Amazon.com
Five Frogs on a Log is a practical and easy-to-absorb manual for corporate leaders facing those intense periods of total transformation that seem--for better or for worse--to define today's business world. Written by Mark L. Feldman and Michael F. Spratt, both partners and managing directors of PricewaterhouseCoooper's global M&A consulting division, the book aims to help managers through the "jolts, curves, and emotional potholes" that inevitably accompany such large-scale restructuring. "The high-priced bankers and lawyers exit with the close," they write, "leaving management to confront the challenge of producing results that justify the price, the added risk, and/or the significant disruption to current operations. To complicate matters, they face what amounts to a new company and a set of unexpected demands that can easily divert them from capturing the value that drove the deal." With help from insightful illustrations and quotations from those who have been there, Feldman and Spratt build upon their basic theory--that speed is of the essence in corporate upheavals of this type--by offering pragmatic solutions for the myriad problems that invariably arise. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
A riddle:
Five frogs are sitting on a log.
Four decide to jump off. How many are left?
Answer: Five
Why?
Because there's a difference between deciding and doing.
Written by Mark L. Feldman and Michael F. Spratt of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Five Frogs on a Log offers readers an entertaining and no-nonsense field guide to the mergers and acquisitions jungle, packed with insight and instruction for executing corporate change and capturing shareholder value. Whether you're buying another company or acquiring a new vision of the future, this book proffers an unconventional perspective and a practical, readily accessible set of solutions to the single greatest challenge facing today's managers: executing rapid transitions ion mergers, acquisitions and gut wrenching change.
Designed for corporate managers and CEOs caught up in the whirlwind of change, every chapter provides accessible ideas and wisdom for navigating the most demanding business transitions. The authors offer a unique hands-on perspective based on their work with top Fortune 500 firms. As they state:
"Increasingly, the companies that win are those that learn faster, act quicker and adapt sooner. They will compress time by making and executing early, informed decisions about economic value creation, ruthless prioritization and focused resource allocation. They will use these decisions to take early firm stands on management deployment, organization structure and culture. Their actions will increasingly be linked to long-term, sustained economic value creation."
The advice and expertise offered in this book can be used to solve a range of operational problems from speeding up new product development to merging two businesses; from changing company culture to repositioning a business in a while new marketplace.
Whatever the challenges and opportunities facing you, your company, your industry, Five Frogs on a Log will move you from deciding to doing.
Book Description
The Workout Log
This book is designed to help you keep track of your workouts so that you can make every workout count towards your goal! By keeping track of your progress, you can tell right away what works and what doesn't.
The front cover is laminated with a unique Yin and Yang workout design of two people working out within a gear-shift wheel. The author, who is also a professional computer designer, designed the cover. The inside cover has a conversion chart from kilograms to pounds. The first page explains in a user-friendly manner of how to use the book.
The 2nd and 3rd pages are designed to annotate your present body measurements, height, weight and your max on squats and benchpress. The actual "log" portion of the book is designed in an easy-to-use format. The user can track how many reps and sets he did with a particular weight. It even has a section that asks, "How the workout went" and the user can circle
BAD OK GOOD VERY GOOD EXCELLENT (or even) #@!
For those really bad days in the gym.
This book has been in circulation since 1994. It has sold extremely well in the gyms across Canada, but it's time now to get the book on the net and to a larger market.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for............2007-09-10
This journal is perfect for a bodybuilder. Plenty of room for high volume training; bodypart measurment log; goal setting. This is not a general fitness journal. There are no pages specifc to diet or cardio and there is minimal room for notes. Enjoy.
Perfect for my needs!.......2007-08-23
I must keep track of my workouts in order to track my progress. I have always just used a little notebook to write them out, but this book is great. It is designed very practically for the serious minded exerciser. It is not meant for cardio only, it is definitely for weightlifting.
Simple, Durable, Compact.......2007-08-23
This is a great tool for anyone that wants to monitor their weight lifting progress. This would not be a good tool for someone doing cardio or other aerobic type of exercise. The pages are easy to track your progress, there's space to write your specific workout activity, and you can quickly mark the day, date, and time of workouts. Each page has a section for daily weight, workout level (was it a fair, good, great, or poor workout), number of reps, and sets.
What I really like about this book is the pages are thick and sturdy. You can throw it on the gym floor, keep it in your gym bag, and it will withstand the punishment. It's been a simple and effective tool for me and as soon as I fill this one up, I plan on buying another one!
Awesome workout partner.......2007-06-26
I ordered this book from Amazon after reading a few reviews both on here and other sites online.
The book has everything you need for strength training sessions. There is only a small space at the top of each page to record any cardio training you do, so this might be a deterrent for some people. However, I find it more than adequate as you can just put down, say, that you did a spin class, hour on the treadmill.....etc.
If I lost this book I'd immediately buy another one.
If You Are Serious About Your Work-Outs, Buy This Log.......2007-03-11
This work-out log is very well organized without being "busy". It has room for 6 sets of 15 exercises per day so whether you lift for mass or circuit train this log book has every thing you need. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Praxis Log of Manned Spaceflight 1961-2006 will open with a section entitled: Quest for Space, which will provide an explanation of the methods employed to get in and out of orbit and brief overviews of the different international space programmes. It will be a complete chronological log of all attempted orbital manned spaceflights, including the X-15 "astroflights" of the 1960s that only achieved an altitude of c. 50 miles and the two 1961 Mercury and Redstone missions which were non-orbital. There will be an image depicting each manned spaceflight, and data boxes containing brief biographies of all the space travellers and basic flight data. The main text will be a narrative of each mission, its highlights and accomplishments, including those strange facts and humorous stories that are connected to every mission.
By targeting publication in September 2006, the return to flight of the Shuttle, two more Soyuz TMA launches and, quite possibly, a second Chinese manned mission. The resulting book will be a handy reference to all manned spaceflights, the names astronauts and cosmonauts who flew on each mission, and their roles and accomplishments. Recent announcements of a return to the Moon and eventual manned flights to Mars, as new hardware and procedures are developed to support these long-range programs, emphasizes the case for future updates of this book.
Customer Reviews:
Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 .......2007-06-27
A very comprehensive account of manned space flight. The book contains a time period overview of space travel plus a detailed account of each flight. Enjoyable reading. A must-have for all space buffs!
Who did what - and When?.......2007-04-20
This one is big as a medium size telephone directory - around 820 pages - but it has to be. Chronicling some 250 space flight since April 12, 1961 up to September 29, 2006, and the participants from Yuri Gagarin to Anousheh Ansari, in lucid prose and memory-stirring photographs, this is a worthy follow-up of the Tim Furniss earlier chronicling of the first 103 space flights. That milestone was passed in April 1983. We tend to equal "space flight" with "flights to Earth Orbit" or "Flight to the Moon", but suborbital flight to more than 80 kilometres - 13 in the X-15 rocket plane and 3 in the comercial "Spaceship One" are included as official flights that reached space. Aborts during launches are also included, as are the incredibly sad listings of the crew of STS 51-L, where Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe attained only 1 minute of spaceflight experience, before that ascent was so cruelly - and unnecessarily - terminated.
The Authors have visely chosen to present all the numerical data in both metric and imperial measurement. If I have to search for something missing, I would wish for an alphabetic index of persons, who participated in which flight style, but then the size of this volume, already in that class which seriously hampers the compulsory bed-reader, clearly would have grown quite out of hand. Let us be thankful for the mass of facts we already have got here.
For the veteran armchair astronaut this volume brings back a lot of memories, and still succeeds in serving up a plethora of data that has slipped the memory over those 45 years. For the young reader, this presents the scope of Mankinds first forays off our planetary shores and trips to the offshore island of the Moon. It's an incredible history after all, and it's all here.
A very great book.......2007-03-30
I was really impressed by the Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006.
Simply the best !!! A book with many details of each manned space mission since the Gagarin's flight. Highly recommended. More than 820 pages rich with any type of information.
A must have!.......2007-02-11
An amazing publication: covers Vostok-1 (Gagarin) to Soyuz TMA-9. Tons of info for each flight: International designation; launched; Launch site; Landed; Landing site; Launch vehicle (for the shuttle you have the tank number, the SRB set and the SSME engines); Duration; Callsign; Objective; Flight Crew; Flight Log and finally Milestones. Also three chapters cover respectively: Reaching the heavens (access/method; Space flight methods/launch systems); The Quest for Space; The orbital programmes (Vostok, Mercury, Apollo, Shuttle, Salyut, Shenzhou etc..).
An outstand reference works for anybody who is interested in the history of spaceflight!
A must have on one's bookshelf.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Book for teachers.......2007-03-30
This book, or should I say this manual, is really important and helpful. I am a Ph.D student and I know exactly what it does mean to have a manual like this in schools. The manual gives you a chance to evaluate your students with special needs. Additionally, the manual follows the new trends in assessment and evaluation process through linking the assessment results with educational or intervention purposes. By using the Assessment Log and the Developmental Progress Chart, you, as a teacher, can link the ongoing assessment information with the IEP information for your students.
This manual will help you understand the developmental level and deviance for your students, as well as how to plan for age appropriate and functional interventions.
Thanks Amazon for the wonderful book.
Average customer rating:
- Reliving the Past
- PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS GENRE
- NO IDEA what they're saying
- buy it and use it
- An incredible resource of "oldtimer" wisdom
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The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Foxfire 2: Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning and Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making and More Affairs of Plain Living
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Foxfire 3 (Foxfire)
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Foxfire 4 (Foxfire)
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Foxfire 5 (Foxfire)
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Foxfire 6 (Foxfire)
ASIN: 0385073534
Release Date: 1972-02-17 |
Book Description
In the late 1960s, Eliot Wigginton and his students created the magazine Foxfire in an effort to record and preserve the traditional folk culture of the Southern Appalachians. This is the original book compilation of Foxfire material which introduces Aunt Arie and her contemporaries and includes log cabin building, hog dressing, snake lore, mountain crafts and food, and "other affairs of plain living."
Customer Reviews:
Reliving the Past.......2007-09-04
If you are interested in learning how our forefathers lived without the modern day conveniences that we enjoy today, this book is a must read. You will learn how they survived without much income and you could learn something beneficial that you never knew.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS GENRE.......2007-03-26
The Foxfire books are a wonderful thing and we are so lucky to have them. Many of the ways, crafts, planting lore, animal lore, and as the book says "affairs of plain living" are preserved here. This particular volume includes different wood and it's uses, Mountain Recipes, Slaughtering Hogs, weather signs faith healing and so very, very much more. this is a wonderful recording of life the way it was and probably never will be again. The book is quite well written and has faithfully recorded even the dialect of these wonderful people, from which so many of us sprung. That is a big part of the charm of these works. This book includes actual interviews with folks from that region of the country which I am sure are long dead now. Their knowledge would be completely lost without works such as this. Another generation or two and it will all be completely gone. Thank goodness we have recordings such as this. Recommend this one highly.
NO IDEA what they're saying.......2007-01-18
I heard about this book and thought, "OH I'm from the South and this book will be lovely to read to find out about how things used to be." And I would probably have been right if I could have made out what they were talking about. The slang is much too thick for me. I'm not sure anyone could understand it except people who actually are from this region. Thumbs down for no translation.
buy it and use it.......2006-06-18
Don't get me wrong the entire series is amazing. Book one is the best and one of the more practical. The chapter on log cabin building was my inspiration to build my own cabin. At least 75% of the cabin was directions from this very book. Reading a Foxfire (any of them) does something to you that's hard to explain. I think of Foxfire books as almost a self-help guide that teaches you how to slow down for a minute. I recommend this book for anybody with high blood pressure or some kind of anxiety problem. It's therapeutic. These students met some really neat people of Appalachia. We can't let this way of life fade away as it almost has in my hometown, Knoxville.
An incredible resource of "oldtimer" wisdom.......2006-04-15
I've inherited the first seven, origional print books from my dad, and bought 8 and 9 for myself just a year ago, and I must say that I've always enjoyed reading these books. The people who contributed their knowledge & wisdom to these books are a resource that has largely been lost to us, and it's a shame that more of us don't realize the wisdom that is missing in this world with the deaths of these oldtimers (as the books were written in the 70's primarily).
I rate this book right up there with Carla Emery's books, as a great resource for folks trying to get back to a more self-sufficient way of life and providing for themselves, their families, and even friends & neighbours. These books definitely give a sense of old-fashioned camaraderie and willingness to help your neighbour in time of need (and in times of plenty).
Book Description
The Log Construction Manual tells you what you need to know to build your own handcrafted log home shell. This is a comprehensive and thorough guide to how to scribe-fit logs to each other, cut notches, and build roof support systems of large, round, naturally-shaped logs.
The Log Construction Manual is packed with information that is available nowhere else — including the Log Selection Rules, Chambers' brilliant and simple method for choosing which log to use next; detailed instructions for building handcrafted log roof trusses; step-by-step directions for laying out sill logs for any design or floor plan; how to cut state-of-the-art compression-fit saddle notches; methods to keep notches and grooves tight over time; allowing for settling and shrinkage of log walls; scribing tips that pro's use; and much more.
Customer Reviews:
I wouldn't build with Logs without it!.......2007-10-05
I own every book, set of DVD's and video tapes on how to build handcrafted log homes. The information that Robert has put into this book takes all the mystery away that all the others will leave you with. Some say it's too technical, but it really isn't. It is very concise and to the point. It is step by step from start to finish. No other book on log building says very much about sill logs. This is one of those mysteries the other books leave with you. It's a sure bet that you will ruin thousands of dollars worth of logs if you don't have this book by your side. Bottom line is, if you just want a library of books on log building, buy all the others. If you are really building a "Handcrafted Log Home" this book is a must! You'll be sorry without it.
Useful book.......2007-07-18
Very good book. Basically made me realise I was biting off more than I could chew - think I'll try a garage first! I kept on hearing from log building forums how cheap it was to build a log house, it was sobering to hear from an expert that this might not necessarily be the case. Made me approach this idea a bit more rationally.
extremely informative.......2007-05-01
It is obvious to me that log construction is more than just a craft. I was not aware how fast things are changing in the art of log construction. The author seems to be on the cutting edge of log building technology. There is a lot to more to know before you start your own log home than I was aware of. I am now going into it with a much greater understanding of the process than I had before. I will start mine this summer. It will be beautiful. thank you Robert.
Log Construction Manual.......2007-04-10
This is without a doubt, the finest book on the topic. Prior to purchasing this book, one complete shelf of my bookcase was taken up by books on the topic. While some are enjoyable to read and / or present great photos, I could have filled the "hands on" and technical side of such construction with this book. During my first few readings of the book (and I continue to read it) I kept asking myself "why didn't anyone else think of that" or something along the lines of "really glad I didn't build before reading this book or I'd have been in trouble". I've been lucky enough enough to exchange a few personal e-mails with Mr Chambers and can vouch for the fact that he really cares for the craft. This is not an example of someone simply after your dollar. Do yourself a favour, start with this book. You'll be glad that you did.
Log Construction Manual.......2007-02-11
The best book I have read on the topic. This author is very detail oriented. I implemented the information imedeately into my cabin construction project. If you are planning on building, this is a must read.
Book Description
6 x 9 25 b/w photos 40 drawings Complete, inexpensive guide to building log homes Kits, financing, and construction How to be your own general contractor "For enthusiasts and would-be inhabitants of log homes, Cooper provides concise and sensible information . . . Recommended." -Library Journal The revised and updated edition of this best-selling guide (first edition, 0-8117-2422-0) outlines what every owner-contractor needs to know before beginning a dream log home-getting started; comparing price quotes; researching on the Internet; choosing an architect; planning the site, road, well, and septic systems; finding and managing subcontractors; and scheduling and controlling costs. The author also explores the myths and realities of log home life, including maintenance and energy efficiency. Jim Cooper owns Oak Ridge Log Homes in Frederick, Maryland.
Customer Reviews:
Information regarding building a cabin or house........2007-09-29
This book had all the information regarding building, purchasing land, forming the foundation, getting contractors, - everything necesary to start a home from nothing. While containing all the information I needed, it informed me I am not willing to go through this much work to get my own house. I would rather purchase a pre-built home.
The Best!.......2007-03-12
I GOT THIS BOOK FOR MY SON, FROM THE LIBRARY, AND HE LIKED IT SO MUCH THAT HE WANTED TO 'HIGHLITE' SO MANY THINGS. I ORDERED IT FOR HIM AS HE IS INTERESTED IN BUILDING A LOG HOUSE, BUT THEN HE FOUND A 6 YR. OLD LOG HOUSE, BUT THIS BOOK HAD ADVISED HIM AS TO THE BEST TYPE OF TIMBERS, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. HE WAS ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE OWNER THAT HE WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT WITHOUT THE WONDERFUL INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK.
Not very good or inspiring.......2004-03-15
This book is not for anyone who wants to build there own log home. It is clearly written from someone who wants to continually sell log home kits. There is a wonderful book called Home from the Woods that is much better and describes the details of building a log home from an everyday persons perspective.
Biased but good.......2003-12-18
This is a very good book if your intention is to be your own general contractor, or even hire a general contractor to build your log home. The author (as noted in many other reviews) shows a bias towards milled kit homes since that's what he sells.
Since I am planning to build my own log home from scratch (not using a kit) I found the bias a little annoying, but I still found a few good pieces of advice here and there. If you are planning to build it yourself from scratch I would recommend taking the two-day seminar from loghomebuilders.org instead, or in addition to this book.
Best book on the subject (but milled kit bias).......2003-02-19
This is the best book currently available on the subject of log home construction planning. It is well-organized, clearly written, and offers helpful information to anyone who is planning on building a log home. The reason it gets four stars instead of five is that some statements in the book must be read with your thinking cap on...The author is a milled log kit seller, so he shows a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) bias against handcrafted homes, build-it-yourselfers, and the like. Of course, every salesman believes that his own product is the best- so who can fault him...just take in the book with a "grain of salt" and remember to think for yourself.
Book Description
The Log Cabin design dates back to the time of the pioneers and is one of the most popular quilting patterns today with its traditional red center representing the heart or the hearth of the home and the stripes around the center representing the logs of the cabin.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent instructions, Great book.......2007-06-08
Great book, clear instructions and illustrations. I can't wait to make the quilt.
Make a Quilt in a Day: Log Cabin Pattern.......2007-05-13
This is a very good book, it has beautiful photographs and is very easy to understand. It's a very simple and quick way to make a quilt.
Log Cabin Pattern (Quilt in a day).......2007-05-12
Very funcinal book with great tips to shorten the process. Very useful book & projects can be made in a day no problem
Talk about fast!.......2006-12-18
I did quilts out of this book and there are so fast to make it will make your head swim. Actually I was astonished at how fast they were to make. Easy,easy,easy. Fast gifts!
Made my first quilt!.......2006-12-01
I have never taken a quilting class but made my first quilt using this book! The instructions are easy to follow and the photographs clearly illustrate step-by-step how to proceed. She tells you exactly how much fabric you need once you decide the size quilt you want to make and how many blocks are necessary. I had not been excited about the log cabin pattern, but when I saw all the different ways the blocks could be arranged, I developed an interest. I have four small children under the age of 8 and began my quilt in August so that it would hopefully be completed by Christmas. Much to my surprise,I finished it (about 70"x70") in a month! I would recommend this book to any beginning quilter.
Book Description
9 3/4 X 9 3/4 In, 128 Pp, 125 color photos, 30 floor plans. Thirty fabulous log home plans-the favorites of builders and designers, selected form across the united states. More than just renderings, each floor plan is illustrated with beautiful color photographs of the landscaped exterior and fully styled interior. Weaving pictures and plans together are valuable information, advice, and planning tips from the people who design and build log homes. Ranging in size and accommodations, they include: *Cabins, Bungalows & Small Abodes. *Family homes, cottages & moderate residences. *Havens, Retreats & Grand Estates.*
Customer Reviews:
Lame if you are looking for floor plans.......2007-03-21
Stay away if you are looking for floor plans...I would have rather spent my money on three good magazines.
Log Home Plan Book.......2006-11-03
I expected the book to have more plans under 2000 sq ft. If you want a mansion than it has lots of good plans for you!
Rose
A great place to start dreaming.......2006-08-12
This was the first log home book my wife and I purchased after making the decision to not settle for any old house on the market and to build our dream home. It was a great way to get the ideas flowing. I appreciate the layout of the book: lots of exterior and interior photos, floor plans to put the photos into perspective, text descriptions of the houses, and great side bars on everything from windows to roofs to heating. The photos and descriptions are inspiring while the floor plans and side bars are practical. Buy this book early in the process and continue to refer to it as your design comes together.
A MUST HAVE FOR LOG HOME BUILDERS!!.......2006-02-23
My husband and I are in the preliminary stages of planning our dream log home. There are many pricey books out there to peruse, but none were as helpful as this one. It helped us to understand construction and budgetary compliance. By planning with this book, we curbed our budget, without compromising quality and beauty. The information was easy to digest and the photos were excellent and instrumental in the implementation of design and decorating. This book is definitely a MUST HAVE for anyone who is planning to build a log home.
I found a plan.......2004-05-15
I bought this early on in the planning stage of our log cabin as a resouce. After looking through dozens of books and magazines I actually used one of the plans in the book after modifying it slightly. This has many plans that give you some great ideas and has enough difference between them to be a nice starting point in the design process.
Book Description
Today, nearly forty years after his death, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck remains one of America's greatest writers and cultural figures. Over the next year, his many works published as black-spine Penguin Classics for the first time and will feature eye-catching, newly commissioned art.
Penguin Classics is proud to present these seminal works to a new generation of readers—and to the many who revisit them again and again.
Customer Reviews:
Look for the Hansen Sea Cow..........2007-07-30
This is a classic book that is the synergy between two very different people. By the time you finish this, you will find you really like them... and wish you could have spent some time with them as well.
The science in the entire book is pretty good too.
The Log from the Sea of Cortez.......2007-03-22
The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck is the story of a group of men on a journey through the Gulf of California with the plan to study the marine organisms that lived there, but they ended up studying a lot more. As the book was written by a writer and not a scientist the scientific side is seen through a different angle. Amongst all of the stops to collect specimens are thrown Steinbeck's tangents about the ideas of the world, the way that people behave, and philosophical ideas.
Throughout the journey of the Western Flyer the company made many stops along the coast of the Baja peninsula and along mainland Mexico. At each one of these stops Steinbeck tells of the collecting and the names of the different organisms along with the environments that they lived in. Steinbeck does a careful job of describing the animals and plants and using their scientific names in order to make the book useful for scientific purposes.
The journey also contains many stops in the towns and cities that border the Gulf. At each one of these stops Steinbeck gives a detailed account of their experience and a description of the people and their culture. One feels like he is actually traveling through Mexico and meeting the people while reading the book.
The Log From the Sea of Cortez.......2007-03-04
This book is about a small crew of men, most of which are scientists. They rent a boat and set sail off the coast of California. They travel all over the sea on the coast of California and Mexico, in the Sea of Cortez. The point of this voyage is not for mere joy, it is for collecting, observing, and preserving species that inhabit the sea. The focus on the interdial zone for the most part.
This book documents the journey and all the adventures that take place. One of my favorite quotes from the book is " the reports of Biologists are the measure, not of science, but of the men themselves". These men took the time to log everything that they did. They were meticulous in their gathering, and studying.
This book is not just about the species they collected. It is about the men and the things they learned along the journey. They learned to slow down and actually look at life. They were able to ponder all kinds of life, theirs and those of land and sea. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about themselves and the adventures that can occur while doing research.
Journal of travel and research.......2006-02-24
This nonfiction book is an account of a research/specimen collecting trip Steinbeck made with his friend and marine biologist Edward Ricketts off the coast of Baja California in 1940. They rent a boat, a purse-seiner called the "Western Flyer," stock her with supplies, hire a crew, and set sail on the afternoon of March 11, 1940.
The raison d'etre of the trip is collecting sea specimens, but Steinbeck is interested in more than just recording scientific data. The men go ashore at various ports along the way, and encounters with other men are related (in one, the inspiration for what later became THE PEARL is told). Both Ricketts and Steinbeck have a philosophical bent, and they discuss in detail teleological vs. nonteleological ways of interpreting the world. Likewise, ecology and their theory that everything in nature has its place and makes a contribution to the whole world system is examined. Both men enjoy drinking, and that becomes a topic of conversation at one point. It's plain from Steinbeck's writing that they are having a good time in addition to the successful collecting. At one stop, at which they are given an icy welcome, they believe they've come amongst gun smugglers. The trip comes to a happy end on April 13 as they head for Monterey Bay and home.
The books initial publication coincided with the attack on Pearl Harbor and was virtually forgotten. Only recently have critics studied the book carefully, especially in terms of what it has to say about the environment. Regardless of that, the book is entertaining and informative. His prose is at times lyrical, at other times outright funny (after talking to other boat captains over the radio about how much fish was caught, he says after they found out they were on a collecting mission the other boats paid no attention to them: "We were obviously ridiculous"). Included is Steinbeck's lengthy and lively biographical portrait of Ricketts, who was killed in a train accident. Worth checking out.
Non-teleological thinking.......2005-03-22
This book represents the log of a voyage Steinbeck took with Ed Ricketts collecting biological specimens from the Sea of Cortez during the spring of 1940. The goal of the trip was to document the variety of sea creatures that lived in the tidal pools of the region, as well as to bring back specimens for identification and further study. In total, the voyage lasted about 4 weeks, during which time Ricketts, Steinbeck, and the rest of the crew documented hundreds of species, thousands of specimens, and discovered several new creatures that had not been known before.
The book begins with a lengthy preface introducing readers to Ed "Doc" Ricketts. Ricketts, of course, was the mythical Doc featured in the Steinbeck classics "Cannery Row" and "Sweet Thursday". In this biography of Ricketts, Steinbeck provides some of the details of Rickett's life, and describes his chief character traits as Steinbeck perceived them.
By today's standards, their approach and attitudes towards the animals they were catching seem rather appalling. In the tidal pools, it seemed they grabbed everything that moved, as well as everything that didn't move but merely showed some signs of life. In this manner, they collected rare as well as common species. The ship's crew enjoyed the sport of catching a sea turtle, shooting a shark through its fin, and harpooning giant rays. Modern readers can at least take comfort in the thought that society has advanced to the point that such behavior is no longer found acceptable on a biological expedition. Even Steinbeck, however, was shocked by the methods used on a Japanese shrimp trawler that they encountered dredging in Mexican waters. The Japanese, with full permission from the Mexican government, were literally dredging the ocean floor, bringing up every last living thing, from sea fans to sharks in their nets. Whatever wasn't shrimp they threw back, where injured or dead, it was reduced to seagull food. Steinbeck noted the short-sightedness of this approach, how it left nothing behind for future generations, no shrimp, but also no other fish.
In the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, CA, there is an exhibit with photographs of the expedition. In the center of one of the photographs is Carol Steinbeck, John's first wife, who was a crew member on this voyage, but who John managed to expunge completely from this written record. Nevertheless, he leaves us with a clue to her existence at the end of chapter 24, where he writes of a strong prejudice when there is a woman along on a voyage of scientific exploration, "the wife of one of the members of the party. She is never called by her name or referred to as an equal....She is nearly always a stringy blonde with leathery skin who is included in all photographs to give them `interest.'" Clearly, this account of the voyage is carefully crafted not to tell exactly what happened and to whom, but to represent the events as John chose to tell them. Most of the prose explores Steinbeck's and Rickett's concept of non-teleological thinking, where they take an idea and push its consequences beyond reasonable limits. Still, Steinbeck does provide a narrative account of the various collection stops they made, and what kinds of creatures predominated at each stop (this description was based on Rickett's notes). At the end of the book are a glossary of biological terms used and an index.
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Books Index
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