and numerous examples. I have followed this author from 3 of his previous editions of this book.
The Most Connon typ of Construction.......2007-03-03
Now in it's sixth edition, this book has become the standard text on the design and construction of buildings made of wood. While most wooden structures are residences, the book also covers multi story wooden structures such as apartment houses, commercial buildings with wooden roofs, and to a limited extent newer techniques such as glue-laminate beams.
The book is suitable for use either as a text for a course or as a reference for self study. The sixth edition of this book was promoted by five major developments:
1. Publication of new dual-format (ASD/LRFD) wood design criteria in the 2005 National Design Specification for Wood Construction.
2. Publication of the new Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) Supplement to the NDS.
3. Publication of the comprehensive ASD/LRFD Manual for Engineered Wood Construction.
4. Publication and increased adoption nationally of the 2006 International Building Code. ==5. Publication of updated load standards in the 2005 edition of Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.
Product Description
Information Security Policies Made Easy, Version 10 is the new and updated version of the best-selling policy resource by Charles Cresson Wood, CISSP, CISA, CISM. Based on the 20 year consulting and security experience of Mr. Wood, ISPME is the most complete policy resource available. ISPME Version 10 has everything you need to build a due-care security policy environment, including: 1. A complete policy library with over 1350 individual pre-written security policies including: Coverage of the latest technical, legal and regulatory issues. ISO 17799 outline format, allowing for easy gap-analysis against existing standards and security frameworks. Expert commentary discussing the risks mitigated by each policy. Target audience (management, technical, or user) and security environment (low, medium, high) for each policy. Policy coverage maps for Sarbanes-Oxley (COBIT) and HIPAA security 2. Eighteen complete pre-written security policy documents that every company should have, updated and ready to use "as is" or with easy customization, including: User-targeted policies such as: Electronic Mail Policy, Internet Security Policy for End Users and Web Privacy Policy. Organization-wide policies such as: High-Level Security Policy, Privacy policy, Information Ownership Policy. Technology-based policies such as: Firewall Policy, Data Classification Policy and Network Security Policy. Sample risk acceptance memo for the approval of out of compliance situations, a sample non-disclosure agreement, and a user policy acceptance agreement. 3. Expert advice on the policy development and review process, including: A step-by-step checklist of policy development tasks to quickly start a policy development project. Helpful tips and tricks for getting management buy-in for information security policies and education. Tips and techniques for raising security policy awareness. Real-world examples of problems caused by missing or poor security policies. Policy development resources such as Information Security Periodicals, professional associations and related security organizations. 4. All content available on an easy-to-use CD-ROM with an indexed and searchable HTML interface for easy location, featuring: Policies available in HTML, PDF, MS-Word format. Easy cut-and-paste into existing corporate documents. Extensive cross-references between policies that help the user quickly understand alternative solutions and complimentary controls. ISPME V10 policies cover these important security topics: Access Control Data Classification and Control Risk Assessments Password and user ID management Logging Controls Encryption and Digital Signatures Instant messaging, PDAs and smart phones Personnel Security including Security Awareness and Training Data Privacy Management for employees and customers Corporate governance, including Sarbanes-Oxley Electronic mail, viruses, malicious code protection, and social engineering attacks, including phishing scams Preventing and responding to identity theft Network security including wireless and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Security, configuration, and management firewalls Communication Security including telephones and FAX machines Web site and e-commerce security Security in 3rd party contracts, including outsourcing and off-shoring of IT projects Document destruction, as well as retention of documents that may be used in court cases Incident Response and Contingency planning Telecommuting and mobile computing Honeypots and intrusion detection systems Effective software patch management including Open Source software And many others! Information Security Policies Made Easy, Version 10.0 policies are organized around the ISO/IEC 17799 Security Standard. All contents come on a fully indexed and searchable CD-ROM with linked cross-references.
Customer Reviews:
Even Better.......2006-08-10
I keep books in two places, a small shelf near my computer that I can reach and a large bookshelf across the room. This book deserves a place on the small shelf within arm's reach.
Version 10 builds on the previous work and includes ISO 17799 outline format, policy coverage maps for Sarbanes-Oxley and coverage of the latest issues (technical, legal and regulatory.) I particularly appreciate the section on policy awareness. This is one of the biggest problems you run into.
If you are a manager, before you ever make a decision, or approve a policy, look the topic up, there is a good chance you will see something you didn't think of.
Let me give you an example, our company used to have a fairly long Non-Diclosure Agreement (NDA) prepared by our attorney for a specific purpose. However, we decided to create a simpler, general purpose NDA for all 1099 contractors. The lawyer created it and before I approved it I checked it against the book. I found three items that really should have been in our NDA that we would have missed, thank you Mr. Wood!
If you are a techie, do you need this book? Sure, because everything we do as a techie or engineer has liability implications for the company. Each topic is very clear, concise, and well thought out. It takes a few seconds to look it up, about two minutes to read the section and that investment is well worth your time.
Yes, this is an expensive book; however, it is worth the investment, every organization should have at least one copy. S.
Notes on ISPME version 10.......2006-01-25
Book is a very good resource on information security policies; however, I was disappointed that this book did not match ISO 17799 version 2005 it only matched the 2000 version. I would wait for the next version of the book for updated material matches for ISO 17799 v2005. The authors should have provided updates via CD ROM or download to support this necessary update to this version they have not. You would seem to think at $795.00 a pop for the book and CDROM you would get better support on the material in the book. Also pay close attention to the license uses of the security policies..
New version of a vital information security reference.......2005-08-17
In technology, books are often obsolete shortly after publication. Given the dynamic nature of technology, very few technology books can stand the test of time and remain relevant for a few years, let alone a decade after their original printing. Some of those rare titles that seem timeless include Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier, Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems by Ross Anderson, and the book I'll review here, Information Security Policies Made Easy, Version 10. Information Security Policies Made Easy (ISPME) is one of the most important information security books available for those who are serious about creating a comprehensive set of information systems security policies.
The importance of effective information security policies cannot be overemphasized, as they are the foundation toward implementing information security and ensuring the security of the people, systems, and networks within an organization. If an organization lacks security policies, they cannot inform employees and users of their specific security responsibilities. Policies define acceptable system use and user behavior, and those policies must be in place before they can be enforced.
Version 10 of ISPME contains more than 1350 pre-written security policies that can be used as a framework for the creation of a comprehensive set of information security policies. The book comes with a CD-ROM that includes every policy. The beauty of ISPME is that it removes the huge burden and time required to create a global set of security policies. With ISPME, you can immediately begin exploring the myriad policies required for information security.
One of the biggest mistakes you could make, however, when using ISPME, is to implement a policy too quickly, without deciding specifically how those policies with be selected, developed, deployed, maintained, and enforced. With that, Chapter 2 provides an orientation to the information security policy writing and development process. The books states that while it may be tempting to immediately start cutting and pasting policies together, it is crucial to understand both what the policies do and what you want to accomplish with them before you begin. If that is done, the subsequent policy writing tasks will be much more efficient and focused.
At 501 pages, Chapter 3 comprises the bulk of the book and contains the all of the specific policies. These policies are divided into 10 separate domains that are mapped to the ISO-17799 standard. This organization scheme makes it makes it easy to create a gap-analysis of your current policies against the ISO-17799 standard. This is helpful since many organizations are now embracing ISO-17799.
Each of the policies contain the individual policy itself and a detailed commentary on why the policy is specifically needed. Each policy also has a cross-reference to related policies and an indication of the audience (management, technical, end-user) and the security environment (low, medium, high) for which it is written.
Chapters 4 - 20 contain various high-level policies in areas such as mobile computing, data classification, email, Web security, and more. These 18 chapters are complete security policy documents that can be implemented with little customization.
The book contains 15 appendixes, which include secondary information such as awareness-raising methods, checklists, memos, and next steps to take.
The CD-ROM that is included contains the entire set of polices in HTML, Word, and PDF formats. It also includes two documents that map the policies in the book against HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley.
Organizations that take information security seriously will likely have used ISPME in its previous versions. But for those that have not yet taken the plunge, ISPME is a valuable tool that can be utilized to create a comprehensive set of information security policies in a cost- and time-effective manner. For those building corporate or organizational security policies, ISPME is clearly the definitive reference.
Average customer rating:
- Great Text
- Superb instructional book for my needs
- Practical and Useful
- The best of its kind.
- Digital image processing using MATLAB
|
Digital Image Processing Using MATLAB
Rafael C. Gonzalez ,
Richard E. Woods , and
Steven L. Eddins
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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Digital Image Processing (3rd Edition)
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Computer Manual in MATLAB to Accompany Pattern Classification, Second Edition
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Pattern Classification (2nd Edition)
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Mastering MATLAB 7
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Introduction to Digital Image Processing with MATLAB
ASIN: 0130085197 |
Book Description
This is the first book that provides a balanced treatment of image processing basics and software principles used in the practical application of image processing. Working in the MATLAB computing environment, it provides a stable, well-supported set of software tools capable of addressing a broad spectrum of applications in digital image processing. The major areas covered include intensity transformations, linear and nonlinear spatial filtering, filtering in the frequency domain, image restoration and registration, color image processing, wavelets, image data compression, morpohological image processing, image segmentation, regions and boundary representation and description, and object recognition. For software developers working with image processing.
Customer Reviews:
Great Text.......2007-05-12
Great text for learning image processing and using it with MATLAB. Hopefully the instructor also uses its mathematical insight as well.
Superb instructional book for my needs.......2006-04-10
I bought this book for two reasons (a) I needed an overview of IP and (b) I wanted to examine different pattern analysis algorithms with a practical twist. On both counts, as an non-IP researcher, I was very satisfied. The book is very well laid out, so well in fact that it would put to shame many of its rivals. It served my needs. I can't comment on whether it will meet the needs of a broader community. I would certainly recommend it based on my experience.
Practical and Useful.......2006-01-11
This book educates the reader in image processing and MATLAB. While I am experienced in both, I found the book to be an extrememly useful reference book for projects involving image compression and image representation. The book offered practical descriptions and useful code for computing the fast wavelet transform. It was especially useful in describing how the edges should treated. This is a big issue that other textbooks gloss over. I had never seen it described in a textbook, and it was described so well.
The color image processing chapter is excellent, and the image processing chapter is pretty good. Lots of explanation and code.
While the book stands alone, it can also be seen as a useful companion book to the more theoretical "Digital Imaging Processing" by Gonzalez and Woods (2nd edition). This is a different book even though it has close to the same name.
The best of its kind........2005-01-02
If you want to get up to speed on Matlab and plan to use it for image processing, this book is a must.
I have lots of experience in computer graphics and in programming languages like C++ and C#, but prior to reading this book I had never really used Matlab nor implemented complicated image processing algorithms. This book is a great introduction to both.
The book is divided in twelve chapters touching both low-level image processing (e.g. spatial filtering) and higher-level concepts required for computer vision, like image registration and segmentation. Gonzalez et al are talented writers, explaining relatively complicated concepts clearly and concisely, without getting lost in the mathematical details. People interested in the more theoretical aspects should (and probably already have) check their other book.
The only potential downside of this book is that it's definitely designed to be read sequentially, one chapter at a time. The matlab concepts are introduced piece by piece. For example, if you skip Chapter 5 (on image restoration, i.e. getting rid of noise) you may not realize that you missed the introduction to the image registration functions. Personally I liked this style (it added variety to a potentially dry subject), but a reader with less time to cover all of the matter may find this to be a problem.
Digital image processing using MATLAB.......2004-09-02
I gave a DIP class last semester using this book. I found it provided the easiest way to make students acquainted with DIP. Before using this book, I tried Visual C++ for implementation. However, both of us (i.e., students and me) couldn't be satisfied, I guess. Now the implementation is easier than ever, and I can explain more about DIP itself to students.
Customer Reviews:
Brings many things together.......2006-07-14
I was impressed with this book's unique perspective of blending the business and technical needs into a single focus, and it continued to maintain the human considerations. It does an excellent job of describing how to support business decisions through architecture at a macro level in a style where "the rubber hits the road."
If you are a systems analyst or a software development manager, this shouldn't be on your book shelf - it should be on your desk for regular reference.
explains the job of a system architect.......2006-07-02
The authors give the reader detailed and useful suggestions about designing a software system. It should be made clear that this is not a programming book. Coding particulars are at a finer level outside the book's scope.
The book is addressed to the software architect. Which can be rather a vague job role. One merit of the book is that it can be used to define what a software architect does. While the authors might not claim to encompass everything in your job description, perhaps what is given here is your core responsibility.
So the text shows how to identify and use scenarios, to build sets of scenarios. And yet be able to construct inherently different scenarios. A vital feature of making the scenarios is how it involves the stakeholders very early in the design. Vital in preventing misunderstandings about undesigned or unneeded functionalities, before they get built into the system.
Then, given a system, the text explains how to document it using UML. The latter is extremely useful. Both for programmers who might have to design to it, and for the stakeholders. The visual nature of UML helps make it understandable to both parties.
Finally brings it all together.......2006-01-09
This is a really great book. Rozanski and Woods bring together in one text the information that is most important to know about software architecture. It is not filled with opinion but is based on research and ideas that have been proven in practice and that are widely accepted in the field. The ideas are straighforward and presented clearly and concisely. As a practicing software architect, author and professor on the subject, this is my recommendation as the first book on software architecture you should purchase for your collection.
Every IT architect should read this book.......2006-01-03
My reason for buying this book was to hear what the authors had to say about handling cross-cutting architectural concerns (such as security), which they refer to as "perspectives". The authors offer refreshing insights into how such concerns should be interwoven with the architecture views/viewpoints with which many architects will already be familiar when documenting their software architectures.
But now that I've finally finished reading the book (500+ pages) I have to say that this book is so much more. This is essentially a "book of 2 halves". The first half discusses fundamental architecture concepts, and various elements of the architecture process. However, the second half of the book is dedicated to a catalog of viewpoints and a catalog of perspectives. These sections are, I think, the most valuable, and offer probably the best overview of different architectural concerns (such as concurrency, deployment, operations, security, availability etc.) I've come across. And the whole book is liberally sprinkled with pragmatic advice, and examples, based on the authors' experiences.
In summary, the book makes a great "handbook" for both novice and experienced architects.
If you can buy only one book, get this one!.......2005-11-05
I am part of a software engineering process improvement group. In simple this means that I have read more books on software engineering in the last year than I care to mention. There are many good books on architecture, but the ones I have read all seem to conflict with one another and they didn't go to the tactical depths we needed to structure a solid process. I have found this book to be one of the best investments I have every made. I have recommended this book to at least five other co-worker who have all thanked me twice. Buy a copy for you, and a friend, and your boss, ....
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